What is God's Gift to Us? - Kayla's Korner

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15

What is God’s Gift to us? The answer to this question is quite simple. God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to earth to be the final sacrifice for our sins. I don’t know about you, but to me, that is one of the most special gifts I have ever received.

Let’s breakdown 2 Corinthians 9:15 for a moment to really understand what Paul is trying to share with us. “Thanks be to God…”, Here we read that Paul burst out in an exclamation of appreciation to God. “…for His indescribable…” The Greek word for indescribable is not used anywhere else in the New Testament and is translated as “Unutterable.” This means that words cannot describe, and no human can fully appreciate the magnitude of the gift.

Gift giving is something that I love to do, gift giving brings joy to my heart. Seeing the other person open their gift from me, and seeing their reaction warms my heart with Joy. I know gift giving isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok. Jesus and His sacrifice is the most indescribable gift we could receive. Christmas time can be stressful, but it can also be a joyous time. While you are gift shopping this season, remember God who gave the most incredible gift to each one of us and maybe this year gift giving will be a little more joyous for you. I can’t begin to imagine how God feels each time someone accepts His gift of Christ.

Blessings Kayla Hass

Dear God,

We thank you for giving the gift of grace. For giving us the opportunity of receiving a relationship with you. As we move into the Christmas season this year, let us remember all you have done for us and continue to do. Let us not get wrapped up in the gifts, but rather focus on you and the gift you have given us. Amen

Kayla Marie Hass

Thanks and Giving - Reece's Peaces

November starts our stewardship campaign. It is time as a congregation that we take note of what God has given us and what we want to give toward in the future. I think this year is an incredibly important stewardship campaign because we just finished deciding our vision and our mission for the next 5 years. We are giving toward that mission and the vision that we have for the church.

Starting this quarter, we have refocused our Care-Share groups. We now have three Family Ministers, each headed by two of our church Elders. These family ministries will meet quarterly to create solid relationships and connections within each family. They will care for you and you will care for them, just as you care for your relatives now. You will support one another in good and bad times with cards, meals, and whatever else is needed. Our families will make sure that every member of Hurstbourne feels loved and supported.

Additionally, on January 1st, we will begin to examine how each one of our projects, events, and activities align with our new vision. Every event will be reimagined with our new vision and mission in mind. This will make every segment of our church aligned with our greater goals. We will continue to grow our Christian education program, expand our service to the community, and become a welcoming place for all.

This year, 2022, showed the resilience of our church. It was our first full year without a COVID-19 shutdown and it reminded us how good it feels to be back in church. It also shows us the possibilities of the future.

2023 will be a year of great and amazing changes to our church: changes as we continue to grow in membership and become a welcoming place for all God’s children changes as we continue to grow in discipleship, and changes as we seek new and unique ways to serve the community of which we are part.

So, as we start our stewardship campaign, let us remember what it is we are thankful for and what it is we are giving toward.

The Theology of the Russian War in Ukraine - Reece's Peace's

I was halfway through writing a wonderfully fun article on the turning of the season when I saw a report that the Russian Orthodox Patriarch stated that all Russians that die in battle will have all of their sins forgiven.

It stopped me in my tracks. Russia invaded Ukraine for no valid reason. They have spent months killing civilians and military personal fighting to defend their home country. Now the Russian Church has turned into a mouthpiece for this genocide and promises eternal salvation for those who die in this offensive war. Patriarch Kirill went so far as to compare the sacrifice of Christ to that of Russian Soldiers. This is against all Christian reasoning and theology. Christ never fought in a war. Throughout all of Christ’s ministry he fought against the oppression of good people by tyrannical authorities. The idea that Jesus offers salvation not because of faith in God, but instead because of participation in a vindictive war brought on by petty individuals, is completely inappropriate.

Even more troubling is the fact that more than 90% of Christians in Russia are members of the Russian Orthodox church. For almost all Christians inside Russia, this absurd theology is the only opinion they hear. They will not hear Pope Francis’s public address stating, “In the name of God, I ask you: stop this massacre,” calling the invasion an act of “unacceptable armed aggression.” They will not hear the number of other ministers and priests around the world that have condemned this act. They will not even be able to read this article.

In their own country, religious voices have been silenced as Russia continues it mobilization for war. In the beginning months of the conflict Russian parishes independently began to rid themselves of connection to the Russian Patriarch, removing Kirill’s name for church worship. However, inside Russia, those churches have now too been silenced.

I wish that I had a better topic to write about for this article. I wish I could have written a loving piece about the changing colors of leaves, bonfires, and hayrides. However, I couldn’t. It is not that there is much any of us can do to stop this, but still, we must acknowledge the problem with religious statements like this one. Jesus is not for war. Hopefully, we can come together as a community of faith and pray for a peaceful end to this senseless war.

Standing Firm - Kayla's Korner

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

As Christians, we are called to be alert to various dangers, we are to be steadfast in our faith, we are to act like an adult, and have a strong will so we can remain pure in faith. We should be careful to not allow ourselves to become corrupted by the ways of the world. We should continue to believe in the scriptures. We should have a strong will to oppose people who try to corrupt or divide us.

Something I have noticed about today’s world, is people are afraid to speak up, because they don’t want to offend people. I want to ask you, Do you think Jesus spoke up or do you think He sat back because He didn’t want to offend others… Jesus came to earth to turn each of us away from our wicked ways, so that we could inherit the kingdom of God. In order for Him to turn each one of us from our wicked ways, He had to stand firm in what God had called Him to do and what Jesus believed was right.

We must follow Jesus’ example….In order to stand firm, believers must plan to utilize all tools available to them. I want you all to also note that Paul calls the devil’s work against believers “Schemes”. He appears to seek to destroy the good work of all believers. Thankfully his power is no match to the power of God. My fellow Christians, I encourage you to stand firm in your belief of God. Don’t allow others to persuade you to question your belief. Put your foot down, stand strong and be bold in the name of Jesus.

Our Vison, Our Mission

What will Hurstbourne Christian Church look like in five years?

What makes Hurstbourne Christian Church different?

What is God’s vision for Hurstbourne Christian Church and what will we do to become that Church?

Since January we have grappled with these questions. On the first Sunday of the year, I asked you what Hurstbourne Christian will look like in five years. What will our missions look like? What will our church look like? Those questions were the start of our journey.

Next, our entire church prayerfully answered a survey describing the vision each of us as individuals have for the church. We combined those answers into one complete document.

Then we took the collection of individual answers and formed a vision team, connecting all aspects of the Church into one body. This team continued together information by surveying the Hurstbourne neighborhood. We asked our neighbors what they thought of our church and what their community needed in a church. Some of their answers were shocking but truthful! The vision team spent many nights debating and discussing our mission and our vision, evenings spent prayerfully working to listen and discern God’s will.

After numerous hours the vision team developed a new vision, new mission, and a plan to make them a reality. Now it is time for you to celebrate the fruits of our labor: the plan to bring about a church that is ready for the roaring (20)20’s, a vision that keeps the heart of the church of the past but with a new energy that is ready for the future.

On September 11 we are celebrating our Vision Sunday and the whole church must be ready to support this vision! United we stand, divided we fall. Frankly, our vision is something that is impossible not to unite behind. It is a vision for a loving, biblically-based church, ready to make actionable change in the world!

Choir - Marc's Music Notables

We are excited to announce the return of our Christmas Cantata for 2022!

This year we will present "Sing Joy to All the World: A Christmas Celebration" by Lloyd Larson. Because the choir hasn't met since the pandemic lockdown, we need singers to join us for this special event!

If you are interested in singing with the choir for the cantata let Marc know by emailing him directly at marcusdmonroe@gmail.com, or simply tell him in person! We would love to have anyone interested join us!

Because of the amount of time it takes to prepare a program like this, the choir will focus all of its efforts on the cantata, but we plan to resume singing on Sunday mornings (on a regular schedule) after the holiday season. We will rehearse every other Wednesday at 6:00 pm starting September 28th. We will also provide music books and part CDs to help you learn your part.

For those who don't sing, but want to support this project, talk to Marc about sponsoring an orchestra member for the performance. We plan to hire a few musicians, in addition to our member musicians, to fill out the instrumentation of the chamber orchestra.

We can't wait to bring back this holiday tradition, and we appreciate all of the continued support of the music ministry at Hurstbourne

Love One Another - Kayla's Korner

Love One Another “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

John 13:34 NIV Jesus commands us to love each other! Jesus loved each of us before we even existed. Sometimes it can be hard to show love toward others when they aren’t being kind towards us, but, Jesus tells us to still show them love as He did toward us.

Loving our neighbor is the biggest Christian act we can do! When we love others they will know Christ through our love. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:35 NIV When we turn our back toward others and show hate toward them, we are pushing them away from Christ. As Christians it’s important to speak kindly and show love toward others so that they can come to know God. Our mission on earth is to bring others to Christ.

This month, pray and ask God to open up your heart and to be able to start loving everyone. To start being kinder to everyone. To speak nicely to others.

That's in the Bible? - Reece's Peace's

The Bible is a big book, so it is no surprise that there are many things in that book that we often do not talk about. I was recently speaking with a friend who asked me about one particularly challenging point for her in the Bible. It was an odd scripture that is often glossed over. I told her that this story was not the only odd scripture the Bible. There are many scriptures just as particular as this story. She was surprised by this.

As I listed all the odd sections of the Bible that I could remember I recognized that there are probably many other people who have not heard some of these Scriptures either. The stories are not something you would expect to hear in Sunday school. However, in that discussion, I thought these unexpected scriptures would be great topics for a sermon series.

For the next four weeks we will discuss Bible stories you may not have heard of before. We will discuss topics you may not even know are in the Bible. We will talk about human sacrifice, racism, angel-human hybrids, and murder. You will be given the scriptures beforehand and will be encouraged to read them before Church each Sunday to help you get a full understanding of their meanings. Some of the scriptures will come from the Old Testament, but an equal number will also come from the New Testament.

Even though they might seem a bit out of place, it is good for us to talk about them. After all, they are in the Bible. They were in included in our Holy Scripture for a reason. It is good for us to read them together and understand why they are part of the Bible. What do these narratives mean for our faith?

This sermon series will be slightly different from what you have come to expect. We will talk about topics that are not normally discussed. It will be unique and informative. Because of that, it will be the perfect time to invite a friend to join us! We are a church that is not afraid to talk about difficult questions. That is just what our faith needs right now.

The Church’s One Foundation - Marc's Music Notables

If you had known Samuel Stone, chances are that you might have admired him on one hand and been distressed by his behavior on the other. A priest of the Church of England, he devoted himself to serving the poor and vulnerable, but his athletic build and intense passion sometimes led him afar. It is said that, on one occasion, he gave a thorough beating to a man whom he found mistreating a little girl.

Stone served as a passionate defender, not only of the poor and vulnerable, but also of the faith. He was inspired to write “The Church’s One Foundation” in response to a church controversy nearly half a world away.

In South Africa, Bishop John Colenso had begun to question whether Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Bishop Robert Gray moved to discipline Colenso, and the resulting controversy reverberated throughout the denomination.

Stone wrote “The Church’s One Foundation” as one of twelve hymns based on the Twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed. He hoped that these hymns would help people to better comprehend the creed that they oft recited but seldom understood. He also hoped that they would support the conservative side of the controversy that was rocking the church.

“The Church’s One Foundation” is the only one of those hymns that is still widely sung today— and widely sung it is!

Samuel Wesley, the grandson of Charles Wesley, wrote the music for this hymn.

End of Summer - Kayla's Korner

Proverbs 6:8 “Yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.”

I can’t believe summer is coming to an end! I have enjoyed my summer this year, but I’m excited for fall. I would have to say my favorite season of the year is fall. I enjoy the fall themed food and the weather is always perfect for carving pumpkins. I also like to spend my time learning more about God and the summer was a great time to rest before I’m ready to put in the work to build my relationship with God. I hope you are also.

As we enter the last month of summer, prepare to build your relationship with God, as it becomes too cold to go outside. Give God more time this fall and watch your life change.

Blessings, Kayla

What was Christianity like before the Bible? - Reece's Peace's

               The Bible has long been a central part of the Christian faith. We read it each week in worship, we listen to a message based on its teachings, and we hear segments of it read at weddings and funerals. It can be hard to imagine what Christianity would be like without the gospels or the letters, but for the early Christians that was a reality.

               For almost 400 years Christian worshiped, lived, celebrated, and praised God without the Bible. The books we know as the bible were not “dropped from the heavens” in one complete volume written neatly in the King’s English. More than 1,500 years separate the writing of Genesis and the writing of the Book of Revelation. Additionally, no letter or gospel in the New Testament was written until at least 45 A.D., with many not being written until after 70 A.D. It wasn’t until 397 A.D., close to 400 years after the death of Christ, that the list of books we know as the New Testament was officially canonized as part of the Bible.

               Many Christians would have lived and died without ever reading or even knowing about the New Testament. This makes you wonder how they could be Christians without the Bible.    

               The answer is fairly simple: they learned from the people that wrote the Bible or from people that learned from those early apostles.

               In the same way as we listen to sermons today, early Christians would listen to teachings too. However, their teachings may not have been based on texts as much as oral teachings. Their teachers were connected with someone who learned directly from Jesus.

               We know from various writings of the time that early Christians practiced their faith much as we do today. They had moments of teachings, shared communion, sang hymns, prayed, and practiced baptism. They would occasionally read scripture, but only from what we would call the Old Testament. Eventually they began to read the letters of Paul and the other apostles aloud, but it was many years until these letters were accepted as part of scripture.

               In fact, when Paul talks about the scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work,” he wasn’t referring to the New Testament. Much of it wasn’t even written yet! The scripture he was referring to was what we would call the Old Testament.

               So, while it might be foreign to us to practice our faith without the Bible, those early Christians, who still had the authors of the letters and Gospels to teach them, were able to practice their faith even without a reading from the gospels on Sunday morning.

Revival Hymns - Marc's Music Notable

 Revival Hymns by Scott Pauley

Certain songs have become old standards in most revival meetings. The one I hear sung more than any other is the great hymn “Revive Us Again.” Just this week a friend told me that Harold Sightler would never have a revival meeting without singing “Come Thou Fount.” The truth is that any song that brings us into a spirit of prayer and lifts us to Christ is a good song for a revival meeting. There is something truly thrilling about hearing people lift their voices in enthusiastic, evangelistic singing.

Because I am in revival meetings week after week I often hear the same songs. My favorite hymn is Charles Wesley’s “And Can It Be?”.  But my favorite revival hymn is one that searches my heart every time I hear it…

Charles Tindley was the son of a slave woman. His mother died when he was a young child and Charles had a difficult time in his youth. He went to Philadelphia to attend college and said he made it his goal to learn one new thing every day. While there he served for several years as a janitor in a downtown church. God would later make him the pastor of that same church.

God used Tindley as a preacher but he was also a prolific songwriter, becoming one of the father’s of American gospel music. During a challenging time in his pastorate he was sitting in his study writing when a blast of wind came through the open window and scattered his notes on the ground. As he gathered them he thought, “Let nothing between.” In a few moments Charles had penned one of the most convicting revival hymns ever written.

Read through the text slowly and ask yourself if these words are true of your life:

Nothing between my soul and the Savior, Naught of this world’s delusive dream;

I have renounced all sinful pleasure; Jesus is mine, there’s nothing between.

Refrain:

Nothing between my soul and the Savior,

So that His blessed face may be seen;

Nothing preventing the least of His favor;

Keep the way clear! Let nothing between.

Nothing between, like worldly pleasure;

Habits of life, though harmless they seem,

Must not my heart from Him ever sever;

He is my all, there’s nothing between.

Nothing between, like pride or station;

Self or friends shall not intervene;

Though it may cost me much tribulation,

I am resolved, there’s nothing between.

Nothing between, e’en many hard trials,

Though the whole world against me convene;

Watching with prayer and much self-denial—

Triumph at last, there’s nothing between.

Revived people sing differently. Sin closes people up but God opens them up! When we get “in tune” with the Lord it comes out in our singing. I think we should do more singing after the preaching of God’s Word and seasons of prayer because then we are truly singing out of revived hearts. Some of the best singing I have ever heard in revival meetings was done at the end of the meeting. Awakened hearts cannot help but sing.

Strength in Summer - Kayla's Korner

Proverbs 30:25

“Ants are creatures of little strength,
    yet they store up their food in the summer;”

I want you to take a minute and think of a creature that is weak. For me, I think of an ant. Probably because they are so small and I’m a lot bigger than they are. According to pest word for kids, “Ants can lift 20 times its own body weight” This basically means, if a second grader was as strong as an ant, they could lift a car! I don’t know about you, but if I saw a second grader lifting a car, I would be both amazed and probably confused. My point is, Ants are wise, and we think that they are the weakest creatures, when they have more wisdom than most of us. Ants work hard during the warm months so that they can save most of their food for the colder months. We should be reading our Bibles, and praying daily, building our relationship with God. Just coming to church and being present isn’t enough. You have to put in the work! You have to build up your strength in Christ and be prepared.

The Purpose of the Book of Acts - Reece's Peace's

               The Book of Acts is unique in the New Testament. It is not like the gospels because it does not cover the life and ministry of Jesus. It is unlike the Letter of the Apostles because it is a historical account, not simply a theological letter. This begs the question: what is the purpose of the Book of Acts?

               Before we can answer this question, we have to know why the Book of Acts was written. The Book of Acts was not written to be read as we read it today. It was made to be read directly following the Gospel of Luke. Luke and Acts were written as two sections of one combined work: Luke-Acts. The first line of the Book of Acts makes this clear when the writer states, “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.”

               Reading the Books of Acts before the Gospel of Luke makes about as much sense as reading The Two Towers before The Fellowship of the Ring. You cannot understand the purpose of the second book without reading the first. Unfortunately, our modern Bibles created this problem. The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are separated by the Gospel of John. This artificial division makes it seem as if they were written as two separate works.

               However, if you do read the two books together you can see the purpose of the Book of Acts. The Gospel of Luke ends with Christ's ascension and the Apostles leaving to go pray in the temple. Unlike the other Gospels, it does not have any conclusion or summary sentences. John has the clearest example of this in the final sentences, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” The Gospel of John makes it clear with this statement that this is the end of His story. John has told all that he wishes to tell. Luke doesn’t have a statement like this because while Jesus’s life story might have been finished, for Luke His ministry wasn’t.

That is the purpose of the Book of Acts, to show how Jesus’s ministry lived on in the work of the Apostles. By connecting the books, you see this clear relationship. Jesus’s life is finished, so the Apostles continue with His mission. The Book of Acts shows us that even though Christ is no longer with us physically His spirit still is and we are to carry on with His mission.

Blessed Assurance - Marc's Music Notables

It might seem unlikely that a blind writer of hymns living in a slum and a wealthy woman living in a mansion would have anything in common — but Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, was a humble woman with a number of distinguished friends. Grover Cleveland, who later became President of the United States, met Fanny Crosby as a young man, and they became lifelong friends.

The friend in the mansion was Phoebe Knapp, the daughter of a Methodist evangelist. When she was just sixteen years old, Phoebe married Joseph Fairchild Knapp, a young man who went on to found the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The Knapps worshiped at the John Street Methodist Church in lower Manhattan, which is where Fanny Crosby also worshiped — and so a friendship was born. Phoebe, the wealthy matron, often invited Fanny, the blind hymn writer, to her home.

Phoebe enjoyed music, and had a music room furnished with a collection of musical instruments. During one of Fanny’s visits, Phoebe invited her to the music room, where Phoebe sat down at the keyboard and played a tune that she had written. “What does that say,” she asked? Fanny clapped her hands in delight and said, “That says, ‘Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!'” She then continued with other words of the hymn. Mrs. Knapp wrote the words down and fit them into the tune as we have it today.

Many people thought Fanny Crosby in 1873 finds inspiration for the song through the passage of Hebrews 10:22. ” Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (KJV). Because she wrote the hymn on a whim. Though without any spiritual background it might be difficult to write down the text of inspiring hymn as blessed assurance in a very short time like she did.

The full text and score of the hymn were published on page 36 of a magazine called Issue of Palmer’s Guide to Holiness and Revival Miscellany in July 1873. Specifically, the magazine is printed by the parent of Mrs. Knapp who is an evangelist. However, there is no source that confirmed that the magazine was the first to print Blessed Assurance Hymn.

But it actually assisted in making the inspiring hymn popular as of today. The tune is called Blessed Assurance or Assurance in relation to Fanny Crosby’s text.

During her lifetime, Fanny Crosby wrote eight thousand hymns, many of which became famous — but “Blessed Assurance” just might be the most famous of all.

Summer - Kayla's Korner

Psalm 113:3

“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!”

The Lord’s name is to be praised! It is something we should do daily! I feel like when summer hits sometimes we lose sight of praising God. We forget to read our Bibles, we forget to pray, and maybe we decide to take the summer off from Church. Do you think God ever takes a break from His relationship with us? I personally don’t think so, so why should we take a break from Him? This summer I hope everyone praises God in the morning and praises God at night. Something I did to help build my relationship with God was download the Bible app on my phone. It can be hard to carry a Bible around with me everywhere I go. If I ever find myself needing to hear God’s word or have an opportunity to share God’s word with someone, I can use the Bible app. There are so many different and unique ways we can praise God in today’s world. So how are you going to praise Him this summer? 

-Kayla

Why does Easter Fall on a Different Day Each Year? - Reece's Peaces

Easter is unlike other holidays. Independence Day is always on July 4th, Christmas is always December 25th, but Easter’s date changes.

Easter is always celebrated on a Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th, but the exact date moves. The reason for this is quite simple.

The date changes on our modern Gregorian calendar, but not on the Jewish calendar. Easter is always celebrated on the Sunday during the Jewish holiday of Passover. Passover always begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan. The Jewish calendar, unlike our modern Gregorian calendar, uses the rotation of the moon instead of the Sun to divide the year into months.

According to the Jewish calendar Easter does have a fixed date. It is always celebrated on the first Sunday immediately following the 15th of Nisan or, more specifically, the first Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. While it may seem to us that Easter’s date changes year to year, it was not so for early Christians.

However, that's not the only unique aspect in dating the celebration of Easter because not all Christians celebrate Easter on the same Sunday. This year the Eastern Orthodox Church will celebrate Easter on April 24th, while Western churches will celebrate it on April 17th. This difference has nothing to do with the moon.

Instead, the answer comes down to our calendars. Western Christians use the Gregorian calendar which has leap days while Eastern Christians use the Julian calendar which does not. Over many years the two calendars have become a bit out of sync. This means that the Orthodox Church can date their Easter on one date while the Western churches use a different date.

In general, the reason why Easter’s date changes each year is due to the original Jewish calendar. We celebrate Easter following the cycle of the Moon instead of the cycle of the Sun. It is only due to our modern calendar that Easter has become a moving holiday.

Amazing Grace - Marc's Music Notables

John Newton’s earliest memories were of his godly mother who, despite fragile health, devoted herself to nurturing his soul. At her knee he memorized Bible passages and hymns. Though she died when he was about seven, he later recalled her tearful prayers for him. After her death, John alternated between boarding school and the high seas.

Pressed into service with the British Navy, he deserted, was captured and flogged. More voyages, dangers, toils, and snares followed. It was a life unrivaled in fiction, as he eventually became the slave of a slave in Africa.

Then on the night of March 9, 1748, John, 23, was jolted awake aboard ship by a brutal storm. In great peril, he cried to the Lord and began a slow spiritual journey that eventually transformed his life. The next several years were ones of slow, halting progress; but in the end John Newton became one of the most powerful evangelical preachers in British history, a powerful foe of slavery and the slave trade, and the author of hundreds of hymns.

“Amazing Grace” is his hymn of testimony, originally written to accompany a New Year’s Day sermon Newton preached on January 1, 1773, from the text 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. “I once was lost,” he said, “but now am found; was blind but now I see.”

Hymns are distillations of the richest truths of God, versified, emotionalized, set to music, and released in the mind and from the mouth. They’re miniature Bible studies that lead us effortlessly to worship, testimony, exhortation, prayer, and praise. They’re bursts of devotional richness with rhyme and rhythm. They clear our minds, soothe our nerves, verbalize our worship, summarize our faith, and sing our great Redeemer’s praise.

Everyone should have a hymnbook on their desk and a song of praise in their hearts. Lots of good music will improve our moods, but the great hymns of the faith will fill our hearts with the truths of God and lift our spirits upward in praise

Preparing Ourselves - Kayla's Korner

Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

As Christians we are called to be kind to one another. That even includes those we don’t like very much. When I was 15 my best friend and I got into a big fight, and it took me forever to forgive her. If it wasn’t for that fight that we had, I wouldn’t have learned how truly important forgiveness is. God shows each of us kindness, even though we hurt Him time after time sinning. But He still forgives us and shows kindness towards us. When others hurt me or do something I may not consider “right”, I choose to show them kindness and forgiveness because I strive to be a good Christian and do what God calls of me. I also don’t want to live a life full of hate and holding a grudge against others. This month pray for God to give you a forgiving heart, so that others may see Christ through you! If you don’t forgive or show kindness, how are you going to share God’s Word with others?

Shine - Reece's Peaces

“This Little Light of Mine” is a song that we all know. Almost every Christian child is taught it as they grow up. I remember singing it as a child with the children’s chorus at my home church the Sunday before Easter. The song is simple to learn and the message is even simpler to understand. We have a little light of the Lord in us and we need to let it shine.

During the month of February, we're going to discuss the little light that we are given, a light inside of us that Luke describes as, “a light of revelation to the gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). It is that light of revelation which each of us holds in our heart. It shines in us like a candle in a dark room, illuminating our space and allowing us to move freely without the worry of stumbling. The light of the Lord shines for all to see.

This month’s sermon series is “Shine.” We will examine the light of the Lord inside of us, investigating what the Bible says about the call to light up the world and seeing how we are all called to hold our candle to illuminate the way for others. We will also discuss how the light inside us shines brightness into the emptiness, allowing God to fill our very souls with God’s grace. We will further examine how love shines through that light into our lives and into the lives of others.

Finally, our sermon series will end on Transfiguration Sunday, a day that we celebrate the moment in which Jesus was revealed to his disciples as the Son of God. Transfiguration Sunday is not nearly as well-known as many other important days in the church calendar, but it is a significant day. This day celebrates the moment in which Jesus was transfigured from his humanly form into a new form of radiant shining glory appearing on a mountaintop alongside Moses and Elijah to speak to his apostles Peter, James, and John.

He was then called the Son of God by a voice in the clouds. Reminiscent of the same voice calling out at his baptism. In that moment he became the light of God for all to see shine!

Transfiguration Sunday will be the capstone in our call to shine, to live out that line of a song that we learned so long ago: “This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine!”.

Peace,

Ben