Zion Methodist Community Church

06/17/2026

Responses to Hard Truths

Jeremiah 26:1-19 – What do you do with the teachings that do not line up with your current thinking or practice? People will point out inconsistencies in our beliefs. What do we do?

The prophet Jeremiah goes to the Temple and shares what God told him. This message was difficult because it spoke of the destruction of a place of worship and a city that was revered. God gave the message to Jeremiah in hopes that the people would repent and turn back to Him, but the religious people grabbed Jeremiah and were prepared to hurt him. As the ruckus grew, more people joined in condemning Jeremiah. Then the officials came to Jeremiah’s defense, along with the respected elders, to calm things down.

Why do we react harshly to some teachings and not to others?
What do you do with the words of others that cause a reaction within your heart?

06/16/2026

Teaching Our Family

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 – We pass on to our children many things, so we intentionally teach, and others are caught rather than taught. We may take our children hunting and fishing, where we teach them safety techniques. At the same time, we may unintentionally teach shortcuts that undermine those techniques because we have them as our foundation and assume everyone does.

Moses teaches the Israelites, as they are in the wilderness and preparing to enter the land God promised them, that they need to take time to teach their children who God is and what He has done. They need to teach their children not the shortcuts but the basics of God’s love, and how He has been with them through their time in Egypt and is fulfilling His promises, so they will follow God and continue to be blessed.

How do shortcuts hinder people?
What shortcuts have hindered people’s faith in God?

06/15/2026

A Light to Guide

Psalm 119:105-112 – Flashlights are very useful. All of us have been in some dark places where a flashlight guided us to safety. It could have been during a storm when the power was knocked out. It could have been at night, and we needed to go down a path with no lights.

Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. God’s word gives us light and leads us to safety when life is dark and chaotic. We may be uncertain about our next steps, but as we seek God through His word, we can see part of the way. We may want certainty and clarity, but that is not what God provides. He provides the next step. The question really becomes, will we take that step?

When has God’s word been that light for you?
What do you need to do to see God’s word as a light for your path?

06/14/2026

Our Journey for June 15 – June 21, 2026

Over the summer, we take time to dig into one book of the Bible. This summer, we will go through Colossians. Colossians is a letter Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, located in Asia Minor, more specifically near Ephesus.

The church in Colossae was not started by Paul. It was started by Epaphras, a faithful minister whom Paul knew and trusted. It was written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome around 60 A.D. Paul wrote this letter to combat some false teaching that had infiltrated the church in Colossae.

As you can imagine, it is hard for Paul to write to a church that he didn’t start to correct teaching that was taking followers of Jesus away from Jesus. Paul struggled to correct the Corinthian church he had founded. My prayer is that as we walk through Colossians, we will hear Jesus speaking to us.

~ Pastor Seth

06/14/2026

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

A Living Faith

John 15:1-17 - Jesus describes a way to live in connection with him and the Father. It starts with abiding in him. The word "abide" is not used much in our language today. Abide means to live or dwell. Jesus is saying that we should live with him.

The way to do that is to live in his love, which is the Father’s love. The Father loves us deeply, and we can see that when we see His gifts, protection, and guidance. When we see how others love us, we catch a glimpse of the Father’s love. It is a glimpse because God’s love is much deeper and stronger than the love others have for us. His love saves us from our sin and provides us with an eternal home.

What does God’s love look like?
How do we abide in God’s love?
What can we do today to show God’s love to other people?

06/12/2026

Live with Jesus

Romans 6:1-11 – There are some people whose logic goes beyond our own. Paul is one of those people for me. He has a logical understanding of Jesus that draws us closer to him.

His letter to the church in Rome gives us an insight into his thoughts. He has been building up to this point of dying to sin and living for Jesus. Part of his argument is that we all have sinned and fall short of God’s expectations. God’s love for us did not leave us in that place; He sent His son, Jesus, to provide a way for us to be with Him. When Jesus died, he took the penalty of our sin so we could live. Paul lays out more reasons as to why we should follow Jesus and live differently.

Why should we stop living in sin?
How can we stop living in sin?

06/11/2026

Who Will Live With Us?

John 14:15-21 – One of the fears many people have is being totally alone and isolated. There is something within us that wants to be seen and known. It is one of the reasons why kids will throw temper tantrums. They want the attention of the adult who loves them.

Jesus understood his disciples. The last three years have been a special time for them as they lived life together. Jesus knows his time is drawing to a close. So, he lets the disciples know his Father’s plan to give them someone else who will walk with them and guide them on their journey.

This person is the Holy Spirit and will enable them to do more than He could. How? Part of it is that the Holy Spirit is not limited. As the disciples would go in different directions, the Holy Spirit would be with each of them.

What does the Holy Spirit do for each of us?
How does the Holy Spirit empower us to follow Jesus?

06/10/2026

A Peaceful Existence

Isaiah 11:1-9 - One of the plant images given of Jesus comes from the prophet Isaiah. He shares how a shoot will come from the root of Jesse. This is a reference to Jesus’ connection to David, who was the greatest king of Israel, known for his leadership of the nation and his love for God. The prophecy states that the Spirit of God would be on this shoot and would usher in peace, among other things.

The image of peace comes from animals that don’t go together. One of those images is the wolf living with the lamb. In the world we live in, the wolf hunts and eats the lamb, but Jesus would create a place where they would live together in peace and thrive. We know that Jesus will do this when He returns.

What part of Isaiah’s prophecy do you connect with?
How does this prophecy nourish your soul?