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My Witnesses (Acts 1:4-11)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... [Title] My Witnesses (Acts 1:4-11)   Today’s message is an introduction to the Book of Acts. As I mentioned last week, Acts is Luke’s sequel to his gospel account. It’s Jesus Part II. The Acts of the Apostles is the story of the early Church, the body of Christ continuing the ministry of Jesus.   [Slide] The key verse to understanding the Book of Acts is Acts 1:8.   You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.   [Slide] Here is an outline of Acts, broken down to three major sections patterned after Acts 1:8. Witness in Jerusalem (Acts 1-7), witness in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8-12), and witness to the ends of the earth (Acts 13-28). Paul’s ministry takes him from Antioch, to Asia Minor (Turkey) to Greece (Macedonia) to Rome, the center of the western world.   [Slide] Here ...
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First Steps (Acts 2:1-21) - Pentecost Sunday

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... [Title] First Steps ( Acts 2:1-21 )   Consider God's journey with humanity to be with us. Did you know the disciples drove a Honda? On the day of Pentecost, they were all together [Slide] in one accord.”   Happy Pentecost everyone! This day corresponds with [Slide] Shavuot, the Jewish Feast of Weeks. It’s 7 weeks after Passover, marking a new period with the 50 th day. In the Bible, the Feast of Weeks was a first fruits celebration of the barley harvest. Barley was a staple food source for bread.   With the emphasis on bread, the holy day eventually became a celebration of the law given at Sinai. Moses wrote that [Slide]   “ We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)   Bread and Torah (the Law) are both celebrated at Pentecost.   Moses urged Israel to keep the law so that it would go well with them in ...
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The Resurrected Life – Glorification (Col 3:1-17)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... [Title] The Resurrected Life – Glorification ( Col 3:1-17 )   When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4 Jesus said unto Peter "Come forth and win eternal glory" But Peter came in fifth and won a toaster   I bring you the glory of dad jokes! What do you call the pope of dad jokes? The chief puntificator.   [Slide] Let’s review The Way of Salvation.   God calls us from the bench into the Way that leads to glory. First, we must connect with the gospel, believing that Jesus canceled our debts and washed away our sins in his blood. You are justified in God’s eyes because of Jesus’ sacrifice. Nothing stands between you and God’s glory except your old sinful self.   Paul writes, those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… (Romans 8:29)   Just as home plate is the goal of every baseb...
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The Resurrected Life: Victorious Living (2nd Corinthians 4:7-18)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... The Resurrected Life: Victorious Living ( 2 nd Corinthians 4:7-18 ) [Slide] Once upon a time, there was a pirate who never lost a battle... Hearing of his victorious fame, a new pirate joins the crew to study the captain.   First battle, his ship against 3 others. The pirate calls to his assistant, “Bring me my red pants” [Slide] and fights until they win. Second battle is against 5 ships. The captain calls again: "Bring me my red pants" and then fights until they win. He was fearsome. The new guy asks, “What's up with the red pants?” Captain replies, “It's simple, if I’m wounded my crew won't know, so they will stay motivated as long as I keep fighting.” Then the battle horn is heard, to his surprise he is surrounded by 10 ships. The captain calls to his assistant, [Slide] "BRING ME MY BROWN PANTS."   I apologize. But would you agree, there are times in life when we need a pair of brown ...
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