Weekly Announcements

The Week of January 12th at a Glance

Wed. Jan. 15 – Prayer, 6:00 a.m. (sanctuary)
Pastor’s Bible Study, Noon & & 7:00 (7)
Praise Band, 6:00 (FLC)

Thu. Jan. 16 – RSA, 9:30-5:30 (all campus)
Rpm Productions, 6-9:00 (FLC)

Pastor’s Corner

This is the month we celebrate the incarnation—God became human and lived with us. Jesus is born! No other religion has this belief. My best scriptural support from what happens comes from Philippians 2:5- 8 and John 1:1 & 14.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God...And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. I believe Jesus is the Love of God made flesh. But Jesus was no Superman! Jesus instead, empties Himself of all His God powers. In Bethlehem, Jesus was no longer omnipresent, Jesus was only in one place at a time. Jesus broke into our history. Jesus was no longer omnipotent; Jesus became a helpless human baby, totally dependent on others. And he ends up suffering and dying on a cross. Jesus left His omniscience behind as well, Jesus had to be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We have a Savior that has “been here and done that” and so can identify with all that we are going through today. Jesus learned what it means to walk with God, just as we can learn what it means to walk with God. I have good news, the same Holy Spirit that led and empowered Jesus is available to us today.
And the “proof” that Jesus lived out God’s love in the incarnation is resurrection. Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Just as Jesus walked with God and received resurrection, so too can we walk with God and receive resurrection. So, what now? God might just have a better plan for us than anything we can come up with on our own. And it all begins with Love. God might just have a better plan for us than anything we can come up with on our own. And it all begins with Love. God loved us enough to be selflessly committed to our best interest, and the cost as incarnation, death, and resurrection. Now let us be selflessly committed to our neighbor’s best interest. After all, “For God so loves the world.”

Blessings,
Pastor Tom

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