FreshBread

Good Morning Friends,

I am truly looking forward to this weekend! Sunday morning will be a great time of learning and celebration. I hope you can join us! Also, I want to thank those of you who have volunteered to help with the wedding and those of you who are planning to be at the memorial service on Sunday afternoon. Have a great weekend and I will see you on Sunday.

Please continue to pray for:

The Hunt family and their son, Philip, who is fighting for strength and recovery after brain surgery this week

The Barvicco family and the loss of a Father

Those who are struggling today to see the light of God in their life!

See you on Sunday!

Scott

“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”- Leviticus 19:18

As we mentioned Sunday, the Hebrews thought in terms of community! To hold a grudge against someone in the community was harmful to the community as a whole. Everyday I have the privilege and the eye-opening experience to talk with people outside of the church who see no reason to embrace Christianity for they see no difference in the lives of those who claim Jesus, especially in the simple things…..holding grudges, gossip, materialism, adultery, hatred and anger! AS A COMMUNITY we have to help each other live out the life that God recreated us for! We must encourage one another to live the life of grace and love, obedience and vulnerability. There are people watching who are basing the reality of God on what they see in you!

I am praying for you, I’ll talk to you in the AM!

Scott

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.”- Jeremiah 23:24

What is more troubling…..God knowing who we really are or somebody else knowing who we really are? A lot of times people hide their pain, brokenness and struggle from others. WHY? We are embarrassed, we feel shame, we want to put up an image that we have everything together when we do not, or maybe another reason. What is interesting is that God already knows you, not only that, as a believer God has made you brand knew. You’re not that old person anymore, so why do we hide?

When we hide in our brokenness and shame, we act as if we need to fix all of this before we can let people know who we really are. In so doing, you DENY what Jesus has done for you on the cross, for on that cross Jesus made you brand knew. But now many of us struggle with the newness; though we are saints, we do not live that way. We still struggle with wanting more wealth, or sexual sin, or selfishness in our marriage. Why? Because we choose it, not because we are it. So, let me offer a suggestion: the more honest we are with our pain and hurt, the more it reveals the belief that we have in the love and grace of God and the work of His Son on the cross. When we hide and act righteous or together when we are not, we seem to be saying it is my job to fix the brokenness of my life. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. So, let me ask….do you have a group of people, a couple of friends at least, who really know who you are? We are encouraging you to accept the reality of the cross IN YOUR LIFE and not set out to hide and fix things yourself. YOU WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE WHAT GOD HAS DONE AS LONG AS YOU ARE TRYING TO DO IT!

Please be praying for the Hunt family today. Phillip Hunt will have brain surgery on Friday. Pray for mom and dad (Ann and Jim) and sister Amanda. Also be praying for Mike and Greg Barvaccio as their father died very unexpectedly this week. Thanks…..we’ll talk tomorrow.

Scott