All posts by Sean Scribner

About Sean Scribner

Pastor Sean is the Lead Pastor at EMC. He and his wife Rebecca have three children - Savannah, Nathan, and William.

The Church in Sin City
Sermon Series

In ancient Greece, Corinth was a major seaport city that became both prosperous and licentious. It was a center of wealth, entertainment, military power, and cult religion, but also intellectual pride and moral laxity, prompting the phrase “living like a Corinthian” to become an insult cast upon vagrants, drunkards, and sexual deviants.

This was the culture into which the gospel of Jesus Christ penetrated through the preaching ministry of the Apostle Paul in the middle of the 1st century AD, but it’s not too hard to see the parallels to the culture in which American Christians find themselves today. The problems that plagued the Corinthian church continue to crop up in our own congregations. Snobbishness, factionalism, insensitivity to other believers, doctrinal looseness, and more all flourished in the Corinthian church, making the Apostle’s letter particularly relevant to contemporary times.

“The Church in Sin City” is a sermon series that looks at the variety of problems within the Corinthian church, as well as the solutions proffered by the Apostle Paul, with the goal of better understanding how to live as Christians in a corrupt society.

Series Playlist

The Church in Sin City
The Church in Sin City
Who Are You Following?
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  • Who Are You Following?

    Who Are You Following?

    Feb 26, 2023 • 41:43

    Speaker: Karl Bowden Series: The Church in Sin City Scripture: I Corinthians 1:10-31

  • Sin in the Camp

    Sin in the Camp

    Mar 5, 2023 • 47:01

    What needs to happen at any church where sin is dismissed, swept under the rug, or even celebrated? It needs to repent, recover God’s own perspective, and go to whatever lengths necessary to become the community God has called it to be. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: The Church in Sin City…

  • His Body, His Choice

    His Body, His Choice

    Mar 12, 2023 • 48:21

    The church must stand firm on the biblical truth regarding human sexuality, speaking truth in love. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: The Church in Sin City Scripture: I Corinthians 6:12-20

  • Idols

    Idols

    Mar 19, 2023 • 40:50

    Speaker: Robert Jackson Series: The Church in Sin City Scripture: I Corinthians 10:14-22

  • Rules for Life Together

    Rules for Life Together

    Mar 26, 2023 • 53:37

    The attitude of Christ himself lies at the heart of true Christian freedom. It is an attitude that enables us to be so free from the self, so willingly surrendered to God, and so radically others-oriented that we will do all things for God’s glory and man’s salvation. Speaker: Sean…

  • Attitudes at the Supper Table

    Attitudes at the Supper Table

    Apr 2, 2023 • 43:53

    The Christian church envisioned by the Apostle Paul is one that shares deep, intimate, abiding union and fellowship with Christ and with one another, proclaiming the truths of the Gospel with integrity. Nowhere else is this better expressed than in the worship and fellowship at the Lord’s table. Speaker: Sean…

  • The Consequences of Resurrection

    The Consequences of Resurrection

    Apr 9, 2023 • 44:39

    What is the hope for a person bound in sin, lost in darkness, and powerless to do anything about it? What is the hope for a church rife with division, factions, and immorality? What is the hope for a broken world doomed for destruction, in desperate need of repair, and…

1-23-22 Sunday Service Update
News

Due to the hazardous road conditions and the potential for refreezing overnight, we are cancelling all on-campus activities for Sunday morning and will be holding the Sunday morning service online only. Tune in for worship at 10:15 am on Facebook Live or the Live page of our website.

We will be delivering a scaled down service to your home. Even though we won’t be physically together, we will still join together in worshiping the Lord and hearing from his word. I will be preaching from John 4:43-54. Please tune in and be prepared to enter into his presence with thanksgiving and praise in your hearts!

Enjoy your snowy Saturday, everyone! Please continue to be careful if you venture out on the roads. Check on one another and reach out if you have any needs. See you (online) tomorrow!

-Pastor Sean

Looking Forward to the 75th Anniversary
News

EMC Family,

Our long-awaited 75th anniversary celebration has finally arrived. The festivities begin with brunch on Saturday morning and conclude with a covered dish meal Sunday after worship. Guests will be arriving in the area over the next several days and all our many months of planning and preparation are about to come to fruition. I am confident that the Lord is going to bless our time together and I am excited for it!

Last Sunday we moved the worship service to online only as a precautionary measure. My family had contracted covid along with a couple others in the leadership circle of the church. To minimize the possibility that others might contract the illness and possibility bring it to church Sunday before symptoms had time to manifest, we simply closed the building down with an eye toward ensuring our anniversary celebration would be as safe as possible. I have not heard of any additional infected households associated with our cases, for which I am grateful to the Lord.

Normal church operations resumed yesterday. Our normal Wednesday evening activities will be taking place tomorrow (with the exception of Bible study which will resume September 8). All systems are go for the anniversary this weekend. Here is the complete schedule of events:

Friday, September 3rd, 2021
Families arrive and spend time together at home

Saturday, September 4th, 2021
10:00 AM – Brunch (Tent)
11:00 AM – Music and sharing from those who have gone out in ministry from EMC (Chapel)
Afternoon – Choir & ensemble rehearsal (Worship Center), Individual family time
5:00 PM – Catered meal (Tent)
6:00 PM – Music and testimony service (Worship Center)

Sunday, September 5th, 2021
9:00 AM – Sunday School with former pastors (Worship Center)
10:15 AM – Worship celebration (Worship Center)
12:15 PM – Covered dish meal (Tent)
2:15 PM – Prayer and benediction

Please note the following items as they pertain to the weekend:

1. All meals have been moved outdoors. This includes Saturday morning brunch, Saturday evening supper, and Sunday afternoon dinner. Beginning tomorrow there will be a large tented area over the parking lot outside the church office to provide covered, yet adequately ventilated, eating and fellowship space. The weekend weather forecast looks beautiful!

2. We are strongly encouraging the wearing of masks while in close proximity of others indoors. While the efficacy of wearing masks to prevent transmission is debated, with a larger amount of people in the Worship Center than normal we want to use whatever means at our disposal to ensure the space is as safe for others as possible.

3. We ask everyone to please exercise wisdom and caution for the sake of others. If you do not feel well at all, even with mild cold symptoms, please do not come (unless you have a negative covid test and are sure you are not putting others at risk), even if you have been vaccinated.

I understand there is a lot of anxiety right now about covid and getting together with others. Like everyone, we’ve struggled the past year and a half to make wise decisions. We neither want to be rash and unwise regarding the nature of this virus or to be given over to fear. Some will not feel comfortable coming at all, while others will not agree with any of the measures we have requested above. But I am optimistic that we can enjoy this anniversary safely and in a way that is glorifying to God if we all do our part in making decisions with the best interests of others in mind. We will not let this virus control us. We will be both bold and wise, entrusting our lives to the One who holds all things together.

Wednesday Church Life Update
News

EMC Family,

The ministry team has been prayerfully thinking through how to respond to the current events in our city and region. We are seeking Jesus and asking him to show us who we are to be and what we are to do as a church during what is a defining moment in our community’s history. We are compelled to play a role of some kind and not remain passive spectators. There is great opportunity to share Christ with our community here that we don’t want to miss. While we are still prayerfully seeking guidance and wisdom from the Lord, a few things have already become clear. Please take a moment to read everything below:

  • Due to the combination of a county-wide curfew, increasing difficulty traveling on many of our major roadways, and the ongoing impact of COVID on key staff and volunteers, we have decided to cancel all activities held at the church this evening. You are invited to join me on Facebook Live at 7pm for a time of communal prayer. (Here is an alternative link for those without access to Facebook.)
  • Due to the high likelihood that all of these factors will remain ongoing into the weekend and foreseeable future, we have decided to postpone our Spring revival to our fallback date in July. Huge kudos to Pastor Nate Williamson for his unrelenting grace and flexibility in what is now a second cancelled or postponed revival invitation. He is a picture of God’s heart to me and has pledged that his church’s intercessory team will be carrying our needs to the Lord as we navigate these difficult days.
  • With this adjustment to our immediate schedule, we will as a church have the freedom to pivot and make Sunday a time of prayer emphasis. In addition, we are exploring tangible ways that we can take action as a church going forward to be salt and light that offers Jesus.

Will you join us in praying for the Lord’s wisdom and discernment in all of this? We have been through a lot as a church in recent months and it appears that a lot more lies ahead. We need the presence, power, and wisdom of God more than ever.

I will do my best to keep you posted along the way. Please know we make none of these decisions lightly and that no matter what we will seek to follow the lead of Christ, the Head of the church. I hope to see you online tonight. God bless!

In Him. With you.
Pastor Sean

Thursday Church Life Update
Coronavirus, News

Greetings, beloved EMC family!

This is the week we have all been waiting for. The staff, Board, and I have decided to open the church up this Sunday to you for the morning worship service. While this is a cause for rejoicing, it is also a time for caution. We do not make this decision lightly, knowing that there is still risk involved with any indoor mass gathering. We are also mindful of the continued warnings from public health officials on the dangers of coming together like this, so before you read any further please stop and pray for the Holy Spirit’s wisdom on what this all means for you.

(Waiting patiently while you pray…)

Ok, first off: If you do not feel comfortable coming to church Sunday for any reason, please do not feel in any way compelled to come. No one is taking attendance here. No one will question your commitment to Jesus or EMC. Everyone understands the unique time in which we live and no one is judging each other about their decisions. So please do not read this announcement as anyone requiring you to come to church Sunday. Come as you feel led, aware of the risks and expectations listed below.

Now, for those of you who do wish to come, be prepared that things will be different than you remember. We have tried to think everything through to make the worship environment a safe place to meet. We are blessed with a large space for our size of congregation, so we are confident that we can worship together while observing social distancing guidelines.

Here are some key things you need to know in advance of Sunday:

  • The service starts at 10:15 am and it will be livestreamed. As usual, the stream will go live 15 minutes prior to the start of the service.
  • There will be no children’s lesson at 10 am. Instead, the service will be treated like a typical Family 5th Sunday service when parents have their children with them the whole time.
  • There will be no Sunday School, KidZone, or nursery care. We are trying to ease back into church life and are taking it one step at a time. This is our first (big) step.
  • Parents must keep their children with them for the duration of the worship service. Special seating will be available near the rear exits for families that might need to allow their little ones the opportunity to stretch their legs if the need arises. The ushers will make sure optimal seating is reserved for families with young children.
  • The front doors to the FYF building will be opened at 9:30 am. They will be propped open so no one has to touch the handles. No rear doors will be unlocked for entry.
  • The lobby will not be open for fellowship. To keep the flow of traffic moving in the right direction, please follow the arrows and directions of the ushers while going directly to your seats.
  • Please enjoy fellowshipping with one another before and after the service in the parking lot. Once inside, please remain with your family unit.
  • Preservice traffic only flows into the Worship Center from the middle doors. People needing to exit must use the side doors. Once the service is over, the flow of traffic will be reversed and you will exit the Worship Center from the middle doors.
  • Chairs will not be set up in rows, but rather in clusters of 2 and 4 with 6′ of spacing between each cluster in each direction. Some clusters in the rear have more than 4 chairs, and an usher can assist you if you have any additional seating needs.
  • You will find your bulletin with a song sheet insert waiting for you at your seat.
  • Ushers will collect the offering by bringing the collection bucket to you. You will not need to touch anything. Ushers will be wearing masks.
  • Masks are strongly encouraged, especially during the congregational singing. COVID-19 primarily results from breathing in airborne infected respiratory droplets, which are more likely to be projected during singing. My family will be wearing masks, and for the sake of your fellow worshipers I encourage you to please do the same.
  • In the event that we run out of room in the Worship Center, the Friendship Suite will be set up as an overflow space.
  • At the conclusion of the worship service, the ushers will dismiss you from your seats.
  • Please be extra patient with everything. All of this is new. No one has it all figured out. Parents will certainly be struggling with their children at times. Someone will forget a mask. All of us are human and doing our best, so let’s allow the Holy Spirit to produce in us the beautiful fruits of peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness toward one another.
  • If you are not feeling well in any way, please enjoy the worship service online from the comfort of your home.

I’m sure that list was as exhausting for you to read as it was for me to type. I don’t relish having to put so many parameters on our time together, but I do feel it is necessary. The Holy Spirit is still every bit as free to move in our midst and have his way with our hearts. The presence of God is what makes our time together matter, so be in prayer that God would be at work through and among us even while we’re behind a mask at least 6 feet apart. Honestly, I would rather be 6 feet away from you in a mask than not around you at all!

If you have any questions about any of this, please do not hesitate to contact me by email or call me at my office (264-2254, x.201). Again, do not come if you feel unsafe or deem it unwise in any way. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible this Sunday to worship the Holy One together in person once again!

In Him. With you.
Pastor Sean

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