• Supportive prayer for all those undergoing medical tests and procedures to determine the extent and mature if their problems. May the Holy Spirit intercede on their behalf and help them keep their joy and focus intact.
• For the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we journey down the road of refinancing our mortgage.  Pray that our faith would be strong and that we would always seek His will in all that we do as a church.
• Prayers for all those remain in harm’s way as we pray – laying down their lives for and protecting those who cannot fend for themselves
• For those who struggle with low self esteem or even self hatred, due to abuse and mistreatment they have suffered. Pray that they realize their worth as the beloved child of the Living God.
• For those who have not been in church in a while: we miss you. Truly, truly miss you and pray for you.
• For Jan McCarty’s son-in-law Rick who was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma three years ago. He found out that it has metastasized to his lungs.
• Continue to pray for a renewal of His presence in our midst, that all who come to SOCPC will feel and come to know Him.

Please know that when God looks at you, He does so with such love. He wants you to long for Him–to want to spend more and more time with Him. Seek His heart and you will find yours there as well.

Hungering for Him,

Laura

The phrase can also inhibit us from responding to His call. How many of us can identify with Moses and his replies when God called him?  “…Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” or “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” or “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

If you’re like me, you think that you’re ill-equipped to share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ with others or to do what He has asked of you. The voices of doubt and shame fight for dominance, advertising all the reasons I will fail: I know that I am forgiven, but those who know me may know the sins I’ve committed in the past and the pain I’ve caused others–what if I can’t shake their opinion of me? Or, what if they ask me a question I can’t answer? Then will I look like a blathering fool when I try to respond? How effective will I be then?  And if I’m trying to help someone whose problems I have never experienced–how can I relate to them without sounding insincere? What if I am ineffective? What if I actually turn someone away from God?

My solution to overcoming these objections? To tell myself that I must be the very best person I know how to be, to not sin at all, to do good works. I will study theology and learn Bible verses so that I sound confident when I witness to someone. I shall take counseling classes and learn how to say the right thing so that I can come across as sympathetic and able to relate. I can try to do all of those things and at the end of the good works, the study, the counseling, I’ll be the very best witness God wants me to be, right?

There are two important things of note here: a) there are an awful lot of ‘I’ phrases in the above two paragraphs and b) the sheer fallacy of the points. I will never be good enough, smart enough, or able to relate to everyone. Never in a million years. Not because of my intentions–on the contrary–I want to. But I’m human, and just not able to do it all on my own. But… the cool thing is: God doesn’t ask it of me. He knows the person I am and if I am willing to trust Him, He will take me oh so far! He will go ahead of me and around me and provide me with the right words to say to the right person just at the right time, whether I can relate to what their trouble is or not. If I trust the Holy Spirit, He will not let me fail-He will ensure that I am in the moment “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).  Whether or not you think you can do what He asks you to do–don’t you think He does? Our Father will equip you with exactly what you need to do say, do, think, act–He will meet you where you are and will provide.

Now on to prayer requests:

• For those separated from their loved ones due to various circumstances–deployment, work, death, what-have-you–many times the pain of separation is staggering.
• Healing, comfort, and encouragement for the folks on the prayer list and CareMail lists–some of whom are in our own church family; others are part of the bigger church family.
• For Pastor Kevin and his mission here in the Lord’s service. His devotion to Lord Jesus and his love for us all is a blessing to us all.
• Lift up our beloved church secretary Marina and her family as they are in the middle of an unplanned move into a new home.
• Continual prayers for a renewal of His presence in our midst, that all who come to SOCPC will feel and come to know Him.

Friends, please don’t misunderstand–we are called to do everything we do to the glory of God. Give Him your best! But do not–do not!–allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that if you can’t be perfect, you can’t do it at all. Don’t undersell God. Do allow yourself to be used for His glory.

In Him, Whose majesty is sovereign!
Laura <><

10. When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, 11. houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, 12. be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

~Deuteronomy 6:10-12

Once in the land of Promise, it was important to the Lord to remind His children that they were the recipients of the blessings of others. The homes they enjoyed were built by others. The vineyards they harvested were planted by others. The cisterns that provided them water were dug by others. Why would the Lord want to make sure his people were to be mindful of these things so much so that they were to pass these remembrances from generation to generation?

It seems that the Lord would have His people be intensely aware of not only who they are, but WHOSE they are. They are a people of Promise. They are HIS people of Promise. Who made the Promise? The Lord Almighty. Who kept the Promise? The Lord Almighty. With each sunrise met in the comfort of a house – not a tent, with every luscious sip of wine, with every swallow of thirst-quenching water they would remember the One Who Keeps His Promise. This would elicit a constant response of gratitude. It would also change their perspective from one of ownership to one of responsible stewardship.

It is not hard to make that same adjustment of perspective to our own lives. Memorial Day is a very similar lesson in stewardship. In this country, we are blessed beyond measure. Blessings of liberty and opportunity. Blessings to speak freely and to participate in our own governance just to name a few. All these blessings were made available to us by others who have gone before. We can never take these for granted but must remain forever grateful. We can never forget.

And what of the next generation? Will they be the beneficiaries of those who have gone before? Will they be able to realize that the abundance of their resources have been made available to them through the toil of others to provide for them an opportunity to respond gratefully and responsibly. We have all been blessed by the One Who Forever Keeps His Promise. Are we wise enough to realize who we are because of WHOSE we are?

May we have enough perspective to always remain thankful and to Never Forget. May our gratitude move us to respond with hard-work and dedication to the One Who has Provided, to be found faithful in this generation, and to be thoughtful enough to make available a Legacy that will received well and be reproduced in those who will follow.

We Will Remember – We Will Be Forever Grateful – We Will Be Found Faithful

I would like to express my thanks to you all, and give God glory for His goodness, His love, and His grace. I will attempt to express my appreciation, recognizing that I will not be able to list all who have contributed to what I consider to be one of  the most meaningful and joyful Easter seasons I have ever had the privilege to  witness since I have been your pastor here at SOCPC.

With my most heartfelt and loving intent here goes:

• Thanks to the Worship Committee, particularly Jack Holt and Laura McCroskey for all of your planning , prayer and hard work to make those plans a reality.
• Thanks to Marina whose creativity and hard work to produce all of our first-class printed materials and worship aids that add so much while sometimes being taken for granted. We are truly blessed to have Marina as a part of our staff.
• Thanks to all of those who participated in the Maundy Thursday Tenebrae. This special service has never failed to bring us all to a place of focus and perspective during this most special season.
• Thanks to the Youth Group who after losing a night’s sleep were willing to provide much-needed help in preparing for the Sunrise Service. And to Luke and Kelli Ashburn for providing leadership, and supervision to our youth while they continued to serve us a wonderful Pancake Breakfast.
• Thanks to Joe Cesmirosky who volunteered to supervise the Egg Hunt, and all those who contributed eggs, candy, and time for our children.
• Thank you to Linda Frazier, Kevin Baxter, and the Chancel Choir for providing such beautiful music, adding so much to our Easter Sunday Worship.  Again, we are truly blessed  with such talented and committed staff and volunteers.
• Thank you to Laverne Prilop for giving her time and creativity to produce the beautiful Cross of Flowers, and to all those who contributed flowers.
• Thanks to all of you who sponsored Easter lilies which added so much natural beauty to the Sanctuary and added to our Worship. Thanks to all of you who came and participated in worship, who brought family and friends, and for the graciousness of our God, who compelled many prospective guests to join in our worship celebration of the miracle of resurrection. Our ROUGH count, between the two services, was at least (175) souls giving Him glory and praise, and most likely, more! SUCH a blessing!

Joseph said these words to his brothers upon the death and burial of their father Jacob, when his brothers approached him with great fear and concern that he would repay them evil for what they had done to him in the past. How many of us would take the proverbial high road automatically, as Joseph did, not only this time, but during those famine years when his brothers made their way to Egypt to ask for food? Joseph had plenty of justification to allow revenge and retribution to rule his reactions–he had been sold into slavery by his brothers as young boy and he had been wrongfully accused of attacking his master’s wife and subsequently thrown into jail. Both could be viewed as attacks from the enemy. Joseph could have had Job’s friends, each telling him that he must have sinned and found disfavor in God’s eyes or else these things wouldn’t keep happening to him.

But I invite you to see if you find evidence of disfavor in Genesis 39: “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he had to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under authority.”  Or later in chapter 39: “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.”

Did you find any evidence of disfavor? I didn’t. Throughout the trials he endured, the Lord was with Joseph. In fact, Pharaoh even recognizes that the Holy Spirit is with Joseph when Joseph passes on the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream. “And Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” An Old Testament application of Romans 8:28, Joseph is there in Egypt, in charge of the granary during the famine when his brothers came asking for food. You know how the story ends, but if you don’t, I invite you to read it in Genesis 42 and 43.

Friends, I’ve written before on attacks by the enemy, recognized or otherwise, and in the wake of such tragedies as the Boston bombings, the explosion in West, or the persecution of Pastor Saeed in Iran, it is important to remember the promises of Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” God will make good things occur even in the very midst of tragedies. If you are under attack from the devouring enemy, cry out to the Holy Spirit, our Protector, for His protection. Cling to Him. He will carry you–He is waiting for your surrender. Reclaim that victory that Jesus won for you with His death: freedom from the chains of doubt and fear. In fact, the more you rely on Him, the better it is, right? Spoil the enemy’s plans–go on–mess them up! What his shortsightedness does not allow him to see is that the more he attacks, the more you rely on the strength of Almighty God. He attacks; you cling. His blows lose their effect when you’re protected by the arms of the One Who made you. Take comfort in the promises of the words of Christ: “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”  You are fully safe!

On to prayer requests:

• For all those being persecuted and are in harm’s way because of their faith.
• For Eric Rosenberg as he begins to battle yet another and very rare form of cancer.
• Added prayers for Sandy Williams. She has had a great deal of trouble sleeping along with all her other challenges.
• For blessings for Huei-Yi Pan as she celebrated her wedding day today!
• Continued prayers for a renewal of His presence in our midst, that all who come to SOCPC will feel and come to know Him.

Friends, trust in God’s perfect plan for you. Know that even though it seems as if things couldn’t get any worse (and trust me, they always can), God is with you. He has this. If you let Him, He will use whatever circumstances you are in to bring glory to Himself. It may not make sense now…heck, it may never make sense, but all things do work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. God is good, all the time.

In Him, Whose goodness surrounds me even if I can’t see it,

Laura <><

While most of us do not possess an excess of pride, we need to realize that it isn’t always the amount of pride that can get us in trouble; it is where we source that pride that can get us every time. When we focus on what we feel we accomplished without acknowledging the fact that God gave us the ability to accomplish it, we are wrong. When we rely on our own resourcefulness and thinking instead of seeking His direction, we miss the mark. When we fail to obey His Word or break His laws, we convey to Him that we know better than He does. When we think we are entitled to an explanation of why something happened the way it did, we fail miserably (I, ashamedly, am guilty of this one many times over.  All of them, in fact).

Beloveds, it doesn’t have to be this way. God knows our limitations–we just need to know them as well. It isn’t about us! Acknowledge God in all things–ALL things. Put yourself in proper position–God is sovereign; we are not. We go to church to worship the God most high, not, contrary to popular opinion, solely to be fed spiritually. Give God the respect, honor, and majesty He is due! And do it because you love Him, not because you are afraid He will strike you down and you’ll be eaten by worms!

In all seriousness, please do not miss the unstated message of this SUPV: humble yourself before the Lord. (it is not at all lost on me that is how now become the stated message). He is God. While His ways may seem arbitrary, they aren’t. Brothers and sisters, He has our best interest at heart and will always do what is best for us. We may not always see it at the time, but I promise you He does. To God be the Glory!!

On to prayer requests:

• For Jan McCarty’s son-in-law Rick who was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma three years ago. He found out that it has metastasized to his lungs. Prayers for all those affected by the tragedies in Boston and West, Texas. They all need His mercy, comfort healing and love.
• Prayers for all those out there who believe an act like the Boston bombing is a reasonable answer to their grievances. They need deliverance from the enemy’s influence.
• Prayers for the May’s grandson Reagan, for grace and healing and for His intercession and and embrace.
• Continue to pray for a renewal of His presence in our midst—that all who come to SOCPC will feel Him and come to know Him
• For an extended family member of mine (Laura’s) whose husband has inoperable brain cancer which has caused a major, major upheaval in the family with his mood swings that are caused by steroids and the fear of the unknown. Pray for salvation and comfort, please.

We are each so very blessed, and I pray that you realize that. You do, right? If you don’t see it, please, please, please reach out and let us help. If you cannot “get there from here” because you’re overwhelmed with work, family, medical issues, health issues, whatever—we, as the body of Christ, are here for you. You are not meant to do any of this alone—He is here, and we are here.

In Him, Who is worthy of all our respect, honor, and praise, forever and always,

Laura <><

I was blessed to have been on a team that worked a Walk to Emmaus in Boerne, TX a week ago Thursday through Sunday (side note: there is another Women’s Walk to Emmaus in July and a Men’s Walk in September…look for more info to come in the bulletin closer in the months preceding them. If you want to know more about it, ask me!). The Walk to Emmaus is a 72-hour spiritual retreat that has many wonderful demonstrations of God’s love for you. It is ecumenical, meaning that it doesn’t have a certain denomination or tenets–it is open to Christians. Being as such, when we say the Lord’s Prayer, we use the word ‘sins’ in place of ‘debts’. “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.”

Forgiveness is a difficult concept for us as mortals to put into practice. Even when we strive to assume the best of intentions when someone says or does something that hurts or offends us, if we are not vigilant, the enemy sneaks in and pokes, putting his wicked finger where it doesn’t belong, leaving us with hurt and resentment.

There have been a lot of non-scriptural things written about forgiveness. To wit:

“In fact, not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.” — Anne Lamott

“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” –Nelson Mandela

“An eye for an eye, and the whole world would be blind.” — Kahlil Gibran

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” – Lewis B. Smedes

“Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you are.”  — Cherie Carter-Scott

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.” — Oscar Wilde

You’ll see the lesson in most of these quotes–freedom is found in forgiveness–freedom from anger, from being controlled by something other than yourself, from thoughts that consume your time and energy, and many other things. Forgive others and the world is a better place…you’re a better person…you’re a bigger person. All things good, no doubt. Allow me to share with you, though, another quote, found two verses after the one quoted from the Lord’s Prayer: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Mark 11:25 tells us, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins”. In other words, He said that you should forgive others, if you want His forgiveness. Who among us doesn’t want His forgiveness?
This also calls to mind the parable of the Unmerciful Servant–Matthew 18:23-35. The master forgave the servant a large debt, but the servant couldn’t find it in himself to forgive the smaller debt of a fellow servant. The master puts the first servant into jail to be tortured…“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Friends, there will be times when others will hurt us, at times inconsolably. There are times when tragedies such as today’s occur and forgiving the perpetrators would take Herculean effort. As difficult as it will be, we are to forgive them. He will give you the ability to do so, if you ask Him. He wants you to be obedient. Just ask Him for help. Our Father is good, friends. He will always give you what you need to do His will.

Prayer requests:

• Diligent prayer for the victims and families of the horror that occurred in Boston–so awful.
• Prayer for those responsible for the bombings and for this broken, broken world that drove someone to think that this was an okay (or even “the right”) thing to do. We all need Him so badly…
• For the seamless finalization of the adoption process for little Austin Bone!
• For those on our CareMail and Prayer lists, that His mercy and grace shower down on them all
• For a renewal of His presence in our midst–that for all who come to SOCPC will feel and come to know Him
• For those who don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, for those in and out of our church

Loved ones, as time goes on and Holy Week slips further in our memories, let us not forget that our Savior died for our sins. He conquered death, defeating the enemy. Let us reclaim that victory and not let the worldly actions and occurrences cause us to forget it.

In Him, Whose sacrifice ransomed me,

Laura <><

Did you watch the miniseries ‘The Bible’? this past month? I tell you what–I have watched each one, and have been mesmerized by each episode–the theatrical production of each one, the historical accuracy, the violence, and mostly what I understand to be the biblical accuracy of the scenes. I realize that the series is “inspired by” the Bible and that some of it is interpretation and and poetic license, and I’m not going to complain about it at all. Last night was the finale and it had the passion, crucifixion, and introduced Pentecost, Paul, and others through Revelation. Last night and last week’s shows moved me profoundly, and have left a lasting impression on my spiritual life and my knowledge of Who Jesus is.
I found it fascinating to watch in the series (and to read in the New Testament) how Jesus countered the teachings of the Law with that of the concept of the “opposite.”  Hear His words:

“So the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16)

“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.” (Matthew 5: 39-40)

“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44)

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.” (Matthew 6:5)

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.” (Matthew 6:16)
“And He turned and said to them,“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14: 26-27)

Jesus knew how counter-intuitive His teachings were. He knew that it was not the natural, human response to situations. Yet His underlying message was always the same: “do not be of this world–be of My world. Be of Me.”  And, it’s important to note that Jesus focused not only on “don’t do bad (natural) but do good (unnatural), a la ‘turning the other cheek’”, but also on something that on its surface, appeared good but in fact He called us to do what we would consider to be bad. (wait…it’ll make sense in a minute) Listen to His words of Luke 14: 26-27, “And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.” Huh? Hate my family? Hate my own life? Where was the Jesus Who spoke of love?

Ahh, but it’s at that very point, friends, where we find Him.  To be His disciples and followers, we must put all things aside and commit–truly commit–ourselves to Him. If we bear our cross and come after Him (i.e. die to self), presenting our Selves at His feet, and striving to be like Christ–that’s where the love of Jesus is. As we read in Galatians 2:2: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When Christ lives in us, we become like Him–we take care of His people, putting their needs in front of our own; carrying their burdens and lightening their load. We truly demonstrate His love to His people in our actions when the threads of Christ’s love are woven into our very being.

Is it easy, though? No. We are human. We will fail, and fail often. Does that mean we don’t try? Of course not. It just means that we lean on Him to help us think like Him, act like Him, love like Him. The Everlasting Lord understands our humanness and does not hold it against us when we stumble. In fact, if you’re like me, you are harder on yourself than He is. Friends, He wants us to earnestly seek and adopt His ways. He will help you–He will meet you where you are. Just be open to seeking His help. You will realize His abundant blessings when you do. He loves us so much!

And now prayer requests:

• Prayers of comfort and healing for Jack Holt’s brother-in-law, Steve Brunner, suffering from chronic pancreatitis and complications.
• Praise for the wonderful services on Sunday, the large crowds, and His omnipresence over it all. He is Risen!!
• Prayers of support and encouragement for Zana that all her tests and turnout well.
• Continue to pray for a renewal of His presence in our midst, that all who come to SOCPC will feel and come to know Him.

It is really cool how He allows you to see things in new ways when you seek His wisdom and grace. I have heard the words “Do this in remembrance of me” a thousand times in my lifetime of taking communion. It wasn’t until I watched the enactment of the Last Supper on The Bible last week that they really hit home. I don’t know if it was poetic license or what, but it was very touching how they attributed the thought of Jesus seeking to comfort His disciples by associating the breaking of the bread and drinking of the cup as a way of remembering and honoring Him…that He is present with them and us when we participate in communion. The words are so much more meaningful now to me.  I pray that they resonate with you the same way.

In the love of the risen Christ, all honor, glory, and majesty His,

Laura <><

Stone Oak Cumberland Presbyterian Church is here for you. It is not just a church; it is a fellowship of believers coming together to declare the glory of the Lord and celebrate Jesus as King. We study the Word, practice what we learn, and in the process, grow together.

May God richly bless you, today and always.

• We offer Sunday School for all ages at 9:00 a.m. every Sunday.
• We Worship in our lovely Sanctuary at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday.
• The first Sunday of each month we add the Service of Holy Communion to our regular Worship Service.

Please check back often; we not only update our website on a regular basis, but we are continuing to build it.

I have heard a couple of references to Martha and Mary over the past couple of days–once in sharing a conversation with a very dear friend and the other this morning while I listened to Dr. David Jeremiah while driving in to work on the radio (KDRY, AM 1100 if you’re interested). I have always identified with Martha–I realize that it probably surprises no one who has seen me running around on Sunday to gather up errant acolytes, ushers, youth, and the like. I thought it unfair that she did all the work and all Mary did was sit at the feet of Jesus, not lifting a finger to help Martha out. And Jesus gently chided Martha for not seeing that Mary’s choice, though frustrating to Martha, was the right choice. So what does that mean? Was Martha totally in the wrong? Am I the only one who thinks that without the work Martha did, Jesus wouldn’t be comfortable and Mary wouldn’t have the luxury of just sitting there? In my pumpkin head, as recently as this afternoon, I have put Martha and the prodigal son’s older brother in the same category–under-appreciated and put upon.  I’m sure there are others who would agree with me, and might even place themselves in that same category.  Now don’t misunderstand–I am in no means saying that Jesus got it wrong. He didn’t, and it’s this point that the Holy Spirit impressed upon me today.
Works, in and of themselves, are not bad. Things need to get done. Without hard working people in the church, the grounds would not be kept, programs would not run, the body would not be fed–all are important. All are vital. I would ask, though, that we consider the motivation behind those works. Are they for the glory of God? Now hold on–don’t be so quick to answer “well, of course, Laura! Who else?” Who else indeed? Think about it–who out there among us hasn’t thought, “if I don’t do it, who else will? Things just won’t get done if I don’t <insert act of service here>”.  While things do need to get done in the church, and I don’t want to downplay the acts of service and sacrifice we see in our church (and some major ones we do not see and take for granted), I do want to ask that each of us stop and take a really good hard look at ourselves and our actions. Are we doing these acts of service because we receive they fall into our committee and we have to? Because we feel obligated? Because we want them done our way? Because we feel that if we don’t do them, they won’t get done? Which of these do you think God wants us to answer? (I’ll give you a hint: e) none of the above).

On the other hand, what of those who come to church, tithe, stand when the bulletin says to stand, sing when hymnals are open, and don’t fully engage in the body? Those who say that they are Christians and claim the blessing of the faithful, but who don’t give of themselves for those less fortunate? Or heck, to those on the same socio-and-economic level they are? No one could accuse their works of being false, or for the wrong reasons, or for their own glory. There aren’t any works to speak of.

Friends, James tells us that “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only….For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

See…when you love the Person of the cross–the One Who gave His life for your freedom from bondage–you want to share the love He gave you. You want to do works to build up His church–His bride. These acts of service aren’t even really works–they are labors of love. When you love the One Who took the wrath of the Almighty God in your stead, you want to feed His sheep, clothe the naked, take in the stranger, visit His people in prison. They are love offerings that sit on your heart and compel you to act, not because of fear or obligation, but because you love Him. You want to please Him. You want to be Him to the world. You want others who are lost, broken, desperate–you want them to know the One Who has carried you and taken your burdens so that they may know Him to. It isn’t work to share His love. It is simply letting the love and blessings of our Savior flow through you.

Prayer requests…

• Prayers for Eric Rosenberg.  Pray for the Holy Spirit’s intervention and healing as Eric’s cancer has returned.  Pray for comfort and strength for him and his family.
• Praise for the new life baptized into the Body of Christ this past Sunday.
• Continue to pray for a renewal of His presence in our midst, that all who come to SOCPC will feel and come to know Him.
• For those who are on our prayer lists and CareMail.

Friends, share Him with the world. Don’t keep Him to yourself. People in the world need to know the love, security, and blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all He has done for us. Share your witness–don’t keep it to yourself.

In Him, Whose love needs to be shared,

Laura <><