Saturday, February 28, 2015

Bible Challenge 03/01 - 03/07

Greetings All!

This week we finish up the New Testament with Jude and Revelation and begin with the Old Testament in Genesis.

Jude - This book is often attributed to one of Jesus' brothers. This 25 verse letter was composed as an encyclical letter - not directed at any one church but rather intended to be circulated and read in all churches. Addressed to Christians in general it warns about the doctrine of certain errant teachers. Many examples of evildoers and warnings about their fates are given in some of the most strongly worded language in the New Testament. The letter concludes with a doxology (short hymn of praise) one of the highest in quality in the Bible.

Revelation - Also attributed to John the disciple and probably written during John's exile at Patmos, this book is the piece of apocalyptic literature in the New Testament, a genre that relies heavily on visions and symbolism (like Daniel in the Old Testament). This book is written specifically to a group of churches in Asia (that was a province in the Roman Empire which encompasses modern day Turkey). The book deals a lot with sevens: messages to seven churches, the seven seal judgments, seven trumpet judgments and finally the seven bowl judgments. One of the big keys to understanding the book is found in the Old Testament - 278 out of the 404 verses in the book allude or refer to things contained in the Old Testament. Personally, I have found the most benefit when I read through Revelation thinking of it as God's great triumph over evil. And there is a lot of love and mercy to be found in the words as God continually provides opportunities for people to turn away from sin and turn to Him.

Genesis - Did you know that Genesis means "beginnings" or "origins"? And there are several beginnings and origins that are actually outlined within the book of Genesis as we move through it; Creation, the flood story and God's covenant with Noah, the tower of Babel and the dispersion of the people, God's calling of Abram and covenant with him, the continuation of that covenant through Isaac and later Jacob, and finally the starting over of the Israelites under the protection of Joseph in Egypt. We should pay close attention as we read Genesis because this is the beginnings of our history as the people of God.

Here is the schedule:

1 (Su) - 3 John, Jude, and Revelation 1-2

2 (M) - Revelation 3-6

3 (Tu)- Revelation 7-10

4 (W)- Revelation 11-14

5 (Th) - Revelation 15-18

6 (F) - Revelation 19-22

7 (Sa) - Genesis 1-4
  
May God add his richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.



Friday, February 27, 2015

Friday Fives

1. Sunday Worship - Lent is a season of introspection and self evaluation. It is a time for us to take a hard, honest look at our faith journeys and make the changes necessary to remove any barrier between us and God. As a means of help in those inspections, this Lenten season we will turn our focus to the person of Jesus Christ as we seek to understand the depth of his ministry, the focus of his teachings, and what lessons we can learn as we seek to model those ideals in our lives today. Come and join us as we look to the person and nature of the man we call Messiah as we take our journey of introspection and self awareness. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!






2. Easter Tableau - Our Annual Easter Tableau, our gift to this community, is right around the corner. On Thursday, April 2nd and Friday, April 3rd, we will give the people of Ocala the opportunity to witness and relive for themselves the last week of Christ's life here on Earth. In order to make this a reality, we need your help. There are sign-up sheets on the Connection Station for you to volunteer in a myriad of ways. You can volunteer for things such as portraying a character in one of the scenes, to scene set-up, costumes, make-up, sound, or lighting. We still have many places for willing hands and we need yours! Please also be in prayer for a successful 2015 Easter Tableau. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Hughes or Terri Silvola-Finch. Thank You!






3. FAD Night - FAD Night is a time for us to share a simple meal together and then break off into our groups; children, youth, and adults. After that we come back together for a time of music and prayer. FAD Night will run each Thursday from 5:30pm-7:30pm.









4. Talent Show - S.O.S. (Sisters of Soul) is hosting a birthday celebration and talent show on Saturday, March 14th at 7:00pm. That's right! We're going to celebrate YOUR birthday and entertain (well.....hopefully entertain!) you all in the same evening! Sign up sheets are available at the Connection Station where you will sign for your birthday month. One person from each month needs to volunteer to bring a birthday cake to share that evening while we enjoy the talent and someone else may want to decorate their table! AND whether you read some poetry, sing, tell us a joke or do a little jig, please sign up on the sheet labeled TALENT so we can get with you to organize the evening. Questions????? Ask any member of S.O.S.






5. Help Needed - We are expecting a special visitor on Easter Sunday and to help us prepare for our visitor, the United Methodist Women are asking for donations of big colorful plastic eggs & wrapped candy to fit inside the eggs. Please no chocolate. They are asking all donations of eggs & candy be received by Thursday, March 26TH. The UMW is also asking for volunteers to fill the eggs on March 31st @ 10:00am in Fellowship Hall. Any questions, contact Joy Anderson.





Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Midweek Moment

Self-examination is hard. Let’s just start with the truth and name it. Honestly looking at who you are, from an altruistic perspective, from a faith perspective, from a disciple of Jesus Christ perspective is hard. There are always things we could do better or more frequently. There are always those fruits of the Spirit that we could exhibit better or more frequently. And to sit and verbalize those short comings can and is an uncomfortable and difficult exercise.


This week in worship we will look once again to the nature and person of Jesus, but this time through the lens of Jesus as a rebel. Jesus was anything but the cultural norm, anything but easy to sweep aside. He challenged the norms and called them unacceptable. He said there was a better way, albeit a harder way.

Lent is all about introspection. It is about looking at who we are as Disciples of Christ and being honest about what we need to change to be more like our Messiah and Savior. It is about making those hard decisions to allow the Holy Spirit to enter in and remold us in the image of God. It is about claiming our birthright as children of God and not settling for what is culturally acceptable or easy, but allowing the love of God to continually change us as we strive to become more like Christ every day.

This Lent, I want to encourage you to continue to give yourself over to Jesus. I want to invite you to allow the Holy Spirit to show you those places where you can take down your walls and allow grace and mercy to be your guide. I want to implore you to seize this opportunity to become more like our Creator so that when others look at you, they see God in all you say and do.

Self-examination is hard, but it is necessary. Through the Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and giving may each and every one of you experience the presence of God as we all seek to be all that God has created us and called us to be, this day and forevermore.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

February 22, 2015: Who is this Man? - Acts 4:1-11

This week we began our season of Lent by looking at the person and nature of Jesus Christ. It is fundamentally important for us as believers in Jesus Christ to be able to answer the question, "Who is this Man?" I hope as you listen(ed) to these words that through the power of the Holy Spirit you were affirmed, strengthened, and encouraged about your relationship with Christ. I pray that as you continue to wrestle with who Jesus is for you that your relationship with him will grow and deepen and that you will always be a vessel by which others come to know our Risen Savior!

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Bible Challenge 02/22 - 02/28

Greetings All,

This week we finish up Hebrews, and read through James, I and II Peter, I, II and III John. Here is some material to help you with your reading.

James - Most believe the author of this letter to be James the brother of Jesus. Many people wrestle with this letter because it appears to contradict Paul's stance on justification by faith alone. James emphasizes works, but not in the sense of justifying oneself before God; rather in the sense that works are evidence of a person's inward faith.

I and II Peter - Attributed by its title to the Apostle Peter, this letter and its counterpart II Peter are some of the latest writings to be included in the New Testament. The first letter is the only one scholars really attribute to Peter; probably written while Peter was the bishop of the church in Rome. In this letter addressed to believers dispersed through five different provinces in Asia Minor (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia) is a word of encouragement to those undergoing religious persecution. The authorship of II Peter is largely in question and was probably not the Apostle Peter - because it quotes a later letter extensively (Jude). But the main purpose of this letter is to identify Jesus with God and to correct a growing heresy since Jesus had not yet returned.

I John, II John and III John - These letters are attributed to the disciple John who also wrote the Gospel of John and Revelation. The first two letters were probably written in Ephesus between 95-110 AD to counter the heresies that Jesus did not come in the flesh but only as a spirit. The first letter is a general one and lifts up how Christians are to discern true teachers: by their ethics, their proclamation of Jesus and by their love. The second letter is a private one written to "an elect lady" and much speculation exists as to who this person is. The final letter is another private one addressed to Gaius to commend a party of Christians who had gone on a mission to preach the Gospel, to encourage him and to warn him of a group of other believers who are not cooperating.

Jude - This book is often attributed to one of Jesus' brothers. This 25 verse letter was composed as an encyclical letter - not directed at any one church but rather intended to be circulated and read in all churches. Addressed to Christians in general it warns about the doctrine of certain errant teachers. Many examples of evildoers and warnings about their fates are given in some of the most strongly worded language in the New Testament. The letter concludes with a doxology (short hymn of praise) one of the highest in quality in the Bible.

Revelation - Also attributed to John the disciple and probably written during John's exile at Patmos, this book is the piece of apocalyptic literature in the New Testament, a genre that relies heavily on visions and symbolism (like Daniel in the Old Testament).

Here is the schedule:

22 (Su) - Hebrews 5-8

23 (M) - Hebrews 9-12

24 (Tu)- Hebrews 13; James 1-3

25 (W)- James 4-5; I Peter 1-2

26 (Th) - I Peter 3-5; II Peter 1

27 (F) - II Peter 2-3; I John 1-2

28 (Sa) - I John 3-5; II John; III John

May God add his richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Friday Fives

1. Sunday Worship - This week we will turn our attention to the season of Lent as we examine the question; "Who is Jesus?" Was he just a man? Was he more than just a good moral teacher? How do we know the answers to these questions?

Come and join us as we look to the person and nature of the man we call Messiah as we begin our journey of introspection and self awareness. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!





2. FAD Night - FAD Night will resume next week, February
26th. We will gather for our simple dinner and then we are having a special guest that will guide us in the making of prayer bottles. To help make sure we have enough supplies we need you to register for this week's gathering. You can call the church office, 629-5688, email by clicking here, or sign up at the Connection Station on Sunday. This will be a wonderful time to make something with our hands as we share time with one another. Be sure to sign up today!





3. Talent Show - S.O.S. (Sisters of Soul) is hosting a birthday celebration and talent show on Saturday, March 14th at 7:00pm. That's right! We're going to celebrate YOUR birthday and entertain (well.....hopefully entertain!) you all in the same evening! Sign up sheets are available at the Connection Station where you will sign for your birthday month. One person from each month needs to volunteer to bring a birthday cake to share that evening while we enjoy the talent and someone else may want to decorate their table! AND whether you read some poetry, sing, tell us a joke or do a little jig, please sign up on the sheet labeled TALENT so we can get with you to organize the evening. Questions????? Ask any member of S.O.S.





4. Help Needed - We are expecting a special visitor on Easter Sunday and to help us prepare for our visitor, the United Methodist Women are asking for donations of big colorful plastic eggs & wrapped candy to fit inside the eggs. Please no chocolate. They are asking all donations of eggs & candy be received by Thursday, March 26TH. The UMW is also asking for volunteers to fill the eggs on March 31st @ 10:00am in Fellowship Hall. Any questions, contact Joy Anderson.





5. Stay Connected - You can always stay connected throughout the month to events and opportunities that happen here at Druid Hills by checking out our website and Pastor Daryl’s blog. Visit the Pastor’s blog (www.pastordaryl.blogspot.com) to get video recordings of the weekly sermons, a Friday Five column, Midweek Moment, church calendar, and the schedule for the daily Bible Challenge. Visit often to stay connected!

Website: www.druidhillsocala.org.           
Pastor’s Blog: www.pastordaryl.blogspot.com






Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Midweek Moment

This past Wednesday we gathered in the Sanctuary for worship as we welcomed the Lenten Season. We had a time of prayer, of song, and I shared the message below about what Lent means and ways we can observe this season. I pray this season of Lent is one where you can draw closer to God and take that next step in your relationship with the One that loved you first.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Bible Challenge 02/15 - 02/21

Greetings All!

This week we finish the reading of Paul letter's to churches with Colossians, I and II Thessalonians and then transition into Paul's letters to pastors with I and II Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Finally, we will read the first few chapters of Hebrews. Here is some background information to help with your reading.

I and II Thessalonians - These books are directed at the church of Thessalonica (which still exists today in Greece) and are written probably only months apart around 52AD. Paul only stayed with this church for a few weeks after beginning it and seems to be writing the first letter to encourage them in their faith and remind them of some important doctrines of the faith.The second letter again was probably written only months after the first one. Apparently there was some misunderstanding regarding the return of Christ and the second shorter letter appears to deal solely with correcting that understanding.

I and II Timothy - Paul found Timothy during one of his visits to Lystra where Timothy is mentioned as a disciple. From the Scriptures it seems his mother and grandmother were Jews who had become believers; the only thing mentioned about his father was that he was Greek. Timothy becomes Paul's traveling companion going to Phyrgia, Galatia, Mysia, Troad, Philippi, Veria and Corinth. Eventually around 65AD, Paul installs Timothy as the bishop of the church at Ephesus, a post he would hold for at least the next fifteen years. Timothy was eventually stoned to death when he took a stand against a pagan procession of idols, ceremonies and songs. The first letter from Paul to Timothy seems to deal mainly with forms of worship, organization of the church, the responsibilities of the bishops and deacons and keeping faithful amid surrounding errors. The second letter seems to be more of a personal goodbye as Paul is nearing the end of his life.

Titus - Titus is mentioned in Galatians as one of Paul's traveling companions to Jerusalem. He was then dispatched to Corinth and later went to Crete as the bishop there. This letter mainly deals with the requirements for bishops and elders in the church.

Philemon - Philemon was a wealthy Christian and leader (possibly bishop) of the church in Colosse. This is the shortest of all Paul's letters and deals mainly with the topic of forgiveness.

Hebrews - The author of this letter is not known or identified although many associate it with Paul or suppose it to be written in his style by one of his followers. The book provides a unique look at Jesus as both exalted Son of God and high priest of the people. Most believe the title to be a reference to its original audience: Jewish Christians of the second century who are apparently being tempted to avoid severe persecution by "shrinking back" in their faith. It is a letter written with hope and perseverance in mind.

Here is the schedule:

15 (Su) - Colossians 3-4; I Thessalonians 1-2

16 (M) - I Thessalonians 3-5; II Thessalonians 1

17 (Tu)- II Thessalonians 2-3; I Timothy 1-2

18 (W)- I Timothy 3-6

19 (Th) - II Timothy 1-4

20 (F) - Titus 1-3; Philemon

21 (Sa) - Hebrews 1-4

May God add his richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Friday Fives

1. Sunday Worship - This week we will conclude our preaching series focusing on the idea of revival as it played out in the life of our denominations founder, John Wesley. Faith is the bedrock for who we are and the foundation for our journeys through this life. Faith allows us to walk confidently with God, trust completely in our relationship with Jesus Christ, and rely fully on the power of the Holy Spirit.

But at times our faith can wane, it can wander, and it can lose its strength. At times such as those we all need revival. Come and join us as we wrap up our look at the life of John Wesley, the faith he relied on, and ways we can use those lessons to strengthen our own faith.





2. FAD Night - FAD Night will NOT meet next week. We will resume the following week on Thursday, February 26th. What this space for details about our program for that night.





3. Ash Wednesday - As many of you know, Easter comes early this year, April 5th to be exact. That means our season of Lent will begin earlier as well. In order to help us enter into this season representing the time Jesus spent in the wilderness enduring the temptation of Satan, you will have two opportunities to gather for a time of prayer and worship on the first day of Lent.

On Ash Wednesday, February 18th, from 12 PM – 1 PM, the Sanctuary will be open for you to come and observe a quiet time and space. You can come and sit in a pew or kneel at the altar rail. You can read Scripture, pray, or meditate. It will be your time to do that which helps you draw closer to God. I will be there to pray with you, if you desire, as well as to place ashes on your forehead when you are ready to leave. We will also have a service that evening at 6 P.M. in the Sanctuary. During this service, we will read Scripture and I will deliver a message entitled, “And So It Begins...” Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there.





4. Boy Scout Chicken Dinner - Saturday, February 21st, our Boy Scout Troop will host a carry out chicken dinner here at the church from 11 A.M.- 3 P.M. Dinners will be $7 each and tickets are available from any scout or scout parent. To help lessen your search, Kelsey Burnette has some available, as do I. To help the scouts plan, that are asking for tickets to be purchased beforehand so they know how many chickens to buy and prepare. Please come on out and support our boys as they raise money for summer camp this year.





5. New Member Class - This Sunday, February 15th at 12:45 P.M., I will host a new member class in my office. If you have been attending Druid Hills for at least three months and would like to take that next step in becoming a member of this church, this class is for you! To register for this class, either call the church office at 629-5688, or see me Sunday morning. This is a one time session where we get together to discuss what it means to be a United Methodist, what it means to be a member of Druid Hills UMC, and offer you a little background on the history of this church. If this interests you, I hope you will make plans to attend.





Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!





Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Midweek Moment

Guess what? The season of Lent is almost upon us as Ash Wednesday is one week from today. Many of us have some memory of Lent and for most it is usually associated with the practice of giving up something for those 40 days. But what is Lent? What is the purpose and reason for this season? Our General Conference Office put together a bit of information about Lent that I wanted to share with you. This is written by Penny Ford and very informative.

What is Lent?

Lent is a season of the Christian Year where Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer to God.

When is Lent?

It’s the forty days before Easter. Lent excludes Sundays because every Sunday is like a little Easter. Basically, it’s about one-tenth of a year (like a tithe of time). Mardi Gras is the day before Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday. This year it’s from February 18 (Ash Wednesday) to April 5 (Easter), 2015.

Mardi Gras? What does that have to do with JESUS??

Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday.” It refers to the day before Lent starts. Since Lent always starts on a Wednesday, the day before is always a Tuesday. And it’s called “Fat” or “Great” because it’s associated with great food and parties.

In earlier times, people used Lent as a time of fasting and repentance. Since they didn’t want to be tempted by sweets, meat and other distractions in the house, they cleaned out their cabinets. They used up all the sugar and yeast in sweet breads before the Lent season started, and fixed meals with all the meat available. It was a great feast! Through the years Mardi Gras has evolved (in some places) into a pretty wild party with little to do with preparing for the Lenten season of repentance and simplicity. Oh well. But Christians still know it’s origin, and hang onto the true Spirit of the season.

So the real beginning of Lent is Ash Wednesday?

Yes. Ash Wednesday, the day after Mardi Gras, usually begins with a service where we recognize our mortality, repent of our sins, and return to our loving God. We recognize life as a precious gift from God, and re-turn our lives towards Jesus Christ. We may make resolutions and commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. In an Ash Wednesday service, usually a minister or priest marks the sign of the cross on a person’s forehead with ashes.

Why ashes?

In Jewish and Christian history, ashes are a sign of mortality and repentance. Mortality, because when we die, our bodies eventually decompose and we become dust/ dirt/ash/whatever. Repentance, because long ago, when people felt remorse for something they did, they would put ashes on their head and wear “sackcloth” (scratchy clothing) to remind them that sin is pretty uncomfortable and leads to a sort of death of the spirit. This was their way of confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness.

Where do the ashes come from?

On what we now call Palm Sunday, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem while people waved palms and cheered him on. Less than a week later, Jesus was killed. The palms that were waved in joy became ashes of sorrow. We get ashes for Ash Wednesday by saving the palms from Palm Sunday, burning them, and mixing them with a little oil. It’s symbolic.

What do Christians do with ashes?

At an Ash Wednesday service, folks are invited to come forward to receive the ashes. The minister will make a small cross on your forehead by smudging the ashes. While the ashes remind us of our mortality and sin, the cross reminds us of Jesus’ resurrection (life after death) and forgiveness. It’s a powerful, non-verbal way that we can experience God’s forgiveness and renewal as we return to Jesus.

So what is LENT?

At Jesus’ baptism the sky split open, the Spirit of God, which looked like a dove, descended and landed on Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, My Beloved, with whom I am pleased.” Afterward, as told in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was sent into the wilderness by the Spirit where he fasted and prayed for 40 days. During his time there he was tempted by Satan and found clarity and strength to resist temptation. Afterwards, he was ready to begin his ministry.

Why “DO” Lent? How do I start?

Are you searching for something more? Tired of running in circles, but not really living life with direction, purpose or passion? It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the drama of classes, relationships, family, and work. Our lives are filled with distractions that take us away from living a life with Christ. We try to fill the emptiness inside us with mindless TV, meaningless chatter, stimulants, alcohol, too many activities or other irrelevant stuff. We run away from life and from God.

Lent is a great time to “repent” — to return to God and re-focus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It’s a 40 day trial run in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart. You might try one of these practices for Lent:

FASTING: Some people have been known to go without food for days. But that’s not the only way to fast. You can fast by cutting out some of the things in your life that distract you from God. Some Christians use the whole 40 days to fast from candy, TV, soft drinks, cigarettes or meat as a way to purify their bodies and lives. You might skip one meal a day and use that time to pray instead. Or you can give up some activity like worry or reality TV to spend time outside enjoying God’s creation. What do you need to let go of or “fast” from in order to focus on God? What clutters your calendar and life? How can you simplify your life in terms of what you eat, wear or do?

SERVICE: Some Christians take something on for Christ. You can collect food for the needy, volunteer once a week to tutor children, or work for reform and justice in your community. You can commit to help a different stranger, co-worker or friend everyday of Lent. Serving others is one way we serve God.

PRAYER: Christians also use Lent as a time of intentional prayer. You can pray while you walk, create music or art as a prayer to God, or savor a time of quiet listening. All can be ways of becoming more in tune with God.

As a church, we are going to offer a couple of options for you to observe this moment on that Wednesday. The first option will be from 12 P.M. to 1 P.M. in the Sanctuary. It will be open for a time of quiet prayer and reflection. The lighting will be low and you are invited to come and have this quiet time to pray, read Scripture, or just be in God’s presence. When you are done, I will be up front and will have ashes available for the Imposition of Ashes on your forehead. The second option will be an Ash Wednesday Service, later that evening at 6 P.M. in the Sanctuary. I hope you will seize this opportunity to begin Lent by attending one of these services.

This can be a great time to refocus, re-center, and repent as we draw ourselves closer to God and prepare our hearts and minds for Easter and all of the wonderful grace and mercy we receive as the righteousness of Christ is credited to each and every one of us.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday,

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

February 8, 2015: Perfect in Love
James 2:14-18

This week we continued with our theme of revival as we looked to relationship between faith and works. We talked about how our good works are a natural manifestation, an outward sign, of the inward grace we received from God. I pray our time together offered you strength to continue you faith journey as we reach out to this community offering them the love that we first received through God's grace.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Bible Challenge 02/08 - 02/14

Greetings All!

This week we finish reading II Corinthians and read all the way through Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and part of Colossians.

Here is a bit of background to help you with your readings:

Galatians - The book of Galatians is thought to be Paul's earliest letter, corresponding with the events of Acts 11:30. Here he addresses a group of churches in a Roman province known as Galatia, now in modern-day Turkey. This letter mainly addresses the question of whether the Mosaic law is binding on Gentiles.

Ephesians - Here Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus (now Selcuk, Turkey) while he is imprisoned in Rome (about 62AD) to address the unity of the church between its many Jewish and Gentile believers. Ephesus was the second largest city in the Roman empire in Paul's day and home to one of the seven ancient wonders of the world (temple of Artemis). Paul started the church in Ephesus as recorded in Acts 18 and eventually he would send his young protege Timothy to serve as their pastor. One of my favorite passages is Paul's admonition in Ephesians 6 to put on the full armor of God.

Philippians - Philippians has a different tone than many of Paul's letters - it is written about 62AD to the church in Philippi (now Filippoi, Greece) which was one of the first church's that Paul ever started. From the tone of his letter, Philippi is often called Paul's "sweetheart" church. My life verse (and the first piece of Scripture I ever memorized) is found here: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:13).

Colossians - Colossians is directed to the church at Colosse (now Honaz, Turkey) and was probably written during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. Apparently, the church had been incorporating pagan elements into their practice including the worship of elemental spirits and Paul's letter declares Christ's supremacy over the entire created universe and reminds the believers to live godly lives.

Here is the schedule:

8 (Su) - II Corinthians 4-7

9 (M) - II Corinthians 8-11

10 (Tu) - II Corinthians 12-13; Galatians 1-2

11 (W) - Galatians 3-6

12 (Th) - Ephesians 1-4

13 (F) - Ephesians 5-6; Philippians 1-2

14 (Sa) - Philippians 3-4; Colossians 1-2

May God add his richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and most importantly the living out of His Holy Word. Amen.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Sunday, February 1, 2015: Preaching & Pursuing Grace
Ephesians 2:8-10

This week we continued our look at the importance of revival as we focused on John Wesley's understanding of grace. His teachings on grace's many nuances can help us see more clearly those ways God is reaching out to us to call us, equip us, and lead us on. I hope you found our time together beneficial and could feel the Holy Spirit moving as talked about our role in God's Kingdom.