Courageous Homework
By · CommentsIf you are in the Courageous class, don’t panic about your homework! I have had some calls from some overwhelmed people.
The assignments for this week are as follows (they are on the 24 of the workbook pages you received Sunday night):
For MEN only – In The Resolution for Men, read:
- “Why We Need Men of Resolution” pages 11-23
- “Resolve to Be a Man of Responsibility” pages 55-69
For WOMEN only – In The Resolution for Women, read:
- “The Resolution Revolution” pages 1-7
- “The Secret” pages 17-22
- “Purposely Feminine” pages 31-48
From reading the Women’s book, the author states that the chapters are not numbered so you have to “remember where you were.” Note that the assignments are not in order; they skip around. So take a deep breath, grab your Resolution book and a pen or highlighter, and begin the journey! As the author says on page 2 of the women’s book: “…since making resolutions is osmethin we all do anyway, the question for us to grapple with is not whether we’ll ever dare to make any more of them but whether we’re going to be intentional about hte ones we do make. We need to make sure the banner that flies over our lives and announces to the word who we genuinely are is one that says what we want it to say, one that changes things in us and around us for the better.
Jan
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Courageous
By · CommentsJust a reminder that Friday night is Dinner and a Movie night. We will be eating at 6:30 and then watching Courageous. The menu is lasagna, salad, bread, pizza for the kids, and dessert. Join us Friday night for a great movie and time of fellowship. Also, if you haven’t signed up for the 8 week study Courageous – Honor Begins at Home, there’s still time. You may sign up for this study Friday night at the movie. The study will begin Sunday night at 6:00 pm. Nursery and Child Care for older children provided at movie and Bible Study.
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Update on Allie Miller
By · CommentsAllie had surgery last night and did well. The dr was confident that she will make a full recovery. She has 3 large pins holding the bone back together. She’ll get them out in about 3 weeks. Because of the location of the break, the arm is uncastable. She is experiencing some pain but they have been able to control it with meds since midday. Allie should get to go home today. Kristin and Scott are thankful for your thoughts and prayers. Kristin asked that we continue to pray that they are able to make Allie comfortable at home the next few nights.
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Courageous – Honor Begins At Home
By · CommentsOn Friday, February 10, we will have a Dinner and Movie Night. We will be showing Courageous to adults and The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry to the children. Dinner will begin at 6:30 pm.
On Sunday, February 12, at 6 pm, we will begin an 8 week study based on the Movie Courageous. It is titled, “Honor Begins at Home.” There will be an insert in Sunday’s bulletin that will allow you to sign up for the movie and/or study. This study is for men as well as women. The materials required for participation in the study are a copy of the Member Book and The Resolution (For Men or For Women) per person ($20 per person). Please pray about joining the Bible Study and be ready to sign up Sunday morning.
Honor Begins at Home takes individuals and small groups deeper into biblical truths for a godly family, exploring topics such as redeeming your history, walking with integrity, winning and blessing the hearts of your children, and more.
You may sign up to come to the Dinner & Movie night without joining the study.
The adults are in Bible Study, now what do we do with the children? We are making arrangements for the children for the 8 week sessions. We have purchased material for the children to do a Bible Study series of their own during this time. What we don’t have, is a leader. We are praying for God to speak to someone to step up and fill this role.
Please be prepared to make a commitment Sunday for the movie and class so we can plan food and materials. Thank you!
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Parenting Study
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If you missed Effective Parenting in a Defective World (a parenting study by Chip Ingram), it’s not too late to start. The group meets in the Couple’s Sunday School Class upstairs in the fellowship hall on Sunday mornings (during Sunday School) at 9:45. Raising children is a tough challenge in today’s world—especially when they face constant pressure from their peers and culture. Packed with practical advice and Chip Ingram’s own experiences, these group sessions will give you a vision for your children’s future, a new understanding of God’s principles for child-rearing, and life-changing help for today. Study guide is provided. Book is helpful, but optional. If you’d like to join us next Sunday, see Jan Wells Wednesday night for this week’s handouts.
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Christmas Radio Show
By · CommentsTune in to AM1010 WMOX Thursday, December 15th from 6am to 10am for the annual Christmas Show. Paul Tarver will be co-hosting the morning show with Bill Smith and Dumpster Dawg. It is Paul’s 5th year to celebrate Christmas over the airwaves. He will be getting everyone in the spirit with his large array of Christmas music and taking calls to find out what peoples favorite Christmas gift have been.
You can also go to www.wmox.net to see and hear the live streaming show.
Merry Christmas
Pam
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Learning to Listen
By · CommentsThe days are surely coming says the Lord, when I will raise for David a righteous Branch…. Jeremiah 23:5
Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose (Mary) to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:19-20
Have you ever thought that you had a good plan and even made sense to you, but God had another plan for you? Have you ever heard the voice of an angel? Maybe not, but have you ever changed your mind because you knew God wanted you do to something else? when we open our hearts to God’s Word, we find ourselves making the choices based on what we think God would like rather then what we like. Becoming the person that would be pleasing to God is part of the Advent journey. So as we move full stream ahead toward Christmas, take time to listen to God, maybe even an angel will appear!
Peace & Joy,
Gary
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Merry Christmas from Pastor Gary
By · CommentsDear Lauderdale United Methodist Church Family & Friends,
A cartoon from a few years ago showed a woman saying to her husband, “Good grief, Henry. Here’s Christmas at our throats again!”
Amid the preparations for Christmas each year, there always seem to be a few voices like hers, proclaiming a “Bah, humbug!” on the whole business. And if the truth be known, some of us may feel less than excited about Christmas ourselves. The expense, the crowds, the overindulgence, the hurried schedules and all the other trappings of modern Christmas celebrations are enough to make all of us to have a Scrooge look at the season.
In the face of the humbug state of affairs, it is helpful to remember that God did not send Jesus to be “at our throats,” but to be “in our hearts.” The difference between those two concepts defines the gap between gloom and glory. There’s a reason we call the gospel good news. As John so aptly put it, “For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (3:17).
Jesus is God’s gift to our world — and to our hearts. When Jesus resides within, whether we enjoy or merely tolerate the flurry of seasonal preparations, Christmas itself is a grand opportunity to say thank you to God for the gift of the Son.
My Prayer for you is that you and your family have a Blessed Christmas and remember to let Christ be the center of your life.
In God’s peace & Merry Christmas,
Gary
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“Where is the line to see Jesus?”
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This time of the year we are all standing in line and hurrying to find that perfect gift for others and at times for ourselves. I think it is amazing that a young woman and her family have answered God’s call to bring this message to us. The following is Becky Kelly’s story behind the song:
“While at the mall a couple of years ago, my then four year old nephew, Spencer, saw kids lined up to see Santa Claus. Having been taught as a toddler that Christmas is the holiday that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, he asked his mom, “where’s the line to see Jesus”?
My sister mentioned this to my dad, who immediately became inspired and jotted words down to a song in just a few minutes. After putting music to the words, and doing a quick recording at home, he received a great response from friends. He sent the song off to Nashville without much response, except for a Christian song writer who suggested adding a bridge at the end of the first chorus. My dad then asked if I wanted to record the song to see what we could do with it. I listened to the song, made a few changes to the words to make it flow better, and we headed to Shock City Studios.
It was at the studio where Chris, owner and producer, rewrote the 2nd verse and part of the chorus… with goose bumps and emotions high, we were all hopeful and felt like we had something special. The demo was recorded in just under 2 hours and sent off again to Nashville… still no response.
Then 2 weeks before Christmas last year, my cousins Greg and Robbie decided to do a video to see what we could accomplish on YouTube. The first day we had 3000 hits and it soared from there. We received e-mails, phone calls, Facebook messages from people all over asking for the music, CD’s, iTunes, anything… we had nothing. After a couple of meetings with Chris following the amazing response, we got serious. We headed back into the studio this past spring… this time with guitars, drums, bass, pianos, choirs… the real deal…. and here we are today.
Getting iTunes set up, a website put together, and loving that thousands upon thousands of Christians have come together… remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Out of the mouths of babes come profound truths that many adults cannot understand. Hopefully Spencer’s observation will cause people all over to reflect on the love of Jesus, and that one day we will all stand in line to see Him. We are most thankful to our Heavenly Father to have this chance to share our music with you. Merry Christmas everyone.”
I don’t believe I could have said it better! We should all slow down and remember that we already have the greatest Gift. “…for today in the city if David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The greatest gift if indeed ours… We don’t have to rush out and buy it nor do we have to stand in line. We simply need to slow down and remember what has been done for us.
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“Glory to the Newborn King!”
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“Glory to the newborn King; peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!”
One of the best known lines from one of the most sung Christmas Carols. The words of this carol were put to paper by Charles Wesley and published by the same around 1739. While the original wording was altered somewhat by George Whitfield, a friend of Wesley, the text has remained nearly unchanged. In 1753 Whitfield changed the opening line to what we know today from the original, “Hark, how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of kings.” The only significant change in the hymn would be the music. Wesley originally had the hymn set to a more somber tune. In 1840, Felix Mendelssohn composed a cantata that celebrated Johan Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. The second movement of the cantata was adapted by William H. Cummings, in 1856, for the singing of the hymn. The present harmonization used with this hymn is a stark contrast to the original tune that the hymn was set for.
I find it hard to select a favorite Christmas song. Indeed, I love them all! However, this song ranks in the top ten of all of them. I can only imagine the hillside and the shepherds who were surprised by the pronouncement of the arrival of the Messiah. God found these people at work, on a cold night to bring them the news that would transform their lives. I find that fitting and such a poignant example of how we should be. Christmas is most certainly a time for us to be reminded of the coming of the Christ. It is a time that we should take a step back from work and other things and dwell on what is important. As Wesley so succinctly paraphrased Luke 2:8-14, “…born that we no more may die, born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth.” Let’s thank God today for the GIFT!
