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This Week at First

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September 29th: Are You Happy?


    Jesus came to earth so we might have life and have it in abundance, not a life of drudgery, but a life of joy and happiness. So, let me ask, “Are you happy?” This week we will look at both Psalm 1 and James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a and see if we are working against our own happiness. The message, “Are you Happy?” will hopefully get us thinking and acting in ways that will both please God and make us happy. Our special mission’s guest will be Benward L’oningo representing Free Generation in Tanzania.


    See you Sunday.


    Grace and Peace,

    Pastor Jim


    Psalm 1


    The Two Ways

    1 Happy are those    who do not follow the advice of the wicked,or take the path that sinners tread,    or sit in the seat of scoffers;2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,    and on his law they meditate day and night.3 They are like trees    planted by streams of water,which yield their fruit in its season,    and their leaves do not wither.In all that they do, they prosper.

     

    4 The wicked are not so,    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,    but the way of the wicked will perish.



    James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a


    Two Kinds of Wisdom

    13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.  14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth.  15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.  16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.  17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.  18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for[a] those who make peace.

     

    Friendship with the World

    4 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?  2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet[b] something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask.  3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.  


    7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

       








    9am:




    10:30am:



    September 22nd: Healing and Wholeness


      Our reading from both Mark and James speak of healings. In one case, we are told to offer prayers and anointing for healing. In the other, the disciples are griping about someone who is offering a spiritual healing. Come and hear what Jesus told his disciples. Our readings will be from James 5:13-20 and Mark 9:38-50. The message will be “Healing and Wholeness.” We will also offer an opportunity for you to receive an anointing with oil for “Healing and Wholeness.”


      See you Sunday.


      Grace and Peace,

      Pastor Jim


      James 5:13-20


      The Prayer of Faith

      13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.  14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.  15 The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.  16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.  17 Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.  18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

       

      19 My brothers and sisters,[a] if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another,  20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s[b] soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.



      Mark 9:38-50


      Another Exorcist

      38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone[a] casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”  39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.  40 Whoever is not against us is for us.  41 For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

       

      Temptations to Sin

      42 “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me,[b] it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.  43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell,[c] to the unquenchable fire.[d]  45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell.[e][f]  47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell,[g]  48 where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

       

      49 “For everyone will be salted with fire.[h]  50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it?[i] Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

         








      9am Service:




      10:30am Service:



      September 15th: What is Better for Others?


        As we honor the work of our ambulance workers and those involved in managing emergency situations, we will turn to Philippians 2:1-11 and Mark 10:46-52 to see how God responses to people in need. Our message will be titled “What is Better for Others?” During the second service, we will honor those who stand ready to respond to all kinds of emergency situations.


        See you Sunday.


        Grace and Peace,

        Pastor Jim


        Philippians 2:1-11


        Imitating Christ’s Humility

        2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy,  2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.  4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.  5 Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus,

         

        6 who, though he was in the form of God,    did not regard equality with God    as something to be exploited,7 but emptied himself,    taking the form of a slave,    being born in human likeness.And being found in human form,8     he humbled himself    and became obedient to the point of death—    even death on a cross.

         

        9 Therefore God also highly exalted him    and gave him the name    that is above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesus    every knee should bend,    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue should confess    that Jesus Christ is Lord,    to the glory of God the Father.



        Mark 10:46-52


        The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus

        46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.  47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”  50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.  51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher,[a] let me see again.”  52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

           








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