Empowered Church
Each year, seven weeks after Easter, we celebrate Pentecost, the day the fire of the Holy Spirit filled the church. The scholar Gordon Fee refers to the Holy Spirit as “God’s empowering presence.”
Though God promises us power through the Spirit, all too often the challenges of life leave us feeling quite the opposite. Health, family, finances…the list could go on - all of these leave us feeling, not empowered, but disempowered.
If you’ve ever felt this way, this series is for you.
Join us as we seek to discover afresh God’s power and presence in our lives!
Resources:
“What is Pentecost? And Why is it Important?” Article from the Bible Project.
Disciples of Christ across the US and Canada celebrate Pentecost with a special offering to support New Church Ministry, an organization within our denomination that equips emerging communities of faith and their leaders to live fully into our church’s identity as “a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” Click here for information about this year’s Pentecost Offering.
In addition to our primary Scripture, each week during this series features a time of reflective reading in which we invite the congregation to reflect on how each sermon connects to the wider story of Scripture. We encourage you to explore these scriptures on your own or with your family.
Featured Music:
“Trinity Song” by Sandra McCraken.
“One Heart” by Andra Moran & Wesley King
“The Greatest Commandment” by The Porter’s Gate
“It Would Have Been Enough” and “Forge Us in Your Love” by Mark and Luke Ehrhardt
“Follow You” by Leeland
“The House of God Forever” by Jon Foreman
Making Room for the Spirit
Pentecost Sunday.
The Sermon in a Sentence: The ministry of Jesus continues through the ministry of the Spirit-empowered church.
Main Scripture: Acts 2:1-41.
Additional Readings:
Joel 2:28-32
Matthew 3:11
Acts 1:6-10
Selections from Acts 2
Acts 4:32-35
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Sermon in a Sentence: The Holy Spirit makes the truth of Jesus true for you.
Main Scripture: Romans 8:14-17; 26-27
Additional Readings:
John 14:15-17
Spiritual Gifts
The Sermon in a Sentence: The Holy Spirit uses our spiritual gifts to make us more like Jesus.
Main Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:4-18
Additional Readings:
Romans 12:1-8
A Spirit-Filled Life
The Sermon in a Sentence: Small acts of faithfulness add up to a lifetime of impact.
Main Scripture: Acts 6:1-7; 21:8-9
Additional Readings:
Acts 21:7-9
Colossians 2:6-7
All Kinds of Prayer
The Sermon in a Sentence: Prayer is both conversation with God and an encounter with God.
Main Scripture: Ephesians 6:18
Additional Readings:
Psalm 145:18
Mark 1:35
Luke 5:15-161
Thessalonians 5:16-18
James 5:13-16
Spiritual Disciplines
The Sermon in a Sentence: The more we work on our relationship with God, the more we will be blessed by it.
Main Scripture: Matthew 6:1-8; 16-18
Additional Readings:
Psalm 42:1
Empowered for What? Salvation!
The Sermon in a Sentence: Through Jesus, God sets us free from guilt, shame, hopelessness, and fear.
Main Scripture: Romans 8:1-17
Empowered for What? God’s Mission!
The Sermon in a Sentence: Christians must be willing to follow God in seeking out those who have been wounded by the harsh realities of this world, and meet their pain with the compassion of Jesus.
Main Scripture: Ezekiel 34:1-6; 11-16
Empowered for What? A Movement for Wholeness!
The Sermon in a Sentence: Unity is not about being on the right side of a line. It’s about coming together around a shared center.
Main Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22
All Things New
The Sermon in a Sentence: God promises to make all things new, and all things new means new for you.
Main Scripture: Revelation 21:1-6
The New World
The Sermon in a Sentence: Though the church’s mission never changes, in an ever-changing world, our ways of doing ministry together must change.
Main Scripture: Acts 17:16-34
Blessed Assurance
The Sermon in a Sentence: To give assurance to a world that needs it, be like God: listen, pray, and love.
Main Scripture: Romans 8:26-39.
Additional Scriptures:
Isaiah 41:10
Ephesians 3:14-21