Journal (Page 4)

This Season of Lent Right now, we are in the season of Lent, which will draw to its end come Easter morning when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. As a reminder, Lent is a time for spiritual reflection and, of course, spiritual transformation—both of which I hope you are engaging during this time.  Let this be a time of prayer, Scripture, fasting (if you choose), worship and spiritual renewal. The following are Scripture passages that…

Are Christians Supposed to be Optimists? What an odd question to begin this month’s newsletter. But honestly, what is your answer to the above question -and- would you consider yourself to be an optimistic Christian? The reason why I’m asking the above question is because there is a lot of negative stuff going on in the world today (both near and far) that could cause anyone to embrace a doom and gloom outlook on life. However, Christians are not called…

Through It All Well, here we are at the doorstep of 2024 and, once again, many of us are getting ready to put all the Christmas decorations away—that is, if you haven’t done so already. If you were present during the Christmas Eve worship, you may recall the portion in the sermon where I urged everyone to go deeper into the Christmas gift that we have received in Jesus the Christ. By deeper, I mean deeper into the Scripture through…

The Story of the Birth of Jesus the Christ  Moments ago, I stepped outside and felt the chill in the morning air, which signaled the advent season that will begin this Sunday with the Hanging of the Greens worship service. The following Sunday will be filled with music that the Saint John choir has been preparing (December 10th) and on December 17th, the children will be leading the worship service. Of course, all of this is in preparation for the…

Why Wait? Tell it Now! As Christians, we believe that the stories of the Bible are relevant to our everyday lives, and each year we celebrate the greatest story ever told, which, after thousands of years—is still relevant. That story begins with the birth of Jesus the Christ who God sent into this world not to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Now, more than ever, people need to know this story, and it needs to be…

Let’s begin this month’s newsletter with a portion of Scripture from Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke…

Ready for Something Cooler? I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some cooler weather, and it looks like the upcoming days are not going to be as hot. Last week, a small group met and started planning for the Fall festival, which is a sure sign that cooler weather is just around the corner. In addition to that — I’m thinking that perhaps we can plan for an outdoor worship service in the picnic area one Sunday morning—just…

For Everything There is a Season Moments ago, I sat down to write this very article that you are reading, and the Spirit kept on nudging me toward those beautiful words in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 about having a time for every matter under the sun. I fully believe that right now, the Holy Spirit is wanting you to take a moment and reflect on these words. Surely, we will all read this portion of Scripture through our own experiences, and…

June has been a very busy month for Saint John. The month began with annual conference, which has resulted in a lot of discussion centered around the future of the United Methodist Church. Sadly, 113 local churches chose to disaffiliate during this annual conference, and this upcoming Sunday will be their last worship service within the UMC. This past Sunday, David Salter delivered the report of the annual conference during the worship service, which was followed by a hope centered…

Right now, we are in the middle of a sermon series on conviction, which began on May 14th with the idea that it is not enough to simply believe in something rather there must be a certain conviction that comes along side of your belief that enables you to act on it. This, I believe, is at the heart of James 1:22 where it states, “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.” I am continuously praying and…

We’re going to jump right into things this month: WoodCarving Group On April 10th, a new group was formed at Saint John — A Woodcarving Group hosted by Rusty Busbee. About 15 people gather together and Rusty instructed them how to carve crosses. The group has been a very big success and will be gathering regularly — so, be sure to check the calendar for future gatherings — the next one will be on May 8th. Here is write-up from…

Reflecting on Holy Week By the time you read this newsletter, we will be preparing for Holy week, which begins on Palm Sunday when Jesus made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. From that point forward, the mood turns somber as Jesus prepares for his final moments on the cross of Good Friday, which is the most difficult day of Passion week. Can you imagine the intense thoughts and emotions that Jesus must have experienced throughout his final week? The truth…