Thursday, February 14, 2013

2-14 E-News


Announcements

Last Call!—Saturday, there is a small group going to Family Promise to take them lunch. If you'd like to join us, give Keith a call. You don't need to bring/prepare any food—just come and join us for lunch @ 12:15!

UTC Board—The UTC Board is still in need of members. If you're interested in joining, or attending a meeting to see what they're like, let me know.

Community Kitchen Spot
New this week, thanks to the Mission Committee, is a spot focusing on Community Kitchen needs. There are a lot of hungry and homeless children of God and the community needs some help feeding them. If you would like to help out, please bring the following items to church this Sunday & put them in the grocery cart. Each week, we'll have a different list, depending on the Kitchen's needs.
Dry Milk
Cereal
Napkins
Metal Forks & Spoons

New Hope News

Sunday School—This Sunday, the adult class will study Paul/Romans.

At Work on Purpose—Starting February 21, there will be an evening seminar about how best to be Christians at work. If you want to learn more about the organization behind the curriculum, click here. Please speak with Andy Sanislo if you're interested and/or planning on attending.


Pray For:

Those in search of jobs

Those who mourn

Roger, as he recovers from his surgery

Pray for those who do not know Christ.

Links







Keith's Random Thoughts

It's been quite the week. Today is Valentine's Day. Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. There was a State of the Union address. Spring Training started. A pope is resigning for the first time in almost 600 years. (The last time a pope resigned, one of the first reformers was burned at the stake 2 days later.) Nerlens Noel tore his ACL, thus making UK's season even more depressing than it already was.

Each and every one of us has a full plate. We have family and friends who are in need of prayers, and we have worries and concerns and joys of our own. There are tremendous things going on in our lives, and there are things which we must endure. Some things happening in the outside world do not affect us at all, while others are very close to our heart.

I find it amazing that God keeps track of every single one of our thoughts. God watches out for every hair on our head and every beat of our hearts. God loves us intimately and thoroughly, and not a second of your life escapes his notice. You live in the constant embrace of God.

This Lent, let's take some time to celebrate that. Have you ever seen a child dive into a pile of leaves with reckless abandon? What if we fell into God's grace with that same trust and glee? Our anxieties and worries can linger behind us—God can handle those. Our joys and celebrations—God will share those with us. It is my hope that we can trust God enough to cast ourselves upon him and live day by day, rather than letting everything pile up and overwhelm us. Jesus is Lord of this moment and the next, but you don't have to worry about that one until it's here. Just settle into his grace, into his love, and be content knowing that the most powerful being in the universe has chosen to use that power to love you, and to keep anything else from harming you.

God loves you. Thank God for that!


Text for this Sunday
John 21:15-19

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’


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