Get In The Game
Position Well Played
September 24, 2023
Sermon Notes Thursday, September 21, 2023 Sunday, September 24, 2023 This week, we end the sermon series “Get in the Game”, using illustrations from football to challenge us on our walk of faith. Our focus this Sunday is on the position that we play. Just like on the football field, “players” in the church have a position to play. We each have a job to fulfill as part of the Body of Christ. Our scripture will be 1 Corinthians 12:4-12. I once read this scripture translated for the football field. Maybe, this translation will stir your imagination for the role Christ is calling you to play for the kingdom. Now there are a variety of positions to be played on the football field, but it is the same team, under one coach and the one coach is the guide and leader of all. Everyone is given the ability to play the game, but the abilities are for the team, not for self-glory. One can play quarterback. One can be a kicker. One can be a center. One can catch the ball and one can run the ball. One can stop someone from running the ball. Each one is given and has cultivated certain abilities to play a position well and is gifted at playing a position well. Though there are many positions to be played, it is still one team with a common goal of winning the game. All people have different varying abilities. No player is the same and not every player plays every position well, but it is still one team, working together for the team under the leadership of our coach. How are you working with the body and within the body under the leadership of our Lord, Jesus? May the Peace of Christ Richly Dwell in You, Rev. Sherri
Position Well Played
September 24, 2023
Sermon Notes Thursday, September 21, 2023 Sunday, September 24, 2023 This week, we end the sermon series “Get in the Game”, using illustrations from football to challenge us on our walk of faith. Our focus this Sunday is on the position that we play. Just like on the football field, “players” in the church have a position to play. We each have a job to fulfill as part of the Body of Christ. Our scripture will be 1 Corinthians 12:4-12. I once read this scripture translated for the football field. Maybe, this translation will stir your imagination for the role Christ is calling you to play for the kingdom. Now there are a variety of positions to be played on the football field, but it is the same team, under one coach and the one coach is the guide and leader of all. Everyone is given the ability to play the game, but the abilities are for the team, not for self-glory. One can play quarterback. One can be a kicker. One can be a center. One can catch the ball and one can run the ball. One can stop someone from running the ball. Each one is given and has cultivated certain abilities to play a position well and is gifted at playing a position well. Though there are many positions to be played, it is still one team with a common goal of winning the game. All people have different varying abilities. No player is the same and not every player plays every position well, but it is still one team, working together for the team under the leadership of our coach. How are you working with the body and within the body under the leadership of our Lord, Jesus? May the Peace of Christ Richly Dwell in You, Rev. Sherri
Recruiting Counts
September 17, 2023
Sermon Notes Thursday, September 14, 2023 Sunday, September 17, 2023 Recruiting Counts I am often asked about when I am going to preach a hell fire and brimstone sermon. To this I typically reply that unless I am directed by the Holy Spirit, I likely will not because I am called to share Good News. God has called me to share a message of hope, grace, and the love of Jesus to a broken world. As I recently read, “We understand that the message of the gospel introduces the lost and the hopeless people to a life of hope through Jesus.” I believe that I not only have Good News to share, but you do too! We all have Good News and hope to share with others. This is something that the church has in common with college football, we both recruit. We want people to join our team and know that hope and the saving grace of Jesus. In fact, you are a recruiter and Jesus commissioned you to be a recruiter. He invited his followers to go and make disciples. Just as recruiting is essential to any college program, so it is essential to life in the church. In fact, it is more than essential, it is our primary task. Are you ready to recruit with the Good News of Jesus, offering hope to a hurting world? May the peace of Christ dwell in you richly, Rev. Sherri
Recruiting Counts
September 17, 2023
Sermon Notes Thursday, September 14, 2023 Sunday, September 17, 2023 Recruiting Counts I am often asked about when I am going to preach a hell fire and brimstone sermon. To this I typically reply that unless I am directed by the Holy Spirit, I likely will not because I am called to share Good News. God has called me to share a message of hope, grace, and the love of Jesus to a broken world. As I recently read, “We understand that the message of the gospel introduces the lost and the hopeless people to a life of hope through Jesus.” I believe that I not only have Good News to share, but you do too! We all have Good News and hope to share with others. This is something that the church has in common with college football, we both recruit. We want people to join our team and know that hope and the saving grace of Jesus. In fact, you are a recruiter and Jesus commissioned you to be a recruiter. He invited his followers to go and make disciples. Just as recruiting is essential to any college program, so it is essential to life in the church. In fact, it is more than essential, it is our primary task. Are you ready to recruit with the Good News of Jesus, offering hope to a hurting world? May the peace of Christ dwell in you richly, Rev. Sherri
Team Loyal
September 10, 2023 • Rev.
Sermon Notes: Sep 7 & Sep 10 When you joined First United Methodist Church, you were asked, “As members of Christ’s universal church, will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church, and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries?” Loyalty can be defined as faithfulness and allegiance and is part of our membership vow, along with prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness. How do we live out this loyalty as followers of Jesus Christ? The prophet Elijah ministered in a time when the people’s loyalty was not pure, so he challenged them by asking “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal is god, follow him.” (I Kings 18:17-24). The people were called to declare their allegiance and be faithful. This Sunday, we are going to look at “Team Loyal.” Just like with football teams, loyalty to the Church can be a mixed bag. With football, one minute you have some fans praising the team, and the next calling for a change in playing positions or coaching staff with a single loss. If loyalty is a virtue, how can we cultivate it as other disciplines? How can we grow in allegiance and faithfulness to Christ’s Church? May the Peace of Christ Richly Dwell in You, Rev. Sherri
Team Loyal
September 10, 2023
Sermon Notes: Sep 7 & Sep 10 When you joined First United Methodist Church, you were asked, “As members of Christ’s universal church, will you be loyal to the United Methodist Church, and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries?” Loyalty can be defined as faithfulness and allegiance and is part of our membership vow, along with prayer, presence, gifts, service, and witness. How do we live out this loyalty as followers of Jesus Christ? The prophet Elijah ministered in a time when the people’s loyalty was not pure, so he challenged them by asking “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal is god, follow him.” (I Kings 18:17-24). The people were called to declare their allegiance and be faithful. This Sunday, we are going to look at “Team Loyal.” Just like with football teams, loyalty to the Church can be a mixed bag. With football, one minute you have some fans praising the team, and the next calling for a change in playing positions or coaching staff with a single loss. If loyalty is a virtue, how can we cultivate it as other disciplines? How can we grow in allegiance and faithfulness to Christ’s Church? May the Peace of Christ Richly Dwell in You, Rev. Sherri
The Devoted Fan
September 3, 2023 • Rev. Sherri Reynolds
What do you love? I don’t mean the way we use the word to express like. For example, “I love spaghetti” or “I love sunsets.” I mean intense affection, adoration, or devotion type of feeling. Many people in Alabama love football. This is a feeling beyond “like” to be deep affection, adoration, and devotion for a college team. Most of the time, this devotion is good fun and recreation. Issues arise when our love for earthly pursuits, compromises our relationship with God. This is not just a problem with college football, but can also be an issue with pursuits, relationships, habits, or focuses. Any thing which becomes our “god” gets in the way of our relationship with God. Jesus said the greatest command is that you “must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 CEB). This week, I encourage you focus upon your love for God and pray about the barriers which prevent you from loving God fully. We tend to think of idols as Old Testament sculptures, but our world is filled with idols. The idols of our day are more sinister because they are hard to recognize. May God gives us eyes to see and strength to follow, so that we may love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. May the peace of Christ dwell in you richly, Rev. Sherri
The Devoted Fan
September 3, 2023 • Rev. Sherri Reynolds
What do you love? I don’t mean the way we use the word to express like. For example, “I love spaghetti” or “I love sunsets.” I mean intense affection, adoration, or devotion type of feeling. Many people in Alabama love football. This is a feeling beyond “like” to be deep affection, adoration, and devotion for a college team. Most of the time, this devotion is good fun and recreation. Issues arise when our love for earthly pursuits, compromises our relationship with God. This is not just a problem with college football, but can also be an issue with pursuits, relationships, habits, or focuses. Any thing which becomes our “god” gets in the way of our relationship with God. Jesus said the greatest command is that you “must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30 CEB). This week, I encourage you focus upon your love for God and pray about the barriers which prevent you from loving God fully. We tend to think of idols as Old Testament sculptures, but our world is filled with idols. The idols of our day are more sinister because they are hard to recognize. May God gives us eyes to see and strength to follow, so that we may love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. May the peace of Christ dwell in you richly, Rev. Sherri