Weekly Update // Pastor Durwood

This past Christmas our family traveled to London.  A friend of our daughter set up an entire day for us to tour Oxford, a place central to the work of John Wesley.  While on our tour we happened upon the prison (pictured above) that was constructed by the King to house debtors in Wesley’s day. 

Each morning the Society (Wesley and Friends) would gather very early in the morning for study and accountability.  After their time together they would go to the prison and visit the prisoners, share the gospel, share friendship, compassion, and empathy.  Wesley believed the Gospel belonged to everyone, not just those who could afford to pay and hear it read and taught. These early Society groups became what we know today as the United Methodist Church.

As we continue our journey through THE COST OF LOVE, I invite you to consider the 22 questions those early followers of John Wesley discussed in their daily lives together before they went out to minister to those in need.   They challenge and inspire us to be the absolute best that we can be for the Kingdom of God and press us beyond apprenticeship and into discipleship as the Children of God.

May we all truly discover something new in our walk and strive toward the goal of serving with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Explore the questions and share the Love of Christ with someone new this week.

See you Sunday in the place where all are welcome, and all receive the assurance of God’s love!  This week’s sermon text is Matthew 7:24-29

 Durwood

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I'm better ......than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

3. Do I confidentially pass on what was told to me in confidence?

4. Can I be trusted?

5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?

7. Did the Bible live in me today?

8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?

9. Am I enjoying prayer?

10. When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?

11. Do I pray about the money I spend?

12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

13. Do I disobey God in anything?

14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

17. How do I spend my spare time?

18. Am I proud?

19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees ......who despised the publican?

20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

22. Is Christ real to me?

                                              In hope and confidence,

                                                          Durwood