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Friday, February 29, 2008

3 Types of Hope

Ordinary hope is hope in the future, hope that in time things will eventually improve.

Eternal hope, on the other hand, is hope in eternity, the almost unbelievable hope that in the end, and only there, will God’s goodness and perfection prevail.

Let me suggest an example of these two.

The war in Iraq is dragging on and on. Since no war lasts forever, we know that someday, hopefully soon, this war will end. That hope is ordinary hope.

Eternal hope is different. It is the end-of-the-world hope that believes that in God’s time there will come a glorious day when all war will cease, everywhere and forever.

Easter hope is rooted in the fact that with the Resurrection of Jesus the eternal God entered into the ordinary world. Easter hope believes that God cares and is actively making an eternal difference in the world: turning darkness to light, death to life, and evil to good.

Easter hope is eternal hope in ordinary time. Pray that the season of darkness and death will soon end in the Middle East and for God’s eternal presence to bring light and life once more to the Fertile Crescent.

Easter hope is God’s promise to make a difference in your life, too. Dare to hope in Jesus. Trust your cares to him. And live again.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Join a Bible Study

We have just started 3 Bible Studies with Pastor Dale. All 3 are studying John's Gospel.

The Tuesday night study (6:15 pm) is held in Humeston at the Christian United Methodist Church, and uses the LifeGuide Bible Study John: The Way to True Life. Choose this option if you want your life transformed by the message of Scripture.

The other two classes use an unpublished study guide called Meet Jesus: An Inductive Study of the Gospel of John. The Thursday morning class (10:00 am) meets at the Library in Garden Grove. The Sunday afternoon class (5:00 pm) meets at the Humeston Church. Choose either of these classes if you are wondering whether you are or want to be a Christian, or, if you are just beginning to read the Bible.

So Cool.! What is really neat about all three studies is that they are designed for busy people whose schedules require that they will miss some of the classes. So, come to a Bible Study when you can and be blessed.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

World Day of Prayer

World Day of Prayer is a worldwide ecumenical movement of women and men of many faith traditions who come together on the first Friday in March each year. Throughout the day, we collectively pray all over the world, beginning with the first sunrise and ending with the last sunset. Our prayers follow the sun's path around the globe.

WDP's motto, "Informed prayer leads to prayerful action," affirms that prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence. As we observe WDP 2008, millions of God's people are suffering from violence, neglect, poverty, and political injustice. Women and children, especially, are denied basic human rights and are victims of those who would exploit them and abuse them.

We encourage you to hear and come to the aid of those who are denied justice, self-determination and opportunity, globally and locally.

The Humeston community will participate in the World Day of Prayer 2008. Services will be held at the Humeston Baptist Church at 2 pm on March 7. Please join us.

Monday, February 25, 2008

#7 - Say His Name - Jesus

The name is Jesus. Say it. Sing it. Dream it. Write it everywhere, like a teen-ager in love. Jesus + Me. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Sweetest Name I Know. I Could Sing of Your Love Forever. Jesus Loves Me, This I Know. Is there any better way to show your love than to lift up the name of the one you love?

When a person's name is mentioned there comes with it a sense of that person's presence. If, for example, you associate someone's name with painful moments, the mention of that name stirs uncomfortable feelings within. Similarly, fond memories surface with the mention of a favorite name.

A name is more than a word. Names have power. The name Jesus has power: to dispell darkness, to lift spirits, to give strength in the face of temptation, to call forth one's best, to bestow eternal life.

I invite you to pray the name of Jesus often, and in doing so, be drawn the more to him.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Led by a Child

We baptized 8 year old Logan here in his grandparents’s church a few weeks ago. He is so excited about Jesus!

His grandparents gave him a Bible as a Baptism gift. When Logan got it home he asked his parents to read it with him. They opened to page 1, Genesis. But Logan, remembering the pastors comment that when you read the Bible you can start anythere, responded that he wanted to read John because that was what the preacher had been talking about. He totally surprised his folks about how much he remembered from the sermon.

The Sundays when Logan was here were the Sundays we were introducing our 100 Ways to Pray project, which Logan also got excited about. So now, Logan wants his grandparents to send him the weekly bulletin so he can learn what is the next way to pray.

Will you follow Logan’s lead?
Will you read John each night, reflecting on what the preacher said?
Will you seriously practice the Ways to Pray and allow them to bring peace to your soul and harmony to all your relationships?
Are you willing to be led by a child?

Monday, February 11, 2008

#5 and #6 -- Ways to Pray

#5 - APOLOGIZE. In building good relationships with loved ones, being able to say I'm Sorry is so important. Saying I'm Sorry is absolutely the best way to begin a conversation with a Perfect and Forgiving God who knows us through and through.

#6 - FORGIVE. We pray the prayer of Sorrow or Apology. God Forgives and welcomes us in love. What next? You are correct, of course, we offer a prayer asking God to help us forgive others as we have just been forgiven.

Apologize. Forgive. Relationships with God and others will grow and become for us a sustaining source of Life.

Every day ask: To which loved one do I need to say I'm Sorry?
Every day ask: Who do I need to forgive?

Thursday, February 7, 2008

SNOW

SNOW. What a storm to wake up to on Wednesday morning! South Central Iowa's been hit hard this winter. But, oh my gosh, wasn't that tragic, all those tornadoes across the South.

Here school and church closed were closed Wednesday. But the buildings are still standing. No one was hurt. And activities will be re-scheduled.

Remember! Potluck at LeRoy after church this Sunday.
Next Wednesday, 1:00 UMW and 3:30 TUF Team (making pretzels).