Salty Christians

Happy Valentine's Day!  Sunday's sermon was taken from Matthew 5:13-20.  You can read or listen to the sermon here.

• These two star crossed lovers, John and Anne, were featured in this New York Times article.  Both divorced their spouses so they could be together.  What could you, the salt of the earth, say to Anne, as she weeps in the shower one moring, “Why am I being punished? Why did someone throw him in my path when I can’t have him?”

• God uses marriage as a model of his love for us - Christ and the church.  On Valentines day, do you think a bouquet of flowers and box of chocolates reflects that love of God?  Do you think a once-a-year reminder of love is good for couples? ...or just good for Hallmark and the local florist?

• Salt bites when it is put in an open wound.  What might be the consequence for salting a friend's sinful wound?  Would you rather ignore a sin just to keep a friend?

• The Pharisees had 613 extra laws that they put on top of God's law.  The purpose was to keep them from ever getting close to breaking a command of God.  Jesus tells us that this didn't work.  The idea seems to make sense.  Why doesn't this work?

• What did you do for your S O today?  Some of us might be able to use the idea next year :)

Fishing For Men

Please click here to see Sunday's sermon on Matthew 4:12-23.

As you read consider these discussion questions:

• How does the darkness that existed in Galilee of the Gentiles compare to the darkness in our society?
• What ways have you found to repent when you find yourself going the wrong way?  I find the busier I get the more focused I become.  Business can be it's own temptation too.
• How have you been "covered by the dust of a Rabbi"?  I know that my preaching style mirrors the pastors I grew up listening to at Bloomington Lutheran Church.
• Give a simple confession of faith as an example of your fishing for men. 
• What are ways have you heard other churches go fishing for men?  One great way is to point them to www.whataboutjesus.com