Rev Allison Yankey

February 12, 2012

Auburn First United Methodist Church

"Worship With Your Senses"

Think back to one of your favorite memories. I want you to close your eyes and try to recall that moment. Can you see it playing before you? What did it feel like? Where there certain sounds or smells that captured you? Perhaps you can taste the moment or hear something specific. Allow yourself to rest in that moment and re-experience it. As you open your eyes, consider what just happened. As you recalled a memory, you noticed how you experienced it not just with your ears or eyes but with the whole of your being. Even in this moment, in this room, what are you experiencing? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? Can you taste something in the air? Is there a certain smell that is lingering? What are your senses telling you about this place? What are you experiencing?

 

As we travel through our message this morning, I want to continue the...

"Healing for Outcast People"

Matthew 8:1 – 4

Ted Jansen January 8, 2012 First UMC

 

1.)    Jesus Christ is in the healing business. We celebrated the birth of Jesus, God's gift to us at Christmas. Matthew 1:21 tells us what the angel spoke to Joseph. "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name, Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

    Jesus' name and purpose are centered on the word, "save." Jesus will "save" his people. The word save in the Greek language is soza which means wholeness, healing, made better. So the word, save, means to restore, renew, and make whole again.

    If Jesus's name and purpose was to bring healing to the world that implies that we have a need for wholeness and healing. That means that there are places in our lives that are not complete, that are broken, that cause us hurt and pain. As we consider this truth I invite you to think of the ways that we try to fix ourselves, or heal our...

Christmas Eve Meditation 2011

Rev. Ted Jansen

 

1.)    John's Gospel give us a picture of God and His purpose as it relates to the birth of Christ. Mark's Gospel give us not details on the birth but begins with the ministry of Jesus. We look to Matthew and Luke for birth info.

    John writes in the opening words in John 1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."

    Two chapters later Jesus says in 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life."

    That is what we focus on as we celebrate Christ's birth in this place tonight.

 

2.)    I remind each of us that we accept the love of God as a gift; we do not earn that love from God. We forget that truth or let it fade. It is a gift given; God's gift of love given to the world.

 

3.)    There was a Bishop in Myra called Nicolas. He was a very caring and loving man,...

"The Unexpected Name"

Mathew 1:18 – 25

Rev Ted Jansen December 11, 2011 First UMC

 

1.)    Your name is a very valuable thing to you. It identifies who you are and shapes your understanding of your life. Your name is a thing of honor and value. That is why when someone calls you by name you feel uplifted.

    How many of you have first or middle names, that connect you to your past, another generation, some family link? (Have people share with each other, then all.)

    The names we carry tell a story that is important to discover.

 

2.)    I discovered two Unexpected Names in the birth stories of Jesus and John the Baptist. When Jesus and John were born it was common for fathers to name the children. Fathers and mothers discussed together but it was the father's role to name a child and it was common to name a child with a name from the extended family.

    

3.)    So, what we discover with John is something unusual...

"The Unexpected Prophet"

Matthew 3:1 -12

Rev. Ted Jansen December 4, 2011 First UMC

 

(Let us open our hearts to the word of God as the Spirit speaks to us. Scripture reader goes to lectern. "Jane" the Baptist goes to pulpit and looks at the congregation. Scripture reader looks at "Jane" and they look at each other not saying anything. Scripture reader begins reading and stops so that Jane can speak scripture listed (verses 2, 7 – 12). Scripture reader ends and sits down. Jane stays in pulpit.)

 

1.)    John the Baptist prepared the people so when Jesus came to earth to begin his ministry they would be ready. This unexpected prophet startled and challenged the people as he began his vital ministry.

I want to know who you are. I had asked for a John the Baptist from the acting agency. (I am Jane the Baptist.) Oh, that is unexpected. I am not quite sure what I should do now. I had planned on a John the Baptist for the sermon. Do you know anything...

Abide in Me

John 15.1-17 (MSG)

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Pastor Allison Yankey

 

Series Starter:

    Today, we are introducing a 3-week series focusing on the 5 membership vows that we each commit to as we become members of this church. We commit to contributing our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness. As we look at the whole of Scripture, we get an understanding that the well-rounded Christian is truly contributing in these 5 ways. It is very difficult to be successful at living a life wholly devoted to God without these areas. This morning, we will be focusing specifically on prayers and presence and what an impact that contribution can have on the life of the individual. In the next two weeks, Pastors Ted and Kaye will be focusing on the gifts, service, and witness, and leading us to understand how contributing in those areas can benefit not only the individual but the church as well. So let us open our hearts and minds to God this morning...

"Adopted by God: A gift of family."

Romans 8:12 – 17

Rev. Ted Jansen September 25, 2011 First UMC

 

1.)    Thanks to all who have adopted a shut in, a college student, a pre-school class or a Sunday School class. I want Allison to come and give us an update and share with us how we can go about adopting today. (Allison to explain.) Have a moment of prayer.

 

2.)    How many of you have a personal connection to adoption? How many of you were adopted, or adopted someone in your family, or know of families that did adopt or people that were adopted? I would like you to raise your hands.

    There is a story that we each have, a story that touches and changes lives. We are all shaped by adoption in some way. I will invite you to share with another person a few moments of your connection to adoption.

    

3.)    I like the way the New Living Translation (1996 version) writes Romans 8:14 – 17. Listen to these words. "For all who are...

 

"Testing God: Gideon's Story"

Judges 6:1 – 22, 36 – 40

Ted Jansen September 4, 2011 First UMC

 

1.)    What do "Test" and "Trust," mean to you? I want you to imagine a line that connects these two words. I want you to think of your personality and ask yourself do you tend to lean towards test or trust? Are you someone that has a high level of trust and willingness to risk or are you a person that needs to test things out and have evidence before you act.

Are you someone, like myself in ninth grade, who was going to ask a girl to go on a date with me but only if I knew that she would say yes? I discovered this by having my friends ask her friends if that I asked her if she would say yes. She did say yes to my friends so I knew that when I asked her she would say yes to me face to face. Whew! That was hard work.

Are you someone who would get in line for a crazy looking roller coaster that no one has ever been on before and be excited and not scared? ...

"Unity and Connection in Christ"

Ephesians 4.1-7, 11-16

Pastor Allison Yankey

Sunday, July 17, 2011

 

For those of you who don't know, A.W. Tozer is one of my absolute favorite authors. His perspective is so fresh and bold, and his words on how we should view God and what the Christian life should look like are so encouraging. I wanted to open this morning with a quote from his book The Pursuit of God. In this particular chapter, Tozer is speaking about faith saying that it is simply "directing the heart's attention to Jesus." He continues in his thought process as he defines faith and unity within the body of Christ, which is what we are talking about this morning. Tozer says, "Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one...

"E 3 and our Future"

Matthew 13:1 – 23

Rev Ted Jansen, June 26, 2011 First UMC

 

1.)    Jesus Christ told a story. A farmer went out with some seed with a desire to see growth.

    The first section of the ground he scattered the seed on was unknown because before the seed could even get in the soil birds came and ate it up. There was no growth.

    The second section of the ground was scattered with the seed and it did have a chance. The birds did not get it. The seed began to grow a little. The ground was dry, there were rocks with the soil and it was too shallow so that when the sun came out the plants were scorched. It was dry and the seed couldn't grow. There was no growth.

    The third section of the ground was much better for the seed. The conditions seemed good for growth. The seed had good soil, water, sunshine and the plants were growing and healthy. But weeds were also growing in that good condition and they grew bigger and taller...