Good morning everyone,
GIVING THANKS:
* Thanks to Elmer Sandoval for installing these beautiful closet doors to our storage area!
* Ronnie Ralph's nerve pain has subsided in his cheek, so thanks for all for your prayers.
* Thanks to our Deacons who are working hard on every level for this congregation. We are grateful for all who serve in harmony and unity…Praise God!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
* Carol Ligouri is healing slowly, but her back pain continues. She went for an Ultra Sound last week and they found cysts in her kidneys (something other than the bulging disc pain). She is moving very slowly and sincerely appreciates everyone's continued prayers.
* The Eddy's have asked for prayers since Callie's classmate's house burned down. Thankfully family is ok (Mom, Dad and 3 children – the youngest is Callie's age and in her class). Unfortunately their dog died in the fire. We have asked if the family has any needs, so will keep you all posted.
BIBLE STUDY
* The next Tuesday morning bible study will be on January 30th at 9:30 a.m. via zoom. and then on February 13th. Please see Lisa or Mary Lou if you know anyone who can benefit from this mid-week study.
FEBRUARY LADIES BIBLE STUDY:
* Saturday February 10th at 10:00 a.m. at the church building Lisa & Tori will lead a Mother/Daughter devotional. How blessed we are to have a Mother and daughter team up to lead our ladies and young girls in Christ! Rumor has it that there will be some heart-shaped goodies as well!
* Tomorrow after worship there will be a baby shower for Jenna Jones right after worship in our fellowship hall. All are welcomed to attend as we honor this new little girl on the way, and their family. If you are staying for the lunch, please bring enough food for yourself and others. The registry is under Amazon baby registry/ search under Jenna Jones / March 2024 / New Haven, CT. Diapers and baby supplies are welcomed!
COMING UP IN FEBRUARY:
* GAME NIGHT – FEBRUARY 24th – 4:00 p.m. Jay & Flo are hosting a game night at the church building.Pick up a flyer on the back table for complete details.
COMING UP IN MARCH:
LADIES NIGHT MOVIE & DINNER – March 2nd Time to be determined.
Lisa Saracino is organizing a ladies movie & dinner on March 2nd. The movie is “The Ordinary Angels”. Stay tuned for more details as the movie time will be determined as theater releases showtimes.
Here are two great events coming up and lead by Brother Keller…
SPRING GIVE-A-WAY DAY!
“Give Away Day” April 27th 2024
We are working on trying to put together a “Give Away Day” In late April. The overall purpose of this event is not only blessing others with the items we no longer need, but to show our love and concern for those in need.
If you have any gently used items that are in good working condition to donate. Please take a form on the back table to catalog your items and return your list no later than February 11th. This will allow us to know if we have enough items to make this program work.
Trip to See Daniel at the Sight & Sound Theater in PA in September
An inquiry signup sheet and more information has been posted on the door to the auditorium to find out the best date and estimated participation. Please fill in your info no later than Feb 11th so we can best know how to proceed.
APRIL TALENT SHOW – Saturday, April 6th at 6:30 p.m.
There is a flyer on the back table regarding an upcoming Talent show headed up by Lisa, Zach and Tori Saracino which will help support our commitment to Spooner House. Please sign up to share your talents, all ages welcome!
ADMISSION – Please bring non-perishable items for The Spooner House.
If anyone could write volumes about mumblers and grumblers it would be Moses. After 400 years in Egypt most of which was spent as slaves, you might expect the Israelites to rejoice at God's deliverance. Instead they became grumblers and complainers and were un-grateful. It's sad how quickly they forgot God's blessings!
The whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If only the LORD had killed us back in Egypt“, they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death“. Exodus 16:2 – 3
Every time we read about the Israelites and Moses in the book of Exodus, it's alarming how much the Israelites complained as much as they did. How could they have missed the fact that God loved them? that Yahweh was with them and He delivered them!
'I AM' parted the sea to save them from the Egyptians who were blazing the trail behind them in chariots.
'I AM' had just belittled the most powerful man on the face of the earth. God showed Pharaoh what a pion he was.
The Israelites easily forgot about God's deliverance and provision. They forgot about the miracles that they witnessed, they forgot about who saved them.
The scriptures are clear that we need to be thankful and not complain.
Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God”
John 6:43-58 Jesus said “Stop grumbling among yourselves…“
If we are not careful, we can let our humanness take over and lord over our gratitude. We become demanding, overly critical, and forget to count blessings. We whine and complain about little things that accumulate to be a much larger negative outlook.
Grumbling, whining and thanklessness are not just our heart's responses to circumstances, but to God. Israel grumbled when they were enslaved, then they grumbled when Moses came on the scene, and they continued grumbling as they wandered in the wilderness.
When we mumble or complain about others, or this or that, we forget WHOM we serve.
How do we eliminate thanklessness and mumbling and grumbling? We need to remember. God graciously reminds us that we must remember his incredible redemption and provision.
Remember how much He loves us!
Remember God’s Mercy and grace. Establish it FIRMLY in your memory. Memorialize it. Paint it on the walls of your house. Imbed it in our thinking.
Remember he paid the price for our sins with the precious blood of JESUS, His One and only Son.
Remember how God graciously lead us… to HIM.
Remember how He protects us. Did we give thanks when we walked away from that terrible car crash?
Remember how He is WITH US…when we know family members or friends whom we've prayed for and they survived a serious illness.
Remember the mentors who guided us in our faith.
Remember how God sustained us during that season of unemployment.
Remember that impossible prayer request that God answered?
Remember how we had no money and an envelope just showed up in the mail with exactly the amount you needed.
Remember how the gospel came alive as it never had before.
Remember to count blessings, all of the good days that have passed
Remember God… give thanks…. & GLORIFY HIM!!
GRATTITUDE to GLORY
No matter what, God is good and is WORTHY of receiving our thanks & Praise!
Psalm 118:1 “I give thanks to the LORD for He is good, His steadfast love endures forever.”
Psalm 69:30 “I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”
Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.“
In the book of Job 1:1 we learn that “Job was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” Job turned away from evil because he feared God. He pursued righteousness and avoided evil. His reverence for God governed all that he did. Then calamity came and Job lost everything, including his family and his health.
God speaks in chapter 38 rebuking Job and his friends for their lack of understanding. Job repents in dust and ashes in chapter 42 and his fortunes are restored, two- fold! God gave back to Job, twice as much as he had before. And Jehovah blessed the last part of Job's life more than the first part; and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand asses. He also had seven sons and three daughters. And after this Job lived a hundred and forty years.
GOD IS GOOD and ALL of the TIME!
Let's be thankful!
KEEP SINGING:
GLORIFY THE LORD WITH ME
Psalm 34:1-3
I will extol,
The LORD at all times,
His name will always be on my lips,
My soul will boast in the LORD of all LORDS,
Let the afflicted, hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me,
Let us all exalt His name together.
Glorify the LORD with me,
Let us all exalt His HOLY Name.
PRAISE HIM! PRAISE HIM!
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! highest archangels in glory,
Strength and honor give to His Holy name.
Like a shepherd,
Jesus will guard His children;
In His arms He carries them all day long:
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! Praise Him! ever in joyful song.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered and bled and died;
He our Rock our hope of eternal salvation;
Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified!
Sound His Praises!
Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful deep and strong:
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! Praise Him! ever in joyful song.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heavenly portals loud with Hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigneth for ever and ever,
Crown Him! Crown! Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming!
Over the world victorious,
Power and Glory unto the LORD belong;
Praise Him! Praise Him!
Tell of His excellent greatness;
Praise Him! Praise Him! ever in joyful song.
Praise HIM!
Hail HIM!
Tell of His EXCELLENT GREATNESS!
Trust in the goodness and greatness of God and let Him be our
TREASURE AND OUR JOY!
Let our words and deeds PRAISE HIM!
Let us serve HIM with Humble ADORATION!
Let us GLORIFY HIM!
To God be the Glory, great things He has done!
Bruce & Paula