Peace Seymour Weekly Messages

Shine : Walking Together - Acts 8:26-38

We often think of evangelism as coming down to a single moment. As a one-time opportunity that we say our piece, then we pack it up and call it a job well done. Yet, often people come to their own conclusions. They walk through their life alone, seeking whatever truth they may come to, without the help and guidance of others. As people of faith, we know that our God walked with us. We also, ought to walk with others through this life, guiding them into the truth even as we have been guided by those pointing us to Jesus. We are not to simply evangelize once, but we are to walk and be intimately involved in the lives of others, waiting for opportunities to find the cracks that the light of the Gospel might shine into.

Shine : Talking About Jesus - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

We often make mistakes when proclaiming the Gospel. We either think we need to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, killing people with the law and speaking them to life with the Gospel. Or we get uncomfortable, shy, and we don't end up saying anything. In our world today, neither are probably helpful in proclaiming the truth about Jesus. Rather, we ought to be unafraid to speak the truth, clearly and comprehensibly that others may hear. At the same time, we don't have to shove it down people's throats. This comes down not to putting our trust in our testimony or our ability to reason and speak with others, but to God's power that is displayed in our weakness. We are to be a winsome, authentic, humble witness, who boasts in Jesus' power over our own.

Shine : Being With Others - Luke 15:1-7

We often want to be present with others that we want to be present with. It's easy for us today to disconnect or distance ourselves from those that we don't want to be close to. We "forget" to text back, we walk down the other aisle at the grocery store, and we generally avoid and ignore those we'd prefer not to be close with. Jesus does the opposite. Jesus invites the broken, the hurting, the undesirables to approach him. He even eats and drinks with them! Yet he does so for the purpose that they who are lost in the darkness of this world, might be found in him. Jesus does not lower his standards for his followers or compromise his values, yet he interacts with, comes to, and even loves the sinner. Even us!

Shine : Shining Light Into the Dark - John 4:7-29

This world is dark, cold, and full of suffering. Anyone can see that. This world is not a happy place. Bad things happen. Mistakes are made. Powerful people control the world and the weak are caught in the cross-fire. For many, this world is dark. People try to find the light, yet all light seems, at some point, to fade. Is there hope in this world? Yes, there is hope. This hope shines into the world through little small places. Hope shines through in the midst of tragedy. In the good things that happen that are just too good to be true. In the parts of life where the transcendent and divine come down to light up our world. That hope is only found in Jesus, in his person, promises, and through his people.

First Day Fears : Forgetting Something - Isaiah 44:21-22

It's easy to forget a lot of things. In the mess of life, we often lose sight of and forget the implications and truths that come with God's promises. We see difficulty and hardship in front of us, we go through tough stuff, and when that happens, we can sometimes forget that we are God's children and we are confident in his promises. God calls us to remember. Throughout the Bible, 'remember' is the echoing command of God to his people, because it reminds us of who he has been, and who he will continue to be for us. We remember that we are called to be God's children, that we are redeemed and saved by the Gospel, that we are forgiven, and that we have the promise of eternal life, with Jesus, forever. We also remember that we are called to live as his servants as we share the truth of the Gospel and live as a follower of Jesus.

First Day Fears : Failing Out - Matthew 25:31-46

Often in life, we think it comes down to us to succeed. We think and act as if it depends on us to do enough. To make ourselves good enough. To achieve and be successful, whether that's in our work, our family, or as a follower of Jesus. We often act like it all comes down to us. The truth is, it's all about what Jesus has done, not us. Jesus' success overcomes and erases our failures. We have no fear of failure, because Jesus has won for us. Even if our life looks rough. Even when we fail to love and serve our neighbor. Even when we are failures in work, at home, or in our faith walk, Jesus gives us his success and victory, as those whom he has called his own.

First Day Fears : Fitting In - Galatians 3:23-29

There's always cliques, groups, and clubs that we want to be in and a part of. We want to fit in. Yet much of the time, we don't, or we exclude those who don't fit what we want to see. We often can feel alone, excluded, and left out at school, in our community, even at church. Even so, Jesus always has a place for us. We are welcomed into the greater family of the church! Jesus has made us a part of something much greater, and even as we have been accepted by God, we are to also welcome and accept others, regardless of who they are, what they look like, or what they can offer.

The Good Samaritan - [Pastor Gene Ernst] Luke 10:25-37

Pastor and Orphan Grain Train - Indiana Branch Manager in Jonesville, Gene Ernst, joins us to share how Jesus intended us to love one another, and also, how he has loved us in an even greater way! Pastor Ernst will walk us through the parable of the Good Samaritan, and encourage us as we love our neighbors as Jesus has called us to do, even as he has loved us in a deeper, wider, and more powerful way through his life of service, his death, and his resurrection! Join us as we dive in to discover who our neighbor is, and what we can do for them!

What the Bible Doesn't Say : “God Only Gives You What You Can Handle” - Galatians 6:1-10, 14-18

We often hear it said that God doesn't give us more than we can handle. Yet, life often dumps much more than we feel like we can handle in our laps. The issue becomes that we are forced to look inwardly to bear our burdens, and yet we cannot do it. There are some things for us that are too much to bear. Jesus has borne all our sins and sorrows. We are freed from our burdens of sin by Jesus. In the same way, we are to alleviate the burdens of others. As Jesus has carried our burdens, we are to trust others to help us in our need, especially those in our family of faith, and we are to bear their burdens as well. Knowing that one day, Jesus will take away all burdens from us, and free us to live with him for eternity in the new creation.

What the Bible Doesn't Say : “When God Closes a Door, He Opens a Window” - Jeremiah 20:7-13

Often in life, we think God will work good in our lives no matter what. If you look at the life of Jeremiah, you can see that that's really not the case. Yes, we have hope in Jesus after this life, but that doesn't mean life is going to be good. We will experience hardship and difficulty and we may even have horrible and senseless things happen to us. We can be tempted to think that God will eventually give us something good, but that's not his promise. God's promise is this, that he has saved us in Jesus, and that he will return soon to fulfill his plans for you, me, and everyone. We can rejoice in the truth that God will work his ultimate good (and so ours), even if we have a life full of suffering and pain. Our current or future situation, good or bad, does not reflect God's love for us, we see that in Jesus, who will fulfill his ultimate purpose for all things when he returns.