Go Away and Leave Me Alone

That sounds like what one of our kids would say when they're in a bad mood.  Or maybe it's a little like some of the other statements we hear, "I don't care what you think", or "I'm not going to do that no matter what  you say."  These types of statements usually have a very negative connotation however, the statement "go away and leave me alone" is a rough translation of one of the statements of Jesus.  Can you ever imagine the time or an event when Jesus would actually make such a statement?  One thing I've learned from studying the words of Jesus is that sometimes what our Lord had to say might surprise us.  He is kind and loving, but also strong and direct when He needs to be.  His words are directed according to the need of the moment, which means they're not always soft and gentle.  As we continue to look at the words of Jesus in our series on red letter sermons, we will look both at the gentleness and the directness of our Lord and Savior.  Your challenge for Sunday morning when you first arrive at services is to tell me when and where Jesus might have said something similar to "go away and leave me alone".  I'll be looking forward to seeing you Sunday morning.

Dean

 

 

A Growing Leadership

Last Sunday was a great day for this congregation.  In a great display of unity and devotion three men were added to our present eldership.  These men all accepted the charge of shepherding this flock in helping to protect our souls.  In response to their acceptance, this congregation accepted the charge which we were given by the elders.  The charge for us is to follow the leadership of our elders as we serve one another in unity and love.  The three installed elders are:

George Kokoruda
Billy Moran
Walter Thompson

Dean

 

 

Layers of Protection

If you ever wonder how much our Lord cares about you, take a look at the layers of protection He has provided for your eternal soul:

1. The first layer, of course, is God Himself who willingly sent His own son to die on the cross for our sins.  John 3:16

2. The second layer is the love and compassion of Jesus.  As
II Corinthians 1:3 explains, Jesus is always with us to provide comfort and care during our struggles.

3. As a third layer of protection the Lord has sent us the Holy Spirit to live within our hearts.  The spirit gives us strength from God according to Ephesians 3:16-20.

4. The fourth layer comes in the form of godly men that are given the responsibility of serving as elders.  These men serve as shepherds of the flock to guard from outside influences or false teaching that may destroy our souls.  Acts 20:28

5. Then there is the church itself, the body of Christ on the earth.  In the church each member has a responsibility to care for other members and to help each other with our struggles.  Galatians 6:1, 2

When you are struggling look carefully at how much God loves you and you'll find the strength to go forward in serving him.

Dean