Any fisher knows there's a difference between simply going fishing and actually catching fish. When Jesus saw Simon at the edge of Lake Gennesaret, Simon had been out fishing but had caught no fish. When Jesus urged Simon to go back out and fish some more, Simon was reluctant but did as he suggested. And they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Like Simon, Jesus calls us to cast out our net and fish for people, to meet and engage with them so that they can understand who God and Jesus Christ are.

First United Methodist Church - Norfolk, Nebraska

The Difference Between Fishing and Catching Fish

"Oh my Lord, please send someone else." These were the words Moses implored when God spoke to him at the burning bush. It's not unusual for people being called by God to be hesitant, to question the validity of the call or question if they are capable and have the faith and fortitude required to do what He has asked them to do. It's true that God sometimes calls the equipped, but it's also true that sometimes God equips the called.  God's not calling us based only on what we can already accomplish; He's calling us based on our potential. He uses us in spite of -- and sometimes because of -- our inadequacies.  In this sermon, Pastor Neil relates some personal stories about God's calling and how He is calling you, too.

Who Me? The Burning Bush

An act of civil disobedience fundamentally changed the world. When Moses' mother put her baby in a basket and sent him down the river, she couldn't have known the impact he would have, leading the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea or receiving the Ten Commandments. That one act, an act of civil disobedience, a mother's one decision made out of love, fundamentally changed the world. And you can do the same.

Special Delivery: The Moses Basket

Everything we think we know about the magi is probably all wrong. We know they weren't really kings, there may have been more than three, they weren't necessarily all male, and it may have taken them up to two years to travel to see Jesus. But what we do know is that they saw the star and embarked on a journey to see the Christ child, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  As the new year is now upon us, we, like the magi, are on a journey. As much like the magi, we have no idea what this journey has in store for us. What we do know is at the end of the journey, we will find the baby Jesus. Are you willing to go on this journey? And if you are, what gifts will you bring?

Where in the World?

How often do we stop and pray during the day? How often do we just stop and thank God for His love in our lives? In our everyday life experiences, how often do we accept His love and acknowledge His presence? In our modern life, full of technology and modern conveniences, we may not always acknowledge His presence. But now, more than ever, we need God in our lives. As we have become more and more separated from one another, Pastor Bridget urges us to come together as a community, to be together, to encourage one another, to challenge one another, and to love one another and Christ loves us.

What in the World?

We don't always think of Mary as a woman with tenacity or spunk, but she is. After all, she had an angel appear to her telling her that she would bear the Messiah, not knowing what it would mean to raise God's son and eventually watch him die. Yes, Mary is a woman with tenacity, and upon hearing the angel's message she boldly states, "Yes, let it be with me according to your will." Who does God call in extraordinary times? Ordinary people like Mary. Ordinary people like you.  Do you have just a little bit of tenacity like Mary? Do you have her spunk? Do you have her courage to set out on a journey not knowing how it ends?  God calls ordinary people like Mary -- like you -- to do amazing things. And when He does, answer the call as Mary did. "Let it be with me according to your will."

How in the World?

We open the Advent season with a new sermon series "Joy to the World!" with a message of hope. As we prepare for Christ coming into the world, we enter the season in a state of reflection.

The World is Waiting

This is the third sermon in the series "Ruth: Lessons in Loving Kindness" where Pastor Bridget and Neil explore faith in turmoil.

Sheltering Wings

This is the last sermon in the series "Ruth: Lessons in Loving Kindness." Sometimes life doesn't go the way we intended. Sometimes we find ourselves struggling to understand why things happened the way they happened, or the timing or the place in which they happened. This is where we find Ruth and Naomi. Widowed, facing famine, lost, struggling with everything. But in short order, they go from thinking the hand of the Lord has turned against them, to singing and celebration. For Ruth gives birth Obed, making Naomi a grandmother. And from Obed, would come Jesse, and David, and Solomon, and eventually Joseph and Jesus.   If God can restore Naomi's life, think of how He can restore our loves. If she -- in the midst of all her grief and anguish -- could find a reason to be thankful, then we, too, can find a reason to be thankful.

From Humble Beginnings

This is the second in the sermon series "Ruth: Lessons in Loving Kindness" where Pastor Bridget and Neil explore faith in turmoil.

Grains of Grace

This is the first in the series "Ruth: Lessons in Loving Kindness" where Pastor Bridget and Neil will explore faith in turmoil.

Home is Where the Heart Is

When God calls us, so often we make excuses as to why it isn't our time to serve. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing; even Moses argued with the burning bush for more than a chapter when God called him to lead the exodus out of Egypt. "Can't somebody else do it?" "This isn't a good time for me." "I'm too old." "I'm not old enough." But we don't get to age out, we don't get to say I'm not old enough. You can put off the calling of God, but the reality is we feel better when we finally give in and serve how God is calling us to serve. He's calling you.

Service

In the Bible, Jesus talks more about money than anything else. It's like he knew that even today, money is one thing we struggle with the most: what we do with money, how we live with money. 

Gifts

Being "present" in the church means a lot more than just physically showing up. Being present is about making room for others. It's not just about "us" -- it's about the "us" who aren't "us" yet, the "we" who aren't "we" yet. And sometimes that means that we have to change who we are and how we are in order to continue being what we are. We will always be about fellowship, community, study, prayer and worship, but how we do these things -- how we show up and be present -- in these things may need to change in order to grow. 

Presence

When we become professing members of a United Methodist congregation, we profess our faith in God, our desire to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, and our commitment to join with our church community to keep the vows of our Baptismal Covenant.  One of those vows is to faithfully participate in the life and ministries of our local congregation through our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. But, how can we go beyond the words we profess to actually living into these vows?

Prayers

Weekly sermons from Pastors Bridget and Neil Gately at First United Methodist Church in Norfolk, Nebraska.

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First United Methodist Church - Norfolk, Nebraska

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