“I love you. . . “

It will be said in many different ways this month.  To some, those words simply repeated will be enough.  For others, special ways of expressing those words will abound including flowers, cards, candy or a romantic dinner. Yet others may express their love through an act of kindness or service.

For those who are Christians, two mandates have been given by Jesus.  The first is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  The other is to love others as we love ourselves.

Self love can easily become self-centeredness.  Our focus goes beyond taking care of ourselves as good stewards and it becomes “all about me.”  When we arrive here, others are not considered at all and there is not room for God.  In face, God may be blamed for all my problems because He hasn't taken care of ME!  We cut off communication to Him and from Him.  Instead of looking at what He has done for us and the blessings given, we can only focus on what we want or demand of Him.  We need to remember that Satan is the great destroyer who has no love for others; only agenda includes destroying our relationship with God. 

That desire to serve will often be expressed in our attitude toward others. It will be an attitude of focused not on ourselves but toward helping the body of Christ. Look around you today.  Who can you serve?  Is there someone who needs a phone call or a card to brighten their day?  Is there someone you can mentor to help them become a disciple of Jesus? “I’m to old to serve,” you might be saying.  Invite someone you don’t know very well from church over for lunch or dinner.  Pick up the phone and call someone who might be struggling right now and offer to pray with them.  Love can be expressed in many ways. 

A search of Scripture reveals God’s expectations for showing love to others, especially in the church. We are to love one another deeply (1 Peter 1:22 & 4:8). Corinthians 13:4-8a describes the conduct of love.  Most of the New Testament letters contain guidelines for our love toward God and our love for others.  The book of 1 John contains at lest 25 references to love. Check them out. 

If you, personally, are not living by these principles and commands, then repent.  Make February the time when you become a real disciple of God’s love.  Stop the focusing on me and find love in “all the right places.”

Doyle Petry, Elder

Do you know a place and time when prayer and mission come together?  It is Mid-Week Manna.  It starts with listening.  Proceeded by greeting someone you don’t know – yet!  We have several people coming who have fallen on hard times.  But they can and do open up with someone who has spent time with them each week.  Their requests are basic. 

Did you know that the best therapy for anyone facing challenges is to help someone else.  We often may not know how to help – or if it is appropriate for us to do so in a way that someone would ask for.  But that’s not the issue.  If we lift our prayers to God consistently – He will answer.  Not necessarily in our timetable.  We also recognize that many of the people we pray for didn’t get where they’re at overnight – and won’t get out of their difficulties soon.  But we trust in a miracle working God.  Not the kind of shows put on by tele-evangelists.  But the circumstances that seem to come together out of nowhere.  The lives that are all of a sudden recommitted to God.

One great example we’ve had is Mike Albergo.  Our outreach to him extended to his family.  That was our testimony.  But much more so – it was the testimony to our life-changing God.  After all didn’t He sacrifice His Son for our sake – doesn’t He indwell us through His Holy Spirit?  Are we expecting to do great things this coming year?  Are we looking to increase our Mission Giving in the future?  We have a mission that every member can be a part of every Wednesday.  Availability is our only cost.  Please join us as we minister to people who need a listening ear.

We have had new members join us who first came to our church during Mid-Week Manna.  But more importantly, we are fishing for men and women who are lost but are sought by God.  No fisherman ever got discouraged because he didn’t catch ALL of the fish in the pond.  We are only asked to help catch those God knows will come to Him.  Do we really believe God can change lives?

Do we believe He can change our lives?  Do we believe He needs to change ours?  Or do we only think of Him needing to change others – not ourselves?  Consider Paul; the Apostle.  Perhaps the greatest Evangelist (relative to technology of the time) in the history of Christianity.  Did he not say that he beat his body so that he might not be found wanting?  As we minister to others, might we not also see ourselves in the spiritual mirror more clearly and identify those imperfections the Holy Spirit longs to help us overcome?

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul states: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Jim Worcester, Elder

The word “mission” is derived from the Latin term mission which means “sending.” A missionary is one who is sent, which implies there is ONE WHO SENDS (Luke 10:1-3). We may speak of the mission of the church, but it is ultimately God who does the sending (John 20:21). He takes the initiative (Acts 13:1-3). It is HIS SAVING PURPOSE that is accomplished!!

Mission is not a heroic human endeavor but the continuous redemptive activity of God.  Practical compassion will always be an essential part of missions. Jesus had it while on His mission on this earth (Matthew 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; and 20:34); however, it did not keep him from his primary goal – to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Therefore, wherever missions is merely seen as meeting physical needs, its purpose becomes nothing more than a charitable gesture.  It is a mistake to think that a mission is simply something Christians do in the interest of their religion.

Mission is not the vocation of man but the redemptive activity of God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Missions belong to the Lord. It is His work which He is carrying out in this world. It is that work for which He is responsible. He initiates, sustains, and concludes it according to His sovereign will. He guarantees its success. Nevertheless, God shares His mission with us. We are His fellow workers (2 Corinthians 6:1). He does not need our counsel or our assistance, but He graciously allows us the honor of serving in His kingdom (Ephesians 3:7-9). This is the context in which one must speak of the church. The church is the “mouth” of God on the earth, His instrument for proclaiming redemption to the lost (Ephesians 3:10).

Since God is sovereign, since His ownership of mission is absolute, and since we are called by grace to be His co-workers, the following mission ministry policy is an expression of our humble stewardship as junior partners in His worldwide rescue effort.

Serving Him, Brooke Lannon

Please join us for our next Missions Team Meeting on

Tuesday, March 1st at 6:00 pm in the Narthex.