Our 2010 sermon schedule at Markham Woods Church seeks to provide
something for everyone. We’ll have the usual array of sermons that are
tied to a holiday or some major event in the life of our congregation.
We’ll have a guest speaker for those times when both pastors will be
away. But the bulk of the sermons will be presented by senior pastor Jim
Coffin and associate/youth pastor Luis Gracia. We'll feature three
series, addressing a variety of biblical stories and themes.
First
Service is at 9:00 am, and Second Service begins at 11:30 am.
January through March, in a series called "Unsung Heroes," we’ll look
at a number of biblical characters whose roles were seemingly
insignificant yet whose experiences have much to teach us. From May 8 to
July 3, we’ll focus on "The Spirit-Filled Life," basing our sermons on
the Spirit-bestowed characteristics described in Galatians 5:22. From
July 17 to November 13, we’ll examine "The Gospel According to Mark."
Each week we’ll consider a different chapter of the book, focusing on a
parable, a miracle, a story or a teaching of Jesus.
Our hope is that, whatever your age and wherever you are on your
spiritual journey, you’ll find something that encourages, inspires and
informs. If you’re blessed by the sermons and the worship experience as
a whole, be sure to invite your family, friends and neighbors to come
along with you. Good things should be shared!
The pulpit
of Markham Woods Church is a "No Put-Down Zone." Our goal is to help
attenders grow spiritually––not to condemn
those who are struggling or to berate those who may not have arrived at
the same conclusions we have. Everyone is welcome. So don't keep the
Markham Woods worship experience to yourself. Share it.
January 2. Barnabas: Son of Encouragement. The act of drawing
alongside someone or lending energy to get another going is the basic
idea behind a key word in the New Testament. The word is "encourage."
There is a man in the New Testament who had a particular reputation for
encouragement. His parents named him Joseph, but the leaders of the
early church called him Barnabas, which literally means "son of
encouragement." Speaker: Luis Gracia.
January 9. Diversity Day: All Are Precious in His Sight.
God
didn't make every flower red. Each snowflake is unique. Even identical
twins aren't identical. God seems to love variety. So why are humans so
prone to think that everyone should fit the same mold? Or that some
molds are superior to others? Join us as we celebrate–in a variety of
ways!– diversity in its many forms. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
January 16. Beautiful and Brilliant. Abigail may not be a
well-known heroine of the Bible, but few biblical women were described
as both "beautiful" and "intelligent." It was a male-dominated culture,
remember. Abigail proved her right to both descriptions—and
became the wife of the king in the process. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
January 23. Swimming Against the Current. Robert Kennedy is
credited with the statement: "Some men see things as they are and say,
'Why?' I dream things that never were and say, 'Why not?' The biblical
character Caleb would have felt right at home with Kennedy's sentiments.
Even when in a group of fatalists, Caleb maintained his "can do"
attitude. He wasn't afraid to be different. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
January 30. Guest Speaker. Our guest speaker today is the sister
of senior pastor Jim Coffin. Bonnie Lescanec and her husband, Steve, are
escaping the cooler weather of Missouri to spend a couple of weeks in
sunny Florida. Bonnie has developed a number of first-person,
in-costume, biblical-character monologues that she has presented to
various gatherings in Iowa and Missouri. It's our pleasure to welcome
her to Florida and Markham Woods Church. Speaker: Bonnie Lescanec.
January 30. Young Adult Church. During Second Service, all Young
Adults (those having completed high school up to age 30) are invited to
enjoy a separate service in the Youth Center. (We would ask that those
who don't fall into the Young Adult age bracket not "crash the party.")
The Young Adult service will feature praise music, performed music,
drama, a guest speaker and more. Speaker: TBA.
February 6. Standing Up to the King. The story of the Hebrew
midwives Shiprah and Puah, who risked their lives by refusing to obey
Pharoah, hasn't received as many column inches of press coverage as
Daniel's story of refusing to adapt his prayer life. But it took the
same kind of courage. And their behavior is just as admirable. Speaker:
Jim Coffin.
February 13. Guest Speaker. We welcome to our pulpit today Pastor
Bill Crofton. Bill—who's actually a member
of our congregation, though rarely here because of a heavy schedule of
speaking appointments elsewhere—was for some two decades director of the
Youth Department of the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He
recently accepted a position as a chaplain at Florida Hospital College
of Health Sciences. Speaker: Bill Crofton.
February 20. Amaziah’s Lukewarm Legacy. The story of King
Amaziah is a tragic one. One we might prefer to ignore. Amaziah’s story
is like those "rumble strips" they put into the road: It’s intended to
"rattle" us out of sleep or complacency. Through Amaziah we learn that a
lukewarm heart left unattended will ultimately become cold. Speaker:
Luis Gracia.
February 27. Old Way, New Way, Wrong Way. When you're taking over
as head of the government, should you listen primarily to the
experienced advisers from the old regime? Or should you listen to those
who want change and are seeking to travel new paths? Young King Rehoboam
faced just such a decision—and got it
wrong! Speaker: Jim Coffin.
March 6. Bad Blood in the Household of Abram. Hagar was a
foreigner and a lowly servant—maybe even a
slave. So when the woman she worked for offered her what seemed like a
glamorous assignment, she jumped at the chance. But it didn't turn out
anything like she'd expected: She was banished. But God didn't desert
her. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
March 13. Guest Speaker. We welcome to our
pulpit today Rey Descalso. Rey is no stranger to Markham Woods. Not only
are he and Rebecca members of our congregation, he served as associate
pastor here for some five years in the first half of the past decade. We
give a special welcome to both Rey and Rebecca. Speaker: Rey Descalso.
March 20. Jethro’s Wise Advice. When Moses led God’s people out
of Egypt, there were about 600,000 men, besides women and children. And
all day long, every day, for weeks, Moses had been in the desert with
the people, constantly judging their many conflicts and disputes. Jethro
could see the fatigue in his son-in-law’s eyes. He could tell how
worn-down Moses appeared each day. So he gave Moses some wise advice.
And his counsels shouldn’t be ignored today. Speaker: Luis Gracia
March 27. Don't Mess with a Mother's Love. It's a sad, sordid,
hard-to-explain story. But it's in the Bible. So we'd better wrestle
with it. One thing for sure, Rizpah may have been nothing more than a
concubine of the king, but when it came to her family, she showed as
much commitment as any queen could ever have mustered. And it made its
impact. Speaker: Jim Coffin
April 2. Friday Night Candlelight
Communion. This annual tradition at Markham Woods Church provides
opportunity to reflect on the love demonstrated by Christ's sacrifice on
our behalf and the certainty we have because of His resurrection. This
service, which lasts just one hour, is a favorite event on our church
calendar for many. Come celebrate with us at 7:30 pm at the church.
Invite friends and family to join us as we reflect on the wonder of a
conquered grave. Speaker: Jim Coffin
April 3. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today! Invite your family, friends,
neighbors and the people you meet on the street to join us for this high
day of celebrating Christ's resurrection. Come hear our Markham Woods
Church Mass Easter Choir (75 voices or more!) sing of Christ's
resurrection. Enjoy a thought-provoking drama. Hear a sermon about the
significance of that miraculous event some two thousand years ago. Join
in singing some of the most triumphant and exuberant Christian hymns
ever written. And go home with your faith renewed and your souls
refreshed––because our Savior lives! Speaker: Jim Coffin.
April 10. Guest Speaker. For the second time this year, we welcome
Rey Descalso to our pulpit. Rey, for five years associate pastor of
Markham Woods Church, and his wife, Rebecca, are members of Markham Wood
Church, and a much-appreciated part of our church family. Speaker: Rey Descalso.
April 17. Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges. Jesus regularly
went outside his comfort zone and beyond his social circle to minister
to people. The result: He was able to share spiritual truth with people
he never would have been able to reach otherwise. A daring move?
Absolutely! But well worth the risk. Speaker: Luis Gracia
April 24. Guest Speaker: Linda Lynch.
April 24. What Salvation Isn't All About. My father was a
committed Christian from his earliest memories. He was a Seventh-day
Adventist from his early teens. His life revolved around God and church.
But he never had a sense of assurance that he would go to
heaven––because he focused too much on what salvation isn't all
about rather than what it is all about. Speaker: Jim Coffin
May 1. What Salvation Is All About. When the prophet Elisha
told Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times and he'd be cured of
leprosy, Naaman didn't believe him––because it seemed too simple an
antidote for such a major problem. When the Bible tells us to believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and we'll be saved, it seems too simple an
antidote for the great estrangement caused by sin. But whether dealing
with leprosy or sin, God knows what He's doing. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
May 8. Mothers Day Breakfast (serving from 8:30 to 10:00; entire
church invited). Love Is All You Need. Today we begin our series on "The Spirit-Filled Life," based on Galatians
5:22. The first fruit of the Spirit––in fact, the prime fruit of
the Spirit––is love. And what better way to talk about love than to
consider the love of mothers for their children? Speaker: Jim Coffin.
May 15. The Pursuit of Happiness. Many times we struggle to find any
kind of joy in our lives. Sometimes it feels like our joy has been
drained right out of us. Galatians 5 reveals that all human beings have
the capacity to have "joy" in their lives. And as Christians, joy is a
vital part of our makeup! Speaker: Luis Gracia.
May 22. Peace that Defies Description. When no wars are raging
between nations, we call it peace. When our inner selves aren't in
turmoil, we call it peace. Both types of peace involve the Holy Spirit.
But the second type of peace is possible even when the first type of
peace is absent. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
May 29. If We Do Not Give Up. Rome wasn't built in a day. Bad
situations rarely get sorted out overnight. Results from our efforts and
sacrifices aren't always visible in the short term. So patience is a
crucial component of the Spirit-led, Spirit-filled life. Remember: "At
the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Speaker:
Jim Coffin.
May 29. Young Adult Church. During Second Service, all Young Adults
(those having completed high school up to age 30) are invited to enjoy a
separate service in the Youth Center. (We would ask that those who don't
fall into the Young Adult age bracket not "crash the party.") The Young
Adult service will feature praise music, performed music, drama and
more. We're still waiting for confirmation from our invited guest
speaker. Speaker: TBA.
June 5. No More Mr. Nice Guy! Kindness is one of the most under-rated
fruits of the Spirit. Acts of kindness (which allow the love of Christ
to flow through us) can have a transformational effect on others . . .
as well as on us. Speaker: Luis Gracia.
June 12. Not a Bad Label to Have. Have you ever heard the expressions
"he's a good man" or "she's a good woman." "Good" seems a fairly
low-keyed and mundane description. But simple goodness is in short
supply in our world. If people would simply be "good," our world would
be altogether different. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
June 19. Being Sure of What We Hope For. Contrary to popular belief,
the opposite of faith isn't doubt. Faith is the willingness to move
ahead despite doubt. Faith is dealing with doubt and moving on.
Faith is betting one's life that (a) God exists and that (b) He'll
deliver on His promises. Faith is action, not just mental assent.
Speaker: Jim Coffin.
June 26. Fragile: Handle With Care. Spirit-directed, Spirit-filled
people understand that humans are fragile. So they handle others with
care. The prophecies of the coming Messiah include: "He will not shout
or cry out in the streets [no raising of the voice]. A bruised reed he
will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out [no
roughness]." In other words, Jesus was gentle––usually. And he expects
the same of us––usually. Speaker: Jim Coffin.
July 3. Mind Over Matter: Easier Said than Done. Self-control is when
our mind learns to rule our body, our passions, our hungers and our
appetites. But do we really want our mind to be in control of such important things? Speaker: Luis Gracia.
July 10. Bread, Wine and Water. On a remote hillside, Jesus fed 5,000
with a mere five loaves of bread (and two fish). It was a miracle. At a
wedding feast, Jesus turned water into wine. It was a miracle. At a well
in Samaria, Jesus used a simple request for water to heal a hardened,
broken heart. It was a miracle. At the Last Supper, Jesus used wine and
bread as symbols of sacrifice, and water as a symbol of service. He now
invites us, in the Communion service, to share in the miracle that can
come through applying these symbols in our own lives. Speaker: Jim
Coffin.
