Friday, September 30, 2022
Bible Readings for September 30, 2022
Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service
On Sunday, October 2, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the following needs.
- Amanda Demchak
- Armed Forces
- Arnold Bowser
- Bob Varner
- Bonnie Antonuk
- Brooke Schmader
- Bruce Amsier
- Bruce Bowman
- Bus Clark
- Caitlyn Barrett
- Carla Hepler
- Cass' Neice
- Church Leaders
- College Students
- Debbie Myers
- Dee, Jeremy & Jacob
- Doctors & Nurses & all essential workers
- Duane
- Dustin Sams
- Ella Henry
- Government Leaders
- Hugh Henry
- Jim Mason
- Kathy
- Keith McKinley
- Lana Todd
- Lori Myers
- Maxine Hartle
- Maxine Simpson
- Mike Hiles
- Mr. Wolff
- Nancy Wilson
- Noah
- Our Youth
- Police Officers
- Randy Frampton
- Rick Clark
- Riley
- Ron & Shelly Haines
- Ron Lerch
- Rwanda Partner
- Sandy Patterson
- Sandy Patterson's sister-in-law
- Sean Bayless
- Stacie
- Stephen & Alice Lucas
- Tamlynn
- Tracey
- Trudy Burns
- Velma Stewart
- Wes Lomax
- World Vision
The Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, October 2, 2022
Below is a copy of Sunday's bulletin. Over nine weeks, our worship service will focus on a series based on our Vacation Bible School Day camp entitled "Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit: A Look at Galatians 5:22-23." During this service, we'll consider faithfulness. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning.
Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World
Today in the Mission Yearbook - Congregational vitality
Friday, September 30, A Season of Peace
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Bible Readings for September 29, 2022
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - Hurricane Ian
World Vision - Help families impacted by Hurricane Ian
Thursday, September 29, A Season of Peace
Witness, Share and Evangelize: Thursday, September 29, A Season of Peace: You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:21 (NRSV) Do not neglect to show hospit...
Today in the Mission Yearbook - ‘Mission in reverse’
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
Bible Readings for September 28, 2022
Today in the Mission Yearbook - Learning from our siblings in the Church of Scotland
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Bible Readings for September 27, 2022
The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, September 25, 2022
On Friday, August 12, SPC had its annual Summer Day Camp entitled “Big Heart Farms: Where God’s Fruit Grows.” During the day, the children looked at Galatians 5:22-23 and talked about the Fruit of the Spirit. Building on this theme, during nine of our worship services, we’ll consider how we can integrate this fruit into our own lives. We’ll focus on the following qualities:
- August 14 - Love
- August 21 - Joy
- August 28 - Peace
- September 4 - Patience
- September 11 - Kindness
- September 18 - Goodness
- September 25 - Faithfulness
- October 2 - Gentleness
- October 9 - Self-control
And so, as we move into the Fall, let’s talk about how we might cultivate the most important crop of all, the Fruit of the Spirit.
In our seventh service, we considered faithfulness as a spiritual fruit. A copy of the bulletin, a recording of this message and a video of the service is below:
Sunday's Message: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit - A Look at Galatians 5:22-23 (Faithfulness)
On Friday, August 12, SPC had its annual Summer Day Camp entitled “Big Heart Farms: Where God’s Fruit Grows.” During the day, the children looked at Galatians 5:22-23 and talked about the Fruit of the Spirit. Building on this theme, during nine of our worship services, we’ll consider how we can integrate this fruit into our own lives. We’ll focus on the following qualities:
- August 14 - Love
- August 21 - Joy
- August 28 - Peace
- September 4 - Patience
- September 11 - Kindness
- September 18 - Goodness
- September 25 - Faithfulness
- October 2 - Gentleness
- October 9 - Self-control
And so, as we move into the Fall, let’s talk about how we might cultivate the most important crop of all, the Fruit of the Spirit.
In this seventh message, we considered faithfulness as a spiritual fruit. The sermon text and podcast is below:
*******
This morning, we’re going to continue the sermon series we started back in August entitled Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit: A Look at Galatians 5:22-23. And as most of y’all know, it’s based on the theme of our Vacation Bible School, and it’s focused on these two verses from Paul’s letter to the Galatians:
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. [Galatians 5:22-23, NRSVUE]
And during the last month and a half, we’ve looked at the first six spiritual fruits, starting with love, something we said is essential and active and Godly, and then joy, something that we said is given and empowering and contagious. And we’ve talked about peace and how it can change our perspective of God and others and ourselves and then we talked about patience, a quality that we all know is important and that we can develop when we decide to pause and to trust, to pray and to act. And then we discussed kindness, how it’s a quality of God and not in our nature either to do or to accept and yet it’s something that God still wants us to show, something that’s possible when we make the decision to stop being jerks and to start being as useful and helpful as possible and finally, we discussed goodness, a quality that God wants us to show and that may demand that we overcome some obstacles to get there and that is actually shown when we actively help one another. Now that’s what we’ve been talking about. And remember, if you missed one of the messages or would like to hear one again, you can find both the sermons and the services on our Facebook page, YouTube channel and church blog.
And that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning. You see, we’re going to focus on how we might develop Paul’s seventh spiritual fruit. And as we go through this, we’re going to talk about four things that we can do, if we’re serious about becoming more faithful and trusting people. And even though we’ll be focused on showing more faithfulness in our relationship with God, I think we can also apply these four challenges in our relationships with one another. And so, I guess you could say this message will be both theological and practical. And for me, faithfulness comes down to four verbs: decide, focus, resist, and live. Let me explain.
And I’ll tell you, making this decision, man, that’s a big deal in the Bible. And understand, in our English translations, the words “trust,” “believe” and “faith” all come from the exact same Greek word. I mean, just listen to what the Prophet Isaiah wrote:
My people, you are my witnesses
and my chosen servant.
I want you to know me,
to trust me, and understand
that I alone am God.
I have always been God;
there can be no others. [Isaiah 43:10, CEV]
And in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul praised the Thessalonians for their ability to make this decision. He wrote, “We always thank God that you believed the message we preached. It came from him, and it isn't something made up by humans. You accepted it as God's message, and now he is working in you.” [1 Thessalonians 2:13, CEV] And when Jesus was going to toe to toe with some folks who were so ticked off that they’d picked up some rocks to stone him, he said this:
So why do you accuse me of a terrible sin for saying that I am the Son of God? After all, it is the Father who prepared me for this work. He is also the one who sent me into the world. If I don’t do as my Father does, you should not believe me. But if I do what my Father does, you should believe because of that, even if you don’t have faith in me. Then you will know for certain that the Father is one with me, and I am one with the Father. [John 10:36-38, CEV]
You see, whether we’re talking about the Prophet or the Apostle or our Savior, they all believed that faithfulness is something that we can decide to show.
And I think it’s important for us to recognize it too. You see, just like we said when we were talking about love about six weeks ago, trust doesn’t just happen. It’s grounded in a decision that we have the power to make. Of course, I’m not saying it’s always easy, because it’s not. Still, as a very famous theologian once said, faith is like stepping in a room that’s pitch black, trusting that there’s a floor on the other side of the door. Having faith is choosing to take that step, and that’s why faithfulness demands a decision on our part. If we want to be more faithful, first, we need to decide.
And again, just like it was with faith being a decision, we can also find this kind of focus in Scripture. For example, when he was telling the Romans about God’s continuing relationship with the Jews, Paul wrote, “No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ.” [Romans 10:17, CEV] And as he was explaining why the Ephesians had moved from worshiping a whole bunch of idols to trusting just one God, he wrote this:
You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. [Ephesians 2:8-9, CEV]
And as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “When I talked with you or preached, I didn't try to prove anything by sounding wise. I simply let God's Spirit show his power. That way you would have faith because of God's power and not because of human wisdom.” [1 Corinthians 2:4-5, CEV] I’ll tell you, for the Apostle Paul, faith was strengthened when we focus on God.
And this is something we can also do. You see, we can take advantage of two of the most wonderful gifts God has given us: the Bible and our minds. In other words, we can take God’s word and we can read it. And we can think about it. And we can discuss it with one another. And we can do that by studying it either in groups, when possible, or just by ourselves. But if we’re doing this in a group, let’s make sure it’s one that focuses on what the Bible says and not what we want it to say. And if we’re doing it by ourselves, let’s read a Bible that’s easy to understand and apply. I mean, let’s get real, no matter how fancy it is or spiritual it sounds, a Bible really isn’t worth much if we don’t know what it says. You see, if we want to be more faithful, second, we need to focus.
And I’ll tell you, this is something that the people who wrote the Bible understood. For example, the writer of the Proverbs said,
With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
and not your own judgment.
Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
for you to follow. [Proverbs 3:5-6, CEV]
And as the unnamed writer was explaining the role it had played in the past, just listen to how faith was described to the Hebrews: Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God. [Hebrews 11:1-2, CEV] And when a father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus for healing, I think he summed up the human condition really well when he said to Christ, “At once the boy’s father shouted, “I do have faith! Please help me to have even more.'” [Mark 9:24, CEV] You see, faith is more about trusting than knowing.
Therefore, we really need to steer clear of the temptation to confuse the two. You see, God should never be limited to what we know or think, much less to our opinions and assumptions. Instead, God is greater than anything we can ever imagine and so is the love and the mercy and the grace he freely shows to his children. I mean, this is what the good news is all about, isn’t it? You see, when we assume that we completely know, we limit our heavenly Father. And if we’re not careful, we may end up with a god who’s far too small to offer much help and comfort when we really need it. You see, if we want to be more faithful, third, we need to resist.
And again, this is something we can see in Scripture. For example, when the disciples were frustrated because they weren’t able to cast out demons and went to Jesus for an explanation, “Jesus replied:
It is because you don’t have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you.” [Matthew 17:20-21, CEV]
You see, for Jesus, faith can and should empower action. But I’ll tell you, James even went farther. For him, acts of compassion, mercy and love actually give faith meaning. Just listen to what he wrote:
My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show you really do have faith? Can this kind of faith save you? If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, you shouldn't just say, “I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat.”
What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead! [James 2:14-17, CEV]
You see, when you get right down to it, faith and trust, man, they aren’t the end; rather, they’re the means to the end. They offer the peace and the confidence that we need to do the work God has called and equipped us to do. And they become that unifying force, drawing us together into this, the Body of Christ. And since it’s something that we have in common, I mean, since it’s a specific decision we’ve made and a single focus that we have and a definite resistance that we make, we can all roll up our shelves and begin using the unique gifts and abilities that together we have in order to make a difference right here and right now. You see, if we want to be more faithful, fourth, we need to live.
You know, the older I become, the more I’m convinced that trust is absolutely essential for any lasting relationship. And from where I stand, that’s certainly been true in my marriage to Debbie. And you know, I think it’s also true in our relationship with God. We need to trust; it’s as simple as that. And I’ll tell you, I think that’s possible when we accept four truths. You see, if we want to be more faithful to God, first, we need to decide. And second, we need to focus. Third, we need to resist. And finally, we need to live. And for me, that’s exactly how we might cultivate the seventh Fruit of the Spirit, namely faithfulness.
Follow Me - Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John (Love vs. Like (21:1-25))
Join with your friends and neighbors at Sligo Presbyterian Church to meet Jesus in the Gospel of John. During the study, we’ll follow the outline below:
- Session 1 - Introduction and Prologue (1:1-18)
- Session 2 - Let the Witnessing Begin (1:19-51)
- Session 3 - Transforming the Old (2:1-25)
- Session 4 - In a Nutshell (3:1-35)
- Session 5 - A Woman at a Well (4:1-54)
- Session 6 - Jesus as Testimony (5:1-47)
- Session 7 - Jesus as Bread (6:1-71)
- Session 8 - Who Is Jesus (7:1-52)
- Session 9 - Who Is Jesus [Part 2] (8:1-59)
- Session 10 - The Blind See and the Sighted Become Blind (9:1-41)
- Session 11 - Gates and Shepherds (10:1-42)
- Session 12 - Lazarus (11:1-57)
- Session 13 - Jerusalem for the Last Time (12:1-50)
- Session 14 - The Last Supper (13:1-38)
- Session 15 - Someone Else Is Coming (14:1-31)
- Session 16 - Since We Abide in the Vine (15:1-26)
- Session 17 - To Our Advantage (16:1-33)
- Session 18 - Last Prayer (17:1-26)
- Session 19 - Jesus Is Still in Control (18:1-40)
- Session 20 - Lifted Up (19:1-42)
- Session 21 - Raised (20:1-31)
- Session 22 - Love vs. Like (21:1-25)
In the final meeting in this series, we looked at John 21:1-25. The passage and a recording of the lesson is below:
John 21:1-25
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!” So the rumor spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. But there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Today in the Mission Yearbook - Welcoming the stranger
SPC Noodles Are Coming!
Sligo Presbyterian Church has started making noodles. You can place your order during the month of October by calling the church office, 814-745-2771. Each bag costs $4.00. Below are pictures from our first day of noodling.
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