Standing firm...

“If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!”

Proverbs 24:10

How has your winter been?  Are you anxious to get back on the bike?  When I am done writing this I’m going to go out for a short ride!  I’ve been called crazy, but I like to try to get out at least once a month, and this winter has been so hard, I haven’t been out since December.  I’m tired and oh so ready.

Some people are anxious to get back in other ways.  I’m anxious as in excited.  I can’t wait.  It’s been way to long, and I’m going now whether the roads are good or not, whether it’s warm or not.  But some are anxious because of health issues.  Are bad knees or lung issues or back pain going to make it difficult?  Some are anxious because of financial issues.  Am I going to have the finances available to do what I want to do and go where I want to go?  Will I have the money to the kind of riding I hope to do?  Some are anxious because of a host of other issues.

How do we handle the anxiety that comes our way?  Some can be affected so greatly they almost become paralyzed.  They’re afraid to try, afraid to reach out, afraid to even attempt.  Anxiety keeps them from accomplishing anything.

But on the other side, some can be affected so greatly they become unstoppable.  They become so fully focused and undeterred that they will push on through the greatest obstacles and succeed at all costs.  In fact the obstacles only serve to sharpen their focus and increase their desire.

I’m sure most of us will find ourselves somewhere in the middle.  But Proverbs 24:10 suggests that perhaps the latter example is better.  That we show our strength when we push through our obstacles.  Perhaps more importantly, we show our source of strength when we push through our obstacles.  We all have limits, but we believe in one who is limitless.  Paul shared the source of his strength in his letter to the Philippians, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength”  (Php. 4:13). 

Paul found that to be true in his life, and you can find that to be just as true in your life, when you don’t falter in times of trouble, but push through those times of trouble with Jesus who gives you the strength.

Why We Worship...

Sunday's message was on worship.  What is worship?  Why do we worship?  The Psalms are full of texts about worship, so this sunday, we took at look at a few.  If you would like to read the message, click below...

http://almondunionchurch.org/sermons/why-we-worship/

Thanks for reading!

The Tie That Binds

This article was written by Dennis Christiansen and found in the American Baptist Churches of New York State Region Notes...   Your congregation, like mine and others, may have adopted the practice of circling the sanctuary after the service of the Lord's Supper and concluding worship by singing Blest Be the Tie that Binds. The hymn was written by John Fawcett, a dissenting Baptist clergyman (and aren't most of them) of the late 17 and early 1800s, who served an extremely impoverished community church in northern England, enduring meager compensation and habitual privation. Hymnologist Albert Bailey recounts that Fawcett wrote the hymn upon accepting the call to a more affluent church. However, when the distraught and weeping parishioners gathered to say goodbye, Bailey says Fawcett and his wife could not bear to leave their beloved congregants and, unable to undo the tie that bound them, decided to stay.   For John Fawcett 200 years ago and for us today, "the fellowship of kindred minds" is a rope that has been tied to bind us together. Today, however that rope is being strained and stretched. Once, the strands of geography, denomination, and tradition braided us together but that rope has unraveled in modern times. Families are dispersed, denominational distinctions are blurred by individualized worship styles and theologies, tradition has given way to a quest for novelty and innovation. In earlier times, "kindred minds" meant uniformity of beliefs, but today a lack of same repels some churches while unconformity attracts others. We appeal to the kindred-ness of our Baptist principles, but many in our congregations are not knowledgeable of them. As a Region and as Associations, we are struggling to keep tied the fellowship of kindred minds that binds us together.   Fawcett's "kindred mind" is not the tie that binds; that tie is Jesus Christ. Our "kindred mind" is not the "tie" of denomination or uniformity or tolerance or principles. The "kindred mind" is a concern for one another built on the love of Christ. Our kindred mind is concern for brothers and sisters in struggling churches. Our kindred mind is joy for growing churches. Our kindred mind is not about celebrating diversity, as important as our diversity may be. Our kindred mind is about celebrating churches that are serving diverse people in diverse communities; in cities and villages, in impoverished and affluent communities, in farming areas and among migrant workers, among African Americans, Chin, and Karen congregations. Our kindred mind comes from our love of God and one another. We thank God that we can be Associations and Regions of churches connected in ministry in Jesus Christ.   In our church, we only sing the well-known first verse of Fawcett's hymn. It continues, "Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts, and our cares. We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear." The ropes of our kindred minds are tied together by Jesus Christ. In closing, I say, Lift High the Cross!   Dennis Christiansen Vice President, ABC/NYS

Something Good Can Come Nazareth

This last week we looked at Jesus calling His first disciples as reported in the Gospel of John.  First were two brothers, Andrew and Simon (later Jesus renamed him to Peter).  The first morning, as they were getting ready to leave the area, Philip comes up to them, and Jesus invites him to follow, as well.

Before they actually get underway, Philip tells his friend, Nathanael, about Jesus.  Nathanael wasn't as easily impressed, and his comment to Phillip betrays his prejudice: "Nazareth!  Can anything good come from there?"  

Soon, he meets Jesus, and learns that Something Good Can Come From Nazareth.  What can we learn from his prejudice against that place, or a prejudice against people?  We'll look at what scripture has to say about our prejudice, and why we need to seek God's help in ending this behavior.

If you would like to read the message in full, click here.

Thanks for reading...

Christmas Brings Faith

This week in the church we looked at the third message in our series titled Christmas Brings...

This week's message was titled Christmas Brings Faith, and we looked at faith as a gift from God, made possible through the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus.  We looked at Joseph and his faith, and learned a few lessons from Joseph that we can apply to our own lives as we live our life of faith.

To read the message, or to hear an audio recording, click here.

Christmas Brings Joy

On Sunday, Dec 7, we looked at the second message in our series titled Christmas Brings.

This week we saw that Christmas Brings Joy.  Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, one of the gifts that God brings to the believer, one of the characteristics of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  This gift is only possible because of the incarnation at Christmas.

To read the message, or to hear an audio recording, click here.

Hope is...

"Hope is confidence in the knowledge of God's goodness. This can't be found without knowing the character of God. So how do we learn that? Prayer, searching and studying the Word, spending time at His feet. Once we know God's character, we are certain of His faithfulness and are able to trust Him - this flows out as confidence in God and therefore hope in Christ is first nature." - Jonathon Tortoise