Camden First United Methodist Church

The world has changed over my lifetime. Many of us are witnessing norms change and not for the good. Where is our hope? On this Easter Sunday, Jesus has given us hope.

On the Palm/Passion Sunday, we will be reflecting on Paul's letter to the church at Philippi and the importance of the second chapter to the health of the community of faith.

Do you worry? Jesus has something to say about that!

As we continue our series from the Sermon on the Mount, today we look at where we place our treasure and we question what that treasure looks like.

Jesus gives us an easy but powerful prayer to remember.

Today we start Chapter Six in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus address the three acts of piety in the Sermon on the Mount.

This is the first Sunday of Lent and we are staying with the Sermon on the Mount and its crucial teaching on discipleship. Today we will explore the last three "you have heard it said, but I say to you" teachings as Jesus tries to help us understand that God is not about do's and dont's but about love and relationship.

We welcome you to the sermon podcast of First United Methodist Church. This is the third week in the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus takes us into understanding how to study the law. It is not about do's and don'ts. It is all about how to have a relationship.

We are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are called to reflect the love of God that is reflected in the laws and commandments. 

In the Gospel of John, Jesus invites those curious about his ministry to "come and see." Later, when he calls them to follow him, he is asking them to put aside all else. We should ask if wqe are still just observing or are will following Jesus.

The lectionary for this week includes the famous words from Micah 6, the Beatitudes, and the second chapter of Paul's letter to the church in Corinth. So much of our religious fervor is focused on verifying that God loves us when we should be asking Tex Samples' question, "Can God change us?" If you want to understand the blessedness of the Beatitudes, ask how we can be changed.

John did not realize it, but when he baptized Jesus, the world changed. The Holy Spirit descended and there was a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." How do you changed the world?

The Lectionary for the Fourth Sunday in Advent in Year A features King Ahaz and Joseph, the fiance of Mary. The men were both in crisis and both knew the law but they made very different decisions.

Moses was the first prophet but perhaps John the Baptist was the last? John prepared the way for Jesus who changed everything. If you want to know what God is saying, Listen to Jesus. John had a clear message Repent & live lives worthy of the Gospel!

Many of us have never read the parables of the minas found in the Gospel of Luke because we look it over and think it is the same as the parable of the talents found in the 25th chapter of Matthew. Jesus tells this story after he visits Zacchaeus in Jerricho. It is the last parable before he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The parable gives despair but Jesus offers hope.  

Luke 18 contains one of my favorite parables - The widow and the bad judge. She persisted even when he refused to care. But we worship a God that does care so if our prayers are not being answered in the timeframe we hope for, do we persist? More importantly, do we believed God is good and cares about our well-being?

Jesus is invited to a Shabbat dinner with local Jewish religious leaders. We are not sure if Luke believed it was a set up but Jesus finally told the Parable of the Great Feast about that great heavenly banquet we talk about whenever we have communion. 

Today we look at Luke 10:25-37 which most of us know as the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In the first century, no Jew would have called a Samaritan "good" which proves once again that God shows up where you least expect it.

God is doing a new thing, creating a new heaven and a new earth. We must have the courage to believe at work towards that new Kingdom.

Everything Isaiah has warned about has now come to reality. God's people are in exile in Assyria and Babylon but now those in Babylon have the opportunity to return home and rebuild. It will be hard but Isaiah has words of encouragement. Isaiah 61:1-11

Today is World Communion Sunday where we celebrate the ties that bind us as a community to Jesus Christ. It is a great day to be reminded of the message of Isaiah 43.

The fourth Servant song is longest and clearest. It many ways it is like a prayer of confession because it exposes what we do not wish to see then reminds us that we are responsible. He was wounded for our transgressions. This Servant song leads to hope and redemption.

Today we are focused on  the third Servant song found in Isaiah 50:4-9. It tells us of a Servant who is more a learner and a teacher but is brutalized. He does not return the violence against him. This represents a new understanding of God's power.

In the second Servant Song, Isaiah 49:1-7, God does something amazing. God decides that the Servant role is greater than just returning Israel and Judah to the Lord. The Servant's message is for all people - and that includes you and me.

There are fourth Servant Songs in the second section of Isaiah. They tell us of a servant and they define what the servant is called to do and how the servant will accomplish the mission. Today we are exploring Isaiah 42:1-9, the first of the Servant Songs.