June 27, 2023
Matthew 10: 40-42
Sometimes we have to start small.
Offering a cup of cool water to someone doesn’t seem like a big deal does it? The scripture tells us that even that small gesture is one of discipleship. And I believe that we can build from there. Jesus has called us into some pretty big work in serving as he has and being his disciple, but he doesn’t want us to be overwhelmed, and so we start small. What are the ways that you are already doing the kingdom work? Think about the things you already do to serve for the sake of the world and the sake of the gospel and then name them as the work of a disciple. All it takes is one cool cup of water to start small in serving the kingdom.
-Pastor Carrie Baylis
Looking for last weeks worship? You can find it here!
“Those who loves their life my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39
How much does the Christian life cost? Jesus lays out the cost in his address to the disciples in Mathew 10, and it ain’t cheap. As we look in the life of the disciple it makes sense to do our due diligence and make sure we know what we’re getting into. What would make following Jesus worth the steep price of sacrifice, hostility, and rejection? Why would anyone pick up their own cross to follow Jesus to Golgotha and beyond? We’ll talk about all of this on Sunday.
Looking for last week’s worship? You can find it here!
-Pastor Travis Norton
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
-Matthew 9: 37b & 38
Does it ever feel overwhelming to look at the needs of the world? And not just of the world in a big picture sort of way, but the needs that are put on us in everyday ordinary ways too, from our families, colleagues, community, church, really from all of the places that we find ourselves engaging daily. “The workers are few” says Matthew. But here we are, doing it every day, doing the work that is ours to do. God has equipped us to care for the world and each other. Now we are sent out both to do the work and to equip others. In our caring for each other and the world we share the good news of the gospel in action and hopefully in our words too. We pray for new disciples to join us in this holy work as we seek them in the harvest knowing that God has given us all that we need.
-Pastor Carrie Baylis
Looking for last weeks worship? You can find it here!
“I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” Matthew 9:13
Which one are you, a sinner or one of the righteous? What makes someone a sinner? What does it mean to give mercy to a sinner? Does Jesus change sinners into righteous? What kind of change does that look like in someone’s life? When Jesus calls you to follow him, what kind of changes does he make? What does it feel like to receive mercy? What is the appropriate response when Jesus has mercy upon us sinners? These are the questions we’ll wrestle with as we look at Jesus’ mission to call the sinners and not the righteous in our sermon series on the disciple’s life.
Looking for last week’s worship? You can find it here!
-Pastor Travis Norton
First Thoughts at First 