Barnard United Methodist Church

Prayers today for all those on our list with additions of Judy R. and Joe A. and holiday travelers. Scripture today from second Corinthians, Chapter 9:10-15 reminding us to be thankful. While the American Thanksgiving started as a day to focus on thanking God for the blessings He has given us, it has developed into a day devoted to eating, parades, football, and pre-Christmas shopping frenzy. We were reminded to take time to be thankful, first for a loving God and then for our freedom to worship, our family, the harvest, and so many other blessings. Thank you, God.

Sunday, February 13, 2021 Prayer List: Protection for all God’s creatures during this extreme weather. Those dealing with Covid and all of its effects. Those battling cancer and other deadly diseases. Those dealing with depression, mental illness, addictions, loneliness and sorrows. Our country and its leaders. Jerry’s Message:... The scripture today comes from the book of Mark, chapter 9. This is Transfiguration Sunday. To better understand what took place on that mountain, we need to consider who was there and why they were there. Jesus is the central figure present. Also there were three of his inner circle of disciples. Peter, James and John. As they were near the top, Jesus’s clothes became radiant white and Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus. God also made His presence known. We now have knowledge as to who was there. The question then becomes, why? Peter, James and John became leaders of the early church. Peter was the rock on which the church was built. John is thought to have written several books that are now included in our bible. James helped to spread the word throughout the area. Moses was there representing the law and Elijah was representing the prophets. It was also prophesied that Elijah would return to proclaim the Messiah. The disciples represented human kind. Moses and Elijah represented heaven. Jesus is the link between heaven and earth. Jesus is the way the truth and the light to lead us to heaven. God’s presence was made known when he said this is my son in whom I am pleased. Listen to him. Jesus was the spokesman for God. Jesus didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill the law. God gave him the authority to surpass the law. Jesus brought a new covent for all. It was a covenant based on love and forgiveness. The Transfiguration is considered to be one of the five major milestones in Jesus life. The others are his baptism, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension.The transfiguration is also considered a miracle of Jesus. It is unique in that it happened to Jesus, not performed by Jesus. The transfiguration is also considered a preview of the glorified body of Christ following his resurrection. Jesus changed to a different form, not of nature but of glory. Jesus returned to heaven in all his glory. He is now sitting at the right hand of God. He is there to intercede for each of us. Because of Jesus we have a pathway to eternal life in heaven and to be in the presence of God and all his saints. My prayer is for all of you to stay warm this weekend. My God bless each of you. Jerry

Sunday, February 7, 2021 Prayer List: All people suffering from physical, mental, spiritual, financial and emotional challenges. Our families, friends, neighbors, country and world. Jerry’s sermon... In today's scripture from Mark 1:29-39, Jesus is healing the sick and casting out demons. The verse that interested me was where he would not let the demons speak, because they knew him. Who are these demons and where did they come from? Matthew refers to them as unclean spirits, Mark calls them evil spirits, and Paul says they are deceiving spirits. In Revelation we find out where they came from. Revelation 12:7-9 A war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels fought against Satan and his angels. Satan was defeated and thrown down to earth with his angels. Satan became angry and went off to war on those who keep the commandments of God. Jesus knew the demons because they were once in heaven. They chose to follow Satan not God. Also, the demons knew Jesus and the power he had to defeat them. This has created a fierce conflict between Jesus and the demons. Satan and the demons will be overthrown by God and cast into a burning lakeof sulfur. These demons and Satan know their fate. From Matthew 8:28-29, the demons ask Jesus if he has come to torment them before their time. These demons will torment us. They will try to deceive us into believing they are all powerful. They will lie and do whatever they can to try and get us to turn away from God. If we resist, they wait for a more opportune time to try again. Satan tried to tempt Jesus three time in the wilderness. Jesus had been fasting for quite some time. Satan approached Jesus at his weakest time. The demons will use the same deceitful tactics on us. We must be ready to resist the temptations offered by Satan and his angels. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to put on the armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. What is this armor? We must be in constant communication with God. The more we visit with God, the stronger our armor. We should become very familiar with the scripture of God. There is an answer to all our needs in the Bible. It is God inspired; therefore, it is God's message to us. The more we read and study God's word , the stronger we become. As we become stronger, we can better resist Satan and his fallen angels. We will not have an in-person Ash Wednesday service. I will post two messages that week. one on Ash Wednesday and one for Sunday February 21. That is the first Sunday of Lent. Please stay warm this upcoming week. It looks to be a very cold week Jerry Sent from Outlook

Sunday, January 31, 2020 Prayer List: Prayers for an end to the pandemic and for all those suffering from its effects. For those sick, lonely, depressed, grieving, struggling in any way. ... Prayers for national healing and coming together for the good of the country. Students, teachers, administrators, first responders, doctors, nurses and others. Jerry’s Sermon Today's scripture comes from Paul's letter to the church at Corinth. Corinth was a Greek city of 500,000 people. It had people from Rome, Greece, Egypt and Asia Minor. There were merchants, sailors, gamblers, athletes, and slaves living there. It was mostly a godless society. There were many temples built to worship pagan gods. There was a lack of standards and freedom of thought through out. These are the kind of people that made up the church at Corinth. Paul wrote at least two letters to the church. Each letter was to help the church overcome the problems of being in a godless city. In 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Paul has two messages. Idols are not God. There is only one true God. Do not let what you do become a stumbling block for others. If what you do causes someone to turn away from God don't do it. Someone is always watching what you do. The last eight years I taught at Benton High School, I was the head soccer coach, not because I knew anything about soccer but to get the team under control. We played against many church schools. At one such match, a lady came up to me after the match and thanked me for being a Christian. She said I tried to keep my team under control. I had no idea she was watching me. This gave me a lot to think about. I was glad she could see that I was a Christian. I was concerned because I realized that someone is always watching. I did not want to cause someone to turn away from God. We all need to be aware of this. We all have people watching and listening to us. We may not know this is occurring. We must all do our best to keep others from falling. Many who observe us know we are Christians. If we sin, they might say to themselves, look at the way those church people act. They condemn us because we go to church and we still sin. What they fail to realize is that the church is full of sinners. Everyone in church has sinned. That is why we are there. We seek God's forgiveness. We need God's grace and love. All of us need to do the best we can. If we sin, we can turn to God. We must try to represent Jesus, to be ambassadors for Christ. Remember, someone is always watching. Jerry Sent from Outlook

Sunday, January 24, 2021 Prayer list: Our nation and world. An end to the pandemic. Those suffering from illness, grief, financial hardships, mental health challenges, loneliness, spiritual doubts. Any unspoken needs. ... Last week’s message was about Samuel. He learned to know when God was calling and he obeyed. Samuel became a judge of Israel. He anointed two kings. We have evidence that he listened to God all his life. God told him to go to the house of Jesse to anoint the next king to replace Saul. God told Samuel that none of the sons that came before him was to be the next king. Jesse had one more son. David was tending the flocks. He was sent for and God told Samuel David was one. What happens when one hears God but does not listen or tries to run from God. Today’s scripture is about such a man. Jonah listened but didn’t like what God said. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah ran in the opposite direction. He got on a boat and fled. A great storm came upon the boat. Jonah knew it was sent by God so he had the crew throw him overboard. The storm abated and Jonah was swallowed by a great fish. In the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed to God, he repented and after 3 days, the fish spit him out on dry land. Jonah’s life was renewed after being buried in the belly of the fish for three days. Sound familiar? Jonah then traveled to Nineveh. It was a city of about 120,000 people. Their wickedness had gotten God’s attention. God told Jonah to tell the people they must change or die. They repented and God saved the city. Jonah became angry at God for saving the city. The story ends with God rebuking Jonah. We should thank God every day for His forgiving the people of Nineveh. We all make poor choices at times. We need forgiveness. God is willing to forgive and forget our sins. He loves us so much that He sent His son into the world to save us. Jesus took our sins to the cross. He died was buried and in three days, His life was renewed. Because of this act of love, our sins can be forgiven and we can have eternal life with God. Thank you, God, for your love and your grace. Amen Jerry . Sent from my iPad

Sunday, January 17, 2021 No in house worship this Sunday. Prayer List: Prayers for our nation for a peaceful inauguration and healing among our citizens. ...Continue reading

Sunday, January 10, 2021 Prayer List: Our country. Cancer victims. Those suffering from Covid. Those dealing with mental illness, depression, alcoholism, drug addiction. Anyone with financial problems. Medical personnel, first responders, teachers, students, all essential personnel. ... Jerry’s Message Last Sunday we celebrated Epiphany. It was a remembrance of when Christ was revealed to the gentiles. Today we remember the baptism of Christ. For some this is also an Epiphany of when Christ was revealed to the world. It was after His baptism that Christ began His ministry. Scripture tells us that Jesus was baptized by John, known as the Baptist. In Mark we find these words, You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.We can also please God with our baptism. Baptism is an outward sign of an inner change. It is a ceremonial cleansing. It is considered an act of obedience, a commitment and a proclamation one's belief in Christ. Do you have to be baptized to be saved? The scripture says no. To be saved you must belief in Christ. If you believe, you will want to follow the teachings of Christ. This will allow the Holy Spirit to enter you and you will receive God's grace. John Wesely called this sanctification. You do God's will not because you must, but because you want to. You will love your God and you will love your neighbor as yourself. In today's world we need this love more than ever. It seems as if violence has become a way of life if you don't agree with someone or something. We all have the right to disagree, but we should do it with a sense of love. We must remember that our short comings and our transgressions can be forgiven because of God's love for us. We must forgive others with love just as God does us. Pastor Jerry Sent from Outlook