Love in Deed is Love Indeed!
What is Love? This question has been addressed in countless sermons, but it’s something that we constantly need to struggle to grasp. “Love in Deed is Love Indeed.” True love is an action (a “deed”). This post uses this simple play on words to think about this critical topic.
Read MoreLove- Where the Rubber Meets the Road
“Random Acts of Kindness”!?! Kindness” (or Love) should be at the core of a disciple’s day to day living. Active Love is continual contact with other people as we travel down life’s road. Love is where the rubber meets the road.
Read MoreShare a Burden or Carry a Grudge?
We carry a lot of things. Sometimes we carry a grudge against someone; we just don’t like them because of something they did long ago. But we can also carry a burden for someone; we share their burden and show them love because God loves us. What are you carrying?
Read MoreGod’s Love Story (2/12/17)
Valentine’s Day! Love!!! What is Love? More importantly, what is God’s Love? In this sermon Pastor Jim took a look at the book of Hosea to see a demonstration of what God’s love looks like.
God is crazy in love with you. Will you return that love? Will you accept Him into your heart? He wants to forgive you and begin a relationship with you right now. What does this story in Hosea teach us about that love?
Thread ‘n Yarn Ministries Extend God’s Love (2/19/17)
Colorful Ministry on Display When we arrived in church on Sunday February 19, the altar rail was draped with a huge collection of beautifully knitted, crocheted and quilted items. Over 75 of them were laid on the altar so that we could lay hands on them in prayer. These items are used to extend God’s love, through PUMC, through blankets and shawls, to those who are in need. Each item was lovingly created over the last 6 months by the Hooks ‘n Needles ministry and the Scrappy...
Read MoreThere’s No “I” in “LOVE”!
The signboard said… THERE’S NO “I” IN “LOVE”! OK…. maybe a little corny and trite. Maybe a bit too much along the lines of the classic message that says “WHAT’S MISSING IN CH CH?” (if you need the answer… “U R” missing…). But, can love be truly selfless? Don’t you have to love yourself before you can love others? And don’t you have to think of yourself before you can love...
Read MoreWho’s Your Valentine? (2/14/16)
February 14… Valentine’s Day! Is it just another “Hallmark Holiday?” What is Love? What do we do with it? And bigger than that, what does it mean to be loved by God? And- really important- what do we do with THAT??? Pastor Jim took a look at these questions (and at some questionable pop music) during his sermon of February 14, 2016. Click the below “Play” button and scroll down to follow along (the recording is from the 9:30 service)… The...
Read MoreValentine’s Day Love Appears at PUMC (2/14/16)
The letters “PUMC” stands for “Pitman United Methodist Church”, but they mean so much more than a building, or a particular church, or an institution. “PUMC” is simply a gathering of people who are motivated by the Holy Spirit to grow closer to God and to extend His love to others. We are a people who see the Cross and react by reaching out our own arms. In our church on this morning of the day we call Valentine’s Day, the Holy Spirit’s work of...
Read More3rd and 4th Graders Learn to Be Jesus’ Hands and Feet (1/17/16)
The Third and Fourth graders in our Sunday School are practicing to be the “Hands” and “Feet” of Jesus by making a chain recording their good deeds. We’re hoping that by the end of the year, our chain will reach around the room! Standing in the Gap As we saw in a recent sermon, Ezekiel 22:30-31 uses the image of someone “Standing in the Gap” between God’s love and humanity’s sinfulness. God is calling us to be “priests”;...
Read MoreMen’s Fellowship Gathers with Pastor Chris Heckert (1/8/16)
The Men’s Fellowship group held their monthly gathering on Saturday January 8. The gathering took place in a brand new year, but our speaker was a familiar face. Joining us was Rev. Chris Heckert, who is now serving as the senior pastor in the Haddonfield United Methodist Church. Pastor Chris was our associate pastor between 2004 and 2006 (during our “tabernacling days” after the fire while we met in the downtown storefront). During his time here he blessed us with...
Read MorePastor’s Ponderings: What is Love?
Greetings Friends: PLEASE READ: John 15:12-17 (Jesus said), “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you...
Read MoreLove, Somebody (7/12/15)
What’s a “Random Act Of Kindness”? How can a seemingly simple act or gift make a difference in someone’s life? Several Sundays ago, members of our congregation were treated to the following message when they arrived at their cars after the service: Just a simple handwritten note (“your” / “you’re”… who cares???). But it was anonymous. Nobody wanted to take credit for it. And yet- that made the message all the more powerful. ...
Read MoreJesus Loves You- Is the Feeling Mutual?
The following message was posted on our signboard as we begin to prepare for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday: JESUS LOVES YOU! IS THE FEELING MUTUAL? Jesus Loves You… Jesus loves you… we hear that so many times that it begins to sound kind of cliche, or trite. Jesus- the Son of God- loves… ME? Really??? The familiar Sunday School song says, “Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.” How does the Bible tells us that Jesus loves us? ...
Read MorePastor’s Ponderings: Love is Victorious
The following thoughts were submitted by Pastor Jim on 1/20/15… Greetings Friends: PLEASE READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:11a “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,” PLEASE READ: Ephesians 4:29 “Watch your talk! No bad words should be coming from your mouth. Say what is good. Your words should help others grow as Christians” (NLV) Although snow is in the forecast for South Jersey for tomorrow [Wednesday 1/21/15], I am excited that Spring Training...
Read MoreA Red Christmas (12/7/14)
Pastor Jim continued his Advent sermon series on the “Colours of Christmas” by looking at things that are red. How can red objects remind us of Christ and help us prepare for Christmas? Click the following “Play” button, then scroll down and follow along… The scripture reading was from Luke 1:26-38. Pastor Jim read from the “Life Application Bible” (which uses the Living Bible translation/paraphrase). Open the drop down box to follow the...
Read MoreStand in Awe of the One Who Gave His All!
The signboard message posted on October 7, 2014 said: STAND IN AWE! GOD GAVE HIS ALL. When you think of the greatness of God, you can’t help but stand in Awe. Marvel. Be humbled. Realize that He is God, this is His world, He’s in charge and you are not. Righteousness… One of the most awesome things about God is how righteous He is. We compromise. We tell “white lies.” We cut corners and look out for ourselves first. We fall short of God’s mark (in...
Read MoreFace it: God Really Does Love You!
The following devotional was provided by Pastor Jim… PLEASE READ: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16 was the very first Bible verse I memorized as a child. I was only 5 years old and it was during a 2-week Vacation Bible School. I earned a red book mark which had all of the books of the Bible written on it. I remember being so proud and how proud my...
Read MorePastor’s Ponderings: A Nice Face Embrace
Greetings Friends: PLEASE READ: Ezekiel 34:12 & 16a “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness…… I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak” +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”...
Read MorePastor’s Ponderings: Compassion for the Broken
The following devotional was written by our pastor, Rev. Jim Bolton… PLEASE READ: Mark 6:32-44 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to...
Read MoreSignboard: For God so Loved the World… (4/19/14)
For God So Loved the World… John 3:16 is a familiar passage; maybe one of the most frequently quoted ones in the Bible. We even see it at sporting events where people simply hold up signs saying nothing more than “3:16.” But have you ever considered what it REALLY means that “God so loved the world”??? Do we just chalk it up to some kind of 1960s hippy flower power sentiment, or can it be true that our infinite Creator who is holy and righteous, actually loves...
Read MoreMaundy Thursday Sermon (4/17/14)
Following Jesus… During the Maundy Thursday service on April 17, Pastor Kee preached on John 13:1-17, 31-35. His sermon was followed by a communion service in which participants had their hands washed before sitting at a table behind the pulpit. 12 people at a time filled the tables, giving the sense that we were actually participating in the Last Supper after Jesus had washed our feet. Read Scripture John 13:1-17, 31 35 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time...
Read MoreFruitful Living (5 of 5): Extravagant Generosity (4/6/14)
The sermon on Sunday April 6 introduced practice #5 of our five part series on the “Five Practices of Fruitful Living” During this season of Lent, we are following the companion devotional guide by Robert Schanase entitled in “Forty Days of Fruitful Living.” The sermons introduce the week’s topic, and we discuss and study these topics during our small group meetings that week. This week’s sermon is the final in the series. The Five Practices of Fruitful Living Radical...
Read MoreFriend Request from Jesus!
Anyone who uses Facebook is familiar with the message saying: New Friend Request from ___. Confirm Not Now You have to make a choice. You have to click either “Confirm” or “Not Now.” Do you know this person? Do you want to know more about him? Do you want to share your posts with him or her? Do you want to have a relationship with this person? One of life’s greatest mysteries is that Jesus- the one and only Son of God- wants to have a...
Read MoreFruitful Living (4 of 5): “Risk Taking Mission” (3/30/14)
The sermon on Sunday March 30 introduced practice #4 of our five part series on the “Five Practices of Fruitful Living” During this season of Lent, we are following the companion devotional guide by Robert Schanase entitled in “Forty Days of Fruitful Living.” The sermons introduce the week’s topic, and we discuss and study these topics during our small group meetings that week. Risk Taking Mission and Service This week’s “practice of fruitful living” was presented by...
Read MoreAdded Blessing at Our Father’s House
Our Father’s House (our church’s pre-school), warmly gives many kinds of blessings to the families in the school and to our church. One of these blessings is Yogi, our “crossing guard”. Yogi is at the church every morning to greet the children with a warm welcome and to make sure they’re safe as they move from the parking lot into the building. On the last day of school before the Thanksgiving break, Yogi greeted the kids wearing his (now) famous turkey...
Read More