Resurrection UMC Hastings

You may be familiar with the phrase, “Stop and smell the roses,” but do you ever consider how they came to bloom, or why flowers appear each spring? All around us, God provides the growth.

It would be easy to pre-judge this message and say it stinks, but then you’d be missing out on its relevance for growth as a Christian (hint: think fertilizer).

This past week, over 50 kids attended VBS each day at Resurrection from 9a to noon to explore the nature of God and have fun. Wondering what you missed? You’re about to find out.

The examples of our “little faith” in the Bible all share a common thread: they don’t stop Jesus from working. Because what matters most is not the size of our faith, but the size of our God.

We recognize our high school senior graduates, sharing some gleaned biblical wisdom that applies to all of us. It’s sage advice for living a good and fulfilling life today, and in the years ahead.

Pruning, i.e. removing dead or unusable growth, is how orchardists help fruit trees to produce more. God uses that same method to produce more spiritual fruit in our lives, maintained by staying connected with Jesus.

One way to increase the harvest is through square-foot gardening, i.e., using raised beds. Another is to plant more than once a year. The same applies to generosity: plant a lot, and do it more than once. Learn why that works.

It’s Mother’s Day this Sunday, but don’t expect a message about a mother’s love or about loving our own mothers. Instead, we focus on loving our mothers-in-law and on a farming/gardening practice called gleaning.

Gardening/farming all began in the garden (of Eden), making it the first (and oldest) profession. It was easy and good. Then sin entered the picture. The result? Now gardening/farming is a lot of hard work.

Jesus tells a parable about planting, and the disciples are like, “Huh?” So Jesus explains it: Good seeds + good soil = good growth, and an abundant harvest.