The United Methodist Women held their monthly meeting at Iona Stewart's home on Monday, February 8.
* * * * * *
This section will be used to share a new photo of church activities each week.
_____________________________________
Young People’s Moments – February 7, 2010
Message: “What Do You Live In Every Day?”
Teresa asked the children "What do you live in every day?" They said, "A house." "What does that house do for you?" The children weren't too sure how to answer. Teresa said, "Your house protects you." Then one of the children told Teresa their house haunts them. It was Teresa's turn - not too sure how to respond, so she continued. "You get to eat in your house; you get to sleep in your house, and when it snowed the other week, your house kept you warm and dry."
"Did you ever think that your body is a house for God? How does your house represent God when you go to school or talk with your friends? Do you share God with your friends or do you never talk about God? Do you make time for God in your heart? He wants us to talk to him every day. Sometimes we let things get in the way and we don't take time to talk with God."
"I want you to think about something for me. Think that your body is a house for God - you are part of God's house, and I want you to think about making time to talk with God each day."
Teresa and the children then closed with prayer.
Teresa Young
WHEN JESUS LOOKS
When Jesus looks upon my life, What picture does He see. Does He see His own reflection, Or does He just see me. Does He see His likeness, The product of His hand. Or just another Christian, Who never took a stand. Does He see a child of God, A child that He made free. Living life to honor Him, Or does He just see me. What about the other folks, I meet along the way. Do I show them Jesus, To brighten up their day. When someone looks into my eyes, Can they truly see. That calm and gentle peace of God, That dwells inside of me. When I reach out and shake a hand, Is He right there in my grip. Can they feel that strength from God, That steadies when I slip. When folks are in my presence, Do they know His Spirit's there. Can they see that He's the one, Who guides me everywhere. When other people think of me, What is on their mind. Do they think of Jesus Christ, So gentle and so kind. I try to be like Jesus, Every single day. Spreading love and kindness, All along my way. I'm afraid that I have failed, I could not pass the test. Deep inside my heart I know, I haven't done my best. I have had to fight my flesh, Since the day that I was born. It's always causing trouble, And being such a thorn. That's why His Spirit dwells in me, He's helping me to learn. In every situation, Where I need to turn. He knew I'd never pass the test, That's why He took my place. He gave His life to save my soul, He suffered my disgrace. Now I try to be like Him, I must represent Him well. So other folks will want His gift, And turn their backs on hell. Other folks should see the joy, That Christ has given me. They should want to have it too, Especially since it's free. They should begin to ask me, What is it they must do. Just how it is they go about, Getting Jesus too. Then I get to tell them, This wondrous gift is free. It only takes a humble heart, A prayer on bended knee. Someday when I'm face to face, With the Lord who made me free. Will He see His own reflection, Or will He just see me.
Daily Devotional Guide - February 7 to February 14
“The Meaning of Discipleship"
Invocation: Almighty God, creator and keeper of the world and all that is in it, help us, we pray, to know the duty you have assigned us and to so live our lives that the world may be a better place for all your people. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Psalm 32
Daily Scripture Readings -
Sunday: Luke 5:1-11 Monday: Luke 14:7-14
Tuesday: Luke 9:57-62 Wednesday: Luke 14:25-34
Thursday: John 6:60-71 Friday: Acts 4:32-37
Saturday: Romans 15:1-13 Sunday: Luke 9:28-43
Readings for Reflection -
From The Inward Journey by Howard Thurman
In one of the parables, Jesus tells the story of a certain nobleman who went abroad to obtain power for himself and then return. Before he left, he called his ten servants, giving them each a twenty-dollar bill. "Trade with this until I come back." When he returned, he ordered his servants to be brought before him for their report. The first man said, "Sir, your twenty dollars have made one hundred." "Fine," said the nobleman.
The second man said, "Sir, your twenty dollars have made fifty dollars." "Excellent."
The third man was the only one who made a speech. He said, "Sir, here is your twenty dollars. I kept it safe in a napkin, for I was afraid of you. Perhaps you do not know this, but you have a reputation of being a very hard man. You pick up what you have never put down. You reap where you have not sown, you gather into barns what you have not planted!"
The nobleman was incensed. He ordered the servant cast off his place into "outer darkness."
Here I end the story. The unfortunate servant was not cast off because he did not realize any profit for the nobleman. No. He was cast off because he did not "work at it."
The task of Christians who seek to live in the Kingdom of God is to work for the Kingdom of God. The result of this work is not in their hands, but in the hands of God. The Christian is called simply to work for God, and leave the results up to God.
Prayer - Thanksgiving, intercession, praise, confession and offering
Silent or Written Reflections
Benediction: My God, I give myself to you as a gift of love. I place my life in your hands to do with as you will. Only use me, my Lord, that my life may not be wasted. Amen.
Devotion adapted from “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God” by Rueben Job and Norman Shawchuck, Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN
Each Wednesday 6:30 pm - Winter Bible Study - "Breaking Free" Updated Edition by Beth Moore (Tim & Teresa Young's house)
Wed, Feb 17 7:00 pm - Advance Community Ash Wednesday Service (Mocks UMC)
Sat, Feb 209:00 am - 12:00 Noon - Nurture, Outreach, Witness (NOW) Planning Retreat
_________________________________________________
Weekly Message:February 7, 2010
Scripture:John 14
Message:How Does Your Earthly Home Look?
***
Over the past several weeks, the radio has played Carrie Underwood’s new song “Temporary Home”. I’m going to share those words with you:
Little boy, 6 years old A little too used to bein' alone Another new mom and dad, another school Another house that'll never be home When people ask him how he likes this place He looks up and says with a smile upon his face
"This is my temporary home It's not where I belong Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going I'm not afraid because I know this is my Temporary Home."
Young mom on her own She needs a little help got nowhere to go She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out Because a half-way house will never be a home At night she whispers to her baby girl Someday we'll find a place here in this world
"This is our temporary home It's not where we belong Windows and rooms that we're passin' through This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going I'm not afraid because I know this is our Temporary Home.
Old man, hospital bed The room is filled with people he loves And he whispers don't cry for me I'll see you all someday He looks up and says "I can see God's face"
"This is my temporary Home It's not where I belong Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through This was just a stop,on the way To where I'm going I'm not afraid because I know this was My temporary home."
This is our temporary home
I asked the Bible Study group to listen to the words the next time they heard it on the radio because this song has struck such a thought provoking message to me.I began to think about what my earthly “temporary” home looked like – not my physical home that I share with Tim, but rather my bodily home.Does it represent a Christian life?Thinking about my life and decisions I’ve made would remind me that it hasn’t always represented a true Christian.
As I was cleaning my house on Saturday, I noticed cobwebs in my windows in the sunroom.Of course, it pointed out to me that I had not really looked in the upper corners of those windows in quite a while.So, while I was taking my Eureka telescoping duster all around the window, it hit me that times in our lives are just like those cobwebs.We are caught in the web of deception by Satan who wants to hinder us from anything that is Godly and as such, we can turn away from those in need and never think twice about it.I’m not saying we will be able to help everyone in need, but I think God surely wants us to try.So in thinking along those lines over the last few months, I’ve begun to realize exactly how much stuff I’ve accumulated in my life.How many coats can I wear at one time?How many shoes can I wear at one time?How many outfits can I wear at one time?And, how much “stuff” do I need to be happy?The older I get, I just find that I get tired of “moving stuff” around to dust it!
Our Bible study has us identifying the “strongholds” in our life.These strongholds are anything that prevents us from enjoying fellowship with God.For many people, it could be different things.In the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to discuss God with 2 different people.One was a man who hasn’t attended church in quite awhile and harbors some bad feelings for something that happened in his life several years ago.This event left him feeling so empty that he made some poor choices in the years following it because he was angry and didn’t understand how something so devastating could happen in his life.He was angry at God, at his family, and anyone else he came in contact with.He told me what had happened and asked me how God could allow something so bad to happen.I’m not sure I told him what he wanted to hear, but I felt like there was something worse in store if that event had never taken place.We talked about the situation some more and he asked me how I could be so sure that God had a plan.Realizing that what I said would make a difference to this man, I made a point to tell him that since I had tried to give my life to God, I could see good and bad things that had happened, but if I took time to reflect on them, I could always see something that God was actually trying to show me.Perhaps that bad thing happened before I self destructed or worse yet, caused the destruction of someone else.
My second encounter happened this past week with one of my patients.He was scared, after all, he was 52 and just had his first heart attack.Over the course of the 4 days I worked with him, we had some great conversations.He was realizing how close he came to not surviving his heart attack when the doctors told him that the average person having the same exact heart attack would not have survived it.I watched him struggle with his emotions and just listened as he needed to discuss how close he came to dying.We talked about the new grandchild he is waiting on to arrive in 3 weeks as well as talking about how God needs to be the most important thing in his life.He questioned whether this heart attack was God’s way of refocusing his direction.
There were also several different interpretations by many authors.The one I particularly liked that was written by an individual stated:“Jesus is saying that he is preparing a place for us in heaven where we will dwell with God in close communion with Him, and that there is room in heaven for all whom God calls to salvation”.Most of us are secure in our own salvation, but what about our family & friends?Another author went so far as to say that the mansion Jesus was speaking of was our future resurrected bodies that we will possess at the resurrection accompanying our entrance into heaven and not really a mansion or room.
Either way, it sounds as if when we get to heaven, we will no longer have cobwebs and material things in our homes that will prevent our focus on God alone.But for now, for the rest of your time on earth, start to think about the cobwebs in your life and how you can dust them away.Are you only here on Sundays and keeping a certain pew warm, or are you involved with the other activities within the church?You are the only person who can truly make the changes required in your life.If we each take a step forward to get rid of the cobwebs, I truly believe that we’ll see a new growth in our church and a fire for those who love God.
I’ll leave you with a beautiful one-liner that I read today, “You have to know what the Bible says before you can know what it means”.Take the time to dust the cobwebs away from your Bible and start spending some time each day with God.
top