RESOURCES
MESSAGE SERIES || Committed To Christ: Essential Practices of a Disciple
SERMONS
Our sermon resource provides access to the last six messages offered during worship. Our Sermon Archive provides access to messages offered over the past three months. While these are audio only, you may visit the Rayville UMC YouTube channel for the video version of these messages.
MOST RECENT SERMONS
Rev. Mike Palermo
April 4, 2021
If Jesus’ final words were “It is finished” (John 19:30) … “Into your hands I commit my Spirit” (Luke 23:46) and the Gospels ended there with his death, then our story and the story of Jesus’ life would truly be a tragic one. But, we are here this Easter morning because the story didn’t end – it was just beginning.
Rev. Mike Palermo
March 28, 2021
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels. When we are given details in this Gospel, you can rest assured there is an important reason. Until our reading today, Jesus has walked everywhere he went. There is a great lesson for us in understanding the significance of the donkey or to put it another way, the giving of the donkey for Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. How can a donkey be so important for our everyday lives?
Rev. Mike Palermo
March 21, 2021
Divine paradox is at the heart of our Gospel reading. And when it comes to divine paradox, we finite beings tend to have trouble understanding. The disciples clearly did not understand Jesus, at least not until the resurrection. What are we to hear that we should understand? What are we to do that we should be intentional about living into our faith? What is the role of the church here and now?
Rev. Mike Palermo
March 14, 2021
The heart of our reading today is a message that can be summarized in two words: “Jesus Saves!” How does that happen? As we’ll see, it is something that is offered to everyone but not everyone wants to be saved. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Choosing your rut carefully is choosing how you travel through time this side of heaven and that’s called life.
Rev. Mike Palermo
March 7, 2021
The religious leaders ask Jesus for a sign that gives him the authority to cleanse the temple. As it happens, they do not get the answer they expected and consequently reject the truth they receive. There is but one question that requires your direct and personal answer in order to understand the lesson for your lives in today’s Gospel reading: “What does making Jesus Christ, ‘Lord of your life’ mean?”
Rev. Mike Palermo
February 28, 2021
Jesus is in a difficult spot. One minute Peter confesses Jesus as Messiah and the next he is refusing to accept God’s divine plan of salvation has something to do with Jesus and the cross. Getting the disciples, getting you and I to be part of the mission is not going to be easy for Jesus.
Visit SERMON ARCHIVE for older sermons ::
Suggested Bible Readings for the Week of April 4, 2021:
Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; John 20:1-18
Bible Verses Theme
At Easter, God called forth a radically new life, overturning the power of death, and proclaiming the triumph of love. This is deeper than spring flowers and baby chicks. This is the in-breaking of God’s affirmation that love is stronger than death, and that life will triumph over the powers of empire. There is mystery here. No one sees the moment of resurrection, yet we experience the results of that moment. We trust that God alone can transform the moment of despair into a life of joy.