Shalom UMC Podcast

Declare God's Grace

Week 3 of "Obscure" - This week we look at Paul's Letter to Titus. Paul sent Titus on a mission to help resolve problems in churches in Crete, and offered him advice for the work he was about to undertake. Paul's advice to Titus centered around allowing God's grace to transform his life so that others would see and know God's goodness and allow themselves to be transformed by God's grace - and become more like Christ.

Hope in the Lord

Week 2 of "Obscure". Scripture Focus: Lamentations 3:19-33
Lamentations is an often ignored part of the Bible. Yet, it can help us to better understand grief and sorrow, pain and suffering, hope and trust. Lamentations shows us the importance of expressing our emotions, calling upon God to hear us and restore us. While things might not always work according to our plan, we can trust in the fact that God is always faithful and God's steadfast love lasts forever.

Charge That to My Account

First week of series "Obscure", on some lesser known books of the Bible. Week 1 looks at Paul's Letter to Philemon. In this letter we discover the message Paul worked to share: if you want to be a Christian/follow Jesus, if you say you are a Christian/follow Jesus, then your life needs to be like Jesus' life. Paul was willing to offer himself for Onesimus as his way of showing the power of Jesus' sacrifice for us, and the power of life-changing grace that God offers to us all. Preached 6/6/21

Belonging

Sermon from 5/30/2021: Trinity Sunday can be a time of confusion as we struggle to understand the nature of our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Or, Trinity Sunday can be a time when we recognize that the transformation our lives can undergo because of the gifts God has given us in Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.
Scripture: Romans 8:12-17

The Spirit Poured Out

On Pentecost Sunday, we remember the day the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples. Acts 2 describes how something like a powerful wind and tongues of fire was poured out on the disciples, and how that event was perceived by many others. Pentecost marks a shift from focusing our attention on what Jesus has done for us to understanding that we are called to be disciples of Jesus, offering God's grace and sharing Jesus with all the world.