Two updates...Karen is doing great! God heard your prayers! Could He have healed her? I believe so. Miracles happen when we pray!
LaRue Schmidt as stepped into Jesus' arms ! I am meet the family . because of that we need to cancel Zoom Huddle at 10.
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Good Morning Loved, Gifted, Activated, Gathered then Sent, Good News Delivery Company! That is yo and us! PTL! What's your part? Who are your partners? Who are you praying for? Who has God prepared for you and you for them? What will you do about all of this? Talk to God about it and process with some friends. Then share those stories and praises for all God is and will do!
God has answered your prayer and have have been sleeping well--too well. I overslept and need to get to a doc appoint. But He knows and is the Lord of me and my schedule. make Him Your Lord and Shepherd as well! Ask Him to lead you to His perfect plans for you and for the wisdom, courage and partners to go live and love and make disciples like Jesus. Ask Him to inform your prayers. Ask Him to continue to grow you into your fuller potential and to be more like Him. He loves you is calling you by name to come join Him and walk with Him into this day. Come! Amen!
Engage with all if these devos and the thread through them as you prepare for the day ahead and worship!
Sarah Young
UR: Follow Me
Paul wrote, “Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s.” - 1 Corinthians 11:1 (CEB)
While visiting a friend at his home in rural Vermont, I asked him for the best route back to the interstate highway. He started to give me directions but then paused. “I have a better idea,” he exclaimed. “The directions are complicated. Follow me; I’ll drive my car and show you the way.” Because the road was winding, I followed close behind. It was helpful that he drove at a moderate rate of speed and was careful to signal well in advance of turns. Before long, we reached the interstate and waved goodbye as I headed home.
As I drove onto the highway, it occurred to me that following and leading are at the heart of discipleship. As the apostle Paul sought to genuinely follow Christ, he in turn offered himself as a person others could follow. Whether at home, school, or the office, our words and actions are being observed by others. God calls all believers to be examples that encourage others to follow the path of discipleship. Let’s all ask ourselves, Am I living a life that emulates the life of Christ?
's Prayer
Dear God, remind us of the importance of our actions. Help us to model the way of Christ for others. Amen.
ODB
Never Alone
The Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Over the years, I’ve encouraged and prayed for many people battling loneliness for various reasons: nursing home residents whose family members don’t visit, the widow who spends her days outside so as not to be alone in her empty house, ministry leaders who don’t have anyone to confide in, and homeless people who feel ignored and alone.
Loneliness can strike anyone at any time. The US Surgeon General released an advisory in alerting the public about the epidemic of loneliness. About half of US adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, which can be as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, according to the advisory.
When Moses was getting ready to pass the torch to his successor, Joshua, he wanted to make sure the Israelites knew they wouldn’t be facing any battles alone as they entered the promised land: “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). He also reminded their new leader, Joshua, that “the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (v. 8).
And he concluded with words that can encourage us : “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (v. 8).
When we’re facing loneliness, let’s take comfort in knowing that God will never leave nor forsake us.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
Why is it important to know you’re never alone? How comforting is it to know God is with you?
In Deuteronomy, Moses recounts in three speeches (chs. 1-4; 5-26; 27-34) the history of the Israelites about to enter the promised land. The forty years of discipline had ended, and all Israelites twenty years and older when the exodus began had died, except for Moses, Joshua, and Caleb (Numbers 14:29-35). Moses urged the Israelites to learn from their past unfaithfulness and to trust God (Deuteronomy 31:4-6). Moses himself wouldn’t enter Canaan because he’d dishonored God at Kadesh by striking the rock for water instead of only speaking to it (Numbers 20:1-13; Psalm 106:32-33). He was permitted, however, to see Canaan from Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1-5). As God was with the Israelites, He’s with all believers in Jesus even when we experience loneliness.
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).
Intercessory prayer is hard work. It involves communion with the King and compassion for the multitudes. It is understanding the passion of Christ for souls. It is waiting on God to endue us with power from on high in order that we might lead those souls into the kingdom.
Those that have been most useful in reaping a harvest have always been men and women of intercessory prayer. They cry to the Lord for the multitudes. They have no confidence in themselves to build the kingdom of God; they live in absolute dependence upon God.
If we are to reach this generation for Christ, there must be men and women in every nation whose hearts hurt for their countrymen. Jesus had compassion for the multitudes two thousand years ago. Although the multitudes are greater , He loves, cares for, and wants to save every individual. We need to look at the masses of humanity through the eyes of Jesus. We will see people—real people, hurting people. Too many of us see people only as objects. We need a fresh touch from God. We need to feel the heart of the compassionate King.
Perhaps some Christians will say, “I know that I should have a burden to pray for the world. But it is just not there. I am so busy with my own life and problems that I don’t have time to pray for some people in a distant country that I will never meet.” We must first recognize that we must be delivered from such self-centeredness. The goal of every Christian should be conformity unto the image of Jesus. And the heart of Jesus is for the world. We must confess our apathy as sin and repent of it.
Oh God, I do need a fresh touch from You so that I am able to feel Your heart beat for those who are perishing. Deliver me from my self-absorbed self, and heal my arrogant spirit. I repent of my disobedience and desire to be used for Your purposes in the world. Heal me from my own self-righteousness and allow me to embrace the hurting, the homeless, the weak, the widow and the orphan. Ruin me for anything that is not of You!
--Adapted from The Prayer Factor by Sammy Tippit.
Prayer Points
Praise God as the Creator, Father, Savior, Lord, and indwelling Spirit of his church.
Give thanks for “the holy catholic church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”
Reflecting with God on how you aid or damage his church, confess any sin he reveals.
Commit to being a helpful member of God’s community.
Ask him to work through you to serve and enrich others.
Pray for each member of Christ’s body to excellently manage the treasures and gifts placed in his or her care. Ask God to prompt you to loving and generous service.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Worship! What a beautiful ! never thought we'd see one again! PTL!
Good Morning Team! Fix your eyes on Jesus and get out and love some neighbors ! That is a great act of worship and obedience too. Remember, with obedience comes blessings! What a great day to do something fun while shinning the Light and sharing the Love! I'm ready to get out the door after a great night of sleep. Time to go live and love like Jesus as I am and enjoy life too! Praying you can do the same! Try it! One step at a time with Jesus! Amen
Just two devos . Keep on going and love others to Christ and do it with some friends! What's Gid saying to you and what will you do? Who might you partner with ? God has some custom made plans--good things--just for you! Enjoy! And invite someone along!
Rejoice! Again, I say rejoice! For this is the day the Lord has made and it's beautiful and we get to worship in it!!! Yes praise the Lord and prepare your hearts to worship!
Good Morning Worshippers! we gather to worship, praise, pray, study, fellowship and glorify God! Amen. I also have a funeral after worship. Pray God uses me well . Thanks! May God come inhabit our praise as we enter His courts with praise and . May His Spirit bring His Word alive to us and lead us out the door prepared for a great Sabbath and a week of loving service that flows from grateful hearts. Amen!
we will study James 1 and think about our confident hope in Christ. Check out the thread through the devos below. God has great plans for you and us as His team. he will never leave us and nothing can ever separate us from His love and less we choose to renounce our faith and walk away. DON'T!!! Receive His embrace and release all your troubles, hurts and concerns to Him. He wants that and will bring His peace and restoration as you do! Again, more to worship about! See you soon fellow worshipers! Shalom!
I to We
Sarah Young
UR: God's Embrace
You yourself [O God] have kept track of my misery. Put my tears into your bottle — aren’t they on your scroll already? - Psalm 56:8 (CEB)
I volunteer at a women’s prison. One of the highlights of my year is the annual gathering. Inmates and volunteers all pack into a huge gym, sitting side by side as guest speakers and worship leaders share messages of hope and encouragement. We enjoy two hours of worship and prayer, clapping and singing. The gathering concludes with volunteers distributing care packages to each inmate.
This year something different and life-changing happened. The chaplain asked the volunteers to come to the front of the room. She said to the inmates, “These women are here to pray with you; if you want prayer, come forward.” Every woman in the gym stood up! We watched silently as, one by one, women stepped forward to receive prayer, bravely sharing their pain and heartache. A few times, I felt a woman rest her head on my shoulder, like a child with her mother. More than once, I noticed teardrops landing on my shoes during the prayer.
These images reminded me of how God pays attention to our every tear and embraces us in our sorrow. As I thought about that gathering, I truly experienced what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.
's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for comforting us like a mother comforts her child. Help us to turn to you in difficult times and to be a place of safety and refuge for others. Amen.
ODB
Peace in the Release
The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Kayla’s brow furrowed as she shoved yet another slip of paper into an overstuffed box labeled “Give It to God” on all four sides. Sighing deeply, she sifted through the written prayers she had previously placed in the box. “I read them out loud almost every day,” she said to her friend. “How can I be sure God hears me?” Chantel handed Kayla her Bible. “By trusting that God keeps His word,” she said, “and letting go every time you write or read a prayer you’ve released into His hands.”
The apostle Paul urged believers in Jesus to “rejoice in the Lord” and gave good reason to do so by affirming, “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4-5). He encouraged God’s people to trade anxious thoughts for faith-filled prayers, to believe He receives every request, and to praise Him while resting in the unfathomable peace of His never-ending presence (vv. 6-7).
The Prince of Peace—Jesus—guards our emotional and mental well-being when we turn our thoughts toward qualities that point to Him, things that are “true,” “right,” “pure,” and “praiseworthy” (v. 8).
The peace of God protects us when we trust that the God of peace is with us. Liberated from the burden of clinging to concerns, we can experience peace in the release of every prayer into God’s trustworthy hands.
By Xochitl Dixon
REFLECT & PRAY
How has God used Scripture to help you trust that He hears your prayers? What concerns have you been clinging to instead of giving them to God in prayer?
Dear God, thank You for being my peace whenever I release my worries into Your hands.
Philippians is one of the Prison Epistles (along with Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) that Paul wrote while in prison. The letter to the Philippians is often referred to as the “joy letter” because of the apostle’s repeated emphasis on our joy in Christ. That’s striking by itself but made even more significant when we remember that he wrote this letter while in custody (1:12-14). He not only reflected on the joy we have in Jesus but also on what it means to have peace in Christ—even while in prison. This powerful truth can speak into whatever circumstances we might be facing. For some, that literally means being imprisoned. But regardless of our situation, Jesus is profoundly at work in our lives and the fruit the Spirit produces is joy and peace.
Good Morning Loved, Trusting, Followers of Our Faithful God--Doers of His Word! we discussed choosing joy, even in trials and troubles and how standing firm in faith in doing so leads to endurance of our faith. We also heard James calling us to be more than just hearers of God's Word but also doers of it. We thought about our church and how many, if nit all, of us are able to trust God and choose joy and how we serve and choose to live out God's Word and stand firm on it in this cruel and evil world. Thanks for being part of this great fellowship of believers! Thanks for doing what you can with what you've been given! We bless God, each other and others! We allow His love to fill us to overflowing and to direct our steps! We are developing endurance and persevering faith! We are family too and need each other to continue to grow in these things and to go live and love more and more like Jesus. We are becoming God's dynamic movement and Good News Delivery Co. Amen!
Check out these devotions as you spend some time being still and knowing that He is God, He is for us, and he is with us always. He hears and answers our prayers and wants to hang out with us all day. How cool! Dwell in His love and keep choosing to trust, obey, follow and be doers of all God has for you and us! Yes rejoice and worship knowing these things and receive His peace beyond understanding always. Hold His hand as you walk joyously with Him ! He loves you!
The deadliest forest fire disaster in US history was the Peshtigo Fire in Northeast Wisconsin. It occurred on the same night as the better-known Chicago Fire (, 1871) but claimed several hundred more lives. Peshtigo, a fast-growing city of wooden buildings and part of the lumber industry, was consumed within an hour by the inferno fanned by gusting winds.
Besides scorched china and a brick kiln, among the few items the fire left behind was a small, open Bible. Flames had singed its cover and extreme heat had petrified its pages, yet it remained intact. It can be viewed in a museum in the city .
The little Bible’s preservation calls to mind an assurance God gave His people in another trying time: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Though “firestorms” of invasion and exile threatened, God affirmed that He would be faithful to His promises and would never forsake those who turned to Him—come what may.
The Bible in Peshtigo, still partially legible, was opened to Psalms 106 and 107. Both psalms contain these words in their first verses: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Even in the greatest trials of our lives, His words and love never falter. And we will thank Him forever because of it.
By James Banks
REFLECT & PRAY
What's your favorite promise from God? What can you do to keep His promises in mind ?
Loving God, I praise You for Your faithfulness! Please help me to trust in You even in difficult seasons.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The exile—God’s people being taken from their country first by Assyria and then Babylon—came as a result of His judgment for His people’s failures. However, the tremendous suffering it caused raised serious questions about God’s faithfulness. Had He forsaken His people? Or was God not able to do anything about what had happened to them? In Isaiah 40, God offers a resounding no to both of those questions. He hadn’t abandoned His people. His promise to be faithful to them could be trusted, for “the word of our God endures forever” (v. 8). They’d return from exile, and God’s presence and glory would be with them (vv. 3-5), and He would care for them (vv. 10-11). His voice and power would bring restoration, and no other power would be able to resist Him (vv. 10, 15-17). The reality that God’s promises and love never change provides encouragement for us as we face trials in this world.
Monica La Rose
UR: Trust the Driver
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. - Isaiah 55:8 (NIV)
I’ve always loved the English language, but I never considered that passion to be a viable career. I told myself that I needed to finish a degree and find a corporate job after graduation to feel like a responsible adult. I studied business administration out of desperation. Now I can see how God had been preparing me all along. In my university days, I served as a translator for a Chinese friend, and now I work as an English teacher. It has been 10 years since I started working as an English teacher, and I’m able to provide for myself and help my family. The work of God continuously astounds me.
Sometimes our lack of imagination and our desire for control limit what we think we can do and achieve. When we try to become the driver of our lives, we forget that it is God who leads the way.
God can guide us down roads we have never seen or imagined. While we see only what’s right in front of us, God sees the entire journey. Let us surrender our lives to God’s guidance.
's Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your patience and love for us. May we share your love with the people around us. Amen.
TWFYT
Sarah Young
Connection Blogs:
- Draw Me Close
It is impossible to do what the Lord desires unless we take time to listen to Him. We can only do this by being still and ceasing our busy activity-filled lives. Sometimes all God wants to speak to us are words of love and affirmation. Many times He may require nothing of you but to sit and enjoy His company. However, it is a very clear command from God that we are to listen to His Son: "Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!’" (Mark 9:7). It is implied that listening involves obeying. Truly hearing God is to be obedient to what He says: "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
Jesus expressed confidence that those who will be still before Him will live lives that are filled with divine "doing" that is birthed out of divine "being": "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28). Your children and/or grandchildren are watching how you live your life. Are they learning the lifestyle of Martha…or Mary? "…Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).
Lord Jesus, I have so much in common with Martha, which is not such a bad thing! Yet, I do long to learn a lesson from her sister, who spent her time sitting at Your feet, simply learning and adoring! Out of the overflow of her devotion, she lived her life. Help me to be still, and to keep my eyes fixed upon Your blessed face so that I will not miss You in the midst of my busy life! Draw me close, Jesus, so that those who follow after me will learn to know that You are God!
As one who professes to “believe in the Holy Spirit,” praise God for his indwelling of all believers.
Give thanks for his intimacy and power.
Confess any tendency to rely on your own strength rather than God’s.
Commit to becoming more sensitive to God’s ongoing presence.
Ask God to increase your consciousness of continual companionship with him.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill each of your family and friends, bringing a deep sense of his presence. Ask him to fill your household with his power.
Prayer Pointer
“Prayers not felt by us are seldom heard by God.” —Philip Henry
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
Thank God I'm Forgiven ! Well TGIF everyday! PTL! Worship and keep using and filling those gratitude lists as you populate them with many praises but especially ! Focus on all the ways that your salvation leads to praise and worship and about who Christ is and what He means to you. (Abide in Him, worship, and reload for the day)
Good Morning Special Possession of God! You are His masterpiece! He is the Potter and we the clay and all that happens has been filtered through His hands which have our names engraved on them. Ponder that some. He is shaping you into the person He created you to be--PTL! He has enabled and gifted and empowered you to grow to your fuller potential in Christ and to do all He created you to do. PTL! Nothing can separate us from His love! PTL! Do as Sarah Young says, say it out loud! I am God's special possession and nothing can separate me from His love--nothing! PTL! And like the Upper Room reminds us, He walks with us. PTL! He is with us, guiding us, molding us and making a way for us to succeed and to glorify Him! PTL!
So...what are you thankful for and who will you share that joyful good news with ? I'm rejoicing for you and praying for you as we all work at going to live and love more and more like Jesus each day. He is for us! Who can be against us? Nothing can separate us from His love, protection, grace and leading, unless we choose to walk away. Please don't! He really loves you and has great plans for you. Abide. Be still. Know He is God and is with you always and then partner up and help each other to grow in His love and go in His love to love many others. Amen! What an easy yoke Jesus offers us as we still ourselves, stop striving in our own strength and trust God has it all covered and will be with us always just as we are. And He's not finished with us yet! PTL! Again I say rejoice! And choose to live this day out of and as an act of worship! He is worthy! Amen!
Sarah Young
UR: God Walks with Us
I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. - Isaiah 41:13 (KJV)
While driving home one day, I stopped at a pedestrian crosswalk to let a young girl and her father cross the road. They held hands as she happily skipped along. She was carefree, eagerly looking up at her dad and talking to him. She never looked where she was stepping or paid any attention to the cars on either side of the crosswalk.
At home, I considered how my walk with the Lord is meant to reflect what I had witnessed. Did I trust my heavenly Father to hold my hand and get me safely through life’s challenges? I could think of several times in my life where I had taken matters into my own hands, impatient and refusing to trust the process to God.
When we try to work things out on our own, the “what ifs” and “maybes” keep us in a place of anxiety and stress. But as we read in scripture, “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Just as the little girl trusted her father, we can trust our heavenly Father to walk beside us and keep us safe.
's Prayer
Faithful Lord, help us to trust your promise never to leave us, nor forsake us. Lead us beside still and quiet waters as we keep our focus on you. Amen.
Good Morning Church! several times I came across this question in a book and some notes I scribbled elsewhere: "What would our church be like if Jesus was our pastor?" hmmm! Much to ponder there! I try to be Christlike and pray to live. love, teach, lead and make disciples like Jesus. No matter how hard we try, that will never happen until we get to heaven and become like Him--like but not Him! Our goal is t keep growing and moving closer and closer to be like Jesus and do the things He did, but we will never get there. But it's the journey to Christlikeness that matters most! So what's your journey like? Are you surrendered and seeking, humbling yourself, dying to self, taking our cross and following Jesus and His way? As Christians we were first known as The Way or Followers of the Way. Jesus is the way and we are created, saved, gifted, empowered and activated to become like Him and do the things He did and join Him in what He is doing . So how's that going? Do you have some partners to travel this journey with? If not, PLEASE find at least one, but more would be better!
How do you/we define "Church", "Disciple", and even "Evangelism"??? We have been going with "Discipleship as the process of becoming who Jesus would be if He were me." Disciple making begins by living and loving like Jesus as we reach out to the lost and love them to Jesus. That could be evangelism. It's just being who you are created to be and joining Jesus where He is active and leading you. How about "Church" and our role as God's Church? Church could be defined as a gathering of disciples that worship and share the Good News of Jesus. We are being prepared sent ones who go as we are and grow to our fuller potential as we do life together. We gather and worship and seek to trust, obey and glorify God in all we do. And we do that together. Now there are different definitions to these words and how you define them affects how you serve and worship. Many churches believe they are making disciples of Jesus that are really not doing so. Is our church? Depends on your definition. What do you think? Talk to God about these things and process with some friends. I'd love to hear what our leadership and vision team (and any of you) thinks and how we might react and plan for such a time as this with what we've been given to do what we can!!!!
Our EC mission statement is to know Christ and make Him known. And our bishop has called of us to join together to become a dynamic movement of God led by pastors and laity (you) who have a burning passion for God and missionary zeal to reach the lost. Now that's a church I'd love to lead and be part of. And St. Matts is growing towards that but there is still much potential to strive towards. It begins as we humble ourselves, join together, worship and pray and then follow Jesus with what we've been given and as we are and He will teach us, grow us and use us to go make disciples and grow His Church. Amen!!! And it begins with each of us stepping into our parts and joining together as we learn to live sacrificially and love lavishly like Jesus. Humble and offer yourself to God to use . Remember this saying? (Start here!) "I am who I am because I allow I AM (God) to be who He is in and through me." That sounds a lot like inviting and allow Jesus to take over your life and live and love through you. pray into that and try it. And don't forget those of you called to be our supporters through pray...please pray into these things and for us to become a house of prayer for the nations. Amen! and thanks!
Just a couple of devos to spur our thinking and quiet time. ODB's call to looking like Christ and the I to We devo call to showing His goodness together. What's God saying to you and what will you do about, CHURCH! I'm praying we live out life as God designed us and our Church and that we learn to reach the lost and then make disciples like Jesus! Amen!
ODB
Looking Like Christ
Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:14
As a child of the 1950s and ’60s, I grew up in the era when “America’s pastime” was baseball. I couldn’t wait to go to the park and play ball, and one of my greatest thrills was when I received my baseball jersey emblazoned with our team’s name—GIANTS! Though the number 9 on the back distinguished me from the others, the common uniform identified us as being on the same team.
In Matthew 5:3-10, known as the Beatitudes, Jesus identifies those who belong to the kingdom of heaven as those who “wear the jersey” of Christlikeness. The kingdom of heaven is comprised of those who assume the posture and character of their king. According to Jesus, “blessed” persons aren’t characterized by external appearance, health, or possessions. Rather, it’s the inside or heart of a person that counts. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (v. 3)—the humble—those who are spiritually needy and know it. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v. 6)—those whose soul’s yearning is to please and honor God. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (v. 9)—those who join Jesus in the pursuit of harmony.
As the Spirit helps us, we can put on the garment of Christlikeness, which identifies us as believers in Jesus and members of His team. As such, we’re blessed indeed!
By Arthur Jackson
REFLECT & PRAY
According to the Beatitudes, how “well-dressed” are you? What aspect of Christlikeness are you praying for?
Heavenly Father, thank You for my status as a citizen in the kingdom of heaven. Please give me grace each day by the Spirit to look like Christ.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is Jesus’ great kingdom sermon, describing what makes life in His kingdom different from life in this fallen world. While the world is marked by selfishness, self-promotion, and self-gratification, the kingdom of God is characterized by selflessness and self-sacrifice. Beginning with the Beatitudes (5:3-12), that tone is set immediately—with the remaining exposition explaining how those big ideas are lived out. For example, the statement, “Blessed are the merciful” (v. 7) echoes forth with the instructions Christ gives on loving our enemies (vv. 43-48). Additionally “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v. 6) finds connection in Matthew 6:33, where we’re challenged to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” As we read the Sermon on the Mount, the Holy Spirit can help us see connections that point back to the principles set forth in the Beatitudes and lead us to better reflect the ways of Christ.
Visit ODBU.org/learning-library/the-poor-in-spirit-the-beatitudes-of-jesus/ to examine the Beatitudes with Dr. Craig Blomberg.
Bill Crowder
Sarah update
Good afternoon, Warriors,
I got the JOY JOY JOY JOY down in my heart!! WHERE? Where is your JOY? Better question to ask would be, do you HAVE the JOY?
Sometimes you have to Be Still and KNOW that He is God.....to receive JOY from Him. The more that you and I rest in His
presence, the more we will receive, and He is able to allow His Blessings to flow into us.
By spending time with God, we are able to concentrate on just how WIDE, and LONG and HIGH and DEEP is HIS LOVE for YOU!!
God pours His life into all of us.....and we are presented with a choice....do we RECEIVE Him and His love and joy or do we
say 'pass'.
In the experiences that I have had, and I am sure many of you would atest to, it is better to RECEIVE His LOVE and JOY rather than
'Pass' on the offer. I challenge you - DO NOT HESITATE to receive Joy from God.....GRAB it!! Enjoy it!!!
Psalm 46:10 reminds us to "Be still, and KNOW that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth"
** ** **
From Lisa Wenner: I just found out today that my nephew Matt's fiance Shayna has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of Non Hodgkin's lymphoma. She is currently in the hospital undergoing intensive chemo. They're supposed to get married this October. Shayna's prognosis is good but the treatment will be difficult.
- Several need our prayers:
Lori Rohrer is waiting to hear if her back surgery will take place on . Praying, Hopefully she will hear something to confirm. And Prayers for
all to go well.
Beth, a friend of Neen's will be having surgery to hopefully remove all the cancer from her breast. Please pray for peace to surround Beth, and for her
medical team that will be operating. Also keep her family in your prayers.
Lindsay, a daughter of a friend of Neen and Sarah's - she will be having a biopsy on some lumps that were found in her breast. Prayers for peace for Lindsay
and her mom and family, and prayers that the lumps are not cancerous.
Tom Roland - prayers for healing for Tom after his surgery on .
Continue to keep Twin Pines in your prayers as they wrap up this week of Lotsa Luv Campers and next week will be their last week of Moms and Gals.
There are 40 campers scheduled to come for that camp next week.
Thank you for your prayers for Pastor Don and myself - for our health and for wisdom as we serve our awesome God in many ways.
Good Morning Friends of God! Man, I've been catching up on sleep and actually oversleeping often, like . Was given great report from cardiology too (although I will need an ablation soon which will get me off some meds) Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragements! Any way, time is short! Time to leave for bread day.
Check out our three devos below for . Easy to find the thread there and they speak into our call to learn to live and love like Jesus! We are a loving caring church that helps those in need. These devos should help affirm that and call some of us to deeper service or agape (sacrificial) love and laying down ones life for another like Jesus did for you. And our praise and gratitude continue to grow as we allow God to love through us. See if you can see yourself or our church in these devos and praise God. Ask God how He may be calling you to join Him in caring ministry to our neighbors and fellow brothers and ssiters. he has a perfect plan for you and us to go live and love like Him and to lead others to His love. Ponder that and share with some friends to pray, plan and go love with. I'm praying for you!
Let's start with John 15:9-17 from Our Daily bread devo then flow to the devo, the Upper Room and The Word for You . What's God saying to you? What will you do about it? begin with praise, load up as you abide and then partner up and go live and love like Him. Amen!
John 15:9-17
New Living Translation
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
ODB
A Friend at Midnight
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends. John 15:15
“Who can you call at midnight when everything has gone wrong?” This question shook me when I first heard it years ago. How many of my friendships were strong enough that I could impose on them in my hour of need? I wasn’t sure.
Scripture has much to say about friendship, describing a friend as someone who keeps confidences (Proverbs 11:13; 16:28), shares advice (27:9), and respects boundaries (25:17). But perhaps no one defined friendship more powerfully than Jesus. While to advertisers we are markets and to employers we are staff, to Him, the Master of all, we are “friends” (John 15:15). Jesus described His kind of friendship as being built on shared love of God and personal sacrifice (vv. 13, 15)—something He Himself modeled and called us to pass on (v. 12).
A couple of years after hearing that question, my wife and I suffered a significant loss. Darren, one of the few who knew what happened, traveled two hours to see me, listen to my anger and pain, and pray for me. Darren is a busy man who had plenty of other things to do with his day. But he followed Jesus’ example of sacrificial friendship. I really did have someone in my hour of need.
The question now is whether others have a “friend at midnight” in me. For there are few better ways to make more friends than to be one.
By Sheridan Voysey
REFLECT & PRAY
Who can you call at midnight when everything has gone wrong? Why is it important to be there for others in their hour of need?
Dear Jesus, please help me offer to others the kind of friendship You modeled.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
In the early days of creation, God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). These words reveal how foundational relationship and community are to the essence of being human. While the immediate context is the marriage relationship, we’re called throughout Scripture to be in relationship with those around us.
Jesus said in ’s text to “love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12). And Paul encourages believers in Christ to “bear with each other,” to be patient and forgive the shortcomings of others (Colossians 3:12-13). Being a “friend at midnight” means helping those who’ve been given a heavy burden to carry.
J.R. Hudberg
UR: An Abundant Catch
I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. - Matthew 25:35 (CEB)
Years ago I lived in Key West, Florida. One morning we were catching mahi-mahi almost as fast as we could bait the hooks. We realized we had more fish than we could eat, so we headed back to shore. The skipper gave us an address where we could take the extra fish.
Six nights a week, the Catholic Sisters served supper to people living in poverty. We gave them our fish and were invited back for dinner. As the Mother Superior blessed the meal, she said, “A Catholic, a Protestant, and a Jew provided our meal . Regardless of your heritage, all are welcome to eat at God’s table.”
Our gift was simple — indeed the fish would have spoiled if we hadn’t given them away. However, it transformed the rest of my time in Key West. Hardly a week went by when someone didn’t stop me on the street and ask, “Aren’t you the guy who brought us the fish? God bless you.”
Until then I had never seen those people who were struggling. People are still struggling. Look around at those who are cold, lonely, and hungry. There are countless ways to support them. The rewards of giving far exceed the value of the gift.
's Prayer
Dear God, thank you for opportunities to share what we have. Open our eyes to the people in need around us, and guide us to support them. Amen.
Sarah Update below...keep praising and praying! God hears and is with us--always!!!
Good Morning Persevering in Faith Co-Laborers! we will begin our journey through the book of James. (read chapter 1 for ). Chapter 1 is about our confident stand as Christians--persevering in faith. I see that all around us at St. Matts. Keep at it friends! God is with you and He has joined us with others to walk with. He has good plans for you and us. Plans to prosper and not harm. He walks through the darkest valleys with us and leads us to the refreshing still waters and lush green pastures as we persevere in faith and trust. And we have each other to lean on as well. Knowing these things leads to the ability to choose joy no matter what's going on around us. So, how's that choosing joy going for you ? Dwell in God's love and ask for the faith to endure and for some friends to walk with and pray for too. You are very loved. You are God's masterpiece created for special purposes only you can do. God will sometimes lead us through some things to get us where we need to be or to invite some others into. Trust Him and ask for help to choose joy . He is for you, not against you! Amen!
I thought God was leading one way then another as I engaged Him through my quiet time and with our devos. Then as I stepped back, I saw a thread through all the devos and blogs below--even my Scripture calendar. That quotes Philemon 1:6, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." How do we come to understand all the great things we have as a result of inviting Christ to be our Lord and Shepherd? By being active in Him, doing what you are created and gifted to do and by sharing your faith. Meditate on this passage and ask God to reveal Himself so you can join Him and so you can experience all He has blessed you with! Don't forget to praise too!
Next I engaged with my I to We devo. I love this and would love to use this with some of you to learn and grow as teammates! They discuss living our lives together as priests of the Lord. What does it mean to you that we are all priests unto the Lord called to offer spiritual sacrifices that please God? (1Peter 2:5) They end with this thought and prayer: "...the Lord asks us everyday: to lay our lives down and to do it TOGETHER." Pray "Ask God to help you depend on brothers and sisters...and ask Him to convict you to ask for help when you are struggling..." That got me thinking about how you and our church leadership have come along side me to help me move through this heart stuff well, to heal and to set good boundaries of only doing what God has for me. Thank you! Who do you need to walk with, share with, pray with, be accountable with and go with? God wants us to be His co-laboring priests sharing our faith and spurring each other on. The rest of our devos for follow the I to We one below as they move through the process of helping each other through stuff. We need each other and need to be there for each other too. We are God's vessels of love, healing and hope and sometimes correction. Please pray to find a few partners and to be open for honest sharing and to seek help when needed.
I looked at my prayer journal from last year with and entry that read: "I feel God calling me to plant a church or house church. I began earnestly pursuing that." And here we are one year later. I have been pursuing this and studied, was mentored, prayed with some and now I begin a study with Adam Roberts about how we can come alongside him as he and Michelle have started a house church here in Emmaus. Pray for God to guide us, use them and grow His Kingdom through us. Pray we hear God and only do what we see Him doing. May His Kingdom come and will be done in, through and around me, you and all of us together! Amen! He really does have great plans and He is helping us to do what we can with what we've been given for such a time as this. And it shows! PTL! And keep at it! I'm praying for you and for us, priests unto the Lord united in Christ for His perfect plans. Amen!
I to We
TWFYT
Connection blog
- Becoming a Servant of God
To declare “yours is the power” is to announce in an act of personal alignment with God’s movement: “ours is the submission!”
Henry Blackaby and Claude King have made this teaching more clear in our day by indicating that instead of running programs based on our desire to “help God’s work get done” we are far more likely to succeed if we simply “find out where God is working and join Him there.”
Do you want to be a servant of God? Find out where the Master is, then that is where you need to be. Find out what the Master is doing, then that is what you need to be doing. . . . Blackaby says, “When I am in the middle of the activity of God and God opens my eyes to let me see where He is working, I always assume that God wants me to join Him.”
Are you able to prayerfully submit to the plans and purposes of God rather than insisting on your own?
Merciful Father, I’m tired of striving to do things for You instead of doing them “with” You. I’m sure I have followed many rabbit trails in my quest to serve Your kingdom when I should have been watching faithfully to see Your work all around me. Help me to humble myself and look for Your activity instead of seeking to go my own way. Please give me the heart of a servant.
--Adapted from Power Praying by David Chotka.
ODB
Sustained by God
[The Lord] will never let the righteous be shaken. Psalm 55:22
My family and I brought my dad home from the hospital. He had a degenerative disease, and we were now adjusting to the new twenty-four-hour medical routines of his suddenly becoming bedridden and requiring a feeding tube. I was also planning for my mom’s gastric procedure and dealing with demanding clients at work. Feeling overwhelmed, I sought privacy in the bathroom one day and cried out to God: Help me, Father. Please give me strength to get through the days ahead.
David also felt overwhelmed by troubles (Psalm 55:2-5). Attacked by his son Absalom, betrayed by his close friend, and helpless over the ensuing violence in Jerusalem, David said, “Fear and trembling have beset me” (v. 5).
But David chose to trust God (v. 23). He believed “[God] will never let the righteous be shaken” (v. 22). Years of trusting the Almighty had taught David that although troubles may unsteady us, those who place their faith in God will never be irrevocably lost and hopeless. “They will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (37:24 nlt). David knew God would support him with His strength and wisdom: “I call to God, and the Lord saves me” (55:16).
Fourteen years later, we continue to care for my dad at home. The years have taught me that when we cast our cares on Him, He sustains us (v. 22). God bears our burdens, and He bears us up too.
By Karen Huang
REFLECT & PRAY
How does God remind you He won’t let you be shaken? How can you entrust your troubles to Him?
Dear God, thank You for helping me walk through the days ahead.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The Bible repeatedly assures us of God’s care. In Psalm 55, David urges, “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (v. 22). Later, the prophet Nahum writes, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7). Centuries later, Peter pens similar words: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). How do we know God cares for us? The Bible tells us He’s a “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 86:15). He loved us so much that Christ died for us—providing help and care for us now and the hope of eternity with Him (John 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:10).
Alyson Kieda
UR: Get Up Again
Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. - Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
I had undergone major surgery and was hospitalized for three weeks when we suddenly lost our source of income. We were forced to sell our house in order to avoid being crushed by the mortgage. An inner voice nagged me: You are not a good enough Christian; God would have prevented this. You should have prayed with more faith. This is the end. All I could say in prayer was, “Help!”
I then remembered ’s verse from Proverbs and found solace. Knowing that even godly people can fall took away my sense of guilt. It also gave me hope that I would get up again — no matter how severe my circumstances were.
Proverbs 24:16 rang true when I reflected on the many hardships my husband and I had already overcome. God lifted us each time. This encouraged me to get up and get on with life, knowing we would overcome this new setback as well.
God didn’t promise a smooth life without obstacles, setbacks, or challenges. Yet, as God’s children, we have a privileged position: God is by our side throughout the journey — no matter what. We must not let obstacles define us or keep us down. With God on our side, we will get up again.
's Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to see your faithfulness in every situation. Thank you for helping us get up when we fall. Amen.
----------------------
Sarah update:
Good evening, Warriors
Here is the praises and prayer needs from 's worship.
Zoom Huddle - at 10:00am via zoom. Join us if you can!
Praises:
Mike Lacise is praising God for helping him through the past couple of years at his work, as he had to manage
two buildings, that were miles apart. He is now going to be managing one building which is only 10 minutes from
his home!! Yay God!
Josie is thankful that her dog is doing good again. the dog didn't feel well, but the Lord healed!
Darlene Geiger is thankful for family - they celebrated her 90 year old cousin's birthday. And many family members were all together
celebrating!
Enol and Braiden Paul made it home safely to the Philippians. Braiden is prepping to begin school there and Richard is getting ready to start college here,
in the states at Lehigh university.
Prayer needs:
Tim Roland has asked for prayer for his brother, Tom. he will be having surgery on , to remove a tumor from his kidney. Please pray that they are
able to remove it without having to remove part of or all of the kidney. (His other kidney doesn't have full function) Pray also that the tumor is not cancerous.
Marylou Snyder- her sister Joanne will be having an outpatient procedure on . Pray that all goes well, and for the nedical team.
Tim Derr's daughter and granddaughter will be flying back to Florida on . Please pray for safe travel for them.
Neen's friend, Beth will be having surgery on the 31st, for breast cancer. Pray that they will be able to remove all the cancer. May God's
peace surround her and her family
Millidine Waterman is having knee trouble. Pray for healing of arthritis and safety getting around.
Lori Rohrer - upcoming back surgery, hopefully , barring no issues with insurance. Pray that all goes well and for the medical team.
Prayers also for Karen Kerns as she will be having stent surgery . Prayers that all goes well, no insurance issues and may His
peace surrounds her and Don
**
Thank you everyone for helping out with the brunch. Great time of eating and Fellowship
Next brunch will be on ,
Hope you all have a great week! Stay cool and remember to check on one another!!
Thanks Mike, Sarah, Sally and Lori and the kitchen crew for an awesome of worship!!!!
Karen and I were running late and Mike jumped in and led are opening with some great thoughts and prayers. Sally Blessed us on the piano filling in for Patti and Sarah brought a great Word form God on revival! Thanks team! Then we went downstairs for a great time of food and fellowship hosted by Lori and the 2 Peas in A Pod crew! It was delicious and fun! Thanks kitchen team. (BTW the kitchen team is most of Family Ministries!)
I am so blessed to be part of such a loving, caring and serving church! We are better together and many are finding their parts in God's Good News Delivery Company! Thank you all! And I am well on my way to a full recovery and am good physically and progressing well on the mental, emotional, spiritual things. Thanks for your patience, encouragements and prayers. I am truly blessed and do have the bestest flock!
Good Morning Very Loved Revivalists! We are very loved by the God who is love, created us in love to love. He fills us with love and it overflows to others and that brings revival as many are drawn to God and His love and then want to learn and do go love like Him. So our role is to allow love to flow from us and bring revival wherever we go daily. Amen! Sarah reminded us that revival happens as we spend time in life to life relationships loving like and loving others to Jesus. Pastor Al used to talk about PoP...people of peace. Those are the people we naturally connect to and as we love on them they start to see and are drawn to God and His love. Sarah reminded us that Jer. 29:11 says we know God has good plans for us. Plans to prosper and not harm. We need to tap into those plans of God for each of us and us as His Body. Those plans are founded on love, grow as we love, overflow to others with love and lead others to His love. What a great circle as we disciple others to love like Jesus--live like Him too. And we are growing in that and that is the start of revival. Let us keep growing in His love, plowing the hard soil with overflowing love, sowing seeds of love and watering and fertilizing in and with love. Then we will reap a revival harvest of love and new life. Amen!
We are very loved revivalists sent to love as we live more like Jesus daily. We are on a journey of love and Jesus' mission to lead others to His love. God is at work! Can you see it? Taste it? Want to be a part of it? Focus on God. Turn off the noise. And pray to grow in your potential to overflow His love and lead others to His love, just as you ate and for such a time as this! In other words, just be you and who you are created to be and doing what you are created to do--LOVE! Revival is at hand as we do! Amen!
Come Jesus! Fill us with Your love and teach us to follow You as we learn to live and love more like You! Thank You for the plans to prosper and not harm. help us to not lean on our own understanding and o turn off the noise and focus on what you are ding with willing hearts and moving feet to step into our parts. May we glorify You as we dwell in and overflow Your love. Thanks! Amen! We pray Psalm 85:6 in expectation, "Won't You revive us again, so Your people can rejoice in You? Thank You! Come! Fill us with overflowing love! Amen!
Prayer Points
Praise God for his compelling love (2 Cor. 5:14).
Give thanks for that love that holds us as in a vice, never letting go (Jer. 31:3).
Confess those times when you fight against God’s love, wanting to go your own way or seek glory for yourself instead of for him.
Commit yourself to being comfortable in that “love grip” of God so that you willingly live for him, serving him gladly (Prov. 3:3-6).
Ask God to give you a greater appreciation of his eternal blessings and to be glad with the joy of his presence (Ps. 21:6).
Pray that God’s compelling love may keep believers from fear and lead them on in the daily work of ministry “in Jerusalem, and Judea . . . and to the ends of the earth” (Joel 2:21-27; Acts 1:8).
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.
Let us prepare our hearts to worship! Don't forget brunch after worship! Bring some friends!
Good Morning Worshipers! See you soon as we practice Acts 2:42 worship with the Word, Fellowship, eating together and prayer!!! See you soon as we get to gather, study, groe and hangout! May we worship in Spirit and truth and experience God coming to inhabit our praises and the Holy Spirit uniting and using us as Jesus' Body. Amen! Shalom! Now where are those pancakes?
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