Dalton First United Methodist Church Podcast
Preparing for a New Season | Part 1 of It's a New Season - Pastor Steven Usry
Ever pondered the profound impact seasons have on our lives? Walk with us as Pastor Stephen Usry guides our exploration of life's seasons and their intimate connection to our spiritual journey.
Preparing for a New Season | Part 1 of It's a New Season - Pastor Steven Usry
Ever pondered the profound impact seasons have on our lives? Walk with us as Pastor Stephen Usry guides our exploration of life's seasons and their intimate connection to our spiritual journey.
Preparing for a New Season | Part 1 of It's a New Season - Pastor Steven Usry
You are listening to the Dalton First United Methodist Church podcast. To learn more about Dalton First United Methodist Church, visit us online at DaltonFUMCcom. We hope that today's message from Pastor Stephen Usry inspires and encourages you.
Speaker 2:I want to say again a word of welcome to those who are worshiping with us online. There's a lot of folks who worship with Dalton First online I was one of those last week but also those who are worshiping with us via our televised broadcast. Thank you for inviting us into your home. We don't take that lightly at all. When you're ever in the area, we would invite you to come and worship with us. God is doing a good work here in this church.
Speaker 2:This morning, we're starting a brand new series and the series is called. It's a New Season. We're going to be talking about the season that is upcoming for us personally, corporately. Inside your worship guide, I always provide an outline, so I want to invite you to turn deep into that worship guide, almost to the last page there, maybe, grab a pin in the seat back in front of you there Maybe circle some words, underline some things. Maybe even the most important things would be what you write in your margin. Now, most of you will recognize that that outline looks a little different today. There's no fill in the blanks. There's actually a notes section. I just invite you to engage, however you will. It's a little different message that I want to share with you today as we begin this brand new series.
Speaker 2:Guys, when we move into this season of fall I don't know about you it seems to me, as I've gotten older, the way I look at fall changes a little bit, and what I mean by that is I don't feel like fall really begins until after Labor Day. It seems like kids are getting back into school in August, but after Labor Day everybody starts thinking about the fall season. By the way, in this area, this little spot on the globe, we can really experience the seasons, can't we? I mean, we have a real autumn, we have a real spring, we have a real summer, we have a real winter around. I'm looking forward to experiencing that in Dalton for the very first time. You know, we can feel the change of the season, literally feel it. We get a little colder and we have to turn on the heat in our houses. There's moments to start snuggling up. I'm going to be honest with you. My wife keeps the air conditioner so cold in my house. Last night I looked at her and said babe, look at me, I'm wearing my winter pajamas. So things are already changing right. Leaves fall, temperatures start to drop and all of a sudden, what do you and I start thinking? Let's find some way to get to some apple orchards right and we're going to do some pumpkin picking.
Speaker 2:Fall is a beautiful, beautiful season, but it's not the only seasonal change that we face. The reality is you and I go through seasons all the time. I think the way God works in our world with seasons really reminds us about in our life we're going to have different seasons. If you know me well at all, you know that my wife and I have just come through a season of transition and change. Talk about a big season. My wife retired right 31 years as a teacher in the school system. That's a big seasonal shift. At the same time, I took a new appointment to come and be your pastor. We moved our house. You know what that reminds me of is that sometimes seasons we see those in our family and sometimes even a husband and wife or even our children, can be in different seasons than we are. Right, we go through different seasons.
Speaker 2:I wonder if you thought very much and that's why we're doing this series about the season that you're about to enter into, the next season of your life. You know, I believe we have to go through various seasons in our lives to grow and to mature. There are going to be seasons that you will experience of grief and happiness. There will be seasons of celebration and there will also be seasons of waiting. There will be seasons, sometimes, of loneliness. Sometimes it will seem like you're in a season of work, work, work, and then sometimes there will be a season of a little bit of play right or a little bit of relaxation.
Speaker 2:I was talking to somebody this morning who just retired, not long ago. That's a new season, don't you agree? Totally new season of life. How about this one? Have you, or you anything like me, have you noticed that some seasons fly by? I mean, it seems like the RPM of our lives gets so fast and you can journey through three or four or six months. Where did that year go right? And there are some seasons. I think, if we're honest right Am I the only one that it's slow. It seems like that season's never going to get over.
Speaker 2:Guys, I'll say it again I think we go through different seasons in our personal lives, in our spiritual lives, so that we will grow and mature. There are going to be moments where finances are good and there's going to be moments when finances are tight and tough. There's going to be moments when our health is strong and there's going to be moments when we have some maladies. We go through now notice very contrasting seasons. Not every season is the same and sometimes one season right next to the other can look very, very different. We are entering into a new season, you are entering into a new season. This church is entering into a brand new season. So for the next four weeks, I want to talk to you about this season and how, especially today, how you're preparing for this season and how you're growing in this season and how you're serving in this season. We're just going to think together about the fall that we are moving into. By the way, I know I talked about football during the children's sermon, but one of the reasons that I love the fall is football.
Speaker 2:By the way, I figured out that Dalton is a football town, am I right? Yeah, there are people in this town who absolutely love football. When I was first coming to Dalton, robin Lindsay pulled me aside. Robin Lindsay, if you don't know who I'm talking about, he is a beloved pastor of this church. Served this church for seven years. He's been a family friend of mine for 30 years.
Speaker 2:Then Robin pulled me aside and he said, stephen, now you have moved to Northwest Georgia. You're going to be up here. When you get close to the Tennessee border, the football fans change. I said what do you mean, robin? He said there's really going to be a mixture. Up here, you got your Georgia fans, you got your Georgia Tech fans, you got your Alabama fans, your Tennessee fans. It's really a mixture. It ain't like down in Atlanta. That's what he said to me. I think he's right. I'm meeting people Auburn graduates here in our church. We've got lots of fans.
Speaker 2:Anyway, let's get back. The football is a big deal and football is in full sway right now. It's in full swing. But one of the things I love about football by the way, I see you out there, coach. I thought about you when I was preparing this message, one of the greatest sitting out there. You know, football is a beautiful thing because when you enter into a new season, hope springs eternal. You don't know how exactly it's going to go. You know you're going to compete, you know you're going to do your best, you know you're going to prepare and you know you're going to work hard, but you really don't know what ups and downs are going to come your way in a given football season. But one thing you definitely know is you will not do well in the season if you don't work, if you don't prepare. If you don't work in the off season, if you don't get big on the weight room, okay, I'll get off the football thing, but there you have to prepare. If you're going to enter into a season of fruitfulness, you are not going to win if you don't prepare.
Speaker 2:One time Paul was writing a letter to a church that he founded in Greece. There's a town called Corinth, and Paul was trying to share this idea with them. It was a church that was kind of struggling with some issues and Paul wrote those words that Eva read a few moments ago for us. I want to lean back into those words for a minute, because what Paul was sharing was all about preparing. Listen to Paul's words.
Speaker 2:He says Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run but only one gets the prize? You know, in my outline I underlined those first few words. Do you not know? This is Greece, guys, this is where the Olympic games were born, this is. They know sportsmanship, they know games, they know competition. He's speaking to the choir, if you will, and he asked a very rhetorical question Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one's going to win the game? It's his way of saying I know, you know this, you know this about races, you know this about runners, but do you know this about your life? He goes on and he says it this way run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. You know, I believe the Holy Spirit was inspiring Paul to write these words to these Corinthian folks that he cared for and he loved very dearly. But I hope you understand that all of a sudden Paul, as he's writing this letter, gets into this sports thing.
Speaker 2:I circled 18, at least 18 words in this one passage of Scripture, 18 words where he's trying to get this image into these people's hearts and in their lives, this image of not just competing but working and preparing and having discipline in a way that when they compete they are bringing their best words like run, race and a crown and a prize and a box and a fight. There's so many words in this passage. What he's saying is if you are going to run this Christian life well, you have to prepare and work with discipline, in a way where you are giving your best. It won't happen by accident. It won't happen by accident. It's preparation that makes all the difference.
Speaker 2:He goes on, he says it this way. He says, therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly. I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and I make it my slave so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. You know, let me give you a little metaphor for what I'm talking about this morning, and I'm gonna surprise him. He doesn't know. I'm gonna pick him out, okay, but Matthew and Matthew's one of our newest staff additions Matthew's doing a great job, don't you guys agree? He's done a great job leading our choir. Come up here, matthew, and if you will turn this, I'm gonna let him speak from this microphone real quickly. He doesn't know he's about to be tested. Oh no, matthew, you a runner.
Speaker 1:Not currently. I told the truth, yeah.
Speaker 2:If I asked you to run a mile right now, could you run a mile I?
Speaker 1:could, but it would take longer than I would like.
Speaker 2:If I asked you to run five miles, could you run five miles right now? Ooh, I don't know. Should I ask your wife, matthew, if I asked you to run 10 miles right now, could you run that 10 miles? No, oh, maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way.
Speaker 1:No, we're thinking about this, the wrong way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what if I told you that I would give you $100,000 if you ran 10 miles? Oh Right now I'd probably run really fast. Could you make it 10 miles? Oh, absolutely with $100,000. You think you could do it. Oh, absolutely, show me the money. Now I'm gonna push you a little bit more, okay.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, are we having fun.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, we're having a great time. Matthew, we're gonna talk about a marathon. Have you ever ran a marathon?
Speaker 1:I have not.
Speaker 2:How many miles is a marathon, Matthew?
Speaker 1:Ooh like 20, 20.
Speaker 2:I'll run for it 26.2. 26.2 miles, 26.2. Now today, today, if I had $100,000 on the line no walking could you run 26.2 miles. I think 100,000's a little low. Okay, all right, but can I give you a break you can give?
Speaker 1:me a break, maybe, maybe five breaks.
Speaker 2:If I told you that we would make the same deal. But I'm gonna give you four months to train and in four months, if you can run 26 miles, I will give you $100,000. Would you make that deal?
Speaker 1:I could possibly make it happen.
Speaker 2:You think you'd do it? I think.
Speaker 1:I'd do it.
Speaker 2:What would you have to do to make that work?
Speaker 1:I would have to train and eat and sleep and pray.
Speaker 2:You did good. You all give Matthew a hand. Here's the big point, church. Here's the big point. There's a big difference between trying and training. If I looked at Matthew and I said need you to go out and run 10 miles, 20 miles, 26.2 miles? Let's be honest, if he's not prepared, he can try all he wants, but his wife's gonna be pretty disappointed Cause he hasn't trained. But it is an amazing thing that can happen in our lives. When we prepare, when we train and when we train well, we can do amazing, amazing things.
Speaker 2:But it takes work and we know what Paul is saying. He's saying listen, we're running in one of the most important races ever. We need to run. Well, he's thinking about Jesus, who ran this phenomenal race and gave us eternal life, who is the pioneer of our faith. Right, and we are just running after him. He's saying to you and to me listen, you know what. I'm not gonna be disqualified for this thing. I'm gonna beat my body, I'm gonna make myself a slave. I will not be disqualified. I'm gonna run the race that God has marked out for me as best I can run it, and he's only gonna be able to do that if he works and prepares hard. You know church.
Speaker 2:The reality for us is that this church is in a new season. Not long ago, we went through a very hard time. We went through some painful loss in the earlier part of this year. There was confusion, there was concern, but now it's a new day and I don't know if you experienced, but there's joy and happiness in this place. There's hope for the future. There's no longer all that deep worry and confusion or care or concern in that way. Now folks are going what's God got in store? Let me say that a little differently. You got a new coach. Is that true? You got a new coach. You got some new players. You got some new leaders. We even got some new staff on board. Right, we've got a new day.
Speaker 2:That has dawned, and one of the things that is so very important for this next season of our ministry is that we get incredibly clear about God's call, god's vision, god's preferred picture of our kingdom influence in this community, and so when we talk about it being a new season, I hope you're thinking on this very personal level. God, how can I grow in this latter part of 2023? How can I serve, how can I learn, how can I give myself to the most important things, but I hope you're also thinking on a corporate level because, guys, together we want to begin to move forward as a church towards God's vision for our future. You know, let me be very clear to you the things that are going on in this church right now, the things that are happening in our staff culture, the things that are happening and the new people are we're bringing onto the team, even the events that we hold and the way we do worship and discipleship. There is nothing that we are doing that is not purpose-filled. We are trying to be purpose-filled in everything we do, because the reality is there's a rebuilding that we have to do of this church that God has had in this community as a beacon of light for a long period of time, and now it's our race.
Speaker 2:This week I was talking to a brand new person in our church and I loved the way she put it. She wasn't here back in the earlier part of this year. She's come and joined our family and she's a part of the life and enjoying the life-giving nature of our church. And she pulled me aside one day and she said something and I guess I never thought I'd hear somebody say, but it made me ponder and think and think and think. She said, pastor Stephen, I am so glad that God has called me and my family here for this very moment as we are rebuilding God's work here in this particular church. And then she said this, she said this who gets to do that? Not everybody gets to be a part of a rebuilding and part of a revisioning and a re-imaging and a re-understanding and a re-desertment of what God has for us. And I was sitting there listening to her. I was blessed because here, out of her mouth, was this beautiful picture of faith and excitement and hope for the future.
Speaker 2:And how can I be a part of that? You know I've got to close our message because the most important thing we're going to do here today is Holy Communion. But let me close it by saying this If you were to say to me right now, pastor Stephen, how can I come aboard, how can I roll up my sleeves and be a part of this good work that God has in front of us? How can I help in the next season, even as we prepare for a next season of fruitfulness, what can I do? I was thinking about that as I was crafting this message and you know what my mind went back to. My mind went back to the five-fold commitment that we make in membership when we join God's church here. If you don't know what those are, I invite you to grab your pen, maybe write in the margin what these five things are, because you want to prepare for the next season of ministry around here. I think it's just that simple Five things that you can say. If I'm doing these five things, I am doing my part on the team to help us prepare for the next season of ministry.
Speaker 2:Prayers I'm going to give them to all five, to you real quickly, right. Prayers, presents, gifts, service and witness If you're praying for the church, you're praying for your family. You're taking prayer very seriously. This is running the race. If you're present, if you're present when the doors are open and the family of God is gathering yeah. If you're on vacation or you're sick, that's alright. Worship with us online. Otherwise, if you're in town, be here, right, be present. Prayer's present, gifts Every one of us have gifts Natural talent, spiritual gifts, resources to be able to share and advance what God is doing. Service I hope you got ahold of that ministry catalog we just released. It has all kinds of service opportunities inside the church and to our local community. Serving is a deeply important part of the Christ life.
Speaker 2:And that last one witnessing Sharing your faith. Sometimes people get they get a little tense about what that means to share your faith. Can I just be? Can I be real? Let me be as simple as I know how you know what witnessing is. It's telling people what God's done for you and what he's doing right now. That's what witnessing is Telling what Jesus has done for your life and what he's doing today, being a witness.
Speaker 2:Well, paul was talking to the church in Corinth and later on he was writing to the church in Philippi, and I put that scripture in your outline as well. And what I want to point out to here is that Paul never said, oh, I'm done. Paul never said I'm retired, I graduated. Paul never said well, I've received my crown. Never, paul said no matter how old I get, I'm still on a journey. Listen to his words. Got some of the same racing sports metaphors.
Speaker 2:To the church in Philippi, he said not that I have already obtained this, by the way. What is this? He had just talked about knowing Jesus in the deepest places, in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing with the sufferings. He says, not that I've already obtained that stuff or I've already arrived at my goal, but I press to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it, but one thing I do forgetting what is behind and straining think of that runner pressing, straining towards what is ahead. I press towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus Church. I hope that's what we're doing. I think it's about time we rip off the rear view mirror. It doesn't matter what's behind us, right. What matters is where God is calling us towards the future.
Speaker 2:As I close this message, can I just share one last piece of that scripture. Would you look back at that scripture one more time? That last line, I think we can read it so quickly. But can we just sit in that little line for a minute? I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward. I've read that scripture so many times and this week, when I read that scripture, I just got stuck. I got stuck on that one phrase for which God has called me heavenward. You know God's intention for every one of us is that when this life is over, and it will be so quick that we step into an unchangeable eternity with Him. That's God's will for every one of us. He's called every person in this place heavenward.
Speaker 2:I just wanted to say talk about new seasons. If you've never given your life to Christ, if you've never understood that there is a path, that there is a plan, that there is an eternity that God has prepared for you, if you've never given your life to Jesus. Today, hear the invitation of God. God has a place for you. He has a home for you. This life is just the warm-up. It's not even the real deal. The real life is to come.
Speaker 2:Make sure that you've given your faith and your trust to Christ. No better time than to receive Holy Communion and say God, forgive me. Forgive me a sinner, write my name in the Lamb's Book of Life. Today I put a stake down, a stake of faith. I believe in you, jesus. Give your life to Christ and you will one day receive that heavenly reward. Would you bow your heads with me, lord? We are all moving into a brand new season in many different ways, but we certainly are as a church. God, we pray you would help us prepare well for this next season. God, give us discipline, help us to be a people of prayer, to be a people of presence, to be a people of gifts and service and witness. God, we pray your blessing over our family. We pray your blessing over our church. And, most of all, god, we thank you for your good, good salvation, your victory that you've given to us. Let us live in that. In the name of Christ Jesus, we pray amen.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Dalton First United Methodist Church podcast. If today's sermon resonated with you, we encourage you to share it with someone who might benefit from the message. Join us for worship and stay connected at daltonfumccom. God bless and see you next week.