The Power of a Grateful Heart.

On Saturday Morning, October 21st, 37 volunteers from FBC had just completed three hours of serving the incredible ministry of the Refuge of Hope in downtown Canton. This day of service was but one part of our church’s Generosity Project. Along with our donations of cereal and pop-tart boxes (goal of 500) and our monetary offering (goal of $3000), we are living out the fulfillment of Matthew 25:40, “The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'“  Many church volunteers provided much needed resources to a ministry which serves the homeless and those in need of food. I am so pleased with the tremendous support from our church.

As I climbed in my vehicle for the ride home, I began to think of all the things I take for granted. I have a comfortable home where I can enjoy friends and family. It is available to me 24/7 and it has many rooms that provide me a variety of resources. I have a kitchen complete with a refrigerator, stove, microwave and all the necessities to cook a meal.  There is always a supply of food to feed my physical needs. I have a place to relax and take my mind off the worries of the day. I have a bedroom that provides a nightly rest and a bathroom with a hot shower that wakes me up in the morning so I am ready for another day. I have a laundry room, workshop, garage and much more. God has truly provided for all the needs that I have and even some of my wants.

Then it hit me, a majority of people in our world do not have the blessings I have been given. I was reminded that I truly need to have a grateful heart. And all of us who are blessed beyond what we deserve have a responsibility to give thanks and tell of God’s faithfulness. The Psalmist says in chapter 9:1,"I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”  The songwriter say’s “Give thanks with a grateful heart.” We have so much to be grateful for in our daily living. But how often do we truly pause to give thanks?  Often our lives are filled with busyness and the pressures, challenges and difficulties cause us to forget to be thankful.  I get that sometimes we just do not feel like being thankful. Sometimes we ourselves are struggling and weary from the life we are living. In those times, it truly  does become a sacrifice of praise.

November is a month where are thoughts turn toward thankfulness. Let me encourage you pause and take time to give thanks with a grateful heart. We have a choice each and every day to give thanks to God. With hearts and minds focused on Him. With gratitude, we are strengthened by His grace, peace and love.  With a grateful heart, we have the power to face whatever may come our way.  I found the following encouraging thoughts on the power of a grateful heart and would like to share them with you.

The Light of Christmas

From my earliest childhood memories, I can remember my fascination with Christmas lights. With anticipation that was hard to keep bottled up, I would look forward to stringing the Christmas lights on the tree. We didn’t do many outdoor lights in our home growing up, but I couldn’t wait to see the downtown streets all decorated for the holidays and outdoor lights go up on some of the finest houses in town. In the earliest days of my memories, I remember those large multi-colored bulbs that illuminated the landscape. I recall riding in the car as we drove around town looking at decorated houses, whether it was the illuminated homes on “Flagpole Hill” or the Disney characters on Brookpark Rd. My own children can probably tell you the many times I drove them around my hometown of Marion, Ohio to see the Christmas lights. Even though I have seen them many times before, I still look forward to the opportunity of seeing them again.

As we enter the season of Advent I want to invite you to join us as we journey together through the book of Isaiah to experience the “Light of Christmas” all over again. In a world that often seems to be a very dark place in which we live, we can say, “Let There Be Light.” The light of Christmas I am referring to is not found on a strand of Christmas lights. It was found in a lowly manger by the shepherds as they were guided by the Star of Bethlehem. The prophet Isaiah points us toward this light as we read in chapter nine,

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;

on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.”

The light Isaiah speaks of is Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12. Although the world has become a dark place to live, we have Jesus to guide us through the streets of our lives. Even though we have seen Him before, we need to see Him again. As we celebrate this season of Advent, let us eagerly await with child like wonder the coming of the Christ Child, the light of Christmas. In a world where people are walking in darkness, let us proclaim once again for all to hear, “Let There Be Light!”

Wishing You All A Wondrous Christmas!

Pastor Kevin, Michi & Family

Missions Month and Generosity Project 2017

I have really come to enjoy and embrace the month of October as our church has established and made it a tradition to celebrate missions and the opportunities we’ve had throughout the year to impact our world. I love the festive atmosphere with our flags of many nations hanging in the sanctuary and getting updates from some of our mission organizations and missionaries is always a double blessing.  

This month our church will invite quite a number of missionaries to come and share the call God has placed upon their life for missions whether it be here in Canton or around the world.  They will share with us an update on their preparation and implementation of mission work. Some will be sharing about first time experiences while others have been engaged in ministry for many years.

For two thousand years men and women, not unlike you and me, have generously shared their time, talent and treasure in order to assist in bringing the Good News of the Gospel of Christ to others. They have heard the words in Mark 16:15, “where Jesus said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”  They have received the power of the Holy Spirit described in Acts 1:8 where we read, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Like the first missionary, the apostle Paul, they have boldly, fearlessly, and openly shared the love of Christ and the message of Christ with others.

Let us be reminded that at the heart of our calling as Christians, Missions is not just about a project or trip or destination. It is about discovering how God can use you right where your planted to share the gospel story. Ask yourself, who do you know that will spend an eternity separated from God if they do not receive His gift of Salvation? If you don’t know anyone, pray that God would bring someone into your path.

We just shared in bible study the other night about the apostle Paul’s witness as he found himself in Ephesus. He began with a group of twelve and expanded outward and in less then three years the whole province of Asia had heard about the message of Christ and the Ephesian church had begun. Not all believed but that is to be expected. As a reminder, the mission is to make sure that all have had an opportunity to hear.

Also, let me encourage you to participate in our Generosity Project 2017. You will read about it on our missions page and each week you will be reminded of how you can get involved. Yes, each of us should be able to give some monetary contribution or gift above and beyond our normal giving, but let me encourage you to give of your time and energy. Take a step of faith and join us on Saturday, October 21st at the Refuge of Hope Homeless ministry in downtown Canton. We will need lots of hands and lots of feet to share the love of Christ with those who are in need. The only requirement is that a person needs to be in 7th grade or older. The three hours you spend will not only bless the Refuge of Hope Mission and its recipients but it will also bless you tremendously.

Allow me to remind you about one of the most significant passages of scriptures when it comes to our duty to help those in need, Matthew 25. If you are not convicted after reading it, I really pray that God would speak to your spirit.

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

There are people all around our world today who need the Lord. Will you step up to be the one who generously shares with them the love of Jesus Christ and his message of hope to all who believe?

Pastor Kevin

A Place to Belong

A Place To  Belong

 In the 1980’s sitcom “Cheers” the theme song opens with those familiar lyrics that invite us to sing,

“Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you got
Taking a break from all your worries
It sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You want to be where you can see
The troubles are all the same
You want to be where everybody knows your name”

At the heart of the attraction of an environment in a place like “Cheers” is the opportunity to feel like you belong.  Every one of us, no matter where we are in life, needs to have a sense of belonging. Something inside of each of us longs to be valued. People desire to feel they are worthy and they are loved. Allow me to ask you a question, “Do you believe you are worthy of love and belonging?” God says you are!

Researcher/Storyteller Brené Brown shares a widely accepted truth: “Connection is why we’re here. what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. Robin Williams said, “I used to think the worst thing in life is to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.” We are wired for connection and created to crave belonging.

It’s exciting to feel like you belong, That feeling of arrival—like sitting down to a homemade meal with your closest friends. A Church is a place to belong, a place to grow, a place to enjoy and a place to be loved.

The word “Church” means different things to different  people, for some, it awakens warm feelings of potluck dinners and singing. For others, it might rigger a more sour feeling, a subtle tensing of the shoulders.  People’s reactions to the church are as varied as their individual histories.

But what is God’s intention for the Church? When God initiated the Church, He had in a mind a heartfelt connection of diverse people. He said the “greatest love we could show was to lay down our lives for our friends” John 15:13. There is no greater belonging than the one God intended in the Church. The Church is a community of people committed to doing life together and knowing God. The Church is a place where many people should know your name. Through thick and thin, these are the friends who you do life with struggles and all. Most importantly these are people who genuinely care about you and when others abandon you, they will stay by your side. God desires for each of us to find a place of belonging in His family.

As we build momentum for “ReStart Sunday” 9.17.17, I invite you to pray about people in your life who could benefit from a place to belong. Engage in a conversation with them and invite them to Church. Better yet, invite them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  There are many opportunities for people to connect through our men’s and women's ministries, bible study, children’s and youth ministries. It just takes an invitation.  Let’s be a community of believers that not only welcomes others but values who they are!

Remember: The Church is not a building. It’s a community of people brought together to experience God’s love and purpose.

Lets us focus on making an invitation to those who need God’s love and sense of belonging,

Pastor Kevin

Come on Church, BE PREPARED!

As an Eagle Scout I learned early on the importance of  the Boy Scout Motto "Be Prepared!" The Scout motto means that you are always ready to do what is necessary to help others. It also means you are ready, willing, and able to do what is necessary in any situation that comes along. 

To enable that to happen, you educate yourself and learn about the situations in which you may find yourself. For instance, when packing your gear for a particular camp outing, you want to make sure you know your surrounding environment and you think ahead by preparing a list of items that you will need and ensuring that you pack them. Being prepared helps you to avoid those possible pitfalls that might happen. It doesn't ensure that you will never encounter something you are totally unprepared for, but it sure does lessen the chances. 

Lately, my heart grows concerned for what seems a lack of preparation by Christians to "Be Prepared." What I mean is this, are we as followers of Christ ready to do what is necessary to help others. Are we prepared to love one another as Christ commanded or even to love our enemies as we read in Luke 6:35, "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back." Are we prepared to love like that? Am I prepared to love like that?

While I am on the subject of "being prepared," It frustrates me when I am around other Christians and someone is asked to share their favorite scripture verse and they respond along the lines, "well now you put me on the spot" or "does John 3:16 count."

Let me address the latter first. Yes, John 3:16 counts. You bet your sweet bippy it does! It's what the good news of Jesus Christ is all about. God Loves You. God died for your sins. Believe in Him and you will be saved. But let me add that if you have been a Christian for say longer than say 6 months, you ought to have a 2nd verse tucked away in that memory bank of yours. After all Psalm 119:11 says to "hide the word in your heart so that you might not sin against God." Come on Christians we can do better than that!

Now, to address the first response I mentioned, that of "being put on the spot." You shouldn't be "put on the spot" if you have prepared yourself. And why should you be prepared you ask? Because God's word specifically tells us in 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 

Here's a revelation for so many of us. We do not need the most glorified testimony in the world's eyes to give a reason for the hope we have. We simply talk about our experience with Christ and the scriptures he has taught us. Yes, I was never on drugs, I never had a miraculous healing, I never encountered Christ on the road to Damascus (Ohio, East of Alliance that is, not Syria.) But you know what, I have experienced him in my life and I have memorized many verses so when given the opportunity I can share one of those verses with someone else. And do you know what the scripture says about that? In Isaiah 55:11 it says "the word of God does not return void. He will accomplish what he desires to achieve the purpose for which He sent it." 

That means when asked to share your favorite verse, Yes John 3:16 is a great verse, but what else has God given you to accomplish his purpose. Challenge yourself to memorize a new verse every so often. At least a couple a year, please.

By the way, when I was in scouting my Scoutmaster would always try to surprise us at the least expected moment as he shouted, "are you prepared?" Us Boy Scouts would respond shouting at the top of our lungs, "we are prepared!" I hope the next time you are given the opportunity to share your favorite verse or your reason for hope, you will have prepared yourself? 

Come on Church, BE PREPARED!