Announcements
Money
Matters--
We're
going to spend the next three weeks talking about money in the church
and what God's Word has to say about it. This week? Redefining
Wealth
Room
in the Inn--
On October 10, Chattanooga
Room in the Inn
will be celebrating their anniversary from 5-8pm at Lyndsay Street
Hall. Speak with Lizz if you're interested.
Wednesday
Bible Study--
We
start our Bible study at 6:30 and will be exploring the kings of
Israel. Next week, 10/9, we'll begin by spending some time in prayer
for our city.
Community
Kitchen Spot
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 on the bookshelf.
#10 cans - mixed vegetables /
peas
#10 cans fruit
Dinner napkins
Plastic forks / spoons
Dry milk
New
Hope News
Sunday
School—This Sunday, we'll continue our study the 5th
chapter of Matthew, which is the beginning of the Sermon on the
Mount.
Session
Meeting—This Sunday, 12:30-1:30
Elder
Nominations—Please be in prayer for our nominating
committee as they seek out leaders for Christ's church. If there is
someone you would like to see be an elder, please speak with them
before nominating them. Rosie Sanislo is heading up the committee
this year.
Pray
For:
Krissey
Parker and her recovery
Links
Keith's
Random Thoughts
There's
a lot going on in the world.
On
Monday, we heard from a Syrian pastor who reported on day-to-day life
in Syria. He told us what it is like to live there and how
heartbreaking the chaos has been. He also shared his view that the
US needs to stay out of the country, as well as some other
interesting insights that only a Syrian would have. (Imagine living
in the city where Saul, now Paul, had the scales fall from his eyes.)
On
Tuesday, the government officially
stopped
working, which was probably not much of a change from beforehand,
only now the dysfunction of our political leadership is affecting the
day-to-day lives of thousands of furloughed
workers and frustrated
would-be-park-visitors.
In
the midst of all of this, Caleb's been sick and generally unhappy.
We're still adapting to life with two kids, trying to figure out how
to make all this work. Each and every one of us probably had ten
things on a to-do list that probably won't make it on to the 'done'
list.
So
we hear God's call to 'be still' and we wonder what that's like.
Even if we can still our bodies, can we really still our anxious
minds and nervous hearts? Don't we need to be doing something? God
knows we have plenty to do. Can't he just impart some peace on us as
we move along?
I
believe that God calls us to be still for a very specific reason, and
it's not out of spite, as though God is trying to frustrate our
efforts to plow through our to-do lists. There is a lot going on in
the world, and God calls us to be still to remind us that the future
of this world is in God's hands, not our own. I believe that God
wants us to be still and recognize that we are pretty small, and we
can't solve the world's problems. We probably don't even have enough
time on earth to list them all. So the best thing we can do?
Trust
God. Take a moment, slow down, look at all the chaos in the world
and in our lives, and give thanks that we worship a God who promises
that there will be peace in the end, and that he wants us to
experience that peace here and now.
How
do we experience it here and now? May the fact that all of this will
work out, that all evil will be destroyed, that there will be nothing
left but peace and joy and love, give a sense of calm to your life.
Breathe deeply. Do what you can. Trust in God.
Text
for this Sunday
2
Corinthians 8:1-15
(ESV)
We
want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been
given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of
affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have
overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave
according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means,
of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking
part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected,
but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of
God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so
he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in
everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness,
and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace
also.
8
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of
others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he
became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in
this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago
started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So
now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it
may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if
the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person
has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean
that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of
fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their
need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be
fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing
left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
New
Hope on iTunes
Keith's
Blog
& Devotionals
for your Kindle
No comments:
Post a Comment