tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29344513209643832612012-01-31T09:45:55.694-05:00Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.comBlogger1041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-31507018732983724002012-01-31T09:45:00.000-05:002012-01-31T09:45:55.705-05:00

"...’Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation’” Mark 16:15For many the above passage represents a form of what is called “The Great Commission.”  It is Jesus’ final instruction to his disciples, telling them to share the “gospel” with all of creation!  Another way of putting this, is it the basis for all evangelism and evangelistic efforts within Christianity. So what is this

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-48978231451788208292012-01-31T09:29:00.000-05:002012-01-31T09:29:16.320-05:00

But love your enemies, do good to them…” Luke 6:35“I forgive you.”  These three words are God’s response to our sin, thanks to grace.  These three words are also what we are called to say and do in response to all others!  But as the saying goes, easier said than done. All of us have been hurt.  We’ve all been wronged.  Some of us in terrible, horrible ways!  Yet, God calls us to love and

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-89345904204517940262012-01-31T09:02:00.000-05:002012-01-31T09:02:31.258-05:00

“…because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free…” Romans 3:24Have you ever felt completely alone?  Have you ever felt totally and utterly worthless and rejected by the whole world?  Have you ever just wanted to be accepted, to be loved simply for who you are?  Well if any of these questions sound familiar, then you’re not alone and I have good news for you. As people each one of

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-62917943152907843542011-07-12T15:56:00.000-04:002011-07-12T15:56:33.415-04:00

"So Jacob rose early in the morning and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it." (Genesis 28:18) Have you ever had an experience that was so powerful, so meaningful, that you knew you'd never forget what happened there?  Often in the Bible when characters have such experiences, they build an altar or some other sort of monument

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-45516757253643466472011-07-08T15:07:00.000-04:002011-07-08T15:07:26.261-04:00

Have you ever been lonely?  Have you ever been alone? On first glance, it would seem these two questions are asking the same thing...but are they?  To be "alone" is to have no one around.  To be "lonely" means to feel as though no one is there for you, or that no one can understand you.  It is possible to be lonely in the midst of a crowded coffee shop, bus, or church.  Likewise it is possible

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-54465322048396317592011-04-21T15:59:00.000-04:002011-04-21T15:59:14.742-04:00

Why do we call it "Good Friday" anyway?  Have you ever wondered what's so good about the day?  And while we're at it, what does "Maundy"* even mean?!? If you have plans to walk closer with Christ this week, and maybe are even considering attending one or more of the services planned in just about every church, then it might be helpful to know what these things are all about. Maundy (or Holy)

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-4862124206769270412011-03-21T12:53:00.000-04:002011-03-21T12:53:16.722-04:00

Too often when we read our Bibles, we are only given the reader's digest version of the story.  Take the call of Abram and Sarai to move to a new land (Genesis 12:1-9).  God calls, and Abram faithfully responds in the affirmative.  That's all we're told!  You would think there was some conversation, right?  I mean, how many of us would just pack up and move without even asking a few questions?  

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-87110536435210010232011-02-13T08:18:00.000-05:002011-02-13T08:18:01.712-05:00

Have you ever watched a child eat?  Not a baby who only eats milk, and not a toddler who eats solid foods like a pro, but a child who's in that in between stage, where they're trying to learn to eat "real" food, but haven't quite gotten it figured out yet.  It's at this stage of development that the Apostle Paul is suggesting the Corinthians are stuck in (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).  Paul points out

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-62781448700036670062011-02-05T18:33:00.001-05:002011-02-05T18:33:41.058-05:00

Isaiah 58:1-9a Matthew 5:13-17 A flashlight when the power has gone out is a life saver indeed...unless said flashlight is being covered by a heavy blanket.  What's the point of a flashlight, if you're just going to cover it up?  That's Jesus' point in the above passage from Matthew.  As followers of Christ, we have been given a message of life, light and hope!  We have been tasked with the

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-13853246628830537762010-11-15T11:29:00.000-05:002010-11-15T11:29:50.426-05:00

I was recently introduced to this song.  It's a song by Jars of Clay, and the linked video shows an interpretation of the song by youth group. Headphones Drama The song laments the hurt and pain in the world, and also points to a more and more prevalent coping mechanism used by people to avoid having to deal with the world.  If you've ever been on a city mass transit system (subway, bus, etc)

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-84978036053765351662010-09-13T11:48:00.000-04:002010-09-13T11:48:06.748-04:00

This past weekend marked the 9th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and (thanks to the heroism of ordinary people) a field in Pennsylvania. These events which all occurred on the same day, have come to be known by simply the designation 9/11 (the date that day). On that one day the whole world seemed to change. I know personally I can never see an

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-5423043845410678232010-08-12T12:36:00.000-04:002010-08-12T12:36:40.457-04:00

Did you know that an average adult lion needs to eat 10-15 pounds of meat every single day?  In part to provide for their incredible food needs, lions live in groups (called prides) and hunt together in coordinated efforts that allow them to take on much larger prey.  It is not uncommon for a pride of lions to attack an kill a water buffalo and on rare occasions a lion pride has been known to

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-41844518863558418222010-06-29T14:49:00.000-04:002010-06-29T14:49:24.017-04:00

If you don't know, I enjoy watching Track & Field competitions on television.  I know, lame right?  Well I'm that guy, and I do.  My favorite events are the relays (where four men or women run varying lengths and transport a baton around the track).  Relays are the only time in Track & Field that people actually utilize teamwork, and it's one of the few times that the fastest/strongest athletes

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-22764482919721361742010-06-21T10:30:00.000-04:002010-06-21T10:30:56.733-04:00

This past Saturday (June 19th) I was ordained in the first class of the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church.  The conference was held in Syracuse and was filled with a day of meetings and legislation creating and confirming the newly created (but not newly conceived) conference.  The final act of the day was the ordination service and several made the trip to witness the

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-68768677027819177402010-06-15T13:21:00.000-04:002010-06-15T13:21:36.395-04:00

You're a good person, right?  I mean, nobody's perfect, but you're not a terrible, awful person like some people, right?  Don't worry, I'm sure the answer is "yes". Speaking of others, have you ever played horseshoes?  I learned not that long ago, and what a wonderful game!  Horseshoes is the game of close is good enough.  You're supposed to get the horseshoe around the stake, BUT if you get it

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-4039041425749341382010-06-02T11:31:00.000-04:002010-06-02T11:31:46.633-04:00

The Trinity is a very, very, VERY difficult topic to really understand.  Let me repeat that, the theological concept of the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons, one God) is not easily understood.  As a matter of fact in his sermon "On The Trinity", John Wesley suggests that it is not necessary to understand the Trinity, but only that the fact of Trinity is believed.  The

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-4432703454937557442010-05-24T17:40:00.000-04:002010-05-24T17:40:41.325-04:00

Growing up I enjoyed reading comic books.  I especially enjoyed reading about the super heroes and their super powers!  I often would pretend that I was one of those super heroes.  I would dress up in my camouflage shirt and pants, my black baseball cap and my "top secret" backpack.  I filled my backpack with all sorts of special "top secret" tools, like rope, a tape measure, a phillips head

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-11891774426129215102010-04-26T14:05:00.000-04:002010-04-26T14:05:53.135-04:00

Growing up within a stone's throw from the train tracks has had one beneficial side effect...it has made me a great sleeper!  Once asleep nearly nothing can wake me up.  This served me well in college when my roommate brought the habit of snoring to new heights, but hasn't been so beneficial during the early years of fatherhood. When our children awake in the middle of night (which seems to

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-16962750012881292982010-04-19T13:13:00.000-04:002010-04-19T13:13:03.353-04:00

Below you will find a picture of the winners for our NCAA Basketball Tournament Pool from the past three years.Names & Dates: 2008 Gerry LeClar, 2009 Emily Martin, 2010 Crystal Martin

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-91489443815593371022010-04-19T13:09:00.000-04:002010-04-19T13:09:11.625-04:00

I was young, foolish, and completely convinced I was doing what God had called me to do.  This sentence perfectly describes me the first time I picked up a hitch hiker.  He was standing alongside the road, wearing a long black trench coat, with his thumb up.  I quickly decided that my car (12 year old Plymouth Sundance) wasn't worth stealing, and that I was tough enough to fight off any attacker

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-34922869759470246832010-03-30T12:17:00.000-04:002010-03-30T12:17:38.418-04:00

Have you ever observed a tradition and not known quite why?  This might be a family tradition, a personal habit, or a church related ritual.  You know something fits this category when someone new observes it, asks why you do it that way, and you respond with an answer like "that's the way we always have done it" or "that's the way my parents did it" or even "that's the right way to do it."  All

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-57993327888452530822010-03-24T10:37:00.000-04:002010-03-24T10:37:26.798-04:00

Faith The final installment of our Lenten Series finds to no great suprise that the number one indicator that a person is a Christian would be his or her faith.  To quickly summarize, we simply defined "faith" with the word "trust".  Since the Greek word (pistis - translated "faith" in your Bibles) and the Latin word (fides - from which our English word "faith" comes from) both mean "trust" it

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-35905438724609841422010-03-17T11:43:00.000-04:002010-03-17T11:43:42.294-04:00

Peace "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid."  (John 14:27) Jesus said these words to his disciples, mere hours before he was betrayed, arrested, beaten and killed.  They are a part of his parting words of advice to his followers.  But as I read them (as well as other passages

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-22462280173944508032010-03-08T11:08:00.000-05:002010-03-08T11:08:22.251-05:00

Kindness It would seem that there are two different types of kindness in the world.  There's the "he's so kind, he wouldn't even hurt a fly" type of kindness and then there's the "he's so kind, he would give you the shirt off his back" type.  The first type is passive, in that the person who's kind is kind by not doing something mean.  The second type is active, in that the kind person goes out

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-59075184160039139702010-03-01T11:03:00.002-05:002010-03-06T21:22:29.181-05:00

JOY You can divide people up into many different categories or classifications (think male/female, young/old, rich/poor, etc) but I'm fairly certain that one grouping that most all people would readily identify with is cats/dogs.  Most people when asked will either say they are a "cat person" or a "dog person".  I would almost certainly identify with the latter.  Dogs are loyal, you can train

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-22426449188575949162010-02-22T11:26:00.002-05:002010-03-06T21:22:45.720-05:00

This week we being our Lenten Series entitled "You Might be a Christian if..." with number five on the list "Self-Control".  If you don't know, this sermon series was in some way inspired by jokes told by Jeff Foxsworthy that made light of "Red Necks".  Since I can't really tell any of those jokes here, below are a few "You Might be a United Methodist if..." jokes instead: *You might be United

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-29670508617762776632010-02-19T11:18:00.000-05:002010-02-19T11:18:58.617-05:00

Valentine's day is one of those holidays beloved by some and despised by others.  Typically if you're in an exclusive relationship with another person valentine's day takes on a heightened meaning and signifigance in your life, and often times you're literally willing to move heaven and earth to make it special.  If you're not in a relationship with someone special, you're literally willing to

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-17867503419074252592010-02-08T11:57:00.000-05:002010-02-08T11:57:28.889-05:00

Have you ever noticed that whenever a person in the Bible hears from God, right away they know it's God speaking?  This made me wonder, what in the world does God sound like?  I mean, everyone in the Bible seems to know God's voice right away, yet in my experience most (if not all) Christians struggle to discern God's will and clearly hear God's voice.  What are we missing, that those folks in

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-37743396018506054292010-01-29T12:35:00.000-05:002010-01-29T12:35:17.314-05:00

In my house we don't necessarily have assigned jobs.  That is to say that both my wife and I are willing to do just about any job that needs to be done around the house.  Having said this, there are certain jobs that I do, and certain jobs that she does most of the time.  One of those jobs is the laundry. As a young man I learned to do the laundry from my father, and while in college I did all

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-1468232964431901882010-01-19T13:31:00.000-05:002010-01-19T13:31:03.745-05:00

Have you ever gotten a phone call at just the wrong time?  Maybe just as you're sitting down to dinner, or just as your leaving the house?  Growing up in my home these calls always came from telemarketers.  You know people trying to sell us new windows, or offer us a deal too great to be turned down!  Now, as an adult, I still receive these calls, but often they are not from people trying to sell

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-52256498982865177592010-01-05T10:29:00.000-05:002010-01-05T10:29:11.100-05:00

Here is a picture from the Oxford Children's Christmas Program.  The program was based on different ways that cultures around the world celebrate Christmas.  In this picture the younger kids are singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, while the older children hold up decorative stars they made.

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-49144821299176027612009-12-17T11:23:00.002-05:002009-12-17T11:40:41.006-05:00

Several years ago, our church (in Owego) got a new pastor. This particular pastor wanted to visit every family, and our family was somehow chosen early on. For some this might have been viewed as a nice gesture and even a welcome opportunity to get to know the new pastor better. For my family this practically constituted as a state of emergency! To understand how such a thing could be this

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-34574818275345474932009-12-07T09:11:00.003-05:002009-12-07T10:16:45.948-05:00

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution? If you have, were you able to keep it? I've found that most people (myself included) who make new year's resolutions aren't able to keep them. This in part has something to do with the difficult resolutions we make for ourselves (think no junk food, caffeine, parties, sweets, etc.) as well as our natural tendency as humans to want something more once

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-53618937312624605582009-11-16T11:20:00.002-05:002009-11-16T12:09:09.814-05:00

In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana (played by Harrison Ford) must make a leap of faith in order to get the Holy Grail and save his dying father. The linked scene portrays very literally what is meant by the phrase "leap of faith", but more often than not, a somehwat metaphorical interpretation is intended. Typically when someone utters the words "leap of faith" what is

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-92022456610396990492009-11-09T09:26:00.002-05:002009-11-09T09:51:42.600-05:00

In a world too often filled with hurt and hardship, it's sometimes easy to forget the truth that God loves us and longs to bless our lives. In fact, it's far too easy to overlook the ways that our lives are blessed and instead focus on the ways that life is unfair. And yet, God still does reach out to men and women each and every day to offer them big and small blessings, and more often than

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-67699966631694401502009-11-02T10:51:00.002-05:002009-11-02T11:12:59.237-05:00

This week we didn't have a sermon but instead listened to two pieces of music and contemplated All Saints Day (the day we remember all those Christians who've gone before us), our own mortality (the reality that all of us will one day die), and specifically loved ones that we've lost. The first piece was from the last movement of Mozart's Requiem Mass, the Lux Aeterna and the second piece was a

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-59932980006806167892009-10-21T13:15:00.002-04:002009-10-21T13:41:58.858-04:00

Driving is a fundamental right of passage for any American teenager (as well as the opportunity to take advantage of seemingly limitless freedom) and I remember my first drive like it was yesterday. I was very, very, VERY excited about driving! I had studied the rules, critiqued my parents driving, and even received a pair of "driving" gloves. So when I took that written test and received my

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-89992532874821624372009-10-16T10:27:00.002-04:002009-10-16T10:51:02.649-04:00

So I was sitting in my office...looking at the SNOW outside (come on...snow on October 16th!) and reading one of the four (or five, or six) books that I'm attempting to read, when the author mentioned the demolition derby. I don't know about you, but I love the demo derby! I have a good friend, who always goes, and as often as I can I tag along. The demo derby is great because the people there

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-56490280178061052782009-10-14T16:20:00.002-04:002009-10-14T17:01:08.384-04:00

This past Sunday, I was away preaching at Chenango Bridge United Methodist Church. While I was away the two congregations observed Laity Sunday, and were in great hands. I've heard awesome stuff about both services and am hopeful of getting a summary of the sermon preached in McDonough posted.As for my sermon, below you can find a brief summary of what the people of Chenango Bridge UMC got to

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-20783023742308240212009-09-28T10:27:00.002-04:002009-09-28T10:52:18.920-04:00

Take a moment to think about a person in your life (past or present) who needs (or needed) healing. What feelings do you have in connection to this person and the events surrounding their need for healing? What questions might you have for God?When I begin to think about healing, I immediately think of a young boy named Danny. He was about 9 or 10 when he needed healing. Danny was the manager

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-68327211814557012772009-09-14T09:24:00.003-04:002009-09-14T10:43:35.114-04:00

Many would agree with the following statement:"Political messages should NOT come from the pulpit."I am going to suggest that while not unfounded, the opinion represented by this statement might not be possible if one intends to stay true to Christianity and faith in Christ. The root of our English word "political" comes from the Greek word "polis" which is translated as city, citizen, civil, or

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-67255880381754080702009-09-08T09:38:00.003-04:002009-09-08T13:10:35.366-04:00

Have you ever heard of the Fruit of the Spirit? If you haven't you can find out a little more about it right here. But we didn't talk about that this past Sunday, and we won't be talking about it today. Can you think of anyone with amazing musical, artistic, or athletic ability? Well, we didn't talk about that on Sunday, and we won't be talking about that today either!Instead we are going to talk

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-71301176418858277422009-09-03T15:25:00.002-04:002009-09-03T15:42:51.314-04:00

In his book Dirty Word:The Vulgar, Offensive Language of the Kingdom of God, author Jim Walker spends some time discussing the current nature of the church. He looks at how many churches seem to function and then suggests how he believes the church (Kingdom of God) should function.Walker compares the current church to a store. Like a store churches use flyers, signs and television and radio

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-53477018189959543602009-09-01T11:04:00.003-04:002009-09-01T12:03:51.520-04:00

Let's start today off with a quick little quiz:1) True or False - Teens are the most likely age group to commit suicide.2) True or False - Women are more likely to commit suicide than men.3) True or False - Winter is the season with the highest number of suicides.4) True or False - A person is most likely to commit suicide while in the depths of depression.5) True or False - Committing suicide

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-55080885354693635822009-08-26T11:45:00.003-04:002009-08-26T12:11:31.556-04:00

In his book The Irresistible Revolution: living as an ordinary radical, author Shane Claiborne talks about the reality that life as a Christian should not be safe, but rather that the Gospel calls us to live dangerously. Claiborne references such passages as John 15:18-20 and Matthew 24:9-13 when explaining that as a whole the church has become all too safe, and suggests that this fact might be

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-2391100321401213092009-08-24T11:39:00.002-04:002009-08-24T12:51:53.542-04:00

So what do you think happens when you die? Perhaps you believe in reincarnation (coming back as something/someone else). Maybe you believe you'll die and go straight to heaven/hell. Possibly you believe nothing happnes, or maybe you believe something entirely different. What I'm going to do today, is lay out for you what I believe happens to us when we die, based on my understanding of

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-61591677225023031732009-08-05T14:54:00.002-04:002009-08-05T15:20:09.587-04:00

So you may have noticed that I've added a few new things to the blog, including a list of books I'm currently reading. I'm hoping to put up new Sermon Samplers every Monday, and on Wednesday's post some reflections based on my readings. This will hopefully prove to not only allow me an outlet to reflect upon my reading, but will also provide some thought provoking reading for you as well.

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-70645266784435733302009-08-03T11:20:00.003-04:002009-08-03T12:11:03.739-04:00

If you've lived for any amount of time in New York State, you've certainly seen one of these signs in your travels. Likely you've even had the misfortune of seeing one just after you missed your exit. I always notice them when the next exit is 20-30 miles further down the road. It is at these times that such signs seem to taunt me and further rub in that now I'm stuck driving far out of my way to

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-51626505647833344202009-08-01T15:07:00.002-04:002009-08-01T15:13:31.352-04:00

The below link will lead you to a USA Today story about Hell and the reality that many churches/pastors no longer talk about it at all. The story also hints at the necessity of holding true to church doctrines (beliefs) that may not necessarily be popular.http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-08-01-hell-damnation_N.htm?se=yahoorefer

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-55339462232121773802009-07-27T10:10:00.003-04:002009-07-27T11:15:40.280-04:00

So this week we did something I've never done in church before, we talked about HELL! It turns out many of us have never heard a sermon preached on or about hell (somewhere around 20-30 or us). This of course has something to do with the fact that sermons on the topic at one time were the norm, and now we are living in the natural knee-jerk reaction to that. The over saturation of fire and

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-11306735762566336442009-07-13T15:46:00.000-04:002009-07-13T16:06:25.929-04:00

Throughout my life, first as a member of a church, and now as the pastor of two churches, I've been cared for (or nurtured) by the church. I have been blessed with many mature and faithful Christian men and women look out for me, nurture my growth (both spiritually and physically), and help me to grow into a true disciple of Christ. It is therefore that the topic of the Church's call to Nurture

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-66468076686647056852009-07-04T15:11:00.000-04:002009-07-04T15:18:05.161-04:00

Happy Independence Day! This is our country's 233rd Independence Day, and it certainly won't be our last. Enjoy the day to celebrate our country, and if you can spend it with friends and family!

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-77896460181242098682009-07-01T17:10:00.000-04:002009-07-01T18:22:11.111-04:00

When I say "missionary" or "missions" what do you think of? Likely you think of Africa, South America, China, or some other far off and exotic place. Almost certainly you think of a person or persons who've dedicated their life to the service of others for the kingdom of God. If you think this way, you're absolutely right, those things all relate to missions and missionaries, but in the

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-13537116572979983312009-06-23T14:30:00.000-04:002009-06-23T15:00:57.277-04:00

Last week, we discussed what "the church" is, and came to the conclusion that "the church" is made up of people (not a building) and specifically all people who have faith in Jesus. So this week we began thinking about what it is that "the church" exists to do, or in other words, what's the purpose of "the church"?We explored several possible purposes, but this week spent time talking about one

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-5459484307485786162009-06-16T19:02:00.001-04:002009-06-16T19:04:55.104-04:00

As you can see, Crystal gave birth to our newest addition, Gideon James Martin. He was born at 10:12 pm on Monday, June 15th. He weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 20 inches long. Mother and baby are doing great, and will be arriving home late Tuesday evening. Please spread the word! PSIt's obvious he's flexing his "guns" for the camera!

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-65900926222582754152009-06-11T11:32:00.000-04:002009-06-11T11:47:47.037-04:00

Below you will find two photos. One from Annual Conference prominently displaying my back, and the other from the Oxford Memorial Day Parade. I'll trust that you can discern which photo is which. The photos are quite representative of the two events, with Annual Conference being about as exciting as a photo of someone's back, and the Memorial Day Parade being mostly about the cool car I was

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-89221116910884611232009-06-03T14:34:00.001-04:002009-06-03T15:25:30.814-04:00

As a child I struggled with the seemingly simple concept that fire is hot. It seemed no matter what my parents did to discourage me from playing with the knobs on the stove and other things that could produce fire, I still continued. By most accounts I was relatively intelligent for a four year old, but for some reason, when it came to fire, I would not or could not learn that fire is hot.

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-16148185924593043112009-05-30T23:08:00.000-04:002009-05-30T23:10:26.619-04:00

Please take a few moments and check out the other websites that I have linked on the right hand side. Please especially take notice of our new Youth Group webpage! The kids have already worked hard on it, and they will continue to work with it and make it more and more their own in the weeks and months to come.

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-4868665026077755892009-05-20T10:26:00.000-04:002009-05-20T11:13:18.143-04:00

Who's invited? Are you invited? Am I invited? If I am invited, what do I need to do to accept my invitation?Sometimes you find yourself in the midst of a church service that just seems never ending. For many the longest and most painful part of such a service, is the sermon, which often has a tendencey to drag on and on. I remember one such service, where the pastor said "and finally" and

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-45363378363820960842009-05-11T14:18:00.000-04:002009-05-11T14:49:58.029-04:00

Mother's Day has always been a special day in my family. One could define the way it functioned in my house growing up with five words: "Mom does whatever she wants." That's roughly the way we still try to allow the day to be now, although it's admittedly more difficult with a two year old and a three year old! Just the same I always enjoyed Mother's Day, if for no other reason than that it

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-90719702664680990712009-05-06T13:42:00.000-04:002009-05-06T13:43:45.653-04:00

My grandfather has a favorite story that involves church, Catholics, and them all being sheep. For background purposes, my grandfather is Protestant, his father is Protestant, and his father before him was "invited" to leave Ireland for being Protestant. My grandmother is Catholic. Being such a "good" Protestant, my grandfather naturally only ever went to church when he went to Mass with my

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-66436819509503587622009-05-06T12:55:00.000-04:002009-05-06T13:41:59.019-04:00

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.Thou preparest a table before me in the

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-38764033788932441012009-04-27T13:18:00.000-04:002009-04-27T13:52:28.582-04:00

So I have a fishing story for you today, but it's not about the fish that I caught or the big one that got away. Instead my story is about the virtues of waders that don't leak, and the benefits of fishing with a partner and of course about trusting God.So my father and I were fishing (wading) in the Susquehanna river, and having a grand old time, when I realized that one of my legs was getting

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-89548975377067135722009-04-22T16:42:00.000-04:002009-04-22T16:47:09.465-04:00

This year we celebrated our 2nd Annual Methodist March Madness (a contest to see who can best fill out the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament brackets). As you can see from the above picture our winner this year was 3 year old Emily Martin. This just goes to show that anyone can be succesful at this, and that you don't need to be some kind of expert. We had over 20 people participate, including

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-28916249736528586972009-04-08T13:53:00.000-04:002009-04-08T14:43:28.129-04:00

My devotion to the NY Giants (football team) began early in life, in an amazingly unprofound way. My parents were watching a football game, and I asked who we were cheering for, to which my father replied "the team in blue". This started, what for me has been a nearly lifetime following of the Giants (for some reason though, my parents are Bills fans?). I've been a Giants fan my entire life...

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-53567432298257428482009-03-30T13:21:00.000-04:002009-03-30T14:31:55.000-04:00

A man was out hiking through some mountains one day, when he stopped at the edge of a cliff to admire the sheer beauty of the view before him. The man was so awe struck, so overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of what he saw, that he momentarily lost his balance. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself dangling from the edge of the cliff! Hanging on for dear life, the man began to

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-66920880132883911902009-03-18T11:25:00.000-04:002009-03-18T12:02:07.548-04:00

Have you ever listened to someone drone on and on about how great God is, and how God's grace is so amazing, only to wonder what in the world they're talking about? Have you ever listened to someone talk about how God's grace has changed their lives, and then wondered why it hasn't changed your life? Or maybe you're like me, and you find yourself wondering if you really need this thing called

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-58772777393098922352009-03-09T09:38:00.001-04:002009-03-09T12:36:17.379-04:00

So this week I was sick and missed both worship services...but if I hadn't been ill, this is something like what you would have heard:Our family has a story that goes back to the family farm in Sherburne. It was around the time that electricity was beginning to get to small rural communities and people were switching over from kerosene lamps to electic lights. According to my great, great aunt

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-18456997543128089082009-03-03T10:15:00.001-05:002009-03-03T10:55:05.196-05:00

For something so beautiful, so refreshing and so essential for life, water can be so terribly destructive. Anyone who has ever lived through a flood of any magnitude can certainly attest to this reality. Only a few short years ago, many of us experienced one of the worst floods our area has experienced in the past 100 years. It is because of this recent experience with floods that our Hebrew

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-25068546389367265732009-02-23T14:42:00.000-05:002009-02-23T15:06:10.708-05:00

Jesus, James, John, and Peter head up a mountain alone. While on top of the mountain, something amazing happens, but as usual Peter misses the point and says something foolish...or did he?Our scripture lesson, came from Mark 9:2-9 and is the story of the transfiguration (big word for change), where Jesus began to glow, Moses and Elijah appeared, and a voice from heaven identified Jesus as God's

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-86653655886426424232009-02-18T10:36:00.000-05:002009-02-18T10:45:08.578-05:00

Last week (February 8th-11th) I attended a Young Clergy Seminar in Washington, D.C. The seminar was put on by the General Board of Church and Society (essentially the social justice branch of the United Methodist Church). I was able to spend 3 days with 45 other young clergy (ages 35 and below) from all around the United States (with one representative from Angola). The days were very full, with

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-18577030321211990882009-02-17T11:02:00.000-05:002009-02-17T11:45:41.366-05:00

Getting caught up in the Valentine's Day spirit (or maybe not) I decided we would look at the topic of LOVE this week. We began our discussion with the creation of the first man and woman, Genesis 2:8-15. The story basically goes like this, God makes man, man is alone, God makes animals, man is still alone, God makes woman, man meets woman, man and woman live happily ever after! We had some

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-34650531588492581672009-02-03T14:43:00.000-05:002009-02-03T15:19:22.052-05:00

I once new a man named Bob. Bob was one of the kindest, most caring and easiest going men I've ever met. Bob was also the biggest cry baby I've ever met...by a mile. Bob would cry while singing up front in church, he would cry when telling people his story, he would cry during the sermon, he would cry during hymns, Bob cried everywhere and seemingly over everything! As a child I couldn't

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-37344290948782802542009-01-21T14:20:00.000-05:002009-01-21T15:01:19.791-05:00

For the next few weeks we'll be looking at stories regarding God's Call, and attempting to apply particular aspects of the story to our own lives. This week we discussed the "simple" task of hearing God's Call and discerning it. We spent some time looking specifically at the story of God calling Samuel (Samuel 3:1-10), where Samuel repeatedly hears God's Call, but mistakes it for the voice of

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-33920246286370909812009-01-14T12:03:00.000-05:002009-01-14T12:36:46.171-05:00

This past Sunday, being the Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we spent our time first talking about Jesus' baptism and then about baptism in general. Mark 1:4-11 contained the story of Jesus' baptism, and also included a brief description of the baptism that John was giving people. It illustrates that the primary reason John was baptizing was so that those being baptized might repent and receive

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-16342095297046690442008-12-23T13:56:00.000-05:002008-12-23T14:25:20.740-05:00

This week we had our Annual Christmas Program at Oxford and it was a HUGE success! McDonough's services were canceled, because your pastor is a huge wimp and apparently needs four-wheel drive, but their Christmas Program has been re-scheduled for January 4th, so be there or be square!I'm pleased to say that despite the weather (it still wasn't great at 11:00 am) many people showed up for church

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-68764034275047822402008-12-16T15:38:00.000-05:002008-12-18T13:53:30.951-05:00

This week's text came from Revelation 4 and spoke of heavenly worship. But before we dove into the text, I mentioned that the book of Revelation is a particular type of literature (like poetry) called Apocalyptic. This type of literature (Apocalyptic) has certain rules that it follows, including using numbers, animals, and various other things to symbolically represent something else. This simply

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-88554373773730707002008-12-12T16:20:00.001-05:002008-12-12T16:57:46.553-05:00

The final three churches, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea, formed the foundation for our discussion this week. We began with Philadelphia, a small, poor city, recently destroyed by earthquakes, moved on to Sardis, a church whose reputation is greater than its reality and finished with Laodicea, the big, rich city whose lukewarm tendencies made God sick.Philadelphia was a city that had not only

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-85213977309323329822008-12-05T13:08:00.000-05:002008-12-05T13:54:13.965-05:00

We have now entered the season of Advent, a time of preparation and aniticipation, where we remember Christ's birth, anticipate his imminent return and prepare ourselves for something amazing to happen. In our series on Revelation, we began the messages given to the seven churches, with the second chapter of Revelation. The letters to the seven churches are words of encouragement, as well as

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-71356968623514607532008-12-03T11:02:00.000-05:002008-12-03T11:11:57.497-05:00

This one's for the gentlemen:Many churches, during the season of Advent (four weeks before Christmas), do special things like light Advent wreaths, sing songs, put up banners, etc. While our congregations will be doing many of these things, we are also going to be growing "Advent Beards"!This idea comes from hockey players growing playoff beards. The idea goes like this: when a pro hockey team

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-60766356714419918662008-11-18T12:37:00.000-05:002008-11-18T13:24:43.585-05:00

So this week's sermon began with the following passages from Corinthians and Timothy. Needless to say, several women were shooting daggers at me, and a few even laughed! From here I introduced this passage from the Gospel of John. Next we divided ourselves up, declaring our views on women as clergy or even leaders within the church.I said that all people can basically be put into four groups,

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-21347334186113654112008-11-10T14:05:00.000-05:002008-11-10T14:32:34.820-05:00

This past Sunday was Laity Sunday in Oxford. Many people took part in leading the service (at least 20) and the service was excellent! I do have to apologize to everyone who sat around me though, because I have a tendency to talk in church! I know, it's scandalous, but I guess that's why they put me up front all by myself regularly.While Oxford celebrated Laity Sunday, McDonough had already

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-59964973559776311422008-10-29T14:22:00.001-04:002008-10-29T15:52:41.501-04:00

Our scripture passage this week came from Deuteronomy and told the story of Moses' death. The passage shared that Moses was allowed to glimpse the promised land, but was also told that he would not lead the people into the land. In the middle of telling about Moses' death, the passage mentions that Joshua "was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him." This

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-72302913401494693182008-10-29T13:39:00.000-04:002008-10-29T14:21:39.006-04:00

This Sunday was Laity Sunday, but in Oxford I was given a raincheck, meaning that I preached and led the service and the second Sunday of November will be when Oxford observes Laity Sunday. Our message came from the passage in Exodus where the people ask Aaron to make a golden calf for them that they might worship it as their god. This occurs while Moses is up on the mountain being given the Law

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-63838521197130512562008-10-15T16:06:00.000-04:002008-10-15T16:34:23.368-04:00

Our sermon this week took a look at Jesus' first miracle recorded in John's gospel, commonly known as the wedding at Cana. We also focussed in on a passage in Philippians specifically the following phrase: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." The Philippians passage encourages us to bring everything to God

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-77580802268029291732008-10-15T14:14:00.000-04:002008-10-15T16:06:42.897-04:00

This weeks scriptures included portions of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus and Paul's assertion that life in Christ is not about the laws and rules but about relationship found in Philippians. Our sermon endeavored to explain how the Apostle Paul could make such an assertion (as he does in the Philippians text) and yet expect Christians to live righteous and moral lives.This question still

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-35671916087464703172008-10-02T13:01:00.001-04:002008-10-02T13:35:10.833-04:00

This Sunday we looked at the parable in Matthew 21:23-32. This was a parable talking about two sons. Both were asked to work in their father's vineyard. One replied "no" but later did the work, the other said "yes" but in fact did not work. In Matthew's passage Jesus asks those listening (the chief priests and elders) which son actually did his father's will. They replied that it was the son

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-42515709702344213392008-09-15T13:36:00.000-04:002008-09-15T14:06:35.214-04:00

In Matthew 18:21-35, Jesus tells a parable about forgiveness. In the story a slave who owed his master an outrageously large amount of money is forgiven his debt. Within moments of being forgiven, that same slave shows no mercy in calling in a debt for a ridiculously small amount of money. Upon hearing about this hypocrisy, the king calls the first slave back in, and promptly punishes him. At

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-49393274384234822302008-09-03T12:51:00.000-04:002008-09-03T13:52:26.223-04:00

Our final sermon in our "Summer of All Request Sermons" was all about the Bible and how we got the final product we now have. This final requested sermon was not only educational, but it gave those in attendance the opportunity to participate in mock biblical text selection!To begin with, the word "Canon" is not the big gun that shoots out cannon balls, but rather it refers to a religious

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-27668857339620233222008-08-29T17:01:00.000-04:002008-08-29T17:32:32.233-04:00

We touched on a sensitive issue this past Sunday. One that has touched many lives, and has hit both our communities in the distant and not so distant past. Our topic was the unfortunate reality of suicide and the United Methodist Church's stance on it.I began with two passages from scripture that helped to inform our discussion. The first passage epitomizes how the Bible tends to deal with

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-83935878496128115772008-08-21T13:30:00.000-04:002008-08-21T14:00:30.785-04:00

Oxford spent this past Sunday at Lake Ludlow planning for the future and the role that the Methodists in Oxford hope to fill in that future. McDonough still had worship and therefore a sermon, so if you missed worship at McDonough or if you missed the planning at Lake Ludlow, this is your opportunity to briefly be caught up on the sermon you missed.We talked about the way the United Methodist

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-73956324177126476392008-08-12T16:03:00.001-04:002008-08-12T16:37:11.446-04:00

This week, we continued our summer theme of tackling tough and controversial issues/questions posed by the good folks of the Oxford and McDonough United Methodist Churches. We tackled the debate surrounding Evolution vs. Creation.I began by asking everyone to identify their own personal views on this issue, by asking them to stand on one side of the sanctuary or the other depending on whether

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-61378162236905168272008-08-05T14:32:00.001-04:002008-08-05T15:00:39.847-04:00

This week we discussed whether or not God changes, and the implications that has for the Church and individual Christians.I began with two seemingly contradictory passages that talked about God changing. One, from Hosea 11:1-9 points to God's mind changing and showing mercy/grace toward the people of Israel. The other, from Numbers 23:19 has God's mind not changing because God is God and

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-8658896578797662862008-08-05T13:59:00.000-04:002008-08-05T14:31:44.943-04:00

Unless you've been away or hiding in your home the past few weeks you realize that our Churches and surrounding communities have been quite busy. Just in case you need to be caught up, or in case you'd like to briefly re-live the past few weeks, here we go:Several people in the Oxford congregation organized, baked, and ran a pie sale to occur the same day as Oxford's Bicentennial Celebration. The

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-4543995795080965212008-07-23T12:05:00.000-04:002008-07-23T12:24:59.463-04:00

Last week the children of Oxford & McDonough got to attend VBS at McDonough United Methodist Church. Our theme was Beach Party, and we had loads of fun singing, dancing, doing arts and crafts, and learning about God! Below are some pictures from the week: Vacation Bible School definitely was a good time this year! Our closing program, on Friday night, allowed the kids to sing, dance, and show

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-71661797998313609512008-07-22T23:16:00.000-04:002008-07-22T23:57:08.774-04:00

This week we tackled the topic of Faith. More specifically the question "What is Faith?" I decided to defer to several of you to help me answer this question and we got words like trust, confidence, belief, etc. It seemed that we had a pretty solid handle on synonymous words for faith, but when I asked if I could see individual's faith we hit a snag. Every person that I asked the question "Can I

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-75901246761794537062008-07-11T16:16:00.000-04:002008-07-11T16:56:19.507-04:00

This week, for our weekly discussion (yes, that's right, "discussion" please feel free to post comments and make this an interactive thing) I would like to talk about death. I can think of no other topic that has kept me up more often in my short life, and therefore can think of no more appropriate topic for us to discuss in this space.For many of us, death is something we try to avoid thinking

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-44624883738285494612008-07-07T11:24:00.000-04:002008-07-07T12:08:53.198-04:00

So yesterday we dealt with the question of Theodicy. I discussed that many people refer to this as "why do bad things happen to good people" but then stated that more rightly it should be "why do bad things happen at all". Essentially Theodicy is just a fancy church word for people's attempt to understand how an all good and all powerful God, could allow evil or bad to exist in the world at

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-43630323328467724232008-07-01T14:17:00.000-04:002008-07-01T16:58:47.865-04:00

Our family recently returned from a trip to Maryland, and subsequently missed worship this Sunday. Since we were not here, I don't have a Sermon Capsule for you. Instead I'm posting a segment that I hope becomes a staple on this blog. It's entitled "Things that Keep Us Up" and it will focus on those issues/questions/worries that keep us up at night.This week we'll deal with the ever increasing

Pastor Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12485961724863795252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934451320964383261.post-28521476902704185442008-06-23T13:03:00.000-04:002008-06-23T13:30:00.131-04:00

This week we talked about the ever popular topic of Tithing, as a continuation of our summer of "All Request Sermons". Our scripture lessons of Mark 12:41-44 and especially Malachi 3:8-12 heavily influenced our conversation in which I tried to point out why sincere Christians should tithe.First we defined "tithe" as ten percent of one's income. Not ten percent of what's left over after bills, or

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