Tomorrow: Worship with Children's Church at 10 and on Zoom, followed by vote on budget, followed by brief New Members gathering at front of Sanctuary, followed by Brunch! Bring a friend! (or three!)
Tues: Zoom Huddle 10AM
Wed: Bread distribution 10-12; Family Ministries/Adult dinner huddle 6PM
Sat March 1st: Clothing Closet 10-1
Good Morning Teammates--Co-Laborers in Christ! We all know that song: We are one in the Spirit. We are one in the Lord! And what? They'll know we are Christians by our love! Amen! We are all part of Christ's Body world-wide, all of history Body--His Church! And He has created us for His purposes and placed us in His Body that gathers in a building called St. Matts for His purposes for such a time as this. We are loved, gathered, sent, guided and we matter! All of us matter! We are one in the Spirit, Lord and part of His Good News Delivery Co. Amen! We are family and we are better together. In fact we need each other! Please pray into our unity of vision, mission and as His family. Pray that many more would be drawn to His love and family through us. Pray for more connection points to others to be seen by us and stepped into as we seek to grow in Christ and grow His Body. Pray for (this is something God is pounding me about) us to start some small groups where we process, discern, pray, encourage, correct and hold accountable each other. That is a key part of becoming more in '24 that God is leading us through this year. What word is He leading you to work on? Sarah and I have only heard from one of you? God is always tweaking us and wanting to grow us. What is He wanting you to focus on this year? Working on these words in small groups would be perfect as well. We love God, each other and others. Amen! An we are doing pretty well with that but this life is a journey to become more like Jesus and we always have some things to work on. That works best in small groups. Who are you partnering with?
Check out the devos below as you still yourself at Jesus' feet, receive and share with someone what you are hearing. God really does have great plans for you and sometimes that means traveling through some storms along the way. Stormy times are times we really need others. But so can those opposite times of floating on some high time of life. Who is helping you to stay true to God's plans for you? Who is helping in those anxious times. We are family and better together. We are loved, loving and gathered and sent to love together. May we continue to work out our faith with fear and trembling as we show our love and worship as we grow and go together. Yes we are one in the Spirit and the Lord and we are love! Amen!
Harvest Prayer Blog:
February 24 - Your Life Won’t Work Without Him.
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God has designed your body with incredible precision. Every part—down to the smallest cell—is interconnected and dependent upon the other parts. You cannot survive without your heart, or your lungs, or your kidneys. And each of these organs communicate with the others. This interconnectedness is essential.
God made us physically, and designed us spiritually, but He never intended for us to live without Him.
God invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it will not run properly on anything else. God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, and the food our spirits were designed to feed on.
Like the relationship of branches to a life-giving vine, we must remain in continual union with Him, just as Christ said. Prayer is the means of this abiding connection.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (John 15).
Almighty Vine, may my mission in life be to stay attached to You in every way, for You designed me perfectly for Your purposes. I am “fearfully and wonderfully” made to do Your will, and to obey Your commands. Help me to remember daily that my life is not my own…it belongs completely to You. May I give myself to You day after day after day with a willing spirit.
---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
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Charles Stanley:
UR: Light in the Darkness
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. - Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
When I was young, I slept with the light on in the bathroom down the hall because I was afraid of the dark. The light would shine into my bedroom, and I would hear the calming sound of the fan in the bathroom as I drifted off to sleep, feeling safe. Whenever the bathroom light wasn’t on, I felt anxious, and it was much harder for me to fall asleep.
When Paul gave the command not to be anxious, he had greater reason to worry than does a kid who is afraid of the dark. He was in prison for proclaiming the gospel to the nations, and he was unsure of what his future held. In Paul’s moment of uncertainty, he chose to focus his attention on the One who calls himself the light of the world.
When we aren’t sure of where we are headed or how God will lead us, we can choose to trust in Christ and focus on the illuminating grace of his presence. Christ’s light can guide us through the often tumultuous waves of life.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, help us to worry less and trust you to guide our steps. Amen.ODB:
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Søren Solkær spent years photographing starlings and their breathtaking spectacle: murmurations, where hundreds of thousands of starlings move in fluid motion across the sky. Watching this marvel is like sitting underneath an orchestrated, swirling wave or a massive, dark brushstroke flowing into a kaleidoscope of patterns. In Denmark, they call this starling experience Black Sun (also the title of Solkær’s stunning book of photographs). Most remarkable is how starlings instinctively follow their nearest companion, flying so close that if one were to miss a beat, they’d suffer mass calamity. However, starlings use murmurations to protect one another. When a hawk descends, these tiny creatures enter tight formation and move collectively, beating back a predator who’d easily pick them off if they were alone.
We’re better together than we are alone. “Two are better than one,” Ecclesiastes says. “If either . . . falls down, one can help the other up. [And] if two lie down together, they will keep warm” (4:9–11). Alone, we’re isolated and easy prey. We’re exposed without the comfort or protection of others.
But with companions, we give and receive help. “Though one may be overpowered,” Ecclesiastes says, “two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (v. 12). We’re better together as God leads us.
By Winn Collier
REFLECT & PRAY
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How are you more vulnerable when you’re isolated from others? How can you draw closer to them?
Dear God, please help me commit to being in community and extending Your love.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Although the author of Ecclesiastes isn’t named, he refers to himself as “the Teacher,” or qoheleth in Hebrew (1:1-2, 12; 12:8-10). Based on internal evidence, scholars believe that “the Teacher” is Solomon, “son of David” (1:1) and “king over Israel in Jerusalem” (v. 12). In the first six chapters, Solomon examines life as he’d lived it and discusses what makes it purposeful and meaningful. He talks about human achievements, pleasures, and wisdom (chs. 1-2) and how mortal men live out their time on earth in the light of eternity (ch. 3). In chapter 4, Solomon discusses social relationships. The solitary person lives a miserable, lonely existence without social interactions with other humans. In verses 9-12, the author extols the value, advantages, and mutual benefits of friendship, partnership, and companionship, making this passage a popular text for weddings. Solomon argues that friendships and community are needed for a meaningful life.
K. T. Sim |
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