God's Grace for the Foolish Heart (Ashtabula)

Welcome & Announcements

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Ashtabula First United Methodist Church. It is wonderful to see each of you today, whether you are a lifelong member or a first-time visitor. We are so glad that you are here to worship with us.

Today, our service will invite us to consider the difference between what we believe in our minds and how we live in our hearts. We'll be exploring the ancient concept of "folly" and how God's amazing grace meets us exactly where we are.

For those of you who came early, you may have noticed a video looping on the TV and some beautiful artwork on the table. Our youth have a wonderful new project: they've decided our education wing could use some sprucing up, and they've created these pieces for a church-wide art contest. The winning pieces will be transferred to the doors of the education wing.

The voting process is simple: in front of each piece of art, you'll find a donation box. The youth leaders have set up a friendly competition, with prizes for the piece that receives the most money overall and the one that receives the most individual donations, whether coins or paper. The artwork will be on display all month, so you have plenty of time to vote and support their creativity.

As Mary begins our prelude, and Jeff brings the light of Christ to the altar, let us quiet our hearts and prepare our spirits to hear what God has to say to us today.

Prelude

Call to Worship

Pastor: The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise.

Congregation: But we have all gone astray.

Pastor: God searches for those who seek after Him.

Congregation: We come to this place to find the God who seeks us.

Pastor: Let us worship the God who is our refuge and our hope.

Congregation: Amen.

Opening Hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” UMH #103

Opening Prayer

O God of all wisdom and grace, we come before you with our foolish hearts. We confess that we often live as if you do not matter, relying on our own strength and wisdom rather than on your abundant grace. Forgive us for the times we have gone astray and fallen short. Pour out your mercy upon us, and fill us with your Holy Spirit, that we might be a people who seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you. Through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 14

Responsive Reading: UMH 746

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Leader: Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.”

People: They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good.

Leader: The Lord looks down from heaven on all people, to see if there are any that are wise, who seek after God.

People: They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is none that does good, no, not one

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Leader: Have they no knowledge, the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord?

People: There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous.

Leader: You would confound the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.

People: O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When the Lord restores their fortunes, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad!

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Hymn of Response: “Grace Greater Than Our Sin” UMH #365

New Testament Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy 1:12–17 NIV

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Anthem “One Step He Leads”

Sermon: "From Folly to Faith"

Holy God, open our hearts and minds by your Holy Spirit, that as your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you are saying to your church today. Amen.

Good morning. You know, my wife and I were talking the other day, and she had a wonderful idea that I couldn't get out of my head. She suggested that for some sermons, I should put a mirror in the back of the sanctuary. She said it would be a good reminder that, in a way, I'm preaching to myself first.

That simple thought has been on my mind as I’ve been preparing for our time together today, because I want to start with a verse you've likely heard many times before. It comes from the fourteenth Psalm, and it says simply, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"

When we hear that, we might immediately picture a modern intellectual or a proud skeptic, someone who argues against the existence of a Creator. But the Bible has a much deeper and more challenging definition of a "fool" than we might first think. In Scripture, a fool isn't someone who lacks intelligence. The word "fool" is a moral and spiritual assessment of the heart.

A biblical fool is someone who lives as if God doesn't matter, even if their lips say they believe. It's a kind of practical atheism where we go about our days as if we're not accountable to anyone but ourselves. It's the one who stands in the sanctuary on Sunday but then makes a decision on Monday that is completely contrary to God’s will. It's the person who prays for God's help but then worries and frets, acting as if God is absent or uncaring. This isn't just a problem for others; it's a condition we can all find ourselves in.

The Psalmist, with his wisdom, gives us a clear-eyed diagnosis of this human condition. But the Good News is that the Bible doesn't leave us there. Today, we'll see a powerful case study of this very foolishness, and in it, the ultimate cure. We will look at a man who called himself the "foremost of sinners" and see how God's grace was more than enough to transform his life, and how it is more than enough to transform ours.

Let's look at what the Psalmist says God sees when he looks down from heaven. In verses two and three, we read, "The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one."

This is a heavy, sobering diagnosis, isn't it? It's easy to see this in the world. It’s even easier to see it in other people. We read about the “wicked” who “eat up my people as they eat bread,” and we think of the powerful people who oppress others. And we should. The Psalmist is speaking directly to the social and economic injustices of his day, the very real corruption that comes from living as if God doesn't matter.

But the Psalmist's gaze, and therefore God's gaze, falls on all of humanity. It falls on each of us. The diagnosis is for me, and it is for you. This isn't just about the person who cheats on their taxes; it's also about the person who holds a grudge. It's not just about the powerful who oppress the poor; it's also about the person who gossips and tears down their neighbor. This foolishness—this heart that chooses to live without regard for God—is a universal condition. It's the diagnosis before the cure.

This foolishness—this heart that lives as if God doesn't matter—is a universal condition. It's a diagnosis for me and for you. But it's also the diagnosis for a man named Saul, who would later be known as the Apostle Paul. In fact, he was a perfect example of the very thing the Psalmist describes: a man who, in his own way, was living as if God didn't matter, even while being deeply religious. Now let's turn to Paul’s powerful testimony in 1 Timothy, and in it, we’ll see the radical, overflowing grace that is the ultimate cure for our foolish hearts.

The Apostle Paul was, in his own way, one of the fools described by the Psalmist. He was a deeply religious man, so much so that he was a persecutor and a man of violence, all in the name of God. He believed he was doing good, but in his own words, he was acting in "ignorant unbelief."

Then, his life was completely turned around by grace. Paul's radical transformation on the road to Damascus wasn't a reward for his good deeds; it was an act of mercy for his foolishness. And he never forgot it. He calls himself the "foremost of sinners," not out of false humility, but to show just how great and how wide God's grace is. His story is the most powerful evidence that the saying is sure: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

The word Paul uses to describe what happened to him is incredible. He says, "the grace of our Lord overflowed for me." Think about that word: overflowed. It wasn't just enough grace to cover his sins; it was an abundance of grace that poured out and filled every empty, foolish, and rebellious part of his heart. It's like trying to fill a cup under a powerful faucet—the water doesn't just fill the cup; it overflows and drenchs everything around it. That's the grace God offers us. It's a grace that takes our foolishness, our anxieties, our grudges, and our moments of practical atheism, and it doesn't just forgive them—it drowns them in love and transforms us.

So what does that transformation look like? How does it happen in our own lives?

It doesn't happen by trying harder. It happens by surrendering our foolishness and accepting this overflowing gift. Transformation is a change in direction—a change in course. It’s what happens when our internal compass, which was once pointed inward toward ourselves, is reset to point toward God. It looks like our grudges and anxieties giving way to peace. It looks like our selfishness giving way to compassion for others. It looks like us becoming a part of the "company of the righteous" the Psalmist speaks of, working to care for the poor and to restore justice in a world that is still riddled with folly.

Paul's life proves that this transformation is possible for anyone. The grace that changed him, the chief of sinners, is the same grace available to us. It is offered not because of what we have done, but because of who God is: a God of love, mercy, and abundant grace. All we have to do is say "yes" to the overflowing faucet of his love, and allow his grace to pour out into our lives.

So, as we prepare to go back out into the world this week, where is one place in your heart where you can surrender to God's overflowing grace? What one thing can you let go of and allow His love to drown out your worries?

Let's close by offering all honor and glory to this God who saves us, who loves us, and who transforms our foolish hearts.

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

Offertory & Doxology

In response to the overflowing grace we have just heard about, we now have an opportunity to offer ourselves and our gifts. Our offering is one way we can live out this transformation from foolishness to faith. It is a chance to reset our internal compass from focusing on ourselves to focusing on God's work in the world. As the ushers come forward, I invite you to give not out of obligation, but out of a spirit of gratitude for a God who has given us everything.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

praise him, all creatures here below;

praise him above, ye heavenly host;

praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Gracious God, we thank you for the abundant grace you have poured out on us. We offer these gifts as a tangible sign of our gratitude and a symbol of our transformed lives. Bless these gifts and use them to extend your overflowing love and mercy to a world in need. We dedicate ourselves and our offerings to your glory, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Morning Prayer

Please be seated. As we return to our seats in a posture of reflection, the events of this past week have reminded us again of the brokenness of our world, and perhaps the foolishness that lives within us all. But we do not sit in despair. Instead, we sit in a posture of prayer, knowing that God is with us and hears us, especially in the midst of turmoil. As we prepare our hearts for our Morning Prayer, let us hold in our minds the pain and the struggle, trusting that God’s light and hope can break into even the darkest places.

Holy God, we come before you this morning carrying the weight of a world that so often feels broken by hate and violence. We lift up to you all who have lost their lives to senseless violence this week, and we hold their families and all who mourn their loss in our hearts. In a time of such deep political and spiritual division, we pray for your healing peace. We ask that you would pray against the hatred that leads to such violence and the division that fractures your people. You alone can bring light into the darkness, and you alone can turn our sorrow into a source of hope. Make us instruments of your peace and your love in a world that desperately needs both.

We also lift up to you those who are experiencing the profound challenge of homelessness and hunger. We pray for your mercy on those who lack a safe place to rest, and for those who go without food. Stir our hearts, O God, that we may be your hands and feet in this world, providing comfort, sustenance, and hope to our neighbors in need.

We lift up to you those in our own community of Ashtabula who are struggling with financial instability, unemployment, or unexpected hardship. Give them strength and courage to face each day. Inspire us as a church to be a beacon of support and a source of practical help.

Finally, we lift up to you our church family. We pray for those who are sick, grieving, or lonely. Comfort them in their pain and remind them of your loving presence. Grant us all the grace to live as your body, loving and supporting one another, so that our lives may be a testament to your overflowing grace.

And now, with the words our Savior taught us, we pray together:

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Closing Hymn “To God Be The Glory” UMH #98

Having prayed together as a family, let us now lift our voices in a final hymn of praise and prepare to be sent into the world in the name of God. Please stand as you are able and join me in singing “To God Be The Glory.”

Benediction

Go forth from this place, knowing that the grace that overflowed for Paul is overflowing for you. May the God who sought you and found you in your foolishness bless you with wisdom, fill your hearts with peace, and send you out to be instruments of justice and mercy in a world that is hungry for hope. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, go in peace. Amen.

Postlude