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 2/28/2026
Good morning church family,
GIVING THANKS & PRAISE:
Our continued prayers cover Leo and his family. He spiked a 101 fever this past week, but thankfully Yale deemed that it was not a fungal infection. He was sent home with antibiotics. After a few days, Leo was able to visit his Great Grandmother Virginia (Bob’s Mother) and what a reunion that was!
We are thankful and PRAISE GOD!
Cindy Holly who flew up to spend a few days with Margaret (and got stuck here due to the blizzard), finally got a flight home! Blessed be the tie that binds…we love to see former members come back to visit. Heaven will be so wonderful when we will be together, forever!
Thanks to all of our members who serve quietly and behind the scenes. Thank you for humble hearts and serving the LORD!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Dorothea’s son David had his VAD surgery, and is recovering.
Nadine’s Mother needs to see a Hematologist, prayers that this is a treatable condition.
Leah Fernandes brother David Pinto will need to have surgery to remove part of his kidney. Prayers for him over these next few weeks.
We are changing the format of the coming events since better weather is ahead and many events are happening…all LORD WILLING:
TODAY there will be a webinar – SPANISH MINISTRY at 8:30 AM
March 3rd , 17th and 31st 9:30 a.m. – Tuesday Ladies bible studies via zoom
March 8th – Sunday right after worship – SHINE MINISTRY MEETING & Brainstorming session.
Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence. Below is a list of items which can be brought in for the month of March… see Eyoko for more information:
March 14th – Saturday Ladies’ Bible study – 10:00 at the church building. Tammie Carey will be leading the study on “The Fragrance of Transparency”
March 14th – YOUNG ADULTS will be meeting at the church building around 2:30 pm on March 14 to take the teens to Thrillz adventure park and will be doing a devo and dinner at the Danbury mall after! Please see Kevon for more details.
Kevon Turner is teaching the Young Adults on Sunday mornings 12:30 – 1:30 right after worship in our fellowship hall for the next 5 weeks. The topics vary every Sunday. Thanks to Kevon for leading this study!
The INSPIRE NEW ENGLAND GROWTH CONFERENCE will be held at the Manchester church of Christ on March 20-21st. See Flyer on the table in the auditorium with details.
Sunday March 29th – POT LUCK
Join us for our 5th Sunday POT LUCK LUNCH immediately following worship services.
DISCIPLESHIP SEMINAR COMING UP….
Jay Repecko will be leading a Discipleship seminar on “Learning what your talents are”. Stay tuned for date and details which will be forthcoming soon.
April 10th at 7:00 p.m. – Tori Saracino’s Senior Recital is coming up on Friday, at the Chapel at Sacred Heart at Sacred Heart University. It will be about 45 minutes long and she wanted to extend the invitation to her church family. There is no admission fee & is free.
Saturday April 11th – 10:00 at the church building – Ladies Saturday bible class
Tuesday Ladies ‘ bible classes via zoom at 9:30 – April 14th & 28th
KENT MEN’S RETREAT – June 12th & 13th
cocmensretreat.com/
“The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1
The blizzard which hit us this week thrust us into intense conditions and a rare phenomenon which took place here in Connecticut.
THUNDERSNOW or BOMBOGENESIS – Bombogenesis (aka Bombo snow) occurs when there is a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure that creates violent upward air motion. These updrafts allowed for the electrical charge separation necessary for lightening strikes and muffled thunder!
These storms are rare where lightening and thunder occur simultaneously. It is considered rare because the atmosphere in winter is generally too stable to support the strong convection needed for lightening.
Storms such as this one and others we have endured such as Hurricane Sandy, give us a tiny glimpse of God’s power.
Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Praise God we were forewarned about the intensity of this storm so we could prepare!
This past week the East Coast endured blizzard ‘Calvin’ which hit our area pretty hard. This was not a “Ho, Hum” snowstorm, but a legitimate BLIZZARD which caused Connecticut to be deemed a ‘State of Emergency’.
Doppler radar is a specialized, ground based system that uses the Doppler effect to track, map and measure the velocity of precipitation and wind, crucial for identifying severe weather.
Forecasters issued warnings days ahead of the storm so thankfully we were all prepared for the 50 mile per hour winds, zero visibility, power outages and approximately 2 feed of snow!
Weather satellites which orbit the Earth are also used to transmit images of the entire hemisphere below, giving us visible images monitoring weather.
What a blessing that we have all of these man-made machines which keep us informed, so we can be prepared for whatever storms come our way.
The scriptures prepare us for what is to come spiritually.
In Psalms 119:105 “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
“Light” which is referenced here, helps us find our way to God the Father!
God’s greatness and goodness is pronounced from Genesis to Revelation. His great love for us is defined in Ephesians 3:16-19 and is wider, longer, wider and deeper than we can fathom. His goodness causes us to rise up in endless PRAISE & GRATITUDE for our Savior! His mercy allows us to enter into His presence boldly and without fear. GOD is so good, Christians can have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ and we become His children, dearly loved. In Christ we are heirs to His throne and look forward to spending eternity with Him.
Hopefully every human being is on a journey to come closer to knowing the One who Saves us from perishing.. John 3:16.
Jesus spoke about both Heaven and Hell when He was here on earth. He came to show us Love in its perfect form since He was perfect. Yet, Jesus spoke about Hell more than any other person in the Bible. He has given us stern warnings as a heads up to what is to come. The imagery is not for the faint of heart.
Luke Chapter 16:19-31 shares the biblical account of The Rich Man and Lazarus. The description of a “great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you, cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”
Luke 16:23 “In hell, where he was in torment…“
Luke 16:28 “…for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.”
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells of a time when people will be separated into two groups, one entering into His presence, the other banished to “eternal fire“.
Jesus doesn’t only reference hell, He describes it in great detail.
Mark 9:43 “A place of unquenchable fire“
Matthew 13: 41-42 “The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus calls hell a place of “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 25:30
Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Mark 9:48 “where the worm does not die“. This scripture is also referenced in the last verse in the book of Isaiah 66:24 “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.“
The “worm” (tola in Hebrew, means grub or maggot) symbolizes corruption, decay and the eternal nature of divine judgement.
Jesus teaches us the fact of unending suffering in hell – the “worm” never stops causing torment.
The scriptures give the whole world fair warning about that which is to come.
Matthew 5:30 Jesus warns that it is better to lose a hand or eye than to have the whole body cast into hell. Jesus uses this imagery to warn us all, that it is better to cut off the hand which causes you to sin than to end up in hell.
Matthew 24:42
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.“
” We must pay careful attention therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1
We must ” be on our guard and stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” 1 Corinthians 16:13
Ephesians 6:18
“Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 5:15-16
“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.“
John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
May we stay alert and listen to the warnings in scripture. Once the trumpet sounds, it will be too late.
BE THE LIGHT AND TELL SOMEONE ABOUT JESUS!
KEEP ON SINGING:
Ancient Words
Holy words long preserved
for our walk in this world,
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the Ancient words impart.
Words of life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e’er we roam,
Ancient words will guide us Home.
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age.
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ.
Holy words long preserved,
For our walk in this world.
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true
Changing me, and changing you.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you,
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
We have come with open hearts
Oh let the ancient words impart.
PRAISE GOD FOR OUR LORD & SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord,
forever.”
To God be the glory great things He hath done!
Bruce & Paula
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