Monday, March 30.

2 Corinthians 7

Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians follows up on a previous letter of his 1 Corinthians, in which he rebuked that congregation. In this later epistle, he writes about their feeling grieved and draws a distinction between the sorrows of the world and being “sorrowful according to the will of God” (2 Corinthians 7:9-11). Paul asks them to repent in sincerity and see what fruit that will bear. 

This kind of mourning doesn’t have to be a dark, scary, or joyless experience. In fact, it can be quite the opposite, hopeful and filled with light. As we let go of temporal desires and instead pursue the good that God has for us, we get a taste of the eternal comfort He has promised. 

Paul is writing about a sorrow that produces repentance. In some translations, this is written as “godly grief.” Consider the opposite of what is borne of worldly grief? How is that different from the fruit that results from a godly kind of sorrow? 

Earlier in this letter, the apostle reminds the church that we live “as sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). How can both things be true? 

Memory verse: 2 corinthians 6:10.

“Tears are prayers too. They travel to God when we can not speak.” Psalm 56:8

“Prayer is the Key”

Tuesday, October 29.

Psalm 145:18-21.

When I was growing up, my mother and I moved quite often, but wherever we lived, one thing never changed. In each home, she hung a plaque near the door with these words inscribed on it: “Prayer changes things.” I know she believed this, because she spent a lot of time talking with the Lord.

Upon hearing our petitions, God is certain to respond if what we ask is in His will. When we pray that His will be done, our heart begins to value what He values, putting us in sync with the Spirit. If we earnestly desire His best for our life, He will respond to our prayers in a more beautiful way than we could have ever imagined ourselves.

A primary purpose of prayer is to discover the Lord’s will for our lives. As we seek His way, He works in our hearts and minds to guide us with His Word and develop our understanding of the situation. Then our eyes will be opened to His point of view so we can pray according to His will. And when we pray for His will to be done in His timing, we’ll be amazed at what He can accomplish.

Prayer is a powerful tool by which God acts in this world. What is truly amazing is that He has given us the privilege of participating in His work by simply talking to Him. It’s not that we change anything through prayer, but He has chosen to bring about change in conjunction with our requests. In ourselves, we have no ability to save unbelievers, heal the sick, or overcome evil, but we can pray and watch God mightily intervene in our lives, homes, churches, and world.

Memory verse: 1 John 5:14-15.

“Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God,” (Mother Teresa)

SERMON BY THE REVEREND AMOS MCCARTHY

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

WALTON UMC 100TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICE

WALTON, KANSAS.

Title: “We have come this far by Faith”

Text: “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit’,” (Ephesians 2:9-11).

To the officers, members and friends of the Walton United Methodist Church, greetings and grace in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we celebrate Centennial church anniversary of a church that has thrived on faith, we can truly say, “We’ve come this far by faith”. The Lord had brought us a mighty long way and because He will not leave us nor forsake us, the future of the church is blessed.  We have not made it this far by ourselves, but there have been many who have gone on before that have paved the way for where we are in the year 2019. Paul says, in Ephesians 2:19-22,  “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”  The church has grown upon a firm foundation of faith, with Jesus Christ being the Chief Cornerstone. As we reflect on the ministry of days gone by we can see the fruits of the labor of many.  In this light, I express profound gratitude to all before us, who worked tirelessly to make this ministry a success. I am humbled to stand here as your pastor, on this historic ground to let you know that it is by faith we have come this far.  So let us have faith in God.

Repeatedly and continuously our Lord sought to instill within the hearts of his disciples a great faith in God. Hebrews 11:6 informs us that we cannot please God without faith in him. Jesus was grieved because of the little faith of his followers (Luke 12:28).  Jesus responded graciously to the faith of the disciples in such a manner as to encourage them to have even greater faith. While we have faith, doubt can be a distraction. Unbelief was the undoing of ancient Israel. Sometimes, it was their lack of faith in God that they missed many of the blessings God wanted to bestowed upon them (Psalm 78:22).

Our lord Jesus spoke pointedly to his disciples and said, “Have faith in God.”  This great statement of our Lord contains a message that we should let dwell in our hearts richly at all times, so that it might speak to our spirit, challenge our minds, and motivate our emotions.  It was faith in God that gave birth to this church in 1877. It was faith in God that made the church’s Christmas event a success. Through that faith, the young people went by horse and buggy to call on members to donate to run a ministry.  It was through faith in God that the church grew to 145 and the parishioners thought that a new church should be built. With no money, no architectural plan, and no approval from the District Superintendent, the people of this great church acted in faith and tore the old building down. It was faith in God, that the dedication of for new church was held on July 20, 1919, with the Reverend E. T. Julian as pastor. 

Having faith in God is more than just having a firm belief in his existence.  To really have faith in God means to unite with him in a union similar to that which exists between a man and a woman who are ideally related to each other in marriage.  To have faith in God means to let Jesus Christ come and live within your life. To have faith in God is to make a constant response to the indwelling Holy Spirit. If we would let this great statement of Jesus dwell in us richly, there are a number of different responses that we should and can make.

Let us have faith in the person of God.  What kind of God do you worship? What is his nature and character? The God of whom Jesus speaks is a good God.  Everything about him is good. There is no flaw in his character, and there is no blemish on his life. He relates to us in terms of grace and love at all times (John 3:16).  Even while we were yet sinners, he revealed his love for us in that Christ died for our sins (Romans 5:8). God is our heavenly Father. Jesus taught his disciples to think of the eternal God as our loving heavenly Father who has a perfect love and who is perfectly wise and who is generous in all dealings with us (Matthew 7:11). The God in whom Jesus encourages us to have faith is a dependable, consistent God whose character is described as love.

Let us have faith in God’s presence. The eternal God who came in the person of Jesus Christ has chosen to live within the heart of each of us in the person of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).  The God whom we are to trust is not a god who dwells at a great distance away from us. He is as close as the air we breathe, and we can be absolutely certain that whatever happens to us, he will be on the scene working to bring out every possible good for those who love him (Romans 8:28).

Let us have faith in God’s purpose.  Some people do not trust in God because they have false ideas about his purpose in the world.  They question his motives. Some people see God as a bully. Others see him as a robber or a thief.  Others see him as a dictator who would take away their freedom. The purpose or will of God is not that which a harsch fate imposes on us.  God’s purpose is God’s wonderful plan for our lives. It is something for us to reach up to and to search for rather than to avoid and run from.  Paul reveals what we need to do in our own mind and heart if we would personally discover how good and perfect God’s will is.

There can be no question that our God is all-powerful.  He is the creator and sustainer of the universe. Paul writes in his epistle to the Philippians of the availability of this power for those who trust and obey Jesus Christ.  Paul had experienced God’s power many times when God enabled him to triumph in the most adverse of circumstances: imprisonment, loneliness, stonings, beatings, shipwrecks. Through the power and goodness of God, Paul was able to adjust to these things in a triumphant manner through the strength that came through faith in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:10-13).

Have faith in God’s promises and provisions.  The great men and women of faith have been those who discovered God’s promises written on the pages of the Bible.  They have claimed these promises and moved forward depending on the trustworthiness of the God who made the promise.  The richness of your faith and the vitality of your spiritual life will be determined largely by the degree to which you discover, apply, and cling to God’s promises.

God has provided for you full salvation from the penalty of sin through the death of his Son on the cross.  Trust in Christ’s substitutionary death for your sins if you want peace when guilt tries to disturb you. Have faith in the provisions of the living Lord who has promised his personal presence to you as you give yourself in service to him (Matthew 28:20).  Have faith in God’s provisions for you in the future (John 14:1-3). Our Lord, the carpenter of Galilee, has moved on ahead in order that he might prepare for his followers a home that will meet every need of the redeemed for eternity.

Use the faith that have to grow a greater faith in God.  Ask the heavenly Father to grant to you the gift of greater faith.  Cling to the precious promises of God and let God give proof to you of his dependability.  As we begin a new century of existence in our church’s history, let us continue to have faith in God, for we have come this far by faith. God bless you!!