We begin our new spring/summer sermon series in the concluding portion of Genesis. We'll recap the overall message of Genesis as we prepare this season to hear and grow from God's word through the story of Joseph.
This Sunday we welcome back Pastor Ron Bouthillette. Pastor Ron served for many years as Senior Pastor of The Bridge Community Church in Milford, New Hampshire. He is currently Associate Executive Minister of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts (TABCOM) and is a former member of Ruggles from back in the 1970s!
This Easter Sunday we consider how we see and experience the resurrected Jesus in his word.
How do you persevere amid the ups and downs in life? God's word consistently points us to his presence with us. Often we may ask God to be with us, but what does this really mean? And how does his presence practically help us? In Sunday's passage, we'll learn the significance of God's presence with us as we learn from the ups and downs of Isaac's life.
When was the last time you made a mistake and looked foolish? This passage shows the disciples doing just that, again! In this week's text, Jesus performs two extraordinary miracles. And yet, the miracles are almost an afterthought as Jesus focuses on training his still-weak and confused disciples. Through the disciples' mistakes, we'll see the dangers of our own discipleship so we can avoid too little faith and too much offense.
This last year has been an unexpected storm for all of us. When we're surprised by the circumstances in our lives, how can we survive--or even thrive? Matthew is the only Gospel writer to include Peter's attempt to walk on the stormy water with Jesus. So we'll explore how we might find faith not only to step out of the boat but to stay above the water as well.
Do you have family or friends who don't believe the gospel? I'm sure you do. Or perhaps you're seeking but struggling to believe the gospel yourself. Have you ever wondered, if the Good News is so "good" then why do so many people reject it? Why does it seem so hard to believe? Well we come to the teaching portion ("discourse") in Part 3 of the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus explains why so many people aren't seeing the "good" in his good news. From his famous parable of the soils, we'll hear Christ's defense of his message and see both the root and the fruit of true belief in him.
Wouldn't it be nice if God always gave us a clear sign when we asked? Then we would always know the right job to take, the right place to live, the right person to marry, and the perfect time to speak up. Yet in this week's passage, Jesus says asking for a sign is only a sign of unbelief, not belief. Through the continued opposition he endures in Matthew 12, Jesus will show us where we should look for faith, assurance, and wisdom.
