In the mid-eighteenth century, a reform movement in the Church of England was making great headway.  In fact, many historians believe that this reform movement helped prevent in England the violent revolts against royalty that occurred in the rest of Europe during that period. This movement led by John and Charles Wesley emphasized both works and personal piety. Welcome to part 2 of this 3 part series on one of the doctrinal statements of the United Methodist Church: The General The post Three Simple Rules: 2. Do Good appeared first on McFarland UMC.

McFarland UMC Podcast

Three Simple Rules: 2. Do Good

There was a very successful reform movement to the Church of England in the eighteenth century. It was founded by a quirky priest named John Wesley. This movement required accountability to a faith that was active. This movement eventually became a church in North America, the Methodist Episcopal Church. The General Rules of the Methodist Societies served as the core of this movement. They are: Do no harm. Do good. Attend to the ordinances of God (or observe the spiritual The post Three Simple Rules: 1. Do No Harm appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Three Simple Rules: 1. Do No Harm

Mark 10:2-16 describes a world turned upside down. We find that Jesus’ priorities are not our priorities. Join us as we worship together. The post The World Turned Upside Down appeared first on McFarland UMC.

The World Turned Upside Down

What is the prayer of faith? James calls us to pray in earnest. He calls us to pray constantly and to make prayer the center of our lifestyle. Our scripture is James 5:13-20 and it is the focus of our lesson today. Thank you for joining us as we explore this message together. The post The Prayer of Faith appeared first on McFarland UMC.

The Prayer of Faith

Our text this morning is James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a. Earthly wisdom calls us to a “might makes right, what’s in it for me” frame of mind. Heavenly wisdom is “pure, peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair and genuine.” Heavenly wisdom calls us to submit to God, not our base nature. ** Note that the worship services for September 26 and October 3 will be online only due to a COVID-19 exposure. In person worship will resume on The post Root of Conflict appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Root of Conflict

Our sermon series on the letter from James continues this morning with James 3:1-12.  We’ve all heard the saying, “sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.” It’s a lie. Words can do great damage. We have a responsibility as followers of Christ to focus our words on healing, hope, and encouragement. The post Taming the Tongue appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Taming the Tongue

The epistle of James constantly reminds us that our faith must be lived out as followers of Christ. The passage for this morning is James 2:1-17.  The post Body and Soul appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Body and Soul

On this 29th day of August, the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, we welcome a guest preacher, the Reverend Stephen Overall. Stephen focuses on the lectionary text from James 1:2-8, 17-27 with references to Mark 7:1-23. As James reminds us, we are to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.” The post When You Pray, Be Sure and Move Your Feet appeared first on McFarland UMC.

When You Pray, Be Sure and Move Your Feet

When Jesus meets with the disciples on the night of the Last Supper, he shares a word with them: Peace (see John 14:27). What is this peace that Jesus brings? Join us as Pastor Wayne explores this topic. The post On Peace appeared first on McFarland UMC.

On Peace

The author of Ephesians gives us an outline for living our lives in a messy world. The prescription? Stay grounded in God, be prepared for what happens, and be thankful for what you receive. The text today is Ephesians 5:15-20. The post Living Life – Giving Thanks appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Living Life – Giving Thanks

“Speaking Truth” is the topic of this sermon for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost. We continue the “Geared Up for Life” sermon series based upon Ephesians. This morning’s text is based upon Ephesians 4:25-5:2. Once again, the author moves  from preaching to meddling! We are told to be “imitators of God” as we learn how to deal with anger and live into community. The post Speaking Truth appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Speaking Truth

As we enter into this fourth Sunday of the worship series on Ephesians, we’ve completed the first three chapters which deal with theological concepts. As we move into the fourth chapter, the author shifts to putting the theology into practice. Some might say that he moves from “preaching to meddling.” Our text this morning is Ephesians 4:1-16. Join us as we are reminded that we are all part of the body of Christ, a body where there is “one faith, The post A Life Worthy appeared first on McFarland UMC.

A Life Worthy

Someone once said that “God loves us and there is nothing that we can do about that! Thank God!” In our lesson from Ephesians 3:10-21, Paul not only reminds us that we, as the church, are invited to experience the mystery of God, but that we, are invited to share that mysterious experience with everyone that we meet. We are all adopted into God’s family. To God, all means all and in Southern, all means “all y’all.” Thanks be to The post Rooted and Grounded in Love appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Rooted and Grounded in Love

Today, on this Seventh Sunday After Pentecost, July 11, 2021, we begin a seven week journey through Ephesians. The first part, chapters 1-3, deal with the theological questions that ask “why are we doing this?” The second part, chapters 4-6 ask the question “how do we go about living this way?” In today’s introduction, we look at Ephesians 1:3-14 and explore what the author of Ephesians was trying to share with the folks who would hear this letter read aloud. The post Setting Our Hope appeared first on McFarland UMC.

Setting Our Hope

On this July 4th, 2021, we hear a lot about freedom. But what does that really mean? John 8:31-36 gives us a clue. Jesus tells us that the truth will set us free. The Gospels tell us that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. So why do we seek to find salvation in political “messiahs” instead of turning to the one true God? The post True Freedom 2021 appeared first on McFarland UMC.

True Freedom 2021

McFarland United Methodist Church serves a community in renewal just outside of Chattanooga, TN.

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McFarland UMC Podcast

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