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Category Archives: Books of The Bible

March 3rd Sermon: Is Jesus the only way to salvation? John 14:1-6

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

What Are the Different Kinds of Psalms?

26 Feb

From my email, adapted from the NIV Quest Study Bible by Zondervan.

This unique Bible addresses the common, uncommon, and perplexing questions people ask about Scripture.

There are many ways to categorize the psalms. Some focus on content (trouble or trust, praise or prayer, joy or repentance). Others emphasize the use of the psalms (public ceremonies, private prayers and so on). Still others analyze style and technique (such as parallelism and acrostics). Here are some general categories:

(1) Hymns of praise. Many psalms were used in temple worship and some even include directions for the song leader. Many are still used as the basis for hymns and praise choruses.

(2) Complaints. Life is tough and many of the psalms reflect that fact. People turn to the psalms in times of distress because the psalms dare to be honest and meet them right where they are.

(3) Royal or Messianic. Many psalms revolved around the king and were intended to be used for public occasions in the life of the nation of Israel. Early Christian teachers, however, recognized that these psalms contained prophetic allusions to Jesus Christ, the King of kings.

(4) Occasional. Referred to as songs of ascent (Ps 120–134), these psalms were so named because they were sung by Israelite pilgrims as they went up to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. Other special occasions often had their own psalms as well.

(5) Wisdom. A few psalms illustrate the difference between human folly and godly wisdom, between sinful and righteous behavior.

Other categories could also be listed: historical, repentance, curse and creation.

Psalm 137 (Photo credit: Mouse)

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Posted by MaryO on February 26, 2013 in Bible Study, Books of The Bible, Posts of Interest, The Holy Bible

Tags: Bible, Christian, Christianity, complaint, creation, curse, God, historical, hymn, Israelite, Jerusalem, Jesus, king, messianic, New International Version, Psalms, quest study bible, religion, repentance, royal, teacher, theology, wisdom, Zondervan

Lenten Sing ‘n Celebrate and Healing Service ~ March 3rd at 7 pm

23 Feb

Many have wondered about in Matthew 21:21 – “that if we have faith and don’t doubt, we can move mountains.” Jesus, of course, was not suggesting that His followers use prayer as “magic” and perform in constant “mountain moving” acts.

At our Lenten SNC, we will all have a special time for realizing that He was actually making a strong point about the disciples’ (and our) lack of faith. Have we talked to God about the kinds of mountains we face?

If in need of healing, this is the best time to reserve this evening on your calendar for Pastor Kenny’s Time of Healing.

Lent and Easter Sermons at Pender UMC

10 Feb

LENT AND EASTER 2013

Lent is a time to prepare for Easter. United Methodists begin Lent on Ash Wednesday (this year on February 13) and continue celebrating Lent until Easter (March 31). We view Lent as a way to slow down and focus on God, so many Methodists will give up foods or activities during this time. The purpose of giving something up is to find more time to focus on God.
Feb. 13 ASH WEDNESDAY

“Which is it deny or take up for Lent? – Luke 9:21-27

Ash Wednesday begins Lent for us. Lent is a time to sacrifice as Jesus was willing to sacrifice. Yet, you hear some people say “I’m giving up ________ for Lent. (You fill in the blank) Others say, “I’m taking up ________ or adding this to my schedule during Lent. (You fill in the blank) So which is it denying self or taking up additional things for Lent? Let’s find out on Wednesday.
Feb. 17 – Is the Bible Relevant for Us Today? – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The Bible was written so long ago. How can it be useful for us? It speaks to another time and different issues! Or does it? The Bible speaks to each generation and each age. Let’s see the relevancy of the Bible for us in 2013.
Feb. 24 – Are issues black and white or only gray? –

Is there an answer to the issues we face in the world today? If you look at our congress and society it seems each charts out its answer and that’s it. Or we simply say there isn’t an answer but it’s a gray area and its up to each to decide. Does the Bible teach an objective truth and if so what difference does it make? Let’s look at that this Sunday and the issues we as a society face.

Mar. 3 – Is Jesus the only way to salvation? John 14:1-6

Mar. 10 – Does it make any difference if I pray? –

Prayer is the thing everyone always talks about doing, but does it really make any difference? Isn’t God going to do what God is going to do regardless? Isn’t it a waste of my time? The Bible says, “You have not because you ask not.” Hmmmmm does that mean if we don’t pray we can lose out? Let’s see how to pray and what it does on Sunday.

Mar. 17 – There is only ONE God and he just has different names RIGHT?

The Bible says there is ONE God. But the God’s people talk about and believe in are so different. One is involved in everything. One never does anything but create what is. One only judges. Another only loves. Are they all the same and it doesn’t matter what we believe as long as we believe in God! Let’s see what the ONE and ONLY God is like and you can decide this Sunday.

Mar. 24 – Palm Sunday – Why did Jesus have to die?

Jesus was a good man. He was compassionate and caring. He helped the poor and needy. He should have continued to live as our example but they killed him! Jesus died! Why did it have to happen? What difference does it make for me? Let’s talk about the cross and death this Sunday.

Mar. 31 – EASTER SUNDAY – Why did Jesus have to be raised from the dead?

Jesus story is acceptable until you begin to talk about his resurrection. Surely this isn’t true. The dead are made alive and a tomb is empty! How could it be? Yet, it is necessary! It is the reason we are here! Let’s see if we can discover what that means for the world this Easter and what we have to share because of it.

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Posted by MaryO on February 10, 2013 in Books of The Bible, Lent, Pender UMC, Sermon, The Holy Bible

Tags: 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Ash Wednesday, Bible, dead, Easter, God, Gospel According to John, Gospel According to Luke, Jesus, John, John 14:1-6, Lent, Luke, Luke 9:21-27, pray, prayer, resurrection, Second Epistle of Paul to Timothy, sermon, tomb

From YouVersion: Intentional Preparation for Easter

10 Feb

From my email:

People around the world will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday, March 31. In the weeks leading up to Easter, many individuals put intentional practices in place to focus on the nature and meaning of Christ’s sacrifice. This year Lent begins on Wednesday, February 13.

Please consider joining the YouVersion community in preparing your heart with one of the following Reading Plans, each one designed specifically for this season:

Lent for Everyone includes a daily reading from the book of Matthew and a devotional from noted Bible scholar N.T. Wright. From Lent for Everyone. 53 days

Devotions for Lent offers daily devotionals and Scripture readings that focus on Christ. From Holy Bible: Mosaic. 46 days

40 Days of Lent takes you through all four Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) of Jesus’ last week of earthly ministry. From Journey Church. 47 days

Bringing the Bible to Life

As we study Jesus’ life and his sacrifice for us, it helps to understand the context of his time on earth. The Bible is a five-part series from Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett that breathes life into tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. We’ve been chosen as the official Bible App for the series, and very soon you’ll be able to watch video content right in the Bible App. The Bible series begins 3-3-13; check your local TV listings for times.