Friday, April 30, 2010

Friday Fives

Greetings Friends!

Here are a few things that I wanted to bring to your attention this week:

1. Preaching Series - We are continuing our preaching series this Sunday, Heroes of the Faith. We are looking at the examples of faith lived out by some of our Biblical Heroes and what we can learn from them. This week we will focus on Joseph.

2. Vacation Bible School - I would like to see us host a week of Vacation Bible School this year here at Druid Hills. If you are interested in helping out in any way, teaching a class, serving snack, organizing the programs, please contact either the church office or myself so we can get this organized and going.

3. Open Invitation - I would like to call you attention to an invitation issued by John Clayton. It reads as follows:

To those who love God & Druid Hills UMC & believe in the power of prayer. Come & meet with me at 9:45am on Sunday mornings for group prayer. We will be lifting up our Pastor Daryl & the body of Christ as known here at Druid Hills. We will meet in the Educational Building in the room designated, "Together Class", at the end of the hall. May God look with favor on our efforts to seek His guidance & wisdom.

4. May Newsletter - These are available for pickup in the Narthex. And just so you know I also publish the newsletter right here on the blog. I would love to hear what you think about reading it in this online format.

5. White Goods Sunday - This Sunday is White Goods Sunday. Please bring any white paper goods: napkins, paper towels, toilet tissue, facial tissue, paper plates and the sort. There will be wicker baskets on the front pew for you to drop these items off.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Heroes of the Faith: Abraham – Hebrews 11:8-12, 17-19 and Genesis 17:1-8, 15-16

Introduction
Today we are continuing our preaching series entitled, Heroes of the Faith where each week we will focus on one significant person from our faith history and explore not only why they are now considered a hero of our faith, but what we can learn from them. Last week we looked at Noah and his incredible, and thought of at the time, outlandish faith he had in God and how his actions can be a model for us today. Today we are going to focus on Abraham to see how he navigated several crossroads in his life and how he did did not let fear or uncertainty deter him.

My Crossroad
Life is full of crossroads. We all have decisions to make about how we are going to spend our money, where we are going to make our home, where to attend church, how to save for the future. These crossroads permeate all aspects of our lives. I faced one of my crossroads in October of 1994.

I was 20 years old and had just returned from the United Methodist Men's retreat in Leesburg with my dad. My pastor had scheduled a revival at our church for the following Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I had just been filled by wonderful speakers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and by the time Wednesday rolled around I was riding such a spiritual high I could barely contain myself.

Wednesday night arrived and I went. At that time Debbie and I were just starting to date each other. She arrived late and walked in at the beginning of the sermon. Little did I know that God was getting ready to work in a very powerful way.

I listened to the speaker and was moved greatly by his message, “Heeding the Call of God” He spoke about listening for God's call on your life and then obeying that call. After worship the altar rail was opened up for us to pray. I stayed in my pew at first, praying on my own. But then I felt the urge to go up front, so I did. My pastor and the guest pastor both prayed for me to heed God's call on my life, whatever that may be. The instant they left I felt this impression, almost like a voice that said “I need you”. I was speechless! Was that God talking to me? Was that my mind going overboard? Immediately I chalked it up to high running emotions. I began to convince myself that I just made it up. There was no way that God needed me. Confused and scared I went home.

I woke up the next morning and I was getting ready for work, I had this urge to find this daily devotion book my Sunday School teacher had given me. Now he had given me one every quarter for the last two years and every quarter I threw it away without ever reading a word. But today I wanted to see what it had to say. I looked all over the place and could not find it. Finally I remembered I had a stack of papers in my closet that I had been setting aside to sort, and about 2/3 of the way down in that stack I found it. I opened up to that day and the title of the devotion was “Heeding God's Call”. Extremely spooked I shut the book and went to work. I began to try and rationalize this sign by convincing myself that the theme of God's call must be the common thread that ran throughout that entire book. Once I got home I ran back to the book, opened it up, and expected to confirm my idea of the common theme. However, I was wrong. That day's theme was completely independent of all the others.

God was calling me, I had felt it, now what was I going to do? I was making very good money, six figures, at my current job. I was happy with the way things were. I was at a crossroads; start a new path full of uncertainty or stay with what I know and what I was comfortable with. Just as I had to navigate that crossroads in my life, fulfill my call into the ministry or stay with a very financially lucrative job, Abraham found himself in just such a situation.

Abraham who?
In the book of Genesis this morning we read about Abraham, then known as Abram, a simple man, an old man, a man that most had probably discounted. But not God. God appears to Abram when he is 99 years old and begins to speak to him about a covenant; a covenant that will make him the father of many nations. Scripture tells us that as soon as God appears to Abram and makes this decree told Abram falls face down, out of respect. God then changes Abram's name to Abraham, which means the father of many nations. God goes on to tell Abraham that He will make him very fruitful, He will make nations out of Abraham, and kings will come from Abraham. Abraham is told that this covenant will be everlasting and that all of this will take place in the land of Canaan.

Woah...wait a minute. I imagine all of this was a little over the top for a 99 year old man to believe, possible, but a bit over the top. But when God tells him that all of this will take place in Canaan, Abraham finds himself at a crossroads. You see Abraham was living in Haran, had been for quite a while. Haran was comfortable. Haran did not posses too many unknowns. Haran was home. Abraham had a decision to make. Stay with what he knew, where he was comfortable. Or he could accept this covenant from God and go to a land where he would be considered an alien, where he had no home. All on faith that God would not only produce descendants from Abraham as numerous as the stars in the sky (Hebrews 11:12), but eventually give him this land as his inheritance (Hebrews 11:8). Talk about a decision! Talk about a crossroads!

Is Abraham Heroic?
Remember last week that the beginning of Hebrews chapter 11 speaks a great deal about what constitutes heroic faith. It tells us that faith, heroic faith, has three main components: First you have to be FOCUSED, grounded in God alone. Next you have to be CONFIDENT, certain of what we do not see. Finally, you have to be OBEDIENT, as demonstrated in our actions.

So what does Abraham do at this crossroads? Was he focused on God, confident in what he could not see, and obedient as demonstrated by his actions?

Let's look at the criteria of whether or not he was he focused on God. If we go back to Genesis 17 where Abraham's encounter with God is recorded we are told that after God appeared to Abraham when he was 99 years old, that Abraham's first response was to fall facedown. This was considered a sign of respect, a gesture showing that you were humbling yourself before another. Abraham understood who was speaking to him. And the fact that he understood and responded with humility shows us that he was aware of God in his life, focused on God and recognized God's appearance. Criteria one, check.

Next we need to determine if Abraham was confident in that which he could not see. But before we do that I want to jump ahead to whether or not he was obedient as demonstrated by his actions. He was told great things during the time God appeared to him, he would have many descendants and he would be given, as an inheritance, the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. All he had to do was obey and he could have these things. Our Scripture lesson from Hebrews tells us that he did obey. In fact if we look at the Greek for “when called“, it has the idea of a prompt obedience. One scholar even goes as far as to say, “He obeyed the call while it was still sounding in his ears.” He not only obeyed, he obeyed promptly. Criteria two, check.

So with a yes in two of three criteria for heroic faith let us now turn to whether or not Abraham was confident in that which he could not see. As part of his obedience Abraham was setting off with his family, his nephew Lot, and all his possessions to Canaan. He was doing this by faith, he was doing this confident that the promise of descendants and land would follow. Abraham uprooted everyone he loved, left all that he knew, and set out for land he could not see, to populate it with a family he did not yet have. And all of this while he was 100 years old. Brothers and sisters, that is true confidence in that which he could not see. Criteria three, check.

Conclusion
Folks, this life has tried to teach us many things, like do not count your eggs before their hatched, do not trust the words of other people, and do not put all of yourself into any one thing. But Abraham showed us otherwise. Abraham displayed true heroic faith by being focused on God, obeying this command to go to a foreign land, so he could be the father of descendants he did not yet have.

Abraham was by no means a perfect man. In fact he made several very serious mistakes in his life that are recorded in Scripture. But God redeemed him, used him in a very significant way, and He can do the same thing with you.

We are not perfect, but we are important. God is calling you to do something big! It is my hope and my prayer that when God appears to you, when God calls on you, that you will not be afraid to show heroic faith. That you will be focused, confident, and obedient. You were created for a purpose, do not be afraid to fulfill it!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Bible Challenge 4/25 - 5/1

Here is the new schedule for our Bible Challenge next week. We are wrapping up Joshua and moving into Judges. This is a very pivotal era in the life of the Israelites as they are given judges to help guide them as they find themselves in danger of losing this newly gained Promised Land because they are losing their convictions.

4/25, Sunday - Joshua 10-13

4/26, Monday - Joshua 14-17

4/27, Tuesday - Joshua 18-21

4/28, Wednesday - Joshua 22 - Judges 1

4/29, Thursday - Judges 2-5

4/30, Friday - Judges 6-9

5/1, Saturday - Judges 10-13

Be Blessed!
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Friday, April 23, 2010

Friday Fives

Greetings Friends!

Here are a few things that I wanted to bring to your attention this week:

1. Preaching Series - We are continuing our preaching series this Sunday, Heroes of the Faith. We are looking at the examples of faith lived out by some of our Biblical Heroes and what we can learn from them. This week we focus on Abraham.

2. Vacation Bible School - I would like to see us host a week of Vacation Bible School this year here at Druid Hills. If you are interested in helping out in any way, teaching a class, serving snack, organizing the programs, please contact either the church office or myself so we can get this organized and going.

3. Bible Study with Pastor Daryl – We have just completed our World religions study. Next up is a study about what it means to be a United Methodist. We are going to look at our history, our social principles, the administration of our denomination, what it takes to be a pastor, as well as a few other items. I hope you will make plans to attend. Watch this space for the date and times. I will post the start date as we get closer.

4. May Newsletter - These are available for pickup in the Narthex. And just so you know I also publish the newsletter right here on the blog. I would love to hear what you think about reading it in this online format.

5. Personal Care Sunday - This week do not forget to bring personal care items to be donated to InterFaith. Suggested items are deodorant, toothpaste, bath soap, shampoo, hand lotion, etc. There will be wicker baskets on the front pew for you to drop these items off. The support for this has been outstanding thus far. Thank you very much for your participation!

May 2010 Edition of the Sunshine Hearld

Here you go friends! Hot of the presses!! I would love to hear feedback on what you all think of reading the monthly newsletter in this format.

May10Nwsltr

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Heroes of the Faith: Noah – Hebrews11:4-7 and Genesis 6:9-22

Introduction
Today we are starting a new preaching series entitled, Heroes of the Faith. Each week we will focus on one significant person from our faith history and explore not only why they are now considered a hero of our faith, but what we can learn from them. Today we begin with Noah as we take a look at the incredible, and thought of at the time, outlandish faith he had in God and how his actions can be a model for us today.

Being Obedient
Our actions can set the stage for God to work or for God to be silent. One night there was a young man that was working at a hospital, doing the over night shift all by himself. He got a call that a woman had just been admitted and one of the nurses thought she could might want to talk to a chaplain. He went to the nurses station to get some more info and was told that she had been battling cancer for quite some time and it had come back again and the nurse figured she might like to talk to someone. So he went in, introduced himself, and asked her what he could do for her. Her husband was in there at the time and he immediately spoke up and said they were fine, she had beaten this before, and she was going to beat it again. Thanks for stopping by, but they were fine. Just as he finished talking his phone rang and he got up to leave the room so he could answer it. The young chaplain looked over at the woman laying in the bed and she was smiling. The chaplain said his initial reaction was to follow the husband out and wish them well. After all he said they were fine, she looked like she was fine, what did he need to be there for? But he said something told him to make sure and speak to this woman.

So he went over the bed, knelt down beside her head, and very softly said, “I know how your husband feels about this, how do you feel?” She looked around his head, waited till the door shut completely, and began sobbing. That chaplain could have easily walked out of that room, but he felt that was not what God wanted, and he stayed. He had no concrete reason for that action, just going on faith.

The Make up of a Hero
This series is going to focus on the faith of some of our Biblical heroes. So I think it is important that we all understand what type of people we are talking about. We are not talking about some sort of person that is faster than a speeding bullet, or more powerful than a locomotive, or is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. We are talking about people that have taken steps based solely on faith alone and displayed heroic faith. And Hebrews chapter 11 speaks a great deal about what heroic faith is.

It tells us that faith, heroic faith, has three main components: First you have to be FOCUSED, grounded in God alone. Next you have to be CONFIDENT, certain of what we do not see. Finally, you have to be OBEDIENT, as demonstrated in our actions.

Hebrews 11 makes it very clear that faith itself is of extreme importance; in fact faith is essential. In verse 6, we read that “without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Because faith is so essential, God realized that we would need good role models, examples of faith to follow. And Noah is just such an example. To really understand the heroic faith that Noah had, we need to go back and explore his story in Genesis.

The Man and his Mission
The story of Noah begins in Genesis chapter 6. When God first created the world, there was no sin in it, and God proclaimed that his creation was good, including men and women. Later sin entered the world through the choices that Eve and Adam made. By the time we reach the story of Noah, a little over 1,000 years after Adam and Even according to the Biblical genealogy, humanity has become incredibly evil, their wickedness abounds. Things are so bad in fact that the Bible says “every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” And God became sorry that he had created humanity and it grieved him. God becomes so fed up with the evil and sins of humanity that he saw no other alternative than to destroy everything that he had so lovingly created. Things were a huge mess.

However, there was one man, Noah, who found favor and grace in God’s eyes. The Bible describes Noah as a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and a man who walked with God. It seems that Noah was the only person on the planet at this time who possessed the kind of heroic faith that we’ve been talking about. And it was with Noah that God offered to make a covenant to spare him and his family from this flood. Notice the use of the word offered. God did not simply spare Noah and his family. No, Noah was given a warning and a set of instructions.

You see this was a test of faith for Noah. He had been obedient to God throughout his life, taking small steps of faith towards God everyday. Now God was calling on Noah to take a giant leap of faith – to believe that worldwide destruction was coming through a flood and because of that belief, build an ark of gigantic proportions through which he would save himself, his family and preserve animal life to restock the earth later on.

Let’s stop for a moment and consider all of this from Noah’s perspective. Here you are just living your normal day to day routine with your wife and your children, when suddenly out of the blue, God gives you a message about how he’s going to destroy the world by a flood, but that you and your family can be saved if you build a huge boat called an ark.

At first, you might be tempted to think that you are crazy or hallucinating. First of all, what was this flood that God was talking about? The Bible up to this point has never mentioned rain and it is indeed likely that Noah had never seen rain. And what about the size of this boat God was telling Noah to build? After all you live in what we now call the Middle East and you don’t exactly live near the water, where big boats might be common. Noah had probably seen a boat, but never one of this size. It was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. A cubit is an old measurement that was said to go from a man’s elbow to the tip of his middle finger, which is about 18 inches. This would mean that the ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Or another way of putting it would be that was about the length of 1 ½ football fields, laid end to end, and 4 ½ stories tall. That’s a big boat. Then you figure in the fact that God is asking you take at least two of every animal in the world on this boat, plus store up every kind of food that is eaten as well. It must have seemed like a huge, daunting task, beyond anything that could ever be accomplished.

So what does Noah decide to do? Noah could have outright refused to build the ark. Or maybe we’d expect that he would have wavered back and forth trying to make up his mind about building the ark, perhaps bargaining with God a little on the details or the process. But that’s not what Scripture records for us. There seems to be no indecision on the part of Noah. Three separate times Genesis records this simple phrase – “Noah did all that God commanded of him.”

That one statement has huge implications. According to Scripture, it took Noah and his three sons, around 120 years to build the ark. During this long period of time, can you imagine the ridicule he must have received from his neighbors? They had to have thought that he was the craziest man in town - “Look at old Noah still building on that boat! When’s it gonna flood Noah?” But Noah didn’t let their ridicule deter him. During this long period of waiting, Noah preached to those around him and bore constant testimony against the unbelief and wickedness of his generation.

Finally the day comes when the ark is finished. And the animals began to show up, just as God had said. What a sight that must have been and what a relief and confirmation for Noah that the path he had chosen was the right one. And then the day comes for Noah and his family to enter the ark with all the animals and the hand of God shuts the door to the ark, sealing them inside. Then the rains begin to come and the water begins to rise – for 40 days and nights straight, until the highest mountains of the earth are covered. For 150 days they floated around in God’s big zoo before coming to rest on the mountains of Ararat. And then it took almost another 150 days for the waters to receded enough for Noah and his family to leave the ark. That means according to Scripture, Noah and his family resided in the ark with all the animals for almost a year.

So What?
So do all these actions and feelings make Noah a man of heroic faith? Did Noah display a faith, a heroic faith, that was focused on God, confident in things unseen, and obedient to God in his actions? You bet!

First Noah was focused on God. Noah listened to God, ignored ridicule, and did as he was instructed. Noah had the ability, the will, and the opportunity to ignore God, discount this tall tale of flooding, and do whatever he pleased. But he listened and did as instructed despite the ridicule and stayed focused on God.

Next, he was confident in things unseen. Noah was confident in what God told him was going to happen, in regards to a flood. Remember, Noah had never seen rain, much less enough to flood the entire Earth. Noah understood what God said and wholeheartedly believed it.

Finally, Noah was obedient to God in his actions. He built an Ark of incredible proportions, to battle rain that he had never seen, based upon a decree from God that seemed highly unlikely.

Conclusion
We know today that God will never flood the Earth again. But God is still speaking with us asking us to do things that may seem to us outlandish, incredible, or highly unlikely. And God still calls us to be focused, confident, and obedient.

Remember that woman I told you about earlier? Remember I told you that she started sobbing? She had been battling cancer for 15 years. She had been in and out of hospitals, in and out of chemo, in and out of health. She was so grateful that someone had asked her how she felt, rather than assumed, that she began to cry. And that obedience to God's prompting opened the door for her to express her feelings, something she desperately wanted and needed to do.

There are distractions today that can very easily and very effectively remove God from our sight and remove God from our lives. Don't let it happen. Remember Noah and that incredible act of faith. Remember Christ and that incredible act of love in His sacrifice for us. Remember God and know that you are always on His mind.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Bible Challenge 4/18 - 4/24

Greetings All!

Here is the schedule for this week as we finish up Deuteronomy and get into Joshua. I know sometimes we have a hard time getting through the Books of the Law (the first five book of the Old Testament) but all of you should be proud for making it. Now we are getting back more into story telling. So on to Joshua!

4/18, Sunday - Deuteronomy 16-19

4/19, Monday - Deuteronomy 20-23

4/20, Tuesday - Deuteronomy 24-27

4/21, Wednesday - Deuteronomy 28-31

4/22, Thursday - Deuteronomy 32 - Joshua 1

4/23, Friday - Joshua 2-5

4/24, Saturday - Joshua 6-9

Have a blessed week!
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Friday, April 16, 2010

Friday Fives

Greeting fellow DHUMC-ers!

Here are a few things that I wanted to bring to your attention this week:

1. Preaching Series - We are beginning a new preaching series this Sunday, Heroes of the Faith. We will look at the examples of faith lived out by some of our Biblical Heroes and what we can learn from them.

2. Vacation Bible School - I would like to see us host a week of Vacation Bible School this year here at Druid Hills. If you are interested in helping out in any way, teaching a class, serving snack, organizing the programs, please contact either the church office or myself so we can get this organized and going.

3. Bible Study with Pastor Daryl – Our world religions bible study will meet this Thursday at 11:30am and 7pm. This is the final week of this study and we are going to explore some of the other world religions that are being practiced. Hope to see you there!

4. Meeting Night – This Wednesday is our monthly meeting night for Trustees (5pm), Finance Committee (6pm), and Church Council (7pm). If you are a part of any of these committees please make plans to be in attendance.

5. Christmas Child Sunday - This Sunday is Christmas Child Sunday. The items you donate will be given to the Christmas Child Ministry. The item they request are toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap, comb, washcloth or any other hygienic products a child could use. There will be wicker baskets on the front pew for you to drop these items off.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A Thank You Note!

Hello all!

I was very impressed by the Easter Tableau and truly enjoyed being a part of it. I was also thrilled with the community turnout and reaction. I had many people stop by the tent and express to me how moved they were. In fact one person thought enough of their experience to send us a thank you note and I want to share that note with you.

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What a awesome and moving night at your Easter Drive Thru! I've been telling everyone they need to see your church. All who participated did a great job, and were so nice. The best part was the Communion at the tent. The one's who performed this did it oh so well. What love of Christ shared with us.

Church, keep reaching out to the community.

We thank you for Sharing God's Love.

The Jones'

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Friends, the Holy Spirit was at work, lives were touched and an impact was made. This note is proof of that and we can celebrate that.

Thank you again to all who participated and used this time to tell others of the love of Christ. The message was delivered and the people heard!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Bible Challenge 4/11 - 4/17

Greetings All!

Here is the schedule for next week. As we wrap up Numbers we will move into Deuteronomy. This is the final book of the Torah and important to our faith.

4/11, Sunday - Numbers 24-27

4/12, Monday - Numbers 28-31

4/13, Tuesday - Numbers 32-35

4/14, Wednesday - Numbers 36 - Deuteronomy 3

4/15, Thursday - Deuteronomy 4-7

4/16, Friday - Deuteronomy 8-11

4/17, Saturday - Deuteronomy 12-15

Blessings!
<><

Sunday, April 4, 2010

V is for Victory - John 19:38-42, 20:1-30

Introduction
We have spent the last several weeks exploring the lessons that can be learned from the last 24 hours of Jesus Christ's life here on Earth. And all of that was a build up for today, for Easter Sunday morning. This is the pinnacle of the Christian year, the day when we can stand up and say Christ is Risen! Death has lost and life eternal has been secured. But it is also a day when we must ask ourselves, amidst the celebration, what can we take from this that will help up be Easter people all year long and not just one day a year.

The Power of an Empty Egg
The children in the second grade Sunday school class listened with great fascination as their teacher explained to them the story of the very first Easter morning. Since it was a beautiful day, the teacher had come up with a creative plan for her class. She gave each child a large plastic egg, all brightly colored and decorated special for the occasion. Then she sent them outside into the church yard to look for symbols of new life. When they found something that represented new life they were supposed to put it inside the Easter egg and come back inside. Then everyone would get a turn to share what they had found. The children loved the excursion out to the church lawn. They ran and laughed and giggled as they searched for symbols of new life for their eggs. When they returned, each child opened their egg to show what they had found. A little girl opened hers and a pretty flower fell out. A little boy opened his and a robin’s egg fell out. Another little boy opened his and the butterfly that he had caught in the yard flew out. Then it was little Amy’s turn. But when she opened her egg there was nothing inside. There was silence in the classroom. Amy’s teacher was embarrassed – perhaps she hadn’t explained well enough what she wanted the children to do – Amy had obviously misunderstood. And so the teacher asked her, “Couldn’t you find anything to put in the egg, Amy?” And Amy looked back at her teacher and smiled. “My egg is empty because Jesus’ tomb is empty.”

Halleluiah! The Tomb is Empty
Sometimes it is out of the mouths of children that we find the greatest truths. We are here today, celebrating in worship this beautiful Easter Sunday morning because of new life given to us through an empty tomb over 2,000 years ago. And Easter is definitely a day for celebrations, and rejoicing and great happiness.

But according to our Gospel lessons this morning from the book of John, the very first Easter didn’t start off as a joyous celebration, but rather it began with a lot of confusion and misunderstandings. Jesus had been crucified on Good Friday around 9am. By three o’clock that afternoon, he was dead. Except for John, all the rest of the disciples had fled, locking themselves behind closed doors in fear for their own lives. But Mary Magdalene, along with several other women who had helped support Jesus’ ministry, had stood vigil throughout the entire ordeal, her very manner an open witness to friend and foe alike of her loyalty to the Master. Nor would she leave until she knew what was to become of Jesus’ body. When Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were bold enough to approach Pilate and ask for Jesus’ body, Mary Magdalene followed them to see where he was laid.

And so very early in the morning on the first day of the week, Sunday, a brokenhearted Mary Magdalene makes her way back to the tomb of Jesus. From the other Gospels we understand that she had gone with spices to finish the burial rites for Jesus which Joseph and Nicodemus had been unable to finish on Friday because of sundown and the start of the Sabbath. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed with a large stone, but when Mary arrives, the tomb is open… and it is empty. In a panic she runs to find the disciples and Peter and John race back with her to the tomb. The two men go inside and find that the burial cloths that once surrounded Jesus’ body...but there is no Jesus. The disciples go home. But Mary remains outside the tomb, weeping. She cannot seem to bring herself to leave.

As Mary was weeping, she looked inside the tomb and saw two angels sitting where Jesus’ body had been. They ask why she is crying and she explains that someone has taken her Lord’s body away and she doesn’t know where to find him. And then Mary senses someone nearby and turns around to see a man standing there, a man that she presumed to be the gardener. The man asks her why she is crying and who she is looking for. And Mary questions him: “Sir, if you have carried my Lord away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” And then the man who stood in front of her spoke her name, “Mary.” And suddenly she knew. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that the man standing in front of her was Jesus! Mary’s grief turned to joy as she realized that the one who had made such a difference in her life was alive!

And so Mary cries out to him - "Rabboni!" (which means teacher), as she rushes to touch him, to make sure he’s real. But Jesus cautions her not to touch Him just yet and then gives her a mission – she is sent forth as the first preacher of the good news of the resurrection - to go and tell the disciples what has happened. And she goes! Probably running as fast or faster than she had earlier that morning when she sought the disciples in grief. And her witness to the disciples is simple – “I have seen the Lord!” What an incredible statement of faith this is that she shares with the disciples.

But what makes all of this so incredible is that this story did not end with the crucifixion. For the rest of us, our biographies will eventually end with our death. But Jesus did not stay dead. He was resurrected to fulfill prophecy, to defeat death, and to give power to the new covenant. Jesus gave himself for us, as the final and perfect sacrifice, so that we may have grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. He shouldered the sin of all humanity so that each one of us, and everyone that comes after us, can receive eternal life.

What's Next
What does all of this mean for us in our lives today? I think that the encounters with the empty tomb and the risen Lord help to show us that Easter changes everything.

Easter Gives Us HOPE
First, Easter gives us HOPE. Hope found in promises made becoming promises kept. Jesus, being questioned about His authority and in what right He even had authority and He responded, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (NLT John 2:19). This promise is highly regarded by most scholars as the strongest proof for Christ's claims to be God. Now Christ was not talking about the Temple in Jerusalem nor any other human made building. He was talking about Himself. He was referring to destroying his body and Him being resurrected in three days. He made that promise and part of our Easter observance is celebrating that He kept that promise.

There is prophecy after prophecy that Christ fulfilled. It was said the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was said that the Messiah would die unblemished, and Christ did not have his legs broken on the cross, as was the custom. There are many more, but that is all to say that Christ fulfilled every promise made. The whole Christian faith ultimately rests on the resurrection. If Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith would be in vain. The Resurrection gives us the truth that God can be trusted. It says to us positively that God is and that God is in control of the world and our lives. It was God who raised Jesus. It was God who did what no human could do - he rolled away the stone from the tomb. Because of Easter, our vision is directed beyond the grave, to an outcome of eternal life with the Father.

Easter Gives Us PEACE
Second, Easter gives us PEACE. Have many of you have heard the phrase, “they blazed the trail for us”? That phrase is often used when people talk about a certain individual or group going where no one has gone before, literally and figuratively. There is uncertainty for those people. There is fear for those people. The resurrection removes that fear for us.

We are not blazing any trails. Everything we have experienced and will experience, Christ has already gone through. Happiness, joy, pain, fear, trepidation...death. He has faced it all. He has conquered it all. He has promised to be with us through it all. Folks, there is nothing in this life that we will ever...EVER have to face alone. He will guide us in the bad times, comfort us in the depressing times, and celebrate with us in the joyous times. He will never leave you.

Easter Gives Us the VICTORY
And Easter also gives us the VICTORY. Victory in that death has been conquered and we are alive forever more. Death has no power and no permanence and has already been overcome. Christ made sure of that. And with that victory comes paradise, comes salvation, comes a hope and comes peace.

Conclusion
When Mary Magdalene went to the Disciples, she exclaimed, "I have seen the Lord!" And we must respond as well. Although it’s a little different for us because we must have faith without getting to look at Jesus or talk to him or touch him. But Scripture serves as a witness for us as well as the work of the Holy Spirit in lives transformed and changed by God’s grace. All because of the resurrection.

Easter is God’s proof that Jesus is more than what many regard him as – good teacher, kind healer, outstanding example. All of this is true, but more, so very much more. It was our Lord and our God who came to earth as our Savior, to share our dust and live our life in God-pleasing perfection. It was our Lord and our God who suffered and died to redeem us from our sins and forgive us our debts.

Many "infallible proofs" can be given for the Resurrection, but the one most infallible of proofs is Christ's living in us. “He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today; He walks with me and talks with me, along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!”

We are called to be an Easter people, not just today, but every day. Celebrate the Risen Savior, because He Celebrates you!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Bible Challenge 4/4 - 4/10

Here is the schedule for next week. We will finish up Leviticus and begin Numbers.

4/4, Sunday - Leviticus 23-26

4/5, Monday - Leviticus 27 - Numbers 3

4/6, Tuesday - Numbers 4-7

4/7, Wednesday - Numbers 8-11

4/8, Thursday - Numbers 12-15

4/9, Friday - Numbers 16-19

4/10, Saturday - Numbers 20-23

Have a blessed week!
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Friday, April 2, 2010

Friday Fives

Hello All!

Here are some things that I want to pass along to everyone!

1. Easter Tableau - Last night we began our annual presentation of the Easter Tableau. We had 121 cars come through! Tonight is the last night. If you did not get a chance to come through last night I would encourage you to make plans to come tonight.

2. Easter Sunday Items - Sunday is Easter and we are asking all of you to bring a few items to worship if possible.

* Easter Flower Cross – We are doing the flower cross once again so we need people to bring flowers to help decorate it.

* Easter Sunday Bells – We are asking everyone to bring a bell on Easter Sunday morning. They can be any size, shape, or style. We are going ring these bells in celebration as we make a joyful noise together and truly celebrate Easter and our Risen Savior!

3. Bible Study with Pastor Daryl – Our new world religions bible study will not meet next week. However we will resume on April 15th, at 11:30am and 7pm. The morning session will look at Christianity and the evening session will focus on Judaism and Christianity. Hope to see you there!

4. Certified Lay Speakers – If you are interested in becoming a Certified Lay Speaker there is a training coming up. The North Central District's lay servant training event is Saturday, April 24 and Saturday, May 1 from 9am to 4pm at Trinity United Methodist Church Gainesville, 4000 NW 53rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32653. Both days are required. It would be great to have a few certified lay speakers in our congregation. If you have any questions please contact Pastor Daryl or the church office. There are also brochures in the narthex with more information as well.

5. White Sunday - This Sunday is White Sunday. Please bring any white paper goods: napkins, paper towels, toilet tissue, facial tissue, paper plates and the sort. There will be wicker baskets on the front pew for you to drop these items off.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and I look forward to seeing all of you on Sunday!
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Thursday, April 1, 2010

April Newsletter

Here you go everybody! I would love to hear from some of you about how you like reading the newsletter in this format.

ENJOY!!

April 10 News Ltr

Maundy Thursday

Good Morning All! Today is Maundy Thursday. Please be mindful of the events we observe today. And remember it was all done because you are loved so very much that God gave his only Son so that you might believe, never die, and have eternal life!!