Skip to main content

January 1, 2024 - Happy New Year

 

Dear Church Family:

Happy New Year!  Today is the start of new possibilities. It can be a time for change. As an avid reader, I often feel a touch of sadness when I finish a good book that has kept me captivated. But that sadness is quickly replaced by the joy of starting a fresh new book, full of possibility and promise.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 we read that "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." This scripture gently reminds us that each moment, each day, and each year is a part of God's divine timing.  As we flip the calendar to 2024, let’s think of it as beginning a new book. We have just finished writing the story of 2023, and now we embark on a blank slate. The open pages of 2024 lie before us, waiting to be filled.

God has given us this precious gift of a new year. Let us receive it with open and grateful hearts, seeking positive ways to write our next chapter. There will undoubtedly be challenges in the year ahead. But with God's help and the support of our loving church family, I believe there are also pages waiting to be filled with blessings, growth, love, and joy.

On this first day of a new year, let's make a commitment together - to approach each new day in 2024 with eyes open wide to possibility. Let's look for opportunities to spread kindness, uplift one another, care for God's creation, proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, and share our gifts. If we strive together in this spirit, just imagine the inspiring story we will write in 2024! Let's embrace this new season with open hearts and minds, eager to discover the plans God has for us.

May God bless you tremendously in the year ahead. Here’s to new beginnings!

Blessings,

Paul

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where Is God in the Texas Flooding? July 6, 2025

This afternoon, I received a phone call from a dear church member about the tragic flooding in Texas. We discussed the question that weighs heavy on many hearts: how could something like this happen in a Christian state, at a Christian camp, with precious children as victims? I must admit, I have wrestled with this myself over the last couple of days, spending the afternoon in prayer and tears, seeking comfort in God's word. As you may have heard, devastating flash floods struck central Texas on July 4th. At least 69 people have lost their lives, including many children, and 11 children from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, remain missing. Rescue teams continue their urgent search as families wait in unimaginable anguish. You too may ask why God would allow this to happen. This question has echoed through the centuries from the faithful throughout Scripture. Job asked it. The psalmists cried it out. Even Jesus Himself, in His darkest moment on the cross, cried, "My Go...
Post a Comment
Read more

Depression - March 30, 2025

This Sunday, we continue our Lenten journey with a heavy but deeply meaningful passage: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–46). Our message, “Depression,” explores how even Jesus experienced overwhelming sorrow and spiritual anguish. Far from being a sign of weakness or lack of faith, Jesus' grief shows us that emotional and spiritual darkness can be holy ground. He prayed honestly, persistently, and with trust, even when answers didn't come quickly. This sermon will not minimize the reality of clinical depression but will invite us to see how our faith walks beside our pain, never in denial of it. As you reflect this week, consider:  Where in your life have you experienced Gethsemane moments?  How might you allow yourself or someone you love to rest in the truth that even Jesus grieved deeply, and yet remained connected to God? _________________________________________________________________________________ As we continue our Lenten Journey examining the five ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Did Jesus Have to Go? - May 12, 2024

This Sunday, we'll dive into the importance of Jesus' ascension during our worship service. Our scripture, Ephesians 1:15-23 , gives us a strong picture of what it means for Christ to be lifted up and the hope and power we have in him. In Ephesians, Paul prays for the church to understand God's power at work in believers. This power raised Christ from the dead and put him in charge in heaven, above all other powers. As we study this scripture, we'll see how Christ's ascension gives us, his church, the strength to keep doing his work on earth as his body. Before Sunday, please read Ephesians 1:15-23 and consider these questions:  1. How does Christ's position in heaven change how you see yourself and your purpose in the church?  2. Where in your life do you need to trust more in the wisdom, hope, and power that Jesus gives you?  I’ll see you Sunday!
Post a Comment
Read more