Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Scripture for this Sunday is from Matthew 2: 1-12, in which Jesus is visited by wise men and presented with three special gifts. The sermon is titled 'Three Gifts,' and will focus on what those three gifts mean for us. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
John 17: 1-5; Jesus Prays For Himself
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus prayed. I find a lesson in that. With all that was going on in Jesus' life, especially in this part of John's gospel as he approaches the crucifixion, Jesus still found time to pray to God. No matter how busy Jesus was he always prayed. We stay pretty busy. Over the last few weeks we have all been coming and going without any time to take a breath and enjoy this time of year. And even when it's not Christmas we still manage to run a-mile-a-minute. In those times when we are too busy to do anything we need to find time to pray. Prayer is how we are strengthened, it is how God reaches into our hearts and lifts us up. Prayer is when we spend time with God, something we all need to do more of in our lives. Take this lesson from Jesus and find more time to pray. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Jesus prayed. I find a lesson in that. With all that was going on in Jesus' life, especially in this part of John's gospel as he approaches the crucifixion, Jesus still found time to pray to God. No matter how busy Jesus was he always prayed. We stay pretty busy. Over the last few weeks we have all been coming and going without any time to take a breath and enjoy this time of year. And even when it's not Christmas we still manage to run a-mile-a-minute. In those times when we are too busy to do anything we need to find time to pray. Prayer is how we are strengthened, it is how God reaches into our hearts and lifts us up. Prayer is when we spend time with God, something we all need to do more of in our lives. Take this lesson from Jesus and find more time to pray. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
John 16: 17-33; The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
"No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." We are loved by God because we have accepted Jesus into our hearts. That is the good news of Jesus: he has fixed the relationship that was broken. Israel had turned away from God; they were living the kind of life God did not want them to live. Their relationship with God had been broken. So God sent Jesus into the world to repair that relationship, to fix what was broken. Thanks to Jesus we have a personal relationship with God, one that is centered on love: God's love for us, and our love for God. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
"No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." We are loved by God because we have accepted Jesus into our hearts. That is the good news of Jesus: he has fixed the relationship that was broken. Israel had turned away from God; they were living the kind of life God did not want them to live. Their relationship with God had been broken. So God sent Jesus into the world to repair that relationship, to fix what was broken. Thanks to Jesus we have a personal relationship with God, one that is centered on love: God's love for us, and our love for God. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Monday, December 29, 2008
John 16: 5-16; The Work of the Holy Spirit
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the absence of the physical Jesus we have the Holy Spirit to teach us; we have the Holy Spirit to guide us and direct us as we go through life. We need to make sure we are listening. In this passage Jesus gives us an idea of what the Holy Spirit will do for us: he will guide us into all truth, he will tell us what is to come, and he will make known to us the things of Jesus. We need to listen. Through the Holy Spirit God speaks to us; through the Holy Spirit God tells us what he wants from us. We need to make sure we keep our ears open for what the Holy Spirit is telling us to do. Jesus tells us to keep our eyes open, waiting faithfully for the day of his return. We also need to keep our ears open, listening faithfully to all the things the Holy Spirit is guiding us to do. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
In the absence of the physical Jesus we have the Holy Spirit to teach us; we have the Holy Spirit to guide us and direct us as we go through life. We need to make sure we are listening. In this passage Jesus gives us an idea of what the Holy Spirit will do for us: he will guide us into all truth, he will tell us what is to come, and he will make known to us the things of Jesus. We need to listen. Through the Holy Spirit God speaks to us; through the Holy Spirit God tells us what he wants from us. We need to make sure we keep our ears open for what the Holy Spirit is telling us to do. Jesus tells us to keep our eyes open, waiting faithfully for the day of his return. We also need to keep our ears open, listening faithfully to all the things the Holy Spirit is guiding us to do. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Sunday, December 28, 2008
John 16: 1-4; Jesus Warns the Disciples
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus tells his disciples about the persecution they will face because he does not want them to go astray. This is a task easier said than done, but it is one of the more important things we can do as Christians. Someday we my face persecution, and when we do we need to make sure we stay true to our faith in Jesus. We should never recant our faith, or stop believing in Jesus. Our faith, Jesus tells us, should remain secure no matter what we face. And to do this we have the strength of Jesus in our hearts. Jesus is with as we go through our journey of faith, giving us strength for what we may face. Rely on the strength of Jesus to keep you true to your faith in times of trouble. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Jesus tells his disciples about the persecution they will face because he does not want them to go astray. This is a task easier said than done, but it is one of the more important things we can do as Christians. Someday we my face persecution, and when we do we need to make sure we stay true to our faith in Jesus. We should never recant our faith, or stop believing in Jesus. Our faith, Jesus tells us, should remain secure no matter what we face. And to do this we have the strength of Jesus in our hearts. Jesus is with as we go through our journey of faith, giving us strength for what we may face. Rely on the strength of Jesus to keep you true to your faith in times of trouble. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Saturday, December 27, 2008
John 15: 18-27; The World Hates the Disciples
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Part of what it means to be a disciple is to be hated by the world. The reason for that is because the world does not always like what we do. As Christians we go against the flow. We refuse to worship other gods, the gods of money and possessions; we refuse to follow anyone, no matter how 'cool' the world tells us they are. As Christians we do not adhere to what the world wants. That creates for us enemies. But in going against the will of the world we get the love of Jesus, which is bigger and better than anything the world has to offer. The world might hate us, but Jesus loves us eternally. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Part of what it means to be a disciple is to be hated by the world. The reason for that is because the world does not always like what we do. As Christians we go against the flow. We refuse to worship other gods, the gods of money and possessions; we refuse to follow anyone, no matter how 'cool' the world tells us they are. As Christians we do not adhere to what the world wants. That creates for us enemies. But in going against the will of the world we get the love of Jesus, which is bigger and better than anything the world has to offer. The world might hate us, but Jesus loves us eternally. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Friday, December 26, 2008
Sunday Scripture and Sermon for December 28, 2008
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Scripture this Sunday is Luke 2: 22-40, in which Jesus is presented at the Temple, and in which Simeon and Anna have some things to say about Jesus. The sermon is titled, 'Why I am Here,' and will focus on why Jesus came into the world. I hope to see you Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
The Scripture this Sunday is Luke 2: 22-40, in which Jesus is presented at the Temple, and in which Simeon and Anna have some things to say about Jesus. The sermon is titled, 'Why I am Here,' and will focus on why Jesus came into the world. I hope to see you Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
John 15: 1-17; The Vine and the Branches
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are called to bear fruit. In other words, we are called to grow. Bearing fruit means we are supposed to go out there and share with others the good news of Jesus Christ. Bearing fruit means we are supposed to do the will of God by bringing other people to faith in him. Jesus is very clear about how important this is for the life of a disciple. Like the Israelites in the Old Testament, we are called to be a light to others, to bear fruit, to share with others the good news of God. All those who call themselves disciples are supposed to be going out there and making more disciples. In other words, we are to bear fruit. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
We are called to bear fruit. In other words, we are called to grow. Bearing fruit means we are supposed to go out there and share with others the good news of Jesus Christ. Bearing fruit means we are supposed to do the will of God by bringing other people to faith in him. Jesus is very clear about how important this is for the life of a disciple. Like the Israelites in the Old Testament, we are called to be a light to others, to bear fruit, to share with others the good news of God. All those who call themselves disciples are supposed to be going out there and making more disciples. In other words, we are to bear fruit. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve Service
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
This evening, at 7:00 p.m. we will have our Christmas Eve service. This is the most holy night of the year, when we gather together to celebrate the good news of Christ's birth. Please join us for this very special service. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
This evening, at 7:00 p.m. we will have our Christmas Eve service. This is the most holy night of the year, when we gather together to celebrate the good news of Christ's birth. Please join us for this very special service. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
John 14: 12-31; Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is how it is possible for us to always have the presence of Christ in our lives. Jesus is not here, in the sense that he is not physically with us. However, we have been given the Holy Spirit, not just to be our counselor and our guide, but also to be our shield and strength in times of weakness. We have been given the Holy Spirit, and because of the Holy Spirit we will always have the presence of Christ in our lives. No matter what we do or where we go, we will have Jesus with us. And this is made possible for us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not alone in our journey of faith; we have the Spirit of God in our hearts. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
This is how it is possible for us to always have the presence of Christ in our lives. Jesus is not here, in the sense that he is not physically with us. However, we have been given the Holy Spirit, not just to be our counselor and our guide, but also to be our shield and strength in times of weakness. We have been given the Holy Spirit, and because of the Holy Spirit we will always have the presence of Christ in our lives. No matter what we do or where we go, we will have Jesus with us. And this is made possible for us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not alone in our journey of faith; we have the Spirit of God in our hearts. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
John 14: 5-11; Jesus the Way to the Father
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is fitting, I think, that this passage should come up just a couple of days before Christmas. Jesus is the reason for this season, he is the reason for our salvation, and he is the reason for our eternal life in Heaven. There is no other way for us to enter the kingdom of Heaven than through our Lord Jesus Christ. We remember and we celebrate that good news throughout the season of Christmas. We remember that Christ, and Christ alone, is our salvation. As you approach the Lord's special day, I encourage you to take time to remember the one and only source of our salvation, Jesus the Christ. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
It is fitting, I think, that this passage should come up just a couple of days before Christmas. Jesus is the reason for this season, he is the reason for our salvation, and he is the reason for our eternal life in Heaven. There is no other way for us to enter the kingdom of Heaven than through our Lord Jesus Christ. We remember and we celebrate that good news throughout the season of Christmas. We remember that Christ, and Christ alone, is our salvation. As you approach the Lord's special day, I encourage you to take time to remember the one and only source of our salvation, Jesus the Christ. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Monday, December 22, 2008
John 14: 1-4; Jesus Comforts His Disciples
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus is coming back, and when he does he will take us to be with him, that we may be where he is. That is some of the best news we have as Christians, that Jesus is going to come back one day and take us to live eternally in the kingdom of Heaven. This is especially important for us to remember in light of all that is happening in the world right now. With all of the wars, famines, and diseases it is easy for us to lose hope; it is easy for us to be saddened by what we see going around us. But in the midst of all that we are surrounded by the promise from Jesus: "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." One day Jesus will return, and when he does he is going to take us to live with him eternally in the kingdom of Heaven. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Jesus is coming back, and when he does he will take us to be with him, that we may be where he is. That is some of the best news we have as Christians, that Jesus is going to come back one day and take us to live eternally in the kingdom of Heaven. This is especially important for us to remember in light of all that is happening in the world right now. With all of the wars, famines, and diseases it is easy for us to lose hope; it is easy for us to be saddened by what we see going around us. But in the midst of all that we are surrounded by the promise from Jesus: "I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." One day Jesus will return, and when he does he is going to take us to live with him eternally in the kingdom of Heaven. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Saturday, December 20, 2008
All Church Christmas Party December 21, 2008
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
I wanted to remind all of you about our All Church Christmas Party this Sunday. The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will start with a put-luck dinner, which will be followed by a time of fellowship, which will include a very special visitor. After that we will move to our newly renovated Chapel where we will be singing Christmas Hymns. I hope to see you all there. Don't forget to bring a friend! God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
I wanted to remind all of you about our All Church Christmas Party this Sunday. The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will start with a put-luck dinner, which will be followed by a time of fellowship, which will include a very special visitor. After that we will move to our newly renovated Chapel where we will be singing Christmas Hymns. I hope to see you all there. Don't forget to bring a friend! God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
John 13: 31-38; Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Everything Jesus would have us do can be summed up in one word: love. More than anything else, above anything else, we are supposed to love one another. We love one another when we do everything Jesus commanded us: caring for the sick, givine to the poor, taking in the homeless, etc. But all of this is to have love as its source. We should do these things out of a sense of duty, we should do them out of a sense of love, love for God and love for our neighbor. We shouldn't do these things because we feel like we have to, we should do them because we want to; because of the love we hold in our hearts. Whatever you do, do it in love, and so bear witness to love of Jesus and our faith in him. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Everything Jesus would have us do can be summed up in one word: love. More than anything else, above anything else, we are supposed to love one another. We love one another when we do everything Jesus commanded us: caring for the sick, givine to the poor, taking in the homeless, etc. But all of this is to have love as its source. We should do these things out of a sense of duty, we should do them out of a sense of love, love for God and love for our neighbor. We shouldn't do these things because we feel like we have to, we should do them because we want to; because of the love we hold in our hearts. Whatever you do, do it in love, and so bear witness to love of Jesus and our faith in him. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Friday, December 19, 2008
John 13: 18-30; Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is all part of God's plan. Jesus knew he was going to be betrayed. On the one hand we look at that and see something awful: one of Jesus' own turns him in. But on the other hand we see that God is in control of the situation. God has a plan, which offers some comfort to us. Jesus was not betrayed by accident, and he was not killed by accident. All of this is going according to God's plan. God is in control, he has a plan; not just for Jesus, but for us as well. That is some of the greatest comfort we have, that God is in control. Yes, bad things sometimes happen, as they did to Jesus. But in the end we have the comfort of knowing God is in control, as he was when Jesus crucified. It is all part of God's plan, which is good news for us. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
It is all part of God's plan. Jesus knew he was going to be betrayed. On the one hand we look at that and see something awful: one of Jesus' own turns him in. But on the other hand we see that God is in control of the situation. God has a plan, which offers some comfort to us. Jesus was not betrayed by accident, and he was not killed by accident. All of this is going according to God's plan. God is in control, he has a plan; not just for Jesus, but for us as well. That is some of the greatest comfort we have, that God is in control. Yes, bad things sometimes happen, as they did to Jesus. But in the end we have the comfort of knowing God is in control, as he was when Jesus crucified. It is all part of God's plan, which is good news for us. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Thursday, December 18, 2008
All Church Christmas Party December 21, 2008
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
I wanted to remind all of you about our All Church Christmas Party this Sunday. The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will start with a put-luck dinner, which will be followed by a time of fellowship, which will include a very special visitor. After that we will move to our newly renovated Chapel where we will be singing Christmas Hymns. I hope to see you all there. Don't forget to bring a friend! God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
I wanted to remind all of you about our All Church Christmas Party this Sunday. The festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will start with a put-luck dinner, which will be followed by a time of fellowship, which will include a very special visitor. After that we will move to our newly renovated Chapel where we will be singing Christmas Hymns. I hope to see you all there. Don't forget to bring a friend! God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Sunday Scripture and Sermon for December 21, 2008
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Scripture for this Sunday is from Luke 1: 26-38, in which Mary is visited by an angel who tells her what is going to take place. The sermon is titled 'Called by God,' and will focus on how Mary, called by God, followed God faithfully in all she did. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
The Scripture for this Sunday is from Luke 1: 26-38, in which Mary is visited by an angel who tells her what is going to take place. The sermon is titled 'Called by God,' and will focus on how Mary, called by God, followed God faithfully in all she did. I hope to see you all on Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
John 13: 1-17; Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus seems to be at perfect peace with what is going to happen to him. Another way of looking at it would be to say that Jesus trusts God. Jesus knows that even though he is going to be crucified, God is going to take care of him. Jesus knows full well the pain and torment he is going to feel on the cross, but he also trusts God completely with his life. There is a lesson in there for us. We need to trust God completely with our lives. When things go wrong; when we think we can do it all by ourselves; when we feel abandoned and alone. In those times we need to follow the example of Jesus and be at peace, trusting that we are in the hands of God, which is the best place to be. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Jesus seems to be at perfect peace with what is going to happen to him. Another way of looking at it would be to say that Jesus trusts God. Jesus knows that even though he is going to be crucified, God is going to take care of him. Jesus knows full well the pain and torment he is going to feel on the cross, but he also trusts God completely with his life. There is a lesson in there for us. We need to trust God completely with our lives. When things go wrong; when we think we can do it all by ourselves; when we feel abandoned and alone. In those times we need to follow the example of Jesus and be at peace, trusting that we are in the hands of God, which is the best place to be. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
John 12:37-50; Jews Continue in their Unbelief
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
"When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me." You have to have Jesus to get God. As Jesus says earlier in John's gospel, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father but by me." There is no other way for us to be brought into right relationship with God except by his son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only source of our salvation, he is the only reason we have life in us, he is the only way to the Father. With Jesus we have everything, without him we have nothing. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
"When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me." You have to have Jesus to get God. As Jesus says earlier in John's gospel, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father but by me." There is no other way for us to be brought into right relationship with God except by his son Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only source of our salvation, he is the only reason we have life in us, he is the only way to the Father. With Jesus we have everything, without him we have nothing. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
John 12: 20-36; Jesus Predicts His Death
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a sacrifice involved in discipleship. We have to be willing to lay everything at the feet of Jesus and serve him with all we have. Do we all need to physically die to serve Jesus? No. But we need to die to our own desires. Our own hopes, dreams, etc. need to die so that we can be true disciples of Jesus. Jesus gave up his life for us. He put aside his own fears and doubts and allowed himself to be crucified. Let Jesus be your example. Follow Jesus, who died to his own desires in order to benefit humanity. Let him be your example. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
There is a sacrifice involved in discipleship. We have to be willing to lay everything at the feet of Jesus and serve him with all we have. Do we all need to physically die to serve Jesus? No. But we need to die to our own desires. Our own hopes, dreams, etc. need to die so that we can be true disciples of Jesus. Jesus gave up his life for us. He put aside his own fears and doubts and allowed himself to be crucified. Let Jesus be your example. Follow Jesus, who died to his own desires in order to benefit humanity. Let him be your example. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Monday, December 15, 2008
John 12: 12-19; The Triumphal Entry
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
The word 'hosanna' literally means to save, or save us. The ones who are crying out as Jesus marches into Jerusalem are asking Jesus to save them. They are asking Jesus, who they see as a king, to save them from Rome. They are asking Jesus to save them from future invasions. In shouting hosanna they are asking Jesus to save them. But what they do not know is that Jesus is going to save them. Jesus is going to die on the cross to forgive them from all of their sins. They are crying out to Jesus to save them, and they don't even know that he is going to. Jesus is going to save them, from sin. We shout hosanna, asking Jesus to save us, and we celebrate the good news that through him we are saved. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
The word 'hosanna' literally means to save, or save us. The ones who are crying out as Jesus marches into Jerusalem are asking Jesus to save them. They are asking Jesus, who they see as a king, to save them from Rome. They are asking Jesus to save them from future invasions. In shouting hosanna they are asking Jesus to save them. But what they do not know is that Jesus is going to save them. Jesus is going to die on the cross to forgive them from all of their sins. They are crying out to Jesus to save them, and they don't even know that he is going to. Jesus is going to save them, from sin. We shout hosanna, asking Jesus to save us, and we celebrate the good news that through him we are saved. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Sunday, December 14, 2008
John 12: 1-11; Jesus Annointed at Bethany
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
In some cases, offering Jesus praise and glory is one of the best things we can do. We sometimes come to a place in our faith when all we can, and should, do is to thank and praise Jesus for all he has done for us. Yes, the money could have been used for some form of ministry. But sometimes it is fitting to simply praise the name of our Lord and savior. Whatever you may be doing for the name of Christ, don't forget to praise the name of Christ. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
In some cases, offering Jesus praise and glory is one of the best things we can do. We sometimes come to a place in our faith when all we can, and should, do is to thank and praise Jesus for all he has done for us. Yes, the money could have been used for some form of ministry. But sometimes it is fitting to simply praise the name of our Lord and savior. Whatever you may be doing for the name of Christ, don't forget to praise the name of Christ. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Saturday, December 13, 2008
John 11: 45-57; The Plot to Kill Jesus
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus knew what was going to happen to him. He knew that his ministry would eventually cost him his life, that the good news he brought to the world was the good news his death on the cross for the salvation of the world. Jesus never stopped his ministry. At times, he had to retreat from the crowds in order to accomplish all God sent him to do. But Jesus always preached, he always went on with the work God had given him. There is a lesson in that for us. No matter what gets in our way we should never stop doing the work Christ has given us. We should follow Jesus and preach the good news and care for those in need no matter what obstalces get in our way. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Jesus knew what was going to happen to him. He knew that his ministry would eventually cost him his life, that the good news he brought to the world was the good news his death on the cross for the salvation of the world. Jesus never stopped his ministry. At times, he had to retreat from the crowds in order to accomplish all God sent him to do. But Jesus always preached, he always went on with the work God had given him. There is a lesson in that for us. No matter what gets in our way we should never stop doing the work Christ has given us. We should follow Jesus and preach the good news and care for those in need no matter what obstalces get in our way. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Friday, December 12, 2008
John 11: 38-44; Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
We need to believe in the power of Christ. Jesus can do amazing things, just as he did for Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Jesus brought them hope and peace in their time of sorrow. More than that, Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead. We will be resurrected as well, just like Lazarus. We, too, will be given new life in Christ. We need to believe that is possible. When Jesus tells them to roll the stone away Martha says, 'But Lord, surely there will be an odor.' She did not believe that Christ would, or could, bring Lazarus back from the grave. Have faith that Jesus can bring us new life. Believe in your hearts that for us, the body of Christ, there will eb resurrection. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
We need to believe in the power of Christ. Jesus can do amazing things, just as he did for Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Jesus brought them hope and peace in their time of sorrow. More than that, Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead. We will be resurrected as well, just like Lazarus. We, too, will be given new life in Christ. We need to believe that is possible. When Jesus tells them to roll the stone away Martha says, 'But Lord, surely there will be an odor.' She did not believe that Christ would, or could, bring Lazarus back from the grave. Have faith that Jesus can bring us new life. Believe in your hearts that for us, the body of Christ, there will eb resurrection. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sunday Scripture and Sermon for December 14, 2008
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
This Sunday our Scripture lesson is from Isaiah 61: 1-11, in which we learn what God's servant is going to be sent here to do. The sermon is titled 'Big God,' and will focus on how God is much bigger than anything around us; that God has the power to do anyting.
I also want to remind all of you that we will be dedicating Luke Metropulos, son of Mark and Natalie Metropulos, to the Lord during the worship service. I hope to see you Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
This Sunday our Scripture lesson is from Isaiah 61: 1-11, in which we learn what God's servant is going to be sent here to do. The sermon is titled 'Big God,' and will focus on how God is much bigger than anything around us; that God has the power to do anyting.
I also want to remind all of you that we will be dedicating Luke Metropulos, son of Mark and Natalie Metropulos, to the Lord during the worship service. I hope to see you Sunday. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
<><
John 11: 17-37; Jesus Comforts the Sisters
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is an example of the peace that Jesus brings. This past Sunday we lit the candle of peace in our Advent wreath. And in worship we talked about how the peace that Jesus brings us to us can also be referred to as peace of mind, or comfort. Jesus, before he does anything else in this passage, spends time with Mary and Martha, comforting them in their time of need. Jesus makes them feel better about the situation. Then Jesus goes even further than that in bringing their beloved brother back to life. Jesus makes us feel better. No matter what we are going through Jesus is there to lift us up. Just as Jesus offered comfort to Mary and Martha, he offers comfort to us as well. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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This is an example of the peace that Jesus brings. This past Sunday we lit the candle of peace in our Advent wreath. And in worship we talked about how the peace that Jesus brings us to us can also be referred to as peace of mind, or comfort. Jesus, before he does anything else in this passage, spends time with Mary and Martha, comforting them in their time of need. Jesus makes them feel better about the situation. Then Jesus goes even further than that in bringing their beloved brother back to life. Jesus makes us feel better. No matter what we are going through Jesus is there to lift us up. Just as Jesus offered comfort to Mary and Martha, he offers comfort to us as well. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
John 11: 1-16; The Death of Lazarus
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus is about to give us the good news of the resurrection. Jesus knows death is not the end, and he is about to share with his disciples the good news that one day we will all be raised up and taken into the kingdom of heaven. One day we will all be given a new life through Jesus. Jesus' friend Lazarus is, as Jesus says, dead. But Jesus knows that he is only sleeping; Jesus knows Lazarus will be resurrected, just as the rest of us will be. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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Jesus is about to give us the good news of the resurrection. Jesus knows death is not the end, and he is about to share with his disciples the good news that one day we will all be raised up and taken into the kingdom of heaven. One day we will all be given a new life through Jesus. Jesus' friend Lazarus is, as Jesus says, dead. But Jesus knows that he is only sleeping; Jesus knows Lazarus will be resurrected, just as the rest of us will be. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Baby Dedication
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
This coming Sunday, December 14, 2008, we will have a baby dedication as part of the worship service. We will be dedicating Luke Metropulos, the son of Natalie and Mark Metropulos. Please be sure to join us for this special event. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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This coming Sunday, December 14, 2008, we will have a baby dedication as part of the worship service. We will be dedicating Luke Metropulos, the son of Natalie and Mark Metropulos. Please be sure to join us for this special event. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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John 10: 22-42; The Unbelief of the Jews
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus spoke to people through experience. In Jesus' time things were not written down as often as they are today. This means that the people who followed Jesus followed Jesus because they had an experience with him. They saw Jesus do something; Jesus did something for them; Jesus did something for someone they knew, etc. Jesus' followers followed him because they had an experience with him. What are some of your experiences with Jesus? Jesus has done so much for all of us; we have all experienced Jesus one way or another. I invite you to think about the times in which you have experienced Jesus in your life. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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Jesus spoke to people through experience. In Jesus' time things were not written down as often as they are today. This means that the people who followed Jesus followed Jesus because they had an experience with him. They saw Jesus do something; Jesus did something for them; Jesus did something for someone they knew, etc. Jesus' followers followed him because they had an experience with him. What are some of your experiences with Jesus? Jesus has done so much for all of us; we have all experienced Jesus one way or another. I invite you to think about the times in which you have experienced Jesus in your life. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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Monday, December 8, 2008
John 10: 1-21; The Shepherd and His Flock
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." Jesus knows our name. To Jesus we are not just some strangers he came down here to save one time long ago. Jesus knows us all on an individual basis. He knows our fears, hopes, dreams, etc. Jesus knows everything there is to know about us. That is an encouraging thought. Jesus loves us enough to die for us, but he also loves us enough to get to know us. He knows us by name, and he calls us by name. We have, in Jesus, a personal savior. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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"He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." Jesus knows our name. To Jesus we are not just some strangers he came down here to save one time long ago. Jesus knows us all on an individual basis. He knows our fears, hopes, dreams, etc. Jesus knows everything there is to know about us. That is an encouraging thought. Jesus loves us enough to die for us, but he also loves us enough to get to know us. He knows us by name, and he calls us by name. We have, in Jesus, a personal savior. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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Sunday, December 7, 2008
Evening Worship tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will be having our evening worship service tonight at 7:30 p.m. For our worship tonight we will be singing Christmas songs, so if you would like to join us please stop by. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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We will be having our evening worship service tonight at 7:30 p.m. For our worship tonight we will be singing Christmas songs, so if you would like to join us please stop by. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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John 9: 35-41; Spiritual Blindness
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ask God to open your eyes. That, I think, is one of the biggest concerns we have as Christians; that our eyes will be opened to see the glory of God in this world. Sometimes God's glory is hard to see. With the busyness of our lives, and the obstacles we sometimes face it is hard for us to see the glory of God. When you pray today, I encourage you to ask God to open your eyes, and to help you keep them open, that you may see God's glory in this world. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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Ask God to open your eyes. That, I think, is one of the biggest concerns we have as Christians; that our eyes will be opened to see the glory of God in this world. Sometimes God's glory is hard to see. With the busyness of our lives, and the obstacles we sometimes face it is hard for us to see the glory of God. When you pray today, I encourage you to ask God to open your eyes, and to help you keep them open, that you may see God's glory in this world. God bless you.
Pastor Josh
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