Weekly Sermons, Announcements and Events
First Mennonite Church July 3, 2022 Speaking Worthy Word Text: Jeremiah 15:15-21 Words, words, words. Words convey ideas. Words reveal what is in the heart and mind of people. Words have power, both to build and to destroy. Words spoken cannot be retrieved. Words are everywhere. We hear them from those who live in the … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church June 26, 2022 Text: Jeremiah 7:1-15 What Is at Stake in Worship? The situation in the tiny nation of Judah was not anywhere good at the time God sent Jeremiah to speak these words. Judah was at the brink of being completely overtaken by the invading Babylonian army, as would be a … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church June 16, 2022 Fountain of Living Water Vs. Cracked Cisterns Text: Jeremiah 2:4-13 Israel’s Iron Age (ca. 1200-539 BCE) was a time of technological innovation. New technologies such as terracing and iron plow-points facilitated agricultural intensification and geographical expansion. Another technology whose use made it possible for Israelites to settle and thrive … [Read more…]
We met at the park in San Miguel, CA. and did not have a regular service as we usually do. The informal gathering at the park was the first of a series of activities in commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of First Mennonite Church in Paso Robles.
First Mennonite Church June 5, 2022 Responding to God’s Call Text: Jeremiah 1:4-10 When we read what God tells Jeremiah about the time he was still in gestation, we wonder if Jeremiah’s mom had any inkling of what God was doing with her unborn child. As for you, what do you know about your birth, … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church May 29, 2022 Imitating the Cloud of Faithful Witnesses Text: Hebrews 11:1-7 Today, I want to conclude this series in the Letter to the Hebrews. As I have said time and time again, the author of this letter compares the Christian faith journey to Israel’s wilderness journey to the Promised Land. This … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church May 22, 2022 Greater Promises Come with Greater Cost In the last two Sundays, I have been saying that the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews compares the Christian life to Israel’s wilderness journey. Two main points in this comparison are the difficulty there was in the wilderness journey and the … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church May 15, 2022 Introductory Passage: Hebrews 1:1-4 Jesus, Greater than Moses Let us, once again, remember the vivid comparison the writer to the Hebrews makes as he writes his “brief word of exhortation.” The writer sees a striking parallel between Israel’s wilderness journey and the Christian life, following Jesus. Therefore, in his … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church May 8, 2022 A Brief Word of Exhortation Introductory Text: Hebrews 2:1-9 Today, we will begin a new series in the Letter to the Hebrews. But, before we get into it, let me make a clarification, so we will understand my approach to this series. Hebrews, is not so much a letter, … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church May 1, 2022 Called and Commissioned Yet Again Text: John 21:1-19 Last Sunday, we saw the restoration of Thomas, the one who demanded to touch Jesus in order to believe he was alive. Today, we will be looking at Peter’s restoration. Throughout Peter’s time with Jesus, he had been rash and brash, … [Read more…]