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Grace - Not Perfect but Faithful

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  • Parental rating: G - All audiences
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  • Hosts: not available
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  • Last update: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 07:45:00 -0500
  • Managing editor: not available
  • Language: en-us
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Join us as we seek God's direction in living the abundant life of hope, reconciliation, and love. Join us as we seek God's direction in living the abundant life of hope, reconciliation, and love.

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Episodes

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    A Near Kingdom Experience
    Sat Mar 11 01:48:30 2006
    We've made the Church so relevant that we have made the Gospel irrelevant.

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    Romancing Life
    Sat Mar 11 01:49:38 2006
    Living a faithful life is being adventurous, willing to risk for the sake of faith.

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    A Culture of Generosity
    Fri Mar 24 21:00:26 2006
    When you build your life on generosity, it becomes infections to others.

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    Self Denial: Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness
    Wed Mar 29 22:19:28 2006
    Righteous living is not first and foremost about moral rectitude, but about being.

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    Courage: Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted
    Wed Mar 29 22:27:40 2006
    When you dance with God you will be dancing outside the circle and to a rhythm that is foreign to the world.

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    Empathy: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
    Wed Mar 29 22:32:14 2006
    Empathizing with another's grief means opening ourselves up to our own and the world around us. It is in so doing, however, that we find comfort for ourselves and for others.

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    Patience: Blessed Are the Meek
    March 26, 2006
    Meekness is quiet perseverance in the face of brute rage; it is our staunch refusal either to lay down in submission or to rise up in violence. It has persevered in the face of empires and rulers.

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    Wholeness: Blessed Are the Peacemakers
    April 2, 2006
    Peace is not achieved as an afterthought. It comes with a commitment to make it work on a daily basis, and in a very personal way.

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    Contrition: Blessed Are the Merciful
    April 9, 2006
    Happiness grows out of receiving mercy in order that we might share it with others. Only contrition for our sins will open us to the mercy of God and give us something to share with others.

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    Surrender: Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
    April 16, 2006
    To whom or to what have you surrendered your soul? When you recognize that spiritual impoverishment can only be nurtured by the grace of God and not the possessions of life, you know a happiness that the world cannot give nor take away.

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    Living the Easter Hope - by Paul Kern
    April 23, 2006
    You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. Guest speaker is retired pastor Paul Kern.

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    A Child Shall Lead Us
    April 30, 2006
    Children offer the leadership for today and tomorrow because they model humility, and are not restricted by the same mental and creative restraints that we have placed in the muck in which we currently find ourselves.

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    CUMC 13: The Clinical Study Is In... Prayer Makes No Difference
    May 7, 2006
    The power of prayer cannot be quantified in scientific enquiry since it is dependent upon us opening ourselves to the imagination of God and letting God work through us and others who may be God's instruments for achieving his purpose.

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    CUMC 14: "A Love that Lasts"
    May 21, 2006
    There are many kinds of love, but Christian love is the only one that lasts, because it is God driven.

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    CUMC 15: "Try and Remember"
    May 28, 2006
    When life challenges us we need to try and remember who stands beside us to guide and protect us.

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    CUMC 16: "Cheeks, Cloaks, and Loving Our Enemies"
    June 4, 2006
    Jesus calls us to be nice people in a not very nice world. When in a fallen world this fails, we are called to do justice that is born of humility and tempered by mercy.

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    CUMC 17: "Fathers Like Us"
    June 18, 2006
    Fathers like us are at our best when we are present with our children, affirm them in the process of living, help them set boundaries, and give them the gift of faith.

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    CUMC 18: "Living In Difficult Times"
    June 25, 2006
    We all live at moments in our life and world in difficult times. Keeping our eyes on a broader vision, not being deluded by whose we are, and rejecting the mass movements that invite easy answers for difficults problems will be our salvation.

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    The Power To Endure
    July 2, 2006
    There are so many people who have found beginnings as disciples of Christ but poor endings. It is because they do not endure. Endurance in anything in life, especially as a faithful disciple of Christ, is found in our willingness to sacrifice - to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily.

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    CUMC 20: "If Things Are So Good, Why Do I Feel So Bad?"
    July 9, 2006
    Life in our country with few exceptions has never been better. Yet a majority of Americans feel it is getting worse because they foucus their attention on only the things they see around them.

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    CUMC 21: "The Things That Make Us Feel Better"
    July 16, 2006
    Our generation has it better than any other in the history of our country, yet a majority of people feel things are getting worse. Fixing our attention on temporary things has done this to us. The latest research in postive psychology, and the scriptures clearly indicate that people feel better about life who are forgiving, loving, and thankful.

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    CUMC 22: "Forgetting What Lies Behind"
    July 23, 2006
    We may fear memory loss - and as important as it is to remember some important things - there are times when it is best to forget.

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    CUMC 23: "Straining Forward to What Lies Ahead" -by Bill Schwein
    July 30, 2006
    Because of God's promises, we always have hope, and that can enable us to anticipate the future with confidence.

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    CUMC 24: "How A Loss Can Be A Find"
    Augus 6, 2006
    There is no loss when the find is better than what we have lost. So, it is with losing ourselves and our families as a top prority and replacing it with our love for Christ - it simply enriches the love we have for others and ourselves.

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    CUMC 25: "A World Without Christ"
    August 13, 2006
    Though too many of our lives in this semi-pagan culture seem to indicate that the world would be better off without Christ, if not for him we would be people witout a country - without a homeland for our souls.

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    CUMC 26 "Open to God Open to the World"
    August 20, 2006
    When we understand that God's imagination exceeds our own, and are truly open to the many ways it can work in this world rather than busy censoring it, we see God and the world in new and wonderful ways.

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    CUMC 27 "I Wish I Was Dead"
    August 27, 2006
    Depression is something that also assaults the faithul. There are some specific things Christias can do to deal successfully with depression.

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    CUMC 28 "Come Unto Me All You Who Labor ..." -Bill Schwein
    September 3, 2006
    Jesus invites us to experience some much-needed rest, but also to learn from Him how to have a better attitude about our work.

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    CUMC 29 "Why Must the Poor Be With Us?"
    September 10, 2006
    The poor are defined as any who is in need. The gospel is a mandate to care for those in need no matter.

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    CUMC 30 "A Place to Party"
    September 17, 2006
    Wherever the people of faith gather to listen and talk with God is holy ground.

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    CUMC 31 "Learning How to Party"
    September 24, 2006
    A vision of what it means to receive the grace of God gives a disciple of Christ the passion to follow. Without it, we approach Christ with ambivalent discipleship.

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    CUMC 32 "A Party With a Vision"
    October 1, 2006
    We can have a great purpose in life, even dream about it, but without vision it will perish. Vision is the passion that drives our purpose and helps us realize our dreams.

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    CUMC 33 "Party With a Purpose" by Bill Schwein
    October 08, 2006
    The purpose of the party is to bless the lives of the poor, captive, blind and oppressed.

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    CUMC 34 "On Being the Life of the Party"
    October 15, 2006
    Whether we are a pain or a blessing in life is up to us. If we let the grace of Christ transform us then the fruits of His Spirit will make us a blessing.

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    CUMC 35 "Afraid to Party"
    October 22, 2006
    When you are afraid to party with God's grace you are like a reservoir, afraid to share it with others. If you love to celebreate God's grace, you are like a river that let's the grace of God flow through you to others. Which one are you?

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    CUMC 37 "A Party With a Past"
    October 29, 2006
    We do not have to celebrate alone, but are surrounded with those who have taught us how to celebrate life and the God in us all.

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    CUMC 38 "Who Would You Rather Party With"
    November 5, 2006
    There is no one with whom we may party in the world that brings us real hope than Christ. What the world offers us as a party partner is fear.

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    CUMC 39 "Mending Walls"
    November 12, 2006
    There are times when broken trust like walls need to be mended. It is a process of rebuilding, that over time and with God's help, can be done.

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    CUMC 40 "Putting Jesus on a Diet"
    November 19, 2006
    We think we find life when we fatten up Jesus and His teachings. Only when we follow Him and them will we find life.

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    CUMC 41 "What If He Really Reigned" -by Bill Schwein
    November 26, 2006
    Are there some ways that the concept of Christ the King still has relevance for us today?

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    CUMC 42: "Let's Just Skip It"
    December 3, 2006
    Advent is about skipping the notion of skiipping Christmas. It helps us penetrate the din of commercial pitches with a ray of hope that God is with us, will heal us, will save us no matter the circumstances we are in.

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    CUMC 44: "The Mystery and Manure of Christmas"
    December 17, 2006
    The mystery of Christmas is how God takes the ordinary and works in it's midst the extraordinary.

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    CUMC 45: (Christmas Eve AM) "The Hopes and Fears of All the Years"
    December 24, 2006
    There are many fears in life, most of them unfounded. Whether we deal with them in hope or despair depends on who we ask to be with us.

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    CUMC 46: (Christmas Eve PM) "Rembering What it Was Like"
    December 24, 2006
    Christmas is an invitation to recall the child in each of us, and what that means in being a child of God.

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    CUMC 47: "The After Christmas Sale"
    December 31, 2006
    Just believing in God is like buying our religion at an after Christmas sale. When we are transformed by Christ, we follow, and that makes all the difference in our lives and the life of the world.

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    CUMC 48: "Beginning Again When There Is No Closure"
    January 07, 2007
    In so many of life's tramatic events there is no closure. Living without closure requires a choice to live in the hope that the Christmas promise is not in the future, but has already happened.

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    CUMC 49: "Walking on Rooftops" by Rodney Frieden
    January 14, 2007
    A call to active ministry in your friends' lives.

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    CUMC 50: "The Dreams We Are Afraid to Admit"
    January 21, 2007
    Helping others doesn't always mean doing something. Perhaps the highest kind of help we can be is sometimes to be simply present -- available to them.

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    CUMC 51: "Holding Families Together When the World is Tearing Them Apart"
    January 28, 2007
    Subtle and flagrant evils, anything that would suck the spirit out of our souls, are many in our day, and threaten at every hand to tear our familes apart. Realizing that we are all members of the family of God, inviting God's Spirit of sacrificial love, and discovering the power and mystery of that love to transform us will hold us together.

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    CUMC 52: "Win or Lose, It's How We Play the Game"
    February 4, 2007
    Successful living is not about winning, but having the desire to win.

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    CUMC 53: "Transforming the Disciples to the Mission Field" by Rev. Darryl Tate
    February 11, 2007
    Rev. Darryl Tate, Executive Director Louisiana Disaster Recovery Center talks about the call to discipleship. Many heard the call. They heard and came to help. Thank you.

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    CUMC 54: "Church: Doing .vs. Being" by Matt Lipan
    February 18, 2007
    Doing the motions of going to church is not the same as being the church for those around you.

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    CUMC 55: "Why Give Something Up for Lent"
    February 25, 2007
    It is in giving something up ex. our time for worship, prayer, reading scripture, etc., that we gain faith strong enought to meet the challenges of life.

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    CUMC 56: "Don't Admit a Thing"
    March 04, 2007
    When we confess our sins, we place our conscience under the compassionate gaze of God whose grace liberates us from the debilitating enslavement to our fears of condemnation.

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    CUMC 57: "Give In? I'd Rather Die!"
    March 11, 2007
    It is in the discipline of submission that we are liberated from the burden of always having to be right.

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    CUMC 58: "When One is Not a Lonley Number"
    March 18, 2007
    We need solitude in order to make a difference in the world.

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    CUMC 59: "Real Religion"
    March 25, 2007
    Real religion reaches out to the poorest of the poor and is not stained by materialism.

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    CUMC 60: "Praying Without Ceasing"
    April 1, 2007
    Prayer without ceasing means lifting all of our thoughts before God, the good and the bad, beautiful and ugly, so that God can transform our lives into the people God has envisioned.

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    CUMC 61: "The Object of Our Affection"
    April 8, 2007
    We worship the object of our affections. If it is physical it can be lost, stollen, or even reject us. Worshippiing God frees us from enslavement to self-interest and the fears of life.

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    CUMC 62: "Easier or Easter" by Bill Schwein
    April 15, 2007
    Life is hard. God doesn't make it easier; God gives us Easter.

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    CUMC 63: "The Best Gift We Can Give Them"
    April 22, 2007
    We think we know how to give good gifts to our children, but so many are material in nature. The best gift we can give our children is wisdom which is knowledge joined with understanding and rooted in God.

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    CUMC 64: "Dancing On A Treadmill" by Bill Schwein
    April 29, 2007
    God doesn't want our lives to be redundant. God wants our lives to be abundant.

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    CUMC 65: "It is No Secret"
    May 06, 2007
    The secret to life is no secret at all. The burden Christ gives us of love, honesty, reconciliation and forgiveness is lighter than the confining burden of hatred, deception, division and revenge.

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    CUMC 66: "Family Ties" by Jackie Chandler
    May 13, 2007
    The shortest path to peace in your life is to breath. Breath in the Spirit of God and exhale anxieties and pain.

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    CUMC 68: "The Finish Line"
    May 27, 2007
    To cross the line and finish the race as a disciple of Christ, we need to accept him as Lord and Savior; practice the disciplines necessary to nurture our faith; and ask others to support us in the race.

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    CUMC 69: "Common Ground"
    June 03, 2007
    In the midst of the polarization of our age, for people of faith the presence and power of the Holy Spirit can be the common ground upon which we stand.

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    CUMC 70: "Chancel Choir Cantata"
    June 10, 2007
    An end of season celebration of music by our Chancel Choir.

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    CUMC 71: "From Leaping to Limping"
    June 17, 2007
    Perhaps the single most important thing to do to keep romance in marriages alive is to care for our souls as a gift to the one we love.

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    CUMC 72: "Beyond Ordinary" by Rodney Frieden
    June 24, 2007
    Ever get tired of feeling ordinary? God calls us to be extraordinary, but can we get there? Elijah teaches us through his own example.

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    CUMC 73: "... and Some Doubted"
    July 01, 2007
    Learning to love the questions and gradually living into the answers leads us through doubt to faith.

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    CUMC 74: "Letters From the Front"
    July 08, 2007
    We make the mistake of identifying the great front as those overseas where indeed the enemies of peace may rest. However the great front is before us everyday as we do battle with those things that tempt us away from following Jesus Christ.

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    CUMC 75: "The Most Significant Question of All Time"
    July 15, 2007
    Do we live, especially in times of challenge when life is messy, in a way that is faithful to a God who is merciful and just?

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    CUMC 76: "Anyone for Fish?" by Rodney Frieden
    July 22, 2007
    Is God so hard to understand? The answer may surprise you.

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    CUMC 77: "Keep Your Chin Up" by Bill Schwein
    July 29, 2007
    Everyone could use an encouraging word.

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    CUMC 78: "Extreme Makeover"
    August 05, 2007
    When we accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives, we are in for an extreme makeover. It may happen in an instant, or as with so many of us, evolve over a lifetime.

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    CUMC 79: "A Biblical World View: The Fall"
    August 12, 2007
    Many Christians do not have a biblical world view and thus fail to recognize that while humankind may be good, it falls from God's grace whenever it chooses to be its own god. Such choices are made when we fail to live lives based upon God as the creator, fail the sacred trust to care for the world God has created, fail to love that which God has called very good, and fail to practice a humility that seeks to serve rather than be served.

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    CUMC 80: "A Biblical World View: Despair"
    August 19, 2007
    A biblical world view acknowledges the despair that arises from the struggle between competing saviors. The great lie of the Opposer is that being our own god is less confining and less heavy than the yoke and burden that goes with accepting and following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

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    CUMC 81: "A Biblical World View: Hope"
    August 26, 2007
    Central to a biblical world view is hope, a dominate theme throughout scripture, the ministry of Jesus, and the resurrection itself.

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    CUMC 82:"Labor Pains" by Bill Schwein
    September 02, 2007
    There are times when what we perceive to be the end, may really be a new beginning.

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    CUMC 83:"Cleaning Out the Attic"
    September 9, 2007
    Sometimes we treat our souls like our attics that become so full of stuff (sin, shame, guilt) we break beneath their weight. We can invite God into the attic of our souls and help us clean them out – let the old pass away that everything may become new.

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    CUMC 84:"The Gift of a Fresh Start"
    September 16, 2007
    Grace is a gift that not only helps us put the past behind, but gives us a gift of a fresh start - the old has passed away, behold everything has become new.

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    CUMC 85:"Grace: It's Not For Sale"
    September 23, 2007
    Grace is a gift, but it requires humility to receive it. It provides the courage and help for us to change those things in our lives that need to be changed so that we become the people God has created us to be.

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    CUMC 86:"Need a Creed?" by Bill Schwein
    September 30, 2007
    How would you complete this sentence: "I believe .... "?

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    CUMC 87: "Movin' On In: The Uncertainty of Change"
    October 07, 2007
    Change is a given in life. It is how we choose to handle it that decides whether it will be successful or not.

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    CUMC 88: "Movin' On In: What to Pack"
    October 14, 2007
    Wherever we move, whether into a new house of living or house of worship, we need to take with us an attitude of balance lest we miss the joy of the experience.

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    CUMC 89: "Movin' On In: When We Don't Want to Move"
    October 21, 2007
    When we are forced to move or change or adapt to something we did not want we have a choice on whether to face it with despondence and depression or faith and hope. When we choose faith we can look at what surrounds us differently, learn from others who have faced it, study the ways in which we can adapt to it, and respond to what may seem evil to us with good.

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    CUMC 90: "Movin' On In: Losing What's Familiar"
    October 28, 2007
    When change faces us in life that is good, the fear of making that change can scare us back to the familiar even when that means our own death.

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    CUMC 91: "Movin' On In: Thanks for the Memories"
    November 4, 2007
    Memories in leaving can play an important role in who we are and what we shall become.

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    CUMC 92: "Movin' On In: Celebrating the New Digs"
    November 11, 2007
    Let this new sanctuary be consecrated as a place of prayer, praise, reconciliation and discipleship.

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    CUMC 93: "Reasons a Cynic Can Give Thanks"
    November 18, 2007
    In the midst of cynical times we discover that God is no cynic and is using a few people to make a difference in the world.

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    CUMC 94: "Living In Between"
    November 25, 2007
    Living the moments of life in between the joys and challenges successfully requires us to care for our souls, care for our relationships, saying "yes" to what is right , and choosing an attitude of hope.

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    CUMC 95: "Finding Joy in Mudville at the Lost and Found"
    December 02, 2007
    Real Joy, contrary to what our culture says, is found in serving rather than being served.

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    CUMC 96: "Sing Noel! - A Cantata"
    December 09, 2007
    A Carol Service by Hal H. Hopson performed by the Chancel Choir and Orchestra.

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    CUMC 97: "Finding Joy in Mudville at the Obstetrician"
    December 16, 2007
    Sometimes joy does not come to us in the immediate but in the patient waiting.

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    CUMC 98: "Finding Joy in Mudville at Dawn"
    December 23, 2007
    “My tears may linger for the night but joy comes in the morning.” Christ has given the gift of salvation so that there is always joy and hope in the morning.

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    CUMC 100: "A Joy Indescribable"
    December 24, 2007
    The gift is beyond words - it is indescribable.

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    CUMC 101: "How Can A Dream Leave Footprints?" - by Bill Schwein
    December 30, 2007
    As we begin another Yew Year, it may be a good time for us to recall and act on our dreams.

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    CUMC 102: "The Year Has Passed. Thank God!"
    January 06, 2008
    Rooting our lives in regular worship, prayer, and meditation can help us find the joy in living no matter what the year may hold for us.

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    CUMC 103: "Knowing and Doing the Right Thing"
    January 13, 2008
    When we know the right thing to do we can do it when we surrender ourselves to the power of God's grace to get us there.

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    CUMC 104: "Should Our Political Leaders Be Christian?""
    January 20, 2008
    It is better that our political leaders wear their religions in their hearts than on their shirt sleeves. It is not so important that they be Christian than that they humbly seek to live by the teachings of Christ.

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    CUMC 105: "I've Got a Golden Ticket" -by Rodney Frieden
    January 27, 2008
    Have you ever wondered what your role as a servant of God should be? This fresh look at an old parable may help answer that question for you.

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    CUMC 106: "It Really Is All About Me, Isn't It?" -by Bill Schwein
    February 03, 2008
    It's no coincidence that illness starts with "i" and wellness starts with 'we.'

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    CUMC 107: "Has Victoria Secret Stolen Our Innocence?"
    February 10, 2008
    Innocence is stolen from us bit by bit in daily decisions about our children and ourselves that seem to us to be harmless.

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    CUMC 108: "Have We Forgotten How to Blush?"
    February 17, 2008
    We've so lowered the bar for decency that we've forgotten the creative way in which shame can change our lives and the lives of those around us.

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    CUMC 109: "Where Are They?"
    February 24, 2008
    Simple civility begins with us (Christians) and not them and is one of the many little things that will make us a better people.

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    CUMC 110: "A Reverence for Place"
    March 02, 2008
    It is important that Christians observe and teach a reverence (respect, awe and affection for God) for the sanctuary where we go, as a gathered community, to meet God.

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    CUMC 111: "The Healthy Choice"
    March 09, 2008
    The verdict is in - people who choose to predicate their lives on being a forgiving person live longer and are healthier. Jesus indicated this two thousand years ago that though it is a narrow gate and a hard road, entering is the choice that leads to life.

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    CUMC 113: "Living Without Fear"
    March 23, 2008
    Living without fear requires a foundation rooted in a love so perfect that fear has no presence; inviting others to help you stand against your fear; and owning the power of the resurrection for yourself.

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    CUMC 112: "A City in Hand is Worth More Than a Worm and a Bush"
    March 16, 2008
    God is able to look at what we think is hopeless and redeem it because God's imagination and power is greater than our own.

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    CUMC 114: "From an Empty Tomb to an Empty Pew" by Bill Schwein
    March 30, 2008
    The Sunday after Easter may be a good time to think about worship attendance.

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    CUMC 115: "Live to Give" by Kenn Kington
    April 6, 2008
    There are two kinds of people; those who live to give and those who live to take. Your decision will define the quality of your life.

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    CUMC 116: "Youth Sunday at Castleton"
    April 13, 2008
    Growing relationships by Ali Ostrom and Jeff Hetland.

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    CUMC 117: "Why I Am a United Methodist Christian"
    April 20, 2008
    The Top Ten Reasons I Am a United Methodist Christian.

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    CUMC 118: "The Power of Faith"
    April 27, 2008
    The power of faith is expressed in seed-sized steps not in super-sized efforts

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    CUMC 119: "Embarrassed by Life: Marriage"
    May 04, 2008
    Marriage like so many events in our lives will embarrass us. We can work at it in all the right ways, but when marriage is broken or fails, we need to remember that God and the community of faith is with us.

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    CUMC 120: "Embarrassed by Life: Family"
    May 11, 2008
    No matter how embarrassed we are by our family, God has suffered through it with us yet calls us his children. How does God do this, and what lessons might we learn in coping with our own families?

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    CUMC 121: "Embarrassed by Life: Economics"
    May 18, 2008
    When our economic situation in life embarrasses us, it is an opportunity for us to make some changes in our life by knowing who we are (our real priorities), how we feel about money, looking for the lifeline that God will be throwing us, and tithing (10% before taxes) for our sake and the sake of others.

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    CUMC 122: "Embarrassed by Life: Health"
    May 25, 2008
    So many people are embarrassed when they become sick. To overcome this embarrassment we need to reach out to others, let them embrace us, be sure caregivers take care of themselves and seek what God may expect of us during this time.

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    CUMC 123: "Accepting God's Challenge"
    June 01, 2008
    When we accept God's challenge to tithe, both as individuals and as a church, we avoid the curse of self-absorption and live the blessings that come from sharing with others.

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    CUMC 125: "Becoming a Contagious Christian Again: The Story"
    June 15, 2008
    Christians have a great story to tell to the world that god is light and in God there is no darkness. This light brings hope where there is despair, reconciliation where there is division, peace where there is war, forgiveness where there is vengeance. Once we accept our need to receiver the gift of God's love we cannot but help share this with others.

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    CUMC 126: "Becoming a Contagious Christian Again: The Story Teller"
    June 22, 2008
    In this highly politically charged year we must be careful lest people hide their political views behind Christian language and preach a gospel based on fear rather then hope. In the midst of those who pander to our fears we need to preach the gospel of peace over war; reconciliation over division; love over hate; and hope over despair.

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    CUMC 127: "Brand Loyalty" by Matt Lipan
    June 29, 2008
    When loyalty to the “Christian” brand pulls us away from the person and message of Christ.

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    CUMC 128: "Summertime and the Livin' Is Easy? Daylight Saving"
    July 06, 2008
    Summertime is not easy living' when we are so busy we can’t observe a Sabbath that reminds us that we can simplify our lives, develop new relationships while caring for the old ones, and walk as children of the light.

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    CUMC 129: "Summertime and the Livin' Is Easy? Play"
    July 13, 2008
    If our living is to be easier during any season of the year it means we must play not obsessively but in a way that will help us interact with nature, laugh, and care for ourselves physically.

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    CUMC 130: "Summertime and the Livin' Is Easy? Vacations"
    July 20, 2008
    Faith journeys look like great vacations that make our summertime living easier, make our lives easier when we trust God for the good in life; accept God's confidence in us to succeed; know that God will sustain us along the way; and guide us to a destination that will delight us.

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    CUMC 131: "Que Sera, Sera" by Jackie Chandler
    July 27, 2008
    What will be, will be. Jesus stayed in the moment during His time on earth. In the moment, God's presence will provide.

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    CUMC 132: "What? Are You Giving Up?" by Bill Schwein
    August 03, 2008
    God helps us hang on and hang in there.

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    CUMC 133: "In God We Trust"
    August 10, 2008
    Trusting in God permits us to let go of subjects and matters that have become too difficult for us and find contentment and peace in knowing we have done everything we can.

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    CUMC 134: "Not Seeing. Yet Believing"
    August 17, 2008
    Faith carries with it the willingness to take risks for what we believe; to trust what God envisions for us rather than what we envision for ourselves; and to tackle the what if, embrace the what is and move forward to the what will be.

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    CUMC 135: "Faith 101: Losing God in the Details"
    August 24, 2008
    We can take scripture so literally that we miss grandeur and wonder of God in the details.

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    CUMC 136: "Faith 101: Falling Again and Again and ...."
    August 31, 2008
    Sin is separation from God, others and ourselves. Sin is a word that helps us diagnose our spirit disease and permits God in whom there is no condemnation to heal us with a perfect love and move us in the right direction.

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    CUMC 137: "Faith 101: Here He Comes to Save the Day"
    September 07, 2008
    In the midst of our dark and shattered lives Jesus comes into the world as a light that dispels the darkness, and lifts the weight of judgment and guilt by giving us a loophole - grace upon grace.

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    CUMC 138: "Faith 101: Is Anybody There?"
    September 14, 2008
    Unanswered prayer is a reality of our lives generally because we want our prayers answered in the way we want and in the time frame we want. Waiting for God's time to answer our prayers means the answer will always be the right and good one even if we do not see it at the time.

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    CUMC 139: "Faith 101: It's a Hard Knock Life"
    September 21, 2008
    In the midst of the stale and dark air of confusion, greed, and arrogance the world throws at us, the Holy Spirit promises us a Holy Gentle Wind that comes to those who receive Christ as a breath of fresh air.

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    CUMC 140: "Allowing Time for Questions" by Bill Schwein
    September 28, 2008
    Christianity is about both asking and answering questions.

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    CUMC 141: "Something to Preach About"
    October 05, 2008
    When the storms assail us, be they economic, physical, or spiritual, and others are waiting for them to pass, Christians can learn to dance in the rain.

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    CUMC 142: "Running on Empty"
    October 12, 2008
    We are stretched from the demand of our life and we look to energize ourselves from every place else save the One that can assuage our thirst and feed our souls. To keep ourselves strengthened for life we need to seek wisdom, make the most of our time, and live with gratitude.

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    CUMC 143: "What Gets You Up Out of Your Chair?"
    October 19, 2008
    God can use what excites us, what gets us up out of our chair and involved in a way that not only makes us richer but others too.

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    CUMC 144: "Generosity in a Time of Scarcity"
    October 26, 2008
    We have a choice in all times and seasons whether to choose to be generous. The stories of scripture that we remember testify to lives of generosity.

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    CUMC 145: "When Jesus Preached His Sermon on the Amount" by Bill Schwein
    November 02, 2008
    Jesus pointed to a widow's meager offering as the model for our giving.

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    CUMC 146: "Pocket Change" by Matt Lipan
    November 09, 2008
    In a time when we hear so much about change, do we let Christ change us?

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    CUMC 147: "You Can Do It. We Can Help"
    November 16, 2008
    The scriptures remind us that we must work out our own salvation, and we can do it. They also tell us that we do not have to do it alone but have the help of scripture, our faith community and God.

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    CUMC 148: "A Sign of the Times"
    November 23, 2008
    Ingratitude is a spirit each generation must learn to resist. The antidote for infectious ingratitude is adopting the disciplines of gratitude for the basics of life, focusing more in things spiritual, and gratitude that simply God is.

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    CUMC 149: "Preparing the Way"
    November 30, 2008
    God has sent prophets who like John the Baptist have liberated people sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. Some of that prophet that is willing to challenge the status quo that dwells in darkness is in each one of us and Advent encourages us to use it in hope.

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    CUMC 150: "A Day That Will Live in Infamy"
    December 7, 2008
    Dealing with the infamous days in our lives i.e. the moments when we ha