“By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) In the Bible, the number seven is often used as a symbol of perfection.  I will leave to your interpretation whether or not you feel that’s applicable to what I’m writing here.  However, as a life-long United Methodist Christian, I can honestly say that the tradition in which I was raised, found Christ, and have -- ever since – grown in my faith is as close as this as humanly possible.   Yes, it h ..read more

 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5) As many of you already know, yesterday (May 1) our United Methodist Church’s General Con ..read more

"What has come into being in [Jesus] was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:3-5) One of the great experiences that I had with fellowship staff, family, and friends this past Monday, April 8th was to watch the partial solar eclipse together outside from the church parking lot.  While we here in Georgia did not have a total (100%) eclipse like some places experienced around in the U.S. west and north of us, it was still an impressive sight and experience! (You’ll see in this article some of the ..read more

“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above To bear it to dark Calvary. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see, For' twas on that old cross ..read more

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"The Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…” (Luke 2:20) “Sing we now of Christmas, Noel sing we here Sing our grateful praises to the maid so dear. Sing we Noel! The King is born, Noel! Sing we now of Christmas Sing we here, Noel! From the Eastern kingdoms come the wise men far Bearing ancient treasure following yonder star. Sing we Noel! The King is born, Noel! Sing we now of Christmas Sing we here, Noel! From the distant mountains hear the trumpet sound With angelic blessings on the silent town. Sing we Noel! The King is born, Noel! Sing we now ..read more

In my March 19, 2023 sermon, I used the encounter with Jesus in the story of him raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:32-45) to talk about the various things that "wrap us up" and keep us from being who God wants us to be.  What you find below is the content of the "What's Your Wrap?" handout that I provided for in-person worshippers to complete that day.   As you read this online, I invite you either to print this post out and then to circle (or separately to write down) the item(s) you feel are binding you up in your life... things that are keeping you from being the perso ..read more

“Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus....” (Hebrews 12:1-2). LENT.  No, it’s not just something that sticks to your clothes.  Instead, Lent is also a season of the Christian year in which we not only prepare our lives for the Easter message of life, death, suffering, and resurrection, but are also encouraged to identify with Christ by allowing us to be used by him as vehicles of God’s grace to others. The word “Lent ..read more

Do your holiday preparations ever leave you feeling like “Bah Humbug!?” Does it sometimes seem like a challenge just to celebrate at all?  If this has ever been you, then join Pastor Brian and your fellow church family and friends in rediscovering the real meaning of Christmas through a holiday worship series called A ‘DICKENS’ OF A CHRISTMAS.  Offered at all of our Sunday worship services December 3 - 24, you’ll experience the power of Christmas like never before as we relate Charles Dickens’ familiar “A Christmas Carol” to the biblical Christmas story. December 3 -- The Chains We ..read more

 “Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13, CEB) T oday in  worship, I invite our congregation to read together in unison a re-write of the famous “love chapter” from the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 that I wrote.  Here are its words in case you want to re-read it or share it with others…             “If I worship God in a certain style that I know to be the ‘appropriate’ one, but look down my nose at others who worship differently, or have d ..read more