Roswell Presbyterian Church

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.

Episode 8: The Outsiders: “There’s More Than One Way to Say ‘Help’” (Matthew 9:18-26)

24 March 2019  |  Season 2  |  23 mins 33 secs

In this morning’s passage, we will read stories of two people in desperate need. While they take different approached to seek help from Jesus, both receive the healing they seek. Their examples have much to teach us about seeking help for ourselves and our ministries in serving others. I look forward to exploring what their lives might teach us!

Episode 7: The Outsiders: “The Outsider’s Outsider” (Matthew 9:9-13)

17 March 2019  |  Season 2  |  25 mins 22 secs

In our sermon, we will continue our journey through Lent as Jesus encounters “outsiders.” In today’s passage, we see Jesus take grief from the religious leaders for eating with tax collectors and sinners, the “outsiders” of the first century Jewish community. Jesus responds to these objections by telling the leaders that they should learn the meaning of Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” This is a provocative, grace-filled claim that can unsettle us as much as it unsettled the Jewish religious leaders. But if you’ve ever felt like an outsider, you know how good grace can make you feel. I hope we all experience the grace of Jesus Christ today!

Episode 6: The Outsiders: “Broken/Forgiven” (Matthew 9:2-8)

10 March 2019  |  Season 2  |  21 mins 5 secs

Today marks the first Sunday during the season of Lent. We experienced the imposition of ashes together this past Wednesday, and today we embark upon what for most of us is a familiar, yet ever so difficult journey toward the cross. In in, we are called to acknowledge and confront our own sin and mortality. We trust in God’s authority and victory over sin in Jesus Christ.

Though our worship, our Community Groups, our Bible studies, and our individual reflections, we have the opportunity to remember, reflect, and be renewed toward our own acceptance of God’s forgiveness. Today, we look at a familiar story, and are faced again with God’s amazing answer to the human condition we call sin.

Episode 5: The Last Lecture: “Built to Last” (Matthew 7:24-29)

3 March 2019  |  Season 1  |  20 mins 25 secs

Today we conclude The Last Lecture sermon series by looking at the closing words of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Every good speech should wrap up with a strong finish and Jesus doesn’t disappoint. His sermon closes with a summarizing statement about the difference his words can make in our lives – we would do well to listen and obey them!