This Week: Tomorrow (Tues.) 10-11 Zoom Huddle
6PM Thanksgiving Eve Eve Taco Tuesday dinner worship! All welcome!
Wed. Bread Ministry 10-12
Sat. 10 AM decorate for Christmas
This is the last two days to register to receive $50 on Sunday to use to bless others or the Kindness Project. If you haven't signed up, let Sarah or me know of your interest today to be able to join us in being a blessing this holiday season.
Sun. Dec 22nd we will install some new members. If you are interested in joining our fellowship of believers, let Sarah or me know and we will get you an application.
******PTL! Last Dec. Mike Laise encouraged us to pray for and invite people to join us and we started praying for 12 new members this year or for one per month. God has been faithful to answer those prayers and has drawn some through our invites to come and check us out. He is so faithful!!! Yesterday we talked to our 13th new member! God hears and answers!!! So Sunday Dec 22nd, 3 more will be received into membership and adding their rocks to our altar as they covenant with us to live and love like Jesus as part of His Body and Good News Delivery Co.! He has also answered the prayer to raise up servants from the harvest He is sending and most of these new members are already serving or wanting to! Yes! Thanks Lord! Keep hearing and answering those prayers!!!!
Sarah Update below: (Update to hers: Chris Muik was admitted to St. Luke's for further evaluation. Keep him, Yvonne and family in your prayers)
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Good Morning Thankful, Focused on Jesus, Faithful Worshipers! Amen! This salutation is a word from God to us flowing through our worship, Sarah's message and our fellowship yesterday. It flows from my quiet time and devotional studies this morning to us from God! He is speaking to your heart right now affirming you and your faith and leading you to live a life filled with thanksgiving, faithfulness and worship as you are created to do. PTL! Be still for a bit and dwell in His love, presence and Word as you prepare for a day of worshipful service that flows from a heart overflowing with His love and from much grateful thankfulness for who He is, what He's done and from His deep love for you. He created you for such a time as this and He is with you always, walking with you and holding you in the palm of His hand. He informs, comforts, strengthens, delivers and helps you each step and you get to offer yourself as an act of worship and follow Him to his best. Yes, PTL! Worship with a thankful heart and follow well today! I'm praying for you too! So here is the flow from my devos: What's God saying to you? What thanksgivings can you raise from these and your time with Him. What will you do in response today? Who are your partners? God does have great, custom made plans for you that will lead to much joy and thanksgiving as you follow Him o His perfect plans for you! rejoice and worship today! Amen!
ODB:
Being Thankful Despite Trials
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to [God] and praise his name. Psalm 100:4
READ Psalm 100
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I’ve been following and praying for a fellow writer who’s been posting online about her cancer journey. She alternates between sharing updates about her physical pain and challenges and sharing prayer requests with Scripture and praises to God. It’s beautiful to see her courageous smile whether she’s in the hospital awaiting treatments or at home wearing a bandana because her hair is falling out. With each challenge, she never fails to encourage others to trust God during trials.
When we’re going through difficulties, it may be challenging to find reasons to be grateful and to praise God. However, Psalm 100 gives us reasons to rejoice and give God praise despite our circumstances. The psalmist says: “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (v. 3). He adds, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (v. 5).
Whatever our trial, we can take comfort knowing that God is near to our broken hearts (34:18). The more time we spend with God in prayer and reading the Bible, the more we’ll be able to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” and “give thanks to him and praise his name” (100:4). We can “shout for joy to the Lord” (v. 1) even and perhaps especially when we’re in a difficult season because our God is faithful.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
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What are you grateful for? What can you praise God for right now?
Dear God, please help me to praise You even in my trials.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Psalm 100 is the last of eight consecutive psalms (93-100) that emphasize God as King. Each psalm highlights a particular aspect of this King’s reign. Psalm 93 shows God ruling over the seas (vv. 3-4)—a characteristic especially meaningful to a people who’d passed safely through the Red Sea as their enemies drowned behind them (see Exodus 14). Psalm 94 shows God as the righteous judge who opposes the wicked. Psalms 95-97 praise the incomparability of the one true God, “the great King above all gods” (95:3), extolling His “righteousness and justice” as “the foundation of his throne” (97:2). This emphasis on God “above all gods” (v. 9) is vital for Israel as they were surrounded by nations that worshiped false gods. Psalm 100 recognizes this true King as Israel’s creator and shepherd (v. 3) and calls everyone to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” (v. 4).
Tim Gustafson |
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Sarah Young
Charles Stanley
Chuck Swindoll
Joyce Meyer
Upper Room: Making An Impression
As God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. - Colossians 3:12 (CEB)
Sometimes after I put together an outfit that I think looks good, and more importantly is comfortable, my wife will look at me with a smile and ask, “Why are you leaving the house dressed like that?” So . . . I change my clothes. We laugh about it, but my wife’s attentiveness to the clothes I wear reminds me that how we present ourselves makes an impression on others.
With Christ, we are given the grace to clothe ourselves with love, kindness, compassion, and patience.
Early Christianity grew in part because outsiders witnessed the changed lives, good qualities, and virtues of those who followed Christ. As Jesus said in John 13:35, “This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” Jesus taught his disciples to show the world what they believe and where they find hope.
I still find it tempting to go back to old patterns of living. But I am constantly reminded of Jesus’ transforming grace which allows the world to see Christ through us.
Today's Prayer
Holy God, guide us to clothe ourselves in love and kindness. May the world see Christ when they look at us. Amen.
TWFYT
Harvest Prayer
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November 25 - Finding God in the Midst of Your Trouble
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Every day, if we are wise, we will realize our increasing need for God. We were designed to depend on Him, just like our lungs crave oxygen and our heart needs blood.
This world is full of difficulties that are beyond us, problems that at any moment threaten to pull us down into the quicksand of despair and defeat, and decisions that are above our capabilities. We need Someone bigger.
So, how do we find Him in the midst of such a troubled and fallen world?
"How long will You forget me, O Lord? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day? How long shall my enemy exalt himself over me?" (Psalm 13:1-2, Amplified Bible)
David is describing in prayer what life feels like at the moment. It seems like the Lord has forsaken Him. He doesn't sense His presence. He is overcome with cares and sorrow. His enemies seem to be winning the day.
Every person has days like this. David's Psalm strikes a chord in us because of his raw, unfiltered honesty. He’s voicing what is in our hearts when it seems God is distant and unconcerned.
Lord, some days I feel like King David. There are times when it seems You are silent and distant. Yet, I know that You are always present and leaning in to hear my prayers. Help me to faithfully come to You when I feel lost, afraid, sad, confused or anxious. Give me increased faith that even when I can’t see Your hand at work, I can always trust that Your heart is for me.
---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
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- Praise God, the one who keeps you in perfect peace (Isa. 26:3).
- Give thanks for peace which is far beyond your understanding (Phil. 4:7).
- Confess that you sometimes look to the world to bring you peace rather than to God.
- Commit yourself to living in peace with others (1 Thess. 5:13).
- Ask God to give you a peaceable spirit.
- Jesus promises to give his peace to those who believe in faith (Jn. 14:27). Pray for one unsaved person you know to receive Jesus’ precious peace.
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Sarah Update
Good afternoon, prayer warriors,
What a great day of worship today.....and then the brunch.....yummo, those pancakes were delicious!!!
A huge thank you to Lori and her team! Great job!
Here are the praises and prayer needs from worship:
Chris and Yvonne Muiks are praising God that their daughter is doing much better after having an allergic reaction to the colonoscopy prep med.
Prayers for Chris, this morning he noticed that his foot was red, and was going to the ER to get it checked, after he and Yvonne worshipped with us via Zoom. Praying for your healing Chris!
Josie's grandson, Craig is doing well, and he wearing his brace and taking physical therapy. Prayers that he takes his time and allows his body to heal and that he has patience with the process.
Carol will be having heart surgery tomorrow at 7:30am. Pastor Don and Darlene helped to lay hands on her and pray over her this morning. May God's peace surround Carol and her medical team get a good night's rest....so they are ready for the day's work.
Ken - Sandy Ritter's husband is having a procedure on his back on Tuesday. Sandy is asking for prayers for Ken to be comforted and have peace. Praying his anxiety will be replaced with His peace.
Let's continue to pray for Diane, Houston, Matt Stauffer, and others in our church family that may be going through a difficult time in their lives. Pray also for the family members of these folks.
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Here is Gladys Ketner's new address:
Gladys Ketner
Heather Glen
415 Blue Barn Road
Room E 3
Allentown Pa 18104
Her lunch time is from 12 - 1pm and they ask for no visitors to come during that time.
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Okay everyone.....be grateful for all that God has blessed you with and if you can't find something to be thankful for,
stop and take a breath, and exhale.....and then thank God for that breath!
Blessings,
Sarah
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