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Saturday, October 14 2023
Tomorrow is worship with Children's Church at 10 in person and on Zoom. Who is God stirring you to bring along? Call them up and invite them!
The Rally Day envelope will be used to fund our new "IN" Fund. This replaces the Sunday School Fund (which is depleted) and will be used to purchase curriculum, books, studies and for supplies and food for our "IN" gatherings like Wed nights and our Zoom huddle. They will be received until Nov 5th. Thank you!
Good Morning Peace-Filled Shalom Bringers! Peace. Peace. God's peace...sing it! Believe it! Receive It! Share it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySPQcp5hIqM
God highlighted the word Peace/shalom to me this morning. I awoke at 2 am with great peace. Unable to sleep I came to my office and started meditating on and studying the word peace. Maybe some of you need God's peace today? Ask for and receive it as you sit in His calming presence. Be still and know is a command. Maybe you know someone that needs to find the peace only Jesus can bring. Pray for them and share the peace you have from Christ. Keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem, the Ukraine and other areas of conflict, turmoil, and disaster around the world. Give God all your anxious thoughts, concerns and troubles in exchange for His promised peace and receive His rest, all you who are weary and carrying many burdens. (Check out the UR and ODB below speaking about peace, shalom and rest) What's God saying to you???
I started practicing the "Turn Off the Noise" Challenge over two years ago. I let go of my battling people on social media and in person to try to win them to my way of thinking. I stopped getting all riled up over things that I have no control over and started giving my concerns to God and letting the one who oversees the universe handle things. I have come to know such peace and joy! PTL! He is faithful to take care of things and has promised to and is working all things together for the good of those who believe. I believe and in my stillness and trust I have found much joy and shalom. God is faithful and trustworthy and is carrying out His plans for me and for our flock and for the world. My task is to pray and trust Him. In return I have the gifts of peace, joy, mental health and physical rest in Christ! Try it! Turn off the noise and tune into God! He is faithful! (I didn't even know about the Israel things until someone told me. I can't do anything about that, but God can. So, this week I still don't know much but continue to pray for God's will to be done and let Him handle things. Why do we need to keep watching these things and being filled with the anxiety and propaganda from sources that only exist because we keep giving them a voice in our heads. Turn off the noise! Know peace!)
ODB uses John 14 today. We will read that in a few weeks. This week we read John 9 and 10 and next week John 11. In John 10, Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He is our Good Shepherd who leads us to calmness and takes care of our needs, even in the darkest valleys. PTL! We all have that head knowledge, but to experience it, we need to ask Him to shepherd us and allow Him to do so. He is our model and example as He rested often as He trusted God to restore His soul and carry on His plans while He rested. In John 14:27 Jesus promises to give us His peace. He reminds us that the world can never give us that kind of peace. Then He commands us to not let our hearts be troubled and not to be afraid. He is always with us and at work. He is waiting with open arms to receive us into His rest. Let go. Be still. Know Peace and rest! Amen! Choose to do this! And then be equipped and prepared to go share that rest with others and the rest one can only find in Christ. He is our Salvation, Good Shepherd who brings peace and rest, and our Helper and Friend that we can trust always! Amen.
Turn off the noise on this stormy day and spend some time worshiping, meditating on and receiving Shalom. Here's one more song to pray through. Be still and know peace! And be a peace bringer too!
Peace Be Still: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsIpGiz3SfQ
Shalom! (It's available for the choosing! PTL!)
Our Daily Bread:
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I was elated to find the perfect gift for my mother-in-law’s birthday: the bracelet even contained her birthstone! Finding that perfect gift for someone is always an utter delight. But what if the gift the individual needs is beyond our power to give. Many of us wish we could give someone peace of mind, rest, or even patience. If only those could be purchased and wrapped with a bow!
These types of gifts are impossible for one person to give to another. Yet Jesus—God in human flesh—does give those who believe in Him one such “impossible” gift: the gift of peace. Before ascending to heaven and leaving the disciples, Jesus comforted them with the promise of the Holy Spirit: He “will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). He offered them peace—His peace—as an enduring, unfailing gift for when their hearts were troubled or when they were experiencing fear. He, Himself, is our peace with God, with others, and within.
We may not have the ability to give our loved ones the extra measure of patience or improved health they desire. Nor is it within our power to give them the peace we all desperately need to bear up under the struggles of life. But we can be led by the Spirit to speak to them about Jesus, the giver and embodiment of true and lasting peace.
By Kirsten Holmberg
REFLECT & PRAY
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How has Christ brought peace to your life? Who might you introduce to Him?
Jesus, thank You for the comfort of Your enduring, unfailing peace in my life.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In John 14, all three members of the Trinity are mentioned, and Jesus is the uniting factor. The Father sends the Spirit in Jesus’ name; the Spirit teaches and reminds the disciples of what Jesus said (v. 26). Jesus leaves His peace with the disciples (v. 27) and does as the Father commands (v. 31). The Father is “greater” than Jesus (v. 28), and Jesus loves Him (v. 31). These verses paint a beautiful picture of how the triune God cares for us: the Father sends the Son (3:16), who gives us peace; the Father sends the Spirit in Jesus’ name, who reminds us of what Christ has said and done.
J.R. Hudberg |
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Upper Room: The Gift of Peace
I will lie down and fall asleep in peace because you alone, Lord, let me live in safety. - Psalm 4:8 (CEB)
I frequently fall asleep while praying. I used to feel guilty, but I’ve decided to look at it a different way.
My job demands that I be on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year. I could be at home making dinner or on vacation when I receive a work-related call, text, or email. This constant connection to the workplace can have long-term effects and often leads to exhaustion. At the end of a hectic day, bedtime prayer can be a way to decompress, discuss the day’s challenges with God, and enter into a time of rest and reflection.
So instead of feeling guilty, I’ve decided to embrace the blessing that rest can be. Rest has many benefits for physical, mental, and spiritual health. Jesus took time away from the crowds and his followers to find needed rest.
Just as hard work honors God, so do our times of rest. Words from Psalm 23 tell us that God wants us to enjoy quiet moments: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul” (vv. 2-3). Let’s not feel guilty when rest presents itself but recognize it for the spiritual gift that it is.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, lead us to adopt the model that Jesus set for us. Help us to seek physical, mental, and spiritual rest and to welcome your restoration of our souls. Amen.
Friday, October 13 2023
Thank God I'm Forgiven! PTL! Count your many blessings that come from your faith in Christ and all He did to redeem you from sin and to open the door for eternal life with Him in heaven. There is a great peace that comes from the assurance that we are forgiven and know our eternal destination. What praise we are able to lift for the free gift of salvation, the gift of faith, the gift of assurance, the gift of abundant life in Christ, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift He brings to our lives, the gift of growing into our new nature, the gift of God's promises, His Holy Word, protection, provision, and shalom!!! What's on your list today? Count your many blessings and continue to build those gratitude lists to dig out for those hard, dark times we are able to endure through Christ! He is a miracle working God! Amen! And we each are one of those miracles! PTL! Here's a song to start your praise and prayer time: Million Little Miracles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Viiw6tGimHo
Good Morning Very Blessed Children of God--MIRACLES of God!!! God knows you intimately. Do you know Him intimately and are you growing in your relationship with your Creator and Sustainer? You were created in His image for His special purposes that are enabled and empowered when you surrender your life to Christ and receive His Spirit. The Holy Spirit opens up Scripture for us and helps us to see, hear and understand God as we spend time with Him in prayer, mediating on His Word, and as we travel through each day watching for Him to be at work all around us. Yes, what blessings! What countless miracles! PTL!
This year we have been working on the Become Me in '23 Challenge where we are working on cooperating with God's Spirit to grow more fully into the people we were created to be and operating out of our true identity in Christ to reach the fuller potential we were created for. Many of us sought God's guidance and picked words to work on this year towards that. How's that going for you? Words like "Faith", "Hope", "Valued", "Restoration", "Relationships" and "Shalom" were chosen and many others too. These are words enabled in us to grow into our new nature and to help us to fulfill our custom-made purposes of God. I continue to pray for these to come to life in, through and around you and for you to see God at work as your grow to become more like Jesus and doing the greater things He has for you each day! I'd love to hear your stories of what God is doing through this challenge!
Here's another great blessing to celebrate: We are know by God and lovingly helped to grow into these things even in the direst of times or the most joyful and every day in between! How great is that! How great is our God who is working all things--ALL THINGS--together for those who believe! PTL! Check out our devos below as you sit, meditate, worship, listen and receive God's instructions and encouragements for today! Share those stories with someone too! Let's celebrate all the good available and given to us today!
Here's a song to meditatively praise and pray through as you end your time of worship with our Lord and Savior today: Great Are You Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QocAVOYJ5o0
You are know! You are loved! You are enabled! And God is with you always! PTL!
CS:
TWFYT:
ODB:
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Opening the blinds one winter morning, I faced a shocking sight. A wall of fog. “Freezing fog,” the weather forecaster called it. Rare for our location, this fog came with an even bigger surprise: a later forecast for blue skies and sunshine—“in one hour.” “Impossible,” I told my husband. “We can barely see one foot ahead.” But sure enough, in less than an hour, the fog had faded, the sky yielding to a sunny, clear blue.
Standing at a window, I pondered my level of trust when I can only see fog in life. I asked my husband, “Do I only trust God for what I can already see?”
When King Uzziah died and some corrupt rulers came to power in Judah, Isaiah asked a similar question. Whom can we trust? God responded by giving Isaiah a vision so remarkable that it convinced the prophet that He can be trusted in the present for better days ahead. As Isaiah praised, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3). The prophet added, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal” (v. 4).
When our minds are fixed on God, we can trust Him even during foggy and confusing times. We might not see it clearly now, but if we trust God, we can be assured His help is on the way.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
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When life looks foggy and confusing, where can you put your trust? How can you turn your mind from today’s problems to our eternal God?
The world looks foggy and confusing today, dear God, so please help me fix my mind on You, in whom I can forever trust.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Isaiah 26:4 includes the metaphor of a rock, which depicts the security and safety found in God: “The Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” The Hebrew word for rock is tsur. What’s literally in view is a cliff, rock, or boulder. Figuratively, what’s described is a refuge. This word is used three times in Psalm 18 (vv. 2, 31, 46). In verse 2, the psalmist multiplies metaphors to stress divine dependability: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock [tsur], in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” In Isaiah 26:4, the word tsur is paired with olam, which means long duration, forever, everlasting, perpetual: “The Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” The pairing of these words enhances God’s credibility exponentially. Trust Him. His faithfulness is unending!
Arthur Jackson |
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UR: Love in Action
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” - Matthew 25:40 (NIV)
One day I stopped into a store to buy a birthday gift for someone, and I saw a man asking customers for change. Many people passed by him and ignored his pleas for assistance. I keep a few care packages in my car, so I decided to give one to him. When I struck up a conversation with the man, I learned a lot about him. But most important, I learned that what he needed was a listening ear. God calls us to be light for others. Even something as small as a conversation can make a world of difference to the lonely and brokenhearted.
Today’s scripture reading reminds us that God is pleased when we lend a helping hand. Our good deeds reflect a grateful heart, and our acts of service and compassion for others point to our relationship with God. We become love in action when we are able to recognize and meet the needs of others. How can we show others that God lives within us and that God can live within them too?
TODAY'S PRAYER
Gracious God, may we become love in action through our compassion and care for all your children. Help us to give and receive your love with humility and grace. Amen.
Thursday, October 12 2023
Good Morning Fruitful Harvesters! Yes we are all part of God's Good News Delivery Co. St. Matts. Division! God is using us as we all step deeper into our assigned, custom made purposes for spreading the Good News and bringing the harvest. Some plant and sow in prayer, funding and action. Some fertilize with words and deeds. Some prune or allow God to prune them for even better fruit. Some reap as God brings in the harvest. Let us celebrate all God is doing and continue to grow into our parts and do them well! We can rejoice and celebrate all God did yesterday with the donuts and conversations at the Bread Ministry. We can thank God for using, teaching and growing us as 30 gathered last night for dinner, Family Ministries and Chosen huddles! God is on the move and using us! PTL! Rejoice and ask Him to continue to grow you and use you well.
Pray for Patrick who God is really doing a work on to step into new life in Christ and for us to continue to seed, fertilize and water. He's real close and God is pursuing him. Pray for an open heart and mind. Pray for the five or six new connections we made yesterday and for open hearts and no hindrances for them coming to taste and see how good God is. Thank God for the woman from bread min. (I didn't catch her name) that joined us last night and connect to some other woman and maybe even God as we watched and discussed the Chosen. Pray for many more connection points for us as we learn to connect others to God's love and help and learn to make disciples. I think there were around 30 gathered last night for a great night of food, fellowship, learning and fun! There's always plenty of food and room for more. Join us next week and bring someone along! God is on the move through us and as we gather to serve and fellowship. PTL! What's God saying to you and confirming as your role in His Good News Delivery Co. PTL for that and ask for Him to continue to refine and grow you as you go live and love like Jesus.
Pray for Sarah as she takes a long overdue Sunday off as she celebrates her birthday. Pray for Mike Laise as he brings God's Word alive for us Sunday. Pray for Karen as she teaches Childrens Church and for kids yo hear and grow in Christ. Thank God for all our servants! Ask God to bring to mind someone to invite to join us. Our goal is to bring one new person a month into our fellowship as our members invite and bring along someone new. Pray for God's favor and to see who and courage to invite. Pray that He would us us all well and grow the numbers being saved.
Check out ODB below. May we grow in knowing God and loving others well. The UR reminds us that God will never forget us, His very loved creations and children! Check out CS devo and keep plowing the soil in prayer and pray that your soil would be prepared and ready to produce some great fruit! Keep praying for Israel and for God to show His faithfulness to all His people and deliver them from evil. His heart breaks but He knows, is at work and is working all things together for the good of those who believe. We believe! May many more see God and be drawn. Amen! may God bring you His shalom today and prepare you for what He has instore today! Love you all and so does God! Rejoice! he is upholding you in His strong right hand!
Our Daily Bread
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In the powerful article “Does My Son Know You?” sportswriter Jonathan Tjarks wrote of his battle with terminal cancer and his desire for others to care well for his wife and young son. The thirty-four-year-old wrote the piece just six months prior to his death. Tjarks, a believer in Jesus whose father had died when he was a young adult, shared Scriptures that speak of care for widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22; Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27). And in words directed to his friends, he wrote, “When I see you in heaven, there’s only one thing I’m going to ask—Were you good to my son and my wife? . . . Does my son know you?”
King David wondered if there was “anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom [he could] show kindness for [his dear friend] Jonathan’s sake” (2 Samuel 9:1). A son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, who was “lame in both feet” (v. 3) due to an accident (see 4:4), was brought to the king. David said to him, “I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table” (9:7). David showed loving care for Mephibosheth, and it’s likely that in time the king truly got to know him (see 19:24–30).
Jesus has called us to love others just as He loves us (John 13:34). As He works in and through us, let’s truly get to know and love them well.
By Tom Felten
REFLECT & PRAY
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How can you know others more deeply? What will it look like for you to love them the way God loves you?
Heavenly Father, help me to honor You by striving to truly know and love others.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
David and Jonathan offer a glimpse of what a true friendship looks like. Though Jonathan was King Saul’s son, he sought to protect David from the king’s irrational anger and bitter hatred. Upon hearing news of Jonathan’s death, David wrote of the pain, loss, and despair over the death of a dear friend. Yet, even during his grief for Jonathan, he also grieved over Saul (2 Samuel 1:24). Saul had pursued David like a common criminal, but David still grieved the king’s death.
Bill Crowder |
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UR:
The Lord says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, fail to pity the child of her womb? Even these may forget, but I won’t forget you. Look, on my palms I’ve inscribed you.” - Isaiah 49:15-16 (CEB)
I am a bit worried about my memory. Yesterday I left my credit card at a store. Then I tried to replace an incorrectly sized item that I had purchased a couple of days before, only to realize when I got home that I repurchased the exact same thing. Then today, I left my cell phone in the lobby while picking up the mail. Thankfully someone returned it!
My forgetfulness reminds me how wonderful it is to know that God doesn’t forget us. God doesn’t misplace us or leave us unattended. God knows exactly where we are and what we need.
God also tells us not to fear. Fear can be crippling, but we are reminded that if we have received the gift of salvation, we are redeemed. God knows us and our circumstances, so we do not need to fear. We can have faith that God will give us what we need. When we are focused on ourselves and our current situation, it’s easy to forget past blessings and to fear the future. But God reminds us to keep our faith focused on the One who will not forget us.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, thank you for never forgetting who we are and what we need. Help us not to live in fear but in faith. Amen.Charles Stanley
Wednesday, October 11 2023
Hi again! This prayer for Israel by David Jeremiah was forwarded to me by a reader of the blog (Thanks reader and sharer!) Use this or any other to inform your prayers for God's Chosen people!
This is a David Jeremiah prayer...
Heavenly Father,
The psalmist tells us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
So I pray for peace for Your chosen people, Israel, and their beloved city
today. You have planned for Israel, provided for Israel, and protected Israel for
thousands of years.
But as in days of old, there are those today who seek to harm, even destroy,
Your people.
So I ask you to keep Israel in Your loving care. Put a spiritual hedge of
protection around Your people and their land.
Watch over this nation as a Good Shepherd watches over His flock, and may
Your chosen people find their ultimate safety and security in You.
While You watch over Your people, may Your Spirit awaken in them a hunger
to embrace their Messiah—the One who died for them—until they see Him
face to face.
We pray this in His name,
Amen.
Psalm 122:6
Wednesday, October 11 2023
Good Morning Listening, Watching Followers of Our Good Shepherd! We are learning to listen to hear His voice and follow, watch Him to be at work and joining Him, and allowing Him to Shepherd us. What an awesome God we serve! He wants to be in an intimate, growing relationship with Him as He shepherds and teaches us to receive His best and follow well. Check out John 10 today. Jesus is our Gate to salvation and new life. He then is our Good Shepherd. We know His voice and follow Him. He protects us and takes care of us. The 23rd Psalm may be a great meditative praise and prayer read today. He loves you, cares for you and calls you His own! PTL! And He's actively searching for others to join His flock and uses us to help lead them to Him. Pray for our donut and conversation day today during the Bread Ministry for many to hear His voice and be drawn. Pray for all who come to feel loved and accepted. Pray for our members that come to connect to just the right people and connect them to the Shepherds caring love and salvation.
God will open the eyes of our hearts when we come to Him in humility and asking Him to speak and teach and lead. That has been a theme I've been encountering the past few days. Here's the song to use for centering prayer today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0orH2uloeI Check out ODB below as you prayerfully worship to hear, see and follow today.
See you today from 10-12 at donut day, or tonight at the Chosen Huddle/Family Miniseries gathering at 6 for dinner. Pastor Don is creating a sit down dinner feast! Come! Taste and see how good the Lord is and bring someone along! Pray for this to be a day where our Shepherd is glorified and some step through the Gate and walk with our flock as we walk with Jesus. Amen!
God loves you! Jesus says come and walk in my loving care today. Open the eyes of our hearts Lord as we learn to live and love like Jesus together! Amen!
Our Daily Bread:
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In 2001, a premature baby named Christopher Duffley surprised doctors by surviving. At five months old, he entered the foster care system until his aunt’s family adopted him. A teacher realized four-year-old Christopher, though blind and diagnosed with autism, had perfect pitch. Six years later at church, Christopher stood onstage and sang, “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” The video reached millions online. In 2020, Christopher shared his goals of serving as a disability advocate. He continues to prove that possibilities are limitless with the eyes of his heart open to God’s plan.
The apostle Paul commended the church in Ephesus for their bold faith (Ephesians 1:15–16). He asked God to give them “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” so they would “know him better” (v. 17). He prayed that their eyes would be “enlightened,” or opened, so they would understand the hope and inheritance God promised His people (v. 18).
As we ask God to reveal Himself to us, we can know Him more and can declare His name, power, and authority with confidence (vv. 19–23). With faith in Jesus and love for all God’s people, we can live in ways that prove His limitless possibilities while asking Him to keep opening the eyes of our hearts.
By Xochitl Dixon
REFLECT & PRAY
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How has God helped you overcome obstacles or limitations? How does knowing His truth, character, and love change the way you see challenges?
Mighty and merciful God, please open the eyes of my heart so that I can know, love, and live for You with bold faith that leads others to worship You.
For further study, read Why Should I Trust God?.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In his explanation of his prayers for the Ephesian church, Paul concludes by saying that he desires all believers in Jesus to know God’s “incomparably great power” (Ephesians 1:19). To explain what he means, he points to God’s strength that both raised Christ from the dead and established His rule in the heavenly realms (vv. 20–21).
For the early church—small and weak in the face of the mighty Roman Empire—the sheer expanse of God’s power would come as a welcome comfort. No rule or authority or even death itself transcended it, and that very power was promised to His people through the Spirit (Acts 1:8). And, as if that weren’t enough, Paul points out that Jesus’ transcendence and rule isn’t bound to the current age but will continue when all other powers fade away (Ephesians 1:21). It’s that very power that the apostle prayed we’d all come to know.
Jed Ostoich |
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Tuesday, October 10 2023
Good Morning Servants of the Most High God! We cannot serve two masters. That is a biblical truth. We can be wishy washy or double minded as the Bible reminds us. Too often we can tend to be more in the world than of it. We do have responsibilities as citizens of the Lehigh Valley, PA, and the USA that the law requires us to do. And we are called to steward well and meet the responsibilities of taking care of our families, residences, jobs while at the same time, being about the Father's business. How do we balance our responsibilities well as Kingdom citizens with those of having a dual citizenship on earth? That's the question of the ages, isn't it? How can we be all-in for God while we live here on earth? Help us Lord! It is a constant battle! But one that some have come to do well. So, we can too. Honestly, that will look different for all of us throughout all the stages of life.
Can you tell today that I am in a pensive place. Satan seems to be attacking and trying to steal my joy and focus on God and His plans for me and our church. I all bound up in things that I need to just give to God and trust and move on. Satan be gone! I am a child of the King that whooped your butt! I am an overcomer! I am enabled and empowered to be victorious in Christ, to serve Him and to live in this world as His reflection. I'm putting on that armor, tightening that chin strap and standing ready with His Sword and in my spirit.
Questions of faith and how to live well as a child of God often plague us, especially when life happens and Satan pounces on that seeking some to destroy. As the days get darker, more carnal and depraved it will also become harder to bring Light and walk in God's ways. Yes we are in a battle, BUT GOD! We know the Victor and we are His. Jesus is standing beside you whispering in your ear, You are mine! I got you!" God promises to hold us in His mighty hand. The Holy Spirit is living in us, directing us and reminding us of all the promises we have to wield against the enemy. Cast all your anxiety unto God and He will comfort you and bring you His peace. And pray on His armor today. Pray in the spirit at all times and keep on choosing to be all-in and trusting that God knows what He's doing and why things are happening. You were created for such a time as this and placed right where God wants you for His purposes. PTL! Worship. Fill up your faith tank. And go love well no mater what you are facing today. God knows, cares and is working all things together for the good of those who believe, even when it may not seem like it in the physical realm. Amen! Check out ODB below and David's prayer during a time of hurting. Continue to pray for Israel. The Lord promises blessings to those who pray for the peace of Israel. And continue to lean on the God who is always with you and always at work.
So how do we balance our dual citizenship today? What are your priorities? Someday, maybe sooner than later we will leave this world or Jesus will return for us. That is a fact and a promise. So in what are you investing? God promises to provide the essentials for life. Yes, we'd all like and work towards having more than the essentials. The trick is realizing when enough is enough and choosing trust and contentedness like Paul did. Karen and I used to pray a lot, as commanded, for God to give us just enough--not too little or too much. But we all know that in our minds, too often, enough isn't enough. That is the thing we all need God and others to help us with and our responses determine how well we are living out our dual citizenship according to Kingdom standards. Check out the UR below? Life is short. How well are you living.
All around us we see people that don't know God striving for all kinds of things to fill their emptiness, cravings and delights. But we are called to delight in the Lord and all things we need will be given. We were not placed here to out do the Joneses. Nor do we need all the things they clamor after to enjoy life in Christ. We know that, but it can be hard to live through that. Again, that is why we need encouragers, prayer warriors, and accountability partners in our lives. People of God helping each other to thrive as Kingdom citizens first and to let God handle the rest. We are learning to balance better and live more fully into our God-created potential and purposes. Let's stop the comparing game! Even churches do this as they tout what they are doing as if we are called to one-upmanship. Each church, as each individual, is a unique creation of God placed where they are for seasons of life. So the real question we need to ask is, "Are we doing all we can with all we got to honor God as we follow His plan for us?" I think for St. Matts. the answer is yes. Sure there's always more we can do. That will come as we continue to grow in Christ. But we are following peace and God's provision well. As He promises, when He leads us to new things, the provision will come as we step through that open door in faith.
Now our responsibility shifts to seeking God, discerning, and taking those first steps through the open doors. As we become equipped and ready for the greater things He will lead us there. BUT, we have to keep seeking and planning and following. There is no resting on our laurels in the Christian journey. The bishop has called us to become a dynamic movement of God. To do that well, we have to be willing to break camp from our comfort, be all-in with Christ, and follow the Holy Spirit to what's next. And Jesus promises to be with us apostles (sent ones) each step of the journey. So ask God to search your heart and cleanse the junk and help you to put on His armor and be ready to move into battle with Him as we enter His harvest field. And find some partners that God is raising up for you to march with.
In our reading through the gospel of John, we are encountering all the "I AM" statements of Jesus. He's proclaiming to be God and identifying aspects of God's character that He is incarnating and bringing to life before the watcher's eyes. In John 8:12 that we discussed Sunday, He said, "I am the light of the world." In John 9 that we are studying this week Jesus heals the blind man and the Pharisees get all twisted up about who Jesus is claiming to be. They are so focused on trying to live for God according to their standards and expectations that they totally miss that God is walking among them. They just can't accept it because He doesn't meet their preferences and standards. They are closed minded and hard hearted, like many around us today, even some church people and leaders. We asked Sunday for you to seek God for the answers to these two questions: Who is Jesus? How does He impact my life? Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to His Truths and how He desires for Jesus to affect your life and those around you. Jesus is the Light that brings sight to the blind. Pray for sight for the blind around us, even church leaders and members who are missing the new things God is doing. In John 9:39 Jesus said, "I entered this world to render judgement--giving sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind." Can you see? Do you want to? Who is this man to you? How is He impacting your life right now--today? Ask for eyes to see, mind to understand and a pure heart to go love like Him everyday. That is living as a child of Light in this world today and God blesses that. He promises! We were created for such a time as this for our part in expanding God's Kingdom. It's time to start worrying about that more than all the noise and darkness around us. Be the light! God's got the rest covered!
Our Daily Bread:
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“Most people carry scars that others can’t see or understand.” Those deeply honest words came from Major League Baseball player Andrelton Simmons, who opted out of the end of the 2020 regular season due to mental health struggles. Reflecting on his decision, Simmons felt he needed to share his story to encourage others facing similar challenges and to remind others to show compassion.
Invisible scars are those deep hurts and wounds that can’t be seen but still cause very real pain and suffering. In Psalm 6, David wrote of his own deep struggle—penning painfully raw and honest words. He was “in agony” (v. 2) and “deep anguish” (v. 3). He was “worn out” from groaning, and his bed was drenched with tears (v. 6). While David doesn’t share the cause of his suffering, many of us can relate to his pain.
We can also be encouraged by the way David responded to his pain. In the midst of his overwhelming suffering, he cried out to God. Honestly pouring out his heart, he prayed for healing (v. 2), rescue (v. 4), and mercy (v. 9). Even with the question “How long?” (v. 3) lingering over his situation, David remained confident that God “heard [his] cry for mercy” (v. 9) and would act in His time (v. 10).
Because of who our God is, there is always hope.
By Lisa M. Samra
REFLECT & PRAY
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How can you express your struggle to God when experiencing deep emotional anguish? How have you experienced His healing, mercy, and rescue?
Heavenly Father, give me courage to express my deepest pain and to welcome Your presence and healing into my situation.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The superscription to Psalm 6 tells us it was written by David, but we’re not given any information about what prompted him to pen this poem. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “This is one of the penitential psalms. David had been suffering from some illness that brought him near death. It’s difficult to associate this psalm, however, with any known event in his life.”
A penitential psalm is a song of repentance, where the singer pleads for forgiveness (see vv. 2, 4), but Psalm 6 also carries the strong overtones of lament, as David sorrows over his treatment at the hands of his enemies. And for this, he also seeks God’s grace and mercy. Even though we don’t know the specific events surrounding its writing, the psalm is deeply personal, as the author bares his soul to God and the world.
Dive deeper into this study of the different Psalms.
Bill Crowder |
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Upper Room: "I Can Serve"
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. - Psalm 68:19 (NIV)
Several months ago, my 49-year-old nephew passed away after years of dealing with a debilitating disease. I, along with so many others, drew strength from his testimonies about faith, hope, and peace. He was an example of how blessed we are to love and be loved by God, who bears all our burdens.
In Matthew 28:19 Jesus tells us, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” We are the hands and feet of Christ. Our testimony allows others to learn about the love and eternal life Christ offers.
I see so many problems in the world, and I often feel ill-equipped to help alleviate others’ burdens or provide comfort to them. Then I remember my nephew, who served God by starting a street ministry traveling in his wheelchair. Christ’s strength is in all of us — the gift of the Holy Spirit. So let us all do our best to share the comfort and love of Christ with those around us.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father, help us to serve you by sharing scriptures and examples of hope and comfort. Give us the strength to share our faith. We pray as Jesus taught us, “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation” (Lk. 11:2-4, NIV). Amen.
Monday, October 09 2023
See Sarah's Prayer list and questions below from yesterday.
Thank you for praying for our prayer gathering yesterday. I was surprised that we had 7 show up and was not surprised that it was a powerful time of prayer and praise for our denomination, district and our church to become a dynamic movement of God! He has great plans for us, His beloved disciples and apostles! Keep praying, believing and joining Him as we go forth shining His Light into the darkness.
Tonight is our Lehigh District annual meeting. Please pray for God's wisdom and direction to come alive.
Tues 10-11 Zoom Huddle
Wed 10-12 Donuts and Conversations at The Bread Ministry (Fellowship Hall--all welcome!)
Wed 6-8 in the Fellowship Hall and Family Room Dinner, Family Ministries, and the Chosen Huddle (ties to our John 7 message from yesterday! How God-like!)
Good Morning Recharged Beacons! Hmmm? what can he mean by that? Thanks for asking!  Like Jesus, we need to reload to pour out God's love, grace, wisdom and help. We do that as we rest in Him, sit at His feet, recharge and then walk with Him into His plans for us each day. I love how God threads our daily devotionals (below) and Bible readings (John 9) together and speaks to our hearts and teaches us more about His healthy rhythms we can experience as we get to practice them. Over the past few months, God has been highlighting to me, and it has become a priority for our denomination to focus on personal care. It is a response to the very real problem faced by many churches, pastors and leadership, even congregants who have become overloaded, stressed, weary servants who are walking away from their calls, responsibilities, and even God in record numbers due to burnout. God's best healthy rhythm for us is working from abiding-in-Christ rest not overloading and being forced to rest. When we enter into this healthy flow we will find ourselves yoked to Jesus moving at His pace as He leads us from our time of reloading to fruit producing daily. This will often require a renewing of our thinking and changing of our ways as we die to self, crucify our plans and agendas and busyness and follow Jesus to His best and healthy ways for us. And remember, a yoke is an instrument of labor as we also need to get moving at Jesus' pace to get healthy. May we all choose health--spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial--as we honor God's healthy rhythms and ways.
PTL for all the servants God has sent to St. Matts! PTL for mentors to me/us like Pastor Al! PTL for the permission and the focus the denomination is prioritizing for our churches, pastors and leaders about self care! PTL! I have been called to a church of servants where I can be a servant shepherd and have others to carry their God-ordained purposes and fulfill many of the needs of our church. I expect God to send more workers as we follow Jesus and His healthy rhythms and I am able to focus more on ministry needs. PTL and pray into that. Thanks Al for waking me up to my work-a-holic tendencies and helping me to learn to trust God, wait on Him for His provision of workers and resources and to focus on growing myself into the man God created me to be and doing the things at His pace that He has for me daily. Thank You Father for bringing me to Your rest, recharging me daily and helping me to trust You to be the Lord of each day and week and Your mission for me and Your Church! Thank You for all the answered prayers and allowing us to see Your faithfulness as we make You the Lord of our lives, days and choices. Come! Continue Your good work in and through me and Your Church. Thanks!!! Bless and refresh Your servants and bring in more as You bring in the harvest. Amen!
I was called to St. Matts as an answer to my prayers that God would call me to a place where I would learn not to do things in my own strength but to fully rely on Him--a call to a place where I would realize I could not do it all on my own. Sometimes I still try and sometimes I get so excited to get moving to what God is revealing and He reminds me that in His Kingdom, slow is fast and small is big. Little steps doing what seem like the little things He has for us each day leads to great fruit in His perfect timing! I am seeing it! I am learning to trust Him more! PTL! Are you? Proverbs 3:5-6 has become part of my learning to die to self and release myself and my agendas and ways to God! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding." It takes a lot of praying, dying to self, and growing in trust to get to this place! PTL that He is patient with us and helps us to see the good fruit of this as He brings verse 6 alive right before our eyes: "Seek His will in all you do and He will direct your steps." That is the hard work God expects of us--praying, seeking, knocking, listening and processing daily with right hearts and feet willing to follow Him to His best for you (and His Church) each day as you take up your cross and follow Him. He has great plans He custom made for you each day and for our church. They should not burn us out when carried out His best ways. And His plans for you are custom made for every season of your life. As we learn to trust Him and follow better we will experience the great fruit of the greater things He has for us! Amen!
Thank you again to all the servants doing their parts at St. Matts. You make my calling a pleasure as we co-labor in prayer, surrender to our Lord and serve together, each doing our part! (praying, funding, encouraging each other, doing your custom made parts, learning together to live and love like Jesus as we put our faith into action) Yes we are growing into the smooth running Good News Delivery Company, St. Matts Division, that God has created us to be. We trust Him and adapt as we follow Him to the new things He has for us. It can be hard to say goodbye to the things of old as we fondly look in the rearview mirror of our past. But we build on our strengths, and adapt to the new things God has for us in an ever-changing world. We learn to bring alive His Good News and love today in ways that connect to those being drawn from darkness to Light. As Paul reminds us we focus ahead on the things God has for us today and moving forward and find relevant ways to connect to those God is sending to us. What joy!!! You have no idea how much of a blessing it is to be co-laboring with you! Thank you! Thank you for your encouragements and willingness to adapt as we follow what God has for us! I am honored to co-labor with you! I thank God for you all the time! May God richly bless you and us as we continue to trust and allow Him to lead us to His greater things! Revival is at hand! This is the year of the Lord's favor. Rejoice! Keep at it! Our rewards will be great in heaven as we keep lavishly sowing God's love. Amen!
In John 9:3b-5 Jesus said, "We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the Light of the World." Who is this man to you? How is He impacting your life? We understand that God has assigned us tasks, custom made tasks. This is a command that comes with a promise: The End is coming and our time to work will be complete, but while those with Jesus in them are still on earth, His Light is still here and we have tasks to complete. We are His beacons shining out to light the way for all who will come. Time is short. Keep your focus and do so in healthy ways as we pour ourselves out as a drink offering to God. Complete your tasks well. God is with you always! Prayerfully read the devos below and ask God what He wants you to learn and put into practice today and ask Him to open your eyes to those He is leading you to and give you His heart, mind and willing feet. Amen! Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us!
Upper Room: Conversations with God
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel, Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” - 1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV)
I remember my dad telling me about the frustration he felt when he battled interrupted sleep as an older adult. I must confess that as a young adult, I didn’t fully understand my father’s feelings. I remembered his struggle, however, when recently I started experiencing the same problem.
It took me a while before I learned to accept this interruption by using the quiet time to listen for God’s voice in my life. Inspired by two church handouts on prayer, I began to pray and respond each night by writing in a prayer journal. What had begun as an inconvenience had suddenly been transformed into a cherished time with my heavenly Father.
Over the last year or two, these quiet times with God have given me direction when facing challenges in relationships with neighbors, co-workers, friends, or family members. These “interruptions” have also helped me to pray about problems or for the needs of others in my church and to give thanks for all that I have been given. Almost always, I return to bed content and at peace.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for the quiet times we have to listen for your guidance and direction. Amen.
Charles Stanley Devotional:
Our Daily Bread:
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Have you heard of #slowfashion? The hashtag captures a movement focused on resisting “fast fashion”—an industry dominated by cheaply made and quickly disposed of clothing. In fast fashion, clothes are out of style nearly as quickly as they’re in the stores—with some brands disposing of large quantities of their products every year.
The slow fashion movement encourages people to slow down and take a different approach. Instead of being driven by the need to always have the latest look, slow fashion encourages us to select fewer well-made and ethically sourced items that will last.
As I reflected on #slowfashion’s invitation, I found myself wondering about other ways I fall into a “fast fashion” way of thinking—always looking for fulfillment in the latest trend. In Colossians 3, however, Paul says finding true transformation in Jesus isn’t a quick fix or a fad. It’s a lifetime of quiet, gradual transformation in Christ.
Instead of needing to clothe ourselves with the world’s latest status symbols, we can exchange our striving for the Spirit’s clothing of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (v. 12). We can learn patience with each other on the slow journey of Christ transforming our hearts—a journey that leads to lasting peace (v. 15).
By Monica La Rose
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How are you tempted to find security by keeping up with the latest trends? What helps you find contentment in Jesus?
Dear God, thank You that I can surrender my anxious strivings in exchange for the peace of a quiet walk with You.
Learn more about developing a biblical worldview.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Colossians 3:5–11 helps us to see what needs to be “put to death” (v. 5) as believers in Jesus who’ve been united with Christ in His death and resurrection (vv. 1–4). Verses 12–17, however, focus on what needs to be “put on” (v. 14) as His representatives. The standard for our living is the character of Christ as seen in the qualities listed in verses 12–14. The standard for relationships in Jesus’ family is the peace of Christ (v. 15). The standard for instruction, correction, and celebration in community is the word of Christ (v. 16). And the standard for all that we do is to bring honor to the name of Christ (v. 17). When we clothe ourselves in such a way, it’s like wearing garments given by a gracious Father to His beloved children. And perhaps others will desire to know more about such a Father and want Him to be their Father as well.
Arthur Jackson |
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Shepherdess Sarah's Prayer letter:
Good afternoon everyone,
Hope that you are nice and toasty in your homes and enjoying the football game. It is definitely a Fall day today!
Here are a couple of the prayer requests shared today in worship.....
Lisa Wenner has asked for prayer for her boss, Ed Shelly. We have been praying for Ed....
He came through the surgery well. Pray that he will mend and heal, may God's peace surround him.
And may Ed be patient with his body as it heals and that his attitude will remain positive.
Friends of Neen and mine has asked for prayer for their son, who had triple by-pass surgery and is doing
good. He came through the surgery well.
Please keep him and his family in your prayers - praying that his healing goes well without any infections.
Karen Kerns' father Russ is home. Continue to lift him up and that he remains safe and that the dietary
department where he lives will be able to provide healthy meals that coincide with his diet.
Allison - co worker of Lisa Wenner - she is having some testing and blood work done on Friday to
see what is happening with her heart. Pray that God's peace will surround her and continue to pray
for Lisa as God uses her as His vessel of love and peace to her co-workers!!
Also Yay God - Lisa's feet are doing better - continue to pray for healing for her....as she is a 'sermon in shoes'
Ron Boyer continues to have heart issues. The medical team caring for him is trying different treatments
with him. They are changing his water pill. Hopefully he will see some improvement over the next couple of days
Darlene Geiger has asked for prayer for a woman she met in the parking lot - her name is Tammy and she is having
difficulty with her relationship with her husband. Pray for Tammy to receive the help and guidance she needs and for
both her and her husband to be reconcile their relationship.
Darlene is also asking for prayer for her husband, Jim. He has a persistent cough and she is asking that he trust God for healing
and see God's presences and to have peace.
Melissa Sullivan (DeLong) has asked for prayer for her Mother, Darlene Skinner as she is dealing with some health issues.
Barb Somers has asked for prayer for her sister, Judy who has Lung Cancer. She will be starting chemo in a couple of weeks.
Pray for strength and perseverance for Judy and for Barb as she comes along side Judy to encourage and support her
during this difficult time in her life.
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Take away questions from worship today:
Who is Jesus to you?
How does Jesus impact your life?
I am curious of your thoughts.....email or text me your thoughts!
Hey have a great evening and fabulous week!
Blessings,
Sarah
Don 
Sunday, October 08 2023
Today: Worship at 10 (live and on Zoom) with Children's Church. Today we will be discussing John 7 and 8 that we read during the week. (next week John 9-10).
Today: A Season of Prayer 2-4 in the sanctuary. All are welcome! Come and go as needed.
Good Morning Unique, Purposeful Followers of Jesus! What an amazing God we serve! PTL! He is a God of creative diversity where all of nature is created with beauty and purposes--us included. Eph. 2:10 continues to come to mind as I pray for you and our Good News Delivery Company called St. Matts. We are God's uniquely created masterpieces. We are made new in Christ which is a one time salvation new life and at the same time a growing into the new nature He created us to wear. We receive the Holy Spirit's help and gifts and become enabled to grow into our fuller potential at conversion. Why? To do the custom made things God has for us each day and throughout the days of our journey on earth. As we realize this and move towards the greater things God has for us, as we shed our old nature and earthly ways, we begin to find ourselves in that sweet spot that only comes from being and doing the things we were created to be and do, we find our peace, joy and purposes growing. It's hard to explain unless you have experienced it. Charles Stanley has done a pretty good job in his devo for today (below). We were born with great potential that is activated as we come to Christ in faith. Then we are enabled and empowered at that point to truly be who we were created to be doing the things we were created to do at each stage of life. What blessings, joy and shalom that brings as we step into that with God!
This is what the Become Me in '23 Challenge is all about. It is a passion God has given me to help us all find that sweet spot and us as God's Fellowship as well. He has created each of us and our church with great potential and His purposes are awaiting us as we grow in Christ. Our mission is to allow God to live and love through us as we become more like Jesus. Our denomination's vision is for all our churches to become a dynamic movement of God with a burning passion for Him and a missionary zeal for the lost. God has great plans for each of us and our church as He moves us towards that. Today from 2-4 we will be gathering in our sanctuary to pray into this and to release God's will, power, provision and wisdom. Join us and bring some friends! We will also be praying for any personal needs. Every movement of God was and is birthed from prayer. We are a praying church. For many of you, your purpose for this stage of life is to be a prayer warrior and God's provision for His plans. You have a very needed and powerful purpose in our Good News Delivery Company! Thank you for serving and for allowing God to grow you into your fuller potential for this season of your life! We need you and your prayers and provisions shared. Thanks again!
We were uniquely created for purposes for all seasons of our lives. God wants to fulfill our desires as we do His custom made purposes and gives us the help and ability to achieve them. PTL! He is preparing us for our eternal future and we are building our treasure in heaven to be used to worship God and be used to carry on His custom made purposes. What an awesome God! Life in Christ is good! We have much to worship and praise for and much to be excited about as we follow Jesus to what's next for us! In John 7 and 8 we will see today the example Jesus left for us for how to trust God amidst all kinds of chaos and focus on our mission and fulfill our created purposes well! Run well your race! Allow God to live and love through you and follow well to God's very best for you and us. Shalom! You can know it as you trust and obey each day.
Charles Stanley devo:
Saturday, October 07 2023
Clothing Closet today from 10-1
Sun. Worship from 10-11ish in person and on Zoom with Children's Church.
Sun. Season of Prayer 2-4 in the sanctuary. (Come and go as you please) Praying for our denomination, district, church and personal needs. Do you need some prayer? Come! Or bring someone who does.
See below Sarah Boyer's prayer requests. Continue to lift the Ron Williams family as they move through grief of the loss of Ron. We buried him yesterday. UPDATE on Karen's dad Russ: He is in the hospital because the facility he lives in refuses to cook heart healthy food. The menus are loaded with salt causing his fluid retention. Pray for healing for him and for the kitchen to be open to serving healthy choices to the elderly they serve. pray for wisdom for us as we try to fight for this . Thanks!
Sarah update:
Good evening,
I have two urgent prayer requests to share with you:
Lisa Wenner has asked for prayer for her boss, Ed Shelly. We have been praying for Ed....but
right now he is at the hospital having emergency surgery for a perforated colon. He isn't doing too
good. Please pray for his medical and surgical team and for his family. Pray also that he will mend
and heal, may God's peace surround him.
Friends of Neen and mine has asked for prayer for their son, who had triple by-pass surgery today.
He came through the surgery well, and has been able to communicate verbally with his family.
Please keep him and his family in your prayers - praying that his healing goes well without any infections
Karen Kerns' father Russ is in the hospital for testing. Prayers for the doctors and those reading the test
results and pray that they find out what is going on.
Thank you church family for your prayers!
Have a great evening and weekend!!!
Blessings,
Sarah
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Good Morning Worshiping, Products of Your Choices! Everything we do can be an act of worship from doing dishes, cleaning toilets, praying, encouraging, praising, obeying God, if all you choose to do flows from a heart of worship. God has created us free to choose. We are not robots. When He draws people to Himself they all have a choice to trust and believe or reject and walk away. We see the consequences of peoples choices throughout the Bible, history and present day life. We get to choose life or death, blessings or curses. We have chosen life in Christ! PTL! Everyday, 24-7, we get to choose if we will obey or go our own way. PTL that when we choose our own way, come to realize what we are doing, that we can choose to stop, repent, be forgiven and return to God's best ways. And He always chooses to forgive, restore, redeem and help us back on track and through the consequences of our poor choices. Check out ODB and CS devos below for more on our choices. And keep choosing life, blessings and obedience! And keep choosing to praise and worship. Check out UR below. Choose to count your blessings and praise with songs of old and new songs too. Worship with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs as you choose to praise no matter the storms or good times you find yourself in.
Last year we studied a spiritual virtue each month. The Jan. virtue was joy. We get to choose how we face life. Joy is a choice--a good and healthy choice that flows from trusting God no matter what. We discussed the importance of turning off the noise around us, whatever is causing the noise, and tuning into God by casting our anxiety and fear onto God and counting our many blessings in praise. We discussed how building gratitude lists can help us to have something handy to help us to choose to refocus with praise.
Here's a song to remind you that you can choose joy as you choose to worship in the storms of life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7UE_EuFLj4
This year we are working on growing into the people we were created to be, doing the things custom made for us to do. We get to choose if we will die to self and the ways of this world and take up our crosses and follow Jesus. We get to choose how we live this life. May we all choose well today and always! Talk to God about that as you choose to be still, sit at His feet, receive and follow well. We get to choose if we live this life as an act of worship or not. PTL for freedom to choose and for helping us to know the best choices to make throughout each day! PTL for choosing you and us! Praise the Lord for being faithful to us no matter what! Here's one more very familiar hymn to offer in worship as you choose to trust and praise today, Great Is Thy Faithfulness! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vN6ZgZhMOR8
Choose to have a great day as you begin with praise, worship and stillness as you sit at Jesus' feet and receive His shalom, wisdom and strength to face this day. He is faithful and worthy of all glory, honor and praise! What an awesome God we serve! Choose to worship and rejoice in this day! Yes! PTL! Amen!
Upper Room (UR):
O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. - Psalm 98:1 (NRSVUE)
As a child I lived in a small house with five sisters, one brother, and my parents. We all shared many chores — cooking, hanging laundry to dry, and caring for the younger children. My parents, however, brightened our chores with music. When Mom sang spiritual songs in the kitchen or Daddy played guitar on the porch, the family would sing along. In time, we bought an old upright piano and learned to play. From those songs, I learned to turn my attention to Jesus when life grows difficult and to talk to God and meditate on scripture often.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he encouraged God’s people to sing (see Eph. 5:19). Maybe he was recalling the incident from Acts 16 when he and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi. At midnight, when Paul and Silas sang hymns, an earthquake shook the prison, the doors opened, and their chains fell off.
Now, many years later, I listen to inspirational music at lunch and find peace. In late afternoons, I play piano and find joy. On sleepless nights, I recall songs from my childhood and find rest. We can find comfort when we sing praise to God.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Holy God, thank you for accepting our praise, offered through joyful songs. Thank you for bringing us peace, joy, and rest through music. Amen.Our Daily Bread (ODB):
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A few weeks after the death of a dear friend, I spoke with her mom. I was hesitant to ask how she was doing because I thought it was an inappropriate question; she was grieving. But I pushed aside my reluctance and simply asked how she was holding up. Her reply: “Listen, I choose joy.”
Her words ministered to me that day as I struggled to push beyond some unpleasant circumstances in my own life. And her words also reminded me of Moses’ edict to the Israelites at the end of Deuteronomy. Just before Moses’ death and the Israelites’ entrance into the promised land, God wanted them to know that they had a choice. Moses said, “I have set before you life and death . . . . Now choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). They could follow God’s laws and live well, or they could turn away from Him and live with the consequences of “death and destruction” (v. 15).
We must choose how to live too. We can choose joy by believing and trusting in God’s promises for our lives. Or we can choose to focus on the negative and difficult parts of our journeys, allowing them to rob us of joy. It will take practice and relying on the Holy Spirit for help, but we can choose joy—knowing that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28).
By Katara Patton
REFLECT & PRAY
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How can you choose joy in spite of your circumstances today? How is choosing joy similar to choosing life as God described to the Israelites?
Dear God, Giver of Joy, please help me to choose to follow You and believe and trust You this day.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In Deuteronomy 30:15, Moses used a figure of speech called metonymy where the effect stands for the cause. When he claimed to be setting before the people “life and prosperity, death and destruction,” he was presenting the effects of the Israelites’ decisions to help them see the significance of their choices. Obviously, no one would choose death and destruction. But their actions would lead either to life and prosperity or to death and destruction. In chapter 28, he lists the blessings for obedience (vv. 1–14) and the curses for disobedience (vv. 15–68).
J.R. Hudberg |
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Charles Stanley's God's Purpose for Your Life Devotional (CS): (Today's and Sunday's devos)
Friday, October 06 2023
REMINDER: The Rally Day envelopeswill be used to fund our new "IN" account to be used to purchase curriculum, teaching materials, and items needed for all of our "IN" gatherings and huddles.
St. Matts happenings for the weekend: Ron Williams funeral today 11am service. Clothing Closet tomorrow (Sat) 10-1, worship Sun at 10(discussing John 7 and 8. What's God saying to you?) and a season of prayer 2-4 in our sanctuary. Join us for one or all! Bring a friend!
T.G.I.F. Thank God I'm Forgiven! Amen! PTL! Hallelujah! We can know that we know that we know that we are forgiven, have new life in Christ, are putting on our new nature and His righteousness, and secure in our future destination! Praise be the Lord, our Savior, Lord, Creator, Sustainer, Helper, Friend and our righteousness. Our sins have been forgiven once and for all time and He is faithful to His promises to forgive, cleanse and direct repentant, soft hearts. He promises to take away our hearts of stone and give us soft hearts. He promises us the gift of His Spirit, our Helper and Advocate and Seal of Faith. We are God's masterpieces, made new in Christ and full of potential and ability to accomplish all His plans for us because of our believing, repenting, soft and willing hearts! PTL! PTL! Begin Your day with some praise and worship!
Good Morning Very Loved, Very Blessed, Worshiping, Other Worldly, Disciples (apprentices) and Apostles (sent ones) of Christ! We were created in love to go love like Jesus as we grow from being one way to another in Christ. We were born with great potential. As we put on our new nature and allow Christ to shepherd us and learn from Him, we put on His easy yoke and learn to walk well in faith and service with Him. PTL! We are learning to live otherworldly in this world. People talk about aliens from outer space all the time and illegal aliens too. But we are citizens of heaven and earth, aliens and strangers here learning to live for Christ as we carry on our responsibilities on earth. We are learning how to be in the world but not of it as we grow into good ambassadors of Christ. We all have a purpose in Christ and different purposes daily and, as we age. We have custom made purposes for who we were made to be in every season of our life in Christ! And we are equipped, provided for and helped to find and fulfill those purposes! PTL! We are apprenticing under Jesus and sent to live and love like Him as we grow into our fuller potential in Christ. As Pastor Al taught us it's like building the airplane as we fly it. That takes soft hearts and willing feet to tweak as we go and as we follow. God is for us and with us and can do way more than we could ever imagine! He does have plans to prosper, not harm. But we may need to go through some valleys and tweaking ourselves as we walk with Him. It is an honor and privilege to follow Him with you as we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to our fuller potential and God's greater things for us! Yes PTL!
Check out our devos below as you worship, praise. listen, receive, learn and prepare for this day! You are loved, are learning and adapting and adequate in Christ! You have doable purposes custom made for you as you travel through this life. PTL and follow well today! Maybe meditate on these songs as you prayerfully open your Bibles and read and meditate on these devos. God is speaking to you, pronouncing love and favor over you and reaching out to take hold of your hand to walk with you. Reach out to Him with a soft heart, willing feet and open ears and eyes. Ask Him to help with that and for His will to be done, in, through and around you. COME! Amen!
Here's a couple of songs to end your time of prayer, praise and worship and to prepare your hearts to follow and serve well today:
Upper Room (UR): Love Notes
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39 (NRSVUE)
Early in our relationship, my husband gave me a card with a beautiful love note. After many years of marriage, I don’t need a note to know how much he cares. It’s evident in the things he does and the way he acts toward me every day. Even though we sometimes don’t come to terms in certain situations or have a disagreement, I know his love for me is steadfast and certain. I find great comfort in this.
God’s love for us is like the steady love my husband shows me, only greater. At times, like when I lost my job of twenty years, when I faced grief, or when I heard the words of a frightening diagnosis, I shook my fist at God wondering where God’s love had gone. Yet, it was there all along: in the kindness of a friend, in the skilled hands of a doctor, in the sunrise of a new day, in the blossoms that herald the promise of a new season. These are God’s love notes to each of us. Do we recognize them?
TODAY'S PRAYER
Gracious God, your love is at work in our lives at all times. May we be instruments of this love, sharing it at every chance through kind thoughts, words, and deeds. Amen.
Our Daily Bread(ODB):
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Eric heard about Jesus’ love for him while in his early twenties. He started attending church where he met someone who helped him grow to know Christ better. It wasn’t long before Eric’s mentor assigned him to teach a small group of boys at church. Through the years, God drew Eric’s heart to help at-risk youth in his city, to visit the elderly, and to show hospitality to his neighbors—all for God’s honor. Now in his late fifties, Eric explains how grateful he is that he was taught early to serve: “My heart overflows to share the hope I’ve found in Jesus. What could be better than to serve Him?”
Timothy was a child when his mother and grandmother influenced him in his faith (2 Timothy 1:5). And he was likely a young adult when he met the apostle Paul, who saw potential in Timothy’s service for God and invited him on a ministry journey (Acts 16:1–3). Paul became his mentor in ministry and life. He encouraged him to study, to be courageous as he faced false teaching, and to use his talents in service to God (1 Timothy 4:6–16).
Why did Paul want Timothy to be faithful in serving God? He wrote, “Because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people” (v. 10). Jesus is our hope and the Savior of the world. What could be better than to serve Him?
By Anne Cetas
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What have you learned about Christ that you want someone else to know? Who could use your help and whose help might you need?
Dear God, please give me a heart to bring Your hope to those around me.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Paul’s letters to Timothy include quite a few challenges to stop false teaching in its tracks (1 Timothy 4:1–7; 6:2–5; 2 Timothy 2:14–19). In his first letter, Paul gives Timothy the tools he wants the young pastor to use in dealing with falsehoods: “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:13).
By keeping the Scriptures front and center in the churches that Timothy served, he offered an antidote to the “godless myths and old wives’ tales” (v. 7) that seemed to always plague the churches. Timothy’s best defense against incorrect doctrine was Scripture itself (2 Timothy 3:16).
Jed Ostoich |
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Charles Stanley:
The Word for You Today (TWFYT)
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