A WORD FROM OUR PASTOR…
Welcome to a brand-new year! I have three amazing and wonderful things to share with you this week.
1. Wednesday Nights are B-A-C-K! Have you missed not having to cook on Wednesdays? Well, I have good news. You won’t have to anymore. Let our talented and dedicated team of volunteers take care of it for you. I am so grateful for the faithful service of these volunteers each week. They make sure our hunger pains are subsided so we can enjoy an evening of fellowship and Bible study with our friends. No sign-ups will be required this semester. Everyone is welcome to come join us!
Speaking of Bible study…We have a couple of great groups for adults to offer. The Pastor’s Bible Study returns to help us learn how to get out of the saltshaker and into the world. There will also be another group that I am thrilled over – Life on Mission. Our mission partners in Nicaragua will join us virtually for this 6-week group. You will take an inside look into what a life on mission looks like through our church’s ministry in Nicaragua and our new Beds for Kids mission initiative.
Check out the links below for more information about Wednesday night groups and supper options, menus, and pricing.
2. Discover the power of sticky notes. The power of a sticky note is its ability to remind us of important things. And you can put them almost anywhere. Nearly every day I write down my to-do list on a sticky note to keep me focused on what I want to accomplish that day. I love my to-do lists. What is on my to-do list today? “Read my Bible.” That’s right. I plan to read chronologically through the Bible this year, and I want to encourage you to join me by placing “Read my Bible” on a sticky note or your to-do list every day in 2025. John Wesley said he was a “man of one book.” He was referring to how the Bible was the foundation of his faith and practice. This is true for us as well. However, sometimes we read the Bible, but we don’t understand it. We know there are many tools out there to help us engage with the Word of God on a daily basis. Which one is right for me? I have a suggestion to offer. I encourage you to check out the information below about The Bible Recap, which I am using to guide me as I read Scripture daily in 2025. It includes a reading guide, daily podcasts, and more. I hope you will join me and let the Word of God enrich your faith and practice too.
3. Let the Word of God be your guiding light. I encouraged everyone in my message Sunday to choose a word for the year. This is a common practice that people do to start the year. The word I want you to choose is not a word you make up, but a word from the Word of God. The word is discovered by asking God to highlight a text, verse, or passage from the Bible to guide your way in 2025.
Here is mine for the year. “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word” (Psalm 119:36-37). It came to me as I awoke one morning this week with Psalm 119 on my mind.
What word has God placed on your heart or in your mind? Spend some time trying to figure it out. Once it becomes clear to you, would you be willing to share it with me? Write it on a note card and bring it to church with you Sunday or email it to me at [email protected]. If you are having trouble finding a word, let the Holy Spirit choose one for you! There will be some verses provided Sunday during our service for you take. If you want to dig a little deeper and learn more about this practice, check out the Wake Up Call this month with J.D. Walt at Seedbed.com.
This week in worship I want to share with you what I believe God is doing to motivate our church this year and what you can do about it. I hope to see you Sunday!
Jimmy
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