Mission Yearbook: North Carolina town marks one year since Hurricane Helene with day of hope and healing

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Mission Yearbook: North Carolina town marks one ye...: Boone, North Carolina, recently observed the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s impact in Western North Carolina with Hope After Hel...

The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service - Sunday, March 22, 2026

During this season of Lent, we're moving through a sermon series entitled “Preparing for Easter.” In these five services, we're considering how we might get ourselves ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’re focusing on the following:

• February 22 - Fasting
• March 1 - Forgiving
• March 8 - Repenting
• March 15 - Praying
• March 22 - Loving

On Sunday, we finished this series by looking at how we can prepare for Easter by loving. Below is a video of the service, a presentation of the sermon, and the program & bulletin for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Sunday's Message - Preparing for Easter (Loving)

During this season of Lent, we're moving through a sermon series entitled “Preparing for Easter.” In these five services, we're considering how we might get ourselves ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’re focusing on the following:

• February 22 - Fasting
• March 1 - Forgiving
• March 8 - Repenting
• March 15 - Praying
• March 22 - Loving

On Sunday, we finished this series by looking at how we can prepare for Easter by loving. Below is a presentation and the text of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Well, this morning we’re tying up the series we started on the first Sunday in Lent entitled Preparing for Easter. You see, next week, we’ll be moving on to what’s called Holy Week, the time between Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through his last supper on Maundy Thursday and crucifixion on Good Friday right to the women finding the tomb empty on Easter morning. And during these last four weeks, we’ve talked about how we can get ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ by fasting and forgiving, by repenting and praying. Now, if you missed any of these, they’re all on our church blog and our Facebook page. Now that’s where we’ve been.

And this morning, we’re putting a bow on this series by talking about love, in other words, how showing love can also be a way for us to prepare for Easter. Now, that’s going to be our focus today. But before getting into our topic, I think I need to mention two things about the kind of love we’ll be discussing. I mean, one, this kind of loving involves acting, not feeling. You see, in the New Testament, there are two different Greek words that are translated “love.” On one hand, there’s φιλία, that deep emotional affection that one person might have for another, the kind of thing you see in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. On the other hand, there’s ἀγάπη, a kind of love that grounded in action, even sacrifice. As a matter of fact, it’s the kind of love you can show to people whom you might not even like. Now, it’s ἀγάπη that we’ll be talking about this morning. That’s one.

And two, we’re going to focus on showing love to others, not to God, although I recognize that, in his first letter, John wrote, “But if we say we love God and don’t love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don’t love the people we can see?” [1 John 4:20, CEV] You see, our focus will be on one another and not God. And I’ll tell you why. You see, back on February 15, the Sunday before we started this series, we talked about how we might show our love to God, and again, if you want to review it, it’s also on our blog and Facebook page. And that’s two.

No, this morning, we’re going to focus on how we might prepare for Easter by loving one another. And as we’ve done before, we’ll be spending a little time looking at what the Bible has to say about love. And then we’re going to focus on three things we might want to remember, if we’re really interested in showing more love to those around us. 

Of course, as we saw with forgiving and repenting and praying, loving one another is a pretty big deal in the Bible, and I’m talking about both the Old and the New Testaments. And I think it’s really interesting, different passages give us a slightly different perspective on what this love business is all about. For example, in a couple of verses that both Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ quotes, just listen to what the writer of Leviticus had to say.

Don’t hold grudges. On the other hand, it’s wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting. Don’t be angry or try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself. [Leviticus 19:17-18, CEV]

Now, that’s what it says. And I find it interesting that, in the nineteenth chapter of Leviticus, this command about loving others is smack dab in the middle of all these directions dealing with a whole lot of other stuff, you know, like economic justice and personal integrity, social protection and judicial fairness. Man, there’s even a command not to withhold a worker’s wages overnight. Now all of this surrounds the command to love others, which shows me just how broad and inclusive and practical Biblical love really is. 

And then there’s this passage from Paul’s letter to the Romans;

Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands. In the Law there are many commands, such as, “Be faithful in marriage. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not want what belongs to others.” But all of these are summed up in the command that says, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” No one who loves others will harm them. So love is all that the Law demands. [Romans 13:8-10, CEV]

In other words, in the sight of God, not only should our love for others be broad and inclusive and practical, we should actually view love as a debt that we owe to those around us; And you know, if this is what we believe, then all of sudden every encounter is an opportunity to act on our obligation and right now it’s up to us to get rid of any thing that might get in the way of us making our payment on time. Now that’s from Paul, love is a debt that we owe.

And from Jesus Christ himself, just listen to what he said to his disciples right before his arrest and crucifixion:

My children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won’t find me. I tell you just as I told the people, “You cannot go where I am going.” But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples. [John 13:33-35, CEV]

Now, for me, that pushes love even further than what we saw in Leviticus or with Paul. I mean, not only are we talking about something that’s commanded, you know, something that’s broad and inclusive and practical and also a debt we owe, love is also sacrificial, isn’t it? Let me ask you, for Christ, what was the definitive example of the love we’re commanded to show? Well, it sure isn’t superficial kindness or good feelings. Instead, it’s making a real sacrifice. It’s something that’s actually more than active; man, it’s proactive. And it’s independent of what the other guy is doing, you know, whether he deserves our love or not. I’ll tell you, it’s as radical and extreme as dying on a cross to save the ones who drove the nails. You see, whether we like it or not, that’s the kind of love we’re commanded to show.

And even though, I’m telling you, doing that kind of thing will never be easy, I really believe it’s more than possible, especially when we remember three characteristics of ἀγάπη/love that the Apostle Paul shared with the Corinthians in the thirteenth chapter of his first letter. And let me share with you what they are. 

For example, I think it’s important for us to remember that, according to Paul, love is essential. Now, for him, I believe that’s its first characteristic. I mean, just listen to what he wrote to the Corinthians:

What if I could speak
all languages of humans
    and even of angels?
If I did not love others,
    I would be nothing more
than a noisy gong
    or a clanging cymbal.
What if I could prophesy
and understand all mysteries
    and all knowledge?
And what if I had faith
    that moved mountains?
I would be nothing,
    unless I loved others.
What if I gave away all
    that I owned
and let myself
    be burned alive?
I would gain nothing,
    unless I loved others. [1 Corinthians 13:1-3, CEV]

You see, according to Paul, when you get right down to it, without ἀγάπη/love, nothing else really matters. For him, love was essential.

And I’ll tell you, for me personally, that just makes sense. You see, our willingness to love gives meaning to everything else we do. For example, our words and our promises are worse than empty and shallow, if we don’t back them up with some action, something that James had in mind when we wrote, “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?” [James 2:15-16, CEV] And all our wisdom and experience, even our faith is worth nothing, if we refuse to use what we know and what we can do and what we believe in order to help others. Man, even our relationship with God is absolutely worthless, if it’s not used to make a difference. Again, as James wrote, “faith that doesn’t lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!” [James 2:1, CEV] and a little later, “you can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe.” [James 2:24, CEV] As a matter of fact, even sacrifice without purpose is a big, fat waste of time and effort, because for action, even Christian action, to have meaning, love is essential, and for me, that’s the first thing we need to remember.

And second, I think Paul also believed that love is intentional. In other words, it doesn’t just happen at first sight nor is it the result of falling into anything. And I believe that’s his point as he continued his little discourse in the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians. Just listen:

Love is patient and kind,
never jealous, boastful,
proud, or rude.
Love isn’t selfish
    or quick tempered.
It doesn’t keep a record
    of wrongs that others do.
Love rejoices in the truth,
    but not in evil.
Love is always supportive,
loyal, hopeful,
    and trusting. [1 Corinthians 13:4-7, CEV]

For Paul, this was the kind of love we’re called to show, which means that, when you get right down to it, it has far more to do with the head than with the heart. Put another way, it’s not about feeling; it’s about deciding. We have to decide to love. For example, to love, we have to decide to be patient and kind even to those who don’t deserve it and to rejoice in the truth even when the lies make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, because they reinforce what we already believe. And we have to decide that we’re not going to act like jerks, we’re not going to be internally proud and externally arrogant, and we’re sure not going to call people names when they do something we don’t like or to fly off the handle when they have the audacity of question our superiority or to be so obsessed with our own grievances that we celebrate when folks we don’t like all of a sudden face problems and pain. We’re not going to do it. Instead, we can decide to be “supportive, loyal, hopeful and trusting” [1 Corinthians 13:7b, CEV] even when those are the very last kind of things we want to do. You see, for Paul, this is something we can decide to do, because for him, love is intentional, its second characteristic and something else I think we need to remember.

And finally, third, I think Paul also believed that love is eternal. In other words, it lasts. As a matter of fact, when everything else has fallen away, the love that we show will endure. And I believe that’s exactly what he had in mind when he wrote this to the Corinthians.

Love never fails!

Everyone who prophesies
    will stop,
and unknown languages
will no longer
    be spoken.
All that we know
    will be forgotten.
We don’t know everything,
and our prophecies
    are not complete.
But what is perfect
    will someday appear,
and what isn’t perfect
    will then disappear.

When we were children,
we thought and reasoned
    as children do.
But when we grew up,
    we quit our childish ways.
Now all we can see of God
is like a cloudy picture
    in a mirror.
Later we will see him
    face to face.
We don’t know everything,
    but then we will,
just as God completely
    understands us.
For now there are faith,
    hope, and love.
But of these three,
    the greatest is love. [1 Corinthians 13:8-13, CEV]

Now that’s what Paul wrote, and I’ve to tell you, it speaks to me on a very personal level. You see, as some of y’all may know, my dad will be 92 next month. But since he had COVID about a year ago, we’ve seen a pretty dramatic mental decline. Right now, he’s in the hospital, and next week, he’ll be transferred to a memory care facility, because we’re just not able to take care of him at home. In fact, Debbie and I are going back to Virginia right after Easter to see him, maybe for the last time in this world. And you know, all this has caused me to think a lot about him and our relationship over my 68 years, but also about how I’ll be remembered when it’s my time. And although I’ve done a lot of stuff, good and not so good, I hope I’ll be remembered for patience and empathy, for the desire to forgive mistakes and to help folks grow, and for the willingness, on good days, when I’m not all tied up with me, to put the needs of others before my own wants. It’s like the old guy who was asked if he was a Christian and said, “Why are you asking me? Ask my wife or my kids. Ask the guys with whom I’ve worked or the girl who serves me coffee. They’re in a much better position to answer than me.” “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” You see, even though the faith we express and the hope we have are important, ultimately, we’ll be remembered by the love we show, because, as Paul wrote, love is eternal, the third characteristic we should remember.

And now, we’re done with this series. Starting next Sunday, we’ll move from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good Friday right to Easter. And along the way, I hope we experience some different feelings, you know, like joy and peace, grief and hope. And in this last week we have to prepare, let’s decide to make the effort to fast and to forgive, to repent and to pray. And as we leave here this morning, remembering that it’s essential and intentional and eternal, let’s prepare for Easter by loving. 

Bible Readings for March 24, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for March 24, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Deuteronomy 2:1–3:29; Luke 6:12-38; Psalm 67:1-7; and Proverb...

Bible Readings for March 23, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for March 23, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Numbers 36:1–Deuteronomy 1:46; Luke 5:29–6:11; Psalm 66:1-20;...

Bible Readings for March 22, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for March 22, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Numbers 33:40–35:34; Luke 5:12-28; Psalm 65:1-13; and Proverb...

Minute for Mission: World Water Day

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Minute for Mission: World Water Day: Image Snow Robins Trees (provided) As I write, the winter snow is melting after a long time on the ground, unusual for Kentucky. This meltin...

Mission Yearbook: Young adult advocates hold vigil at Michigan State Capitol in solidarity with immigrants and refugees

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Mission Yearbook: Young adult advocates hold vigil...: Image Leaders and people attending the Young Adult Advocacy Conference gathered on the steps of the Capitol in Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by ...

Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World

Pray, Praise and Worship: Prayers for Our Community, Our Nation and Our World: We can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Between Monday,  March 23  and Sunday, March 29, we'll lay befo...

Bible Readings for March 21, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for March 21, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Numbers 32:1–33:39; Luke 4:31–5:11; Psalm 64:1-10; and Prover...

Prayer Requests to be shared during Sunday’s service

On Sunday, March 22, Sligo Presbyterian Church will lift to God the needs below.

• Adam & Shaina Hile
• Antonio Jimenez
• Bade Mohn
• Barbara Yarchuk
• Betty Phillips
• Betty Terwint
• Bob Varner
• Brooke
• Butch, Cass's brother
• Cara Maguire Defibaugh
• Carla Hepler
• Cathy Hale
• Corbin
• Dan Wallace
• Denny Conaway
• Denny Myers
• Don Free and Family
• Duane Quinn
• Evelyn Barkafelt
• Fred Summerville
• Gabe
• Gavin Blazosky
• Jane
• Jason
• Jayden Shorts
• Jeb Rapp
• Jeff Raybuck
• Jerry & Tracy Hawks
• Jim Mahle
• Jim Mason
• Joann Klamer
• Joe Rainey
• Karen Defibaugh
• Kaylyn Bashline
• Kirby McCall
• Lana Todd
• Landdon Chalmers
• Len Gaulin
• Levi Jack
• Mary Young
• Mason Martin
• Matt
• Mike Curran
• Nancy Blauser
• Pamela
• Patty Divins
• Rev. Bruce & Fab Gander
• Ron & Shelly Haines
• Ron Lerch
• Rowan Pinson
• Rudy
• Ryan Cornecki & Family
• Sam & Carol Mason
• Tadd French
• TJ
• Tom Mason
• Tyler & Tamlynn
• Valerie Haight and family
• Van Watkins
• Vickie White Templin
• Wes Summerville
• William Ford
• Zach Schieberl

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for March 20, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for March 20, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Numbers 30:1–31:54; Luke 4:1-30; Psalm 63:1-11; and Proverbs ...

The Program and Bulletin for the SPC Worship Service - Sunday, March 22, 2026

In this season of Lent, we're moving through a sermon series entitled “Preparing for Easter.” During these five services, we're considering how we might get ourselves ready to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We’re focusing on the following:

• February 22 - Fasting
• March 1 - Forgiving
• March 8 - Repenting
• March 15 - Praying
• March 22 - Loving

On Sunday, we’ll continue this series by looking at how we can prepare for Easter by loving one another. Below is the program and bulletin for the service. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page.

Bible Readings for March 19, 2026

Study, Learn and Grow: Bible Readings for March 19, 2026: Let's read the Bible together in the next year.  Today, our passages are  Numbers 28:16–29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; and Proverb...

Mission Yearbook: New confession in the works ahead of this year’s General Assembly

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Mission Yearbook: New confession in the works ahea...: In 2022, the 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved an overture from the Presbytery of Arkansas calling for t...

On the Road from Jerusalem: A Study of Acts (The Big Time - Acts 18:1-28)

In our Wednesday morning Bible study, we're using the Acts of the Apostles to discuss the growth of the earlier church from its birth in the city of Jerusalem to Paul’s arrival in Rome. During our time together, we’ll look at the following:

• Session 1 - Preparing for the Journey (Acts 1:1-2)
• Session 2 - Transition (Acts 1:3-26)
• Session 3 - Birth (Acts 2:1-47)
• Session 4 - The Work Begins (Acts 3:1-26)
• Session 5 - When Faced with Opposition (Acts 4:1-37)
• Session 6 - But... (Acts 5:1-42)
• Session 7 - Problem Solved (Acts 6:1-15)
• Session 8 - When Something Bad Happens (Acts 7:1-60)
• Session 9 - Step Two (Acts 8:1-40)
• Session 10 - Saul (Acts 9:1-43)
• Session 11 - Clean People (Acts 10:1-48)
• Session 12 - Phase Three Begins (Acts 11:1-30)
• Session 13 - Even Above Kings (Acts 12:1-25)
• Session 14 - The New Kid Takes the Stage (Acts 13:1-52)
• Session 15 - Approaching a New Community (Acts 14:1-28)
• Session 16 - Issue Resolved (Acts 15:1-41)
• Session 17 -  A New World (Acts 16:1-40)
• Session 18 - Know Your Audience (Acts 17:1-34)
• Session 19 - The Big Time (Acts 18:1-28)
• Session 20 - Christ and Culture (Acts 19:1-41)
• Session 21 - Farewell (Acts 20:1-38)
• Session 22 - Jerusalem (Acts 21:1-40)
• Session 23 - A Personal Testimony (Acts 22:1-30)
• Session 24 - The Plot Thickens (Acts 23:1-35)
• Session 25 - The Way Continues (Acts 24:1-27)
• Session 26 - Different Singer, Same Song (Acts 25:1-27)
• Session 27 - A Message to God’s People (Acts 26:1-32)
• Session 28 - Will He Make It (Acts 27:1-44)
• Session 29 - Without Hindrance (Acts 28:1-31)

In our nineteenth session, we looked at Acts 18:1-28 and discussed Paul's mission to Corinth. The discussion and passage are below.

Acts 18:1-28 [New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition]

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila from Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. Every Sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the gentiles.” Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household, and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the law.” Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of crime or serious villainy, I would be justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews, but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I do not wish to be a judge of these matters.” And he dismissed them from the tribunal. Then all of them seized Sosthenes, the official of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal. But Gallio paid no attention to any of these things.

After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow. When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. When they asked him to stay longer, he declined, but on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you, if God wills.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there he departed and went from place to place through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos from Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord, and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately. And when he wished to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. On his arrival he greatly helped those who through grace had become believers, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Messiah is Jesus.