The Lighthouse Keeper

Greetings from Pastor Kerry, former pastor of Spring City UMC. This blog contains my sermon outlines and/or manuscripts from my pastorate among the people of Spring City PA, from 2006 to 2011. Pastor Dennis is now the lighthouse keeper. Come and worship on Sundays at 10:00 a.m.! www.springcityumc.org

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Jesus' Picture

February 20, 2011
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany


1 Corinthians 3:10-23

“Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?” (1 Cor 3:16)

My sermon outline:

As we gather this morning a Chrysalis weekend is in process. Next week one of our church members will preach while I help lead another one. Chrysalis is part of the Walk to Emmaus community, an international discipleship development & renewal retreat, largely lay driven, with purpose of deepening individual’s relationship with Christ, for the strengthening of the church body.

Driving in the car yesterday, thinking about where I was going, listening to the radio, Rolling Stones song, & thought of how music affects me. Sacred music generally lifts me, secular music notnecessarily. I'm not opposed to secular music, but I recognize that (like last week fitness) sacred music is strengthening. It's a constant reminder of sorts of who I am and who I love. I encourage it, happy to give suggestions.

Talking to someone yesterday who wasn’t sure if he’d met my wife, I pulled a picture out. Imagine if I instead surrounded myself by pictures of other women... Like the music, pictures are reminders of who you are and who you love. They affect relationship.

When I talk to couples about marriage I talk to them about learning what their partner likes, what their emotional needs are, and about “love-busters”, things we say or do to sabotage relationship.

• Everything I’m talking about is about foundation and building on good foundation.
Paul has a few points in 1 Cor 3:10-15:

- that it matters less WHO your leader is than that you’re building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.

- that one is ultimately responsible for one’s own life of faith – I can’t build yours and you can’t build mine, and discipleship is expected of all of us... each is required to build (& build well) on the foundation of Jesus – not someone else’s work, neither work done once a long time ago.

- that we the body of Christ are the body of Christ when we each bring our discipleship to the table.

• What to do? Study & worship, as individual and as part of community, proclaiming what Jesus has done in your life, keeping his picture ever in front of you.

• Hymn 451 Be Thou My Vision


- Pastor Kerry

This Sunday: 55 in worship.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home