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Saturday, January 25 2025

Thank you all for adapting with Zoom only worship yesterday! We heard a little about our responsibility as God's redeemed, gathered and sent people. We were preparing for our Annual Congregational Meeting next Sunday after worship. See you there! We all have a part and responsibility in the Kingdom and as God's Good News Delivery Co. And we get to exercise our gifts and created abilities to grow His Kingdom as His people! PTL! Keep praying into that! See Sarah's Prayer update from yesterday below.

This Week:

Tuesday Zoom Huddle 10-11 All welcome!

Wednesday:

10-12 Bread Ministry

6-7:30 Dinner Huddle. All welcome!

Sunday: Worship at 10 with Children's Church starting their several week building of and teaching about the armor of God. Congregational meeting in sanctuary after worship followed by our 2 Peas in A Pod Brunch at 11:30. All welcome!

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Good Morning Redeemed, Washed-White-As-Snow, Called, Gifted, Gathered and Sent, Worshipers of God Almighty! Amen! May we step more fully into that Lord!

Today is a holiday for many as we remember Martin Luther King Jr. and his fight for freedom. ODB reflects on God's call to Moses to go set His people free. We are free in Christ and called and sent to set the captives free. We still battle for the souls of the oppressed and enslaved today. May God send us and use us well and may we not be reluctant to go like Moses. But we are also reminded that God sent him with a partner as well. What's your call and who are your partners? Today is also Inauguration Day where the freedoms we know in this country are lived out as we transition leaders. May freedom ring and God lead our leaders to his perfect plans. Check out Harvest Prayer as they begin several days of praying for our new leaders and for our nation. May freedom ring, love arise, and unity come! Amen! Below ODB you will find my "I to We" devo as we remember our call to love God, each other and others. May that come alive and grow in and through and around us Lord! I think that will be enough for today. You can use this snowy holiday to spend some time with our Lord, Savior and Leader. He has set us free! And sent us to set the captives free. That is why we are still walking this earth! May we be determined to go live and love more like Jesus and step into our purposes in His Good News Delivery Company. May we come alive in '25! Amen! (pray for Karen and I as we hit the road shortly to go spend time with our grand babies! Thanks!)

God has great plans custom made for you and us as His gathered and sent people. He loves you and is calling you by name. He has gifted and positioned you for such a time as this and He has gathered us to grow His Kingdom As we trust, obey and follow, we are worshiping the King of kings and bringing great glory to His name And that results in good and lasting fruit! may we abide, follow and build His Kingdom always! Amen! I'm praying for you and us. Join God and me!

ODB:

Let My People Go

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.” Exodus 3:7

READ Exodus 3:1-10

audio playLISTEN ONLINE

The acclaimed painting Let My People Go by Aaron Douglas uses vibrant colors of lavender, green, and gold, along with traditional African imagery, to tell the biblical story of Moses and connect it with black Americans’ struggle for freedom and justice.

The painting portrays God’s appearance to Moses in a burning bush when He revealed that He’d seen the plight of the Israelites in Egypt. The artist uses a beam of light to symbolize God and His message, “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10).

In Let My People Go, Moses kneels in obedient submission to God’s instructions, but the eye is drawn to the dark waves and horses trained for war surrounding him—reminding viewers of the struggles the Israelites would face as they left Egypt. But the beam of light shines brightly as a reminder that God would be with the Israelites.

The emotions evoked by the painting resonate because the struggle against injustice continues; many use their power to oppress men, women, and children around the world. As those who are suffering cry out for God to be “a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9), we can plead with God to respond to their cries for help. And, like Moses, we can be willing to act on behalf of the oppressed.

By Lisa M. Samra

REFLECT & PRAY

How might you pray for oppressed people? How might you learn more about caring for those suffering from injustice?

Heavenly Father, please make Your presence known to all those who suffer unjustly.

Visit ODBU.org/SF120 to learn more about how to pray for others.

Lecture - Our Daily Bread University

Deborah Judge

Watch Read TranscriptListening Guide This activity supports learning objectives 1 and 2.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Moses’ burning bush experience (Exodus 3) involves what’s known as a theophany, “a theological term to refer to either a visible or auditory manifestation of God” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology). The sight or sound grabs one’s attention, but the message is what’s paramount. God assured Moses: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people . . . . I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am concerned about their suffering” (v. 7). Another example of a theophany is when God appeared in fire and smoke at Mount Sinai (19:16-20).

Arthur Jackson

I to We

Inline image
 

Harvest Blogs:

January 20 - The Holy Spirit Is Poured Out On All People

Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike (Joel 2:28-29).

The Spirit is generous to all of God’s people. He shows no partiality for the elite, but is poured out on men and women, young and old, the poor and the wealthy. Are we walking in a way that shows we believe this promise extends to us? The Spirit pours into us so that we can pour into others and build up the body of believers through our gifts.

Father God, please give me the faith to believe that the gifts of the Spirit are available to me, my family and the community of believers I worship with! Help us all to trust that You will show us how to walk in those gifts as You pour the Spirit out upon us!

--Adapted with permission from The Summit Church (thesummitchurch.orgwe are inviting you into 21 days of prayer and fasting at the beginning of this new year! Each day will focus on a different biblical attribute of the Holy Spirit.

The founding pastor of Summit Church is Bill Elliff, who is now the pastor Emeritus and serves on the Executive Leadership Team of OneCry (onecry.com). Check out the OneCry Podcast that Bill Elliff co-hosts!

INAUGUARATION DAY: Join us in praying for the new President the first 31 days of his administration:

Day 1: Pray that the president would be a friend to the churches in America that honor Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
 

First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:2).

Prayer Points

  • Praise the righteous God whose face shines upon you (Psalm 4).
  • Thank him for setting apart the godly for himself.
  • Confess any unresolved anger that causes you to sin.
  • Commit yourself to bringing to God gifts worthy of his name.
  • Ask the Lord to surround you with his favor and spread his protection over you so that you may rejoice in him.
  • Pray that the Spirit may thrust believers into worldwide mission, impelling young and old, men and women, to go next door and far away, into science and art, media and marketplace with the good news of God’s grace.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.

Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2025 is a free devotional published daily by OneCry Prayer. Find more resources at www.onecry.com

Sarah Prayer update:

Good afternoon, everyone,

We had a nice worship service on Zoom. 32 folks were on zoom. Thank you to Pastor Don and Debbie S for helping with the service today. 

Caleb's audiology appointment is coming up soon. Prayers to be scheduled soon and good results.

Darla - Josie's friend who is having mobility issues. 

Tim Schware - he is having trouble with his pitching arm. This week he will be getting cortisone shots. Praying that this will help with Pain and discomfort

Kay Behle's wrist surgery went well and she is recuperating well.

Gary Bastan has asked for surgery for a few family members:

       Howie - is currently in the hospital

       His cousin's niece, Linda is currently on water pills to help reduce the fluid on her lungs and legs

  And Gary will be traveling with family to Florida, Jan 23 - 27. Prayers for safe travels for all

Prayers for safety and healing for those in our church family that are sick, or going through their treatments 

Prayers for Lori and her team as they prep for our brunch next Sunday......

Hope you all have a great week!

  Blessings,

    Sarah

Posted by: AT 10:03 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
St. Matthew's EC Church

5th & Ridge Streets
P.O. Box 433
Emmaus, PA 18049
Telephone 610.965.5570
Email: stmattsecemmaus@gmail.com

ABOUT US

We are learning to live and love like Jesus. 

We are working on becoming who we were created to be and doing our custom made purposes well. 

We are part of the Evangelical Congregational Church http://www.eccenter.com/

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