Easter 2019

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Clark Bunch

Easter will be on April 21st this year and we invite you to celebrate the resurrection with us! Here are some events and things to look forward to.

  • Calhoun First United Methodist Church will again host a series of Lenten luncheons during Holy Week, Monday through Thursday at noon with a different speaker each day. This year’s Good Friday service will also be at First UMC. I will be speaking on Isaiah 53, others to follow with Matthew 26 and 27 texts.
  • The Plainville Church of God of Prophecy has an annual Easter Egg Hunt that is open to the public at the Plainville Recreation Department. Our family attended last year, Pastor Ronnie Chandler invites everyone in the community. Join us Saturday, March 20 at the Plainville Park on School Street. Details below.
  • Gordon County Christian Ministerial Alliance puts together a community Sunrise Service at BB&T Park in downtown Calhoun. I preached last year, Mark Piotrowski will bring this year’s sermon. Several local pastors will take part. Sunrise Service begins at 7 am and will last 30 to 40 minutes.
  • We will have Sunday School and Worship at Unity at the regular times, 10 and 11 am. Join as we worship the resurrected savior who lives forevermore!

 

Screenshot 2019-03-23 at 9.35.25 AM

 

 

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Hagar and Sarah: Law vs Promise

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Clark Bunch

At the end of Galatians 4 Paul uses the two sons of Abraham to illustrate the difference between born under the Law and born of promise. He asks those who desire to be under the Law if they have heard the Law.

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Epiphany

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Clark Bunch

January 6th, the traditional date for celebrating Epiphany, falls on the first Sunday in January this year, a date that many Christians have been observing more recently.

The Christian celebration of Epiphany marks the wise men (Magi) finding Jesus and bowing down to worship. Many of the claims made of the wise men are from church tradition; what little we know of the them from scripture is found in a few verses of Matthew 2. Perhaps we can learn a lesson or two from their ancient wisdom.

 

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Simeon and Anna

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Clark Bunch

Luke 1 offers some prophetic words from Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Zacharias, father of John the Baptist. Both spoke great truths being filled with the Holy Spirit. In Luke 2 we meet two individuals at the Jerusalem temple who again have prophetic words about the baby Jesus.

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Advent

Posted on December 1, 2018 by Clark Bunch

Advent wreath, candlesDecember 2nd will be the first Sunday of this year’s season of Advent. To read more about what that means and how we celebrate, try this article I wrote a few years ago for the local paper. It’s a good introduction to anyone new to Advent.

Our Sunday School literature this year is doing a series of lessons very similar to our annual Advent services. Each week in Sunday School we will follow a person or group of people as they encounter God and respond to the birth of Jesus. There will be one lesson Joseph and another on Mary while in our Sunday morning worship we will consider the faith of Joseph and Mary together; there is a lesson on angels but not one for shepherds. Again, the Sunday School lessons are similar but not exactly the same. We will certainly spend more time exploring the scriptures learning about all those surrounding the birth of Jesus than we have in years past.

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Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Clark Bunch

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I read more of the text than these three verses but this gets to the heart of the matter.

 

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God is Near: Daniel

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Clark Bunch

We’re about to wind down our year long series on the theme “God is Near” but I would like to do one more sermon, possibly in January, on the apocalyptic passages of Daniel. This sermon is about Israel in exile, particularly Daniel and his friends, and reminds us that no matter where we go God is near. There are many parallels between Joseph going down to Egypt and Daniel being taken into Babylonian captivity as well as Israel going into both empires. In both cases God could see and hear and they could hear from God. Something for us to think about no matter where we go.

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Jeremiah, Bearer of Bad News

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Clark Bunch

It’s a shame we only think of Jeremiah as “the weeping prophet.” While he did bring a message warning Israel of God’s judgement there was a constant plea to repent and turn back to God. There is hope and encouragement in the book of Jeremiah as well as words of warning for those who continue to reject and refuse.

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The Suffering Servant

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Clark Bunch

Isaiah 53 is a well known passage describing the crucifixion. Careful analysis of the text reveals that Isaiah is prophesying the birth, death and resurrection of God’s servant. We know that God has a plan, and his plans are sure, because he reveals what he is going to do ahead of time.

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God’s Plan for Messiah

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Clark Bunch

Even if we overlook birth prophecies is chapters 7 and 9 (we will return to those the first week of Advent) Isaiah 11 describes the shoot that will come up from the roots of the stump of Jesse.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
-Isaiah 11:2 

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