Archive for 2020
Live Stream Sermon – May 17, 2020
MBC Weekly Update – May 14, 2020
Sermon Recap
Series: Followership over Spectatorship
Title: My Mom Taught Me to Love My Neighbor
Passage: Luke 10: 25-37 The Good Samaritan
Examine: What is your reason not to stop [and help]?
- busyness, fear, prejudice, lack of grace, compassion, sin, spiritual apathy…?
Questions for application:
- Are you asking, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Or have you been living as if you must do something to inherit eternal life?
- Are you being a good neighbor?
- Are you seeking to love those who are near and in need?
How do I get started on loving my neighbor?
- Start with one.
- Rely on the Spirit
- Love your neighbor out of the overflow of loving communion with Christ. Lk. 10:38-42
- Tell people about the Savior, Jesus Christ
Thoughts
Have you ever asked a question when you already knew the answer? When Mike was an instructor pilot and a middle school teacher, he would often ask students questions he knew the answer to, so they would recognize they were about to make a mistake. It got to be known around his squadron as a “Hogue Trap.” I hate being on the receiving end of one. Sometimes, it’s as innocent as Mike asking me, ““So how are you planning to get your computer to do….x,y, or z?” and ends with him asking, “Would you like me just to do it for you?”
We don’t know the motivation of the lawyer when he asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Was it a “Hogue Trap”? Did he know the answer already and was he just trying to make himself look good? Was it a trap to get Jesus to give an answer that would be unpopular with his followers? Whatever the motive, I don’t think anyone would argue that it backfired when Jesus fired the question back, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”
Maybe then the lawyer stood up a little taller since he could demonstrate his knowledge of the Law. Or maybe he stumbled, not expecting to have the tables turned on him. I wish we had more insight into the tone of his response, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” At this point, he might have thought “Phew! I dodged a bullet on that one.” Or he might have felt proud of myself for such a “spiritual response”—a “Nailed it!” -type of moment. Jesus’ response, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live,” even feels like He was ready to let the lawyer off the hook.
However, the lawyer wanted or needed something more. Was it validation? Was it an attempt to save face? Luke writes that the lawyer pressed on “desiring to justify himself.” I hear buzzers going off here! Warning! WARNING!!! Danger Will Robinson! Danger! Get out of there!
Then out of the lawyer’s mouth come the words, “And who is my neighbor?” This resulted in one of the most famous parables of all time.
So who is our neighbor? Jesus’ answer came in the form of a story. This kind of answer is sneaky—like medicine wrapped in something sweet and delicious. The answer Jesus gave is that our neighbor is the most unattractive and unwelcome person we can picture. To the lawyer, it was a Samaritan. To us, it could be anyone who fits your favorite go-to poor behavior choice, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. The Samaritan became our role model. He showed the traveler mercy. He had authentic love for his neighbor.
What does authentic love look like? It gives sacrificially. It backs down so another can be built up. It gets out of its comfort zone. It speaks up against injustice—sometimes loudly. Other times, it stays quiet when wronged and forgives. It writes notes. It picks up Starbucks. It doesn’t demand credit or the gratitude of others. It doesn’t grumble. It doesn’t do anything for show.
Hearing this message on the Good Samaritan from Pastor Matt on Sunday challenged me to look for more ways to demonstrate authentic love to my “neighbors.”
Noteworthy:
MBC Students
You may have heard, but we hired a new Pastor of Students Ministries, Zeke Garcia! You can find out more about him by watching a short YouTube video we made to introduce him on our YouTube channel. Click here to watch! If you have questions we didn’t answer, or if you’d like to touch base with Zeke himself, feel free to drop him an email by clicking here (zeke.garcia@midlothianbible.org). You can also call him by dialing directly 940-293-0544. We look forward to the day when we can introduce Zeke and his family to you all in person!
If you have a middle or high school student, be sure to tune in to Zoom on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights for more interaction with Zeke and the awesome group of individuals who are part of the MBC Student Ministry. Contact Leah Austin (click here) for more information or if you didn’t receive the Zoom links!
MBC Women
Pam Curry’s study of James starts this Sunday over Zoom! Click here to email Pam for more information.
Peggy Arendsee’s Summer Study of the book Surrender to Love by David Benner begins May 27th. Click here for more information.
Fitness and Fellowship is off and running! (No pun intended!) Come join us for stretching and conditioning on Tuesdays and Cardio/Step on Thursdays from 9-10am in the main sanctuary. Bring a yoga mat and hand weights if you have them! Click here for more info.
MBC Family!
With the predictions of inclement weather for Saturday evening, we have rescheduled the “Outdoor Evening Service” for May 23rd at 7pm. However, this is also subject to change so please stay tuned and we will keep you updated!
Hosea Study –
Join Pastor Mike for a lesson on Hosea as he continues the Zoom study of the minor prophets on Sunday evenings from 6-7pm. Click here to email Mike for the Zoom link and/or for more information.
Finally, as we seek to be true followers of Christ and not just spectators, ask God to show you who your “neighbor” this week and go out and love them! And know that if I ask you how it’s going, I promise it won’t be a Hogue Trap.
In service to Him and to you,
Heather Hogue
Followership over Spectatorship: Growing as Disciples Who Make Disciples – Follow Me: Love Your Neighbor Luke 10:25-37
Live Stream Sermon – May 10, 2020
MBC Weekly Update – May 8, 2020
May 3, 2020 Sermon Recap:
Series: Followership over Spectatorship: Growing as Disciples Who Make Disciples
Title: Follow Me: Love One Another
Passage: John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love for fellow believers as well as our unbelieving neighbors should be:
- Selfless
- Sacrificial
- Understanding
- Committed and forgiving
This means we need the Holy Spirit!
Application:
- Confess
- Repent
- Submit
- Rely
Only then will we be able to “bear the logo” of Christ –like certain clothing “bears the logo” of Michael Jordan–to fellow believers and to our unbelieving neighbors.
Thoughts:
A sermon on love. This should be the easiest sermon recap to write! There are so many ways to practically demonstrate love for others. Like the note on the MBC Kids’ Ice Cream flier lists, we can walk dogs, paint rocks, and draw chalk pictures. We can also write notes, make calls, bring dinners, and on and on. Let me be clear. These are all nice things. Loving things. They’re all great actions that can show love to our neighbors.
Here’s my question though… Why does it sometimes seem easier to show love to complete strangers than the ones we love the most–our own family? I’ve been known to make a three course dinner for a family at church and then pick up McDonald’s for my own family (Don’t judge me, though. This was before the book Chew on This and the movie Supersize Me came out). When I was teaching, it seemed I had almost unlimited patience with my students. I could calmly ask a student to try again with a different answer ad infinitum. I even made it a personal challenge to try to connect with the most difficult kids to be the “teacher who cared.”
However, when I would get home to Mike and my own kids, I often was short and impatient. I spoke angry words out of frustration in a tone I never would even consider using with students or coworkers. Why? I’ve heard it asked, “Why do we tend to treat the ones we love the most…the worst?” Chaucer’s line from the Canterbury Tales, “Familiarity breeds contempt” is often too close to the truth.
While I don’t have a background in psychology, I do know enough to say that for me, this is just one more piece of evidence which shows us we can’t walk the Christian life in our own strength. We need the Holy Spirit. We need His help to love the unlovable, and we need His help to love those who are most precious to us. Don’t assume they just “know” you love them. They need to see love in action, too.
Noteworthy:
If you thought that while the church was closed these last few weeks for the Shelter-in-Place Order nothing was going on, you couldn’t be further from the truth! Here are some highlights from the last two weeks!
MBC Kids
- You saw the MBC Kids and Student ministries loving on each other during the video last Sunday. This week, a team of volunteers delivered “Carnival in a Bag” kits to kids who participated in the Wednesday night CrossKids program this year! Lydia Weldy, Stephanie Vest, Edna Vara and a team of volunteers didn’t want the kids to miss out on their end-of-year celebration event, so they brought the “carnival experience” to the kids by providing them with items such as red noses, cotton candy, and shaving cream for a “Pie in the Face” challenge. Check out their Facebook page, “Midlothian Bible Church Kids Ministry,” to see all the smiling faces!
MBC Students
- There is BIG news on the MBC Student front! As Matt announced on Sunday, we have hired Zeke Garcia as our new Student Ministries Pastor! Zeke comes to us from Arkansas where he was a former worship leader and youth pastor. Zeke and his wife, Karlee, have three young children and another on the way due in November! We hope to have a video introducing Zeke and his family to you soon!
- Also on the MBC Student front, there will be a movie night tomorrow at 7pm. They will be watching “Spiderman: Homecoming” on Zoom. The Meeting ID is: 893 8438 3756 and the Password is: 147771. I know they are planning to deliver snacks to participating students Friday afternoon before the movie, so make sure Leah, Corbin, and the team know if your student plans to attend.
- Finally, the Student Ministry team is postponing the service recognizing graduating high school seniors until May 31st. If you have a graduating senior, please refer to an earlier email from Leah Austin and submit your student’s pictures ASAP! More details will follow, so look for another email from Leah soon.
MBC Women
- Our MBC Women had their May “Coffee & Conversation” event last Sunday evening. It was a virtual lesson on painting with watercolors. Stephanie Vest led everyone in creating a picture of flowers and succulents, and the resulting pictures weren’t half-bad, if I do say so myself! It was great to connect with other women over Zoom for this fun activity.
- Fitness & Fellowship classes have resumed on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9-10am! Join us for strength and stretching on Tuesdays and Cardio/Step on Thursdays! We’re also considering offering a Monday evening class. Email the church office by clicking here for more information. We’d love to have you join us!
MBC LIFE Groups/Sunday School Classes
- Zoom has also enabled our LIFE group and Sunday school classes to continue going strong. Here are some of their current offerings:
- Pam Curry and the women’s class—The book of James
- Mike Hogue and his Sunday night group—A study of the minor prophets
- The Taillon’s group meets on Zoom twice a week! Once for prayer requests and fellowship, and once for their study of Encountering Jesus by Douglas Connelly
- Scott BeVier and the Scripture by the Inch class is studying 1 & 2 Timothy
- I know Ed Fricke’s class, The Ambassador class, the Keener’s LIFE group, and the Reynold’s LIFE group are also meeting by Zoom, as well. Don’t let this virus keep you from feeling connected to the body here at MBC! Contact any of the leaders listed or email the church office, and we’ll help you find the perfect group for you and your family.
We’ve had over 80 households respond to the survey link we put out in Realm last week, and the information we received back has already been extremely helpful as we plan to reopen MBC. If someone in your family hasn’t completed the survey yet, please click here or copy and paste the following link into your browser and answer a few short questions for us: https://tinyurl.com/y8cnpc3d
Finally, weather-permitting, we’re planning an outdoor worship service on Saturday evening, May 16th from 7-8:30 pm. Look for another email with more details next week.
In closing, I would encourage you spend some time in the word this week and ask the Holy Spirit to help you find ways not only to love your unbelieving neighbor, but also ways to show love to the ones you love the most. By this all people will know that you are His disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34-35).
In service to Him and to you,
Heather Hogue
Followership over Spectatorship: Growing as Disciples Who Make Disciples – Follow Me: Love One Another John 13:34-35
Live Stream Sermon – May 3, 2020
Special News Broadcast – April 30, 2020
Important Information Regarding the Reopening of MBC
| MBC Church Family, I am excitedly looking forward to fellowshipping and worshiping with you all in person again soon. Therefore, it was encouraging to hear Governor Abbott’s phased plan to open Texas. As you may know, this plan allows churches to open worship services on a limited basis. (See attached document.) Yesterday, I had meetings with staff and elder leadership to discern how to do this wisely and with measured steps for the overall welfare of the church family. The consensus from these meetings was to continue live-streaming worship services for the next two Sundays with the hope of resuming in-person services by the weekend of May 17th. These steps will allow church leadership to observe what happens as businesses in Texas begin to reopen. It will also let church staff and ministry teams creatively plan and set up meeting areas for corporate worship that follow the governor’s guidelines. Currently, we are assessing the use of multiple services, prescribed groups, various meeting venues, reservations, and cleaning procedures between services. We are also considering the possibility of a special outdoor lawn-chair worship service on the church’s front green space. The youth ministry team is planning to resume their Wednesday night and weekend gatherings sooner. Youth attending these gatherings will be sectioned off into smaller groups, and all who participate will be asked to utilize appropriate social distancing during meetings. If you would like to volunteer to help set up our future services and assist us in meeting the prescribed guidelines, please email info@midlothianbible.org and put “Set-up Help” in the subject line. Please also continue to pray for church leaders to have wisdom and discernment in these matters as we go forward. As we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic, I would encourage you all to walk by faith in God, and seek first His Kingdom. Look for ways you can love your neighbor and put the gospel of Jesus Christ on display. By His grace, Matt Reynolds for the Elder Team |