Sermon Previewfor January 18, 2026

 

Scriptures:  Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 24:19-22; Ruth 2:1-10; 14-23

Title:   

More Self-Control: Less Self, Less Control

First Sermon in Cultivating the Fruit of Self-Control

 

This week, we begin our study of the Fruit of Self-Control by examining what Self-Control looks when embodied as a prophetic or transformational practice that helps us create the kin-dom of God on earth as it is heaven. 

 

Communal laws in Leviticus and Deuteronomy lay out a clear imperative for landowners and harvesters to care for the widow, orphan, and foreigner by leaving part of their harvest in the field for them. It is a practice of restraint that creates an ethic of communal generosity. In the story of Ruth and Boaz, we see this practice in action. The laws are not just words; they are lived experience—a snapshot of what greater equity and generosity looks like in practice.

 

Sunday is also the day when we remember and celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His actions, and those of countless civil rights leaders at sit-ins and non-violent protests, model self-control and restraint for the sake of liberation for all. 

 

Join us on Sunday as we celebrate the powerful paradox of this Good News: the more self-control we have; the less we focus on self and the less we are concerned with control! It’s freeing for all, including ourselves.