Bible Challenge 09/01 - 09/07

Greetings All!

Our reading takes us just one chapter shy of finishing the first major prophetic book in the Old Testament this week - Isaiah. Remember the first half of the book deals primarily with judgment against Judah and a call to repentance; the chapters we are reading this week continue on with God's message of forgiveness and hope as he reveals his plan for a coming Messiah.

We get a reference to the one we know as John the Baptist in chapter 40 as the voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God". - Isaiah 40:3

We see a few references to the suffering that the Messiah would go through on our behalf:

1) "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth." - Isaiah 53:7

2) "I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting." - Isaiah 50:6

And finally we see a testimony about the kind of healer that the Messiah would be: "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;" - Isaiah 61:1

I pray this helps give depth to your reading this week.

Here is the schedule:

Sunday, 1: Isaiah 34-37

Monday, 2: Isaiah 38-41

Tuesday, 3: Isaiah 42-45

Wednesday, 4: Isaiah 46-49

Thursday, 5: Isaiah 50-53

Friday, 6: Isaiah 54-57

Saturday, 7: Isaiah 58-61

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday we will continue our series on the Methodist Way. Several years ago we spent time seeking to understand how these practices were calling us to live out our faith. This time around we are going to focus on how we have been living out these practices in our lives over the last several years. This Sunday our emphasis will be on the practice of Intentional Discipleship and how vital this practice is to our walk with Christ. I encourage you to invite a friend and come and see how God has been working in our congregation!





2. Food 4 Kids - We are once again participating in the Food 4 Kids backpack program by sponsoring Shady Hill Elementary. Food 4 Kids was created in 2004 when it came to the attention of school teachers that many children were not being fed over the weekend. The "backpack program" as it's termed, was created to provide food for each child that qualifies at the school level for assistance. By volunteering to help fill these backpacks, you help ensure that children in Marion County do not go hungry over the weekend. Beginning in mid-September, we will meet at InterFaith on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 A.M. and fill the backpacks. With four people, this averages about 20 minutes to complete. I hope you will considering volunteering this year, with whatever time you can spare. If you are interested in helping please contact Debby Baugher.

3. Installation Service - You are cordially invited to a Service of Installation for Rev. Sue Haupert-Johnson, our newly appointed District Superintendent. It will take place on Sunday, September 8th, at 3:00 P.M., in the Sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church of Ocala, 1126 E. Silver Springs Boulevard. Also, our Bishop, Ken Carter will be in attendance. There will be reception in the Family Life Center immediately following the ceremony and an open house for the new district office. Everyone is invited and I want to encourage you to attend. You will have the opportunity to hear some of the vision Rev. Haupert-Johnson has for the North Central District. I hope to see you there!





4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Thus far, we have had two people sign up and we are looking for at least eight. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.





5. Advent Conspiracy - This year we have set a goal to raise $5,000, by Christmas Eve, as a response to God's blessings in our lives. This gift, which is above and beyond our regular giving, will be split between Heifer International and Stop Hunger Now. These two organizations do not simply give handouts to help those in need. They teach people how use these gifts to perpetually help themselves. These organizations make a real investment in the communities they help, so these people can then start helping others. If you would like to donate to this challenge, please mark your check or envelope "Heifer Fund" and place it in the offering plate or drop it by the church office. Thank you so much for your consideration in helping us meet this goal and share the love of Christ with people the world over.





Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

This past week we spent time in worship talking about the practice of Extravagant Generosity. I wanted everyone to understand how this practice teaches us that money should be a tool we use to spread God’s blessings and not a vice that controls us.

I have been on both sides of that fence and I can tell you being in control of money, rather than letting money control you, is definitely more appealing. When I moved out of my mom and dad’s home and into my first apartment, I was 20 years old. I had saved enough money to have several months’ worth of expenses in reserve and felt confident I was ready to spread my wings and seize my independence. At first, things went according to plan. Then I decided I needed a new computer, so I bought one. I also decided that cooking was too time intensive, so I ate out every night. If both of those decisions were not enough, I also determined that my music collection needed some beefing up. Now if I had had the money to support all of these decisions that would have been one thing, but alas I did not. I put all of these “necessary” expenses on my credit card and it was not long before the only payment I could make was the minimum payment. As you know, that means you are paying off mostly interest and not really touching the balance. Money had now taken control of my life and it dictated every decision I made. I do not believe that is God’s intention for the gifts and treasure entrusted to us.

Rather, I believe God wants us to use those gifts and treasure to help others, to spread God’s love and blessings to others. I buckled down, made some lifestyle changes and now Debbie and I live on the other end of that spectrum. And the great thing about that is, when God called us to adopt, financially we could immediately say yes, a response that allowed us to bring Davis home. A child so perfectly suited for our family, that I know the day he was found at the hospital, God said to him, “Hang on little guy, I’ve got the perfect family for you, just give me some time to put it together.” By not having money control our life, we were able to use money to bring a new life to another.

That is a part of the reason why we are in the midst of this financial challenge to raise $5,000 for Heifer International and Stop Hunger Now. I want this congregation to look at the way we each use the gifts God has given us, make whatever changes we might need to make, and give out of our abundance to change the life of another person. The story we looked at Sunday from II Corinthians paints this exact scenario. We have a community not rich by any stretch of the imagination and in fact they are described as living in extreme poverty, giving out what they had left over to help the people of Judea. They did not know these people; they did not have personal relationships with them. The people of Judea needed help and that was all that mattered. These Macedonians, after taking care of the needs in their community, pleaded for the opportunity to give what they had left to help their brothers and sisters in need, and that is what we are doing now. While we do not personally know the people that will benefit from the Ark we want to purchase or from the food we want to pack, that does not matter. We have the opportunity to help another member of God’s creation, a community that God dearly loves, as God loves us. To date we have raised $1,375, just a little over a quarter of our goal and I am very excited about that! So I invite you to be in prayer about ways you can help us meet our goal, so together we can dramatically change the lives of another the same way God has changed ours.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

The Methodist Way: Extravagant GenerosityI Chronicles 29:1-18 and II Corinthians 8:1-7

Bible Challenge 08//25 - 08/31

Greetings All!

This week we continue our journey through most of the first major prophetic book, Isaiah. Remember this book is named after the prophet Isaiah who ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah for a period of about sixty years (740-680 BC) through four different kings.

Isaiah came from a privileged family and he was well educated. Some people have even called him the
"Shakespeare of the Bible" because of the beauty and poetry of his words. He lived in the city of Jerusalem for most of his life. He was married (his wife is called a prophetess) and they had at least two sons that are mentioned in the book of Isaiah. He lived at the same time as three other minor prophets: Amos, Micah and Hosea. Strong tradition suggests that he died a martyrs death under the reign of King Manasseh by being placed within the hallow of a tree trunk and sawed in two.

The name Isaiah means "the salvation of the Lord" and the book is often referred to as the "Book of Salvation." The first 39 chapters deal mainly with strong messages of judgment against Judah and a call to repentance and holiness. He predicted the demise and captivity of Judah, yet comforted people with the hope that God had promised a Redeemer. The last 27 chapters contain God's message of forgiveness, consolation and hope as God speaks through Isaiah, revealing his plan of blessing and salvation through the coming Messiah. The New Testament quotes the book of Isaiah 66 times, more than any other Old Testament book except for Psalms.

Here is the schedule:

25, Sunday: Isaiah 6-9

26, Monday: Isaiah 10-13

27, Tuesday: Isaiah 14-17

28, Wednesday: Isaiah 18-21

29, Thursday: Isaiah 22-25

30, Friday: Isaiah 26-29

31, Saturday: Isaiah 30-33

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday we will continue our series on the Methodist Way. Several years ago we spent time seeking to understand how these practices were calling us to live out our faith. This time around we are going to focus on how we have been living out these practices in our lives over the last several years. This Sunday our emphasis will be on the practice of Extravagant Generosity and how we as the body of Christ can model this in our faith walk. I encourage you to invite a friend and come and see how God has been working in our congregation!





2. Food 4 Kids - We are once again participating in the Food 4 Kids backpack program by sponsoring Shady Hill Elementary. Food 4 Kids was created in 2004 when it came to the attention of school teachers that many children were not being fed over the weekend. The "backpack program" as it's termed, was created to provide food for each child that qualifies at the school level for assistance. By volunteering to help fill these backpacks, you help ensure that children in Marion County do not go hungry over the weekend. Beginning in mid-September, we will meet at InterFaith on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 A.M. and fill the backpacks. With four people, this averages about 20 minutes to complete. I hope you will considering volunteering this year, with whatever time you can spare. If you are interested in helping please contact Debby Baugher.





3. Installation Service - You are cordially invited to a Service of Installation for Rev. Sue Haupert-Johnson, our newly appointed District Superintendent. It will take place on Sunday, September 8th, at 3:00 P.M., in the Sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church of Ocala, 1126 E. Silver Springs Boulevard. Also, our Bishop, Ken Carter will be in attendance. There will be reception in the Family Life Center immediately following the ceremony and an open house for the new district office. Everyone is invited and I want to encourage you to attend. You will have the opportunity to hear some of the vision Rev. Haupert-Johnson has for the North Central District. I hope to see you there!





4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Thus far, we have had two people sign up and we are looking for at least eight. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.
 

5. Advent Conspiracy - This year we have set a goal to raise $5,000, by Christmas Eve, as a response to God's blessings in our lives. This gift, which is above and beyond our regular giving, will be split between Heifer International and Stop Hunger Now. These two organizations do not simply give handouts to help those in need. They teach people how use these gifts to perpetually help themselves. These organizations make a real investment in the communities they help, so these people can then start helping others. If you would like to donate to this challenge, please mark your check or envelope "Heifer Fund" and place it in the offering plate or drop it by the church office. Thank you so much for your consideration in helping us meet this goal and share the love of Christ with people the world over.



 Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV)

What a moving passage of Scripture. This was Jesus’ response to a group of Pharisees when questioned about which commandment was the greatest. But this response was more than just an answer to a trivia question or the answer to timely problem. This answer is much, much more.

How often a day, in the midst of your schedules, obligations, commitments, personal interests, and relationships, do you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind? When you look back on your interactions with family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, people that drive you crazy, how frequently did you love your neighbor as yourself?

As you ponder those answers for yourself, let me share mine with you; “not very often” and again, “not very often”. I get wrapped up in those schedules, obligations, commitments, interests and I am afraid my love of God and others is not always very evident. It seems that a brief exchange or a curt interaction in my dealings with people, people that I love, happen too often.

To love God means that we need to put God first in our lives, even before our family. It means that every decision, every action, every thought needs to be steeped in the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness that is God. When we do that, I think we might find many of our decisions, actions, and thoughts turn out a tad different.

The love of God is life changing and transforming. When the love of God is allowed to permeate the soul, it changes everything. It shifts focus, intention, language, and desires. But the great thing about the love of God is that it is not one sided. Just as we are called to love God with all that we are, God already loves us in the same way.

This week I encourage you to take time to seriously discern where God ranks in your life. Then, if you are not happy with the answer, take time to ask God how you can change it. God is always willing to grow closer to us, we just need to ask.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

The Methodist Way - Passionate WorshipMatthew 22:34-40 and Luke 18:9-14

Bible Challenge 08/18 - 8/24

Greetings All!

This week we finish up the books of poetry in the Old Testament as we read Ecclesiastes and the entire book of Song of Solomon. Also attributed to King Solomon, Ecclesiastes seems at times like a reflective autobiography. The author proclaims all of the actions of humantiy to be "vain, futile, empty, meaningless, temporary, transitory or mere breath" (depending on the translation!) because all of life ends in death. So we are to focus all of our efforts towards that which is above this life: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep His commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone" (12:13).

The last book of poetry is also known sometimes as "Song of Songs" but most people remember it because of its content. If it were a movie it would probably have an "R" rating because of the way the physical relationship between the man and the woman is described in detail. This book is always a reminder to me that when God created us he created our whole person - sexuality included - and that it is a gift to be celebrated within the right contexts.

Then we transition into the first of the prophetic books. There are 5 major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel) and 12 minor prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). The distinction between "major" and "minor" has nothing to do with importance and everything to do with the size of the book. And you will find that these are not in any kind of chronological order and eventually will bounce back and forth between prophets to the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. The book of Isaiah is named for the prophet Isaiah who ministered to the southern kingdom of Judah for a period of about sixty years, through the reign of four kings. Many of Isaiah's prophecies concern a Savior and seem to be answered in the person of Jesus Christ. Consider Isaiah 7:14 for an example: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

Here is the schedule:

18, Sunday: Proverbs 29 - Ecclesiastes 1

19, Monday: Ecclesiastes 2-5

20, Tuesday: Ecclesiastes 6-9

21, Wednesday: Ecclesiastes 10 - Song of Solomon 1

22, Thursday: Song of Solomon 2-5

23, Friday: Song of Solomon 6 - Isaiah 1

24, Saturday: Isaiah 2-5

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday we will continue our series on the Methodist Way. Several years ago we spent time seeking to understand how these practices were calling us to live out our faith. This time around we are going to focus on how we have been living out these practices in our lives over the last several years. This Sunday our emphasis will be on the practice of Passionate Worship as we focus on the intent and  expectations of worship, as well as how we can prepare ourselves to experience God. I encourage you to invite a friend and come and see how God has been working in our congregation!






2. YMCA Appreciation Sunday - This Sunday, August 18th we will take time to honor and recognize the campers and counselors from the YMCA Summer Day Camp during worship. This year has been the highest attended camp since they have started meeting here, averaging 150-160 children each day! The care and dedication these counselors show the children is a wonderful thing to witness. I hope you will make plans to be here that week so we can all show our love and admiration to these special people. We are also inviting them to our Fellowship Lunch, so would you please consider bringing a dish to share so we have plenty to go around.






3. Ocala Health and Rehab - This Sunday is our week to go and minister to the residents of Ocala Health and Rehab. I want to extend an invitation to all of you to come and join us, Sunday at 2pm. Ocala Health and Rehab is located just down the street from the church on the corner of Lake Weir Road and SE 24th Road. We begin with a few hymns, I give a brief devotion, and we wrap it up with a few more hymns and a prayer. It is a wonderful time of fellowship and spreading the love of Christ. I am sure you will enjoy it and be glad you participated! I hope to see you there!





4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy, care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.





5. Advent Conspiracy - This year we have set a goal to raise $5,000, by Christmas Eve, as a response to God's blessings in our lives. This gift, which is above and beyond our regular giving, will be split between Heifer International and Stop Hunger Now. If you would like to donate to this challenge, please mark your check or envelope "Heifer Fund" and place it in the offering plate or drop it by the church office. Thank you so much for your consideration in meeting this goal.





Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Talking about faith can be scary. Talking about our faith can be terrifying. There is something about opening yourself up to a subject that is so intimate and personal that it makes many people shy away from sharing it.

I am always in awe of those people that have the gift of evangelism. I watch those gifted people speak with others, in what seems like such an effortless exchange, as they give of themselves to lead another person into the Kingdom of God. If you have ever been able to witness that instance, whether it happened to you or another, you know the power of God contained in that moment.

This past Sunday in worship we talked about one of the practices of the Methodist Way, Radical Hospitality. I mentioned how this practice focuses on how effective we are at reaching out to the non-religious and nominally religious people in our lives. As the body of Christ, we are to be about the work of spreading the Good News of the Gospel all over this world. I encouraged you to find your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, and your family members that may be non-religious and/or nominally religious and invite them to our church to experience our hospitality. I hope in the days since we last gathered, you have been thinking about who you can invite. (Just in case you are curious, you can invite more than one!)

Each of you that are a part of this family, have experienced God in some way, shape, or form. You have each felt the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in some aspect of your life that keeps you striving to deepen that relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is something that keeps that spark of God alive within you that makes you willing to acknowledge God’s role in your life. That is the story I encourage you to share with the people you invite to church.

Share with them how God has heard your prayers, tell them of how Christ has carried you, explain to them how the Holy Spirit has guided you during certain moments in your life. Help them understand that the joy, the happiness, and confidence you have in this life is because of what God has done for you! You all have wonderful stories! You all have tremendous experiences of how God has come to you, transformed you, and remade you into his image. Do not let those stories go untold. Do not let those wonderful examples of God’s love and joy stay under lock and key. Go forth and share. Go forth and welcome others in the same way Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God!

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

The Methodist Way - Radical HospitalityRomans 15:4-13 and Hebrews 13:1-3

Bible Challenge 08/11 - 08/17

Greetings All!

This week we begin reading in the book of Proverbs. The book of Proverbs is a collection of sayings, written by King Solomon, whom the Bible calls the wisest man ever. There are 31 chapters in this book and some people I know read through Proverbs every month with just a chapter a day. What has always fascinated me is the wide range of topics found there and how applicable those words from Proverbs still are today.

Here is the schedule:

11, Sunday: Proverbs 1-4

12, Monday: Proverbs 5-8

13, Tuesday: Proverbs 9-12

14, Wednesday: Proverbs 13-16

15, Thursday: Proverbs 17-20

16, Friday: Proverbs 21-24

17, Saturday: Proverbs 25-28

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

Blessings,

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This Sunday we will begin a new series on the Methodist Way. Several years ago we spent time seeking to understand how these practices were calling us to live out our faith. This time around we are going to focus on how we have been living out these practices in our lives over the last several years. This Sunday our emphasis will be on the practice of Radical Hospitality. I encourage you to invite a friend and come and see how God has been working in our congregation!







2. YMCA Appreciation Sunday - August 18th we will take time to honor and recognize the campers and counselors from the YMCA Summer Day Camp during worship. This year has been the highest attended camp since they have started meeting here, averaging 150-160 children each day! The care and dedication these counselors show the children is a wonderful thing to witness. I hope you will make plans to be here that week so we can all show our love and admiration to these special people. We are also inviting them to our Fellowship Lunch, so would you please consider bringing a dish to share so we have plenty to go around.

3. Apportionments - If you have been affiliated with the United Methodist Church for any amount of time, you may have heard this word. Basically apportionments are the share each annual conference and local church pay to support international, national, and regional missions. Our giving when combined with other churches, allow the United Methodist Church to accomplish something bigger than ourselves. We have 14 funds that we support with our apportionments and we have paid 100% of our obligations since 2003. Currently, we have paid 49.75% of our $16,262 obligation for 2013. If you would like to know more about apportionments, like the missions that are supported, please click here. It will take you to a document entitled, "A Guide to Apportionments". Here you can read more about this vital outreach ministry of our denomination.






4. Nursery Help - We are looking for people to help us staff our nursery on Sunday mornings. The number of young people we have in the nursery is growing and needless to say, that is a good thing! If you are interested in helping Ms. Joy, care for and teach our kids during worship, please let the church office know. You can email by clicking here, or call 629-5688. Remember the old adage, many hands make light work. I hope you will consider volunteering to help support this ministry.






5. Advent Conspiracy - This year we have set a goal to raise $5,000, by Christmas Eve, as a response to God's blessings in our lives. This gift, which is above and beyond our regular giving, will be split between Heifer International and Stop Hunger Now. If you would like to donate to this challenge, please mark your check or envelope "Heifer Fund" and place it in the offering plate or drop it by the church office. Thank you so much for your consideration in meeting this goal.





Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

I am proud of you! I am so proud of you! Two weeks ago I stood before you in worship, and with the blessing of the Finance Committee, I shared with you a vision. This vision was to find a way, above and beyond our normal financial support of the church, to raise $5,000 to give away by Christmas Eve this year. To help us in that endeavor, we spent the prior three weeks talking about how we order our lives, where we spend our treasure, and how our use of what God has entrusted to us says a lot about who or what we worship. We talked about how the gifts that mean the most to us are generally those gifts of time, those one on one experiences we share with one another and not those gifts of extravagance. We also talked about how if we alter just a few of our Christmas spending habits, not only can our enjoyment and celebration of Christmas be deepened, we can also share the many blessings we have from God with other people.

Based upon that premise, we have set a goal to raise $5,000 to split between Heifer International and StopHunger Now. The first $2,500 we are partnering with Belleview UMC, to have each church contribute $2,500 to Heifer International so together we can buy a Gift Ark. A Gift Ark is two of every animal Heifer raises to be given to communities all over the globe to help feed, reproduce, and raise their quality of life.

The other $2,500 we will use to buy 10,000 meals from Stop Hunger Now. The great thing about this endeavor is that we get to pack these meals. Stop Hunger Now wants to end world hunger in our lifetime and the way they are setting out to do that, is by providing meals to schools in impoverished countries. The children in these communities usually only eat when they go to school because of a lack of food elsewhere. If we can raise this $2,500, Stop Hunger Now will provide all the food, packing devices and materials for us to pack the meals. We call them with a date, they deliver the goods, we pack it, call them back when we are done, and they come and pick everything up. My family and I participated in a packing drive with Stop Hunger Now at Annual Conference and in about 30 minutes we helped pack 3,000 meals. I believe this to be a very worthwhile pursuit and know you will be blessed when you participate.

I know this may sound like an ambitious calling, and that is why we are talking about in July and August, so we have time and can be intentional about finding ways to meet this goal. Therefore, I want to encourage all of you to continue in your discernment about how you might help us reach our mark.

Earlier I said I was proud of you. That is because to date, two weeks into this challenge, we have raised $375! You have listened and the response is beginning. We have a long way to go, but I know we can make it. If you would like to make a contribution to this challenge, please mark your check or envelope “Heifer Fund” and our tellers will make sure your contribution goes to the right place.

Thank you so much for your consideration of this endeavor and I pray you feel the presence of God as you find ways to help us achieve this goal.

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

Hearing Our Story - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Today we were blessed to have Rev. Melissa Cooper share God's Word with us. I pray you enjoy her wonderful spirit and the value that stories have in our lives.

Bible Challenge 08/04 - 08/10

Greetings All!

This week we finish up the fifth section of Psalms. Whew! The longest book in the Bible is complete. You should feel a huge sense of accomplishment! Of the Psalms we are reading this week, Psalm 137 is an interesting one. It includes the line, "by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept." This Psalm is clearly written years after David when the people of God were in living in captivity/slavery in Babylon. It has been used in at least one spiritual as well as a reggae song. The Orthodox churches often use this as a hymn during Lent.

Here is the schedule:

04, Sunday: Psalms123-126

05, Monday: Psalms 127-130

06, Tuesday: Psalms131-134

07, Wednesday: Psalms 135-138

08, Thursday: Psalms 139-142

09, Friday: Psalms 143-146

10, Saturday: Psalms 147-150

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