"I waited patiently; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rook and gave me a firm place to stand." - Psalm 40:1    Who Needs Christmas?

Today, we will go further and talk about how God calls all of us. God's love is for all of us, even the least of these. It goes all the way back to Abraham's covenant with God. God told Abraham that he would be a blessing for all nations, not just the nation of Israel but for all nations, all families. So, if God blessed all people by sending Jesus, who exactly is Jesus calling us to serve- is it really ALL people?

Pastor John taught the scripture many of us heard in Sunday School as children. The miracle of the feeding of the 5000 men! It was always one of my favorite miracles of Jesus, but it was not until I was an adult that I listened to the command from Jesus “you feed them.”  Often we assume someone else will take care of it when we see someone in need. And, as we often feel inadequate. It happens with how often we give our money and time to the church and the community- I know I am guilty of thinking that someone else will step up or is more qualified so I don’t need to. Jesus does work miracles, but he wants (and expects) his followers to do the work alongside him. And God provides for us what we need when we need it to do the work.

May the peace that comes from God move you this week to be a better coworker for God. May you find joy in sharing the peace so that others may find Christ. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

We Give to the mission by investing in hope.  If you are a financial person -you know the power of investments. You know the market has ups and downs, but those foundational, good investments will always return a yield. Jesus is that type of investment. We build together on the foundation of Jesus. We bring what we can- bringing what’s in our hearts.  Giving is a spiritual practice. It’s not meant to cause stress but rather a chance to connect with God and show our thankfulness to Jesus and how he changes lives.

From Mark Twain's autobiography. It says, there is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn, and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely, but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.

Life is not always easy; in fact, it is really challenging and very messy at times. But whether or not you are going through one of those difficult times, focusing on the foundations helps us move through life easier. I know from personal experience that when I lose my focus and wander from my daily prayer and devotional time, I start to feel stressed and out of control. I also sometimes know that I become more selfish when I stay in my own little world. I sometimes miss some of the pain that is happening in the lives right around me. Studying scripture daily, having a prayerful attitude, and doing things to make a difference in the lives of others are all things that could help us create a more solid foundation for following Jesus and gets us through tough times. My prayer for you this week is for you to seek something that can help you on your journey wherever you are. Check out below what Horizons is doing to help you navigate. Blessings and be well.

Pastor John’s teaching was based on Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Are there 3-5 people in your life you would be willing to carry the burden for if they need it? Can you think of 3-5 people in your life that can carry your burdens if you are in need? Part of the reason for the church is to provide a space to encourage each other on our spiritual journey.

I have, at times, written my entire sermon on my phone. Just on the little keyboard on my screen. And that is because of a little tool called Autocorrect- it's such a helpful tool until it's not. There's a whole website dedicated to autocorrecting fails. There are some that are pretty funny…

Treat others AND think about others in the same way as Christ. In other words, not only do we have to say encouraging words and listen with grace- we have to truly mean it.