You know the feeling. The day is dragging on, your eyes are having trouble focusing, and all you can think about is the slow plodding of the clock. It is between 2 and 3 in the afternoon — the “pit in the pm” in the words of biorhythm experts. The urge to grab a cat-nap […]
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In the movie Gladiator, the dying emperor Marcus Aurelius, asks Maximus, Marcus: “Why are we here? Maximus: “For the glory of Rome” Marcus: “What is Rome, Maximus?” Maximus: “I have seen much of the world, and it is cold, and dark. Rome is the light.” Marcus: “Yet you have never been there!” Maximus believed in the glory […]
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Ephesians 1. This book has had a profound impact on my life: Who I understand God to be; all that he has accomplished for me in Christ; how I view myself as a result; what I value and live for; how I view others inside the Church; outside the Church; how the Gospel transforms my […]
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We all have them, family members that cling desperately to the family tree you’re just positive dropped from a high branch at one time or another. We all have those crazy uncles, aunts or cousins that we just don’t talk about much, but you know they’re part of your gene pool. And if you can’t […]
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What we are most committed to both as people and as the church define who we are and what we will become. As we look to the future we must come to terms with what kind of church are we now and what kind of church we want to be. When I think about FUMC, […]
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“I will say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be Free!’” Isaiah 49:9 The highest aim of mission-minded people is not self-protection but self sacrifice, to empty themselves of themselves in order to be used by God and filled with the Spirit of God. They know first hand what addictions […]
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Kingdom Focus “Love each other with genuine affection,and take delight in honoring each other.” Romans 12:10 The Kingdom is our true home, the place we most long to be and the place where Christ in all and through all and above all. In the Kingdom of God people experience life differently than they do in this […]
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Christ Centered ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ Acts 17:28 Jesus is the starting point for our story. What came before this is insignificant compared to what comes after it. We are captivated by Christ, by His life, His message and His mission. They resonate within us and we feel […]
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Week of July 3, 2011 As Christians we have an obligation to pass on those values and beliefs to the next generation. As a church I hope we can pass along to our children these key values Christ Centered / Kingdom Focused / Mission Minded. Scripture Verse Deuteronomy 6:20-25 Sermon Slides worship 07.03.11 Christian Independence […]
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“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” John 12:26 Every time I read this statement by Jesus I have to stop and wonder whether he’s talking directly to me. There are times I feel I’ve lost the […]
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What’s it like to run from God and encounter a Whale? Did it really happen or is this just another fish story? Can you believe the Bible? Well I’m glad you asked… Mt 12: Jesus said it happened (Jonah swallowed by a great fish) A few facts about Blue Whales (I’m not suggesting it was […]
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It is all for him! “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus […]
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A good message about leaving a legacy and being used for a noble purpose that is beyond meeting our own needs. Related posts: Conversations for Parents Haiti Mission Society Video Should Churches do Commercials? Day 3 – What Drives Your Life?
READ MORE »Life on earth is a temporary assignment! “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.” Psalm 39:4 (NLT) To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths: – First, compared with eternity, life […]
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This life is not all there is! “God has…planted eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) Life on earth is just the dress rehearsal before the real production. You will spend far more time on the other side of death—in eternity—than you will here. This life is preparation for the next. You have an […]
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Everyone’s life is driven by something! “I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy.” Ecclesiastes 4:4 (LB) What is the driving force in your life? Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. There are five great benefits of living […]
READ MORE »You are not an accident! Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it. God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He […]
READ MORE »It’s not about you! “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, …everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Colossians 1:16 (Msg) “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.” Job 12:10 (TEV) You were made for God, not vice versa, […]
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The Hijacker Picture the perfect church visitor. He walks in, eager to meet people. He’s enthusiastic about your little church and wants to participate. He even has skills to contribute to your worship service! He seems mature and willing to serve. Nothing makes a little church wet its pants faster than new visitors. And if […]
READ MORE »This is God’s Word for my life in this place and at this time. Today, I am a new creation in Christ, I am God’s very own, and I believe He has a purpose for my life. Matthew 7:24-29 (NIV) Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a […]
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http://www.thechurchofnopeople.com/2009/07/ten-people-who-will-kill-your-church.html I was part of a church that died. What made it even more painful was that my family had planted the church. My Dad was the pastor. Despite our best intentions, our plans, our prayers, the church did not just die, but was killed. It was as if no matter how many times we […]
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Thinking about critical issues for churches today, I started making a list of questions churches should be able to answer. It seems to me that all churches, regardless of size, need to be able to offer compelling responses to these questions. Here they are: Meaning: How do we see life and our place in it? […]
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This week’s reading is from Jeremiah 3:11-22. It is the story of God, speaking through Jeremiah, pleading for the people to return to Him. As I read this passage as part of this week’s Lectio Divina, I was caught most not by the words of God, but by the voice of Jeremiah. Who is Jeremiah […]
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We talk alot about church growth, about motivation of the frozen chosen, and living as faithful discipleship in the post-modern world. All good questions to be sure, but I have come to believe that the questions behind all other questions is “why are we here?” It seems simple enough really. Surely everyone knows why they are […]
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Dr. Steve Gedon