Glenmora United Methodist Church

It's easy to read scripture and feel full of the story of super people. When we step back, we all realize that the story of God is full of people who understand the power of a single yes. Find the Weekly Devotionals Here | https://bit.ly/3XONfgf

Paul and Barnabus' missionary journey is coming to a close, but not without causing quite the scene in a small town called Lystra. Paul heals someone, but in the healing confronts the story of how God works and has a showdown with angry Jewish people from the region. Find the weekly devotionals here | https://bit.ly/3xkOglz

When does Saul become Paul? That question has been in all of our minds these last few weeks in our Acts series. This week, we talk about the role obedience played in turning Saul into Paul as he grows into his role as an Apostle of Jesus. Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/4c33zOT

Have you ever heard the description of an "overnight success"? The best part about that phrase is what sometimes follows afterwards "yeah, but it was a long night." The Apostle Paul is a massive figurehead in Christianity, but it took him a bit to get there. In this message, we talk about the journey Paul had to take, why a friend was essential to this, and how we can learn from this part of his story. Find the weekly devotionals here | https://bit.ly/3XytDx1

Was Saul converted or did Saul change? It is easy for us to create a picture of the Apostle Paul as an incredibly cruel and evil character before the event on the Damascus road. But what if this isn't about dramatically changing belief, but instead course-correcting? Find the weekly devotions here. | https://bit.ly/3Vozx1U

What happens when perfection is shattered in the early church? This week we look at the story of Stephen, his ministry, martyrdom, and the growth of the church despite difficult circumstances. Find the weekly devotional here | https://bit.ly/3yonN6P

Those first few chapters of Acts make the early church seem perfect. But with anything, perfect is rarely perfect and never lasts forever. This week, we dive into the story in Acts that shatters any illusion of perfection and talk about how regardless of who we are and when we live, trust in God matters to those who chose to follow Jesus. Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/3JVPI06

Peter changes between the gospels and Acts. Why? Acts 4 tells a story showing the depth of this transition. It's all about who actually has power. Find this weeks devotions here | https://bit.ly/3wmlhgB

Have you ever been obsessed with something? In the last section of Acts 2, we find a fledging group of Christians obsessed with each other. But it isn't just about what they can do. Instead, it's a story of the power of God influencing us live fully in the kingdom. Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/4bffU1r

Have you ever felt the sting of confronting uncomfortable truths on your spiritual path? We confront the necessity for emotional maturity as we reconcile our imperfections with a loving call to repentance, and we grapple with the profound realization that there are no accidents in God's grand design. Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/3QcHKn3

How do we see beyond the Pentecost story as something that just happened one day? This week, we look at the story through the lens of having an internal experience with the Holy Spirit and how that spreads out to our larger world and those around us. Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/3TQptwE

How does Jesus comfort his disciples at the end of the 40 days he spent after resurrection? He challenges them to a time of transition; of waiting and praying. And that is exactly what we can do as followers of Jesus on the earth today. Find the weekly devotions here : https://bit.ly/4d11Cn5

Good Friday

On the first Easter morning, followers of Jesus came to his tomb to take part in a few traditional burial rites. What they found was outside of their experience and expectations. This Easter, we are going to talk at how the resurrection of Jesus shocks our systems. Find the weekly devotions here. | https://bit.ly/3xdmPtg

How are we looking for Jesus when we really need to experience Jesus? On this Palm Sunday, we think through Mark's telling of the entrance into Jerusalem. Find the weekly devotions here. | https://bit.ly/49aknAY

The way we think about God when things are at our lowest shows the truth of how we think about God. In our final sermon on creating a theology of suffering, we look into the whole book of Job and talk about the journey we see Job go though. Get the weekly devotional | https://bit.ly/3wWcUIH

How can Christians find hope through death? This Sunday, Chad unpacks the idea of what eternity is and isn't, and how we realize a story of eternity that ISN'T focused on ourselves is much more powerful. Find the weekly devotions here. | https://bit.ly/4ckuy9c

As we approach the Easter season, it's time we turn our hearts to a conversation that's rarely held around dinner tables or pews: the Christian understanding of suffering. When life's storms hit, many seek shelter, but where does a believer find true refuge? Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/48yIM3b

Why does our liturgy and work matter? This Sunday, Chad unpacks some of the parts of worship we choose to repeat each Sunday. Our worship helps keep us from expressive individualism, and instead grounds us in the work of the people of God across all time. Find the devotional for this week here : https://bit.ly/3OVAhrW

Have you ever stood at the crossroads of doubt and faith, feeling the pull of a world that offers endless alternatives to belief? What does it mean for us to have the character of God as our starting point? We talk about how God is unique and individual. Because he is big enough, we are able to find our strengths inside of our weakness Find the weekly devotions here. | https://bit.ly/3uus0nG

How does Christianity Unity work? This week, we go to Paul's leter to the Ephesians and talk about how unity begins in the love of God for us personally, works in grace, and celebrates diversity. Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/42rmqz2

What happens when we read a not-so-fun part of scripture? Well, we learn how normal people experience grace. Understanding how we can each practice idolatry and contempt of the law of God is part of follow the Lord. The good news is Jesus is always offering grace and asks us to simply be sincere. You can find the weekly devotionals here | https://bit.ly/3U9uOBk

Speak Lord, for your servant is listening. Powerful words of availability and response. This Sunday, we start a 2-week series on the call of Samuel and how we can realize our own life sets the stage for a life with God. We invoke a collective prayer for clarity, patience, and support in our mutual endeavor to discern and follow God's will, embodying Samuel's readiness with the phrase, "Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. Find the weekly devotions here | https://bit.ly/3HlhUbu

Why did Jesus have to be baptized? Because he always goes first. This week, we think about the mechanics of salvation and how repentance plus confessions helps us understand how salvation works. As we prepare for Communion Sunday, we also contemplate the empathy and grace of Jesus as our high priest, and how our confessions contribute to our faith community and align us with God's mission. Weekly Devotions | https://bit.ly/3RQV9B1

Ever misplaced something small yet essential, like your keys, and felt your whole day unravel? That's where our journey begins, as we explore the hidden weight of minor details in our lives and their unexpected connections to monumental truths. We share a touching personal story that leads us into a reflection on a pivotal moment where Mary and Joseph's routine act of presenting Jesus at the temple collides with destiny. Simeon, a man of devout faith, recognizes the infant Jesus as the Messiah, and his prophecy unveils the transformative power lurking within the ordinary. Get the weekly devotionals here | https://bit.ly/3S1hmOf

What do we do when we encounter the truth? This Christmas Eve we look to the story of the Shepherds and what it means to respond to Jesus being in our world.

Get ready to uncover the fascinating narrative of the wise men, or Magi, in the Christmas story. Listen in as we trace their ancient roots as priests, scientists, and magi from modern-day Syria, Iran, and Iraq, and their powerful influence as interpreters of dreams and king makers. These figures, seen as outsiders and enemies by the Jewish ruling class, cross paths with the paranoid King Herod, a figure known for his architectural grandeur, immense wealth, and support for Caesar's armies. We explore the interplay of these figures against the backdrop of the birth of Jesus, stirring us to ponder how we seek to experience the living Christ during Advent. Find this week's devotions here | https://bit.ly/3Nxpa7E

Have you ever thought something was impossible? Even spiritually, we sometimes can think of exemptions to why God can't do anything in our life. And Mary, the mother of Jesus, wasn't exempt from this either. But Gabriel, an angel and messenger of the LORD told Mary that nothing is impossible for God. Find the weekly devotional here. https://bit.ly/41gkDMx

Join us as we dig into the Characters of Christmas, focusing on Zechariah and Elizabeth. We'll unpack Zechariah's unique encounter with the angel Gabriel in the temple, the anticipation of answered prayers, and the fears that arise when faced with the glory of God. Listen in as we delve into Advent, a season that allows us to reorient our hearts towards the coming of Christ, reminding us of Jesus' imminent return. Find the weekly devotions here. | https://bit.ly/4166rFQ

Belief > Death What if the story of Lazarus wasn't just an ancient miracle, but a promise of personal transformation for us today? Join us as we wrap up our seven-part series and step into the profound narrative of Lazarus, a narrative that highlights Jesus's divine glory and throws light on our own human vulnerabilities. This episode takes you on a journey that spots the spotlight on the pivotal interactions between Jesus, Mary, Martha, and the disciples, bringing to the fore the transformative power of belief and the path to divine redemption.

Healed and Whole. This week our sermon tells the story of the blind man in John's Gospel who was healed by Jesus, emphasizing the transformative power of Jesus and how this story relates to the concepts of sin, healing, and transformation in our lives. Daily Devotions | https://bit.ly/47kJcdE

What do we do when our problems seem to overwhelm us? Listen in as we read from John 6:16-21, a passage that presents Jesus walking on the sea and inciting fear among the disciples. We draw parallels with light and dark, belief, and biblical motifs, to unveil the greater narrative hidden within the story. Ponder with us: how do we perceive Jesus when situations spiral beyond our control? Find this week's devotions here: https://bit.ly/3QWPn1Q

Jesus challenges a disciple in a moment of belief making. In the only miracle we find in all 4 gospels, we find a personal exchange that challenges us to understand are we living in a limited world of "I don't have enough". Find the weekly devotionals | https://bit.ly/3QMFcwK

What happens when Jesus encounters a man lame for 38 years? This passage is full of belief, in all of its complexities. This Sunday we explore what it might be like to realize redemption is all around us, but fail to actually see it. Find the weekly devotional here | https://bit.ly/3tPPKC6

Does belief happen once, or is belief always expanding? Today we look at the 2nd sign of Jesus and explore how belief is a journey towards trusting. Find the weekly devotional here | https://bit.ly/491XhxL

What role does belief play in our lives? In many ways, belief is about meeting expectations. The only problem is expectations aren't always trustworthy. This week, we start a series on the 7 Signs of Jesus in the gospel of John by talking about belief and expectation.

Listen in as we explore the comforting lessons of Psalm 16 and what it truly means to have confidence in God, regardless of circumstances. We journey verse by verse through this beautiful Psalm, illuminating its guidance on latching onto the future that has been promised to us and pulling that future into our present. Find the Daily Devotions for this sermon | https://bit.ly/3Q85BVa

Join us as we dive into the spiritual wisdom of Psalms and explore the power of divine refuge. This sermon sheds light on how lamenting can deepen our connection with God, the significance of seeking refuge in times of turmoil, and the incredible strength and protection found in trusting the divine. We also examine the profound symbols of fortresses, redemption, and strength in our relationship with God. Don't miss this heartfelt invitation to experience God's abundant grace and love. Find the Daily Devotions for this sermon | https://bit.ly/3ZA6w45

Join us as we complete our study on the book of James, drawing fresh insights from this profound book and exploring the power and practicality of prayer. We unpack James 5:13-18, reflecting on how prayer can aid us in times of suffering, celebration, and sickness. Listen in as we highlight that there is nothing more powerful than prayer and discuss how prayer can help us cope with both external and internal pressures.

This week, James cuts deep into the Christian virtues of patience and endurance, highlighting their transformative power in finding strength amid suffering. He explores the Old Testament's wisdom, emphasizing the early church's steadfast patience as their cornerstone in challenging times. The sermon also underscores the comforting aspect of suffering, its ability to foster courage, and the spiritual nourishment it provides. James elucidates Jesus's words from Matthew 11, offering a refreshing perspective on approaching suffering, leaning on insights from Tim Keller and Dane Ortland. Listen in and discover how to lean on Jesus in life's most testing phases, cultivating an unshakeable spirit and strength in the face of adversity. Find daily devotions for this sermon | https://bit.ly/3RntHw6.

This week, we delve into the world of judgment and its consequences, and the liberating power of mercy. We reflect on the paradox of God as both judge and law-giver, capable of both salvation and destruction, while also exploring the damaging effects of judgment on our relationships and self-perception. We highlight how judgment can often be a mask for our fears and insecurities, presenting itself as pride. Join us on a transformative journey from judging to understanding God's mercy, seeking the healing power of Jesus Christ, and experiencing the fullness of His grace. Find daily devotions for this sermon here.

In this sermon, we talk about how our personal desires and cravings can influence our lives and relationships, as viewed from a biblical perspective. We reflect on our personal faith journeys and explore the importance of daily commitment to Jesus, suggesting that a single conversion isn't the end but rather the starting point. Lastly, we look at the teachings of Jesus and AW Tozer on discipleship, highlighting the importance of drawing near to God for personal transformation.