GriefShare “Surviving the Holidays”
will be held December 3, 2012.
In past years, the Christmas holiday season may have been a time of great anticipation and excitement … but this year, the prospect of facing the holidays without your loved one may cause anxiety and dread.
You are not alone.
Here you can connect with support, encouragement and advice to survive the holidays.
Discover practical, stress-reducing ideas that will help you face the holiday season
Find a Surviving the Holidays event near you
Find out how to begin receiving daily, encouraging emails written for people who are grieving
Discover why it’s still possible to celebrate this holiday season
Learn more about the GriefShare program
Also, our next GriefShare Seminar/Support Group Begins January 7, 2012
GriefShare is a video seminar series that features some of the nation’s foremost Christian experts on grief and recovery topics as seen from a biblical perspective.
The video seminars are combined with support group discussion of the materials presented during the video.
Please feel free to call me at 407-340-6298 or email sisterchicks4[at]gmail[dot]com if you have any questions or would like more information about the GriefShare Seminar.
Part of the effect of today’s humanistic mindset is that we evaluate ourselves too highly. We compare ourselves to the world around us, and seem to be so far ahead of the rest of creation. Part of our pride likely lies in our perceived free will – it seems to be what distinguishes us from the animal world.
But what do we see here? In this passage, Paul says that we are either instruments (or tools) for sin or for God. This dichotomous thinking isn’t just found here. Other passages talk about only having one master, and of being either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. But Paul ups the ante here. He argues that we’re not just servants who pick a master, or slaves who are controlled by an owner. Rather, we are akin to mindless tools!
To be sure, the onus is on us in terms of which hands we will place ourselves in. But once we place ourselves in those hands, we tend to be freely wielded (by either sin or God). Don’t feel like digging in the garbage? Too bad – the tool-user says it’s time to dig in the garbage. Don’t think you know how to fix the leaky faucet? Well, the tool-user is going to use you anyway.
In the positive, this is exciting – if we allow God to pick us up and use us, there’s no telling what God may end up doing with us – we just know it’s going to be good, exciting, and for His glory. In the negative, this is frightening. As simple tools, if we allow ourselves to be picked up by sin, we’re going to be used by sin, whether we like it or not. And it’s shockingly hard to get out of sin’s grip.
We (I) need to come off of this humanistic high that says I’m a completely free agent in this universe. No, there are forces much stronger than me out there. I was made to be a tool for God and God alone. Unfortunately, my “tool nature” makes me susceptible to frequent use by sin. It’s only when I consistently get into the hands of God that I will consistently achieve my purpose, as a tool of God.
This summer our kids will continue to learn more about the Bible through a series called “What’s In The Bible?” It’s a fun curriculum from the creator of the VeggieTales. So, even though AWANA is over for the school year, please continue to join us on Wednesday nights at 7:00pm throughout the summer.
Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
Reflection on Psalm 42:7
This is a stretch to be sure, but this could also be taken to refer to a church service or body of believers. “Deep calls to deep” …in other words, in a river, “depths” of many rivers converge into one, until they all fall together off the edge of a cliff, making the resonant chorus that is a waterfall. The many rivers must all converge and go in the same direction, they must all take the plunge together as well. Then at the base of the waterfall, they achieve their greatest power and beauty, as “deep calls to deep.” God’s presence and power will be strikingly absent unless our churches accomplish three things. One, our rivers must converge. We have to have the same mission and be going the same direction. Two, “deep” must call to “deep.” God didn’t say “shallow calls to shallow.” We have to get in on each others lives, on the depths, really understanding who we are, connecting with, and praying for one another. Finally, we must all take the plunge together. All the rivers of the waterfall have to dive together, take the leap of faith together, in order for the waterfall to achieve maximum force. If a river cuts out early, it’s taking some force with it (not to mention other rivers). Our churches must be defined by missional agreement, true love, and risk taking faith. Only then will we begin to hear the depth of God himself in our choruses.
On April 20 & 21, 2012, a bus full of men from our church attended the 2012 Man Up Men’s Conference in Orlando, FL. The conference featured powerful and insightful messages from Jerry Thorpe & Jim Groves.
Our guys had a great time getting to know each other better and learning more about how to be the men that God has called them to be.
If you would like to review the notes from the conference, please click the links below. These notes were compiled by one of our pastors. They may be hard to follow, but feel free to browse them for insights. Especially, check out the “Notes & Quotes” section at the bottom of each entry.
If you are in the Sanford-Orlando area, check out WTLN 950 on the AM dial today at 2:00pm. They will be airing an interview and a message from Pastor Williams. Pretty cool, huh?
You can also visit WTLN on the web at http://www.wtln.com
Spread the Word!
Tell your friends and family about this by Faceboook, Twitter, and text!
We invite you to take part in this year’s Missions Emphasis Weekend. It’s this coming week! Our special missionary guest for the weekend is Nathan Foltz, missionary to Tanzania. Here are some of the events that we encourage you to be a part of during the weekend:
– International Dinner 6:45pm on Friday Night (March 30) Pick an international region and bring an international food to share.
Bill Simpson’s Class – Asia
Dave Schnelle’s & Nick Williams’ Class – Africa
Youth Group & Don Ador – USA
Don Bodin’s Class & Carlos Duncan’s Class – Australia
Jane Unsworth’s Group – Central & South America
Victoria Lemois’ Group – Caribbean
Teresa Hansen’s Group – Europe
– Ladies Luncheon (Patio Grill) 11:30am on Saturday (March 31)
– Men’s BBQ (Shane Stewart’s House) 5:00pm on Saturday (March 31)
This will be held at 250 Art Lane, Sanford, FL 32773
The church will provide the meant. Men should bring sides & drinks.
Did you know that we meet here at the church during the week for Small Group Bible Studies? We meet together for learning and mutual encouragement. Click on the link below to see a full listing of the Small Group Bible Study Opportunities that are available this Spring, and then plan to join us this week. It’s a excellent way to connect with other Christ-followers & share life together.
That was the header for an awesome passage in 1 Chronicles 23. Starting in verse 24, we see how the Levites get their roles and responsibilities massively restructured. Before this shift, the Levites were responsible for carrying the ark of the covenant – the seat of the physical representation of God.
Think of the times you’ve felt the closest you’ve ever felt with God, and how rare those “super close” times tend to be. Now, imagine what an amazing responsibility it must have been, to be a Levite tasked with carrying the ark of the covenant – to have the physical presence of God at arm’s length.
In this 1 Chronicles passage, however, the Levites get their “duties revised.” I love this header because it’s so counterintuitive to what our modern reaction would be. The Levites had to shift from this awesome resposibility and physical closeness to God, to essentially becoming assistants to the priests and the custodial crew to make sure the Temple services went off without a hitch.
How could this header not be “The Levites get a demotion,” or the “The Levites get demoted and then revolt?” Why does the Bible not record the Levites letting out a collective groan upon hearing the news, especially given the Israelites’ penchant for complaining? I think it’s because the Levites weren’t motivated by personal gratification but rather divine mandate. They didn’t see themselves as having a job that was comprised of specific tasks, but rather as being privileged to contribute anything to a higher purpose. Rather than looking at what they were doing, they were focused on what they were achieving.
Application
That is so key in our personal, professional, and spiritual lives. Look for the “why,” search for the end goal, find the glorification of God in who you are, not what you are doing. Tasks are more volatile than personhood. You may have a job or position one day, and be out of it the next. But your heart, soul, mind, and strength are things you can always give to God, regardless of circumstances. If you can find a way to praise God with your whole person, your personality, your intentions, and your passion, as opposed to the various tasks that happen to fill up the minutes and hours of your days and weeks, that is when you will be truly fulfilled.
(This essay was written by Chris Coultas, Worship Leader of the 10:0am Service)
This past week, Pastor Williams shared a message entitled “Noah & Sons.” It’s the latest message in our Hall of Fame series based on Hebrews 11. Noah was a man of tremendous faith in challenging days. It had never rained before (and probably never flooded, either), and yet God tells him that it’s going to rain and the whole earth will be covered in water. God tells Noah to build an enormous ship big enough to hold his entire family and the animals that would be needed to replenish the earth. It takes Noah 100 years to build this boat! For years, he is mocked and laughed at, yet he continues to demonstrate great faith in God…faith worth emulating.
So, how did all the animals fit in the ark?
Today, many of us may still wonder how all of those animals fit inside the boat. It’s questions like this that cause us to be a little hesitant to accept the biblical story as accurate. But, simple science and simple math reveal how this is possible. You can believe that the story is true…and therefore, that the Bible is true!
Check out this video that explains how the animals all fit…
GriefShare “Surviving the Holidays”
Did you know that we meet here at the church during the week for Small Group Bible Studies? We meet together for learning and mutual encouragement. Click on the link below to see a full listing of the Small Group Bible Study Opportunities that are available this Spring, and then plan to join us this week. It’s a excellent way to connect with other Christ-followers & share life together.