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Sunday, January 12th, 2025: "Gifts: The Gift of Baptism"

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Watch the Sermon here The First United Presbyterian Church “Gifts: The Gift of Baptism” Rev. Amy Morgan January 12, 2025 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 21 Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Baptism is a sacrament saturated with meaning (pun intended). The Presb...
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Sunday, January 5th, 2025: "Religious Strangers"

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Watch the Sermon here The First United Presbyterian Church “Religious Strangers” Rev. Amy Morgan January 5, 2025 Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,     are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler     who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, sayin...
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Sunday, December 29th, 2024: "Prayer Labyrinth"

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Watch the Sermon here The First United Presbyterian Church “Prayer Labyrinth” Rev. Amy Morgan December 29, 2024 Luke 2:41-52 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of this. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiou...
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