Large crowds would gather to hear the words of Jesus in His ministry and very possibly because they saw the supernatural happenings – the healings, the deliverance and the raising of the dead. He taught with authority—Many of them were curiosity seekers, coming around to sample the teaching first hand rather than just to hear it through others. Many religious leaders heard His straightforward teaching and rejected them, and as a result the truth was taken away from them, their hearts were hardened. When we receive the truth and act upon it, we will find that more will be revealed to us. But for people who reject the truth, they will ultimately lose whatever little they have. The Word of God needs more than just listening; it demands that we act on it.
Jesus’s parable of the sower from Luke chapter 8 tells us that there are four kinds of hearts that hear God’s Word: a hard heart, a shallow heart, a polluted heart, and a good heart. Among Jesus’ audience all four types were present. As it was in the days of Jesus, it is also in ours, among those who hear the word of God in church, we will find all four kinds of heart. And without a doubt, the condition of our heart will determine our ability to respond to the message of the Kingdom. Is our heart hard, or shallow, or polluted or a good one? The first three prevent the message of the Kingdom from taking effect; in fact they cause us to repel the Word. What is the state of your heart? Join us this week at Sedona UMC as the Rev. Ruth Blum will be our guest preacher delivering a sermon entitled “Soul Planting”. Sunday mornings we enter the spirit of worship at 9:30 am featuring joyful music, special times of prayer and passionate life changing messages designed to move you closer in your relationship with Jesus Christ and others. Immediately following worship you are invited to stay and join us in our Fellowship Hall for the friendliest and best fellowship time you will find anywhere featuring delicious snacks and great coffee and always friendship.
Mark your calendars and plan to join us on Sunday November 19th at 9:30 am for a special service of Thanksgiving and Celebration giving God thanks for our abundant blessings of this past year. Immediately following worship you are invited to join us for our “Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Feast” featuring a complete turkey dinner with all the fixings and delicious homemade pies. This is a free event sponsored by our Special Events Team and held in our fellowship hall so bring the whole family.
We also want to invite everyone from our community to the “Annual Sedona Interfaith Thanksgiving Service” being hosted by Sedona UMC this year. This service will feature the Community Choir, Bell Choirs and participants from many different faith traditions. Many call this the most important—most touching worship service of the year. This years’ service will be held on Tuesday, November 21st beginning at 7:00 PM followed by a Pumpkin Pie reception immediately following the service.
We offer a number of book and bible studies—So many great missions, ministries and events happening at Sedona United Methodist Church—Visit our website at www.sedonaumc.org and “Like” us on Facebook. We would love to pray for you!—Prayer requests may be submitted online or by calling us at 928-282-1780. We are conveniently located at 110 Indian Cliffs Road off the Back O’Beyond roundabout on Route 179 in Sedona. Come and grow with us!
