Announcements
Bridal
Shower—The
church will celebrate with Elea Geerlings next Saturday, June 23rd,
from 2-4 in the McMillan Building.
Family
Camp—I
know that Labor Day seems like a long way away, but we're already
making plans for Family Camp at John Knox Center. We've got some
exciting things planned for the year, so be sure to sign up early!
Registration forms are in the Narthex.
VBS—It's
almost that time! VBS will be from July 23-27.
New
Hope News
Sermon
Series—This
Sunday we'll begin a two month sermon series on what the New
Testament has to say regarding different topics. This week we'll
tackle relationships.
Sunday
School—We'll
explore Nehemiah this Sunday @ 9:45.
Sunday
Evening Prayer Service—Canceled
for the next two weeks.
Pray
for:
David
Smith
Darryl
Brock
Links
Finding
your purpose (This is the best article I've read in some time.)
Book
Recommendation
Feel
overwhelmed? What if I told you it was possible to live a simpler
life? I know—it sounds too good to be true. Each of us longs for
things to be simpler, to be single-mindedly focused on Christ as Lord
of all. I don't pretend that it is easy—it if was, we'd all be
living the ideal life. But I believe it is possible for us to
simplify. Richard Foster has written a great little book called
Freedom
of Simplicity
(used copies abound) to help us along the way. I'm about 2/3 of the
way through it, and it's a great little volume to encourage us to
take seriously the call of discipleship.
Random
Thoughts
So
this Sunday is my first Father's Day. In eight shorts months, I have
learned quite a bit about being a parent. Caleb has also learned
quite a bit about my parenting, too. You can tell this because every
time I pick him up he looks around for mom to save him!
There's
something incredible about the love a parent has for a child. It
changes the way I understand unconditional love. I'm not sure there
are adequate words to explain exactly how this change has taken
place, but I know that from the moment Caleb was born, I have loved
him more immensely than I ever thought possible. His every smile
brings joy to my heart, and when he is hurting my very soul aches for
him. I pray that he will grow to be faithful, that he will be good,
that he will wander down the road of Christian maturity far more
wisely than I.
In
all of this, I begin to see more clearly the love of our Father in
heaven. His love has no bounds, no edge, no bottom. It is as
boundless as he, and we will never reach the limits. He has told us
that hell itself shall not prevent his love from being separated from
us. He, too, longs for us to choose the faithful path, as hard as it
may be. His love is willing to go to such an extent that his own Son
was not too high a price to show us his love, to demonstrate his
willingness to sacrifice. I believe God's own heart aches as he sees
our sin and the human brokenness that is a result of it. God could
very well have created the oceans through tears shed at the thought
of our neglect of his Lordship over life.
But
God does not abandon us, even in our sin. Jesus knew the disciples
would abandon him in the hour of his arrest, and yet even then he was
making provisions to meet them after his resurrection. (Matt. 26:32)
The invitation to an embrace of God's love is always standing. What
it takes on our part is the courage and humility to come and bow low
before the throne, accepting his love and grace as something we can
never earn, and allowing that love to light our path.
In
the same way that Caleb does not have to earn my love, I do not have
to earn God's love. It is a free gift. May my choices be made in
light of that gift, and may I turn back to God and shout songs of
love with my whole heart.
Text
for Sunday, June 17
Revelation 21:1-6
The New Heaven and the New Earth
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’
And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.
NewHopeChattanooga.org
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’
And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.
NewHopeChattanooga.org
New
Hope on iTunes
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