Marvin Methodist Church | Sermons

Paul writing to the church in Corinth says that the people there are an aroma of life, recommendation letters that tell the work of Jesus in the world. We are called to be the presence of Christ in the world and that requires that our lives are submitted to Jesus, that we are present in other’s life, and we are ready to live out His story in the world. Sermon text: 2 Corinthians 2:14-3:6

What happens when Jesus is teaching to thousands and is interrupted by a man requesting his arbitration of an inheritance dispute?  You get some great teaching about the disappointment of accumulating earthly possessions and the value of being rich towards God.  Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven. Sermon text: Luke 12:32-34

This week we conclude our series on Jesus together with a testimony from a family that have been through suffering and hardship but also healing and redemption. Community was integral to this journey. Following Jesus in this life requires community.

If someone was asked to describe you, would they say that you are a loving person?  What does it mean to love others?  What did Jesus mean when he commands his followers to “love one another as I have loved you?”  This message explores the “one another's” in the Bible and celebrates a Savior who gave us an example to follow. Sermon text: John 13:34-35

Our series now turns to the historic Methodist movement to look at a small group called the class meeting that helped members focus on following the way of Jesus. This gathering was all about a single focus of growing in holiness together and it shaped the movement that is responsible for us being here today. The class meeting is a Methodist concept, but it is a biblical principle and one that we...

Like the disciples of long ago, Jesus extends to us the invitation to follow him.  Whether you are exploring Christ, growing in Christ, close to Christ, or Christ-centered, the invitation remains the same: “Follow me.”  Even though you have been following Christ for years, the place for you is obediently behind the Savior and across what Craig Groeschel calls “third line faith.”...

Following Jesus is more about being an apprentice; being with the teacher, becoming like the teacher, and doing what the teacher does in the world. This was probably more practical when Jesus was standing in front of his disciples, so how do we live this out today? Paul says in Ephesians that community is the critical piece to becoming like Jesus. Ephesians 4 gives us a beautiful picture of the co...

At a time when the commitment to worship is waning in America, this fresh look at the Hebrew practices of Temple entrance and worship practices of the early church offers much reflection to five practices which make our worship glorious. Sermon Text: Psalm 95:1-7

We begin a new series about what it means to follow Jesus and to do that in community. What if we have gotten the premise all wrong on what it means to follow Jesus? In the gospels Jesus calls people to come and be his disciple, or student, and that has deeper implications than what we usually give credit. Our calling is to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did in the world. Simp...

Can you image the uncertainty Mary must have had around raising the Son of God? This sermon reflects on the life of Mary throughout the course of Jesus’s life, from the cradle to the grave and then some. Sermon text: Luke 2:19

Perhaps the most peculiar characters in the birth narratives of Jesus are the Magi. These people probably practiced some religion that would not be welcome in the church, spent a lot of time obsessing over the stars, and are the last people you would think that would take off to go see Jesus. And yet, they are the ones who worship him. What if the people that Jesus is going to reach look different...

It is interesting that 3 out of 4 of the soils in the parable of Matthew 13 hear the word but do not produce fruit of life. These are hard statistics to fathom for the Christian but what if the remnant produces a harvest greater than we can imagine? The good soil challenges us to consider our positioning to receive life of the kingdom of God. Sermon text: Matthew 13:8; 23

We continue to prepare for the comings of Christ with this Advent series based on the Parable of the Sower. This sermon, Worry-Full, considers the thorny soil, which is marked by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. We safeguard against the thorns by surrendering to Christ. Sermon text: Matthew 13:3-9, 22

Spiritual Formation writer and speaker Richard Foster once said, “Superficiality is the curse of this age.”  In the Parable of the Soils we learn that shallow soil and hearts filled with rocks can often cause short-lived joy because one’s faith can’t grow deep.  In this message, listeners are challenged to work hard to remove rocks while following Jesus for the long haul. Sermon...

During advent we prepare for the coming Christ in the incarnation. In the coming weeks we will see this through the lens of the parable of the sower, a parable Jesus uses to teach of the coming Kingdom. In this message John Wayne explores the first soil that is rocky and unable to receive the seed before birds snatch it away. Sermon text: Matthew 3:18-19

We celebrate Christ the King Sunday by once again declaring that there is no worldly kingdom, no individual, no state, no nation, with ultimate authority. Jesus, the king, ascended to the throne through sacrifice and love and his kingdom brings these characteristics to our world, or at least it should. With so many competing narratives in our lives, the question remains, where is your ultimate all...

Hannah is an individual from scripture that gives us a window into faith in the midst of suffering. She is also someone who is surrounded by people that are largely oblivious to her pain, and yet she is faithful to God. Sermon text: 1 Samuel 1:1-20; 2:1-2

All Saints Day is a part of the Christian calendar calling us to remember those that have passed in our community in the past year and also the martyrs and saints of the historical Church. The saints help us to see what it looks like to run the race, to pursue Christ, and to offer ourselves to the world around us. In a difficult time in our world, the saints are vital to our us because the show us...

It is an odd thing to think that God has entrusted us with the continuation of His Kingdom, but that is exactly what has happened. Peter helps us to see how we can live out this calling even in hardship. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:7-11

Through the prophet Malachi, God accuses the Israelites of robbing him of tithes and offerings, but what he is really getting at is what they are robbing from themselves and their witness to the world around them. This is the only place in the bible where God tells his people to test him and it is about testing his faithfulness if they will be obedient. It is through this lens we consider what gen...

The next generation has been entrusted to us to share with them the Lord so that they will put their trust in God, not forget the Lord, and keep His commands. Sermon text: Psalm 78:1-8

God has entrusted us with much and how we live into it is important. Paul understood that as he challenged the church to “work out their salvation.” God’s love is at work in us and we have the opportunity to grow into this love. Sermon text: Philippians 2:12-16

We have talked about hospitality in the family of God and to the stranger, but God has his eyes set on something more radical—loving our enemy. Jesus says this is the fullness of love and commands it of his followers. This feels like a bar that is too high…is it? Sermon text: Matthew 5:43-48

In the book of Acts we see an example of hospitality to a stranger from Philip, one of the leaders of this new movement. Philip’s story with the Ethiopian eunuch invites us to consider how we are joining God is His mission in the world. Hospitality to the stranger requires that we believe in the hospitality of the cross of Christ and we believe in God’s work in the world. Sermon text: Acts 8:26-40

Hospitality is a way of life. It defines who we are as a people of God, who we are as a church. God has been so good to us and he invites us to do and be the same. God invites us to be responsive to the hospitality that he has shown us—what’s happened to us must be done by us. Sermon text: Luke 24:13-35