Good morning church family,
GIVING THANKS:
* Thanks to Andrew Langalis, Zach & Tori for hosting the Young Adults Bible Study and fellowship last night.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
* Simone Beans is struggling with several health issues and recuperating from covid.
* Eric Reynold's Father has been in and out of the hospital. Please pray for them both during this difficult time.
* Prayers for the Eddy family who are recovering from covid and thankfully Kris is still testing negative.
JANUARY
* The next Tuesday morning bible study will resume on January 30th at 9:30 a.m. via zoom. Please see Lisa or Mary Lou if you know anyone who can benefit from this mid-week study.
LADIES ZOOM LECTURESHIP
* Sister Simone Beans shared this link to an upcoming zoom ladies event on Saturday, January 27th from 10AM until 2PM. The topic is SURVIVORS – TRIED, PURIFIED & CERTIFIED. If you know anyone going through major trials, this will be a wonderful series of lessons. Here is the link to register and there is no cost.
* Sunday January 28th is coming up FAST! There will be a baby shower for Jenna Jones right after worship in our fellowship hall. A sign up sheet for what food you can bring is posted. All are welcomed to attend as we honor this new little one on the way, and their family. Emille's family will be coming up for this event and we look forward to meeting them all. The registry is under Amazon baby registry/ search under Jenna Jones / March 2024 / New Haven, CT. Diapers and baby supplies are welcomed! Set up for the shower will be on Thursday at 5:30p.m.
COMING UP IN FEBRUARY:
* GAME NIGHT – FEBRUARY 24th – 4:00 p.m. Jay & Flow are hosting a game night at the church building.Pick up a flyer on the back table for complete details.
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!
SPRING GIVE-A-WAY DAY!
Stay tuned for more details on our Spring Give-A-Way Day! Thanks to Pat Keller for this great outreach to our community!
APRIL TALENT SHOW – Saturday, April 6th
Stay tuned for more details about a Talent show headed up by Lisa, Zach and Tori Saracino which will help support our commitment to Spooner House.
We are into a New Year with new beginnings.
There is something about a New Year and having a fresh start that is exciting.
The prophet Isaiah shared some basic words of wisdom in chapter 43:18-19:
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am about to do a new thing!
Now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it?
I will even put a road in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah tells us to forget what has happened in the past. To not dwell on the past. Why? Because we can't change the past. The only thing we can do is to learn from our past, and look forward!
Forgetting former things that have happened to us is difficult, especially if poor decisions have been made and then we suffer with the consequences of those decisions.
We need to quit living in the past because God wants us to focus on what is ahead of us, and move past from what happened yesterday, or many years ago.
In breaking down the above scripture…
“See, I am doing a new thing.” The most important word in this scripture is SEE.
It’s an invitation from the Lord Himself that WE look at what He is doing for us.
Looking forward and trusting in God brings us HOPE.
Looking forward and trusting in GOD, allows HIM the ability to provide a road in the wilderness and a river in the desert for us.
As we stretch ourselves to take on more challenges, grow spiritually, and trust in the LORD, He is with us all the way!
We fail to grasp his great love….the deep and committed LOVE of a FATHER….in helping us on our journey. God offers His mercy and His Grace, and forgiveness is open for all.
Jesus paid the price for us on the cross, and blotted out all of our sins.
HE REMEMBERS OUR SINS NO MORE…
Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.“
GOD's MERCY IS NEW EVERY MORNING!
Lamentations 3:22-23 “God's mercy is new every morning“
DON'T LOOK BACK!
If we keep looking back, we are kept in bondage and remain paralyzed.
Staying where we are or going backwards is futile. Dwelling on the past, is like a whirl pool spinning around, and around and around with no forward momentum.
Luke 9:62 ” Jesus said to him, “No on who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
We all know what happened to Lot's wife when she was warned NOT to look back in Genesis 19:26
LOOK FORWARD & God will bring us to NEW HEIGHTS!
Whom do we fix our eyes on? JESUS, the author and perfecter of our faith.
The Apostle Paul never forgot his past. After encountering the glory of the LORD, Saul's life was changed. After he was blinded he not only lost his physical sight, but became aware of his spiritual blindness. God got his attention. He was no longer living for himself or his evil ways. Paul felt the power of God's mercy and grace upon his life. Paul's heart was softened, his eyes were opened and he was motivated to set before him the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!
Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus“.
Philippians 3:13-14
“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“
The LORD has done MIGHTY THINGS for us, and He works within us to do mighty things….
to make a roadway in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert!
It is IN CHRIST, that we rise up to our fullest potential. The old has passed away!
It is only in moving forward that we ever accomplish what God has called us to do.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”
Phil 4:13 “I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me.“
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