Friday Focus 8.5.17
I’m excited to share with you that we will be starting a new sermon series that will run over the next four Sundays, through the month of August called “Broken and Multiplied.”
Each Sunday in August, I will be preaching a different message from the same passage in Matthew 14:13-21. Together we will spend the next four Sundays exploring this miracle story of Jesus from several different angles. In tomorrow’s, we will “focus on the food!”
Would you join me in prayer as we embark on this new sermon series together and that God would stir our hearts and move us closer to Him through this series of messages! I am excited to see what God has in store for us as a congregation over these next four Sundays!!!
I can’t wait to see you all tomorrow morning as we explore
Part 1 of Broken and Multiplied!
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Duane
MAKING DISCIPLES BY THE WATER
Friday Focus 4.21.17
Dear HCN Family,
GREETINGS
Reflecting on Easter Sunday brings a smile to my heart! When the family of God comes together like it does on Easter Sunday, to celebrate the center of our lives in the Resurrection, there is nothing like it! What a great way to celebrate the new life we have in Christ through worship, His Word, and through baptisms we were able to share in. I want especially, to thank all of those who faithfully attend each Sunday. I want to thank all of those who faithfully serve each Sunday. I want to celebrate all of you who helped us prepare for Easter Sunday in so many ways. Many visitors came on Easter, many family members of our congregation came, but your faithfulness and your willingness to give of yourselves each and every week is what God’s Kingdom will celebrates. Thank you! You are cherished and honored and blessed in my heart but most importantly in the heart of God!
NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Food Pantry Ministry News!!!
I’m excited to announce that Chrisi Brown will be leading our Food Pantry Ministry moving forward. She brings a lot of great experience, ideas, and passion to this ministry and we are excited to see what the Lord will accomplish through her leadership in this important way we can feed the hungry and meet the needs of those in our community. Let us pray for Christi as she takes on this new ministry role at HCN and let us be ready to be an active part in what God wants to do through our food pantry!
Teen Camp Fundraisers
As we just participated in a Silent Auction to help support our children to go to summer church camp, we now have an opportunity to help support our teenagers. As of right now we have 50 high school teenagers from our youth congregation going to church camp. That shatters previous year’s numbers and that is just senior high camp, not including junior high camp numbers. The number for junior high camp is still not totaled. Needless to say, this is an amazing testament to the growth and momentum that Christ is breathing into our teens. So let us rally around them as well. Unlike our children, many of these teens come from un-churched homes and un-churched backgrounds. For many of them, we are their church and this will be their first experience of church camp. Here are some very easy but important ways for us to support our teens to go to church camp this summer.
Our Place Cafe
April 27th 4:00 p.m. – close
They will donate 10% of all their proceeds to our Teen Church Camp!
Worship night at HCN!
Sunday April 30th. We will take up a Love offering in the middle of the evening
Zaxbys
May 2nd from 4:00 – close
They will be give 5% of their profit to the teen church camp funds
UPCOMING EVENTS
Coming Up with Men’s and Women’s Ministries
Saturday May 13th – Women’s Spring Brunch at 10:00 am at HCN
Friday – Sunday May 19th – 21st – Men’s Retreat – Franklin KY
Sign up and get more information on our Website.
www.hendersonvillenaz.org
HCN Summer Fest – Sunday June 11th
Mark your calendars and make plans to be a part of our first Annual Summer Fest at HCN! On this day we will be celebrating summer outdoors with no Sunday School and an 11:00 am All church outdoor worship service. Following the service we will have an all church grill out picnic, games, activities, inflatables, and attractions. Make plans now to invite your family, friends, and neighbors!
This Sunday Worship!
I look forward to coming back together this Sunday as we continue to celebrate the risen Lord and the joy and hope we can live in because HE LIVES!!! As we come together to worship, let us come with a renewed sense of love and light because we are alive in Christ.
May the Lord bless you and keep you throughout this weekend!!!
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Duane
Friday Focus 1.20.17
As we head into this week, here is some important HCN News and Announcements.
- Family Sunday – January 29th – Our next Family Sunday which is always on Fifth Sundays is coming on January 29th. Make plans to come that evening at 5:30 pm for an evening worship service and an all church potluck fellowship meal together.
- A Third Adult Sunday School Class is Forming – Billy Meikrantz will be starting a new adult Sunday School class, beginning Sunday being Feb. 5th and will meet in Room 113. If you haven’t yet found a Sunday School class, we encourage you to try it out and consider attending.
- Discover HCN Class – Sign Up Now – Begins Feb. 12th. If you are interested in attending, please go to our website hendersonvillenaz.org on the home page and sign up under special events.
- HCN Life Groups – Sign Ups on the Website – This Sunday, there will be an insert in the bulletin giving you a list of all the life groups we currently have going on at HCN. We hope you will consider looking into trying one. To sign up go to our website, hendersonvillenaz.org under the connect tab, click on Life Groups. There you can easily choose a life group you are interested in and we will be notified.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Duane
MAKING DISCIPLES BY THE WATER
Friday Focus: Christmas News 12.9.16
Sunday Morning Worship – Third Sunday of Advent
This coming Sunday morning we enter into the third Sunday of Advent continuing our Thrill of Hope Advent Series. The focus of this Sunday’s worship service is JOY!!! I will be sharing a message entitled
“The Song of Joy” and we will be reading out of Luke 1. Make plans to join us this Sunday and join me in prayer as we prepare to glorify God and to invite Him to meet with us once again in Worship and in Word.
Christmas on Luna Lane – December 11th THIS SUNDAY NIGHT
We can’t wait for this exciting event that so much time and preparation has gone into. So many of our adults, children, and teens will be involved and have spent countless hours practicing and preparing for this special event. Please make plans to come and enjoy this celebration of Christmas. Be sure to invite friends and family to come. For those bringing Christmas cookies, please bring them with you this Sunday morning!
Fresh Start Resources Sponsorship Gifts
Thank you to everyone who purchased and brought their gifts in this week to sponsor the 14 individuals we are supporting through our partnership with Fresh Start Resources. I know that your generosity and giving spirit will be blessed.
Staff/Board Christmas Party – December 17th Saturday 5:00 pm
To the staff and board, please mark your calendars for our annual Staff/Board Christmas Party at the church. This year Pastor Micah and April are coordinating the party plans. Please contact them with any questions.
All Church Christmas Caroling – Sunday Evening Dec. 18th 5:30 pm
We are going Christmas Caroling in our community!!! We hope you can join us as we load up our church bus and drive to Christian Manor to go Christmas Caroling. A sign up sheet is in the lobby at the Welcome Center. The first 29 people that sign up will have a seat on the bus. After that, everyone else will need to car pool. We hope you can join us as we hope to bring joy and blessings to those in our community who cannot typically get out to enjoy the festivities of Christmas.
The Church and Office Schedule the Week Before and After Christmas
Here is the schedule for the church the week leading up to Christmas and the week following Christmas leading up to New Years.
Week Before Christmas
Church Office Open Normal Hours
Monday – 12/19
Tuesday – 12/20
Wednesday – 12/21
With Normal Wednesday Evening Activities – 6:30 pm
Church Office Closed
Thursday – 12/22
Friday – 12/23
Christmas Sunday Worship Service
All Ages Combined Special Christmas Day Service – 11:00 – 11:45 am
Week Following Christmas leading to New Years – 12/26 – 12/31
Church Office Closed
No Wednesday Evening Services or Activities
New Years Day Worship Service 01/01/17
Normal Worship Service 10:15 am
All Normal Sunday Morning Classes and Activities Resume
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
See you on Sunday Morning!
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Duane
MAKING DISCIPLES BY THE WATER
Friday Focus 10.14.16
Dear HCN Family,
GREETINGS
It’s been a very interesting past 48 hours. As many of you know, our church bus was vandalized late Wednesday night along with another church in Hendersonville. Our new video surveillance cameras caught them on video and we were able to provide the footage to the police. The police texted me late last night and said our video was what helped them catch those responsible. They were arrested late last night and charged with both vandalism incidents that took place a month ago on our church building and this past Wednesday night on our bus. We are thankful for the police work and their dedication to finding those responsible. We took the bus into the shop this morning and it is being repaired, cleaned, and having our new church name, logos, and lettering put on.
We are thankful that the threat of vandalism has been drastically reduced because they have been caught. We are thankful for Keith Roberts who donated and installed our surveillance camera system, which was key in finding them. We also pray for those who did this. It is their damaged hearts and souls we should care most about being repaired and redeemed by God through any way possible. They hate God, but God doesn’t hate them. Let us reflect God’s heart towards them whether they hate us or not. I’ve already reached out to the police and started looking into how we can reach out to them and show them the grace and love of God during this time. I want them to know that even though they haven’t asked for our forgiveness, they are forgiven.
Our Vision is Making Disciples by the Water
We make Disciples By the Water in three ways.
Worship – Connect – Serve
I will share updates and announcements that relate to all three.
WORSHIP
We look forward to our worship service this Sunday. We also look ahead towards Family Sunday which is our next Fifth Sunday coming up onOctober 30th. Our kids and teens will be actively involved in the service. We will get a chance to see a video of our kids as well as hear more about children’s ministry from Pastor Michelle.
Parent Luncheon for Children Ministry – with Pastor Michelle
Following the worship service on Family Sunday October 30th, we will be providing a lunch for all of the parents and families who have children in our children’s ministry. Pastor Michelle will spend time talking with the parents about what’s happening in Children’s Ministry now and moving forward as well as have a Q & A time for the parents. Lunch will be provided by the church after morning worship. Please contact Pastor Michelle or respond to the invitation from the Cove that will be sent out soon so that we know how much food to provide.
Fifth Sunday Evening Service – Pot Luck Fellowship Dinner
Our Fifth Sunday Classic Worship Service will take place on October 30th at 5:30 pm followed by a potluck fellowship dinner.
CONNECT
Life Groups
As I wrote in last week’s Friday Focus, we are re-setting our life groups to be opened back up to any night or day at any time. We are also encouraging life groups to remain longer than 12 weeks. We are going back to the original format we started last year. I will be training and resourcing our group leaders. I’ve already been working with a couple of life groups that will be forming. As we move forward, please let me know if you are interested in hosting or leading a life group. I also have many different life group resources in my office library available for anyone to borrow.
Women’s Sunday Evening Life Group
The women’s Sunday evening life group is starting on October 23rd. It will meet at 5:30 pm. The focus will be to strengthen each other through prayer, fellowship, and God’s Word. All women of all ages are welcome to come. It will meet at the church.
Men’s Breakfast This Saturday – Oct. 15th at 8:30 am
All men are invited to come and join us tomorrow morning at the church for a men’s breakfast. We will be enjoying food, fellowship, and will be sharing with everyone about Men’s Ministries. We hope you can join us.
SERVE
Spiritual Gifts Training – Wednesdays Starting November 9th
Just a reminder we will be going through a 12 week Spiritual Gifts training together on Wednesday evenings starting on November 9th. I will be leading both our men’s and women’s Bible Study groups through this course. It will be fun and interactive discovery process for all of us. We hope you can make plans to be a part of it.
Bus Ministry at HCN
We are working on forming a bus ministry where we will be picking up and taking home children and teens on Wednesday evenings andSunday mornings. This will also potentially include others in the community. If you are interested in becoming involved as either a driver or adult chaperone, please contact myself or Chris Spann. This is an exciting new ministry opportunity we have to bring in many others from our community who otherwise would not be able to come to church.
Fresh Start Resources in Hendersonville
We have an established partnership with Fresh Start Resources which is a non-profit ministry in our community who works to reach and help recovering addicts and recovering convicts re-establish their lives and families back into the community. There are several ways and opportunies we have to be involved in making a difference in the lives of single parents and so many others. If you feel like this is an opportunity for you to be involved, we wanted to let you know about it and then we can talk more about the ministry opportunities there are.
Prayer Team
We are always looking to improve our prayer ministry and ways in which we can become more intentional with our prayer lives.
Other Serving Opportunities
We look forward to our worship service this Sunday as we come together for worship and pray for God’s anointing. During our message time, we will be exploring the parable Jesus gave us in Luke 18:1-8 with a message entitled “Pray Anyway.”I hope you have a great weekend! If you are man, I hope to see in you in the morning at our men’s breakfast.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Duane
MAKING DISCIPLES BY THE WATER
Friday Focus 8.19.16
Dear HCN,
GREETINGS
I want to thank everyone who filled in last Sunday in our absence as we were away for family vacation. It was a great time of rest, relaxation, and much needed time with the family. In times like those it is always a great opportunity to step back and reflect on just how good God is and how much we are blessed. Coming back this week for me has been somewhat of a challenge in catching up, but I could not be more thankful to God for the opportunity and priveledge to serve Him as your pastor. We missed being with everyone this past Sunday and I can’t wait to worship with everyone again! As we look ahead to this Sunday, we will be exploring a story of Elijah, one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament found in I Kings 19. I hope that the everyone will have a great weekend and will be able to come and worship our Lord and Savior this Sunday morning!!!
NEWS AND NOTES
Flood Relief Project for Louisiana Flood Victims
Our District has asked each church to partner with our Nazarene brothers and sisters in Louisiana to provide aid to those who have suffered from the floods in the Baton Rouge Louisiana area. So we are going to be helping in any way we can. We will start collecting donated items over the next three weeks and will then send these items to Baton Rouge First Church of the Nazarene. The items requested are as follows: (Please Stick to This List Only)
Items Needed: -Bottled Waters, Bleach, Gloves, Masks, Mops, Buckets, Boots, 2 Gallon Yard Sprayers, Plastic Spray Bottles, Generators, Battery Powered Tools, Utility Knives, Shovels, and Fans.
There will be a donation area set up in our lobby beginning this Sunday and a list of these items inserted in the bulletin as well. Above all, let us join in prayer for those who’ve lost so much from the flooding in these areas.
What’s Coming Up
As we round the corner heading into the last week of August, many of us are transitioning from summer to fall, beginning of the school year and settling into to more routines coming off of the summer months. I want to share with you some very important events and dates to be aware of coming up in September. At HCN, September will be a very special month full of special events and ministries launching us into the fall.
What’s Coming Up This Month
–Women’s Ministry Event this Saturday August 20th – Holder Family Fun Center, where the women will meet at the church at 5:15 or at the bowling center at 5:30 pm for a night of fun, fellowship, and food.
–Hendersonville Police Department Prayer Gathering – Tuesday Aug. 23rd at 2:30 pm. Meet at the church at 2:00 pm or at the Police Station at 2:20 pm. We invite anyone from HCN to come join us as we pray with and for our police officers that day.
–Baptism Sunday – August 28th – If you or anyone you know is interested in being baptized, please let me or Pastor Caitlin know this coming week, so that we can plan for me to meet with you prior to that Sunday. We currently have 4 individuals planning to be baptized but we want to invite anyone else who would like to to meet with me. I will be available to meet this coming Wednesday at6:00 pm.
September 2016 at HCN
–Labor Day Weekend – Our Men’s Softball Team – Traveling to the Nazarene National Softball Tournament in Cincinnati Ohio.
–HCN’s Annual Bacon Fest – Saturday September 10th – Located at Sanders Ferry Park at Pavilion 8 by the lake from 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Also, there will be a Doubles Frisbee Golf Tournament there at that same park as part of that day. Sign Ups will begin soon led by George King.
–New Life Groups Sign Ups – Beginning Sunday September 11th.
–New Members Class – Discover HCN Class will be held on three consecutive Sundays during the Sunday School hour. September 11, 18, and 25th.
–Homecoming Sunday – September 18th – Make plans now for this specialSunday we have planned to celebrate God’s faithfulness to HCN over the decades. The day will include a special celebration service including the founding pastor of our church Dr. Wade Powers who will be turning 85 years old that day. Previous pastors, church members, and staff have also been invited to come join us that day. Following the service there will be an outdoor potluck dinner on the grounds as well as inflatables, corn hole, volley ball, 4 square, and fellowship together.
We hope you can mark your calendars for this exciting and special month ahead at HCN!!!
You are loved and prayed for!
Pastor Duane
Friday Focus 6.3.16
Dear HCN Family,
GREETINGS
I was reading through Galatians this week and in Galatians chapter 1 Paul gives us Christians a bold reminder. That reminder is that there is only ONE Gospel. There really is no other gospel! He writes in Galatians 1:6-7 – I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is a different gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Our world wants to believe there are many gospels and many ways to God.
But, later in Galatians 1:10 – Paul writes: Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
In John 14:6, Jesus says I am THE way, the truth, and the life. Jesus doesn’t say, He is A way. He says, He is THE way. But do our lives and the way we live really match that passionate boldness or do we find ourselves attempting to appease men by compromising even if it’s in subtle ways? How easy it is to fall into an appeasing mindset to not be bold in the truth we hold our lives to?
Heidi Armstrong writes: “One prevailing threat to congregational vitality today is not so much a blatantly anti-God atheism as it is a passionless apathy-ism. The gospel of Jesus Christ often operates less as the radical and motivating center in the lives of believers, and more like a hobby to dabble in on the side at their convenience.”
Are we passionate about the gospel of Christ and the mission of God? Do we see our Christianity as the core and driving force for all that we do and are or is being a Christian something we do on the side when it’s convenient? Do we sub-consciously appease false gospels by remaining silent, or worse, do we find ourselves apathetic with our level of passion and commitment to Jesus?
I hope these words I share can be a challenge for all of us! As we head into the summer months, it is the time where many Christians across the United States tend to drift in their faith or their commitment to Christ and the church because life in the world is too fun and too inviting. Let that NOT BE HCN!!! Let us hold fast to the truth of the Gospel and the mission God has for us as His church in Hendersonville community through out this summer!
NEWS AND UPDATES
Summer in the Psalms
I’m excited to let you know that we will be spending the months of June and July walking through the Psalms during the message time each Sunday morning. EachSunday, I will be sharing a different message from the Psalms that speaks to us in different ways. I’m looking forward to this series as we dive into God’s Word together on Sunday mornings! This Sunday we begin with exploring the truths from Psalm 96.
Nashville Sounds Faith Night – Sunday June 26th
We are trying to organize a group to go to the Sounds game on Sunday eveningJune 26th. It is the only Trevecca Faith Night of the season. The tickets are $16 and will include the game, the concert, and a hotdog and drink. If you would like to go with our HCN group, we have to order and purchase the tickets as a group by THIS SUNDAY June 5th. So, please bring your ticket money to the Welcome Center and sign up this Sunday as we will be ordering them on Sundayafternoon. For us to buy you a ticket, you must pay for it this Sunday. We hope you can make plans to join us.
June Board Meeting – June 26th
Our Church board meeting will be held on Sunday June 26th at 1:00 pm to allow any board members to attend the Sounds Game that evening.
VBS Preparations
A couple weeks ago we had a great turn out for our VBS planning luncheon with over 50 in attendance. We have organized into several different teams, including the drama team, snack team, decorating team, group leaders, sports and games, and more. As we prepare for our VBS coming in July, we are excited as we begin the work. If you are interested in helping with VBS in any way but were unable to attend the luncheon, please contact my wife Melanie Harris and she will be glad to put you in touch with the team leader of the area you are interested in.
Walton Ferry Elementary Summer Food Drive
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Duane
Friday Focus 4.29.16
GREETING
Imagine with me a world with no more sin, no more pain, no more sadness, nor more sickness, no more deceit, no more greed, no more prejudice, no more misunderstandings, no more heart ache, and no more selfishness. That list of no mores, subtracts from much of what we unfortunately know of experiencing life in this broken world. But, that list of no mores ushers in the existence of a new heaven and new earth where God is literally the center of everyone’s existence. God is the light, with no need of other sources of light, God is our dwelling place! God is literally the temple! Can you imagine that?
John in Revelation 21:22-27 writes:
22. “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Let us be reminded of this great existence that we who are in Christ have to look forward to and may the knowledge that only those who’s names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life bring a renewed passion and motivation to be a witness for Christ and His gospel to those who don’t know Him.
NEWS AND UPDATES
Here’s what’s happening in the life of HCN
Mother’s Day Brunch – Saturday May 7th 11:00 am
Ladies, don’t forget to sign up for our Mother’s Day Brunch coming up next Saturday. It will be held at the church. Tickets are $5 a piece and will be sold at the Welcome Center.
HCN Softball T-Shirts Available
We have T-shirts that say, HCN Softball available for $10 a piece. This will go to help raise funds for our softball ministry. They are the same light blue with the same logo and design as our actual softball jerseys. Many of the families and fans have already purchased one. We have more available for anyone who would like one. They will also be available at the Welcome Center this Sunday, if you would like to purchase one to support our softball team.
Emmaus Homeless Ministry – This Sunday May 1st
This month’s Emmaus team will involve our Women’s Ministry. If you are able to go and serve the homeless this Sunday at Nashville First Church, please meet at the church at 4:30 pm. If you have never gone but are considering it, I encourage you to give it a try. You won’t regret this great opportunity. Having been many times, I can personally say I come away more filled than emptied. It is always a great way to show the love of Jesus to the needy. This particular week, additional help is needed with the children’s group. Jennifer Lester our Emmaus Coordinator will be leading that. If you are interested in helping her with the children please contact her.
New Adult Sunday School Class Starting THIS SUNDAY!
If you have not yet settled into a Sunday School and are looking for a place to during Sunday School to connect and learn more about God’s Word, we invite you to join our new Sunday School class starting this Sunday in Room 113. George King will be the teacher and we are excited about him leading and teaching this new class.
Sunday Morning Prayer Team – Time Change – 8:30 – 9:00 am
We are changing the time and meeting place for the Sunday morning prayer team to be from 8:30 am – 9:00 am. This will enable anyone who would like to be part of the prayer team to also be a part of Sunday School. This prayer team will now meet in the lobby near the staff offices at the end of the hall from 8:30 – 9:00 am. I invite you to consider joining this important and crucial team.
This Sunday Morning Supporting our Teens Going to Camp
We will have another opportunity to give towards our teens going to church camp as they are $500 short of their goal to raise enough money. This year we have 34 teens sign up and going to church camp which is the largest number we’ve had! If you are able to give and support them, please prayerfully consider helping them meet their goal this Sunday during our offering time!
Other Upcoming HCN Events in May
–May 15th Sunday – Board Meeting with our newly elected Church Board.
–May 21st Saturday – Men’s Ministries Breakfast at church 8:30 am
–May 22nd – New Members Sunday
–May 29-30 – District Assembly
MAKING DISCIPLES BY THE WATER
In Christ’s Love,
Holy Week – Thursday 3.24.16
| Dear HCN Family,
We come to Thursday of Holy Week, known as Maundy Thursday. This is the day the church recognizes the events of the Last Supper and Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. John 13:3-8 Jesus knew He only had a short time left with His disciples. He knew his time was coming to end. It is interesting that this is how Jesus chose to leave them before His crucifixion. It’s interesting that He makes it a point to show them by example the power and the value of serving one another. Washing feet is a very intimate and humbling event between two individuals. It requires the washer to be willing to humble themselves and to wash one of the dirtiest and ugliest parts of a person’s body. The person receiving the foot washing must allow themselves to be vulnerable, exposed, and be willing to receive such an act of service. Within the Body of Christ, we are instructed by Jesus Himself in from this moment to serve each other and also allow each other to serve! Many are willing to serve but in the serving we still maintain our dignity, however less are willing to receive service that exposes our dirtiness and our ugliness and that would leave us less dignified. Dignity in much respect is based on human pride and in the desire to present ourselves as more beautiful, more clean, and more put together than we really are in our vulnerable and weak moments. Closing Thought – So when Jesus says to Peter in verse 8 – “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” This is a very clear wake up call for all of us, that we would be willing to be vulnerable with each other, allow our needs to be exposed, and allow each other to clean the dirt from the world off of each other’s feet. If we are not willing to do that, what are we saying to Jesus and His Body? Have a great day!!! |
Holy Week – Wednesday 3.23.16
We embark on Wednesday of Holy Week. We will go through our routines of the day in work, school, and whatever activities we have on our agenda. Many of us will gather this evening for Bible Study, fellowship, and accountability. This morning let me share some words from the Hebrew writer.
Hebrews 12:1-3
1. WHEREFORE seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
I chose the King James Version this morning because it uses the word “Author”. Jesus Christ wrote the book on suffering love. He goes before us and shows us the way. We are invited to lay aside our sins, grow more faithful, and to persevere to follow Christ who leads us. This is the picture of life long growth in grace that is a process and a race we run. This race was run by so many who have gone before us with Jesus leading the way. Let us see their example and let us run the race faithfully, setting aside sin that entangles us and weighs us down.
God doesn’t want His children to be constantly burdened with habitual sin, selfish living, and destructive ways. It destroys our lives and the purpose He has set before us on this Earth. He wants to help you and me shed this weight so that we can run stronger, faster, and with more endurance.
Closing Thought – As we go through this day with this scripture in mind, what weight, burden, or sin are you carrying that you need to set aside heading into Easter? Who is among the great cloud of witnesses that you can point to as an inspiration to motivate you to persevere in the faith today?
Let us run the race set before us as we are lured forward by that company of saints and by our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord!!!
Have a great day!