IN LAYMAN'S TERMS

Jealousy — Jesus in His Hometown

Using the story of Jesus' proclaiming himself to be God's anointed and the reaction from people in his hometown of Nazareth, we explore the feeling of jealousy and the withholding of the truth that Jesus is the Savior for all of humanity.

Purple Zone part 2 — Introduction to an Issue Guide

The Rev. Dr. Leah Schade returns to "In Layman's Terms" to pick up on the conversation we stared in 2021 about her book, "Preaching in the Purple Zone." In this episode, she shares an issue guide designed to help United Methodists discuss LGBTQIA+ inclusion and the upcoming General Conference.

Rev. Dr. Schade has provided proposed sermon outlines to be used with the issue guide. These are not provided as requirements but rather to serve as resources for pastors interested in using the Sermon-Dialogue-Sermon method.

• Download the PDF version.
• Download the Word document version.

Mama’s Miracle Boy

The miracle of turning water into wine might seem trivial, but a closer look reveals how Jesus interacted with His mother as an adult while teaching us about transformation. The miracle also paved the way for Jesus' first followers to buy into His ministry.

Adoption into God’s Family

Todd shares the audio from a sermon he provided from his basement on the first Sunday in January 2022 — a cold, icy day in Lawrence, Kansas. Using the text from Ephesians 1, we explore how we are adopted into the family of God thanks to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Advent 2021: The Redemption of Scrooge — Joy

Our short series on "The Redemption of Scrooge" concludes with an exploration of how our miserable miser of a character rediscovers joy. May we do so and keep Christmas all year round!

Advent 2021: The Redemption of Scrooge — Love

As we continue with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Present teaches our lead character three important aspects of love: Showing love by being part of a community, showing love by showing mercy to others, and showing love in true, genuine relationships with those closest to us.

Advent 2021: Redemption of Scrooge — Peace

Our advent series focused on redemption continues, as does our exploration of the classic story "A Christmas Carol." In this episode, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, and the miser starts to recognize that his life doesn't have to be as lonely and miserable as it has become. Scrooge is starting to understand that he can have a sense of peace.

Advent 2021: Redemption of Scrooge — Hope

Advent is all about the anticipation of the arrival of the Christ child. But why did Jesus come to live among humans in the first place? To provide an opportunity for redemption for all of us. In this four-episode series, we explore our redemption by following the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge from the classic tale, "A Christmas Carol," by Charles Dickens. As old Scrooge is changed, we will see the themes of Advent come to life. We start with "Hope."

Gratitude part 3 — Thanks ... In Jesus‘ Name

Todd concludes a special three-part series on showing gratitude to God during the week of Thanksgiving 2021 with a study of how Jesus gave thanks.

Unlike many of us, Jesus didn't just give thanks for what already had happened, but He also thanked God prior to performing miracles and before willingly dying for humankind — lessons in showing great faith that God would provide what was needed.

Gratitude part 2 — King David‘s Guide to Giving Thanks: the Psalms

Our special three-part series on giving thanks to God continues with an examination of how King David showed his gratitude toward God:

• Looking back at what God already had done for him and the Israelite people.
• Praising the traits and truths of God.
• Understanding God listens to our prayers.
• Having faith that God will answer.