Sharon United Methodist - Southpark

Bad things happen to good people. People lose jobs, get sick, and ruin relationships. If God is good and can do anything, why do our prayers for help get no apparent response? Pastor Kyle helps us wrestle with the pain of unanswered prayer. Can we trust God when things do not go our way?

This week Pastor Lindsay presented us with a prayer challenge: to take the next step in communicating with God through prayer, whatever that looks like for each of us. She reminded us that it is easy to learn about prayer by reading scriptures or books, but that we only really get to experience a relationship with God in prayer by actually praying. Listen in for some encouragement and practical tips about how to take the next step on your prayer journey.

If God created the universe with specific “laws” such as gravity and electromagnetism, and if God is perfect, then things should run according to plan. God can wind up the cosmos like a clock and step away. And yet we pray, asking God to intervene in our less-than-perfect lives. Can God step in and “break” God’s own perfect physical laws to help us? What exactly does God do when we pray? Pastor Kyle invites us to peek behind the curtain for some answers.

This week Pastor Lindsay taught about how a critical aspect of prayer, which we sometimes overlook, is being quiet and simply listening to God. Using a story described in Acts 10 about how Peter had a vision from God and then practically weighed what God was saying through that vision, she spoke about us making space to hear God's voice and then properly evaluate what we think God might be saying. Then she encouraged us to practice as a church community-including in our gathering that day! Listen in and be challenged to maybe re-think what it means to pray.

There are friends who talk more about themselves than ask about us. There are friends who only reach out when they need something. And there are friends who will do anything for us. What kind of a friend are you? Pastor Kyle takes it up a notch, focusing on how we can be friends with God. Have you ever wanted a personal relationship with God? This message is for you.

Christmas has passed and a new year is here. If Jesus is the Best Gift, what does it mean for Jesus to be our hope? Hope drives us to do many things, but what is hope, really? Biblical hope is VERY different than how we ordinarily use the word hope today. Pastor Lindsay gives us several truths we can apply in 2020 by expounding on Romans 15:13. You're invited to see how hope and faith overlap in Scripture and how this hope is available to you.

Cabbage patch kids, tickle me Elmo, Furby, Nintendo Switch, Oculus Quest…what's the best Christmas gift you ever received? Pastor Kyle, not surprisingly, says Jesus is the best gift. The tricky part is whether or not we are ready to take it.

Almost half of America could not cover an unexpected $500 medical bill. 79 million of us are stuck in a chain of pain, having to decide whether to pay our medical bills this month or eat. Is there any hope? Pastor Kyle says absolutely YES. It is time to break the chain of pain!

Christmas: New Story Church December 8, 2019: Scott Osterburg by SouthPark Church

Retailers have been marketing Christmas since before Halloween. Now we are in full-blown Christmas mode! The pressure is on to find the perfect gifts for family and friends. Can we succeed? At what cost? Pastor Kyle helps us unpack what the BEST gift can be this year.

#religion #purpose #Gratitude #thankful

Purpose: Commitment | November 17, 2019 | Kyle Thompson by SouthPark Church

Passion fades sooner or later. Even the most inspiring parts of life lose their shine eventually. How do we shift from the excitement of "getting" to do something to the dreaded "having" to do it? Pastor Kyle helps us rediscover that which we thought we had lost.

As compared to most of the world, you are probably pretty wealthy—even though you may not feel like it. But that doesn’t mean we don’t still have money problems. A big part of trying to living our lives On Purpose, a topic we are thinking about as a community this month, is wrestling with how we should be handling our money. Are we, as people who are trying to follow Jesus, supposed to do anything different with our money than everyone else? How are we supposed to react to a culture telling us to earn and save as much as we can for ourselves? Check out this message Pastor Lindsay shared with us this week about re-centering our focus and moving towards generosity.

God is doing incredible things in Haiti. Each year, we take a day to celebrate previous trips to Haiti and also talk about what needs to be done in the upcoming year. How can you play a part of bringing God's love and provision to the people in Haiti. This year, we were challenged with "anyone can go to Haiti" and we can all play a role in loving our neighbors in Bayonnais. Check out this special Sunday message with Melissa MacIver, Ryan Rich and Pastor Kyle Thompson.

The Art of Neighboring: The Fear Factor: October 20, 2019: Kyle Thompson by SouthPark Church

The Art of Neighboring: The Time Barrior: October 13, 2019: Kyle Thompson by SouthPark Church

Jesus said the most important thing to do in life, after loving God, is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Of all the things Jesus could have ranked second, why that? He obviously hasn't met some of the people on my block! Pastor Kyle wrestles with the idea that life to the full depends on how we identify and treat our neighbors.

Wisdom: WIse Decisions | Kyle Thompson | September 29, 2019 by SouthPark Church

Wisdom: Sticks & Stones: September 15, 2019: Kyle Thompson by SouthPark Church