Tuesday, August 29, 2017

sermon, Where Hope Resides, by Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, Patten, ME, August 20, 2017



August 20, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series: This Living Hope
 (Adapted from Marcia McPhee’s
A Future With Hope”)
“Residing with Hope”
Psalm 133
Luke 3:10-14
1 Corinthians 7:20-24


Where Hope Resides…

The Lord be with you…let us pray… (prayer for the Spirit’s indwelling as bring God’s words of hope this morning…)

Please stand for the reading of the Gospel according to St. Mark, chapter 4, verses 1-8. Listen to the love sonnet of God for the people of God…This the perfect scripture when we talk about planting and growing a Living Hope.

As Pastor Roy bent his head and began to pray… “Father God, watch over that young lady. She is right there on the edge of accepting Your Son. Please bring her back again so that I, no we as a church, can help her in her search for You. Amen”” something made the you girl stop in her tracks and turn around. “What did you just pray” she asked. “Well, I prayed for you to find where life begins…asking Jesus into your life. I prayed you would come back and let our church help you find God” Pastor Roy explained. “Why…why would you do that? Why would you pray for someone you don’t even know?” she asked.

 “Oh I know you…I have been you…that’s before I gave my life to Jesus and His ways.” Pastor Roy explained through tearful eyes. “I know too well the road you are walking. That’s why I want to help ease your pain and help you find the Healer of all who are in pain, broken and rejected by the world.” “That’s a nice thought. If only that were true” the young girl replied over her shoulder as she continued to walk through the door.

“Jesus loves you and there is nothing you can do or say about it. It just is whether you want to believe it or not. And He is waiting for you to come hope and find a place at the table of hope.” Pastor Roy said hoping that she would turn back around. “You can’t love the un-lovable. Even if their name is Hope.” “Well, when you decide to come back, I will be right here waiting.” Pastor Roy said as she walked out the door. “That’s what they all say” She shouted over her shoulder.

Pastor Roy began to pray, “God, now I know why I am here at this moment in time. I am here to bring hope to Hope and many others. Forgive me for not realizing that before and not truly blooming where you have sent me. I know how I have asked to be moved from this place and have been resentful when You have said no. Forgive me. Help me to grow where I am planted so that others will be blessed in the blooming. Please bring this young woman back so that I can get it right this time. Amen.”

Good morning church! What gives you hope? We live in a world that seems so hopeless but what gives you hope? Hope doesn’t happen overnight and it is a process. And once we have this living hope in us it is as if a light is turned on in our lives, a bright light. But the question is…how do we hold on to this hope we have?

So the process of Hope, it is germinated in our lives. Hope is like a seed it begins to germinate and grow. It begins to sprout and take root. Then it needs to be planted. If hope is not planted, there is no grounding…no growth. It is shallow and when trials of life some scorching in it is dried up and withers…

We have talked about the fact that the only way to withstand the pressures of life our hope has root itself in good soil where it receives water…Living Water. When our hope is grounded in the good soil of God’s Word and in our Hearts, we are filled with Joy, Love, and Faith. It is in the tilling of the soil that the seeds of love and hope begin to grow and sprout new hope within us and within those who God calls us to plant within.

Now we know that as this seed grows we can’t just walk away and leave it unattended…as you wouldn’t do that to your vegetable garden. We need to take care of and nourish our gardens as well as our hope. God causes it to grow in both scenarios…but we need to do our part as well…

So, our hope begins to grow within our lives. In fact, we can even share our hope with others…remember the seeds in the good soil that produce up to even 100-fold…? And so, all of the sudden, we feel we want to move on. We have done what we feel needed to be done. We may even want to move on because of a painful…fill in the blank. We may be going through a fire and feel we are done… But…but…God says, not just yet…you need to stay put where you are.
In the Luke scripture, the people were asking what they needed to do to change their lives and do what was right. We may say, “ok God…I am done here there is nothing more for me to do. But God says no…you can still do a lot where I have planted you…” Every little thing we may do for others makes a difference. No matter where we are planted, if we bloom with God’s love and hope, we are doing something vital in and for the kingdom of God.

When the Israelites were exiled in Babylon, they longed to leave that place. But listen to the words God spoke through the prophet Jerimiah from chapter 29 verses 4-7:
This is the Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, Israel’s God, to all the exiles I’ve taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:
“Build houses and make yourselves at home.
“Put in gardens and eat what grows in that country.
“Marry and have children. Encourage your children to marry and have children so that you’ll thrive in that country and not waste away.
“Make yourselves at home there and work for the country’s welfare.
“Pray for Babylon’s well-being. If things go well for Babylon, things will go well for you.”
They were to bloom where they were. They were there to make a difference in others’ lives. They were wo take up residence and give hope…share hope with others…not just within their own people but within the lives of the people in the surrounding area. We have been planted here for a reason and we too are to bloom where we are. Never mind the world around us…it doesn’t matter… We are to bloom where we are not only for the sake of our community but for the kingdom of God. Who knows what will happen if others see and feel the hope we are sharing…

I Love how Marcia McPhee sees the world around us. I agree with her when she states:
“Even though we sometimes feel we are not yet where we want to be, God invites us to reside fully and bloom “where we are planted.” Even in the context of exile in Jeremiah’s day, God invites the people to plant, nurture, and tend gardens of hope. God pitches God’s tent wherever we
are, and made in the image of God, we are called to pitch our tents with and among those less fortunate than we.”
As we bloom where we are, we make a difference in our little piece of the world. We need to stay put and stop jumping from place to place. God plants us where we are for a reason. We may not understand it all but it is part of Gods grand design…

I want to leave you with a piece pf scripture found in 1 Corinthians 7:20-24. It’s all about being the light…being the hope where you are, no matter what the world does or believes…
20-22 Stay where you were when God called your name. Were you a slave? Slavery is no roadblock to obeying and believing. I don’t mean you’re stuck and can’t leave. If you have a chance at freedom, go ahead and take it. I’m simply trying to point out that under your new Master you’re going to experience a marvelous freedom you would never have dreamed of. On the other hand, if you were free when Christ called you, you’ll experience a delightful “enslavement to God” you would never have dreamed of.
23-24 All of you, slave and free both, were once held hostage in a sinful society. Then a huge sum was paid out for your ransom. So please don’t, out of old habit, slip back into being or doing what everyone else tells you. Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side.

 Beloved, stay, bloom, grow…hope is found in God and God is looking for the Hopes of the world. God is where we are placed, even in the times when we don’t perceive Him there… This is a hope we stake our lives on…
There is hope to be found by you and I. Where there is hope…there is possibilities…

Amen!



edited August 29, 2017
our hope cannot stay hidden – v2
August 29, 2017
our hope cannot stay hidden
August 29, 2017
we are called to witness – 2
August 29, 2017
we each are the witness
edited August 29, 2017
only Christ can redeem us – v2
August 29, 2017
only Christ can redeem us
August 28, 2017
none of us are worthy - 2
August 28, 2017
he told her about Jesus
August 27, 2017
he shared his faith
August 27, 2017
offering her hope
August 27, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series: This Living Hope
 (Adapted from Marcia McPhee’s
A Future With Hope”)
“Bearing Hope”
Psalm 138
John 15:1-8 GNT
Philippians 1:9-11 GNT
and sermon, “Hope Bearer…”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
August 27, 2017
&
August 20, 2017
Help me go grow
August 20, 2017
before I gave my life to Christ
edited August 20, 2017
August 20, 2017
I have been you
August 20, 2017
whatever your station
August 20, 2017
slave or free
August 20, 2017
grow there
August 20, 2017
give to them willingly
August 20, 2017
show them compassion
August 20, 2017
offer mercy, grace
August 20, 2017
do not resist them
August 20, 2017
strip them of power
August 20, 2017
may hope find a home
edited August 20, 2017
may hope abide – v2
August 20, 2017
may hope abide
August 20, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series: This Living Hope
 (Adapted from Marcia McPhee’s
A Future With Hope”)
“Residing with Hope”
Psalm 133
Luke 3:10-14
1 Corinthians 7:20-24
Jeremiah 29:4-7
and sermon, “Where Hope Resides”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
August 20, 2017
&
August 19, 2017
nurturing hope
edited/ new name August 19, 2017
if the seedling isn’t planted
August 19, 2017
if the seed isn’t planted
August 19, 2017
It is hard to believe
August 19, 2017
Hope begins to sprout and root
edited August 19, 2017
Hope germinates and grows – v2
August 19, 2017
Hope germinates and grows – v1
August 19, 2017
hope is like a seed
August 19, 2017
a flickering of something
edited August 19, 2017
a kernel of hope – v3
edited August 19, 2017
a kernel of hope – v2 (2)
August 19, 2017
a kernel of hope (2)
August 19, 2017
seeds of hope within us
August 13, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series: This Living Hope
(Adapted from Marcia McPhee’s
A Future With Hope”)
week 4 - “This Living Hope”
Psalm 105:1-6
Mark 4:1-8 NIV
Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV
John 4:13-14
Zephaniah 3:17
Romans 12:12
Romans 15:4
and sermon, “Nurturing Planted Hope”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
August 13, 2017
&
August 10, 2017
our roots are anchored in Christ
August 10, 2017
we are grounded in Christ
August 10, 2017
our hope is grounded
edited August 6, 2017
we must accept the seed – v3
edited August 6, 2017
we must accept the seed – v2
August 6, 2017
we must accept the seed
edited August 6, 2017
for hope to grow – v2
August 6, 2017
for hope to grow
edited August 6, 2017
Hope is planted – v2
August 6, 2017
Hope is planted
August 6, 2017
the roots going deep
new name/ edited August 6, 2017
the seedlings planted
(editing “the young plants planted”)
August 6, 2017
let your roots grow down
August 6, 2017
cultivate the hope inside
August 6, 2017
plant the seeds of grace
August 6, 2017
plant the seeds of love
August 6, 2017
get them in the ground
edited August 6, 2017
germinated seeds – v2
August 6, 2017
germinated seeds
August 6, 2017
the seed growing
August 6, 2017
living in hope
August 6, 2017
may our hearts be open
edited August 6, 2017
that we might understand – v4
August 6, 2017
the young plants planted
August 6, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series: This Living Hope
(Adapted from Marcia McPhee’s
A Future With Hope”)
week 3 - “Planting Seeds of Hope”
Mark 4:1-8
Parable of the Sower
Psalm 145:7-8; 14-21
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT
Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV
Colossians 2:6-8 NLT
Sermon, “Planting Seeds of Hope”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
August 6, 2017
&
August 2, 2017
hidden in our flesh
August 2, 2017
growing in our soil
edited/ new name August 2, 2017
growing in the good soil
August 2, 2017
growing in the ground
August 2, 2017
hidden in the ground
edited August 2, 2017
After the planting – v2
August 1, 2017
We must water and feed
August 1, 2017
Like seeds, like yeast
August 1, 2017
that we might understand – v3
August 1, 2017
we must understand
August 1, 2017
not in riddles but parables
edited July 31, 2017
that we might understand – v2
July 31, 2017
that we might understand
July 31, 2017
we must hear God’s word
edited July 31, 2017
we are seeking, searching – v2
July 31, 2017
We are seeking, searching
July 31, 2017
We have the seed planted
merged July 31, 2017
Before the planting – v2
July 31, 2017
After the planting
July 31, 2017
Before the planting
July 30, 2017
We want to be the good soil
July 30, 2017
we need that hope to work within us
edited July 30, 2017
we must embrace the seeds – v2
July 30, 2017
we must trust in God
edited July 30, 2017
a little more hope – v3
(editing original again)
edited July 30, 2017
we must embrace the seeds
edited July 30, 2017
embrace the seeds
July 30, 2017
embrace the seed
July 30, 2017
hope is alive within us
July 30, 2017
hope planted within us
&
July 29, 2017
we are the soil – v2
July 29, 2017
do we nurture the seed – v2
July 16, 2017
do we nurture the seed
edited July 16, 2017
do we care for the message – v2
July 16, 2017
do we care for the message
July 16, 2017
do we welcome the seed
July 16, 2017
are we the soil
July 16, 2017
we hold the seed
July 16, 2017
we are the sower
July 15, 2017
we are the soil
edited July 15, 2017
held by the thorns – v2
July 15, 2017
held by the thorns
July 15, 2017
choked by the briars
Matthew 13:18-23
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
The Upper Room Disciplines for 2017
“The Promise and Work of God’s Word”
July 10, 2017 to July 16, 2017
by John Adcox
devotion for July 15, 2017
read July 15, 2017
&
edited July 29, 2017
a miracle in the seed – v2
July 29, 2017
searching, seeking - 2
July 29, 2017
a miracle in the seed
edited July 29, 2017
seeking treasure – v2
edited July 29, 2017
Finding Treasure – v2
merged/edited July 29, 2017
Seeking treasure, Finding treasure
July 29, 2017
seeking treasure
July 29, 2017
Finding Treasure
Matthew 13:44-52
The Upper Room Disciplines for 2017
“Treasures from God”
July 24, 2017 to July 30, 2017
by Chris Folmsbee
devotion for July 29, 2017
read July 29, 2017
&
July 28, 2017
tiny acts of love
edited July 28, 2017
out of God’s great love – v2
July 28, 2017
the kingdom of God growing
Matthew 13:31-33
The Parables of the Mustard Seed
the Parable of the Yeast
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
The Upper Room Disciplines for 2017
“Treasures from God”
July 24, 2017 to July 30, 2017
by Chris Folmsbee
devotion for July 27, 2017
read July 28, 2017
&
edited July 27, 2017
Germinating Seeds of Hope – v2
July 27, 2017
Germinating Seeds of Hope
July 30, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series: This Living Hope
(Adapted from Marcia McPhee’s
“A Future With Hope”)
week 2 - “This Living Hope”
opening prayer
video
Psalm 128
Matthew 13:1-9
Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13:18-24
Christ explaining the Parable of the Sower
Psalm 139:13-16
Matthew 13:31-33
Parable of the Mustard Seed
Parable of the Yeast
prayer before sermon
and Sermon, “Germinating Seeds of Hope”
text:
video:
by Raymond A. Foss
Children’s Message
by Raymond A. Foss
closing prayer
video
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
July 30, 2017
&
edited July 26, 2017
a little more hope – v2
July 26, 2017
a little more hope
July 26, 2017
we are imprisoned by our fears
edited/ new name July 24, 2017
we are strangled by anxiety
July 24, 2017
immobilized by fear
July 24, 2017
freed by hope
July 23, 2017
Hope is Trust
July 23, 2017
why are we so anxious
July 23, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series: This Living Hope
(Adapted from Marcia McPhee’s
“A Future With Hope”)
week 1 - “This Living Hope”
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
Jeremiah 29:11-14 Amplified Bible
Romans 5:1-5 Amplified Bible
John 3:16-17 Amplified Bible
and Sermon, “This Living Hope”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
July 23, 2017

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 44,830 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Christ, Spirit, God, Faith, love, grace, hope, prayer, Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, Luke 3, Psalm 138, John 12, Philippians 1, poem, seed, home,

#Christ #God #Spirit #Faith #prayer #love #grace #hope #poem #seed #Luke3 #Psalm138 #John12 #Philippians1
Christ, Spirit, God, Faith, love, grace, hope, prayer, Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, Luke 3, Psalm 138, John 12, Philippians 1, poem, seed, home,

#Christ #God #Spirit #Faith #prayer #love #grace #hope #poem #seed #Luke3 #Psalm138 #John12 #Philippians1




No comments: