We sincerely desire that everyone present will feel welcome in the Lord’s house. Contribute a special effort of love and acceptance to those around you in the name of our Lord Jesus.
Every January many of us make the New Year’s resolution to lose weight. It is perpetually on our list because we never actually do it. Even though we make a concerted effort this past year, we managed only to lose a few pounds. Why bother? What’s the use in making resolutions that seem incapable of being kept?
But just think about this verse in Lamentations:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (3:22-23).
While we might be ready to give up on ourselves, the Lord is not. He never gives up on us. When we come to the end of ourselves, when we fail and fall short, his mercies are new every morning. His steadfast love never ceases. He is there ready to help us start over and try again.
We may convince ourselves that we will never be as thin as we want to be, but we can at least be healthier for the trying. The same lesson holds true for our spiritual goals as well. We may never be as close to God as we should be, but the more we try and fail and try again, relying on his never-failing mercy, the closer we will get. And that’s what we believe life is all about — striving to know and love God better every day. On bad days, when we are discouraged, we can find the strength to persevere in knowing that God’s mercy is there to help us anew every morning.
—adapted from Kari Myers, “New Mercies,” The Link, January 2004, 12.
Prayer Petitions: Diana Ames is home recovering well from foot surgery last Friday. Alma Abell is home from the hospital. Herb Dumford. Mary Beth Thalls is at Renaissance Specialty Hospital. Bryan Holt. Beverly Andrews. Alex Fox. Louis Conyers. Mary Pierson. Glenna Beavers. Melvin Messer. Rev. Edsel and Alice Trouten. Michael Stomm. George and Helen York. Jimmy Wilkinson. Carol Stinson. Elsie Hall. Margaret Beeson. Mary Holcomb and her mother Dorothy Larrison. Marilyn and Charles Burgess. Ernie and Faye Barnard. Marie Wilson. Albert Pence is in Ball Memorial Hospital. Joetta Wilkinson. Nick Paul. Mark Ballenger. Olive Bruner. Olive Berkebile. Hailey Blevins. Jan Townsend. The Persecuted believers in Christ. Amazing Angel Childcare Ministry. Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Missionaries: Robert Pickle- Set Free Ministries. Dan & Sheri Miller. Dana Harding. Daniel Duke. Bob & Janet Miller. Dee Sudnig. Lindell & Kay Browning. Bill & Kay Swesay. Ken & Linda Walker. Greg & Amy Crofford. Wayne & Connie LaForce. Mark Ryan. Dan & Margaret Clark. Scott and Emily Armstrong. Kathy Matson. Matt & Priscilla Parrett.
Nursing Home: Rev. R.C. Boynton. Franklin White. Bonnie McLain. Dorothy Hall. Kenny Williams. Karen Sitzler is recovering from a broken leg.
Softball season begins soon. Practice is Monday at Williamsburg 6:00 p.m. Seth and Richard are our coaches. We enjoy a good physical work-out, fun, and fellowship.
Death and Resurrection of the Messiah is the video series that we will continue this evening at 6:00. Our session is titled Piercing the Darkness.
We can all identify in certain areas of our culture where Satan’s activities are active. It can be more difficult recognizing where the light of God is piercing the spiritual darkness in these areas. Which places seem so evil that you don’t want anything to do with them? Jesus visited such a place and only had one convert. He was immediately driven out. But the long term results were crucial to the church.
Holiness Today is our church magazine for the denomination. It has articles of inspiration and information to live a holy life for today. Drop a note in the offering plate if you wish to receive a copy.
Small group discipleship study this Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. is How to Use Scripture in Helping People.
Praise Team Lead Singers practice each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Be there, be square.
Alabaster offering keeps coming. As of last Sunday we have received $377.91. We appreciate everyone saving their pocket change for this foreign mission building fund.
Thanks very mulch to John Sutton, Dean Auker, Kerry Sutton, Jamie Grubs, Amazing Angels, and others for spreading Day Care mulch for the playground.
Our Easter Offering Goal for missions is $2,000. Your sacrificial giving enables our church to take God’s Good News of Jesus to all the nations.
Hagerstown Faith Housing is set up for senior rental assisted living. If you know of anyone interested, call Floyd Sanders at 489-4898.
Faith in the news: While many speculate that the recent economic downturn would cause a return to God and church, a new study released by Gallup shows church attendance and the importance of religion in our lives has not changed over the past year. Research shows that:
- 65% of the population says that religion is important in their daily lives (64% in Feb. 2008).
- 42% say they attend church, synagogue or mosque weekly (41% in Feb. 2008).
The study also shows that the percentage of Democrats, Republicans and independents who say they attend church, synagogue or mosque weekly or almost weekly has also remained constant over the past year.
- Republicans — 55% (55% in March 2008).
- Democrats — 34% (34% in March 2008).
- Independents — 37% (37% in March 2008).
Coming Up:
Mon. Mar. 30: Nettle Creek Schools Spring break begins
Sat. Apr. 4: Men’s Prayer Breakfast, 8:00 a.m.
Sun. Apr. 5: Sunday School Teachers ‘eat and meet’
Sun. Apr. 5: Church Board Meeting, 4:30 p.m.
Fri. Apr. 10: Good Friday Community Service, 7:00 p.m.
Sun. Apr. 12: SonRise Service and Breakfast, 8:00 a.m.
Celebration Easter Service, 10:00 a.m.
| March Finances | |||
| MONTHLY GIVING | Received last Sunday the 22nd | Received so far for this Month | Goals for this Month |
| Tithes and Offering | 1,658.35 | 7,153.50 | 6,000.00 |
| Building Fund Loan | 287.00 | 799.00 | 735.00 |
| Missions Alabaster | 132.83 81.89 | 354.83 151.16 | 500.00 100.00 |
| Isaiah 53:3-4“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” Brought to you by BibleGateway.com. Copyright (C) NIV. All Rights Reserved. |
