Stories of the Resurrection | A Sermon from Matthew 28:1-10

Introduction
Imagine how powerful it must have been—to hear, firsthand, the stories about the empty tomb…

to listen as eyewitnesses told how they met the risen Jesus face to face… to share in the amazement, the confusion, the hope, and the joy.

The resurrection of Jesus is not just one moment in time—it’s a living reality that changed everything. And the early followers of Christ didn’t keep it quiet. They told their stories. Again and again. Around dinner tables. Around campfires. In whispered prayers and loud celebrations.

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to step into those stories.  We’re going to listen in, walk alongside them, and soak in the wonder of the Resurrection—not just as history, but as a life-changing truth that still speaks to us today.

Each week, we’ll hear a different story of the Resurrection.  Each one offers a fresh glimpse of the Risen Jesus.  Each one teaches us what it means to be faithful followers today — in a world that still needs hope, still needs grace, still needs Him.

So I invite you — not just for today — but for the next seven weeks:
Come hear the Stories of the Resurrection. 
Come discover what God wants to show you through them.
Come experience the Risen Lord for yourself.

Matthew 28:1-10
¹ Early on Sunday morning,^[a] as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

² Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. ³ His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.

⁵ Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. ⁷ And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

⁸ The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. ⁹ And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”

The Frightening Events at the Tomb
The two Marys came to the tomb that morning with a heavy task.  They weren’t coming to celebrate. They weren’t coming with hope.  They were coming to do what love and duty demanded—to properly prepare Jesus' body for burial.  (His body was laid to rest hastily without the proper honors because of the Sabbath.)

But what they found was anything but quiet or peaceful.  First, the ground shook with a violent earthquake. Can you imagine it?  Not just a little rumble—the kind of shaking that rattles your bones and makes your heart jump into your throat. It was powerful enough to roll away the stone in front of Jesus’ tomb, a stone as heavy as a car.

And if that wasn’t enough, they saw something even more terrifying — an angel of the Lord, brilliant and blinding like lightning.  This wasn’t a sweet, chubby baby angel from a Christmas card.  This was a heavenly warrior, radiant with the raw power of God.

The Roman soldiers — fighters trained to face death head on — were so overwhelmed that they fainted as if they were dead. The sight of God's messenger knocked them out cold on the ground.

If the soldiers reacted that way, just think how terrifying it must have been for two grieving women standing there alone.

And yet, they stayed.  Even in their fear, even when the ground trembled and the heavens split open, they stayed.  And because they stayed, they saw something no one else saw: the beginning of the greatest hope the world has ever known.

When fear shakes your world and everything feels overwhelming, will you run?
or will you stay and trust that God is about to do something amazing?

The Angel’s Message: He Is Risen
As amazing as it is to see an angel, this story is not about the angel.  It’s something much more!  The angel had a job—a mission from heaven.  He was sent to deliver a message to anyone faithful and bold enough to come near the tomb.

The angel declared:
"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said." (Matthew 28:5-6)

What a moment!  The tomb wasn't just empty because someone moved the body.
It was empty because Jesus was alive — just as He promised.

The angel even invited them to see for themselves:  "Come and see the place where he lay."

Right there before their eyes was firsthand proof — offered to faithful hearts willing to seek.

But the angel didn’t stop there.  He gave them a mission and a message of their own:
"Go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’”

The women were the first to be entrusted with the news that changed the world.  And they weren’t supposed to keep it to themselves.  They were called to go and tell—to bring light and hope to others who were still hiding in fear and sorrow.

How have you experienced the Risen Christ in your own life?  When has He met you in a moment of fear, sorrow, or confusion—and shown you that He is alive and with you?

When you experience the hope of the risen Jesus, do you keep it to yourself—or are you willing to go and share it with others who need to hear it?

Just like the women at the tomb, you don’t have to have all the answers or a perfect plan.
You simply have to be willing to go and tell—to carry the good news that Jesus is alive, and He is waiting for all who will seek Him.

Meeting Jesus on the Way
The women didn’t waste a moment.
Matthew says they "hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy." (Matthew 28:8)
Think about that. 
They were still trembling, still trying to process everything they had seen and heard.
But even in their fear, even with their hearts racing, they obeyed.  They ran to tell the others.

And that’s when it happened…  Jesus met them on the way.
They didn’t have to make it all the way to Galilee.
They didn’t have to wait until everything made sense. 
They simply obeyed and Jesus showed up.

He appeared to them personally.  He let them fall at His feet and worship.
And again, He reassured them: "Do not be afraid."
Then He sent them on with the same mission:
"Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Here’s the beautiful truth:
When we step out in obedience, even when we’re afraid, even when we don’t fully understand,
Jesus meets us on the way.  He comes close.  He comforts us.  He guides us.
He strengthens and equips us for the journey ahead.

Where might Jesus be waiting to meet you—not at the end of your journey, but
right here, right now, as you take your next step of faith?

Closing
The two Marys came to the tomb expecting death.  Instead, they found life.
They came weighed down with sorrow.  Instead, they left running with joy.

They didn't have all the answers yet.  They didn’t have it all figured out.
But they knew one thing — Jesus was alive.  And that changed everything.

Today, we are just like them.  We come with our doubts, our fears, and our brokenness.
But if we are willing to seek Jesus—even when the ground shakes and the world feels uncertain —He will meet us on the way.  He will remind us:  "Do not be afraid."

And He will send us—not just to sit still and wonder—but to go and tell.
So as we leave today, remember this:  The tomb is empty.  Jesus is alive.
And He is calling you to go and share that hope with a world that desperately needs it.

Closing Hymn – “Surely The Presence Of The Lord Is In This Place” #306
Today, we have the priveledge of welcoming 2 new members into our church family.
John and Tina-Marie Shultz come to us, transferring their membership from
Tomoka UMC, in Ormond Beach, FL.  Let’s stand and sing Surely the Presence of the Lord is in This Place as they make their way down to the front of the church.

John and Tina-Marie Schultz join the church…

Benediction
You have seen the empty tomb!
You have heard the good news!
Now go…
Go in courage, in hope, and in joy…
to tell the world that Jesus is risen!
And be sure of this:  He will meet you on the way.

 

Crowds Follow Jesus | A Sermon on Matthew 4:23-25

Introduction
Today, we conclude our study of the first 4 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew.  You'll find an outline of what we studied at the end of this message.

Have you ever noticed how quickly a crowd can form when something exciting happens?  A firetruck with its sirens blaring, a celebrity athlete preaching at church—we’re drawn to the excitement, the mystery, the promise of something extraordinary.

In Matthew 4:23–25, Jesus becomes the center of attention. People are coming from everywhere to see Him—all the towns around Galilee, Judea, and even as far as Jerusalem. Why?  Because something powerful is happening. The sick are being healed. Hope is spreading.  And word is getting out: something amazing is happening. 

But here’s the question we’ll wrestle with today: Were they following Jesus? Or just the miracles? And what about us? What are we really seeking?

Matthew 4:23-25
²³ Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. ²⁴ News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. ²⁵ Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns,^[h] Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.

The Good News about the Kingdom
As Jesus traveled around the region of Galilee, what did He announce?  He announced the Good News about the Kingdom.  The Kingdom was good news because it meant that God’s rule was breaking into a broken world—bringing healing, hope, and restoration. It offered freedom from sin, peace in place of chaos, and the promise of eternal life with God. 

People in Israel were used to Kingdom talk.  For 500 years, they’d been ruled by various different foreign kingdoms who invaded their homeland and ruled over them—the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, and then the Romans.  All along the way, generations of Jews had longed for the day God would send a Savior to restore the Kingdom of Israel (which was supposed to be God’s Kingdom on Earth). 

Jesus preached the Good News of the Kingdom and it was Good News because it meant that God’s rule was breaking into a broken world—bringing healing, hope, and restoration.  It offered freedom from sin, peace in place of chaos, and the promise of eternal life with God.

The Kingdom of God (AKA the Kingdom of Heaven) is what we pray for everytime we pray the Lord’s Prayer ands say “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

Why Healing?
As Jesus shared the Good News about God’s Kingdom, people were healed in amazing ways. That makes total sense—because in God’s Kingdom, there is no sickness.  Sickness and all kinds of suffering are part of our world because of sin. We don’t fully live in God’s Kingdom yet. But when God’s Kingdom comes in all its power, there won’t be any more pain, sickness, or death. Just like darkness disappears when the light shines, all brokenness will be gone when God’s Kingdom is fully here.

So as Jesus announced the Good News: “The Kingdom of God is close at hand,” sickness and all kind of suffering were driven away.

The Crowds
With all the excitement, crowds of people started following Jesus.  And that sounds like a good thing.  Maybe it is.  I’m sure it felt good for the Disciples to see their Master succeeding and gathering such large crowds.  But the idea of "Crowds" in the Gospels is always a tricky thing.

On one hand, it’s exciting to see a big crowd of people who seem to love and support you. But how can you tell if they’re all there for the right reasons? Some people in the crowd truly wanted to hear Jesus’ message and follow His teachings—like loving God and loving others. But others were only there because they hoped Jesus would get rid of the Romans so they could do whatever they wanted. Some just wanted free food or to watch Him do cool miracles. A lot of people were more interested in what Jesus could give them than in actually following Him and living the way God wants.

And don’t forget—at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus was on trial, Pilate actually wanted to let Him go. But the crowd shouted for Barabbas, a known criminal, to be set free instead. Then they yelled for Jesus to be crucified. This shows how quickly a crowd can change and how people sometimes choose what’s easier or more familiar instead of what’s right and true.

But for now in the story, Matthew tells us that crowds of people gathered to follow Jesus whereever he went.  Jesus had a platform to share His wonderful Good News about the Kingdom so people could decided for themselves how to respond.

And now, I believe the Holy Spirit is leading me to bring this message home—to you and your life.  The same Spirit that led Jesus to preach the Good News of the Kingdom is speaking to you today.

So let me ask: Are you just one more person in the crowd, following Jesus around because you want something from Him—maybe a blessing, a miracle, or some help with your problems?
Or are you truly hearing His message and realizing something deeper?

The Kingdom of God is here. It’s not just about getting what you want—it’s about recognizing that Jesus is the King, and He calls us to follow Him with our whole heart.

Have you been living for His Kingdom, or just for yourself?
Have you made Jesus your King—or just someone you call on when you're in trouble?

Now is the time to respond. Will you keep standing in the crowd, watching from a distance?
Or will you step forward, follow Jesus, and be part of the real Kingdom He came to bring?

He’s calling you. How will you respond?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Outline Review of Matthew's Beginning Chapters 1-4
Chapters 1:
The genealogy of Jesus, His conception, and Mary and Joseph’s reaction

Chapter 2:
Jesus’ Birth, the visit of the Wisemen, Herod’s reaction, the holy family’s Escape to Egypt, and their eventual return to Nazareth

Chapter 3:
John the Baptist prepares the way and baptizes Jesus

Chapter 4:
Jesus’ Temptation in the wilderness, His ministry begins, the first disciples, and the crowds start following Jesus

 

A True Disciple

Introduction
I’ve been preaching through Jesus Sermon on the Mount from Matthew chapters 5-7.  These are the key precepts of Jesus’ message, revealing His core values for  His followers

My sermons for the last three weeks have been quite challenging.  I assure you, I would rather preach cheerful sermons.  But the texts from Jesus Sermon on the Mount have required I speak some harsh truths.

• Matthew 7:13-14 revealed the highway to hell is broad because many people follow it, but the pathway to life is very narrow and only a few ever find it.
• Last week I preached about telling true prophets from false prophets based on their fruit. We are called to bear love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.
• My message today is just as challenging (maybe even disturbing). It comes from Matthew 7:21-23.

Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

A True Disciple
In these 3 verses, Jesus warns about a terrible reality many people will face on judgment day.  He says many people who thought they were following Jesus and going to Heaven will be shocked to find out Jesus never knew them, and they are turned away from Heaven. 

And that’s disturbing, because it makes you question: “Am I one of those who will be horrified to find out Jesus never knew me?  Will I be one of the unfortunate souls turned away when Jesus says:  Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.”

This brings us back again to the concerns raised in Matthew 7:13-14.  “The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” 

Friends, the Message of Christ is very serious.  And we need to take it seriously.  So many dabble in religion as if it was an after thought of life.  They go to church whenever we feel like it.  If they pray, it is only when they are desperate and need something.  God is only an after thought if He is a thought at all.  Everyone has more important things to chase after than God.  

Friends, our relationship with God is the most important thing!  It will literally determine where you spend eternity--whether you will spend it in heaven with God or in Hell eternally separated from God. 

“I never knew you…”
Jesus warns one of the claims the damned will say on judgment day is, “We prophesied in your name…”   In other words, they said all the right things.  Maybe they even spoke on behalf of Lord Jesus—sharing His Word with others.  Others who are damned will claim, “We cast out demons in your name and did miracles in your name…”  These too will be cast into hell.  Why?

Jesus gives the answer in simple terms.  “I never knew you.”  Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven starts with a real relationship—a relationship with Jesus.  It’s not about what you know.  It’s Who you know.  Jesus left the glory of Heaven to come to our broken world to be with us.  That’s the definition of one of His names we often sing about at Christmas is Emanuel; it means "God with us." 

Jesus did ministry with 12 Disciples.  He could have done it alone.  He didn’t need help.  But Jesus chose to work with 12 people to have relationships with them.  Furthermore, Jesus ate with sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, and other notorious sinners.  Jesus interacted with people.  He got to know people and built relationships.  Relationship is the most important thing to Jesus.  That’s how He knows people and saves people and heals people.

 

And that’s what Jesus wants with you—a relationship, to know you.  It’s what God has always wanted from the very beginning when He created us—a relationship.  But, because of sin, we turn away from God.  We chase after our own selfish ambitions instead of a relationship with God.

Matthew 11:28
Jesus came to invite us back.  He said:  “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  (Mt 11:28)

 

Jesus wants a real relationship with you—one where you talk every day and walk together, eat together, live together, serve together laugh and cry together.  Part of that relationship may include prophesying in His name and casting out demons and doing miracles in His name.  But it’s the relationship that’s really important.

 

It starts with a choice. Jesus wants a relationship with everyone. Some may think Jesus wouldn't want a relationship with you. Maybe you feel like you're not good enough or you've done something terrible and Jesus wouldn't want to be around you. But Jesus showed He loved everyone. He never shied away from anyone, no matter how bad they sinned.  Rich, poor, sinners, saints--Jesus loved them all and He still does today. There's nothing you have done or could ever do that would keep Jesus from wanting a personal relationship with you.

 

He stands at the door of your heart knocking.  But you have to open the door and let Him in.  And once Jesus comes onto your heart, you've got to walk with Him every day.  Are you spending time with Jesus every day in a real, personal relationship?  Some ways you can do that are through:

• Prayer and Bible study, which are the heart of a relationship with Jesus.  Through prayer and Bible study we talk to Jesus and hear from Jesus.  We learn who He is and how He wants us to live.
• Worship and Fellowship with Other Christians.  Just like Jesus called 12 Disciples to follow Him as a group, Jesus calls us to follow Him in a group with other believers.  We fellowship and and worship as a Church (which is a community of faith).  We have a relationship with each other adn with Jesus, together.
• Serving.  Jesus came to serve, not to be served.  His followers serve alongside Jesus--giving ourselves to make more Disciples who also have a relationship with Jesus.  Jesus doesn't need our help, but graciously invites us to work alongside Him.  Serving together is part of how we relate with Jesus and each other. 

Matthew 7:21
The other key part of Jesus warning is in His statement in verse 21, which says, “Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”  This statement connects to all the lessons we’ve studied from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

(as well as everything Jesus taught in the Gospels and through His servants in the Bible).  Jesus tells us in the Bible how we are to live.  These are His teachings.  The Bible is the will of His Father in Heaven.  Are we living it?

 

God is gracious.  He understands we often misunderstand. We may read one thing in the Bible and totally misunderstand what Jesus wants us to do.  We may do the wrong thing.  But most people aren't even reading it to try and figure it out.  Most people aren't even trying.  Do you think willfully ignoring Jesus’ teachings in the Bible is “doing the will of God?”  Of course not.  It’s no wonder there will be so many people on Judgment Day crying,  “Lord! Lord!” and Jesus will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Walking with Jesus and Doing God’s Will Go Together
Something else important needs to be said.  It’s this: Walking with Jesus and doing God’s will go together.  You really can’t separate them.  

You would think prophesying, casting out demons, and doing miracles in Jesus name must be “doing God’s will.”  Right?   Yet Jesus said many will tell Him they did all these very things in His name and Jesus will reply:  “I never knew you.”  Why is  that?  Maybe because Jesus didn’t tell them to do those things. 

Walking with Jesus means staying in tune with His daily instructions.  If He didn’t tell you to prophesy, don’t do it.  If He didn’t tell you to cast out a demon, don’t do it.  If He didn’t tell you to do a miracle, don’t do it.  Just because something sounds holy and impressive, doesn't mean Jesus told you to do it.  But do whatever He tells you to do--even if it's simple and unimpressive.

And if you truly have an intimate relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit will lead you to do everything Jesus wants you to do.  A true relationship with Jesus leads you to live for Him.  As you walk with Jesus, you become more accustomed to hearing His voice through the Holy Spirit.  And the Holy Spirit directs us exactly how to obey Jesus if we are listening.  Are you listening? 

Conclusion
Jesus words are unsettling today in His Sermon on the Mount.  “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” 

It’s troubling.  It’s unsettling.  But that’s good. 
Because maybe it will motivate us to take our relationship with Jesus seriously.

Let me conclude with a summary of some practical things you can do to ensure you’re traveling on the pathway to eternal life and not blindly following the highway to hell.  

• Ask Jesus to save you – decide to follow Him as Lord and start walking with Him. This is the very first step.  If you haven't already done so, please do this right now.
• Pray and read your Bible – these are the heart of our relationship with Jesus. They are how we talk to and hear God.
• Immerse yourself in Christian fellowship and worship.  If we are truly following Jesus, our most important social group will be other followers of Jesus.  We need each other.  
• Listen to how the Holy Spirit is leading you to live and do it.  Practice following the Spirit's guidance every day as He:
• leads your to forgive people who wrong you, just as Jesus forgave you,
• teaches you to be kind and compassionate
• enables you to be honest and ethical
• prompts you to be a witness who share how Jesus is changing your life
• calls you to serve.  God gives each one of us special gift so we can build up His church. Use them for the glory of God.

Prayer

"Lord Jesus, forgive us for the ways we have pushed You aside in favor of other things.  Thank You for inviting us to have a relationship with You so that we can know You and be known by You.  Help us to walk with You each day as we pray and study Your Word.  Surround us with Your people, so our fellowship and worship will honor You and build up our faith.  Lea us to know and obey God's law and live for You every day.  We ask these things in Your most holy name.  Amen."

2024 State of the Communion Address

Introduction
As is our tradition each year at this time of the year, I want to review highlights and achievements of our church over the past year and also look forward to what I think should be our priorities for the coming year.  But, this is also a sermon.  It is a chance for me to share the Word of God in Holy Scripture and encourage you in your personal faith.  So I want to begin with the Scripture God placed on my heart today, something I believe should always guide Christians, and something I believe we should pay particular attention to this 2,024^th year of our Lord.

John 1:1-5
¹ “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ² But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

Listening to God’s Voice
I have been listening to God’s voice extra careful over the last month.  I always do this time of year as I consider what God want me to do and what God wants our church to do in the coming year.  And especially, since we have just completely the hard work to disaffiliate from the UMC and begin a new chapter in our the life of our church, I have been especially attentive to God’s voice asking: “Lord, what do you want for Your church at Pleasant Grove this year?”  And I have taken time to be alone, to be quiet, and to pray.  And I have been listening for God’s voice to answer and lead us. 
But how do I know if the voice that answers is God’s?  How can any of us know?

Jesus uses an illustration to remind people how to listen to God’s voice and ignore all the others.
The people who lived in Jesus’ day had one of the same problems we have today: there were so many voices claiming to speak for God.  The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealot religious radicals, the hippy Essenes who wanted to abandon society all together.  Then there were the politicians, the Greek philosophers, and the Romans occupiers.  Everyone had an opinion to share.  And all these voices swirling around were so confusing.  Do you ever feel like that?  Do you ever wonder how you can really know what God wants you to do?  How do you cut through all the clutter to get to the Truth?

Jesus says, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.”  This should be our main priority this year:  to know and listen to our Shephard’s voice.

And I want to suggest some ways you can tune in to hear God’s voice among all the distractions.

Prayer
You have to get near God to hear God.  And prayer is one of the chief ways you know you spend time with God.  Prayer is talking to God—and you don’t have to be all fancy.  Just talk.  Sometimes, prayer isn’t saying anything at all, but maybe just intentionally sitting quietly with God.  Prayer is essential for Christians.  It is our simplest way to connect with God.

I’m going down today after church to visit my Mom.  I try to call my mom every week.  By talking to her regularly, I stay in touch and know what’s going on with her.  But, my mom lives with my sister.  She’s there with her every day.  Katie knows what’s really going on with Mom way better than I do, because I only talk to her once a week.

If you want to know God voice, you’ve got to spend time with Him in prayer. If you only pray when you have a problem, you will not be very accustomed to God's presence.  But if you talked to Him all the time in prayer, you will be much more in tune with His voice.  You will know all about what He is up to and will more easily be able to tune in to His guidance.

Scripture
Scripture is another way we get near God to hear God.  Scripture is the primary way God speaks to His people.  Whereas prayer can often feel fuzzy and intangible, Scripture is solid and unchangeable.  Scripture is the foundation of all true Christian belied and practice.  The Bible tells you who God is and what He expects from you—how you are live and what you are to do.

Scripture and prayer go together.  We speak to God through prayer.  God speaks to us through the Bible.  The more you read Scripture, the easier it is to know the difference between random thoughts and insights and the true voice of God trying to lead you.

Plug in with God’s People
Another essential way we get near God to hear God is by plugging in with God’s people.  Being a Christian who follows Jesus is never something we do all by ourselves.  Jesus called 12 disciples to follow Him.  They did it in a group setting.  And that’s how we follow Jesus too.  Trying to follow Jesus all by yourself without a being part of a church community can be downright dangerous.  But when we plug in with God’s people, God speaks to us and leads us.

Hear at Pleasant Grove, there are a number of ways to plug in.  There is public worship.  But you must go deeper.  You need to be part of a small group.  We offer ways to get plugged in:  Wednesday night dinner, Thursday morning bible study, Sunday school, youth, children, Elizabeth Circle, sack lunch… 

I want to implore you to get accustomed to hearing God’s voice this year through Prayer, Scripture, and by plugging in with God’s people at church.

Review of 2023
2023 was a hard year, but God was good.  The whole year, it felt to me like we were the Israelites trying to escape from slavery Egypt.  The United Methodist denominational leadership didn’t want to let us go, even though we heard God’s voice clearly telling us it was time to leave that denomination.  And when the Bishop “paused” disaffiliation.  It seemed it would be impossible to get out of Egypt.  But God was our deliverer.  He “parted the Red Sea” so we could leave.  And God was with us as we “walked through the wilderness” of raising money to pay the disaffiliation fees and doing all the legal work required to change.  In may ways it was weary and tiresome work—but all done with great hopes for a new Promised future.

We also saw the Hand of God moving in many ways.  Even in the desert, I saw water flowing and flowers blooming.

We started out the year with a positive--with the infant baptism of Robin Starling.  It was a sign of things to come.  Through the year we had seven people publicly profess their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  And we added ten new people to our membership rolls--the largest increase since 2019 (pre-COVID).

Outreach to Kids
Our sack lunch program continued to flourish—sharing blessings with the children of our community through PGE and White’s Pediatrics.  We also helped with other needs like school supplies and improvements to the playground at PGE.  We also packed over 100 boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  Thanks to Susan Cooksey, Tom and Sherry, And Becky Haley, and all our faithful, dedicated volunteers!  (We could use a few more!)

Children’s Ministry
Our children’s ministry has flourished under the capable leadership of Melissa Starling.  One year ago, before Melissa took over leadership of the program, our children's ministry was floundering.  We needed volunteers. We needed new leadership.  We needed excitement.  Melissa has helped bring all of that since she started at the end of January last year.  Last Sunday we had 9 children at the altar for the children’s moment.  And the kids have been active and growing all year long.  Consistent

weekly classes, Sunday school, children’s church, nursery, Easter Egg hunt, VBS, Trunk or Treat.  And they even did a Christmas program and went Christmas caroling to shit-ins in December.  And I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to thank Melissa, and also Sydney Harris who we hired to teach kids on Wednesday nights.  This frees up Melissa to focus on teaching on Sunday mornings and to coordinating all the children's activities.  And the kids love Sydney on Wednesday night. 

Youth Ministry
We are blessed to have Amy Harris leading our youth ministry. We are all blessed to hear her brief, inspirational messages “to the youth” each Sunday morning, but she loves, leads, and inspires the youth each week on Wednesday nights and also helps teach youth Sunday school classes with Debra Sloan, and McKenzie Marlow.

Some of the special events Amy coordinaed for out youth were volunteering with special needs kids at the Miracle League, handing out free hot chocolate at the Dalton Christmas parade, and taking our youth to Fields of Faith.  She took the youth on a beach trip this summer, coordinated 2 yard sales, one of which was use to fund a o Christmas outreach t help families in need.  What were you doing Christmas Eve and Christmas day?  Amy was delivering assistance to families on both days.  And Amy is always the biggest helper with anything that needs to be done--even with things not associated with the youth.  And I would also be remiss if I didn't talk about some people who have been volunteering on Wednesday nights to help shepherd the youth as Amy teaches--Ricky Stack, Mike Wilson, Scott Denson, and DJ Seifert

 

Music Ministry
Another thing that I am particularly proud of is our music program at Pleasant Grove. David is humble and he doesn’t like to be pointed out, but I would be remiss if I didn’t share what a great job David does to help us have a great music program.  He makes sure we have great music throughout the year – including original music, horn and instruments, solos, and special guests musicians. 

And one thing David really focused on in 2024 was getting people involved, even people who don't sing.  David found was to include non-musicians in our Easter and Christmas cantatas.  Plus, we had a Contemporary Christmas Program, choir music at the Christmas Eve service, and contemporary music from the praise band throughout the year.  David has helped Pleasant Grove do something that many churches in our area are moving away from--having a great choir and choral music.  So many people stereotypically say, "The younger generation only wants contemporary music."  But that's not true.  If you ask many in the younger generations (like my own daughter), they will tell you they prefer hymns and choral music in worship.  So, David has helped us have both great contemporary music and great choral music and hymns.

Operation Mercy Drops

Our innovative outreach program, Operation Mercy Drops,  was a blessing to our community, helping so many.  We gave away 12 grants to people our church members sponsored in 2023.  These helped with a variety of needs like hardships--helping families with medical emergencies our when a house burned as will as honoring people who are doing great work in the community or helping charitable organizations continue to do good work to help people.  The funding for OMD was originally intended to last for 12 months.  However, generous donations extended the program out for three years.  Unfortunately, funding for OMD is now depleted (unless you decide you want to continue to program with your new funding).

Look Forward to 2024
As I said in the beginning, we need to focus on following God’s voice.  And we will know God’s voice through prayer, Scripture, and by plugging in with God’s people at church.  As I’ve heard God’s voice, He’s shared that we can be excited about what’s coming this year.  The hard work of the past year is paying off and we will see more blessings in 2024.

I also want to share some specific things we are working on or that I want to see this year.

New Hymn
The old United Methodist Hymnals were given back to the UMC as part of our disaffilation agreement.  However, that hymnal was over 40 years old and out of date.  We are getting a new hymnal in 2024.  We've already ordered 20 for the choir, and we will give our members a chance to order one in memory or in honor of someone soon.  Our sanctuary will be filled with hymnals.  And the one we've chosen, "Our Great Redeemers Praise", is a great hymnal.  It may be one of the most comprehensive hymnals published in decades and it will be an upgrade from the hymnal we were using before.  While many churches are moving away from hymnals, Pleasant Grove is going to upgrade and show our commitment to this ancient but still greatly relevant form of worship.  How exciting!

New Church Directory
We will publish a new church pictorial directory in 2024.  Our current directory is way out of date.  In fact, we were preparing to update the directory in 2020 when the pandemic hit.  This year, we are committed to finally publishing and new one so all the members of our church are properly listed so we can keep in touch and know all our church family.

Clean Up Membership Roll
We are going to clean up our church membership roll in 2024.  We have already done a great amount of work to convert our old handwritten membership books into an electronic database  This was invaluable as we went through the disaffiliation process with the UMC.  Volunteers were essential in this work.  Walker England and Matthew Head helped enter some of the names.  But the chief worker in this process was Donna Phillips, who entered 95% of the names.  Thank you Donna Phillips! 

Now that the membership roll is in electronic format, it will be much easier to audit the rolls and remove persons who have moved away, joined other churches, or who have passed away and are no longer living members of congregation.  We will do this work in 2024. 

Get Excited for 2024!
I want to encourage you to be excited about what’s happening.  We are part of a new Global Methodism Movement.  God is moving in Methodism—not just in our church, but all around the world!  That’s exciting!  We get to be part of something great!  Let’s get motivated!  Let’s get involved and be part of what God is doing!

Get excited about our church! Invite people to come and be part of the great things we are doing! 
Get excited about our music!  (We do praise music and choir and we’re getting a new hymnal!)  
Get excited about our children’s ministry!  Our youth ministry!
Get excited about our ministry with adults!  Our fellowship! 
Get Our incredible outreach to help our community! (And even the world – Pakistan!)
Get excited about how we stand upon the Truth of God’s Word
        and yet also love and accept everyone!

In 2024, we are following the voice of the Great Shepherd
        and we can be a place for others to follow Him too.