Sunday Reflections - December 30, 2015

Year End Reflections

Hello Deer Flat Family,

I just wanted to grab a few minutes of your time and let you know how grateful to God I am for His incredible goodness to Deer Flat Church during this past year. As I reminisced for a bit I had so many great reminders of the hand of God being extended to our flock in so many areas, for instance:

Growing Number of New People – You’ve seen it happening and so have I. The Deer Flat family does an amazing job inviting friends! Beyond that, God continues to draw people through the doors.  We have enjoyed wonderful growth during 2015.

New Followers – With the new attenders, there comes many new followers of Christ. We have had no shortage of people dedicating their lives to the Kingdom of God and becoming new Christians.  What is greater than this?

Many Answers To Prayer – Week after week people submit prayer requests. There has been no shortage of people and circumstances to pray over. Week after week, we as a Staff have met together and prayed. Time after time so many in our congregation have interceded and prayed over the needs.  And we have rejoiced about the many answers that have come. God has certainly been good to us in His response to our prayers. Thank you for praying!

Health and Life – Have you ever stood in the lobby between services? You watch people and you can feel the life happening in the flock. You can see that God has blessed us with some wonderful levels of health in all of the areas of Deer Flat Church. Children, Youth, Adult, Celebrate Recovery, Life Groups, Volunteers, and so much more have enjoyed healthy ministries and God’s blessings.

Spiritual Growth – Beyond numerical growth has been something so significant that has taken place, and that is the spiritual growth happening in the lives of our kids, students and adults. People have moved forward in their love for God and their knowledge of His Word. There is a climate of spiritual education and hunger that is definitely a part of Deer Flat. I am so grateful to God for creating this passion to know Him and His Word better than we do.

Time doesn’t permit me to cover all of the things that have made this year significant, but we praise God for His goodness for each of these and more. While we have much to rejoice over, there still remains some very real needs. I’ll close with just a couple…

Upgrading the Prayer Life of Deer Flat – This is an area that needs and deserves our attention. I think we can improve and raise the importance of the role of prayer in the life of the church. I’ll be talking more about this as we head into 2016. However there is a prayer opportunity every Sunday from 8-9 am in room 13. If you arrive early enough, your time of intercession will truly make a difference.

Spiritual Formation – With the amount of new people and new believers, I’d like to step up our investment into these lives and help people really get anchored in their faith. Nothing beats High Impact Low Maintenance converts.

Both of these areas will require leaders who share a passion for these arenas. As opportunity is provided, I hope you’ll dedicate yourself to help us take these needs to some new levels.

There are a few dates that you need to be aware of coming up:

December 31st - last day to give and have it count toward your 2015 taxes. The office will be closed, but as long as you have it postmarked by tomorrow or give online before midnight tomorrow night, it will still count for 2015.

Tuesday, January 12th at 7 pm - Jeremy Gimpel, The flyers last week listed the incorrect time! It is truly 7 pm and not 6 pm as listed on the insert. Please plan to join us for a great evening.

Tuesday, January 26th - Financial Peace University - classes will be held at 7 pm beginning the 26th at City Pointe in Caldwell. REGISTER HERE

Sunday, January 31st - Financial Peace University - classes will be held at 9:30 am in Room 19 at Deer Flat Church. REGISTER HERE

Remember, this Sunday only, one service at 10:30 am. I can’t wait to see you! Come expecting a tremendous Lord’s Day.

Loving You and Him!

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - December 22, 2015

A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER

    Like every Christmas, one of the most significant aspects is our ability to remember. We tell and retell the story so that it will NEVER be forgotten – GOD CAME INTO OUR WORLD AS A BABE IN THE MANGER. Here’s one more prayer to enjoy from one of my most favored books, Valley of Vision. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Lord Jesus,

I am blind, be thou my light,

ignorant, be thou my wisdom,

self-willed, be thou my mind.

Open my ear to grasp quickly thy Spirit’s voice,

and delightfully run after his beckoning hand;

Melt my conscience that no hardness remain,

make it alive to evil’s slightest touch;

When Satan approaches may I flee to thy wounds,

and there cease to tremble at all alarms.

Be my good shepherd to lead me into

the green pastures of thy Word,

and cause me to lie down beside the rivers of its comforts.

Fill me with peace, that no disquieting worldly gales

may ruffle the calm surface of my soul.

Thy cross was upraised to be my refuge,

Thy blood streamed forth to wash me clean,

Thy death occurred to give me a surety,

Thy name is my property to save me,

By thee all heaven is poured into my heart,

but it is too narrow to comprehend thy love.

I was a stranger, an outcast, a slave, a rebel,

but thy cross has brought me near,

has softened my heart,

has made me thy Father’s child,

has admitted me to thy family,

has made me joint-heir with thyself.

O that I may love thee as thou lovest me,

that I may walk worthy of thee, my Lord,

that I may reflect the image of heaven’s first-born.

May I always see thy beauty with the clear eye of faith,

and feel the power of thy Spirit in my heart,

for unless he move mightily in me

no inward fire will be kindled. Amen!

REMEMBER: 

1) Christmas Eve service Thursday at 6 pm 

2) Combined Family service this Sunday at 10:30 am 

3) Jer and I, along with all of the Staff, are loving you and thanking God for you. I can’t wait to see you. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I love my church!

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - December 16, 2015

A TREMENDOUS DAY, A TREMENDOUS MONTH

Hello Deer Flat Family,

LAST SUNDAY - I’m still basking in the joy of last Sunday. WOW, what a fantastic morning of celebration and inclusion. The Children, along with Julie and her team, knocked us out with their meaningful performance, “The Fear Not Factor.” It’s always a highlight when we get to see what’s happening in the Children’s Ministry arena. And, what an OUTSTANDING group of children God has given us at Deer Flat. These kids are AMAZING! If you’re a parent reading this, THANK YOU FOR LOANING US YOUR CHILDREN! They are so critical to the life of the church.

And then there are our fantastic VOLUNTEERS! Julie's team works diligently  throughout the year making a huge investment in the lives of these little ones.  But when they take on a production, it demands many more hours of preparation and practice. Our dedicated volunteers step up time after time and give of themselves selflessly. We couldn’t do what we do without our faithful Volunteers. THANK YOU!

I COULD CARE…MORE – Thank you for your participation in this love offering for the Free Methodist Churches of Syria. What a great opportunity to help the Syrian people be able to stay in their own country. 100% of the dollars raised goes directly into the need. These church will use the vast majority of this money to feed and clothe people. These churches are serving 10 times the amount of people in their church. PLEASE MARK YOUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION PAYABLE TO "TRC", instead of Deer Flat Church. What an expression of love during this time of year!

IMPORTANT EVENTS YET THIS MONTH – As we move into the second half of December, it only gets better. This Sunday, both hours, we will enjoy THE WORLD OF WHITE ICE COMPANY, a great musical/drama presentation that includes choir, orchestra and our drama team. This is one of those perfect times to reach out and invite someone.

            Christmas Eve Service – 6 pm

            Sunday, December 27 – Combined Family Service at 10:30 am

THINGS I LOVE DURING DECEMBER –

-  That God came into our world

-  All the Christmas music

-  Watching favorite movies: Miracle on 34^th Street, A Christmas Carol, 

   White Christmas, Polar Express

-  Some great quotes: 

       * The Son of God became a man to enable men to become the 

          sons of God. -C.S.Lewis

       * How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! 

          O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments. 

          - Benjamin Franklin

       * Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a 

          conspiracy of love. -Hamilton Wright Mabie

       * If you can't wrap Christmas presents well, at least make it           look like they put up a good fight. - A Guy Named Kelly

I am also loving each of you! I’m so thankful to God for the Deer Flat Family - A rich mix of crazy and common, generous and conservative, lovers of God and lovers of others. What a great demonstration of God’s grace toward people! I can’t wait to see you this Sunday!

Loving You and Loving Him,

Pastor D

Couple of extra notes:

Thank you for your generous and ongoing support of Deer Flat. Without your giving, we wouldn't be able to do what we do! If you are planning on a year-end gift, please remember that it needs to be in the office or postmarked on/before December 31st to count toward your 2015 giving.

For those of you who ordered The Names of God calendars, they have arrived! They will be available to pick up at Guest Services this Sunday. We have 15 extra calendars, so if you would like one please be sure to stop by and pick one up. They are only $12 each & are beautiful! Would make a great Christmas gift.

Sunday Reflections - December 10, 2015

SOME IMPORTANT INFO AND UPDATES YOU’LL WANT TO KNOW

I’ll get right to it…

1. Is It Possible We’re Living In The Last Days?  We have been overwhelmed with requests for CD’s of this series, and had a number of new people come through our doors who want to know what the Bible says about the times we live in. THANK YOU for inviting friends. I met a couple last Sunday who attended DF for the first time, but came because someone had told them about the current series we were in. They shared with me that they listened to the previous 3 weeks of podcasts to make sure they were caught up for what they would hear Sunday. I was reminded over these weeks the hunger and curiosity that marks so many people today. Never underestimate the POWER OF AN INVITATION! 

2. Syria – As you know, there’s been much to do about this issue. The Nation is quite split on how it should be handled. The argument about whether to allow refugees in America or not has been blatant. Here’s what you need to know.  We have a tremendous opportunity to help the Syrian people remain in their homeland. Because we have a number of Free Methodist Churches in Syria, we can come alongside them and help them by ministering to and sustaining many of the Syrian people, especially those Christians who are under great duress.  We are told that each Free Methodist church is serving 10 times the amount of their congregation. The church of 100 is caring for 1,000. The church of 1,000 is serving 10,000. The Denomination has the ability to make sure that these funds go directly into the situation and that these churches get direct and more immediate help. There has been great monitoring and connection with the pastors of these churches who have been very informative about the grass roots environment. I want to challenge each of you to plan to give a sacrificial gift to help make a difference whereby we enable many of the Syrian people to remain in their homeland. I’d like to call this effort, the “I could care… More.” Love offering. Would you plan to give something specific towards this project over the next couple of weeks? Whether you think refugees should come here or whether you think they shouldn’t – this offering helps care for the people of Syria no matter what. Please mark your gift clearly and expect to put a huge smile on the face of God! You guys are ALWAYS the best!

3. Exceptional Events at Deer Flat – This Sunday during Second Hour, we’ll have the chance to enjoy having all of the kids being in the service, as Julie and her team have been working hard to put together their Christmas Program.  Our Children’s Ministry adds an enormous amount of blessing and life week after week. Let’s rally for the Kids and overwhelm them with love.

Sunday, December 20^th Christmas Musical and Drama.  Here’s another opportunity to invite someone to an outstanding morning at DF. This will be presented in both hours. Our Choir and Drama group have been working diligently to give you an unforgettable performance.

Christmas Eve – 6 pm.  As always, this will be a time of celebration and inspiration for the whole DF family. Bring your family and friends. It’s going to be a great evening!

December 27^th is one service at 10:30 a.m. 

As you can see, it’s an outstanding season at Deer Flat. Each of you make such a great contribution by your faithfulness, generosity, and heart for God. Thank you for helping us stay in step financially as we close out the year. We fell short just a bit in November. Let’s finish the year strong. It’s a great time to give an end of the year gift that will be a blessing to Deer Flat and to you. 

I can’t wait to see you this Sunday! We’re taking a great look at the story of Bethlehem. You’ll be amazed at what you learn.

Loving You and Him,

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - December 2, 2015

ITS ADVENT!

What’s that about? The word, ADVENT means “the arrival” or, the coming. It’s a wonderful season and it is rich in meaning and accomplishment. However, it involves something that I just hate… waiting!

I had to go to the doctor today, and you know what that means? Waiting. They even call it a “waiting room.” As soon as you enter a waiting room, you start to feel uncomfortable. There is something about the not-knowing how long you will be there for. And then, there’s the uncertainty of what the doctor or whoever it is will say when you finally get in. You rehearse what you will say. You get fidgety and keep looking at your watch. Most of the time, the magazines are old, and the room is boring. The silence is an irritable one; you can feel the stress arising from a room full of people with sighs and annoying movements, and their own worries and preoccupations. You look around for the newspaper and once locating it, make a mad dash for it, just wanting to distract yourself, redeem the time. You start feeling restless and in-between.

And then, when the call finally comes, you never feel prepared. It always feels like an unexpected and rude interruption, “Mr. McGarrah,” even though it was what you were waiting for all along. I hate having people announce that I’m waiting to see the doctor.

Mary had to wait. Pregnancy is a time of waiting.

In the days before ultrasounds, it would probably have been several months before the bulge was prominent enough to be confident, before she felt movement kick to know that it was a new life and not a tumor growing inside her, making her feel nauseated.

While she waited, I wonder what her thoughts were? I wonder if she ever doubted the words the Angel spoke to her? I wonder what her thoughts were about God?

James writes, “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” James 5:7 We are also called to be ones who wait.

For all the doing, the rushing of this life and our Christian endeavors, this is a very passive command. It calls us to trust in what we can’t see, remembering and leaning on God’s words as Mary did, choosing God’s promise over our self-doubt. We wait for Christ’s return, living in the waiting room, without knowing when it will happen. To wait is to surrender our control. To wait is to trust in God.

When that Day comes, it will undoubtedly feel like an unexpected happening, no matter how prepared we think we have been. There are too many magazines in this life for us to flip through, it is too difficult to wholly commit ourselves to live in a state of constant preparedness to really acknowledge that this day could be our last. We are so easily distracted.

The Early Church had a word they often used, “Maranatha!  Even so, Lord, come quickly.” I don’t want to wait for heaven with a sense of impatience and irritation at this world. I want to remember that Jesus is coming again, and that He will bring restoration in His timing. I want to learn to wait like Mary. 

This Sunday we’ll be capitalizing on the times in which we live as we look again at 

Ezekiel 38-39.  We had such a great day last week. I can’t wait to see you this week!  Until then, “Maranatha!”

Loving You, Loving Him, and trying to love waiting…

Pastor D

PS – If you’re looking for a unique and wonderful Christmas gift, why not check out one of the books in our Library. It’s called “Enter His Gates” and it is filled with lots of amazing insights that link the Believer with their Jewish Roots.

Sunday Reflections - November 24, 2015

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER

     One of my favorite books that I open often is called, “The Valley of Vision.” It’s a collection of Puritan prayers. I’m challenged and convicted with every prayer because it makes my prayer life look lightweight when I read the thought provoking words from the heart of these lovers of God. Here’s a prayer of Thanksgiving. I hope it inspires you.

O my God,

Thou fairest, greatest, first of all objects,

my heart admires, adores, loves thee,

for my little vessel is as full as it can be,

and I would pour out all that fullness before thee in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee

ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,

ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,

ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,

crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,

for adorning it, sanctifying it,

though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou hast given me,

for preserving its strength and vigour,

for providing senses to enjoy delights,

for the ease and freedom of my limbs,

for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;

for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,

for a full table and overflowing cup,

for appetite, taste, sweetness,

for social joys of relatives and friends,

for ability to serve others,

for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,

for a mind to care for my fellow-men,

for opportunities of spreading happiness around,

for loved ones in the joys of heaven,

for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly,

I love thee above the powers of language to express,

for what thou art to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

This is my prayer for each of you as I think about my Deer Flat Family. Each of you are a blessing to me, and an even greater blessing to God. I pray that each of you will have a wonderful and meaningful time of Thanksgiving this week, whether with friends, family, neighbors or strangers! I am loving you!

A couple of quick reminders I want you to know about:

 1.     Lunch with the Lands this upcoming Sunday after second service in the Youth Room. Darin and Jill Land have been appointed as career missionaries to Asia. Darin will serve as Asia Regional Assistant with a focus on leadership development. Once Darin and Jill have secured adequate partnership for their Missionary Support Account, they will return to Manila where they have served faithfully for the last seven years. While Darin and Jill will continue their connection with Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary, their primary work will be helping to develop and implement a strategy to train and credential Free Methodist leaders across Asia. They will also help support and launch a new outreach ministry to young adults in metro Manila.

     2. Someone in the church needs a car and can pay $2,000.  If you’ve got something dependable, please let us know and we’ll link you up.

  

     3. An amazing Sunday awaits you this weekend.  We’ll be looking at Ezekiel 38 and I promise, it will be eye opening!

I can’t wait to see you this Lord’s Day.  I Love My Church!

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - November 12, 2015

HAVE YOU NOTICED ANYTHING CONCERNING

HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD?

   Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not recognizing the signs of His first coming. The religious leaders of His day had full knowledge of the prophecies of the Messiah, yet these religious leaders ignored the signs and still rejected Him. Being a meteorologist, forecasting the weather and discerning the signs of the times go hand in hand for me. Unlike the religious leaders of the first century, I refuse to ignore the signs of the Lord's return!

     What are the signs of the Lord's return? How do these signs show us that the Lord's return is soon? Jesus refers to these signs as "birth pangs." Here are the "birth pangs" Jesus told us to watch for:

          •   Wars and rumors of wars

          •   World wars

          •   Famines

          •   Pestilences

          •   Earthquakes in diverse places

          •   Fearful sights and great signs in the heavens

          •   False prophets

          •   Persecution

   The signs of the Lord's return will be like "birth pangs," in that they will be increasing in frequency and intensity before Jesus returns. Therefore, we can use the "birth pangs" to gauge how close we are to the Lord's return. The "birth pangs" occurring on a regional scale today, are moving continuously to a world scale. So, what I hear Jesus saying is that when these "birth pangs" begin to have large-scale consequences, on the verge of becoming global, we know the Lord's return is imminent:

   The greatest sign that shows where we are in regard to the end times is that Israel is a nation again. The Jewish people are returning from exile. After nearly two thousand years of rejection, God is going to call them His people again, according to Hosea 1 and Romans 9, but first He must deal with their transgression of the Law.

   God is not going to wait for several generations to deal with Israel. God has brought His chosen people out of exile to deal with their transgression, in preparation for the coming Messiah. Many people, including myself, believe that the sign of the fig tree in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 show that God is going to fulfill all these signs within the life of the generation who witnessed the rebirth of Israel as a nation.

Look at the signs of the times listed in scripture and then look around at our world:

          - Famines and pestilences - Due to increase in natural disasters and war

          - Satellite technology

          - People from all over the world will be able to view the two dead witnesses listed in                 Revelation 13

          - Computer technology

          - A cashless society

          - Global currency

          - All other currencies will crumble

          - Rampant immorality and hedonism

          - Increase in selfishness and resistance to absolute truth

    It appears to me that a "perfect storm" is brewing. Since Israel has been back in the land, we have seen an explosion in technology and travel, now called the "Information Age."     Constantly, there are wars and rumors of wars. There has also been a drastic increase in the intensity in natural disasters. In just the last few years, these disasters have become a threat to the global food supply.

     Immorality is certainly on the rise, with legalized abortion and gay marriage and more. Hedonism has helped to lead the world into the credit crises we are in, which is threatening to collapse economies around the globe.

   Because of the credit crisis, there have been calls to form a new global currency. This could easily be instituted as a cashless currency. Cash is not widely used anymore, due to advances in computer technology. The technology of the mark of the beast is here, as computer chips are already being embedded in animals, and people who have diseases, such as Alzheimer's.

   For the next FOUR weeks we’re going to be taking a good look at the forecast for the future as laid out in the Bible. Here’s a great question:  IS IT POSSIBLE WE COULD BE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS?  Let’s talk about it this Sunday. Why not invite someone to attend with you? This issue is on most people’s minds. I am looking forward to seeing you this Sunday!

For Him and For You,

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - November 5, 2015

This Sunday Will Be Outstanding – Here’s why…

"I thank my God every time I remember you." - Philippians 1:3

We’re going to take time this Sunday to honor our military personnel. It’s a chance to remember all those living, and also a chance to pay respect to all those who died serving our country in war. A great question is, “Why would we celebrate Veterans Day at Church?”    

Anyone could easily give the generic answer — because these individuals served our country — and that would be true enough.

But, have you ever really stopped and taken the time to realize just how much these people sacrificed? Barely out of high school, these heroes took unimaginable risks to protect not only American interests, but the interests of the oppressed in other countries; sometimes even without the gratitude of the American people.

We celebrate Veterans Day because as long as there are heroes to stand against the evils of the world, there will be us, the people, to remember and honor what they have done.

For most of us, rarely do we pause to think about how much veterans have truly sacrificed for the American cause. We tend to picture veterans as older men and women, overlooking the fact that many were most likely drafted right out of high school.

How would you feel if instead of going to college, you were going to Korea or Viet Nam where there was a great chance you would never be coming home? How would you feel saying good-bye to your mom and dad, knowing it might be forever?

Bearing this in mind makes it easy to appreciate what these people have done not only for us, but for the world. One example…

Back in 1945, as Allied troops moved across Europe in a series of offensives against Nazi Germany, they began to encounter tens of thousands of concentration camp prisoners. Many of these prisoners had survived “death marches” into the interior of Germany from camps in occupied Poland. These prisoners were suffering from starvation and disease and unspeakable torture.

US forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany, on April 11, 1945, a few days after the Nazis began evacuating the camp. American forces liberated more than 20,000 prisoners at Buchenwald. They also liberated Dora-Mittelbau, Flossenburg, Dachau, and Mauthausen.  

Liberators confronted unspeakable conditions in the Nazi camps, where piles of corpses lay unburied. Only after the liberation of these camps was the full scope of Nazi horrors exposed to the world. The small percentage of those who survived resembled skeletons because of the demands of forced labor, the lack of food, and compounded by months and years of maltreatment. Many were so weak that they could hardly move. Disease remained an ever-present danger, and many of the camps had to be burned down to prevent the spread of epidemics. Survivors of the camps faced a long and difficult road to recovery.

In so many of the areas of the world where the United States has been involved in battle, human rights violations and atrocities have loomed large. Last Sunday was designated as the day to pray for the Persecuted Church. It’s hard to believe that in 2015 there are still places in the world where there is no freedom, especially the freedom of worship. We are most fortunate. We live in the wealthiest nation on the earth - free to attend the church of our choice, to own as many Bibles as we can afford, there’s no limits on the number of children we have, we can vote for the leaders of our government, and even write a letter to the editor of the newspaper when we disagree with the decisions they make.

And why can we enjoy these freedoms? Because the men and women in our armed forces understand that freedom has a cost. And since the birth of our nation, brave men and women have stepped forward, weighed the cost and chose to lay down their lives in service to their fellow countrymen.

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15.13). This is the picture I saw time and time again as we prayed over those of our families, friends and flock being deployed - Soldiers going out on mission, into extremely dangerous territory, knowing that even with all the body armor and protection, there’s still a very real possibility that one or more of them might not come home. Yet they went, day after day, putting their lives in danger to protect fellow soldiers, and certainly the people of the United States of America.

I can’t wait to see you this Sunday. Why not invite a Vet? The Honorable Dan Eismann, a decorated veteran, will be speaking and will underscore the significance of spiritual living.  Come expecting an unforgettable time at Deer Flat.

Loving You and Him,

Pastor D

Sunday Reflections - October 28, 2015

I WISH THAT ALL OF YOU WOULD READ THIS!

This Sunday is going to be one of the best reasons to invite someone to attend.  Here’s why…

Galatians 4:6   “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son in our hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!'”

Have you ever realized that God is pictured in the Bible as a Father? In His prayer to His Father, Jesus said, “And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26). What name was Jesus referring to? It was the name “Father”. If there was anything close to Jesus’ heart, it was to introduce God as “Father” to us.

In the Bible, Jesus said, “Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’…For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” (Matthew 6:31–32) Once, He said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11)

Jesus wants you to always have this image of God in your mind - that He is your Abba, Father. Why? Because He wants you to know that there is nothing more important or too insignificant for the Father when it comes to His children. Why? Because If it is important to you, it is important to your Abba, Father!

I will be speaking about this Name on Sunday, and I can promise you that if you will get people here, they will be engaged...and hopefully changed!  Go for the ask!!!  Don't just tell people about it – bring them with you!!  Let's do this!  

Two other IMPORTANT things:

          1. DON’T FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR CLOCK BACK ONE HOUR – Enjoy the extra hour of sleep.

         2. THERE IS A SPECIAL “NEW MOTHERS” ROOM NOW IN THE NURSERY. We are rapidly working to put the new furniture in and the “big screen”, so that our New Moms can stay connected to the worship service.  We value ALL of our Moms!

Can’t wait to see you Sunday!

Loving You and Him,

Pastor D