I am putting together my first sermon series for University right now and I am really looking forward to preaching it the last three weeks in June. I need some help though.
I am preaching on "Hope in the Midst of Change" and I would love to share some stories from the real world...not just my stories, but your stories as well. I will spend the first week talking about Jesus as the "hope of your life". I will talk about leadership as the "hope of the church" during week 2. And I will finish by declaring the local church...when it is working right as the "hope of the world (HT: Brad Powell).
What stories do you have about:
1) Christ giving you hope to your life?
2) Leadership infusing hope into your church?
and/or
3) The local church working right to inspire hope in the world?
2 comments:
Good afternoon, I am Debbie Yancey, from University UMC. It was sad to say goodbye to Bill Dozier this morning but of the same token we are looking forward to meeting you, our new pastor.
My husband, Dorman, and I have had a heavy dose of HOPE IN THE MIDST OF CHANGE. We are both employed by a large manufacturing plant here in Wichita Falls...he for 31-years and me for 10-years. We learned on March 3rd that our plant would be closing the doors here in WF and we will both be out of a job at the end of the summer.
My mantra has become, "We don't know what tomorrow holds but we do know who holds tomorrow."
A little background - We were recently awarded custody of our two grandsons, ages 5 and 9. Their Mom (my daughter) is unable to care for them and their Dad was killed in a homicide in January 2007. In order to accomodate them living with us we purchased a new home in October. God has a plan for us. I am not sure what it is but we have hope.
My current postition is in Human Resources and that has afforded me to know many of our 720 employees very well. As they have stopped by HR I have encouraged them in their quest for employment and have offered hope and encouragement. I have seen burly men brush tears away as the reality of losing our jobs sets in. I say a silent prayer for each of us.
We re looking forward to your teachings in your sermon series.
Debbie,
Thanks so much for your heartfelt thoughts. I would like to talk to you some more about what is happening with your company in order to bring some "local content" into my sermons. Would you be willing to talk with me on the phone or via email about this? Send me an email at deanl (at) tmumc (dot) org and we can set up a time to talk.
Thanks!
Dean
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