Sunday in Review – 6/17/18

Hello! Happy Father’s Day! 🙂

Today Amanda hosted church, Simeon read the story, and Justin preached.

The story was about the wise men following the star, meeting Herod, and visiting and worshiping Jesus.

Justin wanted to talk about God as our Father for Father’s day and read a few passages about that. Here are the ones we read…

  • The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
  • Matthew 7:7-12
  • Matthew 10:19-20
  • Galatians 4:4-7
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
  • Proverbs 3
  • Malachi 2:10
  • Psalm 68:5

Sunday in Review – 6/10/18

Hello! Today church was at the Franklin’s, Simeon read the kids story and also preached the sermon.

The story – this week we read about Mary and Joseph taking newborn baby Jesus to the temple.

For the sermon we read Mark 15:15-47 (end of chapter)

Some things we talked about:

  • The many ironies in the story: Jesus’ crown, title, and royal robe
  • The meaning of crucifixion – torture, shame, spectacle.
  • The cross changed form a symbol of death to life

 

Sunday in Review – 6/3/18

Today church was hosted by the Wolfe’s.

Simeon read to the kids about the angels appearing to the shepherds and telling them to visit Baby Jesus.

In today’s sermon Justin read the story of the death of Polycarp, a 2nd century martyr. Then Eliza, Jude, and Tracy read Acts 5. We talked about the the attitude of the early Church in rejoicing in suffering for Christ.

Some things that were brought up in our discussion:

  • Jesus says all the trials we face will be made up for in the Kingdom of Heaven.
  • It should be a joy to serve Jesus and come to shame for Him.

Sunday in Review – 5/27/18

Today services weres at the Franklin’s and Simeon preached the sermon.

For the children’s story we read about  Mary and Joseph completing their journey to Bethlehem, and finding the inn full. The innkeeper offered them lodgings in his stables instead and baby Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger.

We picked back up in Mark for the sermon and Jude, Gideon, and Eliza took turns reading Mark 14:53-72 and Mark 15:31-15.

This passage covered the two trials of Jesus that Mark tells us about. We discussed

  • Peter denies knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crows twice, just like Jesus predicted.
  • Jesus is put on trial but he’s not really saying anything. We read from Isaiah 53 about the silent lamb..
  • When the witnesses don’t agree with one another Jesus implicates himself – the time for secrecy about his identity is over.
  • Pilate knows Jesus isn’t guilty and tries to release him – asking the crowd whether Jesus or Barabbas should be released. The crowd wants Barabbas freed.

At the end we talked about how the story is one of wrongdoing by the courts, the leaders, even the mob as an innocent man is condemned to death.. And yet despite all the corruption and failure Jesus turns out to be the most significant fact that is related…  There is something encouraging in that for us today…

Thank you for reading! 🙂

Sunday in Review – 4/29/18

Today we met at the Franklin’s and Justin preached the sermon.

We read two chapters from our Bible story book today for the kids – we’re still reading the story of Jesus’ birth and heard about Joseph’s dreams and the trip to Bethlehem.

For the sermon we read John 14:1-14 and Justin talked about descriptions a Church might put on a sign. What would it mean to be:

  • Christ centered
  • Full Gospel
  • Faith
  • Grace
  • Bible Believing

We talked about the value in all of these descriptions and where we find our own center as a Church..

Sunday in Review – 4/21/18

Hello! Today services were hosted at the Braley’s and Mark preached from 1 Thessalonians.

Simeon read the story to for the children – now we’re reading through the Gospel story and we read about the angel’s visits to Mary, Elizabeth, and Zechariah.

Amanda read the 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 and Mark talked about Paul’s pastoral advice:

  • Christians back then were called Followers of The Way. They were people on a journey together..
  • Paul’s advice to the people of Thessaloniki is not to stop. Keep going through the journey that God has for you. Being baptized isn’t the end of the journey but the beginning.
  • God know’s what’s best for us and he is pleased when we talk to Him or try to please Him.
  • You’re going to meet God someday and deal with your sins so you need to take them seriously.

Sunday Review – 4/8/18

Hello, today we met at the Wolfes house, Simeon read the story, and Justin preached.

We started reading stories for the Childrenbased on the Gospel accounts. We read about about all the things that the prophets said about the coming of the baby. Then we read the story of the Angel Gabriel coming  to visit Mary. He declared that she was going to be the mother of the King and her cousin Elizabeth was going to have a baby too.

The sermon covered John 14:15 – 14:31 and we discussed Christian attitudes towards sin. Can we be perfect and cease from sinning?

Sunday in Review – 4/1/18

Happy Easter!

Today we had and abbreviated service, we met at the Franklin’s. We read together the story of the first Easter from John 20 – we picked up where we stopped at Communion on Good Friday.

We read about Mary Magdalene, Peter and John and the disciples encounters with the risen savior and how we encounter the risen Jesus. Happy Easter!

He has risen!

He has risen indeed!

 

Sunday in Review – 3-25-18

Hello. Today we met at the Brayleys. Simeon read the Bible story and Mark preached.

Today with the kids we read the Bible story of Jonah. The Lord asked Jonah to go and preach in Nineveh, a city filled with wicked and evil people. Jonah did not like the sound of that so he decided to run away. He went down to the docks and got on a boat headed for Tarshish. While on the journey a big storm rose up, and Jonah had the crew members throw him overboard. It stopped immediately. Jonah got swallowed by a big fish and was in his stomach for 3 days and nights. Jonah prayed a lot and the fish spit him out onto land. Jonah went to Nineveh and helped the people repent.

In the sermon we read 1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:5

Some things we talked about were:

  • What makes you close to the people you love or are close to.
  • We also had a discussion about Paul’s relationship with the Thessalonians and how he wanted to go back and see them – he loved them and didn’t view helping them as a chore
  •  The effect persecution has on people and how going through the same experiences bonds you together.

 

Sunday in Review – 3-18-2018

Hello! Today we met at the Wolfe’s.

The children’s story was about the Israelite’s after they had conquered Jericho. The King of Jerusalem was plotting to attack the Israelite’s allies. The Israelites were winning the battle but it was getting dark and they needed more light so Joshua prayed and asked the Lord to stop the sun and the moon where they were and he did and the battle was won!

We read Psalm 41 and also Mark 14 – the theme of the first half of the chapter in Mark and of the Psalm is betrayal – Jesus’ betrayal and abandonment by his disciples. We talked about Lent and Jesus suffering by being abandoned by everyone, even God on the cross and Jesus’ prayer “not my will but yours be done”.