The Heart of Christmas

 

The Heart of Christmas

Back in 1965 when Charles Schulz collaborated with Lee Mendelson to debut the animation classic A Charlie Brown Christmas,” it would go on to capture the hearts of people watching across America. Its place in the nation’s holiday hearth has remained fixed ever since and the impact will continue to be felt for generations to come. You can recall the iconic line delivered by Charlie Brown to the Peanuts gang, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” Linus responds, “Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” And then he proceeds to recite the gospel of Luke 2:8-4 referencing the birth of Christ.

Schulz had insisted that one core purpose of the special was sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Otherwise, Schulz said, “Why bother doing it?” When Mendelson asked Schulz whether he was sure he wanted to include Biblical text. The cartoonist's response, "If we don't do it, who will?" Other than John 3:16, it may be the most recognizable scripture ever shared with the masses. Perhaps, we need to once again re-visit that all too memorable question, “What is Christmas really all about?

Each year, the culture focuses on decorations, gifts under the tree, meals around the table, family spending time together and hopes of winter weather. All these certainly play a part in the most wonderful time of year, but there is something else that is at the heart of the Christmas. The Bible tells us that the real reason to celebrate is the saving grace offered to us through the birth, life and death of God’s son, Jesus. Join us for a five week sermon advent series entitled, “The Heart of Christmas.” Much like Linus and the Peanuts gang, this series will be centered in the story of Christ’s birth. From the prophetic promise of His coming to His miraculous arrival, the themes of hope, peace, joy and love will help prepare us for Christmas by getting to the heart of the holiday.

The Christmas season is really only possible to fully embrace when we come to know that the heart of this holiday is found in the incarnation of God. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

God so loved His creation that He went to great lengths to rescue it by sending His son in the flesh to suffer and die. God sent Jesus to earth knowing that it would cost Him His life. He made the sacrifice for us. The story of God’s love begins in a cradle, but it ends on a cross.

I hope you plan to be with us during the four Sundays of Advent and for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service which will be our main focus for Christmas worship this year. We will not have services on Sunday Dec. 25th. We will return for a combined service on New years Day at 11AM with no S.S.

Together, we will experience the Heart of Christmas

     Pastor Kevin, Michi & Family

 

Living a Life of Thankfulness

 

LIVING A LIFE OF THANKFULNESS!

What are you in the habit of focusing on during the month of November? Do you tend to be the person who thinks about all the things you don’t have? Are you the one who takes inventory of all your blessings and wonders, “How could life be any more full?” Or do you find yourself caught in the in between space of needing less or wanting more? As we take inventory of our lives this Thanksgiving season, may our attitude be one of gratitude. It is so important that we spend time each day reflecting on those things, places, experiences and people which fill us with gratitude. Even when times are tough and the financial stress of our current economy weighs us down, there is so much for which we can express our thankfulness!

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

True gratitude is about being thankful for what you do have rather than being upset about what you don’t have. Gratitude is an essential ingredient on the journey to living the abundant life Jesus promises in John 10:10. Gratitude is most beautifully seen in our response to the free gift of God, his son Jesus. And finally, expressing gratitude has shown a grateful heart, a thankful heart can actually make a person more healthier, joyful and content.

Last year, if you recall, we processed through a 25-day gratitude calendar in which every day we were directed to focus on specific blessings in our lives and give thanks to God. By the way, if you would like to do this again feel free to send me a message and I can hook you up. This year I want to challenge you to do some of your own research as we once again set off on a journey to experience gratitude and a life of thankfulness. I have a friend who has inspired me this year with quotes of gratitude. These famous or not so famous words have encouraged me to have a more positive perspective of gratitude. You see, I find that when I read or hear these thoughts, my mind is reset toward gratitude and more rooted in thankfulness.

I want to ask you to find quotes on gratitude and thankfulness. Perhaps you find one for each week or even each day. Let me help you get a head start. It is the great Shawnee Chief Tecumseh who said, “When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.” Or how about theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

Reflect on these wise and preserved words. Allow them to wash over you and fill you with thankfulness. Then share the quotes you find with others on your Facebook page or social media formats. Together, let’s see if we can influence and change other peoples perspectives as well. Our sermon series this month will focus on “Gratitude—Living a Life of Thankfulness.” I will share some scripture and quotes to inspire you. It is my hope that we will have a more healthy, sustainable, and fruitful experience of Thanksgiving this year.

Remember… “With God, All Things Are Possible!”

 

Bold

 

Since I was a youngster, an American science fiction media franchise has held my attention. In fact, during the past summer I binge watched two of it’s recent installments, “Voyager and Strange New Worlds.” I am referring to Gene Rodenberry’s creation “Star Trek.” For those of you who never knew, your pastor is indeed a “Trekkie.” You may now go ahead and roll your eyes. Alright that’s enough. Stay with me for this thought because I would like to point out a line of the iconic opening.

As the music plays, the captain of the Starship Enterprise gives the famous narration regarding the voyages they are set to experience. Within that narration Captain Kirk says the nine word phrase, “To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before!” I hope you read that boldly? As the crew sets out for the final frontier of space, they will encounter new life, new civilizations and new experiences never experienced before by anyone. And in order to do so, they must do it Boldly which means in a manner of confidence.

In the giving of the “Great Commission” by Jesus to his disciples he tells them to “Go” and
I’m hypothesizing that Jesus was emphatic or boldly speaking as he said,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

After the departure of Jesus, the disciples ultimately had a choice. They could play it safe and return to their previous way of living or they could seize the life God had intended for them as they spread the message regarding the resurrection of God’s son Jesus. In essence they could boldly go where no one has gone before and go with confidence. Especially with the confidence of the Holy Spirit which came upon then at Pentecost. And the rest is history as they say. We know the gospel message spread as we read Acts and as we explore the other books of the New Testament. Many of the experiences we read about certainly required some boldness and confidence on the part of early Christ followers.

I would like to invite you in October to join me for a sermon series entitled, “Bold.” Just like those early disciples and all who have followed since you have a choice. You can play it safe or you can seize the life God has in mind for you. Just as we sing in the worship song Confidence,

“So, give me faith like Daniel in the lion's den
Give me hope like Moses in the wilderness
Give me a heart like David, Lord be my defense
So, I can face my giants with confidence”

What’s it going to be? Come explore what can happen when we become Bold.

Remember… “With God, All Things Are Possible!”

 

Pastor Kevin 

 

 

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!

On your mark, get set, go! is a phrase used to begin a competition. Originally, on your mark, get set, go! was used in the 1800s to begin foot races. The word mark referred to the place on the running course where the runner would start, whether a line or a set of starting blocks. Get set is a sort of warning that the signal to start running is about to occur, though today when a runner “gets set” he usually raises his hind quarters and tenses his legs in preparation to run. The word go, of course, means that it is time to start running. 

And we’re off and running for another school year and another season of ministry. It’s time to “get on your mark, to get set and to go!” My prayer is for each of us as a part of the Full Devotion family to once again prioritize are relationship with God through Jesus Christ, to return to a biblical commitment to the local church, and to be renewed in our faith as we press forward. I believe it is now past time for the Body of Christ to shake off their “lockdown” mentality, leave behind the bad habit of not gathering in person, shake off the bondage of fear, and get reconnected to their local congregation. Why? Because we are better together! Paul says in Romans 12:5,

“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Together, we are the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27), and it is important for us to be connected to each other, and to be connected to the head, Jesus, in order for the church to be effective in our mission of sharing the gospel. Being connected to others is good for us as individuals, and helps us during times of challenge, disappointment, opposition, and health concerns.

I would say that we as a church have had our challenges and problems. Last month, many of us experienced Covid for the first time and some for a second. It threw our Sunday schedule into a loop but God knew exactly what He wanted to accomplish and how to make it happen. We have many people facing challenges with their health. As a church we are looking at ministry changes with our prayer for God to lead us to a new Children’s Ministry Director. We have building needs in areas of repairs and upgrades (by the way, how amazing our the new TV’s in the sanctuary.) I recently heard a podcast in which the presenter said, “We can look at all the things that happen to us as problems or we can choose to look at them as possibilities.” I like that! I choose to believe that God is presenting new possibilities for all of us to get connected because we are better together. Once again, on your mark, get set, go!

The Bible has many references about running. Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. “

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 

Paul also says in Philippians 3:14, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

My invitation is for you to run with us. Be an active contributor to what God wants to accomplish through His church. I know running takes discipline. Honestly, I don’t like it sometimes, but it is what God calls us to do. I hope you, like me, will strive to one day hear what Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Remember… “With God, All Things Are Possible!”

 

Pastor Kevin 

 

 

PRESCRIPTION FOR RECREATION, REST AND RENEWAL

For Northeast Ohioans, summer is a time in which many of us seek to find recreation, rest and renewal as we experience vacations and other opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. It is important for us to find moments when we unwind and let go of things that can influence stress in our lives. I have always subscribed the importance of recreation in our busy schedules. Most of us embrace recreation as something that is done for amusement, enjoyment, pleasure and considered fun.

When you study the etymology of recreation you discover the word was first used in the 14th century in the sense of “refreshment or curing of a sick person” and derives from the Latin to create again.  When we as human beings embrace recreation we are essentially recreating ourselves or bringing some renewal to our daily lives. Therefore, it is very important that we make time and plan specifically for recreation.

Rest is also on the top of the list when it comes to a life necessity. Without proper rest, the body is unable to operate at the optimal level of health. So often we get caught up in the daily grind of work and responsibilities that our stress levels become elevated. Once again like recreation, it is important to prioritize sufficient rest and quality sleep in everyday life. Rest and sleep are not the same thing, but both are important for physical health. Studies show prioritizing rest can improve one’s quality of sleep. Spiritually speaking, Jesus has an important reminder in Matthew 11:28-30,

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

We are then left with renewal, and I am speaking of spiritual renewal. The first thing one must do is make a conscious decision to do so. Just hoping you end up feeling a new sense of inspiration is not going to render results. Intentional effort is the only way to achieve what we desire. If we are not willing to put in the effort we are not going to reap the results.

Beginning in August, we will start a new sermon series that will take us to Restart Sunday, September 18th. It is my hope that this series will help people experience new, fresh things God wants to do in our lives, because we so often feel stuck in a rut and just go through the motions. Instead of just surviving life, God wants us to thrive and experience the abundant life he came to give us.

Together we will examine what it means to have renewed spirit, renewed purpose, renewed love and renewed community. I pray it becomes apparent to each one of us and our church that God is interested in doing a new thing within us. God desires for us to experience a deeper and more meaningful relationship with him. God is waiting and wanting to renew us. As Isaiah 43:19 says,

 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. “

As summer winds down and school begins, I hope you have found time for recreation and rest. Please join me for a time of renewal as well.  This is all so important for our physical, emotional and spiritual health.

Remember… “With God, All Things Are Possible!”

Growing Together in Full Devotion to Christ,

 

Pastor Kevin 

 

 

EXPERIENCE THE FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE OF EASTER

It has been three years since our Easter season has been unhampered. This means that in April of 2022 we will return to a full schedule of opportunities to celebrate the events of Holy Week. Through moving worship experiences we will be drawn to the streets of Jerusalem, the upper room, the tomb and finally the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I pray you will be led by God’s Spirit to attend in person and reflect upon the precious gift of our salvation. From my earliest memories, I can recall my own enthusiasm for the services of Easter. I admit I wasn’t always a fan of the 6:30 AM Sunrise Service, although we did always have a nice breakfast afterward.

We will also hold our annual Easter Egg Hunt in our building as an outreach to children and their families. We will have the privilege of sharing the Easter message with children and sharing the love of Christ with their parents. If you haven’t yet plugged into the team of volunteers that will be needed to make this event a success, please let myself or Elaine Jarvis know? Let us also think about those God is calling you to reach.  I ask that you pray specifically about individuals God may be encouraging you to invite to church. We know there are many people post–pandemic looking for ways to re-connect to the community in which they live. Church is still one of the best places for people to find love, hope and encouragement. We always have much to offer a hurting and broken world. 

On Easter Sunday we will begin a new Sermon Series entitled, “Love Reigns.” Think about this. As Jesus was being crucified, the soldiers mocked him by placing a crown of thorns on his head and placing a sign over his head that read “King of the Jews.” They did not see him as the true King who rules and reigns. After Jesus’ resurrection, he revealed himself to his disciples and because of his defeat of death, he claims all authority over heaven and earth. It was Jesus’ love for us that held him on the cross. His love reigns in our lives when we put our faith, hope, and trust in him.

Love Reigns will help teach us how through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been given an opportunity to embrace the resurrection life and how this new way of living changes everything: wiping away our past, redefining our present and it giving us hope for our future. Who in your life needs to hear these words? Together let us bring the hope of Jesus’ powerful love to our hope-starved world with life-changing messages. Discover how Love Reigns over our past, present and future. Believe in the one true King who is above all and over all and proved his authority by rising from the dead.

Also, please remember our prayer for the year (written below.) Remember to be lifting up in prayer the people of Ukraine and Russia who are entrenched in a terrible war. Remember God has given us a mission and calls each of us to love one another, to love and take care of the widows and orphans, to provide for those who need water, food, etc. Consider giving in love, serving in love and just genuinely loving others. .

The challenge before us is to let Jesus be Jesus and to allow ourselves to be caught up in his extraordinary mission for the world and allow His love to reign.

Remember… “With God, All Things Are Possible!”

Growing Together in Full Devotion to Christ,

 

Pastor Kevin 

 

 

LOVE GOD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

 

During the life of Jesus, he was once asked by an expert in the law, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” We find this account in The Parable of the Good Samaritan in the gospel of Luke 10:25-37. The answer from Jesus is found in verse twenty-seven,

 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your

soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and,

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

Jesus is posed with a question about what it means to follow the law of God. The law says to love God and to love neighbor. But who is our neighbor? Who is worthy of our Love? To answer this question, Jesus tells a story about a man who is beaten and left for dead. There are two religious Jews who would have been expected to stop and help. Neither do. Surprisingly, the only person who steps up to help the man in his plight is a Samaritan. He breaks a massive ancient near eastern racial barrier between Jews and Samaritans because it is the honorable thing to do. Where the first two fail, the last man succeeds and loves despite the cultural and racial divide.

This story is a parable that we all must find ourselves in. Will we be the religious elite who refuse to love based on bias, or will we be the societal outcast who loves beyond what is required? Will we follow the instructions of James who forbids favoritism in Ch. 2:8-9,

 ^“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,

“Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, 

you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 

In a world that is increasingly divided, it is important that Christians around the globe do the hard work of allowing Jesus to be their common denominator. The culture would encourage division over race, but Jesus invites us to be united in love. The culture divides over politics, but followers of Jesus are united under a heavenly kingdom. There are endless divides within religion, but Jesus offers a grace that brings unity. Join us for our new sermon series,  “Common Denominator: Finding Jesus in every situation/circumstance.”

What binds us together as Christians is our love for God and one another. It begins with our love for Jesus. When we love Jesus and understand what it means to do unto the least of these as if we did it to him. When we see Jesus in every situation, there is no person who is undeserving of love. Because I have been showed so much mercy by God and I am called to do the same for others, regardless of our differences. I hope you will join us on Sunday mornings as we learn together?

Speaking of Sunday mornings, beginning in February we will be launching a new opportunity on the second Sunday of each month. Following the 11am worship service, we will open the Gathering Café for a time for people to ask questions about the church, ask questions regarding how they can  get connected. This will available for those who are currently attending or newcomers. This “Starting Point” will also give individuals an opportunity to meet the staff. I hope you will join us in praying for this new endeavor and by all means if you are new to the church, have questions about membership or would just like to stop by for a few minutes for a conversation, please do!

Remember… “With God, All Things Are Possible!”

 

Serving together for the Glory of God,