Today we kick off our Stewardship Campaign 2023, “God of Wonders!” The idea of this theme reflects the many stories in the Bible and our lives where we see God moving in amazing ways. We believe that when we welcome God into our lives, listen to God’s wisdom, and live by it, wonderful things happen to us and those around us. For example, in the Bible, we read stories of how God healed the sick and saved the innocent miraculously. We read stories of how against all odds, the people of God overcame obstacles and enemies. In none of these stories the people were passively waiting on God to do something. Instead, they listened, believed, and acted on their faith. … Read More
Time to Move On
Last week, I talked about getting our lives back by embracing God’s love and acting on it. I spoke about our need to let God’s love heal us from our past hurts and sins and reframe our life story into a story of redemption. I quoted the scripture of 1 Corinthians 5:17, [I]f anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! And Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” We learned that this is how we get our lives back, that is, by embracing the new life God has for us through Jesus Christ. … Read More
Get Your Life Back
We can quickly fall into the trap of leading our own lives, rejecting any notion and wisdom of God, “I know what I am doing; I don’t need a god or anyone else to tell me what is bad or good for me. I do whatever I want.” We may not say those words out loud, but with our choices and how we treat others, they may become evident. When we do this, not only do we derail our life, but we hinder other people’s fulfillment in life as well. Whether we are in a place of deep sadness because of how we have lived or deep hurt because of what has been done to us, we may think of … Read More
Back to School Blessing: The Village
Opening humor: Teacher to student, “What are you – animal, vegetable, or mineral?” The boy replied, “Vegetable. I’M A HUMAN BEAN.” The teacher said, “Why don’t you brush your teeth? I can see what you had for breakfast this morning.” Boy, “What did I have?” Teacher, “Eggs.” Boy, “You’re wrong! THAT WAS YESTERDAY!” On Johnny’s first day of school, the class was to put their right hands over their hearts and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance. The teacher watched the children as he started the pledge, “I pledge allegiance to the flag…” She stopped when she noticed Johnny’s right hand over the left side of his rear end. “Johnny, I will not continue until you put your hand over your … Read More
Grandparents: Legacy Builders
I had shared with you before how my grandmother was the one who brought me to church and made sure I learned the teachings of Jesus. She is the one who taught and passed the Christian faith to the rest of the family and me. She was the pioneer of faith among us. Without her, I would not be here where I am, and I can’t imagine how different my life would have turned. She had a commitment to my faith development. And, of course, she also spoiled us with sweet treats and delicious meals. It is often said that children are the future. However, that implies that older people, grandparents, are the past, suggesting they are no longer needed. … Read More