• Friday December 11th – Parent’s Night Out!
  Back by popular request. Neighborhood children love this break from parents and parents love the opportunity for Christmas shipping! Confirm that your children will be participating by e-mailing pastordon1@juno.com
• Sunday December 13th – Evergreen Choir presenting “Hope Has Hands” and Children presenting readings and songs
• Sunday December 20th – 11:00 AM – Christmas Worship
• Sunday December 20th – 6:00 PM – Candlelight & Carols
  Enjoy a joyful celebration of the season with a Christmas carol sign along.

Listen here:

Christ’s coming releases us from F-E-A-R

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. John 1:9

Rick Warren’s new Christmas study, “The Purpose of Christmas” offers out this memorable acrostic:
Don’t be afraid of me…what I am telling you is really awesome!

False Evidence Appearing Real

Fear based living fueled by…

• Economic uncertainty – The Shepherd’s income
• Social disparity – The shepherds’ situation
• Ritual separation – The shepherd’s condition

Perfect love casts out all fear! 1 John 4:18

Good News of great joy…

• Our ultimate worth is not subject to economic uncertainty
• Our social situation is now defined by belonging to Christ’s Body
• The Lord’s Table is a testament that we are forgiven and cleansed people because of His broken body and shed blood.

Listen here:

• Keeping Faith
  • Physical Harvests & Spiritual Harvests (the Kingdom principle of the Harvest)
• Playing for Keeps
  • Self Deception & Spiritual Deception (the Kingdom principle of generosity)
• God’s Harvest
  • Light / darkness (conditions for sowing)
  • Spirit / flesh (seed that is sown)
  • Fruit of the Spirit / Works of the Flesh (harvest)
    • The Mind of Christ
    • Being filled with the Spirit
    • Walking in the Spirit

• Evening of Contemplative Prayer
  Saturday, December 5 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall
• Christmas Choir Presentation
  Sunday, December 14th at 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary
• Candles and Carols with the Hazen “Symphoni”
  Sunday, December 21 at 6:00 PM in the Sanctuary

Listen here:

Thankful for those who have run the race before us, lets keep the G-I-V-I-N-G…In Thanksgiving!

Go for the distance – Thankful people have sustained obedience – Our model of obedience is Jesus Christ. “Run with perseverance.” GIVE OURSEVES TO THE RACE!

Invest in what will last, divest in what will perish – Thankful people invest the gift of passionate faith in others in the race. The race is marked out for US.” GIVE OURSELVES TO OTHERS! Thankful people divest in destructive habits and hindrances that trip them up. “Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” GIVE OURSELVES A BREAK!

Value the cross! There GIVING is most vividly seen! – Thankful people respond to God’s gift in JESUS by giving themselves to His mission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him…Hebrews 5: 8 & 9 GIVE OURSELVES TO MISSION!

Identify with Christ! He identified with US. – Thankful people experience the JOY found in following Christ. “for the joy set before him endured the cross”

Not growing weary, because He did not give up! – Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:3).

GIVING ourselves away… – He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose.

Listen here:

When gratitude is an integral part of our lives, we will find that our attitudes toward parents, friends, leaders, and especially God will change.

• Graduation from specifics that God has done…To worship for who He is!
• Out God is “personal” (The LORD is in every day experiences)
• Our God is “infinite” (The MOST HIGH is able to do beyond what can we ask or even imagine)
• Depend on His unfailing love and faithfulness

Key Passage: Ephesians 5:21-31, 1 Corinthians 12:13-14

Why belong to the local chuch?

• Review: Like children born to a marriage, disciples are born again to belong to a family, the Body of Christ
• Today: In a dating relationship, the goal of two paths coming together could be the joining of two lives into God’s purpose for male and female
• In a similar way…that marriage is the outward sign of the covenant intended by the Creator for male and female…membership in a local church is the outward sign of the inward commitment of a disciple’s heart to Christ and His Body.
• Local church membership is not a ‘beginning to a relationship’ but an echo of a relationship that is growing and maturing into all that God intends it to be!

More information is located here: Prayer Gatherings Information

Listen here:

“Body Works” is an ongoing series on the church, gathered as Christ’s Body. This morning is a conversation on the election from a Christian perspective.

Please interact with these six questions:

1. Why does God allow sinful people to rule?
2. How do we know that God is in control?
3. What can we do to be salt and light in the real world?
4. What Christians say and should not worry about.
5. How do you vote when no candidate is likely to implement Godly policies?
6. Why this election is and is NOT important.

Request BLAM to do something for you!