CHANGE IN THE MIDST OF TRADITION

Posted on December 29, 2008 
Filed Under Announcements, Pastor's Blog

It must be my conflicting personality that keeps me fading change into tradion. The change for me is the ESV (English Standard version of the Bible). The tradition is reading the Bible in a year. It’s something I’ve been doing for a long time. I’ve read the KJV, NKJV, NIV, NASB and the Message in years past. lately I have been more attracted to the ESV so I am giving it a thorough going over. For the year 2009 it will be my text of reading choice. To fully engage the ESV I will also be preaching out of it. Now that’s a change. For the last 10 years I have predominantly preached out of the NKJV. I have always been pleased with its modernity with a commitment to a more word for word translation (2nd only to the NASB).

So let the reading and meditation begin. I encourage you to join me on this journey. I’ve been doing this for years and the Bible never ceases so surprise me. Living in the text of God’s Word has been a consistent mainstay of my life which has grounded my faith in Christ. There are lots of reading plans out there; straight thru, chronological, NT and OT together and historical. This year I am following the historical plan which has one reading the Bible in the order in which the books were written. You can go to backtothebible.org to review the reading plans and view the schedules. It’s a great site which will do all the figuring for you. You just have to do the reading.

I leave you with a confession. I cheat. That’s right. I start early, like today. I breathe easier being ahead rather than behind. And behind is what I will get at some point in time. By jumping out ahead when I do fall behind it won’t be so hard to get caught  back up. Did you follow all that? Don’t worry about it. Just start reading.                      WHB

Weekly Bulletin – December 28, 2008

Posted on December 26, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
December 28, 2008
WELCOME!

PREPARE TO WORSHIP 
 On this first Sunday after Christmas, remind us that the Christ child can
 live in us if we surrender constantly to Him.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 
 If you are visiting us today, please fill out a visitors card & drop it in the
 offering plate as your contribution today. Thank you.

PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC

(Jr. Church children ages 4 -7 may be dismissed))

HEARING FROM GOD

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE STAY FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT!

TONIGHT :  No Evening Service

THIS WEEK :

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Offering Envelopes for 2009 available on the shelf under the bulletin board. 

Needed: A new Christmas tree for the church.

Church Ministries need volunteers: Church cleaners & nursery workers.  See Terry Johnson. 

_________________________

A Christmas Blessing
May you have the Spirit of Christmas,
which is Peace,
The Gladness of Christmas,
which is Hope,
The Heart of Christmas,
which is Love,
The Gift of Christmas,
which is Christ.
________________________

Thanks for attending FIRST CHRISTIAN, please come again!

HOPE Luke 1:78-79

Posted on December 18, 2008 
Filed Under Pastor's Blog

Someone once said, “the transformation of one’s character is born out of crisis not the classroom.” We have our share of crisis right now. Untimely death, newborns with needs and illness has left us stretched. I would urge you to be often in prayer for our church family. I suppose we tend to eschew crisis around Christmas. It gets in the way of our upbeat spirits and celebrations. But perhaps Christmas is for crisis. Christ is our hope in the midst of crisis. “Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

These are the closing lines to Zacharias’ prophecy surrounding the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. Jesus is the “Dayspring from on high”. He has visited us. God has come down to save his people from their sins, heal the brokenhearted, lend comfort to the discouraged and be hope to the depressed. Even for those who sit in drakness and dwell in the shadow of death. No crisis can turn back the light of God’s redeeming grace.

So take heart, be at peace and lift your voice in prayer for those in our community of faith whom you know are struggling right now. Who may be asking why? Who feel they are going through one of those “dark nights of the soul.” Carry their burden wih them through the strength of prayer.           WHB

Protected: Prayer Requests – December 10, 2008

Posted on December 11, 2008 
Filed Under Prayer Requests

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Weekly Bulletin – December 14, 2008

Posted on December 11, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
December 14, 2008
WELCOME!

PREPARE TO WORSHIP 
 Help us have quiet and joyful spirits as we worship You, our loving Creator.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 
 If you are visiting us today, please fill out a visitors card & drop it in the offering plate as your contribution today. Thank you.

PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC

(Jr. Church children ages 4 -7 may be dismissed))

HEARING FROM GOD

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE STAY FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT!

TONIGHT :  Financial Peace University, 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.

THIS WEEK :

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Boxes available in the foyer for Christmas cards for your Pastors.

Offering Envelopes for 2009 available on the shelf under the bulletin board.  You must use an envelope with your name on it, if you want to receive a receipt at the end of the year.

Needed: A new Christmas tree for the church. If you have a good one that you could donate or would like to start a fund to purchase a new one, please see Megan Reed.  The current one is being held together with super glue & string this year.

Church Ministries need volunteers: Church cleaners & nursery workers!  Why not make one of your New Year’s resolutions a commitment to join one of these ministries?    

Thanks for attending FIRST CHRISTIAN, please come again!

WHERE’S THE BEEF? Colossians 3:5-17

Posted on December 6, 2008 
Filed Under Pastor's Blog, Sermons

Well the news is out. America is obese. America’s children are overweight. It almost sounds epedemic like. I can see teacher’s aids pushing kids around the gym floor in wheel chairs because they are too fat to participate in gym otherwise. They will have to create obese-friendly games. There is an answer to all of this though. There are those who are convinced that if we just banned fast-food commercials we could trim the fat in America.

We are a strange country with almost laughable outlooks on life, except for the fact that it is so tragic. And as the Church we have a way of mirroring our culture. Our tragedy being that we are supposed to mirror Christ. If it helps look at it from a cosmetic angle. DId you know Americans spend over 7 billion annually on cosmetics? Cosmetics cover the surface and can hide the heart. Fat as well wraps around muscle and is at the surface. We all have some muscle it is just often hidden by fat. So fat also covers the surface and can even choke/strangle the heart.

Our cosmetic culture has given birth to a cosmetic church. We are sensitive to the surface issues and appearances but often neglect the more weighty/muscular issues, traits and principles that matter. God wants the body of Christ to be musclebound and fit for the Master’s work. In Colossians 3:5-17 Paul describes what the muscular church looks like. It is strong on personal holiness, sensitive to the neediness of others and dependent upon the cross. They say if you could only do one exercise then do squats. Putting your body under the weight of the bar and pushing up. It is the ultimate exercise for your body physically and chemically (the exertion forces your body to release chemicals critical to your health and well-being). In like manner the muscular church places itself under the authority of God’s Word. It indwells them and becomes a part of them. The muscular church is driven to glorify Christ. It doesn’t just want to look good but it wants to at its best for the glory of God.

I have to wonder if the Church always assesses itself properly. So many of our observations are surface oriented. What translation of the Bible does the preacher use? What style of music do they sing? What is the quality of the music? How nice, modern and aesthetic are their facilities?

In Colossians the concern is not style of music but content. The concern is not translation but that the Bible is taught and submitted to as authoritative. The concern is not self-centered but others oriented (tolerance and forgiveness; novel ideas considering in America if you don’t like someone you can just go to church somewhere else). The concern is not man-centered but Christ-centered with Jesus being its foundation and his cross  being the apex of its message. The concern is not the exaltation of ourselves but the exaltation of Christ.

We need to ask ourselves what we’re really made of? The ingredietns of the soul that form our character and give birth to our ethics. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. How’s your heart?   WHB

Protected: Prayer Requests – December 3, 2008

Posted on December 4, 2008 
Filed Under Prayer Requests

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Weekly Bulletin – December 7, 2008

Posted on December 4, 2008 
Filed Under Weekly Bulletin

THE LORD’S DAY
December 7, 2008
WELCOME!

PREPARE TO WORSHIP 
Dear Lord, let peace abound in each of us gathered here. Prevent us from resisting the benefits of your grace. You alone can provide our greatest needs.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 
 If you are visiting us today, please fill out a visitors card & drop it in the offering plate as your contribution. Thank you.

PRAISING GOD WITH SONG

GIVING TO GOD  Offering  /  SPECIAL MUSIC

(Jr. Church children ages 4 -7 may be dismissed))

HEARING FROM GOD

WORSHIPING GOD IN SONG

PLEASE STAY FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL NEXT!

TONIGHT :  Financial Peace University, 6:00 – 8:00 P.M.

THIS WEEK :

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Boxes available in the foyer for Christmas cards for your Pastors.

Offering Envelopes for 2009 available on the shelf under the bulletin board.  You must use an envelope with your name on it, if you want to receive a receipt at the end of the year.

Church Ministries need volunteers: Church cleaners & nursery workers!  Why not make one of your New Year’s resolutions a commitment to join one of these ministries?    

Thanks for attending FIRST CHRISTIAN, please come again!