Resurrection UMC Hastings

An all-consuming desire for money or possessions, like Gollum’s desire for the ring (his “precious” in The Lord of the Rings), has the power to change us—even destroy us. Jesus taught that our true “precious” treasure is not money or material things, but God, because treasure in heaven will never fail.

Spider-Man’s supernatural powers (thanks, to a radioactive spider bite), needed to be used responsibly. The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural power in many ways to serve God and others. How responsibly are we using that power?

Hope is an amazing thing. Even when the odds are stacked against us, one slim chance can bring us hope–along with the possibility of disappointment. But our hope in life isn’t in a long shot; it’s in Christ, who never disappoints.

We tell ourselves we are OK, not that bad, better than others, doing all we can, i.e. we’re “all good”. But there’s a problem: we’re also all sinners in need of God’s grace. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to get it.

The truth is hard to come by. We have AI fakes, deceptions, scams, and countless lies. It seems no one thinks we can handle the truth. But Jesus knows we can. In fact, he is the truth.

“Home” means different things to different people, and usually it’s something good. But, despite its perks, the bible tells us that we are just passing through this world. Our true home will be with God.

It’s possible to know a lot about God without really knowing God. Turns out, we need an advocate. That would be Jesus, and therein lies the answer on to how to experience life to its fullest.

The difference between “biblical sin” and our current notion of sin may lead us to a more helpful understanding of it—one that helps us better understand God’s heart and how sin affects our lives.

What does it mean to say that ‘God is light’? And what are the implications of this statement for illuminating what it means as we desire to live the life God has for us?

Lots of things pull at us, telling us that this is the life—success, popularity, power. Yet they can be gone in a flash. Only by resting in the truth of God’s perfect love engulfing us can we find real life.

There are times in our lives when we are burning the candle at both ends. When we feel exhausted or burned out. Do we blame jobs, kids, spouse, society, sports, social media, or…? It doesn’t really matter. What does is that the body, mind, and spirit need rest to survive and thrive. And God provided a great way for that rest.

How do you respond when political debate gets heated and you’re tempted to treat someone as less than a human, label them by their politics, and thus justify your anger and your un-Christlike response?

Nothing "steamy" here (besides the weather). No, we're talking about "heated"—as in heated arguments. How do we "bring down the temperature" when we find ourselves upset or angry with others?

We wrap up our gardening series with the resurrection. It’s like seeds of wheat that are buried, then they come to life looking completely different than the seed that was originally planted. And they grow forever.

Like Minnesota sweet corn that must mature before it's ready for harvest, our faith, when nourished, can grow until we become not just part of God's harvest, but also His harvesters.

July 4 is our country’s 250th anniversary of Independence Day. Due to recent events, many were not sure about how (or if) they’d celebrate it. It’s a good time to remember that God is still in control.

You may be familiar with the phrase, “Stop and smell the roses,” but do you ever consider how they came to bloom, or why flowers appear each spring? All around us, God provides the growth.

It would be easy to pre-judge this message and say it stinks, but then you’d be missing out on its relevance for growth as a Christian (hint: think fertilizer).

This past week, over 50 kids attended VBS each day at Resurrection from 9a to noon to explore the nature of God and have fun. Wondering what you missed? You’re about to find out.

The examples of our “little faith” in the Bible all share a common thread: they don’t stop Jesus from working. Because what matters most is not the size of our faith, but the size of our God.

We recognize our high school senior graduates, sharing some gleaned biblical wisdom that applies to all of us. It’s sage advice for living a good and fulfilling life today, and in the years ahead.

Pruning, i.e. removing dead or unusable growth, is how orchardists help fruit trees to produce more. God uses that same method to produce more spiritual fruit in our lives, maintained by staying connected with Jesus.

One way to increase the harvest is through square-foot gardening, i.e., using raised beds. Another is to plant more than once a year. The same applies to generosity: plant a lot, and do it more than once. Learn why that works.

It’s Mother’s Day this Sunday, but don’t expect a message about a mother’s love or about loving our own mothers. Instead, we focus on loving our mothers-in-law and on a farming/gardening practice called gleaning.

Gardening/farming all began in the garden (of Eden), making it the first (and oldest) profession. It was easy and good. Then sin entered the picture. The result? Now gardening/farming is a lot of hard work.