Sundays, Sept. 18, 25 and Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23
Every act of courage, no matter how great or small, takes place within the life of an ordinary woman or man. No one is born courageous. Instead, great men and women emerge, through the power of love and the beauty of friendship, when they stand up in the face of adversity and take on a challenge. Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher once said, “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Consider some of the courageous characters of the Bible. Moses is certain he has a speech impediment yet God’s faith in him gives him what he needs to stand before the most powerful man in the world and demand freedom for his people. David, a young shepherd boy, looks at Goliath the giant and sees not an obstacle to overcome but an opportunity for his unique and special gifts to be used in defense of Israel. Peter, brash, loud, but often filled with fear, finds the strength he needs to lead the church through the love he’s received from Jesus.
This sermon series will explore how courage is built by love and grace, faith and hope. It grows from that place deep within our souls where we know we are loved. So, as the psalmist wrote 2500 years ago, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.”
