First Mennonite Church November 29, 2015 Do Not Be Afraid Text: Luke 2:1-20 Advent begins today, according to the church year or liturgical calendar. Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas. Advent recalls the time of waiting and expectation before the birth of Jesus Christ. Although we all know that Jesus has been born so … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church November 22, 2015 Gratitude: Fruit of Inner Contentment Text: Philippians 2:12-18 Today, the church where I grew up in in Belize is having their “Thanksgiving” worship service this afternoon. It is a version Thanksgiving Day celebration that missionaries took down there, I suspect. This type of worship service is only held in … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church November 15, 2015 “I Have Something to Tell You” Text: Luke 7:36-50 As we begin to prepare ourselves for the festivities and everything that comes with Thanksgiving Day, I want for us to start by meditating on this passage. To express gratitude is what is intended on Thanksgiving Day. Luke 7, verses … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church November 8, 2015 Working Together (Congregational Meeting) Devotional: Acts 6:1-7 Sometimes Christians would like to believe that the Early Church was a perfect church besides having the advantage of operating in a unique manner under the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out healings and to do marvelous miracles. But the … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church November 1, 2015 To “Pull the Plug” or Bet on the Future Texts: Jeremiah 32:36-44; Mark 10:17-31 When the future seems hopeless “pulling the plug” sometimes is the best alternative. In the medical field there is something called “DNR,” Do Not Resuscitate. It’s a legal document that patients or (more often) their … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church October 25, 2015 Autographed on the Heart Text: Jeremiah 31:27-34 Finally, the moment of God’s promise to plant and to build up (Jer. 1:10) was coming in sight. So far most of Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry and message had been those of destruction, uprooting, and judgment. But chapter 31 ushers a new beginning. … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church October 18, 2015 Standing on the Edge Text: Jeremiah 29:10-14 There are moments in life in which we come to stand on the edge of something. The journey up to that point had been familiar, but what lies ahead is completely unknown. Standing on the edge can be scary or exciting, depending … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church October 11, 2015 The Breaking Point Text: Jeremiah 20:7-18 Have you experienced the frustration or pain of being misinterpreted, or when your good intentions was taken the wrong way? Once, I was riding in a crowded bus in Central America. It was one of those school buses used for public transportation there. … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church September 27, 2015 A Famine In The Soul Jeremiah 14: 1-12 Last Wednesday at our prayer meeting, we were asked to pray for rain, again. This time, however, there was an added part to this request: to pray that we do not get too much rainfall at once so as to cause … [Read more…]
First Mennonite Church September 20, 2015 The Potter Is Still at Work Jeremiah 18:1-12 The little song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands” captures the essence of this passage. Like clay in the hands of the potter, so was Israel and the whole world in the hands of the Great Creator God. The … [Read more…]