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Wednesday, November 08 2023
Good Morning Image Bearing Co-Laborers! We are the image of Christ and He lives in us and helps us to allow Him to live and love through us as we worship, encourage, and serve together. Today we get the opportunity to join together to bless each other and people that come for bread and donuts from 10-11. Consider picking up a homebound member and bringing them along as we feast fellowship and love on others. We also get to gather for dinner, fellowship, study and fun at 6 for our Family Ministries/Chosen Huddles. Who ya bringing? There's always plenty of food and love to go around!
Today I found an old devotional from Dec. 2021 that I had stuffed in my Bible between John 14 and 15. Remember we are reading and answering those questions of John 14 and 15 this week. There will be a quiz...um...discussion on them on Sunday. What's God saying to you as you sit at Jesus' feet and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you about the Way, the Truth, and the Life and our nourishing Vine? The old devo I found is from the Upper Room and titled "Fully Charged". It uses Psalm 62:1-2 encouragement, "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him." They ask this probing question, "What will I do to recharge my spiritual batteries this week?" How would you answer that? Are you weary and heavy laden? Are you striving in your own strength? Are you feeling hopeless, lost depressed? This verse reminds us that sometimes we have to remind ourselves (sometimes we need others to remind us too), to find rest and hope in God--to choose peace and joy and rest and hope in Him. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that Faith is truly a "Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him"! And JOY comes as we put Jesus and Others ahead of Yourself. What are you focused on and from where does your help and hope come? Be still and know. Recharge!
Many of us are lacking connectedness to God and others and missing out on the healing restoring that comes for relationships and fellowship with God and each other. We do have several opportunities for you to join with fellow members and friends to refresh, encourage, and grow in joy. Isolation leads to depression and hopelessness. All the noise around us is clambering to draw us to anxiety, fear and doubt and exhaustion. Turn off the noise and connect to God and others! Work on your relationship with God and each other and even some you don't know yet. Come hang out, fellowship, learn, use your gifts, be refreshed and encouraged and experience God's blessings together! he loves us and you very deeply. He knows that we grow into our healthiest as we hang out with Him and each other. Come as you are and join one of our fellowship opportunities and bring someone along! AND did I mention there's donuts today?
ODB (below) (There's that John 10 passage again that God keeps bringing up! What do you hear as he keeps doing that?) It discusses our Good Shepherd and how His sheep hear His voice and follow. Who are you listening to and following? Some false teacher, leader, thief or our Good Shepherd? Whose voice are you most familiar with and trusting to follow? Please pray into the possibility of some new small group opportunities after the New Year. I believe it is imperative and part of God's healthy rhythms for us to gather together to tune into Him, fellowship and process together. Check out TWFYT (below) discussing connectedness and the importance of deep relationships with God and others where you can openly share what is going on in your life and bless and help each other to move towards God's best. We need each other and we need to support these opportunities! Who are you growing in relationship with? I love how our Tues Zoom Huddle is growing at this connectedness to God and each other and our Chosen gathering too. How might God want you to join in this kind of thing? Yesterday we discussed becoming all that we can be. We were not created to be an army of one! Who are you traveling through this becoming journey with?
All right gotta run! Geez up at 230 and still running late. hope God speaks to you like He did to me this morning. I have a 6:00 huddle to join with others sharing, holding accountable, seeking God together and praying. God loves to prepare us for the day and week with others sitting at his feet together. Thank God for that and ask who he wants you to join with in your and their becoming journey! And do something about it! be still and know with some friends today! God loves you and has great plans for you. rejoice and journey together well!
ODB:
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When I was a boy living on a ranch in Tennessee, I spent glorious afternoons roaming with my best friend. We’d hike into the woods, ride ponies, visit the rodeo arena, and venture into the barn to watch the cowboys work the horses. But whenever I heard my dad’s whistle—that clear sound slicing through the wind and all the other clatter—I’d immediately drop whatever I was doing and head home. The signal was unmistakable, and I knew I was being called by my father. Decades later, I’d still recognize that whistle.
Jesus told His disciples that He was the Shepherd, and His followers were the sheep. “The sheep listen to [the shepherd’s] voice,” He said. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). In a time when numerous leaders and teachers sought to confuse Christ’s disciples by asserting their authority, He declared that His loving voice could still be heard clearly, more distinctly than all the others. “His sheep follow [the shepherd], because they know his voice” (v. 4).
May we be careful as we listen for Jesus’ voice and avoid foolishly dismissing it, for the fundamental truth remains: The Shepherd speaks clearly, and His sheep hear His voice. Perhaps through a verse of Scripture, the words of a believing friend, or the nudge of the Spirit—Jesus speaks, and we do hear.
By Winn Collier
REFLECT & PRAY
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How do you think you’ve complicated hearing God’s voice? What’s the Shepherd saying to you today?
Dear God, I need to be reminded that You’re speaking, and that I do hear You. Help me pay attention. Help me to listen and respond.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Much of Jesus’ teaching was down to earth and practical, so it’s understandable why people were enthralled with it. We see this in John 10 when Christ speaks of shepherding and sheep, which were commonly understood in the life of the ancient Israelites. It also echoed back to Israel’s past relationship with God. In the Old Testament, Psalm 23:1 launches the imagery of God as Israel’s shepherd. That theme is revisited in Jeremiah 23:1–8; Ezekiel 34; and Zechariah 10:2–12. Jesus also pursued the shepherd/sheep motif in Luke 15 in His three parables about lost things (a sheep, a coin, and a son).
Bill Crowder |
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TWFYT:
Tuesday, November 07 2023
Good Morning Becoming to God Becomers! We don't often use that word, "becoming", very often today to describe someone that's attractive. But God loves us! We are becoming to Him as we surrender, trust, obey and try to give our all in following Jesus. When we got saved, we entered a journey to becoming more like Jesus and in growing into our new nature as we shed the old. We were one way, but now becoming another. We are on a journey to becoming all we were created to be--our fullest potential. Every day can be a day to become more like Jesus! Thank God for helping us, leading us, creating us with potential and purposes, and for helping us to become Christ in the flesh as we are learning to live and love like Him. Just meditate on that some today! Talk to God about how He wants to help you become.
Our Become Me in '23 Challenge is winding down. I have seen some of you growing into becoming doers of the word you chose to work on. God is faithful to help us become His best! PTL! Maybe God has a new word for you to work on for next year? Becoming and doing all we were created to be and do is a journey! But God is for us and provides all we need to become His image bearers and ambassadors. PTL! Keep working at BECOMING. Remember the old marine slogan? "Be all that you can be!" Amen!
Becoming the new person in Christ that God desires you to become is often a struggle as we face pruning, hardships, trials, temptations and discomfort. BUT GOD! He is with you always, allows these things to grow you and teach you to depend on Him. Hard things are His way of helping you to become more fully His and who you were created to be. Check out our devos today below and talk to God about what He desires for you and where He wants to lead you into this journey of becoming! How awesome is our Abba Daddy! PTL!
Maybe check out our Zoom huddle at 10 today as we will be discussing this deeper! Pray for our donut and conversation day at the Bread Ministry tomorrow and our huddles tomorrow evening as we engage with each other and others and help each other to enter and go further in this becoming journey! (It's attractive and draws us to it and it's what our journey looks like--becoming!) How's your "BECOMING" Journey going? How can we help you with that? How can we pray for you as we continue to work on moving from being one way to becoming another--a better person in Christ?
God has some great things ahead, even good things in the hard times that are all part of becoming! Thank Him and continue to surrender and hold loosely to what you were and look ahead to what he knows you can become! Ask someone to co-journey with you too. That is part of God's plan--becoming together! I am praying for you and us right now! What are you choosing to become today?
Upper Room: God's Way not Mine
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. - Hebrews 11:1 (NRSVUE)
I was sharing early-morning coffee and donuts with our daughter, the mother of two wonderful, energetic children. We were both going through rough patches in our lives. She had been through a painful divorce. I had recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. We shared the Bible verse from Hebrews above. Then my daughter offered an insight that amazed me. She said, “I think it’s awesome that when we are in trouble and can’t see any way through, God will surprise us with the solution.” Three years have passed since our meeting. She is now married to a fine Christian, and I have experienced only mild symptoms.
I often think that I’ve got the solution to life’s struggles, and in my prayers I try to convince God to see it my way. Now I just ask that God’s will be done in my life. And God’s answer is usually more amazing than I could have imagined. Great is God’s faithfulness, wisdom, and power!
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, remind us that you know what is best for us. We commit our will to yours. Amen.Our Daily Bread:
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“The baby birds will fly tomorrow!” My wife, Cari, was elated about the progress a family of wrens was making in a hanging basket on our front porch. She’d watched them daily, taking pictures as the mother brought food to the nest.
Cari got up early the next morning to look in on them. She moved some of the greenery aside covering the nest but instead of seeing baby birds, the narrow eyes of a serpent met hers. The snake had scaled a vertical wall, slithered into the nest, and devoured them all.
Cari was heartbroken and angry. I was out of town, so she called a friend to remove the snake. But the damage was done.
Scripture tells of another serpent who left destruction in his path. The serpent in the garden of Eden deceived Eve about the tree God had warned her against eating from: “You will not certainly die,” he lied, “for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4–5).
Sin and death entered the world as a result of Eve and Adam’s disobedience to God, and the deception wrought by “that ancient serpent, who is the devil” continues (Revelation 20:2). But Jesus came “to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8), and through Him we’re restored to relationship with God. One day, He’ll make “everything new” (Revelation 21:5).
By James Banks
REFLECT & PRAY
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How has Jesus destroyed the devil’s work in your heart and life? What do you look forward to in Him?
Please deliver me, Jesus, from the devil’s deception. Saving God, give me grace to live for You!
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Jesus’ beloved disciple John recognized in the serpent’s temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1–7) the fundamental temptations all people face. He wrote that “everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes from the . . . world” (1 John 2:16). His words echo Eve’s thoughts as she looked at the tree: it was good for food, pleased the eye, and would make one wise like God (Genesis 3:6). We all face the same kinds of temptations (1 Corinthians 10:13). Instead of giving in, however, the Spirit will help us to stand firm in the faith (Galatians 5:16; 1 Peter 5:8–9).
Jed Ostoich |
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Charles Stanley:
The Word for You Today:
Sarah's prayer updates: (Add Kelly (Don's neighbor's daughter) Her lung tumor is non-cancerous. PTL! But still needs surgery to remove. Pray for shalom and healing.)
Hi everyone.....
Happy Monday and to the beginning of a brand new week! Even though we don't know what this week may
hold for each of us, we can be sure that whatever it is, God has great things in store so, keep your eyes focused
on Jesus.....follow Him wherever He leads you. Yes, sometimes the steps may be difficult BUT, God is our refuge
and our strength and He WILL be with us always!!!!
Here are some prayer updates.....God is on the move and answering our prayers:
Chad (Lisa B's cousin and a friend to many) we were praying for healing after his heart attack. Today, improvements
were made. He is still on the respirator, but his brain is functioning. His eyes have been open more since they
have started weaning him off sedation. He has been using an IPad to communicate. He has been moving his hands and
legs on command. He is a real fighter. Let's continue to pray for complete recovery. Chad's family is very thankful for
for all our prayer support.
Winnie Iobst - had a fall, and is having upper respirator problems. He is at home recovering
Barb Sommer's sister Judy, is in stage 4 cancer. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.
Friend of Josie, Starla is dealing with chronic pain and would appreciate our prayers for strength
Althea Parry's son-in-law, Nevin - has another cancer tumor in his bladder. He will need more surgery in the
very near future.
Friend of Pastor Don's, Kelly, has a mass and is waiting results from her testing. Please pray for healing and peace.
Gina is asking for prayers for Hailey (her granddaughter who is 14 years old) she is having difficulty dealing with
situations in her life. Please pray that the Lord will put people, Christian people into her life to help her deal and process
things.
Also keep Hailey's parents and grandparents in your prayers as they support her.
Let us continue to pray for the wars that are taking place. Praying for protection, and peace.
Hope you all have a great Tuesday......
Don't forget Wednesday, 10-12 is Donut, Coffee and conversation - why not plan to join us!
Have a great Wednesday!!
Blessings,
Sarah
Tuesday, November 07 2023
Good Morning Seeking, Listening, Following Disciples and Apostles of Jesus! Disciples are learners, apprentices. Apostles are sent ones. We are learning to be like Jesus and sent to represent Him to the world just as we are, right where we are placed for such a time as this. I don't think we can fully wrap our heads around what that actually means or how that will look as we step out in faith and trust God to use us and grow us. Al used to talk about building the airplane while we're flying it. That can be quite unsettling! Right? Too often I am reminded of my inadequacies and failures along the way as the Holy Spirit pinches me or Satan tries to rattle my faith and get me questioning God or myself. God has us right where we need to be when we have to depend fully on Him and not our own understanding. When we get to the end of ourselves and we have no clue what to do, where He is leading us or what's next we start to see His faithfulness and Proverbs 3:5-6 coming to life as we release ourselves and our efforts and desires and seek God and His help and direction. That takes faith! Often it begins with mustard seed size faith as we give it all to God and pour ourselves out before Him.
Trying to lead and shepherd God's flock while building the airplane can get quite perplexing, unsettling, uncomfortable, and well, lonely sometimes feeling like you're the only one seeking, trusting and willing to do what He desires. It's hard to build the airplane when the blue prints are only revealed as you go. It's hard to know where to lead and how to invite others along on the journey when you don't know where you're being led or if anyone is willing to ride along. I saw this Calin and Hobbs comic today that really summarizes this: 
All this comic needs is to have them in some kind of handmade airplane trying to get off the ground. Life in Christ and trying to learn to shepherd His flock like Him can often feel like this. The Tom Petty song just came to mind: "I'm freefalling"! And as I sit at God's feet and seek Him with all my heart, surrender my wants, hopes, dreams and desires to His Lordship, and trust Him to lead, direct and bring about His plans, you all come to mind. How unsettling to trust that God is really leading me and us. Satan prods and get's us questioning, "Did God really ssssay?" Is God really speaking to our leaders? Are they really following Him? Can I trust God and them enough to be all-in? What's my part? Am I willing to do it? Tomorrow evening our Pastoral Relations Commission meets to help Sarah and me discern if we are hearing and following God and leading His church well. Pray for them and us to hear God, discern together and recommit to following well. If you have any concerns about Sarah and me, if anything is bothering you or any encouragements please contact our PRC so they can be informed of the atmosphere of our fellowship and if some corrections are needed. Thanks! (Danny Reinsmtih, Kathy Canfield, Gail Lichtenwalner, Gina Fuhrman are our PRC. Thank you team for your service, faithfulness to God and willingness to help us be and do God's best!)
God has commanded us to humble ourselves before Him and examine our hearts to make sure we are right with Him. He knows us and still loves us and wants to help us move towards His best for us. The difference between us and the world is our willingness to humble ourselves, receive God's patient, correcting love, and take steps to repent (change our thinking and ways) and to move towards His best. Yesterday during our circle-up time we began to discuss what God is saying to us as we sometimes don't represent Him well in the world. I wish we would have had another hour to process together. Again, that is why it is so important to have some accountability partners and small huddles to grow together in Christ well. Who do you have to process with? What are you doing to make that happen? That is part of what God wants us to learn and work on with the reading the gospel of John challenge this fall. He's calling us to the next step. It will be uncomfortable for most of us. It may feel like jumping in the wagon with Calvin and Hobbs. Are you willing? Are you wanting to be all-in like Lazarus' sister Mary and pour yourself out before Jesus? Are you moving towards being like the virgin Mary and offering yourself to God to have His way with you even though you have no clue what that really means? Are you willing to trust God like Abraham and follow Him to unrevealed destinations or to listen to His voice when He asks you to sacrifice something so precious as your child? We really need to humble ourselves before God and examine our hearts with Him! And we need the help of others to process well! Really pray into that! Ask God to lead you to some intimate fellowship and accountability. Pray with me as I am seeking God for this to become alive at St. Matts in the new year and actually start some accountability huddles or small groups that seek and process together. People willing to be all-in and help each other move towards that.
God has great plans for you and us. Remember that when you feel like you are freefalling! God sees, knows, cares and will catch you before you crash and burn. He's in front of you leading the way and lighting the path. He's beside you encouraging you and whispering His loving directions into your heart. It doesn't matter if you are 12, 30, 60 or 90 years old. God has custom made you for His custom purposes for such a time as this. He is at work in and around you to lead you to His best and for the good of those who believe or will believe. We, our faith, and all we have are a gift from God, enabled and enacted as we come to Christ, willing to become more like Him as we strive towards our fullest potential in Him. When we offer all to Him with faith the size of a mustard seed, He is faithful to allow us to know His love and see His hand in everything and to lead us to it. He is faithful to direct our steps to His best and perfect plans. So are you willing to die to self, take up your cross and follow Jesus as commanded? Or do you think you have a better idea like Judas and Lucifer? Or maybe you are, and I think this is most of us, more like the disciples that are still learning and hesitatingly sort of willing to do what Jesus reveals, even when they don't get it and it often seem like He is asking them to jump in that wagon with Calvin and Hobbs?
Jesus gave His all for us. All He's asking is that we give Him all He's given us and trust Him to lead us to his best. He is faithful and trustworthy! Amen! So, I'd really love to hear what He is saying to you right now and what you think He may be asking you to do about that? I'd love to hear who He is stirring you to process with and how you are planning to make that happen. Text, email, call, or chat with Sarah or me about that! God DOES have great plans for you and us to discover together as we fly that plane and launch that wagon off the cliff! Rejoice! Get in that wagon! Keep plugging away with the Lord until your part is complete and He calls you home. He's preparing you for a great eternity! The best lies ahead for those who keep humbling themselves and inviting Jesus to be their Lord and joyfully trusting and following Him. Is that you? Is that our church?
Geez, maybe God just wrote Sunday's message? What is He saying to you? I'd love to hear and process with you! Check out these devos from today that thread through this and led me to share my heart today. Meditate on John 14 and 15 and answer and journal those three questions too: What's going on? What's God saying to me? What measurable response am I willing to do? Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life--life to the fullest--abundant life! He is the Vine and we are His branches that often need some pruning of our Vine Dresser. He has placed us in this Body for such a time as this and called us to encourage and help each other to His best. Come on! Jump in the wagon with me! Help me to build the plane as we follow our Shepherd together! We are on our way to becoming...! Becoming the people and church we were created to be! Becoming Kingdom expanders! Becoming Jesus to those around us! Becoming a dynamic movement of God! Becoming! PTL! How "becoming" are you to Him?
We are in for the ride of our lives that takes us to our eternal purposes! Amen! PTL! Jump in the wagon! Shalom Shalom!
Charles Stanley:
UR: The Spirit Intercedes
We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. - Romans 8:26 (NIV)
My faith journey is not always smooth sailing. I often face challenges that cause me to lose my close connection with Christ, sometimes even to the point that praying becomes difficult. Loss, guilt, grief, stress, and unanswered prayers can derail my prayer life.
An inconsistent prayer life weakens our relationship with Christ. In those moments, we may wonder, Where do I begin? How do I rekindle my relationship with Christ? Often we have so much to say, and yet it seems as though the right words are just not there! It can seem like we should wait to rebuild the connection at the right moment when we know the right words to say. But Romans 8 reminds us that the Spirit intercedes for us.
The Lord knows our hearts, so we don’t have to be discouraged by the obstacles we are currently experiencing. We don’t need to wait for the perfect moment to reestablish our relationship with Christ. All we need to do is ask the Spirit of God to intercede for us, either through silent prayer, or when we cry out to the Lord.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear Lord, you know our hearts. We have much to share, but words may fail us. We need your Spirit to intercede for us. Amen.
ODB:
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At age twelve, Ibrahim arrived in Italy from West Africa, not knowing a word of Italian, struggling with a stutter, and forced to face anti-immigrant putdowns. None of that stopped the hardworking young man who, in his twenties, opened a pizza shop in Trento, Italy. His little business won over doubters to be listed as one of the top fifty pizzerias in the world.
His hope was then to help feed hungry children on Italian streets. So he launched a “pizza charity” by expanding a Neapolitan tradition—buy an extra coffee (caffè sospeso) or pizza (pizza sospesa) for those in need. He also urges immigrant children to look past prejudice and not give up.
Such persistence recalls Paul’s lessons to the Galatians on continually doing good to all. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Paul continued, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (v. 10).
Ibrahim, an immigrant who faced prejudice and language barriers, created an opportunity to do good. Food became “a bridge” leading to tolerance and understanding. Inspired by such persistence, we too can look for opportunities to do good. God, then, gets the glory as He works through our steady trying.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
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How does your persistence glorify God? In your life, what deserves more godly persistence and loving charity from you?
When I consider giving up, dear God, inspire me to endure in You.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Galatians 6:9, Paul counters the human tendency to quit with these words: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” The Greek word translated “become weary” (enkakeō) means “to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted.”
The word for “give up” (eklyō) can mean literally “to dissolve,” but here the idea is used figuratively to mean “weaken, relax, faint, exhaust.” In the Gospels, this word is used to describe what would happen to the multitude—“collapse”—if they were sent away without nourishment: “I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way” (Matthew 15:32; see Mark 8:3). Put positively, the message for believers of any era is to press on!
Arthur Jackson |
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Sunday, November 05 2023
Good Morning Resting in the Lord Worshipers! Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day! We have an extra hour to worship God today! Woo Who! How does God want to bless you or others through you with that extra hour today?
Today we will not only discuss John 10 and 13 during worship, but this will also be a day to celebrate all the things God is doing in, through and around us. God is very active through us and our serving! PTL! What might you have to share today about how God has used you or us to be a blessing? What has God done in you that you want to thank Him for? What testimony has He given you to share with thanksgiving! Come! Let us adore Him! Let us celebrate with much thanksgiving today!
I had a wonderful time with the Lord this morning and I'm praying you all do as well. Did you notice the thread through our devotionals this morning. We are God's custom crafted masterpieces. We are forgiven much and given Christ's mind and Spirit to help us to renew our thinking and to understand and follow Jesus well. We are custom made for custom purposes. Those are to be done right where God has placed us just as we are right now. Those things help us grow into His greater purposes if we persevere and don't give up until He calls us home! PTL! We are custom made for custom purposes and enabled to go live sacrificially and love lavishly like Jesus for such a time as this, right where we are! How's God allowing that to play out through you? What thanksgivings and praises do you have to share that bring Him great glory? What fruit is budding, growing, maturing and being harvested in our branches today?
God is speaking! What's He saying to you? What are you doing about that? Who are you processing with? God has great plans for you and us! PTL! Let our lives be an act of worship that leads to much thanksgiving and glory to God! Amen
See you soon in person or on Zoom as we gather together to ask the Lord's blessings and celebrate Him and all He is doing as we enter His courts with praise! God, you are awesome! Thanks for loving and using us! Please continue Your good work in and through us until completion. Bring great fruit to maturity! Bring revival as that fruit is harvested! Thanks! And thank you for the great plans you are bringing alive as we step into our purposes more fully! Come! Amen!
TWFYT:
Upper Room: Bearing Fruit
Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” - John 15:5 (NIV) (Note: we will be studying John 14 and 15 this week!)
About 45 years ago, my father planted a beautiful orchard for my husband and me. For several years, we enjoyed pies, jam, and abundant baskets of fruit to share with others. But as time has passed, we have retired, my father has passed away, and our busy lives have been filled with many responsibilities and physical challenges. Our orchard has gone to ruin and has not produced fruit in years.
One day when I was mowing in the orchard, I noticed the largest, most perfect pear I had ever seen lying on the ground beneath a pear tree that had been overtaken by an invasive plant. As I looked closer, I saw that the original pear tree was still alive at the center. I shared the pear with my family.
This pear reminded me of the love of my father who planted the tree and the love of my heavenly Father who sends me encouragement when I feel choked by the burdens of aging, illness, and worry. It reminded me to persevere. I thank God that my father shared his faith with me and that my heavenly Father continues to guide me through life. I am encouraged to bear fruit by offering love to those around me.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Merciful God, we praise you for the everyday miracles you give us to remind us to persevere and to share our faith with others. Amen.
ODB:
Welcomed Home by God
What great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1
READ 1 John 3:1–3
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After Sherman Smith recruited Deland McCullough to play American football for Miami University, he grew to love him and became the father Deland never had. Deland had great admiration for Sherman and aimed to become the man he was. Decades later, when Deland tracked down his birth mom, she shocked him with the news, “Your father’s name is Sherman Smith.” Yes, that Sherman Smith. Coach Smith was stunned to learn he had a son, and Deland was stunned that his father figure was literally his father!
The next time they met, Sherman hugged Deland and said, “My son.” Deland had never heard that from a father. He knew Sherman “was saying it from a place of ‘I’m proud. This is my son,’ ” and he was overwhelmed.
We too should be overwhelmed by the perfect love of our heavenly Father. John writes, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1). We’re as dumbfounded as Deland, who didn’t dare think someone like Sherman could be his dad. Is it really true? John insists, yes, “that is what we are!” (v. 1).
If you believe in Jesus, His Father is also your dad. You may feel orphaned, alone in the world. But the truth is, you have a Father—the only perfect One—and He’s proud to call you His child.
By Mike Wittmer
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What does it mean to you that you’ve been chosen to be God’s child? Who can you show love to as a mentor?
Thank You, Father, for being my dad. Help me live as Your child.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Revelation were all written by John, who called himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 21:20). As one of the Twelve, he was part of Christ’s inner circle, which included his brother James and Peter. They witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8) and the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:49–56). And they were nearby in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–38).
Christ’s love motivated John and is a central theme of his writings. We see this clearly stated in 1 John: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (3:1) and “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (v. 16). The magnitude of God’s love and how we’re called to love in response is a key theme of 1 John 4:7–21.
Alyson Kieda |
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Charles Stanley:
Saturday, November 04 2023
Good Morning Lavishly Loved, Chosen Ones of Our Father in Heaven! HALLOWED be His name! We were lovingly crafted for custom made purposes that come alive when we respond to God calling us by name to Jesus' saving grace! How sweet! Just dwell in that love today as you check out the thread through our devotionals below. meditate on God's lavish love for you and His perfect plans for you and the world. Mediate on John 10 and 13 for tomorrow's discussion and fill those gratitude lists with tons of praise and thanksgiving. What does God mean to you? How about lavish love? Salvation? new life in Christ? Second, third and hundreds of redo's? Oh how sweet to deep love of Jesus!
Praise God for an extra hour with Him tomorrow. Ask Him how best to use that time for His glory and your healthy choices. Just worship and praise and prepare your heart for tomorrow and for God to use you today. Rejoice! See you at 10 tomorrow (or 11 if you forget to change your clock!). Have a day of being filled with lavish love and sharing that love lavishly! Amen! Shalom!
TWFYT:
ODB:
God’s Rescue
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:2
READ Psalm 40:1–4
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A compassionate volunteer was called a “guardian angel” for his heroic efforts. Jake Manna was installing solar panels at a job site when he joined an urgent search to find a missing five-year-old girl. While neighbors searched their garages and yards, Manna took a path that led him into a nearby wooded area where he spotted the girl waist-deep in a marsh. He waded carefully into the sticky mud to pull her out of her predicament and return her, damp but unharmed, to her grateful mother.
Like that little girl, David also experienced deliverance. The singer “waited patiently” for God to respond to his heartfelt cries for mercy (Psalm 40:1). And He did. God leaned in, paid close attention to his cry for help and responded by rescuing him from the “mud and mire” of his circumstances (v. 2)—providing sure footing for David’s life. The past rescues from the muddy marsh of life reinforced his desire to sing songs of praise, to make God his trust in future circumstances and to share his story with others (vv. 3–4).
When we find ourselves in life challenges such as financial difficulties, marital turmoil, and feelings of inadequacy, let’s cry out to God and patiently wait for Him to respond (v. 1). He’s there, ready to help us in our time of need and give us a firm place to stand.
By Marvin Williams
REFLECT & PRAY
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When has God delivered you from the “muddy marsh”? How do His past rescues encourage you to trust in Him?
When I’m stuck in the mud, I’ll wait patiently for You, my loving God.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Psalm 40 is identified as a psalm of David, but we aren’t given any other information regarding the events that prompted him to write it. Some scholars, however, find messianic significance in verses 6–9 because the songwriter expresses his commitment to do God’s will—seemingly at all costs. Jesus made similar statements in the gospel of John: “My food . . . is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (4:34); and “the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” (8:29). Our Savior’s commitment in these verses seems to echo the words of David in Psalm 40:6–9.
Bill Crowder |
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The UR: God of All
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. - Romans 10:12 (NRSVUE)
I live in a facility for independent-living older adults. Religion here is represented by Catholics, Mormons, various Protestants, and a few agnostics. One day, when the Catholic group was celebrating Mass with a young priest, I met and talked with him briefly. And I enjoyed our visit.
Another day, while I was talking with a woman who is Mormon and who had suffered a serious illness, she told me how the Lord had been walking with her in her trouble.
When I was growing up, it was not common for people to talk about their church’s theology or style of worship with people of other denominations. Perhaps we assumed that our church conducted services the right way and others were simply ignorant.
At this senior facility we have grown older and wiser. We encourage one another and know that the Lord’s saving grace is for everyone. After all, some blessings that come with age are often overlooked; and the ability to respect others’ beliefs and faith in our Lord is one of them. God is good indeed!
TODAY'S PRAYER
O Lord, guide each of us in our daily relationships with others wherever we are. Encourage us to love others and respect their faith. If someone does not know your love and forgiveness, give us the wisdom and courage to share your grace lovingly with them. Amen.Charles Stanley:
Friday, November 03 2023
Thank God I'm Forgiven! What are you thankful for about your salvation, God's workings in and around you, and through our serving? Be ready to share some of those Sunday and the weeks ahead!
Saturday night we turn the clocks back! An extra hour to sleep or spend with God on Sunday! (Someone said that pastors get an extra hour to preach!)
Clothing Closet is open Saturday 10-1.
Sunday worship at 10 on zoom or in person with Children's church. Discussing John 10 and 13 and your gratitude lists. Where are you seeing God at work and praising Him?
Tues Zoom Huddle at 10-11
Wed Bread Ministry Donuts and Conversation Day 10-12; Chosen and Family Ministry gathering 6-8 with dinner.
Mark your calendars! Tue Nov 21st Thanksgiving Eve Eve dinner and fellowship. (No Chosen or Family Ministries Wed the 22nd); Church Christmas Decorating Sat Nov 25th at 10; and Sunday Nov 26th Brunch after worship at 11:30
All are welcome to any and all of these. Who ya bringing?
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Good Morning Thankful Worshipers! What are you thankful for? Where are you seeing God at work and praising Him?
Nov. is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving. I think it is one of my favorite holidays. However it seems like every year people want to skip it and start with Christmas decorating and music the day after Halloween. Actually, thanksgiving should be a lifestyle for a Christian. We don't need a holiday to remind us to be grateful and we have so much to be thankful for! God is so good and provides all we need. PTL! Whenever we ask "What are you thankful for?", we usually get the standards: God, church, family and friends, spouse etc. I want to challenge you to dig deeper. Think about all the things you were so thankful for this past year and write them down and share them Sunday. Where have you seen God at work? Where has God invited you to join Him and used you? How has God provided for a need or answered a prayer? How is God using our servants? What trial are you thankful that God carried you through or taught you through? Write down and journal your deep thanksgiving lists to share Sunday and all month. And just worship and praise!
Sarah challenged us last week to evaluate who we are like and how devoted to Jesus we really are. Are you like Judas, the lukewarm disciples, or all-in Mary? Honestly your thanksgivings and praise will reflect that. Do you just say thank you out of habit or obligation or to look good? Are you thankful but superficially, not really thinking about all God is doing, especially when you don't understand or it doesn't fit your ideas? Or are you really thankful and always offering a sacrifice of praise for who God is and all--everything--He is and does and allows? Is you life being poured out as an offering of praise? Talk to God about that and ask for a thankful heart and faith to trust Him always with thanksgiving.
We have so much to be thankful for and celebrate! AMEN! Let us lift our voices in praise and thanksgiving today--every day! Let us offer a sacrifice of praise! Let us celebrate and share our testimonies of how good God really is and for all He is doing in, through and around us. Rejoice! Praise! Offer thanksgiving! Celebrate! Yes and amen!
Have a thankful weekend filled with the knowledge of all God has and is doing! Rejoice!
Thursday, November 02 2023
Good Morning Reflecting, Doers! We are filled with God's Light when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. His Light drives back the darkness. Amen! Jesus has called us to reflect His Light and glory and to go forth as His aroma. As we go forth in Christ into the darkness and show others the Way, we build treasure in heaven and are preparing ourselves for our eternal blessings and duties. God brings dreams and visions to us that align with our true identity in Christ, our created purposes, and His plans for us. As we process those with Him and others and pray into those plans and visions, God directs our steps and uses us to reflect Him, be His image and aroma bearers, and impact the world around us. He also reveals small corrections along the way or sometimes tells us to stop and redirect totally. Are you seeking, listening and responding well? Do you have some inner circle friends you process with and are held accountable to? I'm praying for God to raise up some of these types of huddles in our fellowship and to bring in more as He brings in the harvest through us. Check out our devos below and process them with God. Maybe reach out to a friend or two to process what you are hearing and feeling and begin making some plans.
God loves you and has created you for some special plans. He is with you. Choose to seek, listen and follow well today and then praise God with your mouth and choices! Amen! Jesus is standing before you right now with open arms of invite to join Him as He leads you today. PTL!
Sarah Prayer Letter9s):
Good afternoon, church family!
I have a few prayer requests to share with you today:
Josie is headed back to Florida tomorrow and we would all like to pray her safely there. Pray that she settles in easily
with her friend that she is staying with and pray that the contractors are able to get her apartment completed by the early
Spring so she can return to Emmaus.
Josie has also asked for prayer for her friend Ruth, she survived a last minute heart surgery and is moving into an
apartment this Friday! Please continue to pray for recovery and safety. She is 94 years old.
Josie has also asked for prayer for her Chestnut Ridge neighbor-to-be, Lori Epler's elderly mother. The mother
has a very bad fall this week. Pray for her recovery from fall and God's peace to surround them.
Yay God, Ed Roher (Lori's husband) had surgery and it went well. Let's pray for his recovery and healing. Pray
for Lori and the girls as they care for him.
I (Sarah) am asking for prayer for my family. My mother's health is declining rapidly. She is resting peacefully, and
she is ready to run into the arms of Jesus. Please pray that God will send His angels soon to guide her
home and may God's peace surround the homestead.
We are still collecting for Angel Network - cans of beans (no baked beans or green beans - other organizations are collecting
those things) We have until November 15th. Thank you to all of you that have brought some beans in so far!
Sunday hopefully we will have a count on how many we got. Our goal is 150.
Sunday we will be collecting for Everlasting Life Ministries. There will be a basket, clearing marked by the offering plates,
for your love gift.
Tomorrow, the Support Team will be meeting. Please keep your Support Team in your prayers
as they discuss and seek God's wisdom in all the decisions that may come up. And also keep the Finance commission in your
prayers as they discuss the budget for 2024.
Bell choir is starting up. If you are interested in playing bells or know someone who might be interested in playing bells,
please let Patti know. Bells practice is on Sundays at 11:30am - 12:30pm.
Thank you for all your prayers and support for those on our list.
Blessings to each of you!
Have a great rest of your week!
Sarah
Just received another request for prayer:
Lisa Wenner’s boss, Ed that we have been praying for… had a heart attack and passed away.
Please pray for Ed’s family and his work family as they go through this difficult time.
May God’s peach surround each of them.
Blessings and peace,
Sarah
Don's updates:
Funeral went well yesterday. Thanks for praying! I encountered a few that were moving through fresh grief themselves. Funerals really hit home harder after a fresh loss. Please pray for God's comfort, peace and strength for the whole Bailey family, the Arnold's, Sonya G, and Brittany H and those you know moving through grief.
I also encountered the step-mom of Glen that I am praying for to be open to hear about Jesus. Thanks for praying! The door is opening. Possibility of meeting with them this week.
Pray for Erika and Chris Yob's friend who tragically lost their 15 month old after she got her routine shots. Ask God to use them to bring comfort.
Pray for Dani, Caleb's mom, for God's leading and provision as she meets about coverage and provision for her and his future.
Our neighbor Nan just asked for prayers for her daughter Kelly who was taken to ER for coughing up blood.
Pray for Josie as she heads back to Fla today for safety and for God to use her while there.
Pray for our support team meeting tonight that we would seek, hear, understand and follow God's plans for us and glorify His name. Thanks!
Pray for the Clothing Closet for Sat. May God connect us through our serving to others and connect them to Him. Thank God for all our servants!
Pray for Sunday worship for many to experience God's presence, celebrate what He is doing and doing through us, and for many to respond to our invites to join us. Ask God who you should invite and do it!
Pray for Donut Day next Wed at the Bread Ministry. Ask God to use us well and to draw many to Him. Thank Him for His provisions and for using us!
Thank God for all He is doing in, through and around us! He is at work and bring fruit alive! PTL!
Our Daily Bread:
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I recently visited Athens, Greece. Walking around its ancient Agora—the marketplace where philosophers taught and Athenians worshiped—I found altars to Apollo and Zeus, all in the shadow of the Acropolis, where a statue of the goddess Athena once stood.
We may not bow to Apollo or Zeus today, but society is no less religious. “Everybody worships,” novelist David Foster Wallace said, adding this warning: “If you worship money and things . . . then you will never have enough. . . . Worship your body and beauty. . . and you will always feel ugly. . . . Worship your intellect . . . [and] you will end up feeling stupid.” Our secular age has its own gods, and they’re not benign.
“People of Athens!” Paul said while visiting the Agora, “I see that in every way you are very religious” (Acts 17:22). The apostle then described the one true God as the Creator of all (vv. 24–26) who wants to be known (v. 27) and who has revealed Himself through the resurrection of Jesus (v. 31). Unlike Apollo and Zeus, this God isn’t made by human hands. Unlike money, looks, or intelligence, worshiping Him won’t ruin us.
Our “god” is whatever we rely on to give us purpose and security. Thankfully, when every earthly god fails us, the one true God is ready to be found (v. 27).
By Sheridan Voysey
REFLECT & PRAY
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What other “gods” do you see society worshiping today? What do you rely on to give you purpose and security?
Father, forgive me for placing wealth, beauty, politics, or other things first. I take them off the altar of my heart and place You there instead.
Discover how Christianity differs from other world religions.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
We often use Paul’s interaction with the people in Athens as a model for evangelism: know your audience and tailor your message to them. The apostle observed the religious behavior of the Athenians and demonstrated his knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures and the life and work of Jesus. But we also see that Paul’s speech was a refutation of the Athenian approach to religion. In a place where they had many idols to which they offered sacrifices of food and drink, the apostle asserts that there’s only one God, and He doesn’t live in temples and doesn’t need to be served by humans.
J.R. Hudberg |
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Charles Stanley:
Upper Room: Small Corrections
Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise. Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding. - Proverbs 15:31-32 (NIV)
When I was a young boy, I enjoyed watching my father drive the family car. His feet were always moving between the clutch pedal, gas pedal, and brake pedal. But it was the small movements he made with his hands on the steering wheel that fascinated me. So, when the family car was safely parked in the driveway, I would sit behind the steering wheel and pretend to drive. My legs were too short to reach the pedals, but I could make those small movements with the steering wheel, as if I were heading down the road. When I was finally old enough to learn to drive, I quickly understood that without those small corrections on the steering wheel, the car would drift off course.
I’ve come to realize that my life has been a little like driving a car. At times I’ve had to slam on the brakes to avoid a disaster in my life. But most of the time, I’ve just had to make those small corrections to keep myself on a steady course.
Now I think of God’s word in scripture as my compass and my road map. Together, they can keep me on God’s path, leading me to greater understanding of what God expects of my life.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, you know what is best for each of us. Help us to make the small corrections that will guide us to a better understanding of how to please you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.The Word for You Today:
Wednesday, November 01 2023
Good Morning people of our BIG God! There's a kids song of old that reminds us that God is bigger than the Boogie Man! Amen! Believe it! What's your "Boogie Man" today that needs to meet your BIG God? Check out our devos below and pray through and meditate on the God we can trust always, the God we worship, the God that has invited us to spend eternity with Him, the God of assurance and promise, the God that goes before us and makes a way, the God who holds us in His strong right hand, shelters us under His wings and promises comfort to those who mourn. His loving, helping presence with us always. AMEN! PTL! Trust Him always! He is faithful!
Today many denominations celebrate All Saints Day remembering those who have stepped into Jesus' arms this past year. Maybe it's because we are getting older, but it seems like so many people we know or know of are dying. And then the tragic news of an Emmaus High School student perishing in an accident after school yesterday. People may ask, "Where's your God now?" How do we answer and bring God's comfort? Well, unless the person passing is a person of faith, it's very hard to bring that comfort of God. But for those that know Him, we can still celebrate their homecoming and find peace and choose the joy of trusting for a heavenly reunion someday. Pray for all of those who are mourning today to find peace and hope in Christ. Ask how God may want you to be His vessel for that. And ask Him to give you His passion to reach the lost.
I have the privilege of being called upon today to do that at the funeral of a very well know and loved man who tragically passed suddenly. (Please pray for me to bring healing and peace and Christ's love alive). It will be a bit awkward as a pastor from one of those "All Saints" churches is in charge and counting on baptism alone for salvation and bringing a basic Sunday service for comfort. My role is to share Randy's story and oversee the time of sharing. May Christ come alive and bring comfort and hope to all there. What are you counting on for your eternal destination? Randy believed and is with Jesus now.
I'm also trying to minister to someone on hospice that really has no time for the Lord nor does he know Him. I want to bring hope to the hopeless and keep praying for an opportunity during his last few days to meet with and lead Him to our Lord and Savior. I think he's of the mindset that heaven is boring and not fun and all his partying friends will be in Hell. We know better. Jesus reminds us that some do and will reject Him, blinded by the darkness and so choose Hell. All we can do is pray, hope, and be available for the survivors. God can use us to help them in their time of grief. Please Lord! And bring breakthrough for those who are hard hearted and blinded by the darkness.
God often allows us to go through some very hard things to test our faith and/or to help us to grow in depending on and trusting Him. He prepares us to use us to comfort and help others too. Be still. Know that He is God and always with you. Stand firm on His promises and be available for Him to grow and to use you. He has great plans for you until the day He calls you home and then the plans get better! Amen!
May God draw you close and bless you today with His overflowing love. May He give you directions and words of peace, comfort and joy to share. May He inform your prayers and direct your steps as you trust Him. Don't lean on your own understanding. God is at work bringing to life immeasurably more than we can imagine. He is our BIG God who knows everything, even you and He is bigger than any Boogie Man we have haunting us today. Amen! Choose to dwell in His shalom today. Then choose to go bring it to others for such a time as this. Amen!
Upper Room: Talking to God
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. - Psalm 56:3 (NRSVUE)
When I was young and alone in my dark bedroom at night, I would imagine the frightening scenes from my dreams like a movie playing out on my closet door. I would repeat Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you,” until I fell asleep. I didn’t know what it meant to trust God, but for me it was enough to take refuge in those words.
Over 50 years later, I’ve expanded my list of scriptures that reassure me of God’s presence and provision. But the truth is that I still sometimes wake up in the dark fearing the “what ifs.” And when I do, I pray the same verse I memorized as a child.
The psalmist teaches us that trust is the antidote to fear. When I trust in God, I don’t have to figure things out, solve those what-ifs, or know the unknowns. I do not know how things will turn out. But when I trust, I can rest in God’s presence, even if it is just for a few minutes at a time. I don’t have to be afraid because God is always near.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, when we are afraid, we can rest in your presence and know that you will always be with us. Amen.Our Daily Bread:
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Ronit came from a religious but non-Christian family. Their discussions about spiritual matters were dry and academic. “I kept praying all the prayers,” she said, “but I wasn’t hearing [from God].”
She began to study the Bible. Slowly, steadily, she inched toward faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Ronit describes the defining moment: “I heard a clear voice in my heart saying, ‘You’ve heard enough. You’ve seen enough. It’s time to just believe.’ ” But Ronit faced a problem: her father. “My dad responded as if Mount Vesuvius erupted,” she recalls.
When Jesus walked this earth, crowds followed Him (Luke 14:25). We don’t know exactly what they were looking for, but He was looking for disciples. And that comes with a cost. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple,” Jesus said (v. 26). He told a story about building a tower. “Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost . . . ?” He asked (v. 28). Jesus’ point wasn’t that we’re to literally hate family; rather, it’s that we must choose Him over everything else. He said, “You who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (v. 33).
Ronit loves her family deeply, yet she concluded, “Whatever the cost, I figured it’s worth it.” What might you need to give up to follow Jesus as He guides you?
By Tim Gustafson
REFLECT & PRAY
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What’s your story of the moment Jesus became real to you? What has it cost you to follow Him?
Father, please help me choose Your Son over everything this world has to offer.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
We can miss the strength of Jesus’ words and the shock the crowd would have felt when Christ said, “Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). You only carried a cross for one reason—to be crucified on it—and that was the most terrifying death imaginable. As you read these words, imagine the crowd physically recoiling in horror at the thought that somehow following Jesus would be required to bear a personal cross. This is at least the second time Luke has recorded Christ using this disturbing imagery (see 9:23). These words are understood in the context of Jesus Himself bearing a literal Roman cross.
Bill Crowder |
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The Word for You Today:
Charles Stanley:
Tuesday, October 31 2023
Good Morning Clothed in Christ and His Armor Warriors! On this day when evil and darkness are celebrated even more so than normal, let us remember who and Whose we are and cloth ourselves for battle! Check out Harvest Prayer Ministry's Blog by Km Butts and meditate on that today and dress well. Don't forget Satan dresses up and disguises himself as an angel of light. We are not play dress up! We are battling principalities and powers and spiritual forces with Christ! Stand firm and dress well! https://www.harvestprayer.com/a-family-clothed-in-christ/
Remember ODB's reminder that we are under God's wings! He will protect us and Jesus has already defeated the enemy. You were created for such a time as this and placed right where God wants you. PTL and prepare to be His light and to lead others to His sheltering love. In Christ, we are more than overcomers! Amen! Remember the darkness will not overcome the Light! The Light drives back the darkness! Partner with God to fulfill your part in that.
Here's some prayer starters for today: "Praise Jesus Christ, the Lord, the image of God (2Cor. 4:4-5). Thank God for 'making His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6). Confess times of disinterest in knowing God fully. Commit yourself to thinking daily about Him and His glory. Ask God to make His Light shine more fully in your heart. Pray for God to shine through you to your family and friends, even though they know you well enough to see your weaknesses. Thank God that this shows even more clearly that the power is from Him rather than you (4:7). Pray for God's Light to shine in your community through your church's members. Ask God to help people focus on the glory of His Light rather than the failings of His Light-Bearers. Pray for those planting churches and ask God to bring His Light to more and more areas through new communities of believers. Pray for unsaved people you know to be reached through small groups and outreach efforts of your church. Ask God to use you and other believers, in spite of frailties, to bring light to many. Pray for many to be open to the Light and drawn to Him and for God to use us to lead them to Him." Amen
We have a treat for all who will come! Stand firm in Christ and His armor! Don't be tricked by the darkness. Go and bring His Light to all around you today! Shine bright!
Our Daily Bread:
Under God’s Wings
I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:4
READ Psalm 61
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There are several Canada goose families with baby geese at the pond near our apartment complex. The little goslings are so fluffy and cute; it’s hard not to watch them when I go for a walk or run around the pond. But I’ve learned to avoid eye contact and give the geese a wide berth—otherwise, I risk a protective goose parent suspecting a threat and hissing and chasing me!
The image of a bird protecting her young is one that Scripture uses to describe God’s tender, protective love for His children (Psalm 91:4). In Psalm 61, David seems to be struggling to experience God’s care in this way. He’d experienced God as his “refuge, a strong tower” (v. 3), but now he called desperately “from the ends of the earth,” pleading, “lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (v. 2). He longed to once more “take refuge in the shelter of [God’s] wings” (v. 4).
And in bringing his pain and longing for healing to God, David took comfort in knowing that He’d heard him (v. 5). Because of God’s faithfulness, he knew he would “ever sing in praise of [His] name” (v. 8).
Like the psalmist, when we feel distant from God’s love, we can run back to His arms to be assured that even in our pain, He’s with us, protecting and caring for us as fiercely as a mother bird guards her young.
By Monica La Rose
REFLECT & PRAY
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How does it encourage you to remember God’s protective care for you? How have you experienced His care?
Dear God, thank You for Your fierce, protective love for me. Help me to rest securely in Your tender care.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Psalm 61, David describes his longing for God’s presence with metaphors of a “rock that is higher than I” (v. 2), a “refuge” or “strong tower” (v. 3), a “tent” and “the shelter of [God’s] wings” (v. 4). The combined reference to God’s “tent” and the “shelter of [His] wings” may allude to the cherubim wings on the tabernacle (Exodus 25:20). During God’s deliverance of His people from Egypt, He gave instructions for the building of a tabernacle through which He’d dwell with His people in a powerful and tangible way (v. 8). Later, the temple, modeled after the tabernacle, would become the centralized place to experience His presence. It also contained sculpted cherubim with wings in the inner sanctuary (1 Kings 6:23–27). Today, believers in Jesus experience God’s presence through His Spirit who dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16).
Monica La Rose |
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Monday, October 30 2023
Thank you to Lori Rohrer and the whole team that made to brunch after worship such a success! The kids had a blast trick or treating and playing games in the back family room. The food and fellowship were awesome. And we even got to know a few new visitors. Thanks to the clean up crew for allowing Lori to get the kids to their games on time! Thanks Sarah for an awesome message and covering so I could help cook! Next one is Sun Nov 26th. Who ya bringing?
Joe Toy Newsletter below. Also see a list of freebies available from Lisa Wenner
Good Morning Spirit-Filled, Compassionate, On-Fire-for-the Lord, Co-Laborers! That's you, right? Let's break it down...
Spirit-Filled: If you believe in Jesus and have received Him as your Lord and Savior, you have His Holy Spirit in you.
Compassionate: well are you? God is compassionate and wants to show His compassionate love through you. Are you allowing that? (I think we have a pretty compassionate gathering of believers. But only you can answer that for yourself).
On-Fire-For-The Lord: Do you have a burning passion for God and a missionary zeal for the lost? Are you doing what you can with what you got? Does Christ and serving Him take precedent in your heart, life, and actions? Are you all in? (I see this being played out by many in our fellowship. Again, only you and God know for sure if you are sold out for Christ). Remember, we are only as strong, loving and compassionate as our weakest members (especially in the eyes of the world).
Are you a Co-Laborer? We all have a role to play in God's Good News Delivery Co. St. Matts. Division. You have a custom made just for you, where you are in life and according to your abilities part to carry out until God calls you home. We need you and each other to become the dynamic movement of God we are created to be.
Some of those co-laborer job descriptions are: prayer warrior, giver, encourager, server, helper, teacher, steward, leader, evangelist, shepherd, disciple maker, follower of Jesus, discerner of times, rebuilder of cities, etc.
We have many stepping into and fulfilling their custom made roles and we are here to help you and new disciples to find and grow in theirs. Thank you sprit-filled, faithful, all-in co-laborers!
So, pronounce this salutation over yourself, our fellowship and those God is drawing. We are: Spirit-Filled, Compassionate, On-Fire-for-the Lord, Co-Laborers! Then keep praying these into life! Who is Jesus to you? How is that affecting your life? Who can tell by your actions that you love Jesus? What's next? Ask God those questions and who He wants you to co-labor with and then actually follow His lead. He has great plans for you and us. He is on the move! PTL! What's your part? Who is He sending you with or who are you bringing along on this bestest of all time adventure?
The day ahead is full of promise, potential and God's best for you! How cool! How are you planning and preparing to respond? Meditate on our devotionals today. They speak into all of this. Sit at Jesus' feet like Mary, listening, learning and then pour out yourself at His feet in worship and adoration. He alone is worthy of all we have! All we are and have is a gift from God. How are you stewarding His love? Start by working on growing at living and loving like Jesus and do so with some friends. Have a Jesus-filled day! Shalom!
Joe Toy News:
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Dear Friends,
Every year in mid-October, the state fair opens up in Raleigh for eleven days of family fun. This year over 960,000 people attended the fair. It is an amazing sight to see streams of people roll into the entrances each day. Who doesn’t like the fair? There are awesome events, exhibits, music, rides and great food. This event provides us the opportunity to reach thousands of folks with the gospel.
Each day, we were blessed with a location not too far from one of the many gate entrances. As people pass us by, they hear the preaching of the gospel, view a gospel sign and are offered gospel literature. The ideal set up is to have one preacher and two others engaging people in conversation and passing out tracts. The crowds are very receptive and friendly and a lot of Christian folk give us the thumbs up, encouraging words or just thank us for being there. At times, there is the usual scoffer, but it is extremely rare.
One such man from a Jehovah Witness background challenged me on the Trinity and the Deity of Christ. As I opened up the scriptures to him and defended Christ’s divinity, he stopped inferring that I was ignorant and began to assault my character by calling me names. At that point our conversation was over and I told him, “Have a nice day.”
Probably, my favorite moment at the fair was on our last day there. We arrived on Saturday morning as the fair opened and passed out literature to those waiting in line, then began to proclaim the gospel. With a team of four men we were able to pass out over four thousand gospel tracts in four plus hours of ministry. At times, it was as if we could not get them out of our hands fast enough. It was a great way to end our five days of fair outreach ministry. If you do the math, almost 88,000 people a day come to the fair. It’s like eleven straight days of college football game outreach except with more people who are a lot more friendly and receptive.
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| It is hard to believe that we have only three more NC State football game outreaches. Time truly flies by. Our last outreach was awesome as we had a team of five men, which allowed us to preach and minister at two locations. We got way more coverage to bring the gospel to the crowds. Jacob Bradshaw and Jason Bingham came from Eastern Carolina to join us, both of which have outreach experience. It is a sacrifice on their part as they have full-time jobs and take time away from family to assist us. They are both bold witnesses for Christ. It is a joy to watch Jason engage folks in conversation as they head to the game. It is almost as if every time you look over at his location, he is talking to someone. Jacob loves to preach the gospel and offers a tract to every one who passes by. I love providing men like this the opportunity to use their gifts. It is always an asset to have Paul Infranco and Daniel Springs with me, as both of these men have years of outreach experience and do whatever is needed. One of the awesome things that the Lord has done for me down here is to allow me to work with some bold, Godly men. |
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Our weekly schedule still consists of assisting some folks two days a week at their abortion ministry at Drake Circle and Jones Franklin Rd. Recently, a young man asked for prayer as he wanted to keep his child, but his partner was not excited about having a baby and a five month old child. We prayed for him and shared the gospel with him as she was at the crisis pregnancy center getting an ultra sound. It is only a God thing to have a crisis pregnancy center next to an abortion clinic.
We also spend two days a week at UNC and NC State sharing the gospel with college students. At both of these campuses, we have seen professions of faith. In due time, the Lord will reveal the legitimacy of these commitments. Lastly, we continue to share the gospel at Moore Square Bus Station. The increased police presence shows us the desperate need for the gospel to transform lives. Each time we show up six to eight Bibles are picked up by people who are seeking spiritual truth. One young man was listening to Pat McClanahan proclaim Christ and approached Pat with a desire to be saved. He called out to Jesus for salvation right then and there. PTL
Keep us in your prayers. The Lord is at work. God Bless You.
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