Good Morning Seeking, Adjusting, Followers of Jesus! Amen! We are to seek first His Kingdom knowing as we do He will provide all we need for what He has planned for us and in His perfect timing. As His Spirit reveals correctives or affirms direction, we adjust and prepare to follow more fully as we yoke to Jesus and He leads us to His perfect plans for each of us and us as His Body, gathered and sent to live and love like Him as we do our part to make disciples of Jesus. What an awesome circle of worship we offer as we seek, listen, adjust and follow! PTL!
God awoke me early and took me very deep into abiding in His loving presence. He spoke to my heart (still is) as I invited Him to and to reveal His plans for and even to write this blog. I love how He does that and responds to my drawing close with open heart and mind! , He continued to speak to me and wants you to hear about choosing something to work on this year as you seek to become more like Jesus and to walk more fully in His custom made plans for you. He wants us to seek Him and process with Him and others for the things He has for us to grow and mature in to our fuller potential in Christ. He also wants to lead us more fully into His plans for us. What's He have for you to work on? Seek Him with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. Process with Him and your teammates and then work at those things this year. Great fruit awaits as we seek, trust and follow Him to His perfect plans and ways. Don't forget to share what you will be working on with us so we can pray and encourage you. I think he has led me to zero in on a word. But I am still fasting and praying about it and will be processing with my accountability partners before sharing.
I love how our devotionals for lead to and flow through this train of thought. God is always speaking and leading us in love to His best! Will you seek Him, process, adjust and follow well this year? That is worship He accepts as we offer ourselves and worship through our obedience to His leading and loving correctives. He has great things for you to discover about yourself, Him and His plans in the year ahead! Seek first His Kinhdom and don't lean on your own understanding and He will provide and guide. Amen! Great and lasting fruit awaits us! Shalom shalom!
Our Daily Bread: I particularly like the the last paragraph speaking about the results of earnestly seeking and trusting and adapting to His plans. he will speak to our hearts and lead us!
When writing teacher Peter Turchi sees a map, he looks for the adventure it holds. “To ask for a map,” he says, “is to say, ‘Tell me a story.’ ” I seized on that idea when preparing to teach a school class during on the “Faith of the Wise Men.” As I studied maps, I learned the Magi traveled some nine hundred miles—perhaps over several months—to find the Christ child, finally finding not a babe in a manger but a toddler living with His parents in a house. Their reaction after such a long trip? “They bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11).
Their journey invited my students and me to plan with intention to seek Christ more fully. As Scripture tells us, when the Magi finally arrived in Jerusalem, their urgent question was: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (v. 2).
Distance didn’t deter their worship. Nor did danger or delays. Herod’s deadly demand was ironic: “Go and search carefully for the child” (v. 8). Nobody had searched more diligently for Jesus than the Magi.
We can heed the example of the wise men by seeking Christ diligently too. Then, as we worship Him, we can expect our heavenly Father to speak to our hearts, leading us from old ways to new paths to journey with Him.
By Patricia Raybon
REFLECT & PRAY
How can you seek Christ this new year? How can you worship Him?
Dear Father, please help me to seek Your Son Jesus with all my heart and worship Him with all I have.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Matthew alone shares the account of star-gazing Magi who traveled in search of the newborn king of the Jews. Though this was a one-time phenomenon, the diligence of these men as they searched for Jesus deserves our attention and emulation. As we search and study the Scriptures, we’ll find Him too. Stressing the fact that the Old Testament Scriptures spoke of Christ, He said to the fault-finding religious leaders of His day: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (John 5:39-40). The Bible (Old and New Testaments) testifies about Jesus (see also Luke 24:27, 44-45). As we seek Him and worship Him, we’ll grow in our faith, and God will lead us from our old ways to new paths.
Arthur Jackson
The Upper Room Reminds us all is in God's hands! He takes us by hand and leads us to the great frut he has planned fo us to harvest. he wants the best for us and wants to teach us how to get there.
I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I have taken you by the hand and kept you. - Isaiah 42:6 (NRSVUE)
In my work with adults with developmental disabilities, I spend part of my time in the wood workshop. Often I sit next to Luca, who loves to sand wooden spoons. Sometimes he starts to rub across the grain of the wood, rather than with it. Then I reach out my hand and gently redirect him. Sometimes he becomes preoccupied with rubbing one spot over and over, missing the edges and corners. Again, I take his hand and hold it in the place that still needs attention. If Luca didn’t trust me, our collaboration would turn into a struggle. But with trust and respect for each other, we are able to make something beautiful.
Isaiah’s words about the divine call to righteousness remind me of my work with Luca. God wants to take us by the hand, not because we can’t do anything ourselves but because sometimes we need a bit of guidance or redirection to make our efforts more effective. God wants to teach us, giving us helpful limits while we are still finding our way. Trusting in God who takes us by the hand is what turns our activity into righteousness, producing fruits that are beautiful, true, and good.
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's Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to walk in your ways. May your hand guide, redirect, and focus us as we participate in your work of love. Amen.
Sarah Young in her Jesus Calling devo reminds us that nothing is impossible for God and that he is at work always, steering us and circumstances. Meditate and pray through both and 's devos. Good stustuff!
Sarah Update:
Good almost Evening, warriors,
Hope your has been going well.
Ross Stuart's Celebration of Life Services:
, at St Matthew's; Calling hours are from 10:30 - 11:00am; with the service from 11:00 - 11:30am
followed by a light lunch in the Fellowship Hall from 11:30 - 12:30pm
Praises shared :
Lisa Wenner shared that someone from our church family gave her a gift for her Nephew's twins, that we have been praying
for. She sent the gift alone with a note to her nephew and his wife, about the power of prayer and that we have all been and will
continue to whisper prayers for the family. Lisa continues to plant a seed of god's love and reminding them of the power
of prayer.
Kay Behle shared that her brother and sister in law found an apartment that they can move into on . The owners of the
current home they are renting, are allowing them to remain in the house until they are able to move into the apartment.
Praising God for Kay being able to step in, last minute and being our accompanist for our worship service. Prayers for Patti, and that
she is feeling better.
Continue to pray for one another as we are hitting the Flu and cold season; some have dental and doctor appointments coming up;
some are dealing with some family matters. May we all encourage one another, with messages, texts, emails, phone calls and
through our prayers.
Continue to pray for our bread ministry and volunteers as they prep and greet those that will attend on .
Pastor Don shared God's word from Romans 12 - Perhaps you might have time to re-read this chapter.....I gleaned that we are to Rejoice in Hope,
we need to be confident in Christ, and remain devoted in prayer!
Hope you all have a great week! Keep your focus on Jesus!
If you have any prayer requests, please don't hesitate to reach out and let me know your prayer need so we can pass it along
to our warriors. The Power in prayer is awesome! Believe in it!
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