Homecoming - October 9, 2011

Sunday School

Galatians 3:1-29

"The Law & Faith of Jesus Christ"

By faith you are accepting what Jesus has done for you.  Receive Him as the only one who can save you from sin and live out your faith by obeying His commands.

You faith should express itself in your actions.

Everything you've received is a gift from God not by works.

Sometimes we have faith in God but are insecure in it because faith alone seems to easy.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

The law is a curse but we are redeemed through Jesus.

We have faith from the seed of Abraham's obedience to God.

We have Abraham's blessing from God passed to us .... what a comforting promise, a great heritage for us and a solid foundation for living.

Faith is the only way to be saved.

Sermon

Luke 9:16-17

Verse 16:  Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven and asked God's blessing on the food.  Breaking the loaves into pieces, He kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples to give to the people.

Verse 17:  They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!

Subject: You Do The Math

God is the giver of every good and perfect gift.

Discipleship is not a spectator sport but total hands on.

Go into the vineyards .....

Jesus had already given the disciples power to heal and cast out demons but they were afraid to feeding the 5000.

We are more than conqueror.

Ephesians 5:15-17 - (15) So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. (16) Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. (17) Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.

God wants us to use what we have.

"Give God the praise"

Avail yourselves to be used by God.

Homecoming 2011

The African American church homecoming stems from the root word "home."  In our communities, the word home means more than a physical place.  It's more than a plot of land or a house.  It's also more than a family or church. It's all of that, but much more.

For us, home is a continuum of experiences, a celebration of memories, interactions and a cacophony of feelings.  To us home is a human library of hopes, dreams, disappointments, failures, successes and achievements, personal and public.

Every now and then, we are compelled to go back to the old landmarks and fixed places to commune together.  So when the call goes out announcing the homecoming celebration, it's steeped in history and tradition, with precious memories of loved ones, culture and faith, with the anticipation of love, much laughter, rebirth, renewed spiritual fellowship and great food.

With that said, historic Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in our 124th Anniversary year, extends to each and every one of you, a warm and heartfelt welcome.

Homecoming  Sermon

Rev. John H. Holmes, Jr

1 Kings 18:20-24

Subject - "God Can Light Your Fire"

Elijah stood all by himself (with God on his side)

God takes care of His own.

God got Ahab's attention with a three year drought because he refused to obey the commands of God and worshipped false idol, Baal.

Elijah stood against Ahab's 450 prophets with a challenge to the people to follow God or follow Baal but they were silent.

We have two choices: 

1. What is real    2. What is counterfeit

1. The Bible   2. Your horoscope

1. Are you hot   2. Are you cold

As the challenge began, the 450 prophets prepared their bull to the alter, prayed all day to Baal, even shouted for him to awaken, to no avail.

Elijah called to the people to come over to his area where he placed 12 stones to build an alter then dug a trench around the alter where he poured water into the trench. He had water poured over the bull's prepared body three times where it overflowed into the trench.

At the customary time for evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet prayed, 

"O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant.  Prove that I have done all this at your command.  O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to Yourself."

Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the bull, wood, stones and the 

Serve God with all your heart, soul and mind.dust.