Prayer request from Robyn McNew
Daily Email: Thursday, July 21, 2016
"The Lord's Prayer"
11 Now Jesus[a] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." 2 And he said to them, "When you pray, say:
"Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,[b]
4 and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation."
5 And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence[c] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
"Good Gifts"
Jesus gave us a prayer to pray for a reason. He wants us to remember who He is and what He has done for us. he wants us to remember that He is our heavenly Father. He wants us to remember that He is in heaven and that He can't wait for us to get there and that he can't wait to restore His kingdom. He wants you to remember that all of our daily blessings, the things that keep us alive, are from Him. He wants us to remember that he forgives our sins completely and so we must forgive the sins of others. He protects us from the evil one and, if we look to His will, He will keep us from temptation. He wants us to remember that this earth is his kingdom although the people over whom he benevolently rules, are obstinate, hate him, and deny his authority and rule.
The Lord's prayer is not some magical incantation that turns on God's giving switch. He isn't like our mommy, waiting for us to say "Pleeeeaaassseee" before He gives us what we need. He gives us all the things we pray for in the Lord's Prayer without our asking, because He is a good, good Father. Yet, we ask for our own good. We ask because we need to hear ourselves ask. We pray to be reminded that we have a Father who loves us and gives us these things. We pray for our own good. Prayer is a gift from God. He commands it, just like he commands the commands the commandments, because he knows that to live according to His will is good for us.
So, if you are wondering what to pray, or you are at a loss for words, pray the Lord's prayer. Pray it with your heart. Pause at each phrase and remember how God has already done all of these things for you. Pray it with your heart knowing that God is a loving father and he will hear you and give you what you need.
Let us pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
CALENDAR
Sat- Church basement reserved noon; Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11; Church basement reserved 11am
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Zack Hoelscher 11- Hannah Johnson
Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Cheryl Bettlach
Elders- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- Randy and Patty Sweet; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Christy Winn; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano (Saturday and Sunday)- Molly Hendershot
Projectionists: Sat- ???? ; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Gus
________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What do Hephzibah and Beulah from Isaiah 62:4 mean?
No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.
Never again will you be called "The Forsaken City" or "The Desolate Land." Your new name will be "The City of God's Delight" and "The Bride of God," for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride.
New American Standard Bible
It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married.
Directions to the range: DO NOT follow the signs to Whetstone Creek. If you follow the signs, you will not go to the firearms range. From Warrenton take I-70 to the Williamsburg exit. At the top of the ramp turn right and head north into Williamsburg. At the first stop sign go straight (Sign will tell you to turn left to go to Whetstone Creek CA - do not turn left). At the second stop sign go straight. Road will turn to gravel as you leave Williamsburg. Once road turns to gravel it is approximately 2.3 miles to the range on the right. Parking lot is before the range.
Here's how it works:
Prayer request
Prayer request for Ron Williams
Prayer for safe travel for our 28 NYG participants
Lord God, bless our group as they leave from New Orleans for home early this afternoon. Give them safe travels and send your holy angels with them. Grow in their hearts so that they can take what they have received from You this week and put into practice in their daily life from here on out. Give them rest for their weary bodies, but even more so, we thank you for the rest you have given their souls this week. Amen.
Daily Email: Wednesday, July 20, 2016
"Alive in Christ"
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits[a] of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.[c]
"Let No One Disqualify You"
16 Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions,[d] puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Last night I watched the National Youth Gathering mass event, and at that mass event Pastor Greg Manning spoke of how Jesus cancelled the debt for us.
Manning was abused by his stepfather when he was a kid. Eventually, they got away from him and Manning grew up to be a pastor, but he still had bitterness and anger toward his stepfather. Eventually he came to the realization that he wouldn't be whole, he wouldn't be fully healed or at peace until he forgave his stepfather. So one day he called his stepfather, he said it was the hardest phone call he ever had to make. He called him and told him he forgave him. He told his stepfather that he didn't owe him anything. he didn't owe him an apology. He didn't owe him year's worth of good deeds and love to make it up to him. He didn't owe him anything, because he didn't owe Christ anything. You read that right. This boy who was abused and grew up with that bitterness, anger, and fear was able to forgive the man who abused him because Christ forgave him.
Manning also said that the greatest witness we, as the church of Christ, have is the gift of forgiveness. It is a gift that is contrary to the way of the world. It is foreign to our human way of thinking, but because of the Holy Spirit living in us and working through his word and sacraments we have and know this gift fully! We know it and so God has given us the ability and responsibility to give it to others! What a gift!
If we are to grow as a church and if we are to continue as a church in the next 100 years it is going to be because God offers and gives the forgiveness of sins through it! It is going to be because of the forgiveness of sins we have and give!
No one owes you anything. No one owes you an apology. No one owes you a good word or good deed. And you don't owe God anything either! Live free and clear in God's grace and give that freedom of forgiveness to others!
Let us pray: Lord, help me to remember that because you canceled my debt I am able to cancel the debt of those who have sinned against me. Make me a debt canceler in your name. Amen.
CALENDAR
Fri- Youth return from NYG
Sat- Church basement reserved noon; Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11; Church basement reserved 11am
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Zack Hoelscher 11- Hannah Johnson
Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Cheryl Bettlach
Elders- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- Randy and Patty Sweet; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Christy Winn; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano (Saturday and Sunday)- Molly Hendershot
Projectionists: Sat- ???? ; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Gus
________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What does the word "Sabbath" mean?
Directions to the range: DO NOT follow the signs to Whetstone Creek. If you follow the signs, you will not go to the firearms range. From Warrenton take I-70 to the Williamsburg exit. At the top of the ramp turn right and head north into Williamsburg. At the first stop sign go straight (Sign will tell you to turn left to go to Whetstone Creek CA - do not turn left). At the second stop sign go straight. Road will turn to gravel as you leave Williamsburg. Once road turns to gravel it is approximately 2.3 miles to the range on the right. Parking lot is before the range.
Here's how it works:
Daily Email: Tuesday, July 19, 2016
17 The Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen[a] him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him." 20 Then the Lord said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, 21 I will go down to see whether they have done altogether[b] according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know."
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" 26 And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."
27 Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." 29 Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." 31 He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
Does God change his mind? Well, it depends on your perspective. From God's perspective, no. He always knew how humans would act and react, and he always knew how he would respond to it. At the same time, when God has mercy on us after he has pronounced judgment, it looks like he does change his mind after all.
So what is prayer for? Prayer is for us to recognize and see God's will in our lives, whether he shows mercy or he shows judgment, whether he takes away suffering or uses that suffering to bring us closer to him. We can say, with confidence "Thy will be done", because we know it will be.
God knew that there wouldn't even be ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. He knew that they would not repent and turn to Him. So, even though Abraham pleaded for the two cities, god already knew what was going to be done.
In the same way, He already knows all of those who will come to Him in confession and repentance and receive His forgiveness. He also knows that He is going to use us to bring many people to faith. So, when we pray, we are in essence, putting into motion, God's will for our lives. Pray is a reaction and interaction to God's will for us.
Let us pray: Lord, you are the author and director of my faith. Direct me in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and willing spirit so that I may serve you and your will quickly is done in my life. Amen.
CALENDAR
Fri- Youth return from NYG
Sat- Church basement reserved noon; Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11; Church basement reserved 11am
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Zack Hoelscher 11- Hannah Johnson
Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Cheryl Bettlach
Elders- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- Randy and Patty Sweet; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Christy Winn; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano (Saturday and Sunday)- Molly Hendershot
Projectionists: Sat- ???? ; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Gus
________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: What is a "lapis lazuli" from Isaiah 54:12?
Directions to the range: DO NOT follow the signs to Whetstone Creek. If you follow the signs, you will not go to the firearms range. From Warrenton take I-70 to the Williamsburg exit. At the top of the ramp turn right and head north into Williamsburg. At the first stop sign go straight (Sign will tell you to turn left to go to Whetstone Creek CA - do not turn left). At the second stop sign go straight. Road will turn to gravel as you leave Williamsburg. Once road turns to gravel it is approximately 2.3 miles to the range on the right. Parking lot is before the range.
Here's how it works:
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Prayer request for Bob Ruhl
Daily Email: Monday, July 18, 2016
DEVOTION: Psalm 138 (ESV)
"Give Thanks to the Lord" Of David.
138 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.[a]
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.[b]
4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Why do we need to thank God for what he gives us? Does he need our thanks? Is he going to be offended if we don't thank him? Is he going to take away his blessings if we fail to thank him for them?
As with any thanksgiving, the benefits to the receiver are minimal. The real reason we give thanks is for ourselves, to realize how blessed we truly are. When we truly thank God, not with meaningless platitudes but with the heart, we are even blessed in our thanksgiving. The gift and the giver of the gift have so much more meaning to us when we are thankful!
Are you thankful for God's gifts today? Let's count just some of those gifts and see how thankful we really are
our breath
shelter
food
clothing
family
friends
creation (nature)
air conditioning......
I could go on all day.
Be sure to thank God for all that he has given you today. Do it for your own good, well-being and joy!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for all of Your blessings to me, too numerous to count. Help me to be as thankful as I can be so that You can bless me more! Amen.
CALENDAR
Fri- Youth return from NYG
Sat- Church basement reserved noon; Worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30; Sunday school 9:45; Worship 11; Church basement reserved 11am
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:
Acolyte- 8:30- Zack Hoelscher 11- Hannah Johnson
Ushers- Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Marilyn Foster and Sue Ruhl; Clean Up- Cheryl Bettlach
Elders- Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Jim Rahn
Greeters- 8:30- Randy and Patty Sweet; 11- Joan Sexton
Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone 8:30- Christy Winn; 11- Jim Rahn
Piano (Saturday and Sunday)- Molly Hendershot
Projectionists: Sat- ???? ; 8:30- Erv Yoder; 11- Gus
________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Where is Cush?
Directions to the range: DO NOT follow the signs to Whetstone Creek. If you follow the signs, you will not go to the firearms range. From Warrenton take I-70 to the Williamsburg exit. At the top of the ramp turn right and head north into Williamsburg. At the first stop sign go straight (Sign will tell you to turn left to go to Whetstone Creek CA - do not turn left). At the second stop sign go straight. Road will turn to gravel as you leave Williamsburg. Once road turns to gravel it is approximately 2.3 miles to the range on the right. Parking lot is before the range.
Here's how it works: