Sermon – May 29, 2016

BPUMC_Podcast_LogoA Good Soldier, by Rev. Mike Holly

Leap of Faith Weekly Prayer

A Prayer for Annual Conference
(June 5-7 in Huntsville, AL )

Holy and Living God, you are the very center of our lives and of our Church. I ask and pray that as United Methodists in North Alabama prepare to meet together in Huntsville next week that you would fan the flame of your Spirit as you inspire and challenge the leaders and representatives of the United Methodist Church in our area to faithfully carry out ministry and mission for the sake of your Kingdom. During the course of this week, help me to understand more clearly how You shape and lead the Church of today just as you did so in the days of the early church. Amen.

 

The Word

Luke 7:1-10

After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Sermon – May 24, 2015

BPUMC_Podcast_LogoThe Power of Memory and Hope“, by Rev. Mike Holly

Paul, the author of Romans, says that hope that is seen is not hope. Now what does he mean by this? He is trying to coney to us all that the hope we have in God is a hope we cannot test, measure or observe. Our hope is what lies in a future that we cannot see. We are told about it and we long for it, but we cannot see it just yet. Trust is required.

As Christians, we know there is power in hope. The hope of what God will do has energized the people of God to serve others for 2,000 years, even with periodic persecutions. However, there is also power in memory. The Bible reminds us time and time again of how God did act for his people, such as when be liberated Israel from captivity in Egypt. Christians live in that powerful space between memory and hope by the grace of the Spirit.

This Memorial Day weekend, let us be thankful for the brave and courageous ones who gave their lives in love and service to the people of our nation. May their witness be an empowering memory for us all as we lean into a future with hope.

~Mike Holly

The Word

Romans 8:22-27

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.