pastordean

Welcome to the podcast and discussion page of Marvin McMurry and Amazonia United Methodist Churches.  Amazonia UMC is located on the corner of 5th & Spring streets in Amazonia, MO, where we gather to worship every Sunday at 9:00 am.  Marvin McMurry UMC is located at 3406 St. Joseph Ave. in St. Joseph, MO, and worships at 10:45 am with Sunday School at 9:30.  We invite you to worship with us at either location.

If you cannot join us in person we hope that these podcasts will be a blessing to you and bring you closer to God in your faith journey.

Pastor Dean

True repentance involves a change.  Remorse is regretting what we've done and fearing the consequenses.  In other words, its more about being sorry that we've gotten caught.  True repentance is having a contrite heart and we repent seek forgiveness without regard for the consequenses that acrue to ourselves.

Pastor Dean

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God calls us in different ways and for different purposes.  When God called Samuel scripture tells us that God's voice was seldem heard and that visions were rare.  Kind of sounds like how most people feel about today, but I respectfully disagree.  I don't think God has a speaking problem, people have a listening problem.  I believe God is still speaking but their are so many worldly voices competing that its hard for us to hear him.  Instead of talking so much we need to be still and listen for the voice of God.

Pastor Dean

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Today we remember the baptism of our Lord Jesus and we also remember our own baptism.  Not only baptism of water but baptism of the Holy Spirit.  When we receive the Holy Spirit our life changes.  We live a new life in Jesus Christ.  This is truly being "Born Again".

Pastor Dean

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In Old Testament times the Israelites celebrated a Year of Jubilee.  The Year of Jubillee occurred every fifty years and the people were restored to their lands and their families.  After the arrival of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, our restoration, our redemption comes the moment we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  We don't have to wait fifty years for Jubilee, redemption comes the instant we take Christ as our personal Savior.

Pastor Dean

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Every Christmas we sing "silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright"; I would like to challenge that imagry.  Christ's birth was realded by a host of angels, some translations refer to them as aan army of angels singing "glory to God and on earth peace goodwill to man."  Then the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see the thing that the angles had told them.  There was no quiet and there was no calm.

Neither should tonight be silent or calm.  We should be shouting from the roof tops, "Christ is born!"  We are called to proclaim the good news.

Pastor Dean

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Did Mary really know who her baby would be.  Paul wrote to the Colossians telling them much about the character of Jesus, Son of God, Image of the Invisible God, First Born of Creation, First Born from the Dead, Supreme, Reconciler, and Savior.  Jesus is all of this to us and more.  Let us remember His coming and be thankful.

Pastor Dean

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It is so hard to find wisdom displayed today.  In the days of King Solomon other kings went to Solomon to avail themselves of the great wisdom that had been given Solomon by God.  Today we idolize people with questionable morals and when someone comes along who displays good moral character there are highly visible elements of society that try to tear that person down.

So where can we turn to find true wisdom.  Over two thousand years ago "wise men",  "kings", or "Magi" sought out a baby born in Bethlehem.  We still find wisdom in the teachings of that babe born in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dean

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God chose poor everyday working people to be the first to receive the message of the birth of the messiah.  Poor shepherds on a hillside near Bethlehem.  While they may have been poor by earthly standards they were made rich by this revelation.

We are made rich through our relationship with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, regardless of what we have or do not have by man's criterion.  If we have Jesus we are rich in deed.

Pastor Dean

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This first Sunday of Advent we look at the role angels have played in bringing the message of the birth of God's own Son.  The word "angel" means messenger.  We are also called to be messengers by sharing the message of Jesus Christ.  As messengers of God's Word we too are Angels.  Go and be an angel this Advent.

Pastor Dean

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