Monday, February 28, 2022
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 28, 2022
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Mission co-worker serving as pastor for Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 27, 2022
Sunday, February 27, 2022
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Church embraces a history of service
Saturday, February 26, 2022
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 26, 2022
Serve, Work and Transform: Pray with us for Ukraine
Churches, Denominations and Religions: OGHS Weekly Family Activities
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Figuring out how we share the gospel in Chandler and the world
Friday, February 25, 2022
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 25, 2022
The Bulletin for Our Service - Sunday, February 27, 2022
Below is the bulletin for our service, on Sunday, February 27, 2022. During our worship service this morning, we’re concluding our sermon series entitled Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ. This Sunday, we'll talk about ministering to others. Remember, you can stream the service live by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube page beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service
On Sunday, February 27, Silgo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs.
- Alice Lucas
- Armed Forces
- Arnold Bowser
- Becky's biological sister
- Bob Varner
- Bruce Amsier
- Bruce Bowman
- Bus Clark
- Church Leaders
- College Students
- Carla Hepler
- Cass' Neice
- Dee, Jeremy & Jacob
- Doctors & Nurses & all essential workers
- Ella Henry
- Government Leaders
- Jim Mason
- Kathy
- Keith McKinley
- Kevin, Denise & Shayla Mock
- Leslie Oswald & her son Es
- Maxine Hartle
- Maxine Simpson
- Micki Summerville
- Mike Hiles
- Mr. Wolff
- Nancy Wilson
- Noah
- Our Youth
- Police Officers
- Randy Frampton
- Riley
- Ron & Shelly Haines
- Rwanda Partner
- Samatha Hagan
- Sean Bayless
- Tammy Dell
- The Tarr Family
- The Teachers and Student at Sligo Elementary
- Velma Stewart
- World Vision
Pray, Praise and Worship: Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Upending the bushel basket that conceals our light
Thursday, February 24, 2022
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 24, 2022
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - ‘I was quickly approaching burnout’
Serve, Work and Transform: WCC NEWS: WCC call for an immediate end to the current armed hostilities
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 23, 2022
The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, February 20, 2022
Sunday, February 20, we continued our series entitled "Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ." During the Sundays between the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent, we’ll consider seven ways we can live as followers of Jesus. The topics are listed below.
- January 16 – Decide to Follow (Mark 1:14-20)
- January 23 – Grow in the Word (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
- January 30 – Pray in Faith (Matthew 6:5-15)
- February 6 – Claim the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)
- February 13 – Fellowship with Believers (Colossians 3:12-17)
- February 20 – Witness to the World (Matthew 28:16-20)
- February 27 – Minister to Others (1 John 3:15-24)
During this sixth message, we used Matthew 28:16-20 to discuss how we might better bear witness of Jesus Christ to the world.
You can stream all our services live by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube channel. If you miss one of these messages, you can find a copy and podcast on the Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community blog (https://thenettransform.blogspot.com/).
Below is a copy of the bulletin, a podcast of the sermon and the video of the worship service.
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Women in faith leadership roles reveal how the pandemic has impacted their work and their lives
Churches, Denominations and Religions: PC(USA) Weekly News
Churches, Denominations and Religions: OGHS - Let's Connect
Sunday's Message - Witness to the World
Although it’s not hard to believe that we’ve been called by Christ, actually living that call may be a whole lot more challenging. And so, during the Sundays between the end of the Christmas season and the beginning of Lent, we’ll consider seven ways we can live as followers of Jesus. The topics are listed below.
- January 16 – Decide to Follow (Mark 1:14-20)
- January 23 – Grow in the Word (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
- January 30 – Pray in Faith (Matthew 6:5-15)
- February 6 – Claim the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26)
- February 13 – Fellowship with Believers (Colossians 3:12-17)
- February 20 – Witness to the World (Matthew 28:16-20)
- February 27 – Minister to Others (1 John 3:15-24)
During this sixth message, we used Matthew 28:16-20 to discuss how we might bear witness to the world.
You can stream all our services live by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube channel. If you miss one of these messages, you can find a copy and podcast on the Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community blog (https://thenettransform.blogspot.com/).
Matthew 28:16-20 [My Own Translation]
And the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain that Jesus directed them. And when they saw him, they knelt before him, but they doubted. And after Jesus came to them, he said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Now when you go, disciple all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and by teaching them to obey everything that I commanded you. And see, I myself am with you all days until the completion of the age.”
Witness to the World
Well, we’re almost at the end of our sermon series, “Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ.” You see, when the month of February ends, we’ll be bringing the curtain down on what we’ve been talking about since the middle of January. And over the last five weeks, we’ve considered a bunch of different stuff. I mean, we’ve looked at how we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, can decide to follow him and how we can grow in the Word. And we’ve also talked about how we can pray in faith and claim the Holy Spirit. And during our service last week, we considered how we can better fellowship with other believers, something that’s a whole lot easier to do when we remember that God chose to love us and to make us special and that he also chose to unite us and to make us the Body of Christ. Now, in a nutshell, that’s what we’ve been talking about. And this morning, we’re going to focus on something else we can do as followers of Jesus, and now I’m talking about bearing witness to the world.
And I’ll tell you, last Sunday afternoon, beginning at around 6:30, we got a great example of what this is really all about. Of course, that was when Super Bowl kicked off. But since we’re dealing with bearing witness, right now I’m really not talking about the game. Instead, I’m talking the commercials. For example, take this one which just so happens to be my personal favorite.
I love it. Of course, there were others that I also enjoyed, you know like the one of Jerod Mayo tackling Pete Davidson or Caesar talking about how he loves salads or Eugene Levy becoming a thrill driver in a yellow Nissan. But you know, beyond being funny, I think they all did a good job of promoting their product. I mean, whether it was Amazon’s Alexa or Hellmann’s mayonnaise, Avocados from Mexico or cars from Japan, I think these ads really got our attention, at least they got mine. And you know, they were memorable enough that they’ll probably stay with me, at least for another week or so. In other words, in my opinion, they were really effective in bearing their own witness to the world.
And I’ll tell you, that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about this morning. And even though our witness isn’t for something you can put on a sandwich or park in a garage (as a matter of fact, what we’re sharing is infinitely better), it’s still important for us to be as effective as we’re able to be, something that I think we all want to do but often we’re not all that sure about how. And so, during this message, we’re going to consider how we might become more effectively in bearing our Christian witness to the world. And to do that, we’re going to look at what Jesus said to his disciples in the passage we just read, and remember, these are the very last words he spoke in the Gospel of Matthew. You see, we’re going to take what he said to them and apply it to ourselves, something that I believe can make us better Christian witnesses. And like I said, it’s all in the verses we just read.
And you know, when you combine that with the assumption that Jesus made, well, that really speaks to me, particularly when it comes to bearing witness. I mean, although I consider myself to be faithful, I’ve got to tell you, my faith is not perfect, and there are times when I have some questions and doubt. Of course, there’s some comfort knowing the Apostle Paul felt the same thing about himself. Just listen to what he wrote the Romans:
But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. In fact, I don’t understand why I act the way I do. I don’t do what I know is right. I do the things I hate . . . I know that my selfish desires won’t let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot . . . What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? [Romans 7:14b-15,18,24, CEV]
Man, I don’t know about y’all, but I can really identify with what Paul said. And you know, that’s the reason, I’d love to stay on a mountaintop with Jesus. And I’d love to sort of hide out in the church. And I’d love to never face anything that would cause me to question and to doubt. That’s what I would love. But I’ll tell you, Jesus knew that wasn’t possible. And deep down, so do I, and so do you. Whether we like it or not, life is lived in the world we’ve got, not the one we want. And so, living as a follower of Jesus really is about when we go, when we leave there this morning and when we reenter our daily living as an imperfect people in an imperfect world, it’s right there where we can bear witness to Jesus Christ and to do it even thought we all have both faith and doubt. And I’ll tell you, we know this because Jesus made the assumption about where we’ll be bearing witness. And that’s the first thing he did.
And I’ll tell you something else, if I have any questions about how do it, you know, about how to disciple not just the people I like or with whom I agree, but all nations, I think Jesus gives us some pretty clear instructions. You see, we can disciple all nations by doing two things. One, we can do it through baptism, that sign of entry into the church, and two, we can do it by teaching, you know, letting folks know through both our words and our actions, that being a disciple of Jesus involves obeying two very clear and straightforward commands:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments. [Matthew 22:38b-40, CEV]
In other words, we disciple all nations when we invite them in and to do what’s necessary to help them feel at home, even though that may mean stepping away from some of that stuff that we’ve done a long time, you know, things that make us feel comfortable and secure. That’s one. And two, we can also show them through our lessons and our lives what it means to love God and to love our neighbors. You see, this we know, because Jesus gave the command about how to bear witness. And that’s the second thing he did.
And even though that can offer all kinds of comfort when we feel isolated and alone, I’m telling you, it can offer a whole lot more than just that. I mean, do you remember what the resurrected Jesus told those disciples who’d gathered up there on that mountain in Galilee, and I’m talking about before he said anything else? “And after Jesus came to them, he said to them, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.’” [Matthew 28:18, MOT] In other words, the one who was rejected by his own people is the one who represents God’s cosmic rule. And the one who mocked as “King of the Jews” before the crucifixion has assumed his throne and begun his reign. And the one who was nailed to a cross and sealed in a grave is now and will always be the Lord of heaven and earth. You see, this is the one who is always with us; therefore, we can step forward with confidence and hope. I’m telling you, this we can do, because Jesus offered the promise about how he would always be with us. And that’s the last thing in did in this passage.
Now, like I said a little while ago, I really enjoyed a lot of the commercials they showed during the Super Bowl. But having said that, I’m really not sure any of them will actually change my behavior. I mean, I already have one Alexa and doubt that I’ll get another. And as a white, middle-class, southerner, I will continue to honor my cultural heritage and to eat mayonnaise, but it’ll probably have “Great Value” on the label and not Hellsmann’s. And I’ve never liked avocados and I really enjoy driving my little Honda, and I really don’t expect either to change anytime soon. No, for as good as those commercials were in bearing witness to their products, I’m really not all that different from I was before.
But that doesn’t have to be the case with us, not as we bear our Christian witness to the world. You see, thanks to the assumption that Jesus made, we know exactly where we’ll be doing this. And thanks to the command that he gave, we know exactly what we’ll be doing. And thanks to the promise that he offered, we know exactly who’ll be with us every step of the way. These things we know. And even though we may little in common with either Scarlett Johansson or Colin Jost, as followers of Christ, together we can effectively bear witness to the world.
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Looking at Mark - In Contrast (Mark 12:1-44)
On Wednesday mornings beginning at 10:30 a.m., your friends and neighbors at Sligo Presbyterian Church gather to discuss our faith in Jesus Christ. Currently, we're using the Gospel of Mark as our guide. Pastor Rudiger is leading the discussion and everyone is invited. We’ll be covering the following topics:
- Session 1: Setting the Stage (Mark 1:1-13)
- Session 2: Good Times, Good Times (Mark 1:14-45)
- Session 3: Grey Clouds (Mark 2:1–3:6)
- Session 4: Sharing the Message (Mark 3:7–4:34)
- Session 5: It’s a Miracle (Mark 4:35–5:43)
- Session 6: Taking Sides (Mark 6:1-29)
- Session 7: More of the Same (Mark 6:30–7:23)
- Session 8: “You Are the Christ” (Mark 7:24–8:30)
- Session 9: The Rest of the Story (Mark 8:31–9:29)
- Session 10: Not Their Best (Mark 9:30–10:31)
- Session 11: More of the Same (Mark 10:32-52)
- Session 12: Coming in for a Landing (Mark 11:1-33)
- Session 13: In Contrast (Mark 12:1-44)
- Session 14: What's Coming (Mark 13:1-37)
- Session 15: Beginning to Spiral (Mark 14:1-42)
- Session 16: Son of God (Mark 14:43-15:47)
- Session 17: “for” (Mark 16:1-8)
During our thirteenth session, Mark describes Jesus's teaching in the Temple. The passage is below:
Mark 12:1-44
Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?”
When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.
Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ‘if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.”
Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.”
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’
David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 22, 2022
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Golden calves lurk everywhere
Monday, February 21, 2022
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 21, 2022
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Mother knows best
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Minute for Mission: Presbyterian Media Sunday
Saturday, February 19, 2022
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Today in the Mission Yearbook - Remembering with honesty
Friday, February 18, 2022
Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for February 18, 2022
The Bulletin for Our Service - Sunday, February 20, 2022
Below is the bulletin for our service, on Sunday, February 20, 2022. During our worship service this morning, we’re continuing our sermon series entitled Living the Call: Seven Ways to Live as Followers of Jesus Christ. This Sunday, we'll talk about witnessing to the Word. Remember, you can stream the service live by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube page beginning at 10:00 a.m.
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