Our exciting focus this week will be some testimonies from our middle school group and the adults who went to winter camp recently! You will be blessed by their insight and excitement by their relationships with each other and the Lord. As time, and my health allows, we will then interact with the Kid’s Connection topic of Jesus forgiving Zacchaeus.

James Olexa moderates a discussion with middle school students who went to Winter Camp in Prescott AZ.

Week 1 of the Forgiveness series has Jesus offending his Pharisaical meal host by forgiving an uninvited ‘working woman’. And Jesus told a parable which seems to imply the Pharisee isn’t forgiven much and isn’t very loving as a result. There is no Biblical record of Jesus being invited back.

This week we follow Baptism Sunday with a study of why the first disciples called to follow Jesus were excited to join His movement. And where we might find renewed excitement to be a Jesus follower today.

It is Baptism Sunday! An exciting day for those going under the water, and raising again. We will have not only have a picture of Baptism, but of the principle of Oikos - passing on the good news of the forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life by those who are witnesses to the power of God in their own life!

For our final Baptism prep before the big day. Philip joins the throng of Jesus followers running away from the trouble in Jerusalem, and runs right into a Baptism opportunity.

Our 2nd week preparing for Baptism on February 19 focuses on the powerful Commander Naaman and his process in surrendering to Baptism.

We begin our preparation for the February 19 Baptism service with Matthew, writing to the Jewish audience familiar with the Old Testament predictions of a coming Messiah. John the Baptizer was telling God’s People it was time to step up and get more serious about their faith so they did not miss what God was doing. Then Jesus showed up to be Baptized. John didn’t feel worthy to Baptize Jesus. Jesus explained identifying with sinners was crucial to His time on earth as God in sandals. The Heavenly Father was pleased.

Week 3 of the Did You Know? series has Jesus relying on the promises of God and the angels as Jesus was hungry in the wilderness, facing personalized temptations to take shortcuts for his Heavenly task.

Week 2 of the Did You Know? series has John the Baptizer, the one specifically and miraculously sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, joining Mary and Joseph as missing the everyday Jesus they knew was also God in sandals.