Midweek Moment

A few weeks ago in worship we talked about Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We spent some time looking at how in the midst of that celebration, with everyone shouting with exclamation and waving palm branches, there were still those that approached Jesus and ask that he command his followers to calm down.

That whole idea of “calm down” made me think. Have we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, listened to the comments of this small group and calmed down? Or have we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, continued our celebration? How many times have we subdued our excitement with our faith, so as not to draw attention to ourselves? How many times, have we whispered about our faith, so as not to offend others that might hear? How many times have we hidden our faith, so as not to cause people to think differently about us?

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. This is the day in our liturgical calendar where we mark Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is the moment where throngs of people were glad and even overjoyed to be with Jesus. In contemporary terms, you could even say his approval rating had never been higher. But it is also the beginning of the week where Jesus is arrested, tried, convicted, and executed.

It is easy to mark this Sunday with a bit of tepid excitement. We are excited about Jesus entering Jerusalem, but we know what comes next. That knowledge can cause us to subdue some of our celebration. But let me offer this idea to you. Just as we know what happens to Jesus during Holy Week, we also know what happens to Jesus on Easter. We know Holy Week does not defeat him. We know that Jesus defeats death, pays the price for our sins, and offers us a way to redemption with the Father!

That should be something we can be excited about. That is something we should be excited about! I know this life can bring us down and level us out emotionally. It can sap the joy we have and absolutely bring us to our knees. It can also lull us into an almost catatonic state where there is no sadness, but no joy either.

I encourage you to find your joy in Jesus Christ this week. Then when you find it, grab on to it with both hands. Never be ashamed to celebrate it. Never be weary to talk about it. Never be shy to shout it from the mountain tops. Allow the joy we have in Christ not to be subdued by this life. Hold onto that joy, live into that joy, live out of that joy. Christ celebrates you, so return the favor and celebrate Christ; this day and every day!

Blessings,

Giving It Up - Our LivesEzekiel 37:1-6 and John 11:17-45

Bible Challenge 04/06 - 04/12

Greetings All!

This week we continue our reading in the book of Numbers. Remember Numbers includes two census of the Israelites. The first ten chapters deal with the numbering of the people at Mount Sinai and also preparations for resuming their march through through the wilderness. Chapters 11-19 in this week's reading talk about the journey of the Israelites from Sinai to Moab, the sending out of the spies and the report they brought back, and the murmurings of the people and the hardships along the way and the subsequent exile into the wilderness for 40 years. Then we move onto the last section of the book which details the remainder of the Israelites' forty years of wandering on the plains of Moab before crossing the Jordan River.

Here is the schedule:

06, Sunday: Numbers 4-7

07, Monday: Numbers 8-11

08, Tuesday: Numbers 12-15

09, Wednesday: Numbers 16-19

10, Thursday: Numbers 20-23

11, Friday: Numbers 24-27

12, Saturday: Numbers 28-31

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 Sunday we will continue our series Giving It Up. There is a discipline that has developed around the season of Lent and giving things up. That for forty days we should deny ourselves of something - a luxury or an indulgence - in order to somehow draw closer to Jesus in his self-denial and suffering on our behalf. This series will help us look at a few things that we might give up permanently, specifically those actions and attitudes that are causing us issues in our relationship with God and with others. I hope you will make plans to come and join us for this time of worship, fellowship, and transformation. For the sermon schedule, please click here and I hope to see you all there!





2. Easter Tableau - Our Annual Easter Tableau, our gift to this community, is right around the corner. On Thursday, April 17th and Friday, April 18th, we will give the people of Ocala the opportunity to witness and relive for themselves the last week of Christ's life here on Earth. In order to make this a reality, we need your help. There are sign-up sheets on the Connection Station for you to volunteer in a myriad of ways. You can volunteer for things such as portraying a character in one of the scenes, to scene set-up, costumes, make-up, sound, or lighting. We still have many places for willing hands and we need yours! We are also excited to be able to offer a transportation service this year. If you would like a ride to and from the Easter Tableau, please sign up at the Connection Station on Sunday morning or call the church office to let us know, 629-5688. Please also be in prayer for a successful 2014 Easter Tableau. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Hughes or Terri Silvola-Finch. Thank You!





3. Meet Adam Hamilton - On Thursday, April 24th Adam Hamilton will be in Orlando for an evening of teaching and conversation around his new book, Making Sense of the Bible. I have just two tickets left to give away to anyone that is interested. It will take place at First United Methodist in Orlando and will begin at 7 P.M. We will join people from Belleview and ride their bus over and back. If you are interested in going please email me to let me know by clicking here. These tickets are free and they are first come, first serve.





4. New Member Class - On April 6th at 12:45 PM, Pastor Daryl will host a new member class in his office. If you have been attending Druid Hills for several months and would like to take that next step and become a member of this church, please call 629-5688 or email the church office by clicking here to sign up. We will discuss what it means to be a United Methodist, what it means to be a member of Druid Hills, and get a little background on history of this church. If this interests you, we hope you will make plans to attend.





5. New Ministry - We are entering a new season at Druid Hills. We have many new faces, many new children, youth and young adults and, we need a way to get to know each other as we grow together in our faith.

Therefore, beginning Thursday, May 1st, we will start a new weekly program to help us in that endeavor. We are calling it F.A.D. night, or Faith and Discipleship night, and it is designed to unite multi-generations in fun and fellowship while giving us the opportunity to grow in our faith.

We will gather each Thursday from 5:30-7:30 pm, share a meal together and then have various opportunities, for all ages, to engage in discipleship growth. There will be a slight charge for the meal. Those funds will be used to supply the meal and materials for this time of fellowship and discipleship. There will be choir for the children, youth group for the older youth and Bible Study for the adults. We will also mix in special opportunities throughout the year for us to do things as one large group, such as hear from speakers and other minis-tries, and also times to celebrate special milestones. One of the best ways for us to be all that God created us to be is to know each other as well as we can. A life lived together is a life lived for God. I hope you will make plans to be part of this new opportunity and come grow with us!




Have a great week and I will see you Sunday,

Just a Reminder...

Friday, April 4th, our parking lot will be undergoing maintenance. As such we will be unable to drive upon that day and most of the next. If you need to contact the office please call, 629-5688, or click here to email.

However, it will be just fine for Sunday morning, so we hope to see you all there!!

Thank you!

Midweek Moment

I came upon this verse today: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” It comes from 2 Corinthians 12:10 and comes at the end of a testimony given by Paul. Paul was talking about a vision he had from God. He describes this vision as being so grand that it cannot be described. He goes on to talk about how that experience of the vision is worth boasting about and how there are other things in his life about which he could also boast. But then he stops and says that in order to keep himself from getting puffed up he was given a messenger from Satan to subdue his ego.

Many of you are familiar with what happens next as Paul describes how he pleads with God to remove this “thorn in his flesh” and then we hear that oft quoted verse, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Paul echoes that sentiment in the next verse where we read, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? It sounds virtually impossible for us to find strength in the midst of weakness, to find courage in the midst of fear. But that is what Paul is saying. Paul is trying to help us understand that it is extremely difficult to live this life out of our own strength and that if we are left to our own devices, our own ego that will not be sufficient. God has told us, called us, even encourages us to live through him, to rely on him, and to be vessels by which the Holy Spirit engages this world.

When we can allow God to take control, when we can turn all that we are and all that we have, spiritually and materially, over to God, God can and will do amazing things! Paul is encouraging us to stop living for ourselves and to live for God. He is telling us that better things await us, if we can live in our weakness rely on God’s strength for our lives.

I understand that this idea can easily fall into the “easier said than done” category. After all it is difficult to let go of ourselves, our desires, and egos. But when we can let God have control, complete and utter control, then we can witness the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

This Lenten season, may you find that reassurance to live into your weakness. May you find the power of the Holy Spirit as you exult others over yourself, put the needs of others before your own, seek to live humbly while giving what you can to others. May you be that vessel God uses to break down walls, change lives, and build his Kingdom here on earth. May you know the joy of living a life with God and for God as you share that joy with others, this day and every day!

Have a great week and I will see you Sunday!

God's Salty People Matthew 5:13-16

We were so blessed this past Sunday to have Rev. Terry Markins come and share with us. His words and ability to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through him were an absolute blessing to us. If you could not be with us, or simply want to hear it again, below is the recording of his message, God's Salty People.