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Looking to Jesus - December 2021

The Path With Christ - March 2024

The month of March leads our preaching through Lent and the holy days of Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter. Lent is a time of reflection and repentance that allows us to intentionally know Jesus in a new way; we walk with Him on the path that led Him to His death, and ultimately His victory on Easter. Each sermon leads us further on the path with Christ: •A prayer of confidence in God's mercy, •A reflection on the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, •An invitation to the realities of Christ's table, •A perspective of His kingdom through the events of Palm Sunday, •A journey to the foot of the cross on Good Friday, and •A celebration of His resurrection on Easter Sunday. To walk and preach this journey takes focus and intention. This is our proclamation for this month - resolved to know nothing... except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Devoted - February 2024

With the month of February, comes the beginning of Lent - a time of reflection, repentance, and preparation. Our theme for this month leads us to contemplate what it means to be devoted - a devoted disciple of Christ. The word devoted, borrowed from the Latin dēvōt-, suggests to vow or dedicate oneself to a purpose; to set apart or consecrate; to apply oneself zealously or exclusively. What would our preparation for the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ look like if we became disciples who are dedicated to Christ zealously and exclusively, who set apart and consecrate time to reflect, repent, and prepare? Each Sunday highlights various aspects of our devotion to Him: sharing the promise, praising the Lord, faith, love and hope, and interceding for others. Our midweek service on February 14, the beginning of Lent, will focus on "giving things up" - a key area of reflection in this time. Contemplate these verses from Psalm 119 and how they connect with our theme, Devoted, in the weeks to come: "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You... Behold, I long for your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness." Psalm 119:37-38, 40

In Jesus' Name - January 2024

The phrase “in Jesus’ name” is a direct reference to John 16:23: Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My Name He will give to you. It is clear from this text that what we ask of the Father, we should do in the name of Christ. Asking in His name includes an acknowledgment of our own unworthiness to receive any favor from God, and our entire dependence upon Christ as the Lord. Knowing that Jesus is our Advocate (1 John 2:1) gives us confidence when we pray. “We pray in the name of Jesus. Following the example given by Jesus, we turn to God with humility, giving more importance to our fellowship with the Giver than to His gifts, trusting in His love.” Chief Apostle Schneider, September 2020, Sarrebourg Prayer works when we pray in Jesus’ name! These words not only signify who we are praying through, but also in Jesus we are given a pattern from which we can get a better grasp on how our longings align with God’s will. This pattern, or example, that Jesus provides applies to many other aspects of our lives as His disciples: how we serve, how we are known by Him, and what He has sent us to do. When we walk the way of Christ, we can be sure we are living according to the will of God.