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.

Puzzled

This sermon is a rather unique and interactive sermon designed to promote unity in the body of Christ. It helps members of the church to recognize that they are a part of the family and that the family is still missing members. It is a sermon that focuses on community and outreach. We used a picture of the church during this sermon and had members of the congregation take a piece (3" piece) and write a thought about the church on it. Then by length of time that they had been a part of the community (not focused on membership) we began putting it together. The best part was to let them see that the puzzle was still missing pieces when we were all done.

Convicted

This is the third sermon in the Jail Break Series. In it we are looking at The incident of David and Bathsheba. This passage takes place right after Uriah had been killed and David takes Bathsheba for his wife. We encounter the prophet Nathan who at the direction of God confronts King David for his sin.
The two main points that we draw out of this passage for discussion are: 1. Our natural tendency is to hide our sin. 2. We all need someone in our life to confront us and hold us accountable for our actions before God.
This has been a fun series that I have amplified by preaching in prison clothes and with a large set of jail bars hanging in front of the cross. It has provoked a lot of conversation and thought. Last week will be the final sermon in the series and the bars will come down. Amen.

Infinite Love

This sermon continues our study into understanding how God calls us to be his people, his church, and his community of faith. It challenges us in our understanding of "reaching out" with Gods love. It reminds us to love the stranger and treat them as if they were one of us.

The message has a special appearance from Buzz and Woody (Video clip) and reminds us that our first reaction to the stranger is not always what it should be. We need to step back and remind ourselves to love others as God loves us.