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This Week at First

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April 27: Fear


    Second Sunday of Easter: Fear can be a powerful motivator, but it can also be a heavy weight that holds us back and prevents us from doing what is necessary. In the Gospel reading from John 20:19-31 the disciples are in hiding and fearful of both the religious and secular authorities. With Jesus’ help, they overcame their fears.


    What fears do you have? Are your fears holding you back? This week, our message will be “Fear.” Hopefully, we can learn to deal productively with our fear.


    See you Sunday.


    Grace and Peace,

    Pastor Jim


    John 20:19-31


     Jesus Appears to the Disciples

    19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

     

    Jesus and Thomas

    24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

     

    26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”  28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

     

    The Purpose of This Book

    30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.  31 But these are written so that you may come to believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.









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    Joanne Beard Service - April 21, 10:30am


      Psalm 23


      THE LORD IS MY SHEPARD

      I SHALL NOT WANT.

      HE MAKETH ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES,

      HE LEADETH ME BESIDE STILL WATERS,

      HE RESTORETH MY SOUL.

      HE LEADETH ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

      FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.

      YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY

      OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH,

      I WILL FEAR NO EVIL:

      FOR THOU ART WITH ME:

      THY ROD AND THY STAFF,

      THEY COMFORT ME.

      THOU PREPAREST A TABLE

      BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE

      OF MINE ENEMIES.

      THOU ANOINTEST MY HEAD WITH OIL;

      MY CUP RUNNETH OVER.

      SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY

      SHALL FOLLOW ME

      ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.

      AND I WILL DWELL IN THE

      HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER.




      Recording:






      April 20th: Easter Services


        For Easter, we will hold three services. The first will be the “Sonrise” service at the Seltzer Retreat Center beginning at 6:00 AM. Come join us as we hear a message of resurrection and watch the sun rise over the back of Matthew Davis, who will be preaching.


        The second two services will be back at the Birch and Green Street campus and be held at our traditional times of 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM. Pastor Jim will be delivering the message at both services, with the title "Encountering Christ."


        See you Sunday.


        Grace and Peace,

        Pastor Jim


        Mark 16:1-8


         The Resurrection of Jesus

        16 When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.  2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.  3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”  4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.  5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.  7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”  8 So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.[a] 


        John 20:1-18


        The Resurrection of Jesus

        20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.  2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”  3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.  4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.  6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there,  7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.  8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;  9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.  10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

         

        Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

        11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look[a] into the tomb;  12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.  13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”  14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”  16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew,[b] “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).  17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”  18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.










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