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Christmas Angel Tree SignUps

Posted on Dec 7, 2021 in Uncategorized |

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A48A9A62FABFE3-2021
Thank you for your interest in providing a great Christmas experience for underprivileged students in our White County Public Schools program. Every year our church family adopts underprivileged children identified in the school system. This year Central Church of Christ has adopted multiple students from different families. Below you will find some ages ans sizes for the children we are providing for. Pray daily for them, write a note to them, and bless them with gifts as if they were your own children! You can sign up to purchase one gift or purchase many gifts All gifts must be returned unwrapped to the church office by Wednesday Services at 6:30pm on Dec 15th. We will also deliver Christmas meals to the families with the gifts. For questions, please contact Ashley Aaron or Topher Wiles. Click the link to sign up!
“We love because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A48A9A62FABFE3-2021
Show God’s Love. Tell God’s Story. Be God’s Family

Sermon Notes: 12/5 – Christmas Prep 2 – Room for God

Posted on Dec 5, 2021 in Uncategorized |

Funny: Jon Crist (3.5mins)– Modern Mary & Joseph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAcxlZdR27U

WELCOME: to Central Church of Christ, not a place, a building, or a religion, but a people called out by God to Show His Love, Tell His Story, and Be His Family. Today’s sermon series is the second message inspired by our Christmas preparations, where we ask the questions, “Do we prepare for the coming of the Christ more than the coming of Christmas? How did God prepare the world for the coming of Christmas!”

“In the beginning was the Word (that’s Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

1 Peter 1:20 says “(Jesus) was foreknown before the foundation of the world

Galatians 4:4 tells us that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son”

Isaiah 7:14 that declared: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Micah 5:2 – But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
Psalm 72:8-11 – May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
⁹May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!
¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
¹¹May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary…. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy — the Son of God.’” Luke 1:26-27 & 31-35

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

https://www.everystudent.com/features/religions-of-the-world.html

Isaiah 7:14 “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

“The best way to send an idea is to wrap it up in a person.”

(J. Robert Oppenheimer, theoretical physicist, and father of the atomic bomb for WWII)

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

“there was… no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.” Isaiah 59:16-17

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” Luke 1:17

Look at all the references to God in this passage Luke 1:26-37 : ²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” ²⁹But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin? ³⁵And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. ³⁶And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”

THIS PASSAGE SHOW’S A FOCUS ON THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD!

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

1 Peter 2:9 says “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.”

“For 2000 years parents and grandparents have passed on the story of Jesus. It has changed millions of lives and the whole world.” Gene Dulin, a preacher and Christian missionary who lived just north of our family in Plainfield, Indiana.

Wiles out of town Backpacking

Posted on Dec 1, 2021 in Uncategorized |

Hello church family, we wanted to let you know that the Wiles will be out of town on their annual family backpacking trip until Saturday, December 4th. The boys will be hiking 27 miles on the Appalachian Trail from the Low Gap Trailhead (Hwy 321) south to the Watuga Dam trailhead (Hwy 421). We hope to see you soon!

To look at more info, you can see our .pdf itinerary here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x2E-InH93rHReLtjDBghpQ0pGNdSnzBH/view?usp=sharing

Low Gap Trailhead (Hwy421) to Laurel Branch Trailhead (Hwy321) = 27.1 miles
LOCATION	AT Mileage from Start	Mileage Between	Day	Day Mileage	High Temp	Low Tepm	Elevation (ft)	Change	Water
US-421 – Low Gap, TN	0	0.0	Wed AM		60	44	3438
Double Springs Shelter	3.5	3.5	Wed PM	3.5	48	40	4060	622	0.9 mile after DS Shelter
TN91	6.5	3.0					3526	-534	0.8 after hwy 91
Iron Mountain Shelter	11.2	4.7	Thur PM	7.7	50	41	4137	611	1.4 before shelter & 0.2 after
Vandeventer Shelter	18	6.8	Fri PM	6.8	61	42	3491	-646	1.7 miles south
US-321 – Hampton, TN	27.1	9.1	Sat Exit	9.1	61	34	2069	-1422
		27.1
Watersource info here:	http://www.wikitrail.org/features/view/at/25213/double-springs-shelter
From Home to Boots Off Hostel & Campground			233 miles	3 hrs 37 mins
From Boots Off Hostel to Low Gap Trailhead			30.5 miles	44 mins

Other Info:
TN-91 to Lowgap Trailhead	https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/appalachian-trail-tn-91-to-low-gap

Sermon Notes: 11/18 – Christmas Prep – First Child

Posted on Nov 28, 2021 in Uncategorized |

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-4 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

OP— — One family’s bright display of Christmas cheer at their Connecticut home has courted controversy this holiday season, after dozens of neighbors complained in a petition that the traffic the twinkling exhibition attracts creates “public safety and nuisance concerns.”

Mary Halliwell of Fairfield told ABC News that over the past 18 years, it has become a family tradition to transform their home into what they dub the “Wonderland on Roseville” each year, going all-out with lights and festive decorations.
This year, Halliwell said they employed over 350,000 Christmas lights to illuminate their home and yard, saying that some days the display attracts thousands of visitors. Halliwell said that they also use the Wonderland on Roseville to raise funds for Shriners Hospital for Children. The crowds this year caused neighbors to submit a petition that garnered 45 signatures to local authorities, calling on the town’s leaders and police to do something about the “significant public safety and nuisance concerns caused by the excessive volume of traffic the event creates in our neighborhood.”
https://abcnews.go.com/US/familys-massive-christmas-lights-display-courts-controversy-connecticut/story?id=51447602

WELCOME: To Central Church of Christ, a people gathered to show God’s love, Tell God’s Story, and Be God’s Family. Today we begin a new sermon series that will take us through the next four Sundays. We’re calling it, Christmas Preparation. The scripture journey we take over the next few weeks will help you prepare not for Christmas, but for the coming of the Christ.

“it seemed good to me … to write an orderly account for you.” Luke 1:3.

In the book of Malachi God declared “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will PREPARE THE WAY before me.” Malachi 3:1

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘PREPARE THE WAY of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’” Isaiah 40:3-5

So what was John’s MISSION before the Christ?

Luke 1:17 “to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

“(would) be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to GIVE KNOWLEDGE OF SALVATION to his people in the FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79

John 1:29 “…John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”

Ralph Waldo Emerson once noted that QUOTE “People only see what they are prepared to see.” People only see what they’re looking for. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/50328-people-only-see-what-they-are-prepared-to-see#:~:text=Quote%20by%20Ralph%20Waldo%20Emerson,they%20are%20prepared%20to%20see.%E2%80%9D

ILLUS: Christian artist Matthew West made a controversial satirical song this year featuring his wife and daughters in the video. He was poking fun at himself for being an overprotective dad. Needless to say, “Modest is hottest” made people mad. In the process, non-Christians said all kinds of vile and evil things about Jesus, the Bible and Christians in general. And many of their comments were just obvious lies… but they didn’t care because THAT was what they were PREPARED to see. They weren’t PREPARED to look for or see Jesus in any of this. They were offended that this song would confront their way of life. Right or wrong, the vile commentors weren’t prepared to see Jesus in the words.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d2D9W_-8Gk

“John the Baptist (preached) ‘REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” (Matthew 3:1-2)

Matthew 3:1-3 & 5-8 tells us “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”… “YOU BROOD OF VIPERS! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”

“UNLESS YOU REPENT, you will all likewise PERISH.” Luke 13:3

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom YOU crucified.” Acts 2:36

“YOU killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead…” Acts 3:15

“you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon US.” Acts 5:28

“REPENT and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

“Life is short, death is sure. Sin’s the cause, Christ is the cure.”

https://www.redbubble.com/i/mask/Life-is-Short-Death-is-Sure-Sin-the-Cause-Christ-the-Cure-by-Andantino/58022218.9G0D8

“… on the 8th day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, ‘No; HE SHALL BE CALLED JOHN.’ And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they all wondered.” Luke 1:59-63

“Because the angel said to him ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.’” Luke 1:13

John’s NAME was God’s idea!!! But why would God bother? Why bother to choose that name? Because the name John means “God Is Gracious.”

https://www.behindthename.com/name/john

English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning “Yahweh is gracious”, from the roots יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and חָנַן (chanan) meaning “to be gracious”.

Paul wrote: “For by GRACE you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is THE GIFT OF GOD” Ephesians 2:8

Thanks Service

Posted on Nov 23, 2021 in Uncategorized |

Central News: We want to remind you that tonight @ 6:30pm is our “Thanks” service in lieu of our Wed midweek service. Come prepared to give thanks to God in multiple ways for things!

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Sermon Notes: 11/21 Detours – Legacy

Posted on Nov 21, 2021 in Uncategorized |

Hebrews 11:22

Nadin Khoury
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjinnZzdqk
https://inspiremykids.com/nadin-khoury-from-bullying-victim-to-brave-spokesperson/

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.” Hebrews 11:22

Exodus 13:19 tells us that when Israel left Egypt “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him….”
Joshua 24:32 we’re told that “As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt – they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph.”
“Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.” Acts 7:14-16

“I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore (promised) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:24-26

ILLUS Jewish Graves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visitation_stones#:~:text=The%20act%20of%20placing%20visitation,placed%20by%20the%20left%20hand.

“Since WE have these promises… let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” I Peter 4:12-14

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

. Isaiah 26:3 we’re promised that “(God) will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in Him.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33

Romans 8:28 carries a step further “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Ephesians 2:10 “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He has prepared in advance for us to do”

John 3:16 says… “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Joseph said “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore (promised) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Genesis 50:24-26

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

“What Shall We Do!!!! And Peter replies: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. FOR THE PROMISE IS FOR YOU and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:37-39

Sermon Notes: 11/14 Detours #4

Posted on Nov 14, 2021 in Uncategorized |

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-15

OPEN (Thomas Edison): On the night of December 9, 1914, Edison Industries was virtually destroyed by fire. Edison lost two million dollars that night and much of his life’s work went up in flames. He was insured for only $238,000, because the buildings had been made of concrete, at that time thought to be fireproof.

(Edison’s son) Charles was 24; Thomas was 67. The young man ran about frantically, trying to find his father. Finally he came upon him, standing near the fire, his face ruddy in the glow, his white hair blown by the December winds.

“My heart ached for him,” Charles Edison said. “he was 67 – no longer a young man – and everything was going up in flames.”

He spotted me. ’Charles,’ he shouted, ’where’s your mother?’

1 don’t know, Dad,’ I said.

’Find her. Bring her here. She will never see anything like this again as long as she lives.’”

The next morning, walking about the charred embers of all his hopes and dreams, Edison said,

“There is great value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank God we can start anew

Three weeks after the fire, his firm delivered the first phonograph.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/butterworth-on-disappointment/

https://www.business2community.com/strategy/the-great-value-of-disaster-0160198

WELCOME: DETOURS – Welcome to week four of Detours with Joseph: If you’re new with us, joseph is a big deal in the bible first book genesis (he get’s more scripture time than any Genesis hero) and we’re looking at his life because joseph he took a lot of detours in life. Some of you are on a detour right now; it could be financial or relational or just in your spiritual journey. The problem with detours is sometimes you just feel stuck and joseph’s life gives us a model of how to come out the other side of the detour better than when we went in. So if you’re new to us welcome to Central, i hope you have a great Biblical experience. If you’re new watching online, We hope you have a spiritual experience connecting with God’s Word and we hope to see you soon here at the building for worship together. We’re going to be in genesis chapter 45. Now last three weeks we were in genesis chapter 37, 39, & 41 and I shared from Joseph’s life a few big truths,

REVIEW: New Definition of Detour: A change in our plans God uses to develop our character and competency, so we can arrive at a better destination.

Detours can be caused by a) our bad choices, b) other people’s sin, c) God’s divine hand
God uses detours for our development
God often uses detours to take us to somewhere better.
That Meekness & Humility are window tint that help us see detours for what God intends them to be.
Open to Genesis 45, but before we get there, let’s get back to Edison’s concept that is better than the light bulb.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23

Poem by: Louisa Fletcher

“I wish there were some wonderful place

Called the Land of Beginning Again

Where all our mistakes, and all our heartaches

And all our selfish griefs

Could be cast like a shabby old coat at the door

And never be put on again”
https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2013%252F05%252F10.html

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’” Genesis 50:15

Genesis 45:5-8 “… do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”

“When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’” Genesis 50:15

Attorney Illustration: There’s the true story of an attorney, who after studying on several scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than six months.

He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its biblical basis and sent 17 debt-canceling letters by certified mail.

SIXTEEN of the 17 letters were returned, unsigned and undelivered.

Why? Because the clients refused to sign for them and open the envelopes. They were afraid that the attorney was suing them for their debts. So – in their fear – they ended up running away from his forgiveness. (Rick McCarley, https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/7400/forgive-us-our-debts-by-rick-mccarley, Preacher at Crosspoint Church in Osawatomie, south of Kansis city. )

Time Magazine Survey Data on Forgiveness:

………………………………………………. % forgive………….. % not forgive

Told lies about them ……………………… 73 ……………………….24

Stole money from them ………………….67………………………..31

Slapped or punched them…………………64………………………..32

Held them up with a gun…………………..42………………………..54

Murdered someone in community……..33…………………………59

Raped them……………………………………22………………………..73

Raped a family member……………………19………………………..77

(Time 4/5/99 p. 58 Yankelovich Partners Inc. Survey)
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,22227,00.html

“Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12

“For God so LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“… love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 4:32-5:2

Romans 8:28 “…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

“… do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.” – Genesis 45:5-8

Genesis 50:20 – As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

CLOSE: There’s a book, “An Invitation to Healing” by Lynda Elliott and in that book Lynda writes this:

“I had a choice to make. If I choose to behold Jesus, to focus on Him, I could be transformed into His image (to become like our teacher). Likewise, if I continued to behold the image of my neighbor, I could be transformed into her image.”

Growth Group Devo Thought #1d

Posted on Nov 13, 2021 in Uncategorized |

We’re excited about our second Growth Groups meeting tomorrow evening for continued discussion of our story, God’s story, and the part our joy plays in His story. Here’s a thought guiding us tomorrow tomorrow’s study from 2 Corinthians 6.
If you’re a Christian, you’re called to be a light in the world. But what does that even mean in today’s context? Well, it’s actually not as complicated as you might think. You see, spreading joy is actually part of being a light. Which means, every time we choose to extend positivity rather than negativity, every time we give of ourselves selflessly, and every time we choose to see the best in someone, we’re spreading joy. It’s easy to see— through the news and through social media—that the world around us is in desperate need of joy. By spreading joy, you’re being a light in the world and pointing others to the refreshing, lasting joy that only God can provide. But you can’t pour from an empty cup. Just as you’re called to pour into other people by spreading God’s love, you should also surround yourself with people who can fill you back up.
Today, ask yourself these two questions:

Whose life can you bring light and joy to?
Who in your life brings you joy and refreshment?

Write down the names that came to mind as you answered those questions, and make it a priority to reach out to those people as you consider this inspiration from Philemon 1:7.

Growth Group Devo Thought #1c

Posted on Nov 11, 2021 in Uncategorized |

Our next Growth Group meeting is Nov 14th focusing in on Joy in the Story of Our Lives. We hope to see you there!

When we choose to put our trust in God, we’re assuming a posture of vulnerability, and that feeling oftentimes makes us uncomfortable. The world tells us we can control almost anything in our lives if we try hard enough, which makes trusting God go against our very nature as humans. But there’s a reason why God calls us to “be still and know” that He is God (Psalm 46:10 NIV). He’s reminding us that, in reality, we can’t actually control all of the variables in our lives—but He can. Be careful not to fall into the trap of supposed self-sufficiency. Instead, choose to give God control—even in the small things. One way to build your trust muscle is to recall the times God has come through for you—the times He’s helped you, protected you, or answered your prayers. As we learn to put our trust in Him, we’ll be more likely to notice God at work in our lives. And when we see God at work, our faith will increase—and so will our joy.

Devo Thought #1b Growth Groups –

Posted on Nov 10, 2021 in Uncategorized |

The dictionary defines “joy” as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires; a source or cause of delight.” In other words, there’s a lot of meaning packed into that little three-letter word. Joy is much more than
the temporary happiness we fi nd in things and experiences throughout our day. Joy goes much deeper than that, and ultimately, it’s a Kingdom matter. But how do you tell the difference between true joy and temporary happiness? Take an inventory of the things in your life that delight you and then ask yourself these questions: Are they things God would be excited about? Are they things that give you energy or deplete your energy? Are they things that hurt you or benefit you in the long run? Do you feel at peace afterwards? Today, ask God to show you what lasting joy looks like, beyond what is temporary.