Oak
Chapel United Methodist ChurchA Study Guide for some Popular Verses
| Bible Text | Sermon Title | ---------------Abstract--------------- | Date |
| Acts 9: 1-9 | The Tables Turned | Just as Jesus hit Saul over the head with a spiritual awakening, so too can he hit any of us over the head and cause us to be born anew. Even after awakening, it is essential that we read our Bibles diligently, pray every day, struggle to keep focused and to maintain an honest relationship with God. | April 26, 1998 |
| Amos 8: 1-12 | Jesus Help Us Put Aside False Gods | We can renounce the false Gods of power and possessions by accepting the offer of love and redemption extended to us by Jesus. | October 4, 1998 |
| Colossians 1: 15-28 |
Jesus Help Us Put Aside False Gods | We can renounce the false Gods of power and possessions by accepting the offer of love and redemption extended to us by Jesus. | October 4, 1998 |
| Corinthians I 1: 18 - 31 |
God's Foolishness | God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom. God's way of saving his people goes beyond human imagination. What a wonder that God gave his son to save our souls and to lend meaning to every moment of our lives. How much God loves us, and how much he wants us to love others, even though in loving we may expose ourselves to pain. | January 31, 1999 |
| Corinthians I 2: 1 - 12 |
To Know Only Jesus | What seems like wisdom to the world and to the producers of TV shows often is not wisdom. What seems like wisdom to us, the truth of Christ crucified and the joy of walking in his steps, may seem like foolishness to the world. We pledge, as we take communion, to remember our Lord and to be subordinate to his kingdom. | February 7, 1999 |
| Corinthians I 11: 23 - 26 |
A New Covenant | We are called by the love and the foolish generosity that Jesus showed to us in freely giving of himself on the cross. | April 9, 1998 |
| Hebrews 2: 10-18 |
What Child is This? | Jesus is a royal gift to us. We may remember him in our darkest hour. Even in the face of the fear of imma- nent death, we can remember His steadfast love and call on ourselves to renew the purpose of our life and serve Him. | December 28, 1998 |
| Hebrews 7: 23 - 28 |
Our Great High Priest | Because observance of "The Law" had become burdensome, Jesus came forward as the perfect sacrifice and as our priest. His death ended our separation from God and has given our lives meaning. | October 26, 1997 |
| Isaiah 55: 1 - 9 |
Come to the Water Right Now | The salvation that Jesus promises starts right away. It sets us free from anxiety, gives us life more abundantly right now, and frees us to be truly loving to others. | March 15, 1998 |
| Isaiah 60: 1 - 6 | Divining the Father | The coming of the wise men to Bethlehem signifies: the coming of hope, a star, a vision, and the keeping of an old promise. | January 4, 1998 |
| Isaiah 63: 7-9 |
What Child is This? | Jesus is a royal gift to us. We may remember him in our darkest hour. Even in the face of the fear of imma- nent death, we can remember His steadfast love and call on ourselves to renew the purpose of our life and serve Him. | December 28, 1998 |
| Isaiah 65: 17 - 25 |
Ahead of the Curve | God is love, waiting for us to come to him and even willing to go out into the streets looking for us. | November 15, 1998 |
| James 3: 13 - 4: 3,7 - 8a |
To Will One Will | So much to do and so little time to do it. How can we let go of cravings for things we cannot have and time that is not available? How can we find the time for devotion that will permit us to align our will with the will of God? | September 21, 1997 |
| James 5: 7-10 | Patience is a Virtue | Do not get angry at the things you cannot change. Understand your own anger and understand what you are really angry at. Do not take out your misfortunes on others. patience. | December 13, 1998 |
| Jeremiah 18: 1 - 11 |
Thou Art the Potter | God loves us but we must continue to stand in awe of him and be His people through and through, for he is God and he is free to throw out his pottery and start again. | September 6, 1998 |
| Jeremiah 31: 31 - 34 |
A New Deal | Let us appreciate the creation by Jesus of a new faith of grace and the heart. | October 18, 1998 |
| Job 38: 1 - 7, 34 - 41 |
Lost in Wonder | Our God is an awesome God and we grow in appreciation or the gift of life when, regardless of our circumstances, we are filled with his praises. | October 19, 1997 |
| Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17 |
The Ashes of Repentence | Repentence, which requires action and not just a state of mind, cleans us from the sin of being human. It washes us. It helps us to turn our lives over to the mercy of God. | February 17, 1999 |
| John 2: 1 - 11 | Water and Wine | The disciples of Christ enjoy abundant, eternal life. They have a sense that life is a miracle and they are willing to receive the miracles of our Lord. | January 18, 1998 |
| John 3: 1 - 16 | When Two Worlds Touch | Jesus showed us that the kingdom, which is spiritual and invisible, is more important than what we see. It takes courage to relinquish what we know, to overcome our fears, and to grab onto the new life that Jesus offers. | February 28, 1999 |
| John 12: 1 - 8 | Loving Recklessly Through Jesus | The only escape from our historical inability to shake off the forces of fear and hatred is to repent and to pour out our love recklessly. | March 29, 1998 |
| John 13: 31 - 35 | Heeding God's Call | Live vibrantly, on the cutting edge, and have the courage to open yourself to God's voice and to heed God's call. | May 10, 1998 |
| John 14: 8 - 19 | A Parting and a Promise | Take refuge in the Holy Spirit as your comforter and fan your love for Jesus by walking in his steps. | November 23, 1997 |
| John 18: 33-37 |
Confusion of the Heart | Earthly kings are obsessed with power, which has short-term advantages for them. We are, however, Kingdom people. We follow the law of love and are subjects of Jesus Christ, who is King of Kings. | May 31, 1998 |
| John 20: 19 - 31 |
One Builds a Wall, Another a Cathedral | The quality of our life depends on our perspective and on whether we have the faith with which to live in God's kingdom, which is the reality to which Jesus taught us to cling. | April 19, 1998 |
| Joshua 3: 14-17 | Wilderness or New Day | By trusting in God we can persevere and can triumph over our personal difficulties, just as Joshua was able to lead his people from the wilderness to the promised land. | September 20, 1998 |
| Joshua 4: 18-19 | Wilderness or New Day | By trusting in God we can persevere and can triumph over our personal difficulties, just as Joshua was able to lead his people from the wilderness to the promised land. | September 20, 1998 |
| Luke 1: 8-20 | Wilderness or New Day | By trusting in God we can persevere and can triumph over our personal difficulties, just as Joshua was able to lead his people from the wilderness to the promised land. | September 20, 1998 |
| Luke 2: 8 - 20 | Let Us Go to Bethlehem | The birth of Jesus in a manger, visited by shepherds, was a scandalous beginning. For us to come to him requires grace, sometimes helped by learning. At Christmas time, it is helpful to scrape off the sentimentality and commercialism of the season, to get a better understanding of the real Jesus. | December 24, 1997 |
| Luke 2: 1 - 20 | Rise Up Shepherd and Follow | Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, is a part of our heart that threatens to break through the tranquil waters of our lives and place us in service to the everlasting God. We are called by the wonder of Christmas to respond with loving action in our lives. | December 24, 1998 |
| Luke 3: 1 - 6 | Crazy John | By walking humbly with our God and admitting our frailty, we invite Jesus to support us and to strengthen us. | December 7, 1997 |
| Luke 3: 7 - 18 | The Voice | The best time to see the truth about ourselves and to repent is right now. Then, we God calls, we can respond immediately. | December 14, 1997 |
| Luke 3: 15 - 17, 21 - 22 |
Good News -- Bad News | When we receive the Good News of the Gospel, we take on added responsibility to pour out our life wholeheartedly as our response to grace. | January 11, 1998 |
| Luke 4: 1 - 13 | Ladder of Love | Providing we are willing to risk being hurt and to place ourselves in His hands, Jesus will help us to grow perfect in taking loving action, toward relatives, friends, strangers and even enemies. | May 10, 1998 |
| Luke 5: 1 - 11 | Not a Nibble | Often we are disappointed that even though we are working hard we have not been rewarded by improved circumstances. Jesus invites us to shake off our habitual way of looking at the world and to take a step of faith, after which he will guide us so that our life will be truly fruitful. | February 8, 1998 |
| Luke 6: 17 - 26 | The Tables Turned | Just as Jesus hit Saul over the head with a spiritual awakening, so too can he hit any of us over the head and cause us to be born anew. Even after awakening, it is essential that we read our Bibles diligently, pray every day, struggle to keep focused and to maintain an honest relationship with God. | April 26, 1998 |
| Luke 6: 20-31 | Living the Unexpected | Jesus was scandalously unexpected, favoring outcasts and calling us to discard worldly beliefs and to be holy, even at great cost to ourselves. | November 1, 1998 |
| Luke 7: 36 - 50> | How We Forgive | God provides the model for love by forgiving us and he expects us to turn around and forgive others and to love them even though they are flawed. | June 14, 1998 |
| Luke 9: 28 - 43 | Tears Before the Dawn | When Jesus rose from the grave, he gave us the courage to cherish life and to pour ourselves out in love and gratitude. | April 12, 1998 |
| Luke 10: 38-42 | Jesus Help Us Put Aside False Gods | We can renounce the false Gods of power and possessions by accepting the offer of love and redemption extended to us by Jesus. | October 4, 1998 |
| Luke 16: 19-31 | Wilderness or New Day | By trusting in God we can persevere and can triumph over our personal difficulties, just as Joshua was able to lead his people from the wilderness to the promised land. | September 20, 1998 |
| Luke 20: 27 - 38 |
God of the Living | By following Christ, we become truly alive in the Lord right now and we remain alive forever. | November 8, 1998 |
| Luke 21: 25 - 36 |
Directional Signs | Each moment of our lives is a precious moment in which we may give joyfully to others. In this way, we prepare ourselves for the Second Coming of our Lord. | November 30, 1997 |
| Luke 23: 33 - 43 |
The Color Purple | Jesus calls on us, through his example, to be humble and to refuse to play the power game. | November 22, 1998 |
| Luke 24: 44 - 53 |
Ascension | After Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, he appeared to his disciples and then departed, leaving us to reflect on the miracle of his life and of his love for us. His greatest gift is that he asks us to live as He did. | May 24, 1998 |
| Mark 12: 38 - 44 |
Measuring Our Giving | Christ wants us to give from the depths of our heart. Proportional giving is not enough for him. He wants us always to be pouring ourselves out for him by giving to others. | November 9, 1997 |
| Mark 13: 1 - 8 | For These Things Will Pass Away | The heart is eternal and stone is temporary. Keep your heart focused on the Bible and on Jesus and live a loving life. | November 16, 1997 |
| Matthew 1: 18-25 | To Fulfill God's Word | There is a meaning of Christmas that goes beyond commercial gift-giving. We can reach beyond the usual meaning of our lives and find a unique way to reach out in service to others at Christmas time. | December 20, 1998 |
| Matthew 3: 1 - 12 | Repent and Hope | We enter the church through forgiveness and repentence and we dwell forever in hope, inspired by the Lord. | December 6, 1998 |
| Matthew 4: 1 - 11 | A Quiet Victory | Just as Jesus did during his temptation in the desert, we are confronted daily by real moral choices. We can easily succumb to the attractive promises the devil offers, and we can fall asleep to what is morally right. We must live with vigilance in a dynamic world and must keep our eyes fixed on the real kingdom, which belongs to God | February 21, 1999 |
| Matthew 4: 12 - 23 | Light has Dawned | The ministry of Jesus was a great dawning of God in the darkness of human history. He invites us to shed our empty lives and walk in dedicated, excited service in his light. | January 24, 1999 |
| Matthew 6: 25 - 34 | Don't Worry, Be Happy | Place your whole mind and soul in the care of God, who loves you. We are invited to trust completely in our God and to walk joyfully in His steps, without fear or anxiety. | August 23, 1998 |
| Matthew 7: 13 - 14 | The Narrow Gate | We travel a road of faith and we are on the way . . . somewhere. A disciple studies carefully what way to go and then chooses that way. Sometimes the right way can be very difficult, but those who choose it are well rewarded. | August 30, 1998 |
| Matthew 17: 1 - 9 | Eyewitness of His Majesty | The transfiguration was a dramatic signal that Jesus was beloved of God, the Father. It also was an occasion for Jesus to share the story of his descent to the cross. It is a turning point that reminds us that Jesus and all the apostles were martyrs. Are we willing to give ourselves away in this same spirit? | February 14, 1999 |
| Matthew 19: 21 | First, Pass the Test | During Lent we are tested in our dedication to the Lord, but we need not give in to the active force of evil in the world for we are protected by our Lord, Jesus Christ. | March 1, 1998 |
| Matthew 28: 20 | When Kingdoms Collide | Lent is a time of taking inventory so that we can become more fully devoted to Jesus and can put the Kingdom of God in its proper place, giving it far more importance than the kingdom of the world. | February 22, 1998 |
| Matthew 3: 1 - 12 |
An Outrageous Offense | Christ calls on us to be Kingdom people, totally dedicated to serving the outcasts and to warning the wealthy and powerful. | February 15, 1998 |
| Matthew 3: 13 - 17 |
Born of Water and the Spirit | Jesus began his ministry by receiving the Holy Spirit in baptism by John the Baptist. He invites us to follow him into the water to be cleansed and to repent. Baptism is just a beginning and we are invited to remember our baptism and to keep improving it. | January 10, 1999 |
| Matthew 4: 1 - 11 | Without Love | Christians are called to love God and man with and abiding, eternal love. | February 1, 1998 |
| Matthew 4: 12 - 23 |
The Church: A Different Fellowship | We celebrate our differences and are joyful that we are one church, indivisible, and that we are led by Jesus Christ. | January 25, 1998 |
| Matthew 6: 25 - 33 |
All Our Anxious Strivings | Let us be grateful for lavish favors given to us in the past, and let us put aside our anxiety about the future by trusting in God's faithfulness. | November 26, 1997 |
| Matthew 19: 21 | The Voice | The best time to see the truth about ourselves and to repent is right now. Then, we God calls, we can respond immediately. | December 14, 1997 |
| Micah 5: 2 - 8 | A Very Unlikely Thing | Christ's birth is unlikely because of his humble beginnings and because it pulls us toward the kind of loving life for which we yearn so dearly. The manger demonstrates that no miracle is beyond the reach of God. | December 20, 1997 |
| Micah 6: 8 | The Voice | The best time to see the truth about ourselves and to repent is right now. Then, we God calls, we can respond immediately. | December 14, 1997 |
| Philippians 3: 17 - 4:1 |
Enemies of the Cross | We acknowledge our weakness and our frailty and we cling to the cross so that, through Christ, we grow strong in Christian charity. | March 8, 1998 |
| Philippians 4: 1-9 |
Think on These Things | In the midst of difficulty, we focus on being thankful and we hand our difficulties to God, who helps accepts our burden and helps us to focus on what is eternal. | November 25, 1998 |
| Psalm 91: 1-6, 14-16 |
Money is Just a Tool | Out of love for God: Gain all you can; save all you can; and then give all you can. | September 27, 1998 |
| Psalm 148 | What Child is This? | Jesus is a royal gift to us. We may remember him in our darkest hour. Even in the face of the fear of imma- nent death, we can remember His steadfast love and call on ourselves to renew the purpose of our life and serve Him. | December 28, 1998 |
| Revelation 7: 9 - 17 |
Crying Inside | Bring even your secret, unshared tears to Jesus and allow communion with Him to heal all your sadness with his body and blood. | May 3, 1998 |
| Revelation 21: 1 - 6a |
Confusion of the Heart | Earthly kings are obsessed with power, which has short-term advantages for them. We are, however, Kingdom people. We follow the law of love and are subjects of Jesus Christ, who is King of Kings. | November 23, 1997 |
| Romans 13: 11-14 | The Night is Far Gone | Advent carries the urgent message that we should wake up to the message of God right now and that we should stay focused on the things of God in our life. | November 29, 1998 |
| Thess II 4:16-18 |
For All the Saints | Death is no enemy to Christians and it is not an something to hide from. Our vision is of a heavenly world on a Hill and we wait with joyous expectation for the day when that world will come and death will be no more. | November 2, 1997 |
| Timothy I 6: 6-19 |
Money is Just a Tool | Out of love for God: Gain all you can; save all you can; and then give all you can. | September 27, 1998 |
| Timothy II 2: 8 - 15 |
Unchained | The Apostle Paul transcended guilt and anger and unflexible thinking and grew so close to God that even though he was imprisoned by the Romans he still felt alive and whole because of his faith in the Lord. | October 11, 1998 |
| Timothy II 4:6-8 |
Keep the Faith | Persevere in complete devotion to the Lord, in word and action, right up to the End. | October 25, 1998 |
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