Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Celebrating our Children!

For our Celebrate Kids Sunday, Jacob and Issac led our Praise time.



Charlotte, our CE Elder, introduced each child.




She interviewed them, asking about their schools, interests, and hobbies.




Even the little ones got a chance to share what was on their minds!




We also presented our newest little ones to the Lord.
Kaytlynn and Arabella were received with love as the congregation committed to give support and encouragement to both parents and children.



Monday, September 24, 2007

Weekly Schedule 9/23

Tuesday September 25th- Friends Women Fellowship 9:30 am, Dottie Ludwig hosting.
Dig Into the Sermon Group 6:30 pm in the Pastor's Study.

Wednesday September 26th- Lunch Devotional Group canceled permanently.
NO Kid's Club this week!

Friday through Sunday- Women's Retreat in Joplin. Pastor will be out of town.

Sunday September 30th- Sunday School 9:30 am
Fellowship Time10:30;
Morning Worship 10:45;
Iglesia Amigos Evangelicos
3:00 pm

This week's sermon: Let the Children Come

Matthew 18:1-6.
Jesus tells us that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the person who will humble themselves like a little child in regard to their faith. Not child-ish, but child-like faith is required for us to have the best possible relationship with God. This means coming to God with our needs, and allowing him to fulfill them in His way and His time. This means being humble enough to say "I can't do this on my own." It means having a tender heart towards God and receiving his teaching, correction, and discipline.

Jesus also says whoever welcomes a little child in His name, welcomes Him. We need to welcome little children into our lives. We need to recognize their value and help to meet their needs, both spiritual and physical.

Matthew 19:13-14.
Jesus tells us to let the children come to Him and not hinder them. Not all of us are called to children's ministry, but all of us are called to minister God's love and grace to the children in our lives. We are to live the abundant life in front of them so that when the time is right, God can draw them to himself and give them that same life in Christ.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Weekly Schedule 9/16

Tuesday September 18th- No Dig Into the Sermon Group.

Wednesday September 19th-No Lunch Devotional Group
Kid's Club!
5:30-7:00 pm. Light supper, Bible story, Craft, Games, Singing, and FUN!


Sunday
September 23rd- Sunday School 9:30 am
New Sunday School Studies!
Fellowship Time10:30;
Morning Worship 10:45;
Iglesia Amigos Evangelicos
3:00 pm

This week's sermon: Celebrating Marriage

Marriage is not just a social institution. It is a gift from God to us to illustrate our covenant relationship with Him, through Christ.

Ephesians 5:31-32(RSV).
"'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one.' This is a great mystery, and I take it to mean Christ and the church"
In this passage of scripture addressing husbands and wives, Paul takes a detour to give us a beautiful picture of the relationship of Christ with the Church.

Ephesians 5:25-32.
In this section, Paul says Christ gave himself up for the church. At the last supper, he declared his intent to lay down his life to form a new covenant relationship with all who would accept it. He offered the bread and wine saying, "this is my body," "this is my blood," and told his followers that this was the beginning of a new covenant. Covenant is an interesting concept that we often mistake for "contract" today. Covenants with God offer a much stronger bond in which He commits to uphold that bond regardless of a person's ability to uphold their part of the relationship. Our marriage relationships ought to reflect this same commitment level--for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and health, until death separates. This kind of commitment on our part is only possible because we have this covenant relationship with God.
Christ not only gave himself up for the church, he did this to cleanse the church and make her radiant. He is working in each of our lives to prepare us for the day when we will be united with him in perfect unity. On that day, Revelation 19:8 that on that day the bride of Christ will be given fine linen to wear representing the righteousness of the saints--which comes from Christ.

Revelation 19:9.
"Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb."
If we have accepted the covenant relationship with Christ, we are part of the church. We have been invited to the wedding feast, not as guests, but as the very bride of Christ.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Weekly Schedule 9/9

Tuesday September 11th- Elders Meeting 6:30 pm.

Wednesday September 12th-Lunch Devotional Group 12:15-12:45
Kid's Club!
5:30-7:00 pm. Light supper, Bible story, Craft, Games, Singing, and FUN!

GAME NIGHT!
7:00pm Fun for the whole family!


Saturday
September 15th- Cookbook recipe sorting party 10:00 am.

Sunday
September 16th- Sunday School 9:30 am
New Sunday School Studies!
Fellowship Time10:30;
Morning Worship 10:45;
Iglesia Amigos Evangelicos
3:00 pm

This week's sermon: Celebrating our Parents and Grandparents

Exodus 20:12.
Honor your parents and grandparents.
In the Old Testament, the term "Fathers" applied to any person who lived before you in your family. When we think about honoring our parents, we need to apply that same honor to our grandparents. This command is repeated at least five times in scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New. If it was important enough for all those reminders, we need to pay attention and apply it to our lives. And there is a bonus blessing attached to this command, "that you may live a long life and prosper in the land that God is giving to you." Our lives are more satisfying and full when we honor our elders.

Proverbs 1:8.
Listen to their teachings.
The book of Proverbs gives us instructions that aid in developing wisdom and living a prudent life. The first instruction is that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, the second is to listen to our parents' teaching. We can and should benefit from the experience of our parents and grandparents. It is the second step on the road to a wise and prudent life.

1Timothy 5:4.
By honoring our parents and grandparents we honor God.
Paul instructs that we ought to put our faith into practice by taking care of our parents and grandparents. He also warns that those who neglect their families are worse than unbelievers. We better understand that instruction and warning when we realize that there is a direct link in our relationships with parents and our relationship with God. God presents himself to us most often in the role of parent, mostly as our father, but sometimes as a mother figure as well. God has given us parent-child relationships to help us understand our relationship with himself. If we cannot honor our earthly parents, we will find it difficult to honor God.

Let us honor our parents and grandparents, because it is commanded, because it carries a blessing, and most importantly because in honoring them, we honor God who is our perfect heavenly father.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Weekly Schedule 9/2

Tuesday September 4th- Dig Into the Sermon group 6:30 pm.

Wednesday September 5th-Lunch Devotional Group 12:15-12:45
Kid's Club!
5:30-7:00 pm. Light supper, Bible story, Craft, Games, Singing, and FUN!


Sunday September 9th- Sunday School 9:30 am
New Sunday School Studies Begin!
Fellowship Time10:30;
Morning Worship 10:45;
Iglesia Amigos Evangelicos
3:00 pm

This week's sermon: Communion & Community

John 17:20-26.
Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all those who would believe in Him because of their message (that's Us). In his prayer, Jesus connects oneness with God--communion-- and oneness with each other--community-- with a living witness to the world that Jesus came from God and that God loves us.

John 17:21, 23, 26. Ephesians 3:17-19. Galatians 5:22-25.
Communion with God produces a natural witness to the world.

Jesus prayed that we would be one with God through Him, so that the world would see and believe that what Jesus taught was true--that God sent Him. When we are one with God and walk in communion with Him, our lives are transformed in such a way that others can witness God at work in us. By coming into an understanding that God loves us with the same love He has for His Son Jesus, and allowing God's Spirit to do the work of reconstructing our lives, there is a natural (no straining or fretting involved) witness to the world that Jesus is truly the Son of God.

John 17:22-23. Philippians 2:1-4. Colossians 3:16-17.
Communion with God produces Community among believers.
Jesus prayed that we would be one with God through Him, so that we might be one with each other--community. When we are one with God, and begin to understand His love for us, we also see His love for those around us. God's Spirit at work within us produces a love for one another that mirrors His love for us. Out of that love, grows a bond of unity and community that is rare in the world.

John 17:23. John 13:34-35. John 15:12-14.
Community among believers produces a natural witness to the world.
Jesus prayed that we would be one with each other so that the world would know that God sent Him, and that God loves us with the same love He has for Jesus. Our bond of love for one another shows the world that we are followers of Christ. Interesting that Jesus did not say that the world would know because we made banners, or t-shirts, or preached on the street, but because we love one another!