Canton United Methodist Church

Sunday Message: Long Cool Woman

Scripture: John 8:1-11

Series: Summer Setlist

Song: "Long Cool Woman" by The Hollies

The Pharisees and teachers of the law thought that they have caught Jesus in a trap as they brought a sinful woman in front of him and demanded a judgment. But Jesus had a bigger idea in mind and bigger vision for the woman's life. This moment of unwarranted grace and underserved rescue is a story we need to hear again and again.

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Sunday Message: You Will Be Found

Scripture: Luke 15:1-24

Series: Summer Setlist

Song: "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen

Jesus spent a great amount of time with the outcast, sick, hurting, and hopeless during his ministry on earth. This caused no shortage of frustration for the Pharisees and scribes. One day when they were grumbling, Jesus decided to respond with parables about lost things and people being found. His gospel speaks directly to your life and the life of Evan Hansen with this promise: you will be found. 

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Sunday Message: The Hymn of Promise (Featuring Eric Stearns)

Scripture: Revelation 21:1-7

Series: Summer Setlist

While Pastor Clay is in North Dakota at church camp, Eric Stearns stepped into the pulpit to share an important hymn to his family, The Hymn of Promise. The hymn is all about God's promises, namely the promises made in Revelation 21, the promises we are waiting for God to fulfill. What do we do while we wait? We sing and hold on to hope. 

 

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Cut for Time: Building the Kingdom is Hard.

Eric and Pastor Clay met up to talk about the new message series based on songs and specifically Pastor Clay's message about Luke 10 and "Build Your Kingdom Here" by Rend Collective. One of the things Pastor Clay eluded to was that the group in Seattle faced opposition to the kingdom-work they were doing, so tune in to hear more about that and what it means to knock the dust off our feet and keep doing the hard work of building the kingdom.

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Sunday Message: Build Your Kingdom Here

Scripture: Luke 10:1-9 (GNT)

Series: Summer Setlist

Have you ever a heard a song so many times it lost all meaning? That almost happened to Pastor Clay and the song "Build Your Kingdom Here" from Rend Collective. Thankfully it didn't because of the songs connection to scripture. In Luke 10, Jesus sends out seventy-two apostles to proclaim God's kingdom to areas that Jesus hadn't visited yet. That call, despite its difficulties, is a call we live out today. 

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Sunday Message: A Baker’s Dozen (featuring Pastor Jean Layton)

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 (GNT)

This week our United Women in Faith unit led worship featuring preaching from Pastor Jean Layton. Quick quiz: how many disciples are there? Did you say twelve? Not so fast, my friend. Pastor Jean helps us see that there are 13 disciples, a baker's dozen (She also gives us a little background on that phrase! Watch out for your hands). Who could that 13th disciple be? Listen in to find out. 

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Cut for Time: Embracing Holy Mystery

Sunday's message from Pastor Clay centered around the Trinity, so Eric and Pastor Clay dug into the hardships of talking about the Trinity and the vastness of God's nature. How can our finite minds grasp an Infinite God? The short answer is that we can't fully; we must embrace the Holy Mystery of God.

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Sunday Message: Worship, Doubt, and the Commission

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Trinity Sunday

 

Following the resurrection, Jesus invited his disciples to a meeting on a hillside in Galilee. As they approached Jesus, the disciples were a mix of emotions: worship and doubt. Into this mix, Jesus gives the disciples the Great Commission. On Trinity Sunday, when we might be experiencing something similar, we are reminded that we don't have to have everything figured out in order to live out the same commission. 

 

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Cut for Time: Two Roads Diverge

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell among the disciples and those gathered with them. What was going on? The Jewish believers and the disciples viewed it differently, so Simon Peter spoke up. This week, Eric and Pastor Clay explore the way the Spirit works, how we celebrate Pentecost, and dig into some of the nuts and bolts of preaching familiar stories.

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Sunday Message: Power Source

Scripture: Acts 2:1-21, GNT

As the crowds gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost, the Hebrew believers thought they knew why they were there. It was a festival to celebrate the giving of the law and really to celebrate the founding of their nation. They drew their energy from their national identity, but was something more happening? The disciples of Jesus found a new power source: the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost and beyond, that same Holy Spirit empowers us. 

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