Adult Card Making Class
March 24 – 2 to 4pm
$5 per person

- London Free Methodist Church, 402 Commissioners Road West (near Wonderland)
- advance registration required
- phone the church at  519-657-3079 or Cathy at 519-641-8526

Everyone welcome – hope you can come!

• ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want!’

Really..?   Don’t you want…

• a better car, a bigger home, a better job, more stuff!
• something nicer, faster – or just different..?

Isn’t it interesting…even when we get what we want, we want more!   Because even when we get what we want, we find it doesn’t satisfy us for very long!  Do you ever wonder why that is..?  The Bible says, ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain!’ (1 Tim 6:6)

What we have shouldn’t define us!  Who we are should!   The fact that we want isn’t necessarily wrong!  It’s what we want that can be troubling.  I suggest to you there is only one thing in this world that has any eternal value – that is…a relationship with God!

 The Psalmist had a relationship with God.  In it he found all that he needed [I shall not want!] including “divine guidance”  ‘He leads me in paths of righteousness!’  Paths of righteousness ultimately lead to…           

God’s Great Heavenly Celebration!

Do you like parties?  Are you planning to attend this one?  Of course you realize only citizens of heaven will be welcome!  That’s because God is righteous, and He invites us to seek His righteousness  (Matthew 6:33) and leads us in paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3) that lead to heaven.

 Most of us probably won’t be at Sunday’s “SuperBowl” because we don’t have a ticket, and even if we had the opportunity we couldn’t come up with the $3500-$4500 average ticket price.  But there’s good news.  You don’t have to miss this grand celebration in heaven.  Even though the cost is out of this world, and…

• no one is rich enough to afford it
• no one is good enough to earn it

It’s a gift to all who will receive it!

‘God has shown us a different way to heaven, not by being good enough.  Now God says He will accept and acquit us, declare us “not guilty” if we trust Christ to take away our sins.  We all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ no matter who we are or what we have been like!’ (Romans 3:21)  

Now that’s something to celebrate!

Let me extend to you a very blessed and happy New Year!

Consider some of the implications of the 23^rd Psalm!

• ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want!’

Really..?   Don’t you want…

• a better car, a bigger home, a better job, more stuff!
• something nicer, faster – or just different..?

Isn’t it interesting…even when we get what we want, we want more!

Because even when we get what we want, we find it doesn’t satisfy us for very long!  Do you ever wonder why that is..?  The Bible says, ‘Godliness with contentment is great gain!’ (1 Tim 6:6)

What we have shouldn’t define us!  Who we are should!   The fact that we want isn’t necessarily wrong!  It’s what we want that can be troubling.  I suggest to you there is only one thing in this world that has any eternal value – that is…a relationship with God!

The Psalmist had a relationship with God.  In it he found all that he needed [I shall not want!] including “divine guidance”  ‘He leads me in paths of righteousness!’  Paths of righteousness ultimately lead to…           God’s Great Heavenly Celebration!

Do you like parties?  Are you planning to attend this one?  Of course you realize only citizens of heaven will be welcome!  That’s because God is righteous, and He invites us to seek His righteousness  (Matthew 6:33) and leads us in paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3) that lead to heaven.

Most of us probably won’t be at Sunday’s “SuperBowl” because we don’t have a ticket, and even if we had the opportunity we couldn’t come up with the $3500-$4500 average ticket price.  But there’s good news.  You don’t have to miss this grand celebration in heaven.  Even though the cost is out of this world, and…

• no one is rich enough to afford it
• no one is good enough to earn it

It’s a gift to all who will receive it!

‘God has shown us a different way to heaven, not by being good enough.  Now God says He will accept and acquit us, declare us “not guilty” if we trust Christ to take away our sins.  We all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ no matter who we are or what we have been like!’ (Romans 3:21)   Now that’s something to celebrate!

 Christmas really is about gifts, specifically about God’s greatest gift – His Son, Jesus Christ! ‘For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life!’ (John 3:16)  In other words, “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!”  Check out some of the most incredible life-changing gifts that you won’t find under any Christmas tree!

 The Gift of Pardon ‘Therefore since we have been justified through faith!’ (Romans 5:1)  God pronounces unrighteous sinners to be righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  God declares the guilty to be not guilty. A gift of grace received by faith! (Eph 2:8)

 The Gift of Peace With God  ‘Since we have been justified through faith we have peace with God!’ (Romans 5:1) The barrier of sin between us &  God has been removed and we are now reconciled to God!   Billy Graham said every person on earth is searching for peace with God.  That search is fulfilled in a relationship with Jesus Christ, who said, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you!’ (John 14:27)

 The Gift of God’s Spirit  Before leaving earth Jesus said to his disciples, “I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor (the Holy Spirit) to be with you forever.  He is the Spirit of Truth and will teach you all things and remind you of my word!”  Today truth is relative – it can be whatever people want it to be.  Jesus said, ‘I am the Way to God, the Truth of God and the Life of God!’  God’s Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth!

 The Gift of Freedom from Judgment   Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. (Romans 5:9)  That anger is the judgment of God that will be poured out on a Christ-rejecting world!  The Bible says, There is no judgment hanging over the heads of those who belong to Christ Jesus!                                                                            Think about it…

 What do you think of when you think of death?  Some people seem kind of scared when they consider the reality of death and going into the presence of God! 

• The truth is, most people should be!

 Others aren’t worried at all because they believe death is the end of everything, or that they’ve lived good enough lives to get into heaven, and there is no such place as hell!

• Oh…do they have a surprise coming!

 In the 6^th chapter of the Book of Isaiah, the prophet has a magnificent vision of a glorious God seated on a throne.  He is humbled by  the guilt of his  sin and realizes his unworthiness to be in the presence of God. God however, removes his guilt and forgives his sins!

 One thing I know when it comes to meeting God…we don’t have to worry about it if we’re part of His family.  Jesus said, “Don’t worry, trust me!  In my Father’s house are many rooms and I am going to prepare a place for you and when everything is ready I will come back for you and you will always be with me!” (John 14)

 Something else I know…death comes to all!  No one escapes their date with destiny. 

• The issue isn’t “will I die?”  The issue is “when will I die?”

What if our time on earth is shorter than we think?   

• “Are you ready to die?”
• If you haven’t prepared for the inevitable, why not?

  Here’s one more thing I know: There is a heaven and there’s only one way to get there!  Living a [good] life ain’t it!  Doing more good things than bad things in this life won’t get you there!  So how do we make it?  

• There’s only one way to heaven!

Jesus said, ‘I Am The Way, The Truth and The Life.  No one comes to the Father {enters heaven} except through me!’ (John 14:6)  Check it out for yourself. (John 3:3) (Romans 6:23) (Ephesians 2:8,9)

            [a] God has forgotten about you!

            [b] You’re a bad person!

            [c] God is punishing you!

It probably means that God is trying to teach you something important!

 In the Old Testament a woman named Sarah was unable to conceive and in those days such women were looked down upon.  Now, an old woman, she had given up hope!  Wait!  God had promised her husband Abraham that he would be a father. (Genesis 15:5)  But, they would have to wait for that promise to be fulfilled, and like many of us, Sarah started to run out of patience!  Feeling desperate, she took matters into her own hands, and following the custom of the day she offered her maidservant to her husband, and sure enough, the maidservant got pregnant!  Hey, don’t blame Sarah! After all, doesn’t the Bible say, “God helps those who help themselves?” Sorry, it doesn’t!  It does say ‘Wait patiently for the Lord!’ (Ps 37:7) 

 Sometimes it’s really hard to wait on God!  Imprisoned in a Nazi death camp Corrie Ten Boom wrote, “God if this is the way you treat your friends, it’s no wonder you don’t have very many!”  We don’t always realize that the times God is silent, he is actually helping us mature. (James 1:2)  It’s not always easy to trust God!  

 Sometimes we go and get out in front of God!  When we’re not sure what his plan is, we invent our own!  That doesn’t always work out, and often ends in chaos!  That’s why the Bible says ‘Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths!’ (Proverbs 3:6 NLT)

 We don’t always understand what God is up to!  That’s okay!  His thoughts/ways are beyond us (Isaiah 55:8)   But understand this…God always has a plan! “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.  I believe in love even when I don’t feel it.  And I believe in God even when he is silent!”  (Anon) 

                                                                                     Something to think about….

Everyone is welcome to attend at any time between 9:00am and 12:00pm on Saturday, October 29th.

Location: London Free Methodist Church – 402 Commissioners Road West, London, Ontario

Jesus is always an agent of change!

In the 5^th chapter of the Book of Luke, Jesus meets up with a man named Levi [better known as Matthew] and asks him to follow him – which Levi/Matthew does without hesitation.  What’s interesting is…

• Levi is a despised Tax Collector
• Levi is so excited, he throws a party & invites Jesus as well as his not-so-holy Tax collector friends

Speaking of not-so-holy, some religious leaders show up & complain to Jesus asking, “Why do you eat & drink with scum like this?”  Jesus answered, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor, sick people do.  I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not spend my time with those who think they are already good enough!’

 Jesus was more concerned about “lost” people than he was about religious rules, and felt he needed to spend time with them! 

•  Shouldn’t we also be building relationships with those who aren’t religious?’ 
• Isn’t that being about our Father’s business..? 

He shares with them a parable about wine & wineskins.  In other words, he used word pictures to communicate! {he was good at that}  What he was trying to say is that..

He Is The New Wine!

Religious people have been trying to fit Jesus into their molds for centuries!  In Jesus day, people had their own views of what the Messiah should be like, but Jesus didn’t fit!  Ultimately, they killed him for it!  Do we try to fit Jesus into our little boxes?  He won’t be defined by any of our traditions or rituals!  He is fresh & new every day!   So..

Let’s not be content with the old!  Be open to new methods of communicating an old message!

We must remain flexible!  Our world continues to change – we have to be willing to change with it [not our message, but perhaps our methods]

Let’s Stay Fresh!  Don’t allow your relationship with Christ to become stale.  Find ways to keep fresh.  Pour new wine into new wineskins!

 Think about it…

Crafts, games, contests, stories and snacks
All Saturdays in November
2 to 4 p.m. – $ 3 per week
for children 5 to 15

SPECIAL EVENT – Sat. Nov. 26
Adult card making workshop
(2:00 to 4:00) – Cost is $5 per person

Everyone invited to participate in our 3rd annual crock pot luck dinner and competition at 4:30 on Nov. 26th
(there will be voting and prizes awarded for the winning crock pot dishes)
After dinner the Children will present a Christmas play – all children in attendance are invited to participate

London Free Methodist Church
402 Commissioners Road West, London

EVERYONE WELCOME
Call Cathy at 519-641-8526 to register
(advance registration required)

 Do we, as Christ-followers have any responsibility to reach out to these people whether they be (a) a single mother trying to support her kids (b) a man addicted to porn on the internet (c) a young person struggling with self-esteem, (d) someone who just lost their job….or a variety of other issues.  Whose responsibility is it to help these people?  Read Isaiah 1:16 or Proverbs 31:8-9 or 1 John 3:17.

 Too often the church simply passes by (ignores) the hurting souls of our cities, but to do so is to pass up an opportunity to show them the love of Christ.  And this applies to those who are of every social strata of society.  You don’t have to be down & out to be hurting, or lonely, or addicted, or to have no sense of self-worth, or to be without a sense of hope.

 The 3^rd chapter of  the Book of Acts is a picture of what happens every day in cities and towns everywhere.  A crippled beggar, carried to the temple square every day.  I wonder if he just blended in and to those around became just part of the familiar scenery as most never even saw him, at least not as a human being with needs!  He asked Peter for money, but he got something much better!  Peter said, “I have no gold or silver, but I’ll give you what I have!”  He too this man by the hand and he was totally healed on the spot!  It’s an incredible story!

 Peter & John were there hanging out with all the people.  Is that where we as Christ-followers should be? 

• They reacted to a need!  Isn’t that what we ought to be doing?
• They gave what they had!  And what did they have?

 They had a living relationship with their God!  They made time to be available for service, and on this occasion God used them as channels for a miracle!

 People (like Martha) worry about many things, but one thing is needed! (Luke 9:41-42)  As Steve Green writes, “People Need The Lord!”

Do you want to be remembered when you leave this old earth?  Does it matter to you what kind of legacy you leave?   The point is, do you want to live a meaningful life?…a life of impact..?  Are you interested in changing this world for the better?  Is it important that you make an impact for Christ..? You can! 

 What does it take..?

You already are who you need to be to accomplish what God has planned for you – He has made you so.  You don’t have to be somebody else – you don’t need anyone else’s personality, looks or gifts.  You already have what you need! (2 Peter 1:3)

 What does it take..?

It takes someone who is committed to knowing Him.  Paul writes (Phil 3:10) ‘I want to know Him, to know the power of His resurrection!’ 

It takes someone who will be who God made them to be – someone totally dedicated to being like Him!

 He has plans for you – wonderful plans – plans to give you hope and an incredible future.  Paul says ‘We are God’s workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do!’ (Eph 2:10)

 What does it take..?

It takes someone willing to live out daily the two greatest commandments ever given to man…Love God!  Love your neighbor as yourself!  If you really love God, demonstrate it by loving others!  The proof (as they say) is in the pudding!

 Are you ready to be used by God..?  Your past failures, inabilities or insecurities are no challenge for God’s plan for you.  The real challenge is your willingness!  Are you willing to…

• Deny yourself and give yourself fully to God?  Heb 12:1,2; Phil 4:13)
• Allow Him to live His life through you?
• Keep focused on Jesus and expect Him to work in your life?

 Without Him, you can’t do a thing!

Think about it…