Announcements 12-30

Men's Prayer Breakfast - Sunday morning, January 13th @ 8:30. All men are invited to come and join us for this time of prayer and fellowship.

Pantry Needs- The Open Arms Food Pantry is in need of food donations. To find out the specific need see Charlie, David, or Pastor Charles.

Sunday School Class - Are you a follower of Jesus? Don't answer too quickly. You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of Jesus. Or, you may be just a fan who admires Jesus by isn't ready to let him cramp your style.
Not A Fan calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. With frankness sprinkled with humor, this study invites you to live the way Jesus lived, love the way he loved, pray the way he prayed, and never give up living for the One who gave his all for you.
Coming to Pastor Scott's Sunday School Class January 6th!!

"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

December 23, 2012

“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”
Matthew 1:21
Scott Howard

 

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means, God with us.’”

---Matthew 1:21-23  (the prophet text is from Isaiah 7:14)

Emmanuel:  God With Us.

Three truths about Emmanuel:

Ø  God is with you!

Luke 1:28 says of Mary just before telling her she would give birth to God’s Son: “Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you.”

God is everything you need Him to be for you right now.  When you’re weak, He is your strength; lost, He is your guide; hopeless, He is your hope; in chaos, He is your peace; hurt, He is your Comforter.  The Greek word for comfort is ‘Parakletos’ which means: Para = Alongside & Kleto = Called to.  So it literally means that God is called to come alongside us to comfort us.  The all-powerful, ever present, all-knowing  God of the universe; that God, is with you!

Ø  God was with you!

Looking at God’s word and in the lives of the many people in the Bible, you can see even through the rough times, God was with them the entire time.  It is easy to see how God was with us in the past, in our own lives, and how He was working to bring us to the place we are now.  We can see specific evidence of this in Genesis 37:21 when Joseph (son of Jacob) had been sold by his brothers in slavery, and later put in prison: “…The Lord was with him; He showed him kindness and granted him favor…”  God ultimately saw fit to have Pharoah put Joseph in charge of Egypt!

Ø  God will be with you!

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Joshua 1:5b

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”  ---Romans 8:33 

And Jesus said in Revelation 1:8:  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the one who is, and who was, and who is to come.”   He is infinite.  This tells us that He is, and was, and will be everything He has promised He would be, which includes Emmanuel. 

So, the question is…

Ø  Are you with God?

Do you have an ongoing, loving relationship with God?  He wants you to be with Him.  He wants you just as you are.  There is never a way to be “good enough” to deserve His grace, mercy, and love.  That’s why it’s called “unconditional.”  The only thing God wants from you is for you to respond to His free gift of salvation.  So, wherever He leads you, whatever He calls you to do, He’ll be with you….Are you with Him?

The Mystery of Jesus Christ

December 16, 2012
The Mystery of Jesus Christ
Matthew 1:18-25
Scott Howard

There are quite a few things that are mysterious about God, such as:
He is 1 God, but 3 persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
He is high above us, but also near to us
He is powerful, but also patient
He is wrathful, but also merciful
He is just, but also forgiving

Truths to remember...

1. God's Nature can be mysterious.
2. Jesus is Both God and Man. (Philippians 2)
3. In light of God's sovereign Mercy, man's responsibility can't be ignored--(you must recognize your sin and then receive His mercy.  Then worship Him humbly, and walk with Him in purity).
4. God's Word can be Trusted.

God's Word, and our text this week:
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' --which means, 'God with us.'  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.  And he gave him the name Jesus."   ---Matthew 1:18-25

The Incarnation is...

• The most extraordinary miracle in all the Bible
• The most profound mystery in all the universe.

Incarnation literally means "embodied in flesh, or taking on flesh."  God took on flesh by Jesus being born human.  Jesus is fully God and fully human.  So, knowing that helps all the other miracles make sense.  Since Jesus (GOD) created the water, it makes sense that He can walk on it!

What Jesus Confirms...

1. God is the Creator and the Re-Creator of all things.

• The word "birth", in the first part of our Bible text above, in Greek means "Genesis" or "the beginning."
• In the book of Genesis, The Spirit brings life to men....In the book of Matthew, The Spirit is who is giving life to the Messiah.
• In the book of Genesis, God promises a seed from a woman....In the book of Matthew, God delivers that seed through a woman
• In the book of Genesis, a man is born who would succumb to sin....In the book of Matthew, a Man is born who will save from sin.

    2.   God is Always Faithful to His Word.

• Whenever God makes a promise in His Word, He fulfills it in the world. 

    3.   God is Transcendent over us, yet He is present with us.

• in His Glory, God is far above us, but in His Grace, God is near to us.

God has come to heal the sick (Matthew 4 & 8)
God has come to feed the hungry (Matthew 14 & 15)
God has come to bless the poor (Matthew 5)
God has come to bind the broken heart (Matthew 6 & 11)
God has come to deliver the demon-possessed (Matthew 8)
Ultimately, God has come to rescue the lost!

He came to take the penalty of sin in our place.  He conquered the enemy that we could not conquer on our own.  What a Glorious Mystery! 

Prayer, Outreach, and Discipleship

The story of Christmas never gets old. It is retold every year and we listen to it much like we watch the reruns of Andy Griffith. There is something about them that keeps our interest.

One of my favorite characters in the Christmas story is the shepherds. They are a fascinating group of people. So common and yet chosen by God to be among the first to hear the angel's announcement of the Messiah's birth. The shepherds of that day were not known to be spiritual. In fact, some traditions say they were the lower level of society. But these shepherds were different than the 'norm'. Why did God choose shepherds to witness the greatest event in human history; further still, why did God choose THESE shepherds? A closer look at the account in Luke 2:8-20 will tell us something about the hearts of these men.

The shepherds listened. God speaks to those who have the time to listen. Often we are so caught up in the business of life that we cannot hear God speak. Maybe it's time to slow down and listen. Take some time this Christmas to be quiet; get by yourself, away from TV, radio, cell phones and anything else that keeps you from listening to God. When God spoke to Elijah, he was hiding in a cave. God sent the whirlwind, the thunder, and the lightening but He did not speak through them. God spoke to him only when Elijah was quiet enough to listen.

They knew what to look for. The angels told them where to look and what to look for. The shepherds had no problem believing that God was present that night on the Judean hillside. God usually uses less flashy means to communicate with us; like a homeless family, a grieving widow, through these lives of the needy and poor, in the mundane tasks of daily living. It's easy to miss God's moving when we are watching only for the big and showy.

They made seeking Jesus with all their heart, the main thing in their life. Likewise, we need to make Christ the main thing in our lives. What is the 'MAIN THING' in your life?

They were quick to act upon what God has told them. They left their sheep immediately and went to search for the Christ child. God's word to us is found in His Holy Word, the Bible. Do we really believe it is the complete, inerrant Word of God? Does your lifestyle reflect what we say we believe?

When they saw the babe in the manger, they believed. They left the manger that night changed men. Has your relationship with Christ really changed you?

They let their joy show. They met Jesus and they went away excited and filled with joy. Can others tell that you are a joyful believer? Does the joy of the Lord show through even when you are having a 'bad hair day' or you wake up with Excedrin headache #38?

Finally when they left they went around telling others about what they had experienced. When the angels came and told them the Good News, Luke records that 'the glory of the Lord shone around about them.' That was before they met Jesus, but afterward, the glory of the Lord was within them and they told others. We need to share with others this Good News.

May the joy of Christ be yours this Christmas season. God bless!
Pastor Charles & Judy

Announcements 12-16

Adopt A Family - If you have purchased a gift for the family we are supporting this Christmas, please have your gift wrapped and at the church no later than Wednesday, December 19th. Any ?? See Pastor Charles.

Christmas Communion - Join us NEXT Sunday PM - December 23rd @ 6:00PM for a beautiful service that will help you and your family keep Christ at the center of your Christmas celebration.

Christmas Open House - NEXT Sunday, December 23rd AFTER the Candlelight Communion Service you are invited to the parsonage for food and fellowship. If you would like to help by bringing a snack or drinks, talk to Phyllis.

Luminaries - Luminaries will be placed at the church NEXT Sunday, December 23rd, the night of our Candlelight Communion Service. If you would like to place a luminaire "In Honor" or "In Memory" of someone special, you may do so for a donation to our Youth for their upcoming Youth Convention. Please give the information to Pastor Charles by Wednesday, December 19th.

LBA Meeting - Tuesday, December 18th @ 7:00 PM at the parsonage. LBA members and spouses are invited to attend.

Remnant Ramblings

Remnant Ramblings

According to the Gospel of Luke, beginning in 1:26, God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee to deliver an important message to a young virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph.  This is significant in and of itself, as Gabriel had also appeared to Zechariah only a few verses earlier here in Luke as well as to Daniel 500-plus years earlier (Daniel 8:15-17, 9:21).  Each time Gabriel made an appearance in Scripture, it was to bring significant news.  We go on to read that Mary has been chosen by God the blessing and honor of being the mother of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

Mary possessed all the characteristics that would make the people of her day deem her a social outcast and completely unusable to God – female, young, single, poor.  What makes us seem unfit and inadequate in the eyes of the physical world is exactly what makes us precious in God’s sight?  If we had all the qualifications and credentials in hand, where would our need for God come from?  God does not call the “qualified;” He qualifies the called.  Often we feel that our ability, experience, education, etc. makes us unlikely candidates for God’s service.  The Bible is full of people used by God to accomplish great works, but started out with doubt.  Abraham, Sarah, and Zechariah felt they were too old to be parents.  Moses doubted he could lead the people out of Egypt.  How about the Israelites when they faced difficulties out in the desert?  Or Gideon when told he would be a judge and leader?  Or Thomas when told that Jesus had risen from the dead?

Being a young unmarried girl who became pregnant was a potentially disastrous risk.  If the father of the child did not agree to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life.  If her father rejected her, she would probably be forced into a life of begging or prostitution to make ends meet.  That’s not to mention the many people who would probably consider her crazy with her story about conception through the Holy Spirit!  But through it all, Mary stepped out in faith and humbly submitted to God’s will.  Although being the mother of the Messiah brought about some pain – ridicule by her peers, Joseph coming close to leaving her, and her son being rejected and murdered – her faithful submission was part of God’s plan to bring about our salvation.  Mary’s faith has been and will continue to be praised by countless generations. 

What type of work or task is God trying to use us to accomplish for his glory today?  God has an amazing plan for your life, regardless of where you’ve been or feel that you’re headed.  I pray that we step out in faith and allow God to work out his will for our lives, despite possible limitations we may see.  The only limitations our God knows are the limitations we place on Him!  May we be challenged and encouraged this holiday season and on into 2013!

The Ward family sends our warmest holiday cheer from our house to you and yours.  Jesus is the reason for the season!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ! !

Much love and peace in Christ,

Pastor Drew

Jesus Came to Serve

December 9, 2012
Jesus Came to Serve
Mark 10:35-45
Scott Howard

"Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. 'Teacher,' they said, 'we want you to do for us whatever we ask.'
'What do you want me to do for you?' he asked.
They replied, 'Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.'
'You don't know what you are asking,' Jesus said, 'Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?'
'We can,' they answered.
Jesus said to them, 'You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant.  These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.'  When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.  Jesus called them together and said, 'You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'"  Mark 10:35-45

Why He Came...

• Jesus came to suffer --> Jesus is the Son of God who decided to come to earth as a human.  He called himself the "Son of Man" because he took on human flesh and suffered on earth as a human.    

"They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid.  Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.  'We are going up to Jerusalem,' he said, 'and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law.  They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.  Three days later he will rise.'"  --Mark 10:32-34

• Jesus came to save --> at the end of the first passage above, Jesus said he gave his life as a ransom.  When you think of a ransom, you think of paying for someone's release.  Jesus paid the price for our release, to set us free.  Free from sin, from bondage, from addiction, from eternal death.
• Jesus came to be our substitute --> Jesus took our place so that we didn't have to be the recipiant of God's wrath.  Jesus took on all sin, for all time, for all people and God could not look at it.  Death is the penalty of sin, and Jesus paid the penalty for us.
• Jesus came to show us how to live --> He shows us what it means to be a servant.  He re-defines "greatness"---the one who is great serves others.
• Jesus came to serve us --> He came willingly.  He wants to serve you and I.  Let Jesus serve you.  Let Him do what is best for you.

What this Means...

• Jesus is our servant --> Not that we have authority over him.
• This does NOT mean that we tell Jesus what to do.
• This DOES mean that He gives us what we need.  --> What Jesus is calling you to do, you cannot do it without Jesus giving you what you need to empower you to live the life He has called you to.
• We are Jesus' servants,  and at the same time...
• We submit to Jesus' authority

How we Respond...

• Trust Jesus to serve you --> admit that you need Jesus to serve you (because he can do better than we could on our own)
• Jesus' service to us is what enables our obedience to Him  --> every time He calls or commands you to do something, that is His way of telling you how He is going to serve you.  So trust Him to give you all you need to do what He's calling you to do.

Think about it....The Majestic King of all the universe has come to serve YOU! 

From the Pastor's Heart: December

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."

James 1:17

Many of you have heard me tell the story of when I was five years old and received a very unexpected gift under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. It all began when the Sears & Roebuck Christmas Wish Book came in the mail. I eagerly opened up the cataloug to the toy section and began to leaf through the pages of toy after toy. WOW - my mind was filled with all kinds of wishes and wants. My eyes became wider and wider with excitement as I turned the pages to see that bicycle with the banana seat, the set of Legos I had been wanting, the NBA All Pro-Basketball (Yes, even at the age of five I loved basketball), the race car set with the OFFICIAL track and everything - and the list goes on. But then my eyes fell on what I really wanted. I had found it - an official, professional tool set. Yes, as nice as those other things were on my list,  for some strange reason I wanted a tool set. And this one was a doozy! It has the genuine leather tool belt, a real metal hammer, (Not the plastic kind), a saw (Don't worry it was plastic!), a screwdriver, and several more pieces which at that age I had no clue what they were but they sure looked cool. I had found it! Move over Tim-the-Tool-Man here come Scott-the Tool-Man Howard. I ran to my Mom and Dad and I told them I had found what I wanted for Christmas; I wanted a tool set. Now, in my excitement, I made a couple mistakes. My biggest mistake was not showing my Mom and Dad the picture of the tool set in the S & R Wish Book. And then what I didn't realize at such a young age was that I did not pronounce my words very well which would prove to be very detrimental in this particular case.

Well, Christmas morning came and I ran into the living room fully expecting to see my genuine, authentic, regulation tool set underneath the Christmas tree. But there under the tree, I did not find a genuine leather tool belt, a real hammer, or even a plastic saw. What I did find were little cups and saucers which were the pieces of a complete TEA SET. That's right - my parents got their five year old SON a tea set for Christmas instead of a tool set. It appears that when I told them I wanted a TOOL set, it sounded like I was saying TEA set. Now, needless to say I was very disappointed. But as I think back on that Christmas in 1966, it just reminds me of James 1:17 and the fact that my Lord has NEVER disappointed me with the things I have received from Him. Especailly when it comes to the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ! When I think of the gift of Jesus, it definitely rings true that... "every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above." And I am so thankful that when I asked Him to forgive me of my sins and save my soul, He knew exactly what I was asking for and clearly understood the desire of my heart. Thank You Heavenly Father for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ and the wonderful gift of our salvation. 

May you and your family have a Christ-filled Christmas this year.

Pastor Scott and family.

Announcements 12-9-12

Christmas Candlelight Communion- Join us Sunday PM - December 23rd @ 6:00pm for a beautiful service that will help you and your family keep Christ at the center of your Christmas celebration.

Adopt a Family - Please don't forget the family we have adopted for Christmas. Information about the family can be found in the foyer and all the gifts must be at the church no later than Wednesday, December 19th. Any ???? See Pastor Charles.

Luminaries - Luminaries will be place at the church Sunday, December 23rd, the night of our Candlelight Communion Service. If you would like to place a luminaire "In Honor" or "In Memory" of someone, you may do so for a donation to our Youth for their upcoming Youth Conventikon. See Pastor Charles for details.

LBA Christmas Meeting - The LBA Christmas Meeting will be held Tuesday, December 18th @ 7:00pm at the parsonage. The spoused of LBA members are invited to come and enjoy the fellowship.

Christmas Open House at the Parsonage - Sunday, December 23rd AFTER the Candlelight Communion Service you are invited to the parsonage for food and fellowship.

Christmas Cantata & Children's Christmas Program - Sunday PM, December 16th @ 6:00pm the Adult Choir & the Children's Choir will present their Christmas Program. Come and invite others to come with you to this special worship service.

Christmas Destruction: He Came to Destroy the Devil! (part 2)

December 2, 2012
Christmas Destruction: He Came to Destroy the Devil
1 John 2:28-3:10
Scott Howard

"And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.  If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  Everyone who as this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.  And in him is no sin.  No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.  No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.  Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.  He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.  The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  No one who is born of God will continue  to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.  This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not called a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."  ---1 John 2:28-3:10

Review from last week's message:

• The Reality of Sin...

1. Sin's Scope: Universal
2. Sin's Nature: Lawlessness
3. Sin's Origin: The Devil

• The Reason Christ Came...

1. His Essence: Without Sin
2. His Mission: Destroy Sin

• The Result for Christians...

1. Our belief in Christ makes persistent (continual) sin inconceivable.
2. Our new birth in Christ makes persistent (continual) sin impossible.

**This leads us to this week's message:**

• Christmas Anticipation....

--> Jesus is not finished coming!  (see 1 John 2:28 and 3:2)

• When He Comes Back...

1. We will see Him.
2. We will be like Him.

Chapter 3 verse 2 says that.  Not that we will BE God, but that we will be co-heirs with Jesus--recreated, transformed, free of pain, sickness, and hurt---we will be eternal beings.

• While We Wait...

1. We Fix our eyes on Him.  (1 John 2:28)
2. We Purify our lives before Him.  (1 John 3:3)

This means that if our eyes are constantly on Jesus, we will be changing our lives to adore Him, to live for Him.  As we look on, adore, and worship the King, we become more like what we behold.  We purify our lives so that we can be confident and unashamed before Him.  This is the key to unlocking Sanctification:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." ---Mark 12:30.  When you love God in this manner, your life will change and you will want to become pure before Him.

• Christmas Option...

1. We are either children of the Devil...  (1 John 3:10)

• Slaves to sin
• Deserving death

    2.    Or we are children of God...  (1 John 3:1)

• Free from sin
• Defeating death             

This choice affects us not just in our lives as we live them at this moment, for the present, it affects us for all eternity.  As a child of God we have no need to fear.  We will live with Him, we will be like Him (eternal beings) forever in the presence of Almighty God!

The Christmas Gift God has given to us, is His Son, Jesus, the savior of the world.  Emmanuel, God with us! 

"Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death---that is, the devil---and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."  ---Hebrews 2:14-15
        

Announcements 12-2

Men's Prayer Breakfast - Sunday, December 9th @8:30 AM. all the men of the church are invited to join us for a great time of fellowship, food , and much needed prayer.

Christmas Dinner - NEXT Sunday PM, December 9th at THE BOXCAR GRILLE in Claremont. Be at the restaurant by 5:00 PM. Please sign the Sign-Up Sheet on the Bulletin Board if you plan on coming. Come celebrate Christmas with your Church family.

WEE Sing Christmas Party - Saturday, December 8th from 10am - 12pm, there will be a Christmas party for the kids. There will be gingerbread houses, music and fun.

Christmas Candlelight Communion- Join us Sunday PM - December 23rd @ 6:00pm for a beautiful service that will help you and your family keep Christ at the center of your Christmas celebration.

Luminaries - Luminaries will be place at the church Sunday, December 23rd, the night of our Candlelight Communion Service. If you would like to place a luminaire "In Honor" or "In Memory" of someone, you may do so for a donation to our Youth for their upcoming Youth Conventikon. See Pastor Charles for details.

LBA Christmas Meeting - The LBA Christmas Meeting will be held Tuesday, December 18th @ 7:00pm at the parsonage. The spoused of LBA members are invited to come and enjoy the fellowship.

Christmas Open House at the Parsonage - Sunday, December 23rd AFTER the Candlelight Communion Service you are invited to the parsonage for food and fellowship.

Christmas Treats - Christmas Treats will be given out on Sunday AM, December 23rd after the Morning Worship service.

Christmas Cantata & Children's Christmas Program - Sunday PM, December 16th @ 6:00pm the Adult Choir & the Children's Choir will present their Christmas Program. Come and invite others to come with you to this special worship service.

Salvation Army Soup Kitchen - We are needing another team to go help serve food at the soup kitchen. If you are willing to serve, please see Pastor Charles.

Open Arms Food Pantry - The Food Pantry provides a vital ministry to our community. But in order for it to be able to supply the needs of others, the Open Arms Food Pantry needs you. We need food and monetary donations to help feed the needy in our community. Please let Pastor Charles know if you can help!

Ring the Bell - We are still in need of volunteers to ring the bell on Saturday, December 8th @ Hobby Lobby. If you would be willing to fill this slot please sign the sheet on the bulletin board or see Pastor Charles.

Follow International Youth Convention - December 28-31 the SRWC Youth will be attending FOLLOW- the Wesleyan Chruch's International Youth Convention @ Louisville, Kentucky. Please be in prayer for our youth that the Lord would use this convention in a mighty way to impact the lives of our teens. Parents can go to http://www.mywycon.com for more information.

Youth Secret Santa Trip - Wednesday, December 5th the SRWC Youth will be going to Wal-Mart during the youth hour to purchase Secret Santa gifts for Jayden, Nathaniel, and Hope. The van will leave the church at 6pm.

Gift Wrapping - The SRWC Youth will be gift wrapping at Barnes & Noble in the afternoon and evening of December 13th. We will have a sign-up sheet for hours/times.

Youth Christmas Party - Friday, December 14th @ the Ward house. Christmas movie (Elf)! Cookies! The FUN and FELLOWSHIP will kick-off at 6:00 until ?? Invite a friend!

Isaiah 55:9 The Ceramic Horse

This post originally appeared on Jesus, You, and Me on March 17, 2011.

I had 75% of this post done last night while I was waiting for Ben to cry himself to sleep. He got really upset so I went to check on him. He found a little ceramic rocking horse Christmas ornament. This ornament had a hole that the bottom, like some ornaments do. He was convinced it was broken and should be fixed. I could not convince him otherwise, so eventually I just hid the ceramic horse in my pocket. He was more upset and so we looked at his stuffed animals, talked to them, and then settled into bed. Read through my thoughts from last night and see how this story is connected.


"I need to be more like God and not try to make God more like me." I heard this idea 3 times today from 3 different sources. I'm not sure exactly what I should be learning from this, but since I heard it 3 times, I thought it important enough to blog about. 

I 'heard' this first this morning when I was going through my Bible Study homework. In Me, Myself, and Lies by Jennifer Rothschild, she mentions Isaiah 55:9. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." From my notes this morning, "You don't have to and can't live up to God! He accepts your broken parts!" There is no way for me to live up to God. He is higher than me. I can't change that and I don't have to be ashamed by that.

The second time was in Stuff Christians Like this morning. He actually quoted the same verse. He spoke about wanting God to do things like he would. Wishing God would give him choices he is comfortable with and has gotten used to using. (BTW, I am doing a really bad job of summarizing this. Go read it for yourself, so what I'm saying makes sense.) Once again, I 'hear' God isn't like me. Don't try to make him like me. Let him do his job. You just sit back and let him.

The third time I heard it was at church tonight. Drew said it in his lesson about renewing your mind,Romans 12:2. Renewing your mind isn't something that is only for the recent converts. It is for all of us to continually renew our minds and be less like this world. We should not make God more like us, but make us more like God.

So back to the ceramic horse, how often are we like Ben convinced that we know the way something is supposed to look, the way it is supposed to work, etc? We know best and why isn't everyone listening to us!! Don't we sound like a two year old demanding our way? We yell at God and huff at the world because it isn't working like we 'know' it should. God tries to reason with us and maybe sometimes it works. We realize that we need to let him do his job because he is higher and we shouldn't make Him more like us. 

What if we don't? Will God take that thing away from us because it is causing us too much strife? Will he get our mind off of it with something else, so we can settle down and rest? I'm not sure what the answers are, but I think the answer could be yes. Are you holding on to a ceramic horse? What might God be able to do if you let it go?