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The greatest mark of the Christian life is love. Jesus expressed love perfectly and completely. He fulfilled the law. Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love everyone else. But, what is love? Spend time this week in His holy scriptures and ask for the Holy Spirit to open your heart and to change you from the inside out.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

1 Corinthians 13

Revelation 3

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:5-7‬

If we follow Christ’s example we will not look to cling to our lives. We will not hold to what we want our lives to be but rather we give our lives, wholly, to God and to others. We live as servants and lovers of God. Your wholeness, your peace, your fulfillment, your hope is in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Know it! Live it! Love it! Have a most blessed week!

May 29th 2022

Who is in your corner? 

C.S. Lewis said, “In friendship...we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another...the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting--any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you," can truly say to every group of Christian friends, "Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another." The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

We all have ideas about who we want our friends to be but seldom think about who they ought to be. A friend who makes me feel appreciated is nice. A friend who laughs at my jokes is pleasing. A friend who is there in times of need is helpful. But, a friend who always points me to Jesus is absolutely NECESSARY! I encourage all of you, even those who have already listened once, to click on the link and listen to Daniel’s message on “Fighting for Friendship.” Have a blessed week!

https://youtu.be/xSL4omJ5hZg

May 23rd 2022

Let’s face it… living in this world is hard. Trying to get ahead seems impossible, gas prices are high, and there are shortages of all kinds. We worry about our safety and the safety of our loved ones. There is disease, and injury, and death everywhere we turn. Sadness, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness are rampant, especially in our younger generation. It can seem as though everyday is a fight. Well, that’s because it IS a fight. However, it is ultimately a spiritual fight. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I want to remind you that there is hope! There is peace! There is victory in Jesus! There is a way to be free from the bondage of this world and that way is Jesus Christ. Jesus is above all… a name above every other name. Call on His name and believe and He will be with you always. He will give you His strength to persevere until your fight is over and you find yourself in His glorious presence forever and ever, AMEN!

Ephesians 6:12

Galatians 5:1-15

Romans 6:1-14

Ephesians 1:18-21

Ephesians 2:6-7

Ephesians 5:1-17

James 5:16

2 Timothy 4:7

Matthew 25:21

Wow! What an incredible day! As we have concluded our “21 Days of Hope”, this morning, we started our 4 week series “The Fight.” Jeremy Cooper shared his hope filled testimony about God’s amazing grace followed by a powerful message from our student and young adult director Daniel Wright. We are in a fight but our fight is not with flesh and blood but is with a spiritual enemy. In Jesus Christ we stand victorious against sin and death. Fight for your faith! “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”

Spend time in His Word this week and be in prayer for yourself and others. May God bless you and keep you! In the glorious name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

• Ephesians 6:12, 2:8-9

• 2 Timothy 4:7

• 1 Corinthians 9:26

• Romans 6:23, 8:11, 8:37

HOPE Day 21 - Congratulations! You have completed the 21 Days of Hope.

We have had a great time on this digital mission trip with trip. We have seen God's love and hope shining through you, and we're sure your friends have too.

We would love to hear more about the abundant life, full of meaning and purpose, that God has given you. What is your biggest glory sighting from the 21 Days of Hope?

Goal: Hope To You

Theme: Minister

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Hey friends,

Congrats! You've made it to day 20! 

You can use today to get caught up on any days you might have missed. Pick one or two action steps that you can do today and ask God to use those small steps in big ways. 

Today is also a great day to reach out to those you've invited to worship. Check in to answer any questions they might have and build excitement for worship! 

God is at work! Can't wait to worship Him with you. 

Goal: Hope Through You

Theme: Social

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Hey friends,

Imagine this - you win an award, walk up on stage to accept the award, and have the opportunity to give an acceptance speech. In that speech, who do you thank? Who helped you become who you are today?

That leads me to today's challenge - giving someone a social shout-out!

Jump on social media and create a quick post, answering one of these questions:

Where would you be without God in your life?

Why do we call it Good Friday when it is the day Jesus died on the cross?

What has Jesus done in your life?

Who is a church leader/volunteer who made an impact in your life?

Why do you love your church?

Why are you so excited to celebrate Easter this year?

Your post doesn't need to be long or fancy, just a quick post saying thank you. Here's what that might look like:

Shout-out to my church! They offer awesome kids classes every week so I know my kids are learning great things while I enjoy the worship and sermons. So thankful for all the volunteers who love my kids so much!

I just want to give a social shout-out to my high school youth pastor [Tag the pastor]! Because of his influence on my life I have the confidence to follow God's plan for my life. I really appreciate you!

Just want to give a shout-out to Jesus right now, He's totally changed my life! I used to walk around without purpose and now I know what I'm living for. And I'm thankful my church helped me find Jesus!

See? Super simple. Just a few sentences thanking someone for helping you be the person you are today. Ready? Go!

Goal: Hope Through You

Theme: Generosity

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ (9/10)

Hey friends,

Today has one of the highest difficulty ratings through the 21 days. Why? Because we're talking about generosity. But don't quit...keep reading and see why this day may be the most crucial day of all in the 21 days. 

First, have you noticed how generosity is right in the middle of the Easter story? Look at the most famous passage in all of the Bible, John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Notice how generosity is embedded in the character of God and is central to the Easter message. Now, here's a huge "aha!" moment for you in this adventure. Generosity is central to the Easter story, but is also unlocks how deeply we receive the message. Look at what Jesus says in Luke 6:38:

Give and it will be given to you...for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

So let me ask you a question...Do you need more hope in your life? 

If so, the best thing you can do is receive God's free gift of grace. Then the next step? Start sharing hope generously with others. Sometimes the best way to experience hope is to bring hope to others. If you've ever been on a mission trip then you know how much of a blessing being a blessing can be. 

So here's your chance to put this into action. How can you bring hope with your generosity this Easter season? Here are four starter ideas:

Make a financial donation to a non-profit making an impact in our community.

Set up a recurring donation to the church to support our outreach and missions.

Bless a family in need - maybe a single mom, widow, or someone who lost their job.

Take those items you were about to sell on Facebook Marketplace and bless another family with them.

As you give hope, remember God has a way of bringing more hope to your heart. John Bunyan illustrated it best when he said, "There was a man, they called him mad. The more he gave, the more he had."

Goal: Hope Through You

Theme: Social

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️ (7/10)

Hey friends,

Have you taken a moment yet this year to reflect on the importance of Easter and the impact the message of Easter has on your life? It's too amazing to keep to yourself, right? 

Today's challenge is all about inviting others to experience the hope of Easter in their life. So let's go ahead and share!

Step 1 - Post a worship invite to your friends on social media. When you create your post answer these two questions: Why are you so excited to celebrate Jesus? How could someone join you in celebrating with your church? 

Step 2 - Remember the three people we've been praying for? Shoot them a text invite. Here are some example scripts to get you started. Remember, they might say no, and that's okay. "No" now doesn't mean "no" forever. Plus, if we don't ask at all, it's for sure a "no." Step out in faith, and trust the Lord will guide your words. 

"Hey {FIRST_NAME}, how are things going?"

[RESPONSE]

"That's great! Well, I just wanted to reach out and see if you attend church anywhere."

[IF RESPONSE IS "NO"]

"Well, I'd love for you to come with me to my church. I go to St John UMC, just off Hwy 58. I think you'll like it. We have

[NAME ELEMENT THAT WOULD RELATE TO THEM LIKE GREAT KIDS AREA, GREAT MUSIC, RELATABLE PASTOR, ETC.]

[IF RESPONSE IS "YES" OR THEY AREN'T INTERESTED]

"No worries at all. I just wanted to throw out the opportunity. If you ever are looking for a church to visit, you're always welcome to come with me. We'd love to have you."

Keep it upbeat and relational. Don't be afraid of a "no." Again, this might plant a seed that will grow later. You got this!

Goal: Hope Through You

Theme: Social

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (6/10)

Hey friends,

Have you ever watched a movie, then posted about it on Facebook? Or tried a new Amazon product and shared your experience? Have you posted a quick story of something that happened throughout your day?

Pretty simple, right? There's a reason we call it social media - we use social media as a tool to connect with others and share our stories.

Today's challenge: apply this same concept to sharing your faith story. Make a post about when you decided to follow Jesus and how that decision impacted your life (only 1-2 sentences).

I know that sharing your faith story on social media can sound intimidating. But here are 3 things to remember:

You tell stories every day. Every time you tell a friend "the craziest thing happened the other day" or "let me tell you what happened at the grocery store," that's storytelling. You're already a pro!

It doesn't have to be polished. In fact, it shouldn't be polished. It should be your words, telling your story.

There's no right or wrong way to do this - because there's not a cookie-cutter approach to telling your story! Remember, it's the story of how God started working in your life. You're the best one to tell this story because you were the one who witnessed it firsthand!

So jump on social media and make a short post about when you decided to follow Jesus and how it impacted your life. 

Not on social media? Ask God to give you an opportunity to share your story in conversation today, and when the opportunity comes, take it!

Bonus Step

Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (8/10)

Share your faith story over a selfie video. This video should be about 45-90 seconds long. You might think that's too short, but the goal isn't to share every detail, but just the most important ones. You want to be sure to include where you were in life when you came to faith in Jesus. Then share what made you want to make that decision. Were you invited to church? Were you in tough life circumstances and then turned to God? Were you a child or teen when you came to Christ? Then share where you are now, and why you love living for God and going to church.