September 12, 2010 by Worship Director.

But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.    - 2 Chronicles 15:7

Heroes are just ordinary people who chose to do extraordinary things.  There was nothing unusual about Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, a teenager from Albania.  Just a girl - who went to India - who was so disturbed by its poverty and the plight of the Outcasts - that she did something… for 40 years.  She became Mother Theresa; an extraordinary person wrapped in an ordinary package.  She stood between death and the dying - easing the passage that she could not prevent.  She stood up to Politicians, Popes, and Presidents to speak truth and love and unpopular words. An everyday hero for whom courage was an everyday reality.

God’s people, Christians, have many stories of courage; for while the risks are uncertain, the reward is sure.  It takes courage to put faith into action, to step out of our financial comfort zone, and put Gods’ promises to the test.   Be a hero.  All you have to do is care.

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September 11, 2010 by Worship Director.

…Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed.   - 2 Kings 11:2

Courage is not the absence of fear, nor the opposite of cowardice.  It is a decision to take positive action regardless of the negative consequences that could follow.  In a split second, Courage forgets the odds and stops calculating the risk, and regards someone or some thing more important, more valuable than itself.

Courage is not confined only to those who bravely chose to be soldiers or law enforcement, but just every day people who do the right thing when the deciding moment presents itself.  When God controls our moments, in that decisive instant, we are never alone.

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September 10, 2010 by Worship Director.

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. - Job 8:21

A pastor and his friend arrived to take a heavy hide-a-bed couch to someone who needed it. The trouble began when the bed kept falling away from the couch. Taking his belt off, the pastor used it to secure the bed as a quick fix. Feeling proud of his resourcefulness, the pastor headed down the stairs first. Struggling with the weight, he tightly held his end of the couch at the base of the stairs. All was going well until the pastor’s pants fell down, revealing the wildest of boxers! Dependence on him to balance the couch put him in quite the quandry. To make matters worse, another friend arrived just in time for the colorful scene! It couldn’t have happened to a better man since he had a great sense of humor. “Pride comes before a fall, Captain Underpants,” as well as other jeers followed him for months after.

God blessed us with a great sense of humor. When we realize we are free from the condemnation of sin, our lives can be filled with laughter. Don’t let your life be filled with toils and trouble. Let God’s truth take over.   Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

- Ann Reilley

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September 9, 2010 by Worship Director.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  -Psalm 51:1

Have you ever thought, “I know I need to pray, but right now I’m just not worthy enough.  I’d better wait until I straighten out this situation.”  We were born sinners!  God loved us enough then to give His son to die for us – is that not unfailing love?   If we waited until we felt worthy enough to come to the throne, we’d never pray.   He has compassion enough to hear us in every situation, and to take our transgressions from us.

When immersed in our own sin, we should cry out to God, just as David did in this Psalm.  Then we won’t have to postpone our prayer.  No matter how sinful we feel, we must encourage ourselves to call out to God – “Have mercy!” God wants us to pray, not because we are worthy, but because He is merciful.

- Linda Wilkins

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September 8, 2010 by Worship Director.

This season, the fashions of the 70’s are back - platform shoes, longer hair, side-burns, neon colors.  Most styles, from every decade, seem to make a come back - so we search in the back of the closet for some of those favorites that we just couldn’t let go of (or our daughters are digging them out of the attic!).

In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon laments that “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) and he seems to have a point.  We still find our ourselves having the same troubles, the same challenges, the same worries that people have experienced for thousands of years.  Will we ever learn? Probably not, that’s why we have an unchanging, ever-forgiving, God to help us through.

Some might say a Prayer Service is “old fashioned;” singing praise, praying for each others needs, testifying to how God has answered prayer and changed lives - but some things never go out of style.  Sometimes it’s just the packaging that changes to match the marketing trends of the day- but trends never follow a linear path forever.  Life is much more circular than it seems and “what goes around, comes around” over and over again.

At First Church, we recognize the need for a time of more intimate human experience.  People in our world have become so isolated, so separated, so virtual.  When we hurt, it is human touch that we crave - a hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on, a ear to hear and understand.  We see so many reaching out through the internet, the airwaves,  or in more self destructive ways to get the attention they need.

To be a place of compassion, strength and safety, First Church is reviving an old tradition and making it new again.  On Wednesday evenings at 7 pm, join us for an interactive time of praise and worship, sharing personal needs and positive experiences, and bearing each others burdens to God’s heart.  With our team of Rev. Gilbert and Melba Davila, Reverends Barbara and Barry McFarlane, and the musical ministry of Rev. Tommy and Carma Grimes to serve you, your spirits will also be revived.

What is not new? When the needs are greatest, the Church responds.

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September 7, 2010 by Worship Director.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”   - Jeremiah 29:11

According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), approximately fourteen million Americans suffer from depression in a given year. Depression affects every area of a person’s life, leaving one desperate for relief.  Many of us have experienced pain brought on by unfairness in an imperfect world. We wonder why God allows such tragedies. Though not recorded, we wonder if John the Baptist’s friends or Mary questioned God when pain tore through their hearts.

For those of us who choose to draw near to God, His promise to draw near to us begins an awesome healing process. (James 4:8) However, it is human nature to start building thick walls to protect ourselves from further pain. We also tend to complicate things with questions that cannot be answered, resulting in an unnecessary muddled mess of fear, doubt and confusion in our hearts. The world’s lure can become our god. The longings to fill the void are deep within our souls, yet still unsatisfied.

In His love, God waits for each of us. He will fill the void with His precious love and we will be assured He is for us, not against us. Through Christ, we can come into the realm of God’s presence.  By letting God’s power work in our lives, we will be convinced that it is far more fulfilling and entertaining than what the world has to offer.

- Ann Reilley

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September 6, 2010 by Worship Director.

He [Onesimus] is no longer like a slave to you. He is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me. Now he will mean much more to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.   - Philemon 1:16

Onesimus was a run-away slave from Philemon’s household. Philemon was Christian man, but Onesimus still felt the resentment of being a slave.  This practice was not uncommon in the world at that time and many fell into servitude for a variety of reasons, some of their own making.  We do not know the circumstances of the relationship between Onesimus and Philemon - but we do know that the Apostle Paul stepped in, and through his letter, introduced radical social change.

As the master, Philemon had something to learn about being a Christian employer and what that means regarding the treatment of his staff - was he fair, respectful, kind? Perhaps a change would be necessary in his business affairs.  Through his praise of Onesimus, Paul raised his value from property to partner; a far more profitable relationship for both.

Onesimus had fled his situation, but his resentment and spiritual bondage clearly followed him - right into jail and into the presence of Paul.  Ironically, the slave had to go to prison to find freedom.  From the Paul’s writing, we can see that Onesimus’ was not a good worker - “useless” is how he is described.  Maybe his behavior was the result of being unhappy with the job he was assigned, with the compensation, with his treatment, or very likely, with his own self-worth.

When he met Paul, however, he learned that no matter what our job or its circumstances, as Christians, we are expected to give our best to our boss - as if serving our Lord.   That can be a tall order when our jobs are hard, our employers demanding, and customers - difficult.  The lesson here is that none of those things matter - they are generally outside of our control - we can only control ourselves and our response to external influences.  By changing our view of who we serve, it changes our whole attitude toward service.  The drudgery becomes a joy and our lives, more happy and fulfilling.

Labor Day was created to honor the worker; Christian workers create honor for the Lord through our work.

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September 5, 2010 by Worship Director.

Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.  - Proverbs 12:24

God works -  and don’t forget - we were made in His image.  Even in the Garden of Eden, man was expected to work (naming the animals and caring for the garden).  We were not created to spend our lives lounging about.   Whether an occupation or avocation, hobby or volunteer service, we must work to make life worth living.

Working gives us the chance to learn and grow, to collaborate with others, to discover what we can become.  Work is more than just a means to a meal – it is the venue for finding value in our lives and in ourselves.

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September 3, 2010 by Worship Director.

Our beautiful Outdoor Worship Center is a place of fellowship, meditation and remembrance.  We feel the presence and closeness of those loved ones that have gone before us in this peaceful and cherished space.  We see their names all around us and we are reminded of the sacrifices they made to build God’s kingdom and extend the boundaries of the Church.

If you interested in having a brick placed in the Outdoor Worship Center to memorialize or honor someone, please contact Fae Jones or Pastor Davila.  Memorial bricks are available for a $50 donation per brick.

Download a Memorial Brick order form here

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