See Sarah's Prayer list and questions below from yesterday.
Thank you for praying for our prayer gathering yesterday. I was surprised that we had 7 show up and was not surprised that it was a powerful time of prayer and praise for our denomination, district and our church to become a dynamic movement of God! He has great plans for us, His beloved disciples and apostles! Keep praying, believing and joining Him as we go forth shining His Light into the darkness.
Tonight is our Lehigh District annual meeting. Please pray for God's wisdom and direction to come alive.
Tues 10-11 Zoom Huddle
Wed 10-12 Donuts and Conversations at The Bread Ministry (Fellowship Hall--all welcome!)
Wed 6-8 in the Fellowship Hall and Family Room Dinner, Family Ministries, and the Chosen Huddle (ties to our John 7 message from yesterday! How God-like!)
Good Morning Recharged Beacons!
Hmmm? what can he mean by that? Thanks for asking!
Like Jesus, we need to reload to pour out God's love, grace, wisdom and help. We do that as we rest in Him, sit at His feet, recharge and then walk with Him into His plans for us each day. I love how God threads our daily devotionals (below) and Bible readings (John 9) together and speaks to our hearts and teaches us more about His healthy rhythms we can experience as we get to practice them. Over the past few months, God has been highlighting to me, and it has become a priority for our denomination to focus on personal care. It is a response to the very real problem faced by many churches, pastors and leadership, even congregants who have become overloaded, stressed, weary servants who are walking away from their calls, responsibilities, and even God in record numbers due to burnout. God's best healthy rhythm for us is working from abiding-in-Christ rest not overloading and being forced to rest. When we enter into this healthy flow we will find ourselves yoked to Jesus moving at His pace as He leads us from our time of reloading to fruit producing daily. This will often require a renewing of our thinking and changing of our ways as we die to self, crucify our plans and agendas and busyness and follow Jesus to His best and healthy ways for us. And remember, a yoke is an instrument of labor as we also need to get moving at Jesus' pace to get healthy. May we all choose health--spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and financial--as we honor God's healthy rhythms and ways.
PTL for all the servants God has sent to St. Matts! PTL for mentors to me/us like Pastor Al! PTL for the permission and the focus the denomination is prioritizing for our churches, pastors and leaders about self care! PTL! I have been called to a church of servants where I can be a servant shepherd and have others to carry their God-ordained purposes and fulfill many of the needs of our church. I expect God to send more workers as we follow Jesus and His healthy rhythms and I am able to focus more on ministry needs. PTL and pray into that. Thanks Al for waking me up to my work-a-holic tendencies and helping me to learn to trust God, wait on Him for His provision of workers and resources and to focus on growing myself into the man God created me to be and doing the things at His pace that He has for me daily. Thank You Father for bringing me to Your rest, recharging me daily and helping me to trust You to be the Lord of each day and week and Your mission for me and Your Church! Thank You for all the answered prayers and allowing us to see Your faithfulness as we make You the Lord of our lives, days and choices. Come! Continue Your good work in and through me and Your Church. Thanks!!! Bless and refresh Your servants and bring in more as You bring in the harvest. Amen!
I was called to St. Matts as an answer to my prayers that God would call me to a place where I would learn not to do things in my own strength but to fully rely on Him--a call to a place where I would realize I could not do it all on my own. Sometimes I still try and sometimes I get so excited to get moving to what God is revealing and He reminds me that in His Kingdom, slow is fast and small is big. Little steps doing what seem like the little things He has for us each day leads to great fruit in His perfect timing! I am seeing it! I am learning to trust Him more! PTL! Are you? Proverbs 3:5-6 has become part of my learning to die to self and release myself and my agendas and ways to God! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding." It takes a lot of praying, dying to self, and growing in trust to get to this place! PTL that He is patient with us and helps us to see the good fruit of this as He brings verse 6 alive right before our eyes: "Seek His will in all you do and He will direct your steps." That is the hard work God expects of us--praying, seeking, knocking, listening and processing daily with right hearts and feet willing to follow Him to His best for you (and His Church) each day as you take up your cross and follow Him. He has great plans He custom made for you each day and for our church. They should not burn us out when carried out His best ways. And His plans for you are custom made for every season of your life. As we learn to trust Him and follow better we will experience the great fruit of the greater things He has for us! Amen!
Thank you again to all the servants doing their parts at St. Matts. You make my calling a pleasure as we co-labor in prayer, surrender to our Lord and serve together, each doing our part! (praying, funding, encouraging each other, doing your custom made parts, learning together to live and love like Jesus as we put our faith into action) Yes we are growing into the smooth running Good News Delivery Company, St. Matts Division, that God has created us to be. We trust Him and adapt as we follow Him to the new things He has for us. It can be hard to say goodbye to the things of old as we fondly look in the rearview mirror of our past. But we build on our strengths, and adapt to the new things God has for us in an ever-changing world. We learn to bring alive His Good News and love today in ways that connect to those being drawn from darkness to Light. As Paul reminds us we focus ahead on the things God has for us today and moving forward and find relevant ways to connect to those God is sending to us. What joy!!! You have no idea how much of a blessing it is to be co-laboring with you! Thank you! Thank you for your encouragements and willingness to adapt as we follow what God has for us! I am honored to co-labor with you! I thank God for you all the time! May God richly bless you and us as we continue to trust and allow Him to lead us to His greater things! Revival is at hand! This is the year of the Lord's favor. Rejoice! Keep at it! Our rewards will be great in heaven as we keep lavishly sowing God's love. Amen!
In John 9:3b-5 Jesus said, "We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the One who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the Light of the World." Who is this man to you? How is He impacting your life? We understand that God has assigned us tasks, custom made tasks. This is a command that comes with a promise: The End is coming and our time to work will be complete, but while those with Jesus in them are still on earth, His Light is still here and we have tasks to complete. We are His beacons shining out to light the way for all who will come. Time is short. Keep your focus and do so in healthy ways as we pour ourselves out as a drink offering to God. Complete your tasks well. God is with you always! Prayerfully read the devos below and ask God what He wants you to learn and put into practice today and ask Him to open your eyes to those He is leading you to and give you His heart, mind and willing feet. Amen! Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us!
Upper Room: Conversations with God
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel, Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” - 1 Samuel 3:10 (NIV)
I remember my dad telling me about the frustration he felt when he battled interrupted sleep as an older adult. I must confess that as a young adult, I didn’t fully understand my father’s feelings. I remembered his struggle, however, when recently I started experiencing the same problem.
It took me a while before I learned to accept this interruption by using the quiet time to listen for God’s voice in my life. Inspired by two church handouts on prayer, I began to pray and respond each night by writing in a prayer journal. What had begun as an inconvenience had suddenly been transformed into a cherished time with my heavenly Father.
Over the last year or two, these quiet times with God have given me direction when facing challenges in relationships with neighbors, co-workers, friends, or family members. These “interruptions” have also helped me to pray about problems or for the needs of others in my church and to give thanks for all that I have been given. Almost always, I return to bed content and at peace.
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for the quiet times we have to listen for your guidance and direction. Amen.
Charles Stanley Devotional:
Our Daily Bread:
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Have you heard of #slowfashion? The hashtag captures a movement focused on resisting “fast fashion”—an industry dominated by cheaply made and quickly disposed of clothing. In fast fashion, clothes are out of style nearly as quickly as they’re in the stores—with some brands disposing of large quantities of their products every year.
The slow fashion movement encourages people to slow down and take a different approach. Instead of being driven by the need to always have the latest look, slow fashion encourages us to select fewer well-made and ethically sourced items that will last.
As I reflected on #slowfashion’s invitation, I found myself wondering about other ways I fall into a “fast fashion” way of thinking—always looking for fulfillment in the latest trend. In Colossians 3, however, Paul says finding true transformation in Jesus isn’t a quick fix or a fad. It’s a lifetime of quiet, gradual transformation in Christ.
Instead of needing to clothe ourselves with the world’s latest status symbols, we can exchange our striving for the Spirit’s clothing of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (v. 12). We can learn patience with each other on the slow journey of Christ transforming our hearts—a journey that leads to lasting peace (v. 15).
By Monica La Rose
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How are you tempted to find security by keeping up with the latest trends? What helps you find contentment in Jesus?
Dear God, thank You that I can surrender my anxious strivings in exchange for the peace of a quiet walk with You.
Learn more about developing a biblical worldview.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Colossians 3:5–11 helps us to see what needs to be “put to death” (v. 5) as believers in Jesus who’ve been united with Christ in His death and resurrection (vv. 1–4). Verses 12–17, however, focus on what needs to be “put on” (v. 14) as His representatives. The standard for our living is the character of Christ as seen in the qualities listed in verses 12–14. The standard for relationships in Jesus’ family is the peace of Christ (v. 15). The standard for instruction, correction, and celebration in community is the word of Christ (v. 16). And the standard for all that we do is to bring honor to the name of Christ (v. 17). When we clothe ourselves in such a way, it’s like wearing garments given by a gracious Father to His beloved children. And perhaps others will desire to know more about such a Father and want Him to be their Father as well.
Arthur Jackson |
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Shepherdess Sarah's Prayer letter:
Good afternoon everyone,
Hope that you are nice and toasty in your homes and enjoying the football game. It is definitely a Fall day today!
Here are a couple of the prayer requests shared today in worship.....
Lisa Wenner has asked for prayer for her boss, Ed Shelly. We have been praying for Ed....
He came through the surgery well. Pray that he will mend and heal, may God's peace surround him.
And may Ed be patient with his body as it heals and that his attitude will remain positive.
Friends of Neen and mine has asked for prayer for their son, who had triple by-pass surgery and is doing
good. He came through the surgery well.
Please keep him and his family in your prayers - praying that his healing goes well without any infections.
Karen Kerns' father Russ is home. Continue to lift him up and that he remains safe and that the dietary
department where he lives will be able to provide healthy meals that coincide with his diet.
Allison - co worker of Lisa Wenner - she is having some testing and blood work done on Friday to
see what is happening with her heart. Pray that God's peace will surround her and continue to pray
for Lisa as God uses her as His vessel of love and peace to her co-workers!!
Also Yay God - Lisa's feet are doing better - continue to pray for healing for her....as she is a 'sermon in shoes'
Ron Boyer continues to have heart issues. The medical team caring for him is trying different treatments
with him. They are changing his water pill. Hopefully he will see some improvement over the next couple of days
Darlene Geiger has asked for prayer for a woman she met in the parking lot - her name is Tammy and she is having
difficulty with her relationship with her husband. Pray for Tammy to receive the help and guidance she needs and for
both her and her husband to be reconcile their relationship.
Darlene is also asking for prayer for her husband, Jim. He has a persistent cough and she is asking that he trust God for healing
and see God's presences and to have peace.
Melissa Sullivan (DeLong) has asked for prayer for her Mother, Darlene Skinner as she is dealing with some health issues.
Barb Somers has asked for prayer for her sister, Judy who has Lung Cancer. She will be starting chemo in a couple of weeks.
Pray for strength and perseverance for Judy and for Barb as she comes along side Judy to encourage and support her
during this difficult time in her life.
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Take away questions from worship today:
Who is Jesus to you?
How does Jesus impact your life?
I am curious of your thoughts.....email or text me your thoughts!
Hey have a great evening and fabulous week!
Blessings,
Sarah
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