Spiritual Gifts
It's summer and if it's summer then that means it is time for our Summer Worship Schedule (beginning June 12th). For those of you who have not experienced it before, you are in for a real treat. First off, it is much more casual in nature. There is less liturgy and more music. And more often than not, we even get out on time!
The other thing that really sets the service apart from our regular schedule is how I do the sermon. Usually, I try and do a sermon series on a topic that interests … me (and I hope you, too). For the past three summers we have focused on the Old Testament with series on the Book of Genesis, Old Testament Characters, and the 10 Commandments.
This summer we are going to focus on a decidedly New Testament theme: Spiritual Gifts. The title of our series is: "Everything You Wanted to Know About Spiritual Gifts, But Were Afraid to Ask." Hopefully there will be something for everybody.
Some of the questions we hopefully will be answering are:
- What is a Spiritual Gift … and do Presbyterians Really Have Them?
- What is the Purpose of Spiritual Gifts?
- Have You Opened Your Gift Yet?
- A Spiritual Gift Assessment … Finding Out Your Spiritual Gift(s)
- I Know My Gift … Now What?
- What's Love Got to do with it?
- What is All This Fuss About the Gift of Tongues Anyway?
- Are Gifts of the Spirit and Fruits of the Spirit the Same Thing?
- How Can a Spiritual Gift Make Me a Better Christian?
- How Can My Spiritual Gift Help STHPC?
That is definitely not an exhaustive list. I'm just getting started. I admit that I have never done an extensive study on Spiritual Gifts - so I am still in the "research" stage. And that's half the fun of it. We will both be learning at the same time. And that's where you come in. My summer sermons are "interactive." I present the topic/text/background for that Sunday and then together we talk about it. I get to play Phil Donohue for the summer and I love it. I love getting new insights from your responses and the dialogue that ensues.
I am excited about this summer. We are going to grow, we are going to deepen our faith, we are going to discover things we may not have know about ourselves, we are going to find new ways to serve God, and we are going to have fun.
If you have any questions, comments, or input, don't hesitate to contact me. I am all ears … ok, no big ear jokes!
Have a great month and I'll see you on Sundays.
Pastor Tom |
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