Verona United Methodist Church

March 8, 2020

Our Lenten sermon series continues this Sunday with a look at Matthew 6:5-18 as Jesus calls us to prayer and fasting with hearts focused on our Heavenly Father. The hypocrisy of those who practiced public religion for the praise of others was a central concern for Jesus and remains a strong cautionary note for Christians today.

Besides the dangers of hypocrisy, what other concerns should we have in our modern age? I would point to a general trend in modern life that discourages the sacrifice of time and worldly pleasures for spiritual growth. While the Bible and God’s Spirit call us to spend time in prayer and contemplation, the world often tries to drown out that call with the endless demands of self-indulgence and -gratification.

The Way of Jesus is the way to true freedom. Freedom from the things that enslave us. Freedom to see and experience life the way God intended. By spending time in prayer and freeing ourselves from our addiction to this world’s counterfeit pleasures, we can begin to find the joy and peace that come only through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Bob

Matthew 6:5-18

March 1, 2020

Driving home from our Ash Wednesday service this evening, I was struck by the abundance of light in our modern world. For almost all of human history, the darkness of night was overwhelming and unconquerable. Fires generated by wood and oils could bring some comfort, but most people lived half their lives in virtual darkness.

Salt is another item we take for granted in today’s world that was once an invaluable item for food preservation and seasoning… so valuable that Roman soldiers were paid a “salary” (from the Latin word for salt) which allowed them to buy salt, an expensive but essential commodity.

Given the distinctive value of salt and light in ancient times, is it any wonder that Jesus would use both to illustrate the central characteristics of his followers? Like salt, their lives should bring distinctive, sustaining value to the lives of others. Like light, their lives should bring illumination to the lives of others so that they may see God’s path for their lives.

How can you and I bring value to the lives of others? How can we be salt and light in a world that needs Jesus more than ever? Our Lenten sermon series continues this Sunday with a look at Matthew 5 and Jesus’ call for us to be “Salt and Light.”

Pastor Bob

Matthew 5:13-16

February 23, 2020

WARNING: The following opinions reflect the thoughts of a senior citizen. It’s obvious, since the first words are “When I was a little boy….”

When I was a little boy, most of the available reading material in our home was pretty innocent. But pretty powerful, too. We had “Tales of Great Men & Women,” and “Dogs: Heroes, Adventurers, Friends,” and a children’s Bible with pictures. As I got a little older, there was “The Call of the Wild” and “The Day Christ Died” and books about great empires and scientists and explorers and people who made a difference in our world.

I was blessed to grow up in a home that understood how important it was for us to focus on the things that the Apostle Paul deemed worthy of our thoughts: things that are true and noble, and right and lovely and admirable; excellent and praiseworthy.

I hope you’ll come this Sunday to hear our church’s Lay Leader Chad Brown share a message from Philippians 4:6-8 on living a righteous and holy life free of fear and anxiousness. Lydia and I will be back on Monday the 24th from our visit with our son in Colorado…. Thank you for your prayers!

Blessings in His holy name!

Pastor Bob

Philippians 4:6-8

February 16, 2020

I’m loving our time in Philippians! Some of the most inspiring, faith-fortifying verses in all the Bible are contained in this relatively brief letter to the ancient church at Philippi. Our text this Sunday calls us to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through our Lord Jesus Christ….” I’ll explore in my sermon a fuller description of this fruit and the biblical keys to living a fruitful life in the Spirit of Christ.

Blessings in His holy name!

Pastor Bob

Philippians 1:3-11