More Than You Could Ask Or Imagine

First-Centenary United Methodist

More Than You Could Ask Or Imagine

May 15, 2022 • Rev. Dr. Will Lauderback • Ephesians 3:14–21, Hebrews 10:35–36

Isabella is the main characters older sister who is seemingly “perfect”. She has a gift that makes everyone happy, is seemingly the favorite of the grandmother, and is about to be engaged and carry on the family legacy. Through this song we learn that she is carrying a great weight in trying to fulfill the expectations that have been placed upon her. In that process she experiences freedom in acting outside of the “expected.” What might it look like if we shed the expectations and boundaries of this world and opened ourselves to the unexpected and extravagant movement of God in the world?

More from The Gospel According To Encanto

Watch The Miracle Burn

June 5, 2022 • Rev. Dr. Will Lauderback • Acts 2:1–20

How might the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit inspire you to burn for all the world to see? Impact your relationships? Families? Community? World? I wonder how the church might come alive in the movement of the Spirit when we have worked through our trauma, work to heal our relationships, and get past our need for perfection?

Lay Down Your Load

May 29, 2022 • Rev. Dr. Will Lauderback • 1 Corinthians 12

We don’t have to do it alone. We weren’t meant to do it alone. How might the gift of Christian community empower us to live a spirit filled life of love? It is difficult to live in community but when we open our hearts, minds, and lives to it amazing things can happen.

What Really Matters

May 22, 2022 • Rev. Dr. Will Lauderback • Luke 15:11–32, 1 Corinthians 13:13—14:1

The grandmother in the movie was too focused on the community’s image of her family and what they could do that she forgot the source of their “power” was love. We have a tendency to focus on certain aspects of the Christian life/church life: Attendance, church size, money, prestige, political/theological ideologies, etc. and when we become hyper focused on worldly things our ability to sense the movement of the Holy Spirit diminishes and we lose focus on what really matters.