Fall Sermon/Small Group Series

Theme for Series:  “Finding Peace for Yourself and Others”

Theme verse:  John 14:26 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

September

13                                Our Forgiving Father                Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 40:1-17             Tom Stephen   

In the passage this week, Jesus tells a wonderful story of two brothers – both longing for their father’s love and the peace it could bring to their life.  One son,  never experienced peace because he spent his life trying to prove himself to his father.  The other son had no peace because he denied who he truly was to please others.    If you have friends or family who are looking for inner peace, invite them to come with you next week as we begin our sermon series entitled, “Finding Peace for Yourself and Others.”

 20                                Why We Need Forgiveness      Ephesians 2:1-10, Isaiah 53          Tom Stephen

How do we find peace?   It begins by recognizing what’s wrong with our life situation.  Until we admit that we need help, we won’t find it.     Everybody lives with sin in that separate from God and others.   We try to work our way to God, we seek to please others for their approval, but in the end, we cannot conquer this problem on our own.  Next week, we’ll explore God’s answer to our lack of peace: forgiveness.   Invite your family, friends and co-workers to join you for this important life-giving sermon.

27                                “Confession is good for the Soul” I John 1:5-2:2, Psalm 51:1-12            Matt Elam

Even though God offers His forgiveness, we won’t experience His peace if we allow sin and the consequences of those sins to go unchecked.  We need to admit our faults and then seek God’s help.   In fact, we are powerless to do anything about our sin problem on our own.    In this passage, we’ll explore the benefits and difficulties of confessions.

October

4                                  The Ultimate Hiding Place         Psalm 32                      Tom Stephen

It’s hard to keep quiet when something really good happens to you.   Some people shout with excitement when their favorite football team scores a touchdown.  Other people jump with joy when they receive a precious gift.   When you experience forgiveness, it’s hard to contain yourself as well.    When you’ve really hurt someone and they authentically forgive you, there is no better feeling.   In the passage this week, we are going to hear the “Shout of a forgiven man.”    I hope you’ll invite family

- World  Communion Sunday

11                                “How Many Times???”             Matthew 18:21-35       Tom Stephen

Have you ever experienced a lack of peace because someone did something to hurt you or hurt someone you loved?    Did you forgive them?  When we forgive we experience peace.  But what happens if they keep hurting you, how many times must we forgive?   In this sermon, we’ll discover the key to forgiving others – which has very little to do with the other person and everything to do with our relationship with God.

18                                When Some Hurts Us             Matthew 18:15-20         Tom Stephen

Christian community brings peace. Why?  Because in Christian community we learn to forgive one another.    In fact, the trade mark of the Christian is the love they have for each other and that love is sustained through forgiveness.   In this sermon, we’ll discover the process of seeking forgiveness from those who have hurt us.

25                                Peace, Prayer and Forgiveness  Matthew 6:5-15           Tom Stephen

Prayer and peace go hand and hand.  Forgiving others and experiencing the peace of God also go hand in hand.   Next week we’ll focus on the challenging petition in the Lord’s prayer that reads, “And forgive us our debts and we forgive our debtors.”     If you know someone who longs to find peace in their relationship with God and with others, invite them to join you next week.

November

1                  “Forgiving When We Don’t Feel Like It”  Philemon                       Tom Stephen               

Forgiveness sometimes is prompted by feelings but more often than not, forgiveness is an act of obedience.   Even though we don’t feel like forgiving, when we do, we experience peace.    In the passage this week, we’ll see how a friend of the apostle Paul’s is challenged to forgive and even love someone who hurt him deeply.