Peace, Love and Understanding

First Covenant Church of Willmar

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Peace, Love and Understanding

April 24, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus

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This Sunday, we will be looking at Jesus' appearance to the Disciples the evening after his resurrection. John’s account tells us that they have locked themselves in a room for fear of the Jewish authorities. They believe that if the authorities were that determined to kill Jesus, surely they would be coming for his disciples, too. The resurrected Jesus suddenly appears inside the locked room and speaks a word that is meant to be far more than a casual greeting. Jesus invites them into “Peace.”
Maybe you need some peace in your life right now. Maybe you have been pursuing peace for years but somehow the peace of Jesus still feels elusive. Maybe you feel like God’s peace comes and goes like Minnesota Spring snowstorms. Jesus promises us peace, but his peace is only found on his terms.
In preparation for Sunday read John 20:19-23.

Peace, Love and Understanding... week 3

May 8, 2022 • Pastor Chris Pappenfus

This Sunday, we will be wrapping up our groovy series, “Peace, Love and Understanding.” Last week, Rebecca Gamboa challenged us to enter into God’s amazing love (Khesed) that is Familial, Compassionate and Compelling (FCC). This kind of love is transforming. In fact, the love of God enacted upon you through the indwelling Holy Spirit will change you. Therefore, the people of God, called by His name, are holy, set apart, and “called out” by God for God’s glory and their neighbor’s good.

Peace, Love and Understanding week 2

May 1, 2022 • Becca Gardner • John 21:1–19

We are now entering the Third Sunday of this Easter season. We will continue in the Gospel of John as we encounter Jesus for a third time after His resurrection - appearing to His disciples in a familiar place: Calling out from shore to the tired fishermen. This familiar passage will have us joining the disciples for breakfast (a familiar meal of bread and fish) with the risen Christ. We will encounter Jesus as he and Peter discuss the topic of love. Three times Jesus will ask Simon Peter, “Do you love me,” and three times Simon Peter will respond that he does. Though the phrase “God loves you” or “Jesus loves you” may have lost its magnitude, this week, we will dive deeper into God’s love for us through this familiar passage. Perhaps there have been days when you wonder how God could be loving when He allows bad things to happen. Or maybe you find yourself in Peter’s shoes - loving Jesus - but publicly denying Him with your lifestyle. God is love, so let’s seek Him together through Scripture so that we may know His love and in turn, love others toward Christ. In preparation for Sunday, read John 21:1-19.