Developing Skill Strength for Life's Challenges

SERMON TITLE:   “Developing Skill Strength for Life’s Challenges”
SERMON TEXT:    2 Timothy 3:10 – 4:5
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           January 26, 2020, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                On Thursday afternoon, some of you came here to the church to participate in a webinar meeting with our District Superintendent, Rev. Marv Vose.  Hopefully, those of you who came found that meeting informative.  And maybe some more of you might want to take advantage of such opportunities in the future.  I’ve been dangling these webinar meetings in front of you lately in bulletins, newsletters, and emails.   I know these United Methodist deliberations aren’t everyone’s cup of tea.  But I’m hoping that those of you who want to know more will avail yourselves of these communication events where you can listen, ask questions, hear answers, and express opinions.  To be skilled in the ministries of our Christian faith, it helps to practice these kinds of interchurch conversations.
                In addition to the content of these sessions, there’s also an opportunity to learn about new technologies that people are using now to connect with each other across distances.  I think some of you are becoming interested in loading the Zoom meeting program on your own computer, so you can become a more-engaged participant in these events with your own up-close camera and microphone.  For many of you, that probably sounds like scary mind-boggling techno babble.  But it really is the way that our society is getting together these days--not just for church but in lots of jobs, classes, and other social activities. 
                Life is full of learning opportunities, isn’t it?  And in our rapidly changing world, it seems clear that we’re in constant need of skill updates.  We never know when life is going to throw us a curve.  Whether that’s a wonderfully positive opportunity, an excruciatingly difficult crisis, or just coping with the inevitable changes that will come our way, it really helps us to be as strong as possible.  That’s why, since this new year began, we’ve been talking about developing physical, spiritual, and relational strength.  And that’s why, today, with the help of 2 Timothy, I want to talk with you about developing skill strength for life’s challenges.

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