Even when all seems hopeless, Jesus brings life to his friend Lazarus.  Jesus can bring new hope to our darkest days now as well.

Worship with Holy Communion this week:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. Sunday School, Adult Bible Study and Fellowship

10:30 a.m. – Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week – Jesus Raises Lazarus, John 11:1-44
February 18, 2018

SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

 READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding

Sunday, John 11:1-44, Jesus Raises Lazarus

Monday, John 7:10-24, Festival of Booths

Tuesday, John 7:25-31, Is This the Christ?

Wednesday, John 7:32-36, Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus

Thursday, John 7:37-39, Rivers of Living Water

Friday, John 7:40-44, Division among the People

Saturday, John 7:45-52, The Unbelief of Those in Authority

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (John 11:43-44)

One of Jesus’ closest friends is dying, but he lets two days pass before taking any action. Is he too busy, or too famous to bother? Or is something greater at work?

• What inside of you needs to die and be resurrected?
• What needs Jesus’ attention in your life?
• Wonder: What did people think when they saw Lazarus alive? What would you have done?

PRAY: Giver of life, you are the resurrection and the life. Awaken us with the breath of your spirit, and call us forth in faith as your disciples. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 BLESS:  May God raise you to new life. Amen.

 

 

Jesus heals the physical blindness, but those who couldn’t consider that they might be wrong, remain in the dark.  How is our vision today?

Worship this week:

Saturday at 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. Sunday School, Adult Bible Study and fellowship

10:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week:

The Man Born Blind, John 9:1-41                     February 11, 2018

SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

 READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding

Sunday, John 9:1-41, The Man Born Blind

Monday, John 6:16-21, Jesus Walks on Water

Tuesday, John 6:22-34, Bread from Heaven

Wednesday, John 10:1-18, The Good Shepherd

Thursday, John 6:35-59, Bread of Life

Friday, John 6:60-71, Words of Eternal Life

Saturday, John 7:1-9, The Unbelief of Jesus’ Brothers

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

 “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. (John 9:7)

 This man Jesus has some nerve: claiming authority to heal a blind man, and on the Sabbath, no less! The Pharisees won’t see past their own legalistic view and behold the true miracle. Who, now is the one truly blind?

• Are there people today who are still blamed for their misfortune (poverty, addiction, homelessness, mental illness)?
• How might we become instruments of understanding and acceptance for them?
• Wonder: What did it feel like to grow up blind, and then suddenly be able to see? What was the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? How much do we fail to notice each day?

 PRAY: Healing God, you exalt the humble and confound the righteous. Open our eyes to your truth, and wash away all that obscures our vision. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 BLESS:  May God bless you with sight and insight. Amen.

Jesus didn’t hesitate to cross social, cultural and religious boundaries to share a word of hope with the Samaritan women.  If Jesus meets us where we are, what are we willing to do to share that hope with others?

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional worship

9:30 a.m. Sunday School,  Adult Bible Study, Fellowship

10:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship

The Woman at the Well  –  John 4:1-42                           February 4, 2018

SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

 READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding

Sunday, John 4:1-42, The Woman at the Well

Monday, John 4:43-45, Jesus Returns to Galilee

Tuesday, John 4:46-54, Healing Stories

Wednesday, John 5:1-18, Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Thursday, John 5:19-29, The Authority of the Son

Friday, John 5:30-47, Witnesses to Jesus

Saturday, John 6:1-15, Feeding the Five Thousand

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

… those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

 One thirsty Jewish rabbi on a long journey. One Samaritan woman by a water source. A perfect moment for the God of new life to dissolve age-old divisions. In baptism, we die to the old self to be born anew.

• Where do you draw living water?
• What nourishes your soul?
• Wonder: What nourishes God’s soul?

 PRAY: Lord of all nations, you are the life-giving water we seek. Give us this water always, that we may no longer thirst after that which does not satisfy. We ask this in the name of the One who revives us daily, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 BLESS:  May God fill you with living water. Amen.

Jesus challenges Nicodemus to see that God’s love is much bigger than he had imagined, and that living in that love would make all the difference.

Worship this week:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m.  – Sunday School, Adult Bible Study and Fellowship

10:30 a.m. – Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week:

Nicodemus, John 3:1-21  –  January 28, 2018

SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

 READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding

Sunday, John 3:1-21, Nicodemus

Monday, John 3:22-30, Jesus and John the Baptist

Tuesday, John 3:31-36, The One Who Comes from Heaven

Wednesday, Psalm 139:1-6, The Inescapable God

Thursday, Psalm 139:7-12, The Inescapable God

Friday, Psalm 139:13-18, The Inescapable God

Saturday, Psalm 139:19-24, The Inescapable God

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” (John 3:3)

 A Jewish leader seeks Jesus under cover of night to ask him the questions which plague his mind, safe from the criticism of his colleagues. What he gets is an education in keeping things hidden.

• In baptism, we die to the old self to be born anew.
• What needs to die within you so that God can create new life there?
• Wonder: What would I ask Jesus if I could meet him in the middle of the night?

PRAY: Light of the World, nothing can be hidden from you. Shed light on all the corners of our lives, and make us honest to bring our whole selves to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 BLESS:  May God give you new life. Amen.

 

Jesus found that God’s people had lost sight of what was central to the faith.  Are we being faithful, or is our practice cluttered with things that don’t belong?

Worship with Holy Communion this week:

Saturday – 5:00 p.m. in the chapel

Sunday – 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship

9:30 a.m. – Sunday School,  Adult Bible Study and fellowship

10:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship

Devotions for this week:

Jesus Cleanses the Temple, John 2:13-25   January 21, 2018

 SHARE:   What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

 READ: Read the following daily readings to deepen your understanding

Sunday, John 2:13-25, Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Monday, Psalm 127:1-2, God’s Blessing in the Home

Tuesday, Psalm 127:3-5, God’s Blessing in the Home

Wednesday, Psalm 128:1-2, The Happy Home of the Faithful

Thursday, Psalm 128:3-4, The Happy Home of the Faithful

Friday, Psalm 128: 5-6, The Happy Home of the Faithful

Saturday, Psalm 129:1-8, Prayer for the Downfall of Israel’s Enemies

TALK:  Consider some of these ideas:

In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. (John 2:14-15)

Cattle, sheep, doves—all for sale. Just another day at the temple. But today, money changers had better be on their guard. Jesus is in town and he’s not pleased with what has become of his Father’s house.

• What questionable behaviors or customs does your community practice that are so embedded in your community, they have not been examined for a long time?
• How could you begin to effect change?
• Clean your house. Get rid of things that are bogging you down. Lighten your load. Simplify.

PRAY: Merciful Lord, you are at once full of mercy and righteousness. Rouse us from complaisance and light your fire within us again, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

BLESS:  May God shake up your status quo. Amen.