Lost

This sermon is #2 in the Hitchhiker Series. This week we look at chapter two of Jonah when the prophet prays from the depths of "Sheol".

In this message we learn that God never abandons us. God is there to hold us fast in the most difficult of situations. Not only that, but we also learn that God "controls", or "designates" such seasons in our life as times for us to grow, and for us to learn to trust in God.

Silent Stranger

This sermon series takes a look at the life of Jonah, the run-away prophet. Are we trying to run the opposite direction that God wants us to go in life? Are we living in fear of some of the obstacles in front of us? How can we learn to face those situations with faith rather than fear.

Harry Emerson Fosdick said it very well, "Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable - and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God."

Extravagant Generosity

This is the last of the Bearing Fruit Series. Extravagant Generosity is one of the key components of healthy and vital congregations. Generosity is a form of giving of one's self to others for a cause. Part of our responsibility is to be able to give ourselves; (prayers, presence, gifts, service, witness) in effort to fulfill the mission statement of the church.
As a church our mission statement can be summarized as "Geneseo is committed to reach out, receive, relate, nurture, and send out faithful disciples."
The real question of this sermon is, "Are we committed to this mission statement? And how is God calling us to be a more committed Christian?"

Risk-TakingMission and Service

This is the fourth sermon in the Bearing Fruit Series. It's focus is as the Title says it. Again much of this sermon is resourced from the "Five Practices Leader and Media Manual" by Robert Schnase.
This sermon specifically targets the way churches enact charity or "Risk-Taking Mission and service." The first is a way we make ourselves feel good that we are doing something. The second is vital to a healthy church community and is what Christ expects from his followers.