Roswell Presbyterian Church

Episode 29: Teach Us to Pray: "The Reciprocity of Prayer" (Matthew 6:9-13)

15 September 2019  |  Season 6  |  23 mins 47 secs

Today, we continue our study of The Lord’s Prayer by looking at the prayer’s fifth petition which has to do with forgiveness. Practicing forgiveness can be one of the most challenging activities of the Christian life. Do you find it difficult to forgive? Do you ever find yourself trapped in a prison of bitterness and resentment? Do you hold onto past wrongs long after you should have let them go? Surely all of us could answer yes to these questions at some point in our life.

As he teaches us to pray, Jesus invites us to step into the freedom that only comes through forgiveness. In our sermon, we will explore why Jesus asks us to pray in this way, how we can forgive even the most difficult wrongs done to us, and then we will discover the difference forgiveness makes in our lives. I hope you will join me in courageously stepping into the freedom that comes only through forgiveness!

Episode 28: Teach Us to Pray: "Sweat the Small Stuff" (Matthew 6:9-13)

8 September 2019  |  Season 6  |  15 mins 11 secs

When Jesus introduces “The Lord’s Prayer” to his disciples, he actually tells them to “pray to your Father who is in secret.” So how is it that this private, secretive prayer became so public? Maybe our first hint is in the way Jesus lays out the phrases: “Our Father..., give us..., forgive us..., lead us..., deliver us...” Establishing this model prayer with words that bring us together was a brilliant move on Jesus’ part!

As we celebrate “The Lord’s Supper,” it is our custom to say to one another when passing the bread, “the body of Christ.” Hearing that before we eat the bread is a personal reminder of Jesus’ physical sacrifice for us. It is also a good opportunity to look beyond ourselves and remember that “the body of Christ” is present in the world today through you and me, the community of faith.

It has been a true honor to serve this community of faith, the Roswell Presbyterian Church, for the past eight years as one of your pastors. I am forever changed because of seeing God work in and through you both locally and globally. I believe with all of my heart that the best is yet to come for this body of Christ!

Episode 24: Teach Us to Pray: "Does Prayer Make a Difference?" (Matthew 6:9-13; Romans 8:14-17)

18 August 2019  |  Season 6  |  18 mins 24 secs

Today we kick off our program year with new Sunday School classes, new Wednesday Evening Fellowship programming, and the return of the choir (thank heavens!), along with so many other opportunities to join God’s ministry here at RPC. I hope you will take some time to look over this bulletin to discern how God is calling you to get involved.
One of the most common areas of the Christian life that people ask pastors about involves the practice of prayer. Why pray if God already knows what God is going to do? What should I pray for? Should I change when I pray? This list of questions goes on and on. I hope today’s sermon will help you better understand the nature of prayer and help you be more attentive to God’s presence in your life.

Episode 23: Follow Me @: "King" (John 18:28-38a)

4 August 2019  |  Season 5  |  25 mins 40 secs

Good morning! Today we conclude our sermon series, Follow Me. We have journeyed through the Gospel of John and focused on the various "I am" statements that Jesus makes to describe himself. The interesting thing about our passage this morning is that while Jesus makes very clear that he is the king, it is not one of the "I am" statements. Jesus does not directly say "I am the King."

Also in our passage this morning, Jesus explains that he is not king in the way we typically think of a king. He continues to insist that his kingdom is not of this world. What does Jesus mean by that anyway? And why wouldn't Jesus just come out and call himself king?

We will think through those things this morning as we study God's Word together!

Episode 22: Follow Me @: "TheTrueVine" (John 15:1-11)

28 July 2019  |  Season 5  |  21 mins 26 secs

In today’s sermon, we will look at what it means to “abide in Christ.” If you’re anything like me, you often feel Christ’s love and peace crowded out by the cares and concerns of life. However, Jesus promises us that abiding in him will lead to making our joy complete. What does that mean? How can we experience that kind of joy? I look forward to addressing these questions with you today!

Episode 21: Follow Me @: "TheResurrectionAndTheLife (John 11:1-45)

21 July 2019  |  Season 5  |  24 mins 2 secs

An obituary notice headline named a prominent attorney who had died, and declared “FuneralArrangements Pending.” The article shared many of the accomplishments of this apparently brilliant attorney. It noted his extensive educational background, decorated military service, his community service, membership in numerous service organizations, and listed his surviving family members. The obituary closed by informing friends where to direct memorial contributions. It was truly a fitting tribute to a prominent community leader.

There was only one thing wrong. He was not dead. Somehow, some way, the newspaper had received erroneous information. Now, of course, this proved to be very embarrassing for the paper and very painful for family members, even though I understand there was a retraction printed the following day. But as I have considered this over the past several weeks while thinking about this sermon, two aspects of the story immediately came to mind.
(1) The statement of Mark Twain that the news of his death was greatly exaggerated, and
(2) The reality and truth of at least part of that obituary notice.
In reality, all of our funeral arrangements “are pending.” Today’s Biblical passage deals with this subject in the life of Jesus as we continue our Summer Sermon Series, ”Follow me,” and look at Jesus’ words, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

Episode 20: Follow Me @: "FromAbove" (John 8:21-30)

14 July 2019  |  Season 5  |  21 mins 44 secs

“Where are you from?” – It’s not an uncommon question, even if you are just trying to make small talk or are actually curious to know the background of a person. It seems simple enough, but Jesus’ answer to the question is not so simple.

In our scripture today, Jesus tries to tell a group of people where he is from, but they have a hard time understanding his answer. In fact, his explanation just leads to another, more pointed question, “Who are you?” If we look closely, we will see that when Jesus says that he is “from above” it also tells much about who he is.

I’m glad you are part of the Roswell Presbyterian Church faith family and have joined us on this quest to know and follow Jesus, today and forevermore.

Episode 17: Follow Me @: "TheGate" (John 10:1-10)

23 June 2019  |  Season 5  |  24 mins 48 secs

We are only a few weeks into this summer, and already this abundant life in Christ is happening here and now. Through our camps, Bible studies, and VBS, it is so clear that God is at work in mighty ways through this church. It is my prayer that through our worship today, we would
experience the transforming love and abundant life God offers as we worship together.

Episode 16: Follow Me @: "IAmtheLightoftheWorld" (John 8:12-20)

16 June 2019  |  Season 5  |  19 mins 55 secs

In worship today we will continue our sermon series examining the various “I Am” statements that Jesus made in the Gospel of John. Today we will look at “I am the light of the world.” What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world and how does that call us to be at work in our context and in relationship with others around us? How are we called to be light?

Episode 15: 2nd Mile: "Sacrificing" (Daniel 3)

12 May 2019  |  Season 4  |  21 mins

What a great start we had last week to our 2nd Mile for Mission Kick-off! Our guest speaker for the day, Shawn Duncan, shared many insights that will move RPC forward in healthier mission outreach, especially now, as we bring our gifts together to support our local and global mission partners. If you missed any of his presentations, go to https://www.roswellpres.org/serve.

Today, we will make connections with the message from a well-known Bible story and current situations of people we know through our mission partnerships. As we see in the ancient story and in today’s world, God is faithful to help us all go through “fiery” ordeals. Still, we have a responsibility to be ready to face challenges and join with our neighbors so all will experience life and peace.

Episode 14: 2nd Mile: "Sending" (Luke 10:1-9)

5 May 2019  |  Season 4  |  17 mins 46 secs

Every year at RPC we highlight two seasons to focus on what we can contribute – both financially and through service – to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Today, we kick off one of those seasons called 2nd Mile for Mission. During this season, we will invite you to commit to give to our mission budget that supports our local and global mission partners. We hope to have 100% of the congregation participate!

This grand goal highlights a core aspect of RPC’s identity, namely, that we exist not just for ourselves, but also for others. This is central to who we are because this is the same message that Jesus preached and the life he lived. I pray that you will join me in contributing to 2nd Mile for Mission as we follow Jesus in serving others!

Episode 13: "The Great Commission" (Matthew 28:16-20)

28 April 2019  |  Season 3  |  17 mins 59 secs

Today, after 11 years of remarkable leadership, Bruce Graham will lead the choir for his last Sunday as RPC’s Director of Music. He leaves a great legacy of worshipful musical excellence. Please join me in thanking Bruce for his service to Christ and his church. Thank you, Bruce!

Episode 12: The Outsiders: "The First Witnesses" (Matthew 28:1-10)

21 April 2019  |  Season 2  |  19 mins 53 secs

Today we celebrate the fact that over 2000 years ago God intervened in human history to let us know that evil and death do not have the final word on any of our lives. In Jesus Christ, we hear the good news that he has been resurrected from the dead and has made God’s life-giving grace available to each of us.

This news was just as surprising to the first-hand witnesses as it is to us. And because those witnesses couldn’t stop themselves from sharing it, now the Easter story can transform our lives. I look forward to sharing in the joy and celebration of Easter with you today!

Episode 11: The Outsiders: "You Can Be Right and Still Wrong" (Matthew 21:1-11)

14 April 2019  |  Season 2  |  19 mins 5 secs

Today is Palm Sunday, the first day of the most important week of the Christian year. Over the next seven days, we will take the long journey from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to his last meal with his disciples, to his crucifixion, and finally to his triumph over death itself. I look forward to walking this path with you.

Episode 10: The Outsiders: "The Wideness of God's Mercy" (Matthew 15:21-28)

7 April 2019  |  Season 2  |  24 mins 39 secs

In our passage, it appears that Jesus chooses not to acknowledge someone in need. Can that really be true? Do we have a Savior that ignores people who cry out to him? I wonder if, like the woman in the Matthew passage, each of us has had a time in our lives when we are certain that God was choosing to ignore us instead of choosing to help us. If that is the case, what does that mean for us and what does it say about God? How wide is God’s mercy? Is there room for everyone?

Episode 9: The Outsiders: "An Open Secret" (Matthew 11:2-6)

31 March 2019  |  Season 2  |  21 mins 19 secs

In our everyday lives, where do we see people following the teachings of Jesus? Maybe we observe these interactions at work, or while running errands, or at social events, or other activities.

In our passage today, Jesus tells John the Baptist’s disciples, “Go and tell John what you hear and see:...” These words are followed by mentions of healings and compassion for the people of God. Jesus tells them that his ministry is to those outside the perimeters of society, to those people who need kindness, acceptance and healing. It is not a secret. It’s right there in front of them if they would just pay attention. These teachings have been passed down through generations and are now passed to us. It is our responsibility to pass them on to future generations.

In our busy lives, do we take the time to notice others carrying out the teachings of Jesus? Can we slow down enough to watch for these moments? Do we show kindness and Christ’s love to others we encounter each day? Opportunities are anywhere, at any time, and can be as simple as a smile, a kind word, a quick phone call or email, or even a compliment. As we go about our lives this week, let’s look for others who are following Christ’s teachings. And may others also observe us sharing the kindness and love of Christ in our interactions with God’s people.