Announcements
It's
Hot—You
may have noticed that it's a bit warm outside. Unfortunately, the
church's A/C has decided that now is an ideal time to take a summer
sojourn. To offset the heat (and whatever hot air may emanate from
Keith), if you could bring a fan it would be appreciated. (Financial
incentives to shorten the sermon will be considered)
Babies!—Luke
Gerrond Woods was born on the 4th
of July to Rachel & Lance Woods! We thank God for a healthy
child and ask for continued prayers for the family!
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 23-26.
New
Hope News
Sermon
Series—We've
got four sermons left in the series What
the New Testament says about...
This week we're focusing on salvation.
Sunday
School—We'll
explore Job this Sunday @ 9:45.
Sunday
Evening Prayer Service—We're
back this week!
6:00
Pray
for:
Joseph
Townley (& family)--Joseph's appendix ruptured on Monday and he
has spent the week in Children's hospital. It looks like he'll go
home today (he's doing much better) and be on oral antibiotics for
several weeks (the surgery to remove the appendix will not take place
for another 8 weeks or so). Please keep the family in your prayers.
David
Smith
Links
Book
Recommendation
I've
been reading a lot about the spiritual life lately, about the
disciples and the overall steps we need to take to deepen our walk
with Christ. Henri Nouwen has written a neat little book called
Making
All Things New
that invites the reader into the first steps of the journy. It's a
short book and worth the read if you're wondering where to start.
Used copies start at $0.01!
Random
Thoughts
Caleb
tried sweet potatoes for the third time this past Sunday.
Unfortunately, it went a lot like the last time he tried them—let's
just say we won't be trying them again anytime soon. It wasn't
pretty. Rachel and I are now a bit gun-shy about giving him any new
foods. We gave him bananas yesterday, and I don't remember a more
nervous four hours than yesterday afternoon. Thankfully, he kept
them down.
We
do this in our spiritual lives, too. We try to meditate, or we spend
some time in prayer, and while it usually doesn't end with a puking
infant, often it doesn't live up to our expectations. Sometimes we
just get too distracted, and other times we wonder what we just did
with that time. We wonder what we'll get out of it, and why we
invest all this time when nothing tangible changes. Then, we drop
the habit for a while because it didn't live up to expectations.
But
just like we can't stop feeding Caleb new foods (I think that his
nutritional needs might be more than green beans and apples can
meet), we can't stop working on our spiritual lives just because of
one or two bad experiences. Our life of faith is always an
unfinished painting this side of heaven—and we have to realize that
it's God who holds the brush. He is doing a work in us—our job is
to slow down enough to let the Holy Spirit work within us.
Often, we
want to be in control, and we want immediate results. God usually
doesn't work like that—he does a slow work in us, one that can take
years and decades to see results, but we are still called to show up
and let God work each and every day. It's not about winning the race
in a week—it's about allowing God to fine-tune our hearts so that
we are led by the Spirit in all we do. It's easy to give up after
one or two disappointing sessions in prayer or study. It's a lot
harder to show up every day and set time aside when it might not feel
productive. But trust God to do a work in and through you—I
promise you that God will not disappoint. He is always faithful and
will be by your side every moment of your life.
Text
for Sunday, July 8
Romans 3:21-28
The MessageGod Has Set Things Right
21-24But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.
25-26God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.
27-28So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counter-claims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we've learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.
New
Hope on iTunes
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