Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we continue our Advent series entitled, March to the Manger. Each week we will take a different character from our nativity scene and look to the Christmas story through their eyes. This week we will focus on Mary and Joseph as we discover how God was revealed to them in the midst of their circumstances. Invite a friend and I hope to see you there.





2. Bible Study - This week we will continue our Advent Bible Study entitled, Christmas Gifts that Won't Break. Those are gifts that cannot be lost, that never go out of style, and that are independent of the chances and changes of life. They are the gifts that have been graciously given by God. That is what gives Advent a permanence that speaks to generations past, present, and future. This week we will look to the Gift of Joy. It is never to late to join, so come on out and be a part of this wonderful study. *As a side note there will be NO night class this week, just the morning session.*





3.Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allow the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. In order to guarantee delivery by the 25th, your order must be in by noon, this Monday, 12/10. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office by phone, 629-5688, or email her by clicking here.





4. Giving Opportunity - This year you can help be a Santa to a Senior. This outreach is part of a national program, now in its ninth year, that has helped provide more than one million gifts to 700,000 seniors in North America. The Garden Club of Stone Creek is partnering with Home Instead Senior Care of Ocala to bring some much-needed help to those in need in our community. The gift requests are typically simple presents like sweaters, lotions and blankets. While these gifts may seem simple, they make a huge difference to "isolated" seniors, those not fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends. Some other gift suggestions are small fleece lap blankets, toothpaste and toothbrushes, stationary, stamps, and pens, socks, and puzzle books. If you'd like to help in some way, you can buy one of these types of gifts and drop them off in the church office, or you can call 622-6447.





5. Brad Fuller Memorial - Tomorrow, Saturday, December 8th, at 10am, we will gather in our sanctuary to celebrate the wonderful life of Brad Fuller, who passed away last week. I invite you to come and join us as we offer love and support to the Fuller Family.







Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Midweek Moment

Here we are. Another year almost gone and another Advent season upon us. While at first read, those two sentences may seem to sound deflating, they can also be the beginning of a grand opportunity. Let me explain.

Advent basically means preparation or to prepare. This is the time of year that we are to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. Now the thought that permeates this season is the “coming” we should prepare for is the coming of the Christ Child. However, that has already happened. What we are to prepare ourselves for is the second coming of Christ. We are called to take this time of year and reflect on our faith journey and our relationship with God. We are encouraged to ask ourselves a few questions. Are we as close to God as we can possibly be? Are we fulfilling the call God has placed on our lives? Are we at all times and in all places living out the model of Jesus Christ? Can people simply look at us and how we live and know we are Christians, disciples of Jesus Christ?

While none of us can possible answer yes to all of those, the whole no one being perfect condition coming to bear, we can hope and strive to be better this year than last. John Wesley understood the condition of original sin and its effect on humanity, but he still called for all believers to “strive onto perfection”. While we can never attain perfection on this side of life, we can keep reaching for it.

So…how will you spend this Advent season? How will you prepare yourself for the coming of Christ and seek to be that beacon of hope, peace, joy, and love? Personally, I read. I find an Advent devotional and I use that as my starting point to reflect and remember the Advent stories and the purpose of this season. I then move through quiet prayer time, speaking my heart and listening for God’s. There are many, even hundreds, of books out there that you can use. Other people find a mission project to become a part of and work with them during Advent. All of us are created with different means of expression and various ways of connecting with God, so take time to find the one that works best for you and then adopt into your daily routine.

I encourage you this Advent to find a way, to spend some dedicated time, and prepare yourselves for Advent. Do not let the hustle and bustle of this season, or anything else rob you of the opportunity to grow closer to your Creator. God is waiting. God is eager. So go to God and be refreshed, encouraged, and strengthened.

May this Advent season draw you closer to the one that loved you first!

March to the Manger: The Angels and ShepherdsLuke 2:8-14 and 15-20

Bible Challenge 12/2 - 12/8

Greetings All!

This week we finish up the book of II Corinthians and make our way through Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and part of Colossians.

Here is some background information that may assist you in 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.

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.

May this information guide your reading this week. Here is the schedule:

02, Sunday: II Corinthians 4-7

03, Monday: II Corinthians 8-11

04, Tuesday: II Corinthians 12 - Galatians 2

05, Wednesday: Galatians 3-6

06, Thursday: Ephesians 1-4

07, Friday: Ephesians 5 - Philippians 2

08, Saturday: Philippians 3 - Colossians 2

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we will begin our Advent series entitled, March to the Manger. Each week we will take a different character from our nativity scene and look to the Christmas story through their eyes. This week we will begin with the Angels and the Shepherds as we look to the response of the shepherds to the message of the Angels. Invite a friend and I hope to see you there.





2. Bible Study - This week we will continue our Advent Bible Study entitled, Christmas Gifts that Won't Break. Those are gifts that cannot be lost, that never go out of style, and that are independent of the chances and changes of life. They are the gifts that have been graciously given by God. That is what gives Advent a permanence that speaks to generations past, present, and future. This week we will look to the Gift of Love. It is never to late to join, so come on out and be a part of this wonderful study.





3.Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allow the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. In order to guarantee delivery by the 25th, your order must be in by noon, on 12/10. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office by phone, 629-5688, or email her by clicking here.





4. Giving Opportunity - This year you can help be a Santa to a Senior. This outreach is part of a national program, now in its ninth year, that has helped provide more than one million gifts to 700,000 seniors in North America. The Garden Club of Stone Creek is partnering with Home Instead Senior Care of Ocala to bring some much-needed help to those in need in our community. The gift requests are typically simple presents like sweaters, lotions and blankets. While these gifts may seem simple, they make a huge difference to "isolated" seniors, those not fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends. Some other gift suggestions are small fleece lap blankets, toothpaste and toothbrushes, stationary, stamps, and pens, socks, and puzzle books. If you'd like to help in some way, you can buy one of these types of gifts and drop them off in the church office, or you can call 622-6447.

5. Brad Fuller Memorial - On Saturday, December 8th, at 10am, we will gather in our sanctuary to celebrate the wonderful life of Brad Fuller, who passed away last week. I invite you to come and join us as we offer love and support to the Fuller Family. Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!





Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!

Bible Challenge 11/25 - 12/1

Greetings All!

This week we finish up the book of Romans, read all of I Corinthians and most of II Corinthians.

In Romans, we will read Paul' argument regarding God and Jesus. The flow is as follows: 1) God's wrath revealed against the unrighteous (1:18-3:20); 2) God credits righteousness to all (3:21-5:21); 3) The gift of God's righteousness results in righteous living (6:1-8:39); 4) God's righteousness in the case of Israel (9:1-11:36); 5) God's righteousness reflected in the righteous lives of believers (12:1-15:13); and 6) God's righteousness shared by Paul as minister to the Gentiles (15:14-33).

That will lead us into I and II Corinthians. 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, Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18:17), 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 53-57 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 his 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. In between I and II Corinthians, Paul visited Corinth another time (a painful visit) and wrote at least one other letter that is now lost. It would seem that the situation in Corinth was still complicated and Paul felt attacked. He defends himself with some of his important teachings - forgiving others, God's new agreement that comes from the Spirit of the living God, the importance of being a person of Christ and giving generously to God's people in Jerusalem and finally ends with his own experience of how God changed his life.

Here is the schedule:

25- Romans 8-11

26- Romans 12-15

27- Romans 16 - I Corinthians 3

28- I Corinthians 4-7

29- I Corinthians 8-11

30- I Corinthians 12-15

1 - I Corinthians 16 - II Corinthians 3

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

Friday Fives

1. Preaching Series - This week we will celebrate Hanging of the Greens during worship. Come and join us as we transform the sanctuary from dark and un-decorated to bright and beaming with the hope of Advent. We will completely decorate the sanctuary during our time together and you will hear the meaning behind each of our decorations. This is truly a wonderful service, so invite a friend and I hope to see you there.





2. Bible Study - Beginning this Thursday, November 29th, we will begin our Advent Bible Study entitled, Christmas Gifts that Won't Break. Those are gifts that cannot be lost, that never go out of style, and that are independent of the chances and changes of life. They are the gifts that have been graciously given by God. That is what gives Advent a permanence that speaks to generations past, present, and future. I hope you will all make plans to attend. It will be offered twice a day on Thursdays; 10:30am and 7pm. For more information and to sign up you can click here, or call the church office, 629-5688.





3.Christmas Gift Cards - If you normally buy gift cards for the holidays I want to invite you to consider buying them through the church this year. This is an excellent way for you to buy those cards for your loved ones and allow the church to raise extra funds, all at the same time. In order to guarantee delivery by the 25th, your order must be in by noon, on 12/10. For a full listing of all participating vendors you can contact Carole in the church office by phone, 629-5688, or email her by clicking here.





4. Giving Opportunity - This year you can help be a Santa to a Senior. This outreach is part of a national program, now in its ninth year, that has helped provide more than one million gifts to 700,000 seniors in North America. The Garden Club of Stone Creek is partnering with Home Instead Senior Care of Ocala to bring some much-needed help to those in need in our community. The gift requests are typically simple presents like sweaters, lotions and blankets. While these gifts may seem simple, they make a huge difference to "isolated" seniors, those not fortunate to be surrounded by family and friends. Some other gift suggestions are small fleece lap blankets, toothpaste and toothbrushes, stationary, stamps, and pens, socks, and puzzle books. If you'd like to help in some way, you can buy one of these types of gifts and drop them off in the church office, or you can call 622-6447.





5. Fellowship Opportunities

• Advent Breakfast, December 1st.

• Prayer Shawl Ministry beginning December 19th.

For more information about these events check the announcements in the bulletin this Sunday or look at our bulletin on the church website by clicking here.

Have a great weekend and I will see you Sunday!