Bible Challenge 01/29 - 02/04

Greetings All!

This week we finish up our journey through Acts and move entirely through Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Most scholars believe that this book was written in Corinth at the end of Paul's second missionary journey there, somewhere around 55-56AD. The book of Romans is Paul's greatest theological legacy to the church. The longest by far of his letters, it's intent is to explain that salvation is offered through the Gospel (or good news) of Jesus Christ. Since Paul has not been to Rome at this point, he outlines the good news of Jesus thoroughly so that Paul's teaching will not be confused with other false teachers.

The Main sections of Paul’s argument are as follows:

· God’s wrath revealed against the unrighteous (1:18-3:20)

· God credits righteousness to all (3:21-5:21)

· The gift of God’s righteousness results in righteous living (6:1-8:39)

· God's righteousness in the case of Israel (9:1-11:36)

· God's righteousness reflected in the righteous lives of believers (12:1-15:13)

· God's righteousness shared by Paul as minister to Gentiles (15:14-33)

Next up, we begin diving into Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth. I Corinthians was written from Ephesus (16:8), a city on the west coast of today's Turkey, about 180 miles by sea from Corinth. According to Acts of the Apostles, Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), then spent approximately three years in Ephesus. The letter was written during this time in Ephesus, which is usually dated as being in the range of 53 to 57 AD. Corinth was the meeting point of many nationalities because the main current of the trade between Asia and western Europe passed through its harbors. Paul's first visit lasted nearly two years and his converts were mainly Greeks. In the first epistle, he mainly concentrates on addressing some divisions in the church, some problems with immorality and teaching about marriage, Christian liberty, worship and resurrection.

Here is the schedule:

29, Sunday: Acts 24-27

30, Monday: Acts 28 - Romans 3

31, Tuesday: Romans 4-7

01, Wednesday: Romans 8-11

02, Thursday: Romans 12-15

03, Friday: Romans 16 - I Corinthians 3

04, Saturday: I Corinthians 4-7

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday our congregation's very own certified lay servant, Carole Newlin will lead us in worship. Come and hear what God has shared with her as we look to the question, "Why Me?" Bring a friend and come be transformed.






2. Bible Study - Starting this Thursday, February 2nd, we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. Clergy Kids Camp - This weekend Debbie, Parker, Wesley, and I will be in Leesburg attending Clergy Kids Camp. Being the child of a pastor comes with a uniqueness all its own. For example, demanding schedules of parents, uncertainty in many areas of life, and the understanding that the house they live in is only theirs for a period of time. So Debbie and I made a covenant with our boys that there would be one thing that would always be theirs, Clergy Kids Camp.  This is our gift to devote that entire weekend to them. So while I will not be here in worship Sunday, I will be in a church worshiping as Daddy. They are really looking forward to it, and so are Debbie and I!





4. February Newsletters - The February Newsletter will be available in the narthex this Sunday, so be sure to pick your copy up.  You can also go over to our church website, and view it there as well.











5.Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.




Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Yesterday was a very humbling day for me. As many of you know I was invited to appear before the Florida Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, for the purposes of evaluating my petition for ordination. This is a very arduous process and takes a vast amount of effort and time to complete. And as I stated Sunday, it was weighing on my mind. I truly wanted this to be a "one and done" type of experience, meaning I would pass this time, my first time, before the Board.

With my interview taking place in Leesburg, on Tuesday morning at 8 A.M., I went down Monday evening and got a hotel room. My thought was, that way I would not have to deal with traffic or possibly being late, traveling from Ocala, and would place myself in a position for a generally easy morning. However, I still expected to wake up Tuesday morning with my stomach in knots.

My alarm went off and I noticed I was rather relaxed. As the 8 o'clock hour approached I was still waiting for the nervousness. It never came. I was anxious to begin the interview, to get the process started, but never nervous about how I would perform. It took a me until I got home last night to reflect and realize why.

It was you! It was all of you thinking about me and praying for me. It was your prayers for God to be with me and the Holy Spirit to work through me. As I was waiting between interviews, as I was waiting for my decision, as I was answering the questions being asked of me, my mind was calm and the answers I was searching for were clear. I was able to focus, speak articulately, and exhibit a non-anxious presence. Your prayers for me were why everything went as well as it did. Your prayers played a vital role in the Board recommending me for Ordination. Your prayers helped me to pass!

I have always believed in the power of prayer and yesterday I was proof of it. There are numerous places in Scripture where it talks about the power of prayer, but for us today, I want to turn to Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In all we do, in all we are, go to God. There is no request too big, no desire too small. God wants to hear your desires, God wants to hear your cares, God wants to come through for you. Yesterday was a very important day in my life. A day that I will remember for a very long time. A day that was made possible by prayer, by your support, and by God's blessings!

Thank you to all of you! Your support, your prayers, your affirmations, and your love helped me more than words can express yesterday. I was never nervous, never in knots, never felt stress. You and your support of me were the reason. So, thank you again!

Have a great week!

Three Simple Questions: Who Are We Together? – Galatians 3:26 & Ephesians 4:1b-4

Introduction
Today we are going to conclude our preaching series focusing on three simple questions, “Who is God?”, “Who am I?”, and “Who Are We Together?”. Over these last several weeks we tried to flesh out not only why we worship God, but what our role in this world should be as children of God.

Two weeks ago, we looked at the first question, “Who is God?” as we sought to realize what our understanding of God means for our lives today. Last week, we shifted our attention inward, as we sought to answer the question, “Who am I?”, as we looked at the dangers of labels and what our response should be to God's love for us. Today we will attempt to put this all together as we answer the question, “Who are we together?” as we seek to understand what community is, who makes up our community, and the strength we can draw from this knowledge.

I Love My Grannie
Have you ever been told someone was coming for a visit, and your immediate response was aaahhh! Really?!? Well at five years old that was my response when I was told that my great-grandmother, my dad's grandmother, was coming to live with us. I could just imagine that I was now going to have to share a room, that Grannie was always going to be around, and how uncomfortable was this going to be for me. I was not excited at all about this proposition.

But mom and dad explained to me that dad was going to build a suite attached to the side of the house and Grannie would have her own dining room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, and front door. But looking back in hindsight my initial perception could not have been more wrong.

Grannie lived with us for about twenty years and the experiences that we shared together have played a tremendous role in shaping who I am today. One of the conditions she set to come and live with us, was dad had to give her a part of the backyard for a garden. He did, and she used it grow all sorts of stuff. I remember going out in the garden with her and picking what she grew. I also remember sitting on her porch shucking corn, stringing and snapping beans, and shelling peas. I remember standing in her kitchen and washing carrots, tomatoes, and eggplant. And these events themselves, while very memorable, were not what impacted me the most. It was the stories and life lessons that I was taught during those times. It was the Bible stories, the genealogy shared, and it was the tears and the laughter, that I treasure the most. I look back over those episodes and I am so grateful of what Grannie shared with me and what this woman taught me. Together we were so much better, that I would have been without her.

Love is the Key
Grannie and I shared this little sense of community together, a community that would not have lasted if it were not for the love we had for one another. For us as disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to live our lives in much the same way. We are called to first and foremost to worship the One, True, Living God, the God of Abraham and Isaac, the God of Mary and Elizabeth, the God of the Gospels, and “the God made known most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”¹ The love that was shown in Christ is the love that God is by his very nature. The love that God used to create us is the same love that God uses to sustain us. And that love will provide us the confidence and trust to not only live our lives with and for God, but with and for each other, in this community and with our neighbors outside of it.

However, there is a reality we live in. A reality that Tilden Edwards expressed very well when he said, “community is what everybody wants, but almost no one is able to sustain well for long.”² Therefore, today I want us to look at who we are together in the hopes that we can overcome the barriers of this dysfunctional world and be beacons of light for this community.

First, We are Humans
A great place to start in this endeavor is to understand that we are all part of the same human family. At the most basic level, we need to acknowledge the scientific evidence that has confirmed that our ancestors all came from the same part of the world. Therefore, we are all part of one human family.

And because we are all part of the same human family, and because God created all of humanity, we are able to be a part of God's family. And as we stated last week, because we are all created by God, we are all loved by God. Loved as if we are the only person in existence. We know this because of this book. I have often referred to Scripture as God's love story to humanity. Cover to cover, story to story, we are given the picture of God's love, of Jesus' sacrifice, and of the Spirit's movement. Through this book we are shown God's love, moving us closer to the one that loved us first. For us to turn away from each other, is tantamount to us turning away from God. We are so interconnected to our Creator, his Spirit is so involved with humanity, that for us to abandon one another is to abandon God. Jesus understands this relationship because in his time here he told us, “'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31, NIV). We need to stay involved in this human family because this is where God is, this is where the Spirit is as work.

We are also a Faith Family
Just as we are all a member of the human family, once we agree to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, we become part of a faith family. However, we still seek to divide ourselves by race, status, age, and other qualifiers. And it is these qualifiers that we place in God's path, divisions that beg the same questions Jesus' apostles asked during the Last Supper. When Jesus explained that one of them was going to betray Him, they asked Jesus, “is it I?”.

And as a member of this faith family we have to be willing to place ourselves under examination. We must be willing to allow God to see us as we are, heal the brokenness that is found, and understand that just as we are all redeemed from that state, so to are all of God's children. There is no division in who is able to receive this grace and experience this redemption. It is for all humanity. It is for all of this faith family. It, very simply, is for all. So for us, that means we seek to remove the divisions amongst ourselves. We cease looking at each other and condemning one another for past actions, for outward attributes, and for previous assumptions. We look at each other, not as what we have failed to be, but for what we are, beloved, redeemed, grace bathed, children of God.

Jesus > World's Dysfunction
Now it is very easy for me to stand up here and use all of these words to tell you that Jesus loves you, that God created you, and that our Triune God loves each and every member of the human family. It is another thing for us to work through the dysfunction of the human family and show that love to each other. But we must do that, not only because we are called as believers to do it, but that is best way for the reign of God to cover this earth, us working as one.

So how do we do it? Bishop Job believes that, “if we will review and renew our relationship with God through serious study and reflection on who God is, and if we will discover for ourselves the God revealed by and in Jesus, then we will be more likely to see others as God's children, remembering that God is Creator and we are always creatures of God's creative desire to form us in God's image.”³

The answer is right there. We begin with serious study and reflection. If we are going to follow God, if we are going to know God, then we must spend time with God. Find that daily time to read the love story God has given us. Reflect on what it means for you, pray for what God wants it to mean to you, and give God the chance to answer back. Use our Bible Challenge or any other reading plan, but the one way to know who we are together is to know who God created you to be.

Next, go and live what you learn. Try out these ideals revealed in Scripture, with co-workers, next door neighbors, family, church folks, strangers. Learn what God teaches, then live it, share it, and give the knowledge away. That is where we can be a part of transforming others. That is where we can work to fulfill the Great Commission. My Grannie, sitting on her porch, shucking corn, stringing and snapping beans, and shelling peas taught me about God, taught me about God's love, and taught me that no matter what I was dealing with God would always be there. Foundational lessons I learned over vegetables. Life lessons I learned tending to God's creation.

Conclusion
There are many reasons why we struggle in this world. Reasons of our own creation, conditions that exist only in our imagination, and situations that through no deed of our own decimate us. But in all of these things, there is one truth; God is here, God loves you, and together we can change this world.

I invite you to spend time this year, living with God, through Scripture, through community, and through quiet prayer. Open yourself up to the power of God's transforming love, the life changing working of his Spirit. Allow your views of each other to be shaped, not by our own misgivings, but by the lens of God's love. And it is through these practices, it is through this giving of ourselves over to God, that we will realize the power of his love. It is then that we will speak to each other always in love, and not out of anger or bitterness. It is then that we will not cause strife in our community, but rather all be beacons of peace.

Listen again to these words of Paul, “I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit just as God also called you in one hope.” Let the love of God be your guide, let the life of Christ be your model, and let the Holy Spirit be your strength.

____________
1. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2011). p.55.
2. Living in the Presence (HarperOne, 1995), p. 61.
3. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. (Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2011). p.62.

Bible Challenge 01/22 - 01/28

Greetings All!

This week we finish up our journey through the Gospels and move into the history of the early church with the book of Acts.

Acts or Acts of the Apostles, is the second of Luke's major writing, showing how the disciples spread the goods news of the Gospel after Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension back to heaven. The key verse for this book is Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This verses sets the tone for all of the action in the book. The first major segment is chapters 1-7 where the actions centers around the Jews in Jerusalem and Peter is the main figure. The timeline here is about 2 years from Pentecost through the stoning of Stephen. The second major segment is chapters 8-12 and shows the spread of the Gospel out from Jerusalem into the regions of Judea and Samaria. Here the central figure is Philip and his main audience the Samaritans. The timeline here is 13 years from Stephen's stoning to Paul's missionary journeys. Finally the last segment of the book in chapters 13-28 details the spread of the Gospel past the known areas of Jesus and the disciples out to the uttermost parts of the earth as Paul travels all around the Roman world preaching to the Gentiles. This covers about 14 years from his first missionary journey through to his release from the Romans.

I know you are excited to get going, so here is the schedule for this week:

22, Sunday: John 17-20

23, Monday: John 21 - Acts 3

24, Tuesday: Acts 4-7

25, Wednesday: Acts 8-11

26, Thursday: Acts 12-15

27, Friday: Acts 16-19

28, Saturday: Acts 20-23

May God add His richest blessings to the reading, the hearing and the living out of His holy word. Amen.

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - Who are you? Who are we together? How are we to live with other people in community? Tough questions that do not have a concise and simple answer. This week we are looking at the question, "Who Are We Together?", as we strive to understand how to we can live with each other, how we are to treat each other, and how God can give us the strength to be in community with each other. Invite a friend and come and let us all be transformed together! I look forward to seeing you there!




2. Bible Study - Starting February 2nd we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!

3. Charles Lee Memorial Service - Saturday, January 21st, at 11:00am, we will gather in the sanctuary to celebrate the life of Charles Lee.  There will be a reception following the service in Fellowship Hall.  I invite everyone to come and show their love and support to the Lee family as we remember this much loved man and member of our family.





4. Spaghetti Dinner - Don't forget tonight's community wide Spaghetti Dinner, in the Fellowship Hall, from 4:30-6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door; $7.00 for adults, $4.00 for children 6-12 years old, and children under 6 are free.  Come on out, have some great fellowship, hear some great music, and enjoy some absolutely wonderful spaghetti.  Bring a friend and I hope to see you there!






5.Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.




Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Joy. That sometimes illusive aspect of life. If someone asked you what the word joy meant, could you give them a concise, definition, right off the top of your head? More importantly, could you tell them about how you regularly find joy in your life?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines joy as, “the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.” One of the things I ask my wife, everyday, is what have you done today to find a little joy in your life. For me, I find joy in creation. Some days I just sit under the tree at church by the playground soaking up the ways I can feel God; breeze on my face, sun on my back, aroma in the air. Other days I just ride my bike in silence on my way to pick up Parker from school, and listen as God gives me things to ponder and think about. On really good days, I roll around in the backyard or on the living room floor...or both...with my boys. To hear their laughter, feel their embrace, and know they are lost in the fun we are having, is complete and utter joy for me. And on those occasions where a life is changed, a soul saved, or an eternity is secured...words are just not enough to describe that feeling.

However, I also understand that there are some days, some weeks, even some seasons, where joy escapes us. Where no matter how hard we try, how hard we seek, how hard we work, it seems joy is no where to be found. I know what those seasons feel like in my life. When I am going through those times I remind myself of Zephaniah 3:17, “The LORD your God is in your midst—a warrior bringing victory. He will create calm with his love; he will rejoice over you with singing.” For me, to know no matter what I am going through, no matter how daunting my journey ahead may seem, that I have a God that will calm me with his love, is vital. Knowing that, I seek ways to see God; through prayer, fasting, quiet time, Scripture reading, in creation. In the midst of our darkness finding that time is tough, but we have to try.

So I ask you, what have you done lately to find joy in your life? Whether time has passed you by and joy has escaped you, whether you are in the midst of a tough season in life and joy has not been seen for a while, I encourage you to seek it out. And whether you find it in small doses or heaping helpings, savor it. God is here, God wants you to have joy, God will help you find it. Remember, if you have no joy, then there is no way you can give joy to others. And one of the best things about joy is sharing it with others!

Have a great week and see you Sunday!

Three Simple Questions: Who Am I? - Matthew 12:48-50 and 1 John 3:2

Introduction
Today we are going to continue our preaching series focusing on three simple questions, Who is God?, Who am I?, and Who Are We Together? as we seek to flesh out our sense of why we worship God. Last week we looked at the first question, “Who is God?” as we sought to realize what our understanding of God means for our lives today. Today we are going to shift our attention inward, as we seek to answer the question, “Who am I?”, as we look at the dangers of labels, who God sees each of us to be, and how we can live into being a special part of God's creation.

Labels are Strictly for Organization...Right?
In a 1992 Reader's Digest article, Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester talked about the importance of self confidence and the dangers of labeling one another. They shared a little story about Merlin Olsen. Merlin Olsen, well-known for his years as an outstanding football player, actor, and sports announcer, reports that he was extremely shy and awkward in his youth. He almost didn't try out for his high school football team because for years the other kids had labeled him 'clumsy'. One day a boy was teasing Olsen, when Olsen exploded. He chased the boy and caught him. Olsen was so astonished at his own actions, he reported, "Then I didn't know what to do, so I sat on him."¹

That label ascribed to Mr. Olsen had trapped him. A label that was not his own doing, a label that was dictating to him how he was to live his life. I am sure all of you have seen these labels in your lifetime. World leaders use them to describe other countries, national leaders use them to describe their party adversaries and other regions, and we use them to describe our family members and neighbors. Now at times these labels have positive connotations, but by and large they are negative, limiting, and dangerous.

When we ascribe a label to another person, that person vanishes. Last week we learned that the best way to understand the love of God, was to look at how Jesus Christ, God Incarnate loved those he encountered. How did Jesus treat those he encountered? Did he label them? Or did he meet them where they were? I believe that Jesus understood the inherent risks and dangers of reducing people to a label. What any of us do for a living or did for a living, is not all that we are. An act that we have committed in the past is not who we are from that day on. These blanket labels, these stereotypical boxes, are never completely accurate or permanently true.

We Are All Loved
But what is completely accurate and what is permanently true, is that we are all loved by God. When each of us are born, we all have one thing on common. We are all created by God. That in and of itself makes you special. But it only gets better. God does not create you and then leave you to wander alone. God seeks you out. God moves within your life, trying to get your attention so that he can be an intimate part of your life through events, people, emotions, and situations. That action is called grace. More specifically, it is called prevenient grace, that grace given to you by God, that is at work before you even know it is there. It is at work before you even know you need it. We celebrate that grace through baptism. When you take that vow at your baptism, or when your family takes that vow on your behalf at baptism, we are acknowledging that prevenient grace.

And what is so great about this prevenient grace is that God does most of the work. God adores you so completely that he comes to you, seeking you out through this grace. You do not have to earn it, you do not have to qualify for it, you cannot be excluded from it. It is there, all you have to do is accept it. All you have to do is say, yes!

But it gets even better! Once you say yes, everything changes. Your outlook, your life, your eternity, your responsibilities...it all changes. John 14:23 tells us, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” We will come to them and make our home with them. When we devote ourselves over to the One that loved us first, from that point on, God is with you, Jesus is with you, the Holy Spirit is with you. And when the One that is love by his very nature is with you, then you understand the true power love can have.

Tomorrow, as a country, we will observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the day set aside to honor the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This man understood the power of love. I want to read for you what Dr. King said in his last presidential address to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

I am concerned about a better world. I'm concerned about justice. I'm concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about these, he can never advocate violence.... Though violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness. Only light can do that. And I say to you, I have also decided to stick to love. For I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems.... I'm not talking about emotional bosh.... I'm talking about a strong, demanding love.... I have decided to love.²

The issues Dr. King was facing, the troubles Dr. King was working to resolve, for him to choose love over anger, peace over violence...that shows us he understands the power of love. Dr. King also talks about light erasing darkness. The light that Dr. King is talking about is the light we read about in the beginning of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all humanity” (John1:1-4, NIV).

That light is the light that tells us we are loved. That light is that light that lets us know we are not alone in this journey. That light is the light that is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path (Psalm 119:105, NIV). It is the light of Christ that changes everything in us and around us. So the best answer to the question of , “Who Am I?”, that I can give you, is to tell you that you are loved by God.

Now What?
So now what? Remember earlier, I told you that once you say yes to God's grace, everything changes. Your outlook, your life, your eternity, and your responsibilities. The “now what,” is what our response is to this gift of love. What are you going to do because God loves you? I would encourage you to go and do likewise.

Go find those people in this world that do not know the love of God and share it with them, through word and deed. Reach out to those that need help. John Wesley, our founder, believed that we could have no personal holiness without social holiness. Remember, just as God loves you, he loves all people. So if you can help with a social issue, hunger, natural disaster recovery, AIDs, or any of the vast amount of others, do so.

Go find those people that know of God's love but have maybe, forgotten it, and remind them. There are many reasons that people forget about God. However, it is our job to seek them out, meet them where they are, and show them that God is there. Show them the value and benefit of being in community, this community. We are all part of the body of Christ, and for us to be as effective as possible we need everyone involved.

And stay in community with each other, always acting in kindness, gentleness, and grace. That means if someone does something you do not like, harsh words and judgmental actions are not our response. That means that in all that we do, we seek to bring peace not confrontation. We do not want to be the reason there is strife in the community. We do not want to be the reason that another person falls away from God. Hatred and bitterness and judgmental attitudes are not how God treats us and they are not how we should ever treat each other.

Love Can Be Found in Prayer
So...who am I? Who are you? We are all more than a label, we are all loved by God, and we are all called to show that love to others. And to do that, to accomplish the "what now" in response to the grace and love of God, and do it well, takes strength. The best way I know of to gain that strength begins with prayer.

Bishop Rueben P. Job put it best when we wrote, “We rise from prayer transformed because we have been intimately involved with the One who not only gives us life but also transforms our lives while leading us further and further into that grand design that God has for each of us.”³

Listen, we each have a responsibility as a child of God. We are each loved as a child of God. If you need a bit more reassurance about how much God loves you, come here, right here, and ask for it. If you need direction about how and where to respond to this grace given you, come here and pray for it. This rail is your lifeline to unlock the strength found through prayer. This rail is your direct connection to love itself. This rail is a place where you can unlock the transforming power of God. It is here and ready for you to use it.

Being a disciple of Christ is not easy, responding to God's love is not easy. But we have prayer to strengthen us, the Holy Spirit to guide us, and one another to lean on. Together we can do it, together we can help build God's Kingdom here on earth, together we will do amazing things!

_________________
1. Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester. "Help Your Child Overcome Shyness" Reader''s Digest, Aug. 1992, p. 100.
2. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 43.
3. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 46.

Bible Challenge 01/15 - 01/21

Greetings All!

This week we progress through the remainder of the Gospel of Luke and move into the last of the Gospels, John. Some of the highlights of our time in Luke this week include:

• The parables about lost items (Chapter 15)
• Jesus and Zaccheus (Chapter 19)
• Jesus praying in the Garden (Chapter 22)
• The Crucifixion (Chapter 23)
• The Resurrection (Chapter 24)

The Gospel of John, written by one of the disciples, is very different than the others and so is NOT included as a synoptic or similar Gospel. While it does mention some of the same stories of people and healings and miracles, the timeline of Jesus' ministry is different than the others and John also includes large chunks of teaching (like chapters 6, 10, and 13-16) that explain who Jesus is that are not included in any other Gospels. John is clear though about his criteria for what is included within his Gospel: "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But THESE are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31)

Here is the schedule for next week:

15, Sunday: Luke 13-16

16, Monday: Luke 17-20

17, Tuesday: Luke 21-24

18, Wednesday: John 1-4

19, Thursday: John 5-8

20, Friday: John 9-12

21, Saturday: John 13-16

May God bless the reading, the hearing and the living out of His Holy Word. Amen!

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - Who are you? To yourself? To other people? Are you more than just a label? Do you fit neatly inside of society's preconceived boxes? Tough questions that do not have a concise and simple answer. This week we are looking at the question, "Who Am I?", as we strive to look past labels, discern who God created each of us to be, and how we can each live into being a special part of God's creation. Invite a friend and come and let us all be transformed together! I look forward to seeing you there!




2. Bible Study - Starting February 2nd we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!




3. Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.





4. Carol Peterson's Memorial Service - Tomorrow, January 14th, at 11:30am, we will all gather together here in the Sanctuary to honor Carol. There will be reception following the service in Fellowship Hall. As you are available, I encourage you to come and support the Peterson family as we celebrate and remember this dear woman.

5. Charles Lee Memorial Service - Saturday, January 21st, at 11:00am, we will gather in the sanctuary to celebrate the life of Charles Lee.  There will be a reception following the service in Fellowship Hall.  I invite everyone to come and show their love and support to the Lee family as we remember this much loved man and member of our family.




Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

If any of you have ever been around a 3 to 4 year old person you know that independence is a daily adventure. When Parker hit that age range, we would explore all the various things that he was gaining the confidence to try and those new challenges that he could conquer. It was so much fun to walk through that period of his life with him. Well, now our youngest, Mr. Wesley, has hit that stage. Everything we ask him to do and tell him we are going to do for him, is met with the phrase, "I can do it."

By and large everything he attempts he can do, but the one thing at frustrates him the most is his height. He is quite tall for his age but he is at the stature where most counters, ledges, and railings are right about forehead level. He can almost see over them, but not quite. Well, last week, I asked Wesley to go into his bathroom and wash his hands for dinner. We usually keep a small step stool in three for him use so he can reach the faucet and soap. This particular night, the stool was missing. Wesley, not even thinking about it, walked up and turned on the water and began washing his hands. It the middle of this activity, it registered that he could now reach the faucet with out the stool. I was met with a very excited, very wet and soapy, four year old. I got him dried off, celebrated his milestone with him, and then proceeded to follow him all around the house to all the counters and dressers and ledges so he could tell me, “I am big now!”

Now for years Wesley was not so big and he needed that stool. He needed that support and that help to do those things he knew he needed to do. Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Independence is a wonderful and necessary thing, but even better than that, is the support we gain from Christ. Support that comes in the form of encouragement from family, love from other people, and those “A Ha” ideas that come in the middle of the night. Support that comes when we need it and when we don't expect it. Support that comes when we are angry and don't want it. Support that comes in countless ways, forms, and people.

I encourage you to never get “too big” for Christ. Call His name, claim His help, and live for Him. Jesus loves you, wants to help you, and will celebrate with you when with wet soapy hands you exclaim, “I can do it”. Just remember, in good times, tough times, unfair times, trying time, and at all times, with Christ, you can do all things.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Three Simple Questions: Who is God? - Hebrews 1:1-3a and Acts 17:23b-28

Introduction
I want to begin by asking all of you a question. Why are you here? Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled that you are, but why? Is it out of some sense of obligation? Out of habit? Or is there more? Like a sense of renewal or connection?

For the next three weeks, we are going to focus on this topic by looking at three simple questions, Who is God?, Who am I?, and Who Are We Together? as we seek to flesh out our sense of why we worship God. Today we are going to look at the first question, “Who is God?” Specifically, why do we need to ask this question, how can we know the answer to this question, and what can those answers mean for us.

What's the Point?
So why would we need to spend time asking ourselves who God is? Is it not enough to say God created all things, loves all things, and wants all things connected to him? In a word, no. It is not enough. If this world was full of lollipops, rainbows, unicorns, and sunshine, it would be. But this world is not. We have to deal with tragedy, disaster, war, hatred, and violence. And it is in those things that we divide ourselves. And it is those same divisions that have invaded the church.¹ Therefore, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to go back to understanding who it is that we serve and what it is about God that draws us in and makes us want to serve him. Because it is in the answers to those questions that we can be reminded of who God is, who God calls us to be, and reassess our actions to make sure we are being who God called us to be.

Who Is God?
So who is God? What is it about God that draws people in? Over the years I have heard many descriptions from people about God. Some focus on the personal appearance of God. You know, that tried and true description of the tall guy, with the long white hair, long white beard, wearing a long white robe. There is a story of a little girl, we will call her Katie, that was in Sunday school one morning, and her teacher was asking the class what God looked like. Most of the kids started with the white hair, long beard, white robe routine. However, the teacher noticed that Katie was not answering. She asked Katie what she thought, and kind of sheepishly she said, “gray?”. Somewhat taken aback, the teacher asked how she came up with that idea. Well she said, every night we pray before dinner, “God is gray, God is good.”

But since no one has ever seen God, the physical description is not all that useful for us; fun to discuss but not very useful. That leaves God's intrinsic characteristics. For me, God at his most basic level is love. For me, everything that God is and everything that God does is out of his vast ability to love.

Love that is revealed to us though his son, Jesus Christ, not only in his actions but in his words. Words like we find in John 15:9, "As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love" (John 15:9). But this type of Christian love is not easy, in fact, it is quite demanding because of the patience and accountability it contains.

The key to this verse lies in the first sentence, “as the Father loved me, I too love you”. So to understand God's love we need to look at how Jesus loved. First, who did Jesus love? In a word, every one. Just look at the company he kept. Jesus upset many people with the company he kept. Spending all that time with those people that society decided just were not worth the effort. God's love, as shown through Jesus, was given to all people. There was no one that was not worth the effort. Today we have a tendency to avoid the trouble makers, the nay sayers, and spend our time with like minded people. Jesus, though the company he kept, did quite the opposite. He included all people.

But we must also look at how he loved. Not only did he love all people, but he did it with a sense of accountability. In some circles the word accountability could be synonymous with confrontation. To often in this world our first reaction is to confront with violence and anger. Through vile words and hurtful actions we confront. But Jesus confronted many people with neither of those techniques. He used tools such as unending grace and undeserved mercy. When people came to him, people who because of their sin, or personalities, had been segregated from society, Jesus did not ignore their sin. He confronted it, but he did it with love. He talked about their worth, he talked about how his Father loved them, and then he forgave them.

There was no room in Jesus' love for revenge, for violence, for hatred. It was and is too full of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. To understand who God is, we need to look no further than Jesus, God Incarnate, to see love as it is meant to be. Jesus is our proof of what God's love looks like. It is our evidence of what God wants from each of us towards one another. It is the blueprint for a love for all, a love that demands, but a love that will last for eternity.

What Does That Mean for Us?
Knowing that God is love and that through Jesus we can understand the depth and accountability that love contains, what does that mean for us today? It means that we constantly keep reevaluating who we are as Christians. It means that we are never content with who we are as a person, who we are as a church, and what we are doing for God's Kingdom. We strive for change, for transformation, for deeper understandings of who God is calling all of us to be. Reuben P. Job, a retired United Methodist Bishop, once wrote “Far too often we are content with a god too tame and domesticated to shake us to the very roots of our being and send us out of worship trembling in awe and amazement...”²

This year, I want you to rediscover that feeling. I want you to tremble in awe and amazement when you leave this place. Never be content with where you are in your relationship with God. Strive for a deeper understanding, strive for a life of constant transformation, strive to always be in a state of learning. Come to this place, go into your daily quiet time with God, expecting to encounter your Abba, your Father, your God. This morning you have the opportunity to rediscover that awe and amazement. Come to this rail and ask for it. Come to this rail and ask the Holy Spirit to help you rediscover it.

God is bigger than words and bigger than creation. But God does reveal himself to us. Through Christ, through Scripture, and through our interactions with each other. This year rediscover God, rediscover God's love, and rediscover your relationship with him.

______________
1. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 9.
2. Job, Rueben P. Three Simple Questions. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 2011. p. 17.

Bible Challenge 01/08 - 01/14

Greetings All!

I pray you all rang in the new year safely and are still experiencing the hope and promise that a new year brings!

Last week we started with the Gospel of Matthew, the first of the Gospels recorded in the New Testament and is also one of the three "synoptic Gospels" (meaning similar or together because they include some of the same stories in the same sequences and the same words - John is the exception).

This week we will read through the entire Gospel of Mark. The Gospel of Mark is believed to have been the first Gospel written, about 50 AD, as the other three Gospels all quote it, but Mark does not quote the others. The author is believed to be John Mark, the son of a Jerusalem widow whose home was a meeting place for early believers (Acts 12:12). Mark most likely recorded the events as he heard them firsthand from the disciple Peter. The book's non-Jewish flavor suggests it may have been written to believers in Rome. At the time Rome had begun persecuting Christians. This book is clearly meant to encourage suffering believers. Mark shows Jesus as the suffering servant who came to die as the Savior for the world (including non-Jews). Over 40 percent of this Gospel focuses on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus' final week.

This week we will also spend some time in the Gospel of Luke. This is the first of a two part book written by the same author. The first part is an account of Jesus' life and the second part, the book of Acts is an account of the history of the early church. The author Luke was a physician who was a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul on several of his missionary journeys. He addresses the books of Luke and Acts to Theophilus, probably a Gentile who was either a new believer or someone seeking to learn about Christ. Luke elaborates on a lot of the information from Matthew and Mark, including more parables and more stories about Jesus' interactions with people that show his interest in the non-Jewish world and the poor.

Here is the schedule:

8, Sunday: Mark 1-4

9, Monday: Mark 5-8

10, Tuesday: Mark 9-12

11, Wednesday: Mark 13-16

12, Thursday: Luke 1-4

13, Friday: Luke 5-8

14, Saturday: Luke 9-12

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - Why do you go to church? Why do you devote your life to Christ? Tough questions that do not have a concise and simple answer. We all have different reasons for living a life of faith. For the next three weeks we will look at the questions, "Who is God?", "Who am I?", and "Who Are We Together?" as we seek to flesh out our sense of why we worship God. Invite a friend and come and let us all be transformed together! I look forward to seeing you there!




2. Bible Study - Starting February 2nd we will begin a new study entitled, Delving Deeper: A Journey Through Phillipians. This is a study written by local author and pastor, Charissa Jaeger-Sanders. We will use journaling, sketching, and doodling as a means of connecting with this piece of Scripture as we go verse-by-verse. I encourage you to come and join us in this six week study that will stretch you, educate you, and enlighten you. All the details and the form to register can be found by clicking here. You may also get the information and register on the insert in this weeks bulletin or by calling the church office. Invite a friend and I hope to see you all there!




3. Third Sundays - Beginning this month, on the third Sunday of each month, we will collect "gently used and clean" clothes for the Sisterhood/Brotherhood outreach. As always there will be baskets on the front pew for you to place your donations. Thank you in advance for your generosity in supporting this vital ministry.





4. Quarterly Honor Roll - Today, I was informed of a wonderful opportunity that is given to all of us here in Ocala, at Veteran's Memorial Park. Once a quarter the great veterans of this county, along with law enforcement agencies, and our high school ROTC programs, gather to pay honor and tribute to the veterans in our community that have passed away. It is a time to remember not only the impact they made in the lives of those that knew them, but also for the sacrifice they made for our country. The next ceremony will be this Saturday, 01/07, at 10am, at the Veteran's Memorial Park, located at 2601 SE Fort King Street. For more information you can read the article that appears in today's edition of the Ocala Star Banner or click here to read it online.




5. Carol Peterson's Memorial Service - Next Saturday, January 14th, at 11:30am, we will all gather together here in the Sanctuary to honor Carol. There will be reception following the service in Fellowship Hall. As you are available, I encourage you to come and support the Peterson family as we celebrate and remember this dear woman.

Midweek Moment

I am always intrigued by the beginning of a new year. This time of year is full of hope, promise, fresh starts, and resolutions. You know, those renewed commitments to lose weight, get organized, or whatever other means we articulate to better ourselves in the new year verses the old and previous year.

But as it happens, we are only successful about 10% of the time. And when we realize that we have failed to achieve that new commitment, then some of the luster of the new year is lost, and usually we begin to sink back into those old routines, making the new year no different than the old year.

But as Christians we have hope! One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

This letter is from the prophet Jeremiah to those people in exile in Babylon. Jeremiah is attempting to show those people that even though their situation may look bleak, God will redeem this situation and bring good from it. The same thing applies to us today.

God still has plans for each of us today. Plans that will give us hope and a purpose for the future. That no matter where we find ourselves, if we seek God, with all that we are, we will find him and when we pray, God will listen. We just need to rely on our faith, that child like faith.

For example, this past week the family and I were at Epcot in Orlando. As we came out of one of the buildings it was raining. Wesley was incredibly bummed because this meant that not only would he have to wear a jacket, but that he would get wet as well. He looked up at me and said, “why does it have to rain?!?” I started with all the answers about how the earth needs rain and the plants need rain, and he interrupted me and told me to make it stop. I told him that I did not have that ability...so he went over my head. An end-around so to speak. He asked God to make it stop. It was a brief prayer, full of faith, and offered with a gentle spirit. He was so sure that it would quit, he took off his jacket and gave it to me to put back in the bag. As far as he was concerned, he prayed, God listened, and so the rain would stop. We walked into a gift shop, looked around for about 15 minutes, and when we walked out, the only water around was what was on the ground. It stopped raining. Little Wesley, in his child like faith, understood on some level the hope that Jeremiah was talking about.

The hope that helps us understand, regardless of situation or location, God is with us. Not just as an onlooker but as an intentional participant. Not just to help us when things go awry, but so invested in each of us that he has made plans for us for the future. We just need to do our part. We need to seek out God, involve God in our lives, make God the cornerstone and foundation of all that we do and all that we are.

So this new year, I encourage you to seek out God like never before. You can do this through dedicated, daily prayer time, Scripture reading, worship attendance, and small group study, as a few examples. So do not let this year escape you. Use these tools to claim God's hope this year and draw closer to the one that loved you first!

Have a great week and see you Sunday!