Good morning! Thanks to all who came out and helped Saturday for our fall work party. A lot got done and it was a fun time together. Thanks also to Darrell and Jonathan for organizing the day and for their overall leadership of the property team. We appreciate how you both let your lights shine!
Oasis@Midweek is tomorrow
Our popular children’s ministry event Oasis@Midweek happens again tomorrow. Join us from 6:30pm to 8pm for an Oasis Camp themed evening of music, games and this week a fun craft courtesy of our Kid’s Church team. This event is for kids JK to grade 6 and is not just for those who went to camp but for all who would like to learn how to ‘shine Jesus light’ and be STELLAR.
Baby shower for Leah Lewis
Please join us for a baby shower for Janet and Kevin Lewis’ new baby, Leah, on Saturday November 25. It will be an open house in the side auditorium from 2 to 3 pm. If you would like to contribute to a group gift, please give your contribution to Andrea Thornton or e-transfer to Andrea’s personal email gracehopeheart@gmail.com
Thought for the Day: How To Be Truly Thankful – Be Humble Towards God
Last week I began sharing some thoughts on being thankful. I’d like to look at this through a different lens. God said this in Deuteronomy 32: “Look now; I myself am He! There is no other god but Me! I am the One who kills and gives life; I am the One who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from My powerful hand!”
Yikes! Do you read that verse and cringe a little bit? Do we really believe this? Isn’t God all about love? Yes, He is but this is more about God as LORD, as a sovereign king. Think of it this way: who are we to know better than God? Or how about this: do we honestly think that we could last even one minute on this earth unless it was God’s will for us to remain? Or could we rule the heavens and the earth for 30 seconds (I know I couldn’t)?”
That’s kind of discouraging Chris! And what does this have to do with being thankful? Here’s my point: I read recently, “We would choose the things that God chooses if we had the knowledge of God.” Really? Think about it, God’s heart is good because God is good. And God is love. (read 1 John 4:16) He’s weaving us into a grand tapestry, and when he cuts our thread or hides our thread behind others our pride flairs up and we get upset. If we’re honest, like Satan himself, sometimes we think we can do a better job of this “god thing”. We can’t. That makes it pretty hard to be thankful. We are sinful and have selfish motivations. We want our thread to not only remain in the tapestry but for it to be the star of the show.
Also, we want our lives to be free of trouble. In times like this we need to remember Paul’s words in Romans 8: “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
We would choose the things that God chooses if we had the knowledge of God.
And we don’t, so it’s not on us. That should humble us and cause us to walk our day-to-day lives in humility. So, when we come before God in humility, as a sovereign king who is in control of all things, how can we not be thankful? The world isn’t on our shoulders, its on HIS. I’m thankful for that, I hope you are too.
In His grip,
Pastor Chris
Oasis@Midweek is tomorrow
Our popular children’s ministry event Oasis@Midweek happens again tomorrow. Join us from 6:30pm to 8pm for an Oasis Camp themed evening of music, games and this week a fun craft courtesy of our Kid’s Church team. This event is for kids JK to grade 6 and is not just for those who went to camp but for all who would like to learn how to ‘shine Jesus light’ and be STELLAR.
Baby shower for Leah Lewis
Please join us for a baby shower for Janet and Kevin Lewis’ new baby, Leah, on Saturday November 25. It will be an open house in the side auditorium from 2 to 3 pm. If you would like to contribute to a group gift, please give your contribution to Andrea Thornton or e-transfer to Andrea’s personal email gracehopeheart@gmail.com
Thought for the Day: How To Be Truly Thankful – Be Humble Towards God
Last week I began sharing some thoughts on being thankful. I’d like to look at this through a different lens. God said this in Deuteronomy 32: “Look now; I myself am He! There is no other god but Me! I am the One who kills and gives life; I am the One who wounds and heals; no one can be rescued from My powerful hand!”
Yikes! Do you read that verse and cringe a little bit? Do we really believe this? Isn’t God all about love? Yes, He is but this is more about God as LORD, as a sovereign king. Think of it this way: who are we to know better than God? Or how about this: do we honestly think that we could last even one minute on this earth unless it was God’s will for us to remain? Or could we rule the heavens and the earth for 30 seconds (I know I couldn’t)?”
That’s kind of discouraging Chris! And what does this have to do with being thankful? Here’s my point: I read recently, “We would choose the things that God chooses if we had the knowledge of God.” Really? Think about it, God’s heart is good because God is good. And God is love. (read 1 John 4:16) He’s weaving us into a grand tapestry, and when he cuts our thread or hides our thread behind others our pride flairs up and we get upset. If we’re honest, like Satan himself, sometimes we think we can do a better job of this “god thing”. We can’t. That makes it pretty hard to be thankful. We are sinful and have selfish motivations. We want our thread to not only remain in the tapestry but for it to be the star of the show.
Also, we want our lives to be free of trouble. In times like this we need to remember Paul’s words in Romans 8: “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
We would choose the things that God chooses if we had the knowledge of God.
And we don’t, so it’s not on us. That should humble us and cause us to walk our day-to-day lives in humility. So, when we come before God in humility, as a sovereign king who is in control of all things, how can we not be thankful? The world isn’t on our shoulders, its on HIS. I’m thankful for that, I hope you are too.
In His grip,
Pastor Chris