He Never Changes!

 

Introduction:

 Life doesn't stay the same.  We moved from the home I remember most when I was growing up when I was fifteen and went to a new school and a new church.  The church had a thriving youth group; that was great!  That church split a few years later and the church that was left, where we attended after that, didn=t have many youth.  We later went to another church where I was able to witness God at work and a lot of growth.  I became a deacon in the church.  The pastor who I had grown to love resigned and moved.  A new pastor came who I learned to love in other ways. I answered the call into the ministry!  I married!  We have had two kids!  They=ve changed as they have gone through different phases of their lives and are now adults and live on their own. Amanda has married and lives in Virginia and is an RN there.  Wesley lives just north of Springfield and works for the Dept. of Natural Resources. My loving father has passed away and my my mom now lives with us for the past 5 years.  I served 3 different churches in the General Baptist Church.  I changed denominations for various reasons I won=t go into here.  I=ve served 7 charges in the United Methodist Church since 1998.  Each congregation brings different people and different challenges.  We seen recent changes where some of those have disaffiliated. I came to Forsyth in 2021, and we have experienced some changes here.  We have had a few people leave to go to other churches.  We=ve had people pass away and move on to their heavenly home.  On the other hand, we=ve seen  12 people join the church.  We=ve had new people come in who haven’t yet joined, and our attendance averages about 15 more than when I came inspite of those who have passed or moved away.  We’ve seen much change: some good and some not so good.  All of this change is a quite normal part of life!  Life changes, people change, circumstances change.

 

Trans:    With all this change, we need something that doesn't change!  We need something to give our lives backbone: something to give us stability. We find that in Jesus Christ!!

 

Prayer

Heb. 13:1-8

 

I.   There is a lot we could talk about from this passage:

     A.   Let mutual love continue! 

     B.   Be hospitable to strangers!

     C.   Being empathetic to all people by putting ourselves in their

shoes!

     D.   Live faithful to monogamous relationships!

     E.   Keep free from the love of money!

     F.   Remember your leaders and those who have brought the gospel to

you!

     G.   But what I want to really concentrate on today is the last verse:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

 

II.  Christ doesn't change; he's the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

     Christ has always been about loving God and others as ourselves!  We

can always count on that!

 

A.   Where have you been?  Christ was there!

1.   Before you became a Christian, Christ was there leading

You back to God, loving you!  (prevenient grace!)

2.   When you have had good times, Christ has been there making

things happen, loving you!

a.   Healing of a friend.

b.   Healing of yourself.

c.   Coming to Christ.

d.   A loved one coming to Christ.

e.   Marriage!

f.   Having children!

g.   Call into ministry!

h.   Finding your place in the Kingdom!

3.   When you have had bad times, Christ has been there to carry you through, loving you!

a.   Sickness or death of a loved one.

b.   Crises (for me when my church split or the loss of loved ones)

 

B.   Where are you now?

 

1.   Are you indifferent?  Do you feel like what's the use?  Do

you feel defeated?

2.   Christ is there loving you and wanting to fill your life with purpose!!

3.   Maybe you are having those good times now, then give Christ the credit!

 

C.   Where are you going?

 

1.   Are you growing in the Lord? Are you growing in faith?

2.   Are you fearful of the future? We have no need to fear

because Jesus is there!!

 

D.   Jesus is always the same and always will be!  You can count on that!!

Christ will always Love us and offer the best for us!!

 

III. As a church, we need to remember that Jesus is always the same!

 

A.   Christ has been there in the past!

 

1.      bringing us through the hard times: Covid, the loss of

faithful members!  New people to replace those who have

passed away or moved!

2.   blessing us with the good times! Baptisms, Christian

growth!

 

B.   Christ is there today!

 

1.   Are we in His will?  That is when He can bless us today!

2.   Are we dedicated to Him or are we dedicated to everything

else.    

3.   Christ wants to bless us today and make things happen

today, but He needs our dedication!! Jesus is still the same today!  He can still make a difference in people's lives!  But he has chosen us as his ambassadors to lead people to him. We can do that by sharing God’s Love with all people!

 

C.   Christ will be there tomorrow!

 

1.   He can make things happen tomorrow; do you believe that?

Are you afraid of what tomorrow may hold for the Church?

2.   Prov. 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish."

a.   He will be there tomorrow!

b.   But will we be there tomorrow.

3.   God has made a difference and will continue to make a

difference.

a.   See some visions!

b.   and keep going and doing.

c.   Don't be afraid, but trust that through Christ, who doesn't change, this Church can continue to have a positive impact on this community if we will trust him!

          4.   Christ still wants to love others through us!  They will

respond to that!  They will want to be a part of something

positive!

 

D.   We have a 2-fold mission.

 

1.   To reach people and to teach people.  That is how me make

disciples!

2.   Let's be working and doing that, believing that we can

still make a difference through Jesus Christ.

          3.   I think, in the world we live in today, such as it is,

people are thirsty to hear there is a God who loves them! 

They will respond to that!  They will want to be a part of

something positive!

 

Conclusion:

 

A.   Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

 

B.   But where are you and where are you going?

 

 

C.   Do you want to join Christ in loving people?  You can as you

encounter Christ at the table today!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

 

Do Not Disturb!

 

Introduction:

A.   When we see a sign "Do Not Disturb," what does it mean?

 

B.   The people inside don't want to be bothered!

 

C.   I want to look at a story this morning about some people who didn't want to be bothered.

 

D.   I want us to ask ourselves two questions:

1.   Can we hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign out on our  lives?

2.   Can we hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign out on our church?

 

                            Prayer

                          Mark 5:1-17

 

I.   Let's look at our story.

 

A.   Here we have a man who lived among the tombs and was demon possessed!

1.   In Jesus' day, anyone who was sick mentally or physically might be considered demon possessed.

2.   Apparently though, this man was demon possessed based on the conversation between the demons and Christ and the fact that Christ ordered them out.  Also, the people who knew of him and this man  himself were convinced that he was demon possessed.

3.   He definitely needed the touch of Jesus on his life!

4.   When Jesus touched him, it was a miracle; his life  was Changed!

 

B.   But notice the reaction of the people.

1.   The man with the need was glad Jesus had come along  (vs. 18-20).

2.   When the people found him,

a.   he was sitting beside Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.

b.   but the pigs were gone!  They knew what had happened because some had seen it!

3.   They should have been happy and rejoicing because this man's life had been straightened out!

4.   Instead, they were disturbed and upset!  They didn't want things disturbed; they wanted things left like they were! Jesus had cost them something!

5.   Many times, in the comfortable world we live in, we would like things to be left like they are!   Sometimes, we don't like to sacrifice to see things made better around us!

6.   So in a since, we hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign out to God.

 

II.  Can we hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign out on our lives?

 

A.   We all want to serve God; right?  But are there areas that we don't want disturbed?

 

1.   What about finances or possessions?  That was the problem in our text today.

a.   We feel pretty good as long as it's our money

and a certain % is the Lord's; we can live with

that!

1)   We can pay our part and feel good!

2)   If the church doesn't have enough money,

it isn't our fault!

b.   But when someone starts teaching total

commitment, that we are accountable for how we

spend everything, and it's all the Lord's and

we are only using it, we start getting

defensive.

1)   We realize that we might ought to be giving

more than the percentage that we're

giving!

2)   We can no longer feel good when we pay

"our part" and spend the rest . . . .

c.   Sometimes we say, "That's my business Lord!

I'm giving you my part!  Do Not Disturb!"

 

2.   What about our Religion?

a.   We feel pretty good about it.

1)   We are pretty comfortable with it!

2)   It doesn't require much!

3)   Just check in on Sunday Morning and that  takes care of it!

b.   But when someone starts saying that isn't enough and it matters what we do the rest of  the week, we start to get defensive!

c.   "Wait a minute Lord!  I'm doing my part!  Do Not Disturb!"

 

3.   What about our time?

a.   We give the Lord a couple minutes a day, and we give the Lord an hour or two a week in church.  We're happy with that!

b.   When someone starts talking about all the time  we waste and how we could be using our time  more effectively,  it's none of their business!

c.   "Wait a minute Lord!  I'm there every Sunday  for worship!  Well at least once a month anyway!  I like it that way!  How I spend my time is my business!  Do Not Disturb!"

 

4.   What about our lifestyles?

a.   We like how we live; we like what we do!

b.   Don't ask me to change how I am living so that I can be a better witness!

1)   Don’t ask me to be more accepting of others!

2)   Don’t ask me to not do something I like to   do!

c.   Don't ask me to sacrifice any of my lifestyle to help others or to spend more time with my family!

d.   Once and for all, "Do Not Disturb!"

 

III. What about our church?  Can we hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign out on our church?

 

A.   You know?  I like my church just like it is!  I like the people!  I know everybody!  I like how things are done!

 

B.   Don't bring anybody new in; that might change things!

     1.   They might sit in my seat!

     2.   They might want to do things differently!

 

C.   Don't change the way we are doing things!  Don't try anything new, not even if it does have a good chance of  changing people's lives, we haven't done it that way before!

D.   "Do Not Disturb!" 

 

E.   I hope we never do this!  There is so much we can accomplish if we are receptive to Christ and will look at        the needs around us and be open to change if and when we see that it is needed!

 

 

Conclusion:

A.   Are we saying "Don't Disturb Me Jesus?"  "I like things how they are!"

 

B.   Are we asking Jesus to leave?

 

C.   Are we saying, "Don't challenge us with change?"

 

D.   Friends, from what I understand in the Bible,  Christianity is change!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

To Be a Blessing!

Introduction:

A.   As I reflect on my life, I can think of several people who have been blessings to me, but I want to share about one in particular this morning.  His name is Pastor Don.  I have told you before how the church I attended as a teenager split very sadly (it was in a tradition where the pastor could pretty well do what he wanted and had nobody to really be accountable to, and he split the church); the church wouldn’t let it go, and we eventually went to another church to find healing.  Well, Pastor Don was the pastor of the church where we went to find healing.  He was only a couple years older than me at the time, probably in his early twenties.  I can remember, not too long after we started attending the church where he pastored, he preached on giving.  I stayed after and talked to him; some of the things he said upset me.  He listened very intently and said he hadn=t thought of it that way.  He gave me a hearing.  I can remember one time while painting a house with my dad for hire Pastor Don came by and offered to help.  He built a relationship with us that day.  He was a people person.  His messages were ones of hope and growth/change in Christ (that we can make a difference); he preached with so much grace; I had never heard that before that I remembered.  Most of what I had heard before was repent before you burn theology.  God used Pastor Don to put my life back together after the split and disappointments that we had experienced.  Pastor Don greatly influenced my willingness to later answer the call into the ministry.  Pastor Don=s influence can still be seen in my ministry and preaching today.  Pastor Don has really been a blessing to me!  He, like myself, later joined the United Methodist church because his grace filled theology was a better fit there.

 

B.   We are all given ways to be blessings, and that is what I want to look at today!

 

Trans.

First, let's look in our Bibles at a man who was a blessing to many, and then, we'll answer some questions about "Being a Blessing."

 

                    Prayer

                  Gen. 12:1-3

 

I.   A Look at the Scripture.

A.   Here we have a passage where God promised Abraham that he'd be

blessed and he'd be a blessing.

 

B.   Before we go on to our questions, it would be good to notice two things from this passage.

1.   God is the source of our ability to be a blessing!

2.   For us to be a blessing, it takes obedience to God on our part.

 

II.  What is a blessing?

A.   Webster's def. =    an invocation of happiness.

B.   Many things can be used to cause happiness.  Most of them, we

All have.

 

C.   We will list four.  We can use these to be blessings, bring happiness, to others, but these can also bring us some happiness when used right, being a blessing to us as well.

 

1.   Time = The way we use our time can be a blessing to others! We are all given the same amount of time.

a.   Helping shut-ins.

b.   Visiting in the Nursing homes when we are able to.

c.   Helping others do something that we do well.

d.   Working on Mission projects.

a.      Inviting unchurched to worship!

 

In short, "Taking time to do for others."  These are ways

we can use our time to be blessings!

 

2.   Talents or abilities =   We are all given talents or abilities.  If we use them right, we can also be a blessing!

a.   Singing.

b.   Playing an instrument.

c.   Teaching.

d.   Preaching.

e.   Leading.

f.   Following.

g.   Talking on the phone.

h.   Mechanics.

i.   Green thumb.

j.   Cooking.

k.   Keeping books.

l.   Creativity.

M.   Making blankets, prayer shawls, etc.

 

     You name it; there is a way your talent can be used as a blessing!

 

3.   Material resources =     The use of our money or material

possessions can be a blessing to others.

 

          4.   Our speech!  We can use it to build others up and not

tear them down.

 

III. What is their Purpose? (Purpose of blessings?)

A.   Blessings are not provided just for our personal satisfaction.  Read Luke 12:16-21 & 31-34.

     1.   Our Luke passage tells us of a man who saved his goods

and built bigger barns in which to store them.  Then his

soul was required of him.  Whose would all of this be?

If he had shared his goods, his influence would have

continued with his passing.

          2.   The second part of our Luke reading, said to sell your

possessions and give alms.  This was a common practice

then of selling their possessions and joining their

resources together for ministry.  The point is to be

generous and support the ministry and store up treasures

in heaven!

 

B.   There are two reasons for God's blessings upon our lives!

1.   They should cause us to glorify and praise God.

2.   God's blessings upon our lives allows us to be a blessing

     to others, thereby pointing others to God and bringing

glory to God (Matt. 5:13-16). “let your light shine

before others, so that they may see your good works and

give glory to your Father in heaven.”

 

IV.  How can we more effectively use our blessings so that they will accomplish their purposes?

A.      Strive for a closer relationship with God, and God will guide

us   in the use of our blessings.

 

B.   Serve through the local church; use our abilities there.

 

C. Plan or budget out time, so we can minister to the poor, the

hurting, and those out of relationship with God.

 

D. Budget and plan the use of our material possessions so we will

use them wisely and not wasteful, thereby, being able to meet more needs.

1.   Consider your support of the church.

2.   The OT gives us a tithe or 10% as a guideline.  Some may not be able to reach that, but others may be able to give more.

          3.   The New Testament gives us the model of 100% commitment

to God, “present your bodies to God which is your reasonable service.”

          4.   Are you giving what you can of your material possessions?

Does it adequately reflect your commitment to God in all areas of your life?

    

E. Don’t use your speech to tear others down!

1. Political climate: Political speech should tell what they have done and what they intend to do.  It should paint a picture of how things would be if they were elected.  It should instill a goal or a dream!  It should not be used to tear down or attach the opponent!  Look for the candidate who lives Christianity and doesn’t just say, “I am a Christian!”

2. Use your speech to build up!  There is something to be said for the old saying, “If you can’t say something good, don’t say it!”

 

Conclusion:

A.   We can all be blessings!

 

B.      As we encounter Christ at the table today, do we need to renew

our commitment to the proper use of the resources that God has given us?  Only as we do that, can we really be the church that God intended us to be!  Only as we do that, can we really be a blessing?

 

Prayer of Confession &

prayer for our leaders to be blessings!

 

Service of Communion

A Hog on the Altar!

 Independence Day Sunday!

Prayer

Psalm 30

       Watch clip:

                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqENd4GaiVc

Introduction:

Thursday was Independence Day!  This is Independence Day weekend, and I would like to look back to a time when an Independence was declared by the people of God and they were rededicated to the Lord=s service.  When the O.T. ended, Palestine was controlled by Persia, but there are 400 years between the testament that our Bible is silent on.  The Catholic Bible and other historic writings give us some insight into what happened between our testaments that helps us understand the context of some of the writings within our own Bible.  After Persian rule, there was Alexander the Great, then Egypt, and then Syria. 

Under Syrian reign there were several rulers, but the one I want to mention is Antiochus Epiphanes.  During his reign, he did all he could to stamp out temple worship in Jerusalem.  He brought in idol worship, and to top it all off, he desecrated the temple by sacrificing a hog on the altar!  Hogs were thought to be unclean by the Hebrews!  This was awful! This made a mockery of Judaism to the world.  This was the last straw! This began a revolt in Jerusalem that is called the Hasmonian Dynasty.  The Syrians were still in control officially, but they were busy with other things which gave time for a family called the Maccabeus to reign in Jerusalem for a season.  During this time, Judas Maccabeus rededicated the temple to proper worship of God in 165 BC.  This was a grand time!  This is all between our testaments.  This is the folks in the clip that Israel is still trying to figure out if this is their tomb!  This rededication is remembered by the Jews with a religious holiday called Hannakkah. In the eyes of the Hebrew people, this hog stood between them and God and it interfered with their worship and presentation of God to the world! 

 

Trans.

Our scripture for today was used as a part of this dedication.  Let=s consider how it might apply to us today.

                     

I.   What is the Hog on the altar today?  What has defiled us?  What stands between us and God?  What interferes with our worship and presentation of God to the world?

 

     A.   Not so much something from the outside.

          1.   We enjoy the freedom of religion today; so far, we have not had anyone come in and throw something on our altar and make us worship differently than we want to!

           2.  We want to scapegoat and say it was because prayer was taken out of schools, but as long as there are tests in schools, there will be prayer in schools. 

           3.  We want to blame it on all kinds of outside forces, but the reality is, what defiles us today is pretty much an inside force.

 

     B.   People have been abused by the church!

          1.   We hear of clergy abuse of women and children.

2.   We hear of church volunteers and workers abusing vulnerable adults and children.

3.   The news told awhile back of a Sunday School teacher who abused and killed one of her students.               

4.   It has marred the church and people approach the church with some amount of skepticism.

 

C.   The church, as a whole, is judgmental!

1.   Popular theology is to judge people for their sins and make them conform to our way of thinking.

     a.   A lot of churches do this.  United Methodist are better at not being judgmental, but sometimes we can even fall into this!

     b.   During my ministry in the UMC, I’ve experienced many converts coming into the church who have had this kind of history with other parts of the church.  They were judged and got out of the church.

     c.   They didn’t know there was a church that wasn’t judgmental, and when they found us, they made a profession of faith, becoming some of the most hardworking and dedicated people among us!

     d.   They didn’t know we were here until someone told them!  It starts with an invitation!

2.   People can see through this judging; they see Christians sin, yet Christians judge them for theirs! They see this as Hypocrisy!

3.   It drives people away from God.

4.   It is the Hog on the Altar!

 

 

II.  On this Independence Day, What can we do to be free and overcome this defilement?

 

A.   We can rededicate to Christ!

John 8:36

ASo if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.@   

 

B.   We can rededicate to being a safe place for people to learn about God!

1.   We can get behind what our church is doing to keep people safe:

Pastors have to do boundaries and Safe Gatherings training.

Our volunteers and workers have to do Safe Gatherings training.

Part of both of these is a background check.

2.   Rededicate to taking this seriously; it is about providing a safe place!

3.   It is about overcoming the skepticism and insuring that it won’t happen here!

 

C.   Rededicate to offering Christ in a graceful, loving way.

People will respond to that!

People don=t want to be crucified for their sins

     They want a relationship with God!  That is what their hearts desire!

     1.   We serve a big God; let God be the Judge!

     2.   If someone’s sin is hurting someone else: child abuse, rape, murder, stealing, etc. We need to speak out about that, but if it is not, John Wesley gave us some guidance:

 

          “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in everything else, charity!”

 

     3.   In the UMC, we have good theology!  We offer a gospel of grace!  We need to let people know.  This is where we can shine today!  This is why people might want to come to our church!  We need to let them know!

 

4.   In the Great Commission in Matthew, Jesus tells us to “Go make disciples, baptizing them I the name of the father, of the son, and of the Holy Spirit,” so go, tell, share the Love of God!

 

D.   When we do this, we will grow!

 

Conclusion:

In concluding, let=s re-read the psalm that was used as a part of the rededication of the temple and let it become a part of our rededication.

 

                  Psalm 30

 

            Prayer of Confession

 

          Celebration of Communion

"Acting to Preserve Life!"

 

1)   Focus Statement:  This sermon shows how when Joseph's brothers became vulnerable to him he didn't get even but saw    it as God's hand in the situation, working it out for all   their good.

 

2)   Function Statement: Because of this sermon, the congregation      will determine to, by the grace of God, become positive     people who are looking for God working in each situation of   their lives.

 

Bible Story for kids:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8K5-8HIinM

 

                     Prayer of Illumination

 

                        Genesis 45:1-15

1st movement

     Every once in a while, you have a chance to meet a positive person who seems to always have a positive outlook on life: a person, who even when things aren't going their way, seems to always be able to find the silver lining in the cloud.  When you meet one of these people, it always has an impact on your life.  I have had the opportunity of meeting one of those people in a former pastorate.  When I went to her church, this person was already a shut-in because she couldn't see well enough to drive to church.  She really couldn't see well at all.  When I would go visit her, I had to tell her who I was or at least speak so she could hear my voice to recognize who I was because she couldn't see me well enough to tell.  She had one of these motion sensor Parrots at her door so she could tell if someone came in on her.  She had a big screen T.V., and when she would watch, she would sit right directly in front of it so she could see some of it.  She had to feel around the house to find things, and if anybody moved anything, she couldn't find it.  She loved flowers, but she could no longer really see them to enjoy their beauty! 

     As a pastor going to visit her, I would have expected to hear a lot about how she had lost her vision, how she missed it, and how she found it hard to go on without it.  I would have expected her to be looking to me for some kind of comforting words that would make it all better, but that wasn't the case at all!  She talked about family: past and present.  She didn't talk of missing them or them not coming around enough; she talked of the good things they had done or were doing for her.  She understood they had their lives, and she proudly talked about what they did.  She talked of her deceased husband in a proud way, talking about what kind of man he was, but never in a woe is me - he is gone, sort of way.  She talked of working in her yard.  She would still work in her flowers; she would feel her way around and weed them!  She would say, "I have strong hands!"  She wanted to know how everybody at church was doing.   Even when she finally decided to go to a retirement home, she was positive.  I figured it would get to her because she liked to work outside so much, but she found friends, and if it bothered her, she didn't let it be known.  Even when she was in the hospital on her death bed, when I visited her, she didn't have concerns for herself.  Her only comment to me was, "one thing good that is coming from this is that all my family is getting together!"  She was always looking on the positive and trying to see what purpose God had for her and how God was acting in her life.  She was a joy to visit!  She was one you look forward to visiting!  Her life was a testimony to the difference God can make in a life.

 

2nd movement

     Joseph had some faults, but he was a person who was looking for God acting in the situations of his life.  I think he too was one of these positive people.  I think people saw it and wanted to be around him.  When Joseph's brothers came to Egypt and found out he was there before them, they felt very vulnerable.  They couldn't even speak!  They were scared speechless!  Joseph could have had them killed; he had the power!  All he would have had to do was say, "Cease them!  Put them to death!"  It would have been done!  Joseph didn't do that.  He told them to not be afraid; he didn't blame them.  He believed God had sent him ahead of them for this very day so that he could save them and his father!  Wow!  Do you realize what these guys had done to him?  What they had wanted to do to him? 

     We could get caught up in whether Joseph saw God as causing these things or not, but I think the important thing is that Joseph saw God acting to preserve life!  Joseph saw God acting to preserve his life and the lives of those he loved; no matter what happened to him, he saw God in the picture, acting to preserve life!  He saw God acting when Potiphar bought him.  He saw God acting when he was able to interpret dreams.  He saw God acting when he was able to interpret Pharaoh's dream.  He saw God acting when he was given the task of saving up food for the famine.  He saw God doing all of this to preserve life!  He saw God acting to make life better and he willingly followed the Lord in all things.  He could have gotten very down on life and God when these things happened: being thrown in a pit, betrayal by his brothers, and falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife.  He didn’t!  Joseph was pre-New Testament in his understanding; he had a very New Testament understanding of God! We can put with this the New Testament understanding that God wants to bring us abundant life through Christ and ask ourselves, "How does God go about doing that?"  Does it have anything to do with our outlook on life?  We can also put with this the New Testament promise that, "all things work together for good to them who love the Lord," (Rom. 8:28) asking ourselves, "How does God do this?"  We could get caught up in all that is going wrong and miss the fact that God is acting to preserve life, or we could, like my friend Ruth and like Joseph, see the good things that God is doing in our lives in spite of the obvious bad things that also are there in life.

 

3rd movement

     As we come across the Joseph's in our lives, we are brought to ask ourselves some questions.  How is God acting in our lives?  What difference does it make to me and the people that I touch with my life how I view God acting in my life?  What does God acting to preserve life mean to me?  (pause)  Amen!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion