Faith News - goffc.org€¦ · Faith Fellowship Church 6734 Bridgetown Road Cincinnati, OH 45248 (513) 598-6734 Faith News A Publication of Faith Fellowship Church

Faith Fellowship Church 6734 Bridgetown Road Cincinnati, OH 45248 (513) 598-6734 www.goffc.org

Faith News

A Publication of Faith Fellowship Church

The Book of Mark - An Introduction ~by Pastor John

Authorship Most scholars agree that the book of Mark was written by John Mark. He is only mentioned ten times in the Bible so it is surprising how much we have come to know of him. We know that he was the cousin of Barnabas, (Col 4:10), and that he was with Barnabas and Paul on the first missionary journey.(Acts 12:25) Mark left the journey early and after the Jerusalem conference, Paul would not allow him to go with himself and Barnabas on the second journey. Barnabas took John Mark, Paul took Silas and they went their separate ways. (Acts 15:36-41). Later Paul and John Mark were reconciled, and were co-laborers, (Philem 24). Date of Composition Dating of the books of the Bible are always up for some debate, and are elastic. It is believed that since major events in the early 70’s A.D. are not eluded to, that the book of Acts was probably written in the late sixties. This would date the book of Luke, which predates Acts, to be dated in the early to mid-60’s. This would date Mark, which is considered to be the earliest of the Gospels to be written from the mid-50’s to early 60’s. Location, Purpose and Audience Most scholars believe that Mark wrote his Gospel both in the city of Rome and for the Church of Rome. 1Peter indicates that he is writing from Rome, and mentions Mark. It is one of the causes that the two are linked. The early church fathers also place Mark with Peter in Rome. It is likely that Mark is presenting the perspective of Peter

through his gospel. It is also clear that he is encouraging Christians who are going through persecution under Caesar, Nero at the time. Themes and Theology Mark does not emphasize the saying of Jesus as much as the other Gospels do. He has left out a great deal of the teachings and saying of Jesus. This has resulted in the shortest but most action packed of the Gospels. It is interesting to note that all through the Gospel of Mark, everyone who comes to know of Jesus’s identity as the Messiah, is ordered to keep silent. Ultimately this culminates with the centurion at the cross declaring that Jesus truly was the Son of God. (15:39) Mark is also seen pointing out the flaws of the disciples including his friend Peter. He points out many times that the disciples did not understand the teachings of Jesus. He also points out the depth of Peter’s betrayal. About Mark It is the earliest of the Gospels and follows other canonical writing styles in that it tells a story. The greatest textual problem is that the earliest manuscripts have mark ending with 16:8, and even some early church Fathers put that as the ending.

Mark Your Calendars:

2 - SOUL Sisters Dinner

3 - Deacon Meeting

7 - Life Line Screenings

11 - Seniors Luncheon

14 - Murder Mystery

16 - Elder Meeting

18 - Scatter Platter

20 - Craft Club

22 - Variety Show/Dinner

25 - MOPS

26 - Beth Moore Rally

27 - Middle School

Game Night

28 - High School

Nerf Wars

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to

get anything back. Then your reward will be great,

and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is

kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

~~~~ Luke 6:31

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

February 2015

Join us Saturday, February 14th for our Annual Murder Mystery Dinner. Enjoy dinner and good, fun fellowship as we become detectives out to solve

"“who done it.". Proceeds benefit the summer youth missions trip.

SAVE THE DATE! Cost: $15 each / $25 a couple and $5 for childcare

Are you interested in being a suspect? - please see Lisa Baab

You can sign-up and pay at the Ministry Center today through Feb. 8th


Come join the fun ...this month’s meal will be February 19th

Adults $3 /

Kids under 10 $1 Pay when you go through

the line. Please RSVP by

noon on the Monday

before either in the bulletin

insert or online

www.goffc.org

February 18th Meal:

Pork Loin

Corn & Potatoes (?)

Salad &

Red Velvet Cake

" For God so loved the world...”

-John 3:16

The first quarter business meeting was held on Saturday, January 31, 2015. At this meeting, a brief review of the church finan-cials compared to budget for the year ended December 31, 2014 was presented. A very high level summary is provided here: The church prepares full financial state-ments each quarter. The statements are available to members upon request. Statements are provided to the Pastor and to the Elders. For the year 2014, the church offering and other revenue were unfavorable to budget by about $19,000. Revenue in 2014 was also less than revenue in the year 2013 by $17,000. The budgeted revenue for

the year 2015 is about the same as actual for 2014. Expenses were $17,000 favorable com-pared to budget due primarily to a decrease in our worship staff, and the budgeted Youth / Children's leader has not been hired. The play set and the asphalt repair / sealing were the two largest capital expens-es incurred in 2014. Our net income is a positive $44,000 for the year. But when net income is adjusted for the cash used to pay the principal of the mortgage and other items, our cash reserves decreased by $21,000 during the

year. The balance on our mortgage is $822,000. At our current payment rate, the loan will be paid in full in 2024. Our building has a mar-ket value of about $3.5 million. VAN MINISTRY: We have an average of 7 riders each Sunday. We are looking for drivers to take 1 Sunday a month. If this is something you would enjoy, please contact the office.

January Scatter was a huge success with 82 reservations and only two no shows! The menu for February will be roasted pork loin, corn, some

kind of a starch, still watching for a sale on potatoes , a salad and red velvet cake.

Due to the increase in food prices, we always have to wait for sales. Thank you all who came to

January's Scatter. Your Scatter Team members.

From the desk of Mike Peppers, Business Administrator

Do you know how to recognize the warning signs of a stroke? If you or someone you know is experiencing any of the below symptoms, call 911 right away. It is important to seek medical treatment immediately.

· Sudden Numbness · Difficulty Speaking

· Severe Dizziness

· Loss of Coordination

· Sudden Loss of Vision

· Sudden Intense Headache

· Brief Loss of Consciousness

Protect your health by finding out your risk of having a stroke by participating in the

Life Line Screening that will be at Faith Fellowship Church on Saturday, February 7, 2015. Through ultrasound we evaluate the carotid arteries for the buildup of fatty plaque, which is the leading cause of stroke.

Register today for the Stroke, Vascular & Heart Rhythm package, which includes four screenings: carotid artery, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease and atrial fibrillation. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any

package priced above $129, please call 1-888-653-6441 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/community-partners.

http://www.lifelinescreening.com/community-partners


My latest injury—the start of a stress fracture in my hip—reveals the struggles of being dependent on yourself. If you’ve ever tried to do something as simple as get a glass of water yourself while on crutches, you know the struggle. You manage to get the glass successfully down, only to find yourself balancing precariously while it fills with water. Then you have to figure out a way to get it to the table, which usually involves yelling for somebody to come help you. All of this makes me reminisce about my childhood, when I was dependent upon others for everything. While most of the time I was perfectly happy with this, there were other times that I wanted to do things my way. I didn’t want to wait for someone to help me. Even when getting cereal down from the cupboard, I would often jump five or six times, attempting to swat the cereal box with my hand and scoot it closer, until I could knock it off and catch it. While all of this was a brilliant, well thought out plan in my mind, it usually ended up with stubbed toes or frustration that I couldn’t succeed (short people problems). All the while, my parents would patiently wait in the background, knowing that I wouldn’t accept their help if they offered. Instead, they waited for me to give up, then gently reminded me in the midst of my frustration that it’s okay to rely on someone. How often do we push God into the background of our lives, and decide we’re going to take care of ourselves? As we conceive our plans, often times we leave out the Maker of the Universe. It’s only once we fail and realize we need help, that we turn to Him. I’m guilty of this—aren’t we all? We are so often dependent on ourselves, that the value of relying on God gets blown away. When we do turn to God? He reminds us time and time again that He is in control. You don’t have to do it all on your own, you can rely on God. Kayla Joy

Leaning of God

Join Pastor John as he embarks on a study of The Church and Politics

What part should the Christian play in politics?

What part should the church play in politics?

Where should the church stand on?

The separation of Church and state, Economic policy, Foreign policy,

Domestic policy, The poor, Socialized medicine, Abortion, Contraception,

Gay marriage, The death penalty, Invitro fertilization, And more…..

There is no cost for this class.

Bring a notebook and pen, as well as boxing gloves and a thick skin.

This class should be enlightening as well spur exciting debate of the most

important issues facing the church and our society today.

We’ll meet you in room 201, Wednesdays @ 7 PM

Monday mornings @ 9:30 AM the Ladies have a twelve week

study by Beth Moore, Wising Up--Wherever Life Happens. In

each session, Beth takes us to the book of Proverbs to focus on a specific area of our lives where God wants to impart His wisdom for our guidance and direction. In this DVD-driven study, each ses-

sion will start at 9:30am and last two hrs. JOIN US! See Patti Thielen for questions (574-7896).

“UNGLUED” Sunday’s @ 9:30 AM in the Chapel

Led by Lisa Baab

In Lysa's New Y ork Times bestseller, Made to Crave,

Lysa addresses what goes in her mouth. Now, in this

highly anticipated next book, Unglued, Lysa addresses

her battle with the words that come out of her mouth. Filled with personal examples and Biblical

teaching, Unglued will equip you to:

Know with confidence how to resolve conflict in

your important relationships.

Find peace in your most difficult relationships as you learn to be

honest but kind when offended.

Identify what type of reactor you are and how to significantly improve

your communication.

Respond with no regrets by managing your tendencies to stuff, explode

or react somewhere in between.

Gain a deep sense of calm by responding to situations

out of your control without acting out of control.

FRIENDSHIP Sunday School Class is a new class taught by

Steve & Kate Baker. The class is

digging deep into the Book of Genesis.

9:30 AM Sundays in room 204.

JOIN US! ALL ARE WELCOME!


Not all thieves are stupid!

1. LONG - TERM PARKING

Some people left their car in the long-term

parking at San Jose while away, and

someone broke into the car. Using the

information on the car's registration in the

glove compartment, they drove the car to

the people's home in Pebble Beach and

robbed it. So I guess if we are going to leave

the car in long-term parking, we should

NOT leave our registration/insurance cards

in it, nor the remote garage door opener.

This gives us something to think about with

all our new electronic technology.

2. GPS:

Someone had their car broken into while

they were at a football game. Their car was

parked on the green which was adjacent to

the football stadium and specially allotted to

football fans. Things stolen from the car

included a garage door remote control, some

money and a GPS which had been promi-

nently mounted on the dashboard. When the

victims got home, they found that their

house had been ransacked and just about

everything worth anything had been

stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to

guide them to the house. They then

used the garage remote control to open the

garage door and gain entry to the house. The

thieves knew the owners were at the football

game, they knew what time the game was

scheduled to finish and so they knew how

much time they had to clean out the house.

It would appear that they had brought a

truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have

a GPS - don't put your home address in it.

Put a nearby address (like a store or gas

station) so you can still find your way home

if you need to, but no one else would know

where you live if your GPS were stolen.

3. CELL PHONES:

I never thought of this! This lady has now

changed her habit of how she lists names on

her cell phone after her handbag was stolen.

Her handbag, which contained her cell

phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen.

Twenty minutes later when she called her

hubby, from a pay phone telling him

what had happened, hubby says, "I received

your text asking about our PIN number and

I replied a little while ago." When they

rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told

them all the money was already withdrawn.

The thief had actually used the stolen cell

phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and

got hold of the PIN. Within 20 minutes he

had withdrawn all the money from their

bank account.

Moral of this story

A. Do not disclose the relationship be-

tween you and the people in your contact

list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey,

Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc.

B. And, very impor tantly, when sensitive

info is being asked through texts,

CONFIRM by calling back.

C. Also, when you're being texted by

friends or family to meet them somewhere,

be sure to call back to confirm that the mes-

sage came from them. If you don't reach

them, be very careful about going places to

meet "family and friends" who text you.

4. PURSE IN THE GROCERY CART

SCAM:

A lady went grocery-shopping at a local

mall and left her purse sitting in the child

seat of the cart while she reached something

off a shelf. Wait till you read the WHOLE

story! Her wallet was stolen, and she

reported it to the store personnel. After

returning home, she received a phone call

from the Mall Security to say that they had

her wallet and that although there was no

money in it, it did still hold her personal

papers. She immediately went to pick up her

wallet, only to be told by Mall Security

that they had not called her. By the time she

returned home again, her house had been

broken into and burgled. The thieves knew

that by calling and saying they were Mall

Security, they could lure her out of her

house long enough for them to burgle it.

*PLEASE PASS THIS ON

Even if this does not pertain to you, please

let your family and friends know so they

don't get caught in a scam.

**submitted by Tom Hall

In the early 1960s, before he was a Christian, John Wimber (1934-1997) played keyboard for a band “The Paramours” and later with a more familiar group “The Righteous Brothers.” When he became a Christian, he began

to eagerly read the Bible. After several weeks of reading about life-changing miracles in the Bible and attending church services which he thought were boring, he asked one of the ministers: "When do we get to do the stuff?" The bewildered man answered with a question: "What stuff?" John replied: "You know, stuff like the Apostles did in the book of Acts." The man said “Oh, we don't do those things today.” So John asked "Well what do we do?" "We do what we did this morning." Frustrated, John said: "For that I gave up drugs?!" Later having ministered in Calvary Chapel and Friends Society (Quaker) churches and serving as Director of the Department of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Institute, Wimber was one of the founders of the Vineyard Movement. Although I may disagree with some of his theology, I admit that what he had asked the minister is a thought provoking question. So let me ask you, what stuff should we be doing? What stuff does Christ want those of us at FFC to do? New believers in the early church were taught that when they were saved they not only had been forgiven, they had been given spiritual gifts. This has not changed, God still gives Christians gifts they are responsible to identify and use to serve and glorify Him. Are you using your gift (s)? Romans 12:4-8 (NIV) “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have differ-ent gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” 1 Peter 4:10-11 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. .... so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

“What 'Stuff' Should We Be Doing?” By John R. Ginn


The community

Easter egg hunt

is Saturday,

April 4. This is

one of our largest

outreach events, and we are always looking for ways to better

share the Gospel during this time. Many of the elements of the

hunt are already in place—where to put the prizes, how many hot dogs to get, etc. We will need FFC family to put out the eggs, serve food, and

work in the prize distribution. Last year, we had a bottleneck at the prizes—we will be using more people to write down the prizes children should receive. This is an excellent

time to have conversations about Christ, Easter, and whether the family has a place to worship. Please prayerfully consider serving on the “front

line”—at least, near the front of the prize line—to share the good news of Jesus Christ. If you would like to recruit sponsors, or if your business would like to sponsor the event, please let Cheryl Ferguson know; the office has letters

to give to sponsors. A sponsor board includes the names of all sponsors (cash or in-kind donations), and the addition of sponsors helps to make

this truly a community event. If you have ideas for additional ways to share the Gospel or for reaching our community with this event, please share those ideas with Cheryl

Ferguson or the Easter egg hunt committee. The first meeting of the Easter egg hunt committee is Wed., Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. in the commons. If you would like to be a par t of planning

this event, please come, or let Cheryl know if you cannot make that meeting. Feel free to bring a sack dinner to eat during the meeting.

Persecuted for Loving Jesus? Stand Strong! Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt As Christians, we are agents of

God’s love. We are given the assignment to shine for Him. 2 Cor. 5:18 says, “All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to Himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the ministry of reconciliation – the task of recon-ciling people to Himself.” When a person becomes a new believer in Christ, something supernatural happens. Their eyes are spiritually open and because of the Holy Spirit who comes to live within them upon receiving Jesus, they begin to see the world and life through God’s eyes for their very first time. Jesus called this being born again. In John 3:3 (NIV) Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” When you begin to share Jesus with others who are not yet believers, their eyes have not yet been opened by the Holy Spirit. This means that what you share with them may be accepted or it may be re-jected to some degree by their mental understand-ing. If they accept and ask Jesus into their heart, then the Holy Spirit will open their spiritual eyes. If they keep up a wall and reject what they hear, their mind will reject what you have shared and the eyes of their spiritual understanding will remain blinded. This is why Jesus would continually say, “If any

man has ears to hear, let him hear” and to those who would accept Him, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” (Mark 4:23 & Matthew 13:16) We are given the joy of sharing the love of Jesus but it won’t always feel like a joy. Sometimes we will share and people will listen and receive every word we say. Sometimes people will write you off as a kook. It is the most wonderful feeling in the world when you lead someone to Christ. It can also hurt terribly when someone rejects you – especially someone you care about. But as Jesus said, they aren’t rejecting you. They are rejecting Him. So, don’t take it as rejection and always remember that it’s not over till it’s over. The Apostle Paul was delivering Christians to prison when the Lord got a hold of Him. When Paul re-ceived Jesus he did a complete 180 degree turn and became one of the greatest soul winners in the his-tory of mankind. The very person who rejects you today may mull over what you said and have a change of heart another day. This is our prayer for all whom we touch with Jesus love! The reason I am writing this today is to say that the persecution you may experience for living a pas-sionate Christian walk and sharing your faith, is a sign that you are having an impact for the Lord. Know one wants to purposely draw persecution yet when we do share Jesus’ love in the multitude of ways that you can and are led to, persecution will come. The devil will find ways to try and stop or

discourage you. Your family may reject you. Your boss may threaten you. Your friends may look at you as someone who has become a religious nut! That hurts, but, if they do accept Jesus, you have been used of God to help save their soul and it will have been so worth it! Persecution will come when you live your life pas-sionately for the Lord. Sometimes people may hate you just because of what you represent. Your love and godly lifestyle may make them feel guilty. Some people may attack you because they have a hard heart and are evil. They may lie and find ways to come against you. When this happens, Pray 2 Thessalonians. 3:2 (NLT) which says, (NLT) “Pray first that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be saved from wicked and evil people, for not eve-ryone believes in the Lord. But the Lord is faith-ful; he will make you strong and guard you from the evil one.” Persecution is a part of this life when you lives strong for the Lord, but, do so with a right heart and it carries an eternal reward that will bless you forever! Matthew 5:10 & 12 (NLT) “God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the King-dom of Heaven is theirs…Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heav-en. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.”


Sunday February 22 Pot Luck at 5:30 PM - Bring a dish to share

Variety Show 6:30 PM

Sunday School Classes and Youth Groups are

encouraged to do a skit, dance or a song or two to

help us to have a fun night.

See Kate Baker for all the information to get your act in!

Join us Wednesday, February 11 at 11:30 following Bible Study

for our monthly

Seniors Luncheon.

Theme: Valentines Day

Bring a side dish to share!

Questions: contact Betty Hall

February 28 High School Nerf Wars

6-10 pm

Pizza (no cost)

Indoor Park is one of our most vitally

important ministries here at FFC reach-

ing hundreds of families and their young

children. Under the direction of Jan

Leonardi, the children and their parents

are shown the love of Christ thru crafts

& stories. CAN YOU HELP? IP is every

Tuesday from 10 am—1:00 pm

Advent Devotional submitted by Linda Widener During the 2014 Christmas season I found myself searching for an Advent devotional – a daily meditation to help me reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. I found several online but wanted something a bit more personal. I have spoken with Pastor John and would like to compile an FFC Advent devotional for the 2015 Christmas season. I am asking for contributions from the church body for this project. In can be a full page, a few paragraphs or even a few sentences. You can share a memory of a Christmas past, a hope for a future Christmas or just a simple prayer of grati-tude for the One who came to Earth so that we could all be forgiven. It can be your favorite part of the Christmas story, your favorite Scripture – whatever speaks to your heart when you think of our Savior. I would like to ask everyone to contribute, even if it is only a sentence or two on the meaning of Christmas to you. For those in our body that are tremendous writers and gracious in sharing their reflections on Christ, please feel free to make multiple contributions. You do not have to sign your name to your contribution if you prefer to be anonymous. All submissions can be given to the church office, placed in my mail folder or emailed to [email protected] . Thank you for your participation and prayers over this undertaking.

Cost:

Please bring a

canned good to help

BLOC pantry.

You can find boxes

at each entrance for

your convenience.

February 27 Middle School Game

Night

7-10 pm

mailto:[email protected]


A Heart Like This

“We are the clay, and You are the

potter; Your hands made us all.” –

Isaiah 64:8

When I think of the month of

February, the first things that pop

into my mind are Valentine’s Day,

bouquets of flowers, red hearts,

boxes of candy, and sending cards

to those we love. But what kind of

card about love would God send to

us during this season? He would

tell us about His greatest gift of

love, His son, Jesus Christ, and how

He wants all of us to embrace Jesus,

and see Him as Savior and Lord of

our lives. But God doesn’t send

love cards only in February. His

greatest love card is the Bible that

He wants us to open every day of

the year so we can read of His love,

holiness, faithfulness, and loyalty

to us who believe in the gift of

Jesus Christ.

As we read and build the foundation

of our lives upon His Word, the

Bible, we realize God wants us to

be like Jesus. Isn’t that great news!

For some of us, we may be wonder-

ing what we may have to give up;

will it be painful; will I have to

become a missionary overseas. Yes,

some of that may happen, but the

great news is He first starts with

who we are on the inside. We aren’t

stuck with today’s personality or

character traits. We aren’t con-

demned to “grumpydom”, sour

attitudes, stinkyness, guilt, selfish

tirades, greediness, resentment, etc.

We are tweakable and can be

changed when we place ourselves

in God’s hands. Even if we have

worried all of our lives, we needn’t

worry the rest of our lives.

Where have we gotten the idea we

can’t change? We have heard or

maybe said statements such as,

“That’s the way I am” or, “It’s just

my nature to worry” or, “I’ll always

be cynical”. Would we make state-

ments like this about our bodies?

“It’s just my nature to have a

broken arm. I can’t do anything

about it”. Of course not. If our

bodies malfunction we would seek

help from a doctor. Shouldn’t we do

the same for our hearts? Can’t we

ask for treatment from our Great

Physician, Jesus, for our sour atti-

tudes, selfishness, etc. Jesus can

change our hearts! He wants us to

have a heart like His.

Since Jesus is in the heart-changing

business, are we willing to invite

Him to survey and walk the acres of

our hearts? He wants to dig, pull

out, and remove those rocks,

stumps, and unwanted weeds that

are choking out the good seed that

He has planted through His Word

and Spirit. He wants our hearts

prepared to grow spiritual fruit.

Come, Lord Jesus, make our hearts

like Yours. We want to send You a

love letter telling You we surrender

our hearts, attitudes, minds, person-

alities, and character traits to You

so You can mold, shape, and

change us into mature women

whose hearts belong to You alone.

by Pam Frank http://hillcrestchurch.com/womensdevotion/2013-february-womens-devotion/

February 20 Craft Club – Arm

Knitted Infinity Scarf/Cowl Join us on Friday, February 20th, for a fun night of arm knitting. Sallie and Beth assured us at the planning meeting that we can

do this and have fun, AND complete in an evening. There will be a variety of color choices that evening, so come with an open mind. The cost is still to be determined, so be sure to check the

Ministry Welcome Table for more de-tails. Please sign up by Sunday, February

15th, and PLEASE pay when signing up. Any questions, contact Sallie Godbey

at [email protected] or Beth Sullivan at [email protected] .

SOUL Sister Meeting for February 3rd will be a service

project. We will be cleaning the toddler / nursery areas of

our church. Plan to join us as we serve not only the Lord

but the families of our church. We will be ordering pizza

for dinner. Please let Sharon know if you plan to attend.

MOPS = Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers

MOPS meets each month on the 4th Wednesday.

We have a great group of moms that would love to get to

know YOU! If you are a mom of a preschooler, join us

February 25 from 6:30-8:30 PM in room 201 for encour-

agement, fun & time to refresh. FREE CHILDCARE

Questions? Email Shelah at [email protected]

JOIN US and BRING A FRIEND!

February 26 - Beth Moore Rally. We have 6 ladies

signed up to attend this event. It’s @ 6:30 pm at Christ’s

Church in Mason, A FREE EVENT filled with fellow-

ship, opportunities for volunteering and prayer, as well as

many fun door prizes! The evening will be packed with

other women from around the city, interested in becom-

ing involved with Beth Moore’s upcoming visit to US

Bank Arena in June. Contact the office if you would like

to go with the group. May 7-9 - Annual Rummage Sale June 25 - YOU Lead -A 2-Day women’s ministry train-

ing conference held prior to Beth Moore’s event. Cost:

YOU Lead Only: $85 Ear ly Bird Rate (ends 2 months

before event) | $95 Regular Rate

YOU Lead / Living Proof Live Bundle:$134 Ear ly

Bird (ends 4 months before event - $75 YOU Lead, $59

Living Proof Live)$144 Regular Rate ($75 YOU Lead;

$69 Living Proof Live) June 26-27 - Beth Moore Conference at US Bank

Arena. Cost: Early Bird Pricing Available at $59 through

2/26/2015. Registration for individuals and groups is $69

per person after 2/26. August 14-15 - Women of Faith Conference. Cost: $85

+ hotel/food/gas. PRICE EFFECTIVE THRU 3/30/15.


COME WORSHIP WITH US

SUNDAYS at 9:30 for Sunday School 10:45 Worship

Sunday Schedule 9:30 am — Sunday School 10:45 am — Worship Coffee Shop open Sunday’s

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Loving God, Yourself & Others by Joyce Meyer

https://www.joycemeyer.org/articles/ea.aspxarticle=loving_god_yourself_and_others Love requires action. It's not a thing we try to get for ourselves, but instead is an action we express to others through sharing and serving. Because love is an action, I believe there are three different forms of love God has instructed us to demonstrate, or "live out." Each one needs to be in balance so they can work together. As you read on, consider whether each one is well-balanced in your life or needs some adjustments.

#1 Loving God Deuteronomy 6:5 says, And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might. In the New Testa-ment, Jesus repeats this command and even points it out as the most important commandment of all (as well as loving your neighbor as yourself). So, how do you express love for God? By telling God, "I love You"? Singing praises to Him? These are good things, but they only scratch the surface. We show God we love Him through obedience because actions definitely speak louder than words. I believe our level of obedience grows as we get to know and experience His love, goodness and faithfulness in our lives. Our desire to follow and obey the Lord's commandments increases as we increase our love of God.

#2 Loving Yourself When Jesus talked about the greatest commandment of all, He quoted Deuterono-my 6:5 and said we are to love God with all our heart. But He also added the sec-ond greatest commandment: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (See Mark 12:31.) There's something important here that I think people often miss: You can-not give away something you don't have in you. How can someone love another person if they don't love themselves?

We all need to accept ourselves, embrace our personalities and even our imperfec-tions, knowing that although we are not where we need to be, we are making pro-gress. Jesus died for us because we have weaknesses and imperfections, and we don't have to reject ourselves because of them. God wants us to love ourselves and enjoy how He's made us!

#3 Loving Others We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death (1 John 3:14). Life, in this verse, is the life of God or "life as God has it." I don't want to be one of what I call "the walking dead "─someone who lives and breathes but never truly lives as God desires. Loving others is the only way to keep the God-kind of life flowing through you. God's love is a gift to us; it's in us, but we need to release it to others through words and actions. Left dormant, it will stagnate like a pool of water with no outlet. The act of loving others is one of the most exhilarating things I have experienced. I feel excitement stirring in my spirit and soul when I plan to do some-thing to make someone else feel loved and cared for. You can experience the same exhilaration just by "loving out loud." Here's a challenge: Think of three people you know who could really use a gesture of God's love. Then think of creative ways you can express His love to these people, and do it. I guarantee you will feel a wonderful sense of fulfillment and joy afterward. How You Can Continue to Grow in Love? If you will devote yourself to developing your love walk in these three areas, you will experience a huge amount of blessings in your life. I encourage you to seek God about this and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in your love toward Jesus, yourself and others. He will help you overcome anything that might hinder you in the process. Remember, God is love. And He loves you.

“ You cannot give away something you don't have in you. ”



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