“Abide in Me”
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”“I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so, you will be My disciples.” John 15:4-8
In this Scripture passage, Jesus uses the metaphor of a grape vine to teach us about our relationship with Him. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. In order to live and bear fruit, we must abide in Him.
Abiding involves the realization that we are united to Jesus. We are completely dependent on Him for life. Jesus is constantly present with us in the depths of our souls. It is our union with Jesus that enables us to live and flourish as His disciples.
During the month of March, I will be preaching a series of sermons on the “I Am” statements of Jesus. Here’s what the sermon series will look like:
March 3: “I Am The Vine” John 15:1-17
March 10: “Before Abraham Was, I AM” John 8:48-59
March 17: “I Am The Resurrection And The Life” John 11:17-46
On March 24 we will celebrate Palm Sunday and on March 31 we will celebrate Easter Sunday.
Please join us in worship as we discover more about our Lord and our relationship with Him.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“He Values Our Souls”
Jesus summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:34-37
In this passage of Scripture, Jesus asks a question to help us understand the value of our souls. The question is:
“For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”
Our souls are the most important possession we have. They are the essence of who we are, and God created them to live forever with Him in Heaven. Our souls are far more valuable than wealth, power, popularity, careers, and even family. Nothing is more valuable than our souls.
Jesus took up His cross to save our souls from hell, sin, and death. Jesus took up His cross so that our souls would live and not die. That’s how valuable our souls are to Jesus.
Our souls are eternally valuable to Jesus. And Jesus asked His question so that we would value our souls as highly as He values our souls.
There was a time in King David’s life when he was discouraged and depressed. The cares of life had worn him down and he had been neglecting to care for his soul. He writes about this in Psalm 42:1-2:
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Caring for our souls should be a priority in our daily lives. We care for our souls by keeping them in contact with God. Whenever we spend time with God in prayer or worship or reading the Scriptures, we enable our souls to have a life-giving connection with God.
May we value our souls as highly as Jesus does.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Word on… Tuesday”
ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7:00 PM
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Joshua 1:8
What do you do when you’re not celebrating Valentine’s Day? Tomorrow, you can join us in the sanctuary at 7:00 pm, for our Ash Wednesday Service.
During the service, we will worship together using meditative singing. This type of worship enables people to meditate on God’s Word by singing verses of Scripture.
The Taizé Christian Community in the Burgundy region of France made this type of worship popular. This community was founded by Roger Schutz, who was known as Brother Roger. He was a Presbyterian from Switzerland who journeyed to France in 1940 at the start of WW2. He rode a bicycle from Geneva to the small town of Taizé which is still surrounded by rolling green hills and dairy farms. Since the town was located in unoccupied France, he bought an empty house and hid Christian and Jewish refugees there.
On November 11, 1942, the Gestapo occupied Brother Roger's house while he was in Switzerland collecting funds to aid in his refuge ministry. He was not able to return to his home in Taizé until 1944, when France was liberated.
Brother Roger then started a quasi-monastic community of Protestants and Roman Catholics who committed themselves to serving Christ and living their lives together. Thousands of young pilgrims come to Taizé every year from all over the world to worship together, meditating on God’s word through meditative singing.
The Taizé Christian Community describes how meditative singing helps us to worship God: “When people come together to pray, meditative singing can help everyone to participate and to stay together in waiting on God. Using just a few words, they express a fundamental reality that can quickly be grasped by the mind. As the words are sung over many times, this reality can gradually sink into one’s whole being.”
Here's a link to a YouTube video from Taizé that describes what a retreat is like there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngA8BFbjrE0
Since the songs we will be singing may be unfamiliar, I have also included links to the songs on YouTube. I am looking forward to spending time with you in worship tomorrow night.
In Christ,
Pastor David
Song - Come and fill our hearts with your peace. You alone, O Lord are holy. Come and fill our hearts with your peace. Alleluia
Song - Sing praise and bless the Lord. Sing praise and bless the Lord. Peoples! Nations! Alleluia!
Song – Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. Those who seek God shall never go wanting. Nothing can trouble, nothing can frighten. God alone fills us.
Song - Oh Lord hear my prayer. O Lord hear my prayer. When I call answer me. Oh Lord hear my prayer. O Lord hear my prayer. Come and listen to me.
Song - Stay with me, remain here with me, Watch and pray. Watch and pray.
Song - In our darkness there is no darkness. With you, O Lord, the deepest night is clear as day.
Song - Ubi Caritas et amor, ubi caritas Deus ibi est. (Where there is charity, selfless love, where there is charity, God is truly there.)
Song - Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God’s holy name. Bless the Lord my soul, who leads me into life.
Song - Let your servant now go in peace, oh Lord. Now go in peace according to your word.
“Intimate Season with God”
Join Us: ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE FEBRUARY 14, 2024, 7:00 pm
“Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
“So, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
“And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”
“Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that your fasting will not be noticed by people but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
As I was preparing to start my ministry at GMPC on March 1, 2023, I realized that I was coming during the Season of Lent. So, I asked if GMPC celebrated Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. And the response was, “What’s Ash Wednesday?” Right then, I knew that this was going to be on a journey of discovery with you.
On February 14, we will discover what Ash Wednesday is all about. We will celebrate by having a worship service in the sanctuary at 7:00 pm. During this service, people will be given the opportunity to have ashes placed on their foreheads as a sign that they are repenting of their sins.
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the season of Lent. This is a 40-day season of preparation for the greatest holiday of all, Easter. For the next 40 days, we will have the opportunity to reflect on our need for God’s forgiveness which He pours out to us from the cross of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We will also have the opportunity to reflect on the new life that God gives us through the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
During Lent, some Christians practice spiritual disciplines of such as giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting. The purpose of these disciplines is to focus our attention on God, rather than on ourselves.
It’s not unusual to be tempted to focus our attention back on ourselves when we engage in spiritual disciplines like these. This is why one of the passages of Scripture that is traditionally read on Ash Wednesday is Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus helps us to understand how we can focus our attention on God as we practice the spiritual disciplines of giving, prayer, and fasting during Lent.
Let us uphold one another in prayer during this intimate season with God. May our Lenten journeys of discovery be filled with God’s peace and joy.*
In Christ,
Pastor David
“More Like Jesus”
Have you ever wondered what your destiny in life is? The Scriptures tell is in Romans 8:28-29 that our destiny is to become like Jesus.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
Becoming like Jesus means a lot of things. Such as thinking like Jesus, living like Jesus, and seeing the world as Jesus sees it. This may seem like mission impossible, and it would be if we had to attempt all of this on our own. But there is Good News. The Holy Spirit is already at work within us, transforming us into people who are like Jesus.
If you are curious about how this transformation is progressing in your life, just as God. The Lord will help you to see yourself as He sees you: a person who is looking more and more like Jesus every day.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Praise God For His Faithfulness”
“Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:1-4
This Friday, January 26, we will have our Annual Congregational Meeting and Dinner. The Dinner will start at 5:30 pm and the meeting will begin at 6:30 pm.
The men of GMPC will provide the meat for the dinner. Please bring a side dish to share. If you are planning to attend the dinner, please RSVP at www.gmpc.org so we can plan accordingly. If your last name begins with A-I please bring a salad, J-R a side dish, S-Z a dessert. Or, you can just bring Jell-O.
At the meeting, we will elect new members to the Session, the Board of Deacons, and members at large to the Church Nominating Committee. The Session will also present the 2024 Annual Budget.
The meeting will be conducted in the context of a worship service where we will praise God for His faithfulness in 2023 and look forward to what God will be doing in 2024 through the ministry of GMPC. Yes, the meeting will take longer in this format. However, we’ve made sure that that the NFL will not have any playoff games. Besides, do you really have something better to do than worship God?
In Christ,
Pastor David
“What Are You Doing Here?”
All of us have questions we would like to ask God. Such as: “Why am I here?” “Where were You?” “What good is it?” We might be surprised that God has some questions for us.
For the next few weeks, I will be preaching a series of sermons about these questions from God. The first one, “What are you doing here?” was asked of the prophet Elijah. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was on the run from the idolatrous Queen Jezebel of Israel. Elijah had just killed the prophets of Baal. When Jezebel heard of it, she sent a message to Elijah saying:
“May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 1 Kings 19:2
Elijah had traveled 40 days and 40 nights to a cave on Mount Horeb. This mountain was also known as Mount Sainai and the Mountain of God. It was where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. This is where God had His question for Elijah.
And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:9-13
Then God explains that He will take care of those who have rejected God and are trying to kill Elijah. God also tells Elijah:
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:18
When we are discouraged and find ourselves in a cave of despair, God will come to us with the question: “What are you doing here?” In other words: “Has your world really fallen apart?” “Is there really no hope for you?”
God asks us questions to get our attention. And when we finally step out the door of our cave of despair, God will give us the answer to His questions. God will remind us that He is still holding our lives together and that all is not lost.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“God Really Is With Us”
When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.” (Matthew 2:13-18)
It's heartbreaking that Jesus began His life as a refugee. Jesus and His parents had to flee in the night and travel to a foreign land to be able to live in safety. Ironically, God told them to flee to Egypt where their ancestors had been enslaved for 430 years.
All of this was in fulfillment of prophesies that God had given to the prophets Hosea and Jeremiah. God told these prophets about the evil plans that Herod had for Jesus. God also told these prophets how He would protect His Son from harm.
God also gave a prophesy to Jeremiah about us. God knew that there would be times in our lives when we would be discouraged and even in danger. So, God told Jeremiah to write down our prophesy for when we would need it the most:
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
God has great plans for us. No matter how difficult life can be at times, God really is with us. Each one of us has a future that has been planned out for us by God. It’s a future filled with hope. And God is already fulfilling these plans in our lives.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Hide and Seek”
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:1-2
This Sunday is Epiphany Sunday. In Greek, epiphany means appearance or manifestation. On January 6, the Day of Epiphany, the Church traditionally celebrates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the gentiles. The first gentiles to meet the baby Jesus were the Magi, or the Wise Men. January 6 is also the twelfth and last day of the season of Christmas.
Wise people are still seeking Jesus. And the Lord promises to reward those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
God does not play “Hide and Seek” with us. God wants us to find Him. God wants us to know Him. God wants us to experience His love and salvation and grace. The reason the Magi “found” Jesus was because God sent Jesus to us and then God led them to Jesus with a star.
If you have found Jesus, it is because God wanted you to find Him. If you are still looking for Jesus, just ask God to reveal Him to you. Jesus will give you an epiphany as well.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“The Prime of Life”
Do you ever get the impression that Christmas is a holiday for children?
The Christmas movies all feature children. Church Christmas pageants all involve girls with angel wings, boys dressed in bathrobes playing the part of shepherds, and an older girl holding a baby.
In the Scriptures, most of the people who were involved in the birth of Jesus were adults, elderly adults in fact. In addition to a young mother and a baby, there were also wise elders. Zachariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, and Anna.
Frederick Buechner in his book Peculiar Treasures, describes how one of these elders named Simeon was involved in the life of the baby Jesus:
Jesus was still in diapers when his parents brought him to the Temple in Jerusalem "to present him to the Lord" (Luke 2:22), as the custom was, and offer a sacrifice, and that's when old Simeon spotted him. Years before, he'd been told he wouldn't die till he'd seen the Messiah with his own two eyes, and time was running out. When the moment finally came, one look through his cataract lenses was all it took. He asked if it would be all right to hold the baby in his arms, and they told him to go ahead but be careful not to drop him.
"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation," he said (Luke 2:29), the baby playing with the fringes of his beard. The parents were pleased as punch, and so he blessed them too for good measure. Then something about the mother stopped him, and his expression changed.
What he saw in her face was a long way off, but it was there so plainly he couldn't pretend. "A sword will pierce through your soul," he said (Luke 2:35).
He would rather have bitten off his tongue than said it, but in that holy place he felt he had no choice. Then he handed her back the baby and departed in something less than the perfect peace he'd dreamed of all the long years of his waiting.
When I was in seminary, one of our professors told us that the prime of life doesn’t start until after we’re 60 years old. That’s when we will have a lifetime of experience to make a significant contribution in the world.
Many of us are now in the prime of life. What do you want to be like at the end of your life? What do you want to have accomplished? You may not have done a lot of thinking about this, but it’s never too late.
I encourage you to invite the Lord to help you discover the answers to these questions. God will enable you to be the wise elder who will be a blessing to the young folks.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Blessing Others”
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:39-45
One of my favorite childhood memories is making cherry tarts with my grandmother, Hazel O’Brien when I was around 4 years old. When my mother dropped me off at my grandmother’s home, she told my grandmother that I was having a bad day. I remember my grandmother asking me, “David, are you blue?” And I looked at my arms and said, “Grandma, I’m not blue.”
Then she said, “We’re going to make some cherry tarts.” She rolled out some dough and opened a large can of cherry pie filling. After the tarts finished baking, we sat down and ate some together. After that, I felt much better.
In Luke 1:39-45, we see how God enabled an elderly woman named Elizabeth to help a much younger woman named Mary during a frightening, yet joyful time in her life. Mary had just been told by the angel Gabriel that the Holy Spirit would enable her to conceive and give birth to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After that, Mary hurried off to the home of her cousin Elizabeth, near Bethlehem.
God was also doing amazing things in Elizabeth’s life. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah were elderly and past the age of having children. However, the angel Gabriel had told them that they would have a child who would be known as John the Baptist.
Elizabeth provided a safe and loving place for Mary to come to terms with what the Lord was doing in her life. Elizabeth understood what it was like to have God transform her life. She was also a wise and gentle woman in whom Mary could confide. In fact, as soon as she saw Mary, she blessed her three times! No wonder Mary stayed with her for three months.
Elizabeth was an example to my grandmother, and to all of us, of how we can be a blessing to someone of a different generation. Especially at Christmas.
Christmas is an intergenerational celebration at GMPC. Our worship services and programs are all full of children, young adults, and older folks. God is giving us many opportunities to show love and care to younger people, just like Elizabeth did for Mary. And God is giving us many opportunities to show joy and kindness to older folks, just like Mary did for Elizabeth.
Your acts of love mean more to others than you know. Whenever I have cherry tarts or cherry pie, I remember how my grandmother blessed me when I was having a bad day 60 years ago. All of us can give a blessing to others that will be remembered for a lifetime.
In Christ,
Pastor David
UPCOMING CHRISTMAS EVENTS AT GMPC
Wednesday, December 20 (9:00 am) GMPC Preschool Christmas Chapel Service
Thursday, December 20 (9:00 am) GMPC Preschool Christmas Chapel Service
Friday, December 22 (5:00-7:00 pm) Cocoa, Cookies, Carols, and Critters
Sunday, December 24 Christmas Eve:
9:00 am Traditional Worship Service
10:45 am Blended Worship Service
4:00 pm Children’s Bell Ringing Service
5:30 pm Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols
“God Is With Us”
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; for that reason also the holy Child will be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth herself has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called infertile is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-38
Two thousand years ago a teen aged girl named Mary, had an important question that she thought was impossible to answer. The answer to this question was given by the angel Gabriel when he told Mary, “Nothing impossible for God.” This is the same answer to the questions we have in life that seem impossible to answer, “Nothing is impossible for God.”
All of us struggle with deep and difficult questions in life. We have questions about our relationships, we have questions about our finances, we have questions about God’s direction for our lives, we have even questions about God Himself. Sometimes these questions weigh heavily on our minds, and they keep us up at night.
Amid all the questions, God is with us. Even when we don’t know the answers to our questions, we can rest assured that God does. And nothing is impossible for God.
Mary understood all of this. This is why she was able to tell the angel Gabriel, “Behold, the Lord’s bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” God will help us to live our lives like this as well.
In Christ
David
“A Season Of Anticipation”
Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. Contrary to popular belief, Advent doesn’t start on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Neither does it start on Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving. Also, contrary to popular belief, Advent is not a season of manic shopping, overspending, and hectic decorating. Advent is a season of anticipation.
The Latin word adventus is the translation of the Greek word parousia, commonly used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ. For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from two different perspectives. The season offers the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second Coming.
For centuries, God’s people waited in eager anticipation to the coming of the Messiah. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied several times about the birth of Jesus. In one of these prophesies he said, Make straight the way of the Lord. (Isaiah 40:3).
Malachi prophesied 450 years before Jesus was born that the Messiah was coming, and that Prophet Elijah would herald His birth:
See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. (Malachi 4:5-6)
Elijah had been taken up into heaven in a whirlwind without seeing death about 400 years earlier. Ever since Malachi’s prophecy, Jews have been looking forward to his return to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.
In Luke chapter 1, God sends the Angel Gabriel to an elderly man named Zechariah with the good news that he and his elderly wife Elizabeth would finally have a son named John. Gabriel also tells Zechariah:
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. (Luke 1:17).
This John would later be known as John the Baptist who prepared people for the Messiah by calling them to repent of their sins and be baptized. We can take part in John’s ministry by pointing people to Jesus this Advent season. Jesus is coming back, and people need to be ready.
God wants people to know that He wants them to return to Him. This is what repentance is all about. God loves us and He wants us to live in relationship with Him. And God was willing to pay the price to make this happen: His only begotten Son whom He sent on that first Christmas.
We have a unique opportunity to get this message out during Advent. People are living in darkness. They don’t know God; they’re not living in a right relationship with Him; and they are running away from God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, salvation.
And yet, people singing about birth of Jesus. They’re hearing words of salvation, hope, joy in Christmas carols at the malls. They’re watching movies about God’s grace at Christmas, such as A Christmas Carol. They are even putting angels on the top of their Christmas trees.
The Holy Spirit is moving at Christmas. The message is going out. God wants us to experience His salvation and grace. God wants us to live in right relationship with Him. God wants us to know His mercy, love, and joy.
We can help get the message out by inviting people we know to the Christmas celebrations we’re having at GMPC. These celebrations are designed to be opportunities for evangelism where people will hear the Good News about Jesus. Here are some of these opportunities:
Dec 10 Distributing Christmas Gift Bags (Available in the Sanctuary after worship)
Dec 11 Best PCS Christmas Store (Gift donations needed)
Dec 17 Christmas Cantata (Both worship services)
Dec 18 Christmas Caroling at Villa Coronado (Meet there at 4:00 pm)
Dec 20 and 21 Preschool Christmas Program (Sanctuary at 9:00 am)
Dec 22 Cookies, Carols, Coco, Critters (5:00-7:00 pm)
Dec 24 Christmas Eve Services (4:00 pm and 5:30 pm)
This Advent season, we have the unique opportunity to help people prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus. May God bless you as you invite others to know Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Your Pastor,
David
"Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks”
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Have you ever wondered what God’s will is for your life? When I was in college, this was a big topic of conversation for the Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship Group in which Cathy and I were members. People were reading books on how to discover the will of God for them. They were preoccupied with trying to discover what major God wanted them to pursue; what career God wanted them to have; where God was calling them to live after college; and who did God want them to marry.
This is typical for college students. Especially for those of us at a place like UC Berkeley where there were so many options to explore. However, I don’t remember anyone saying, “I have discovered that God’s will for my life is to ‘rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.’” Looking back, I think if we had figured this out, everything else would have fallen into place.
No matter what season we find ourselves in life, there is still the nagging question, “What is God’s will for me?” And no matter what season we find ourselves in, the answer is still the same: God’s will for us is to “rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.” If we do this, God’s will for the other areas in our life will become clear to us.
Thanksgiving is one of the reminders that God gives us to stop what we’re doing, turn to Jesus, and say “thank you” for all that He is doing in our lives. Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we can give God thanks because Jesus is always with us. Even in the worst of circumstances, He is holding us close and bringing good out of our suffering.
Thanksgiving is over and the Season of Advent is upon us. Even so, we can still live our lives according to God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks. This is how to live in the will of God.
In Christ,
Pastor David
Reminder: Pledge Dedication Sunday is December 3. We will joyfully, prayerfully, and thankfully dedicate our 2024 Pledges to God during the worship services. Please bring your pledge cards with you. Pledge cards will also be available in the pew racks.
"A Spirit Of Thanksgiving"
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1
As God’s people we are encouraged to remember how God has been faithful in the past. We also hold firmly to God’s promises to provide for our daily needs in the future. But this doesn’t come without some soul searching and looking to God for direction.
Each fall we hold our annual Stewardship Campaign. This year we are focusing on being thankful. We have been blessed in so many ways. As God’s people, we are thankful most of all for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It is out of a spirit of thanksgiving that we bring to God our tithes and offerings.
God is meeting deep needs in our community through the ministry of GMPC. Each week we provide worship services that feed the people of God spiritually. Our ministry to the military community continues to care for people physically in the name of Jesus. Our vibrant children’s programs, youth programs, young adults’ program, small groups, and Sunday School programs all enable people to experience the transforming love of Christ.
Missionaries at home and abroad are also being supported through our financial gifts, our prayers, and our friendship. And, we have seen numerous people come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We love, feed, shelter, care, sing, and teach about God’s love. Thank you for your faithfulness in reaching out to others.
Grateful for God’s love in Jesus Christ, please prayerfully consider your commitment to support the ministry of GMPC in 2024. If you’ve any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Our Pledge Card Dedication Sunday will be on December 3 during the worship services. Please bring your pledge card with you to one of our worship services or you may return it to the Church Office. We will have additional pledge cards available in the pew racks for those who have not received one in the mail.
May God bless you with His joy and peace as you remember His loving faithfulness this Thanksgiving.
In Christ,
Pastor David
"Sacrificial Giving"
Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you didn’t have to worry about something? Fear and anxiety take up a lot of energy and time. Fear and anxiety also make it difficult for us to get the rest we need to recover from the energy we expend by being fearful and anxious. For some, this situation causes so much suffering that therapists and doctors are needed to bring about healing and peace.
Jesus understands how worry causes so much pain. He doesn’t want us to live like this, and so He tells us in Matthew 6:31-33
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
We often need to be reminded that God is meeting all our needs all the time. God wants us to know that He is freeing us from fear and anxiety. Instead of chasing after food and drink and clothing like stressed out materialistic pagans, we have been set free to live in peace. We have been set free to do far more important things, like seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Understanding that God can be trusted to provide for our needs frees us to use our wealth to further His Kingdom and live righteousness lives. If you are ready to do this, then be guided by the Scripture:
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 2:9
The percentage of our income that we can cheerfully give to God is the amount that God wants us to give to Him in loving and grateful worship.
Day after day God will continue to provide for our needs. Day after day God will prove His faithfulness to us. Day after day God will show us that we can live lives that are free of worry.
In Christ,
Pastor David
"A Cheerful Giver"
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
For the past few months, we have been involved in a sermon series on the Book of Acts. Starting this Sunday, we’ll take a break from the Book of Acts. In November, we will focus our attention on how the Lord is calling us to be faithful stewards of His blessings.
God has blessed us with all that we have in life so that we can do great things for Him. What we do with God’s blessings is important to the Lord. How we do these great things is also important to God.
In the Apostle Paul’s second letter to church in Corinth, instructions are given for a collection that being taken for the church in Jerusalem. A famine that had struck the Roman Empire because of a series of poor harvests. The church in Jerusalem had been hit particularly hard, and the other churches were raising money to provide relief.
In Paul’s instructions about this collection, he tells the Corinthians how to participate. They are to give cheerfully. Their decision to give must come from the heart. There is no pressure to give at all. No guilt. No shame. If they decide to give, it can’t be reluctantly or under compulsion. Whatever they give must be given cheerfully.
The same is true for us. Whenever we decide to use God’s blessings, the decision must be from the heart. We need to prayerfully and thoughtfully consider whether to share God’s blessings with others. Once we have decided, the giving must be done cheerfully.
As a pastor, I’m often asked how much a person should give to the Lord’s work. And I answer, “Only give as much as you can cheerfully give. And then stop giving.”
How we give is just as important as what we give. The Lord loves a cheerful giver.
In Christ,
Pastor David
WELCOME NEW GMPC STAFF MEMBERS!
Director of Music Ministries, Renée Calvo:
Renée started at GMPC on November 6th. Our Interim Director of Music Ministries, Tim Grebe, will spend the next two weeks assisting Renée with learning nuances of our music program.
Renée has a M.M. in Vocal Performance from San Diego State University and B.M. in Music (Piano/Voice), from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Her current work includes Music Teacher/Drama Director, The Cambridge School; Soloist and Section Leader, San Diego Master Chorale; Renée Calvo Studio of Music, (Private Voice and Piano Lessons).
Receptionist, Sindy Schiller:
Sindy started at GMPC on November 1st. This new position was created to handle administrative support and information coordination duties of the church office during normal office operating hours of 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday through Thursday.
“Cooperate With God Or Stand In His Way”
Last week in our sermon series on the book of Acts, we saw that the Apostle Peter faced an important decision. This decision would have far-reaching consequences not only for himself but for generations to come. Peter had to make a conscious decision to cooperate with God or to stand in God’s way.
This may seem strange to think about, but from time to time all of us are faced with the choice of either cooperating with God or standing in God’s way. And the choice we make not only affects us, but it also affects people all around us. The people we love and the people we haven’t even met are all affected by whether we chose to cooperate with God or stand in His way.
God called Peter in Acts 10 to go to the home of a Gentile named Cornelius and tell him about Jesus. At that time, the religious leaders of the Jews had made it illegal for a Jew to enter the home of Gentiles and eat with them. But God was about to pour out His Holy Spirit on Gentile followers of Jesus, just as He had done for the Jewish followers of Jesus in Acts chapter 2, on the Day of Pentecost. Peter had to choose between cooperating with God or standing in God’s way.
Peter chose to cooperate with God. However, when the Jewish followers heard what he had done, they criticized him and said:
“You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” (Acts 11:3)
Peter explained that God had told him in a vision:
“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 11:9)
Peter then explained:
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11:15-17)
We all have a choice to make. We can stand in the way of what God is doing or we can cooperate with God. It all begins with seeking out what God is doing and then joining Him in that work.
It’s not always easy to see where God is at work. Peter and the other Jewish followers of Jesus had to look beyond the traditions and stereotypes associated with Jewish-Gentile relations in order to see what God was doing with the Gentiles. Sometimes our own traditions and stereotypes of others can get in the way of seeing what God is doing.
Likewise, Peter and the other Jewish followers of Jesus had to give up their own personal agendas and embrace the new plans that God had for them. This involved telling Gentiles, as well as Jews, about Jesus. Sometimes the plans God has for us will differ from the agendas we have created for ourselves, and we’ll need to make adjustments as well.
Thankfully, we have help with discovering where God is at work. God will help us to see what He is doing whenever we ask Him, because God wants us to join Him in His work. God will always enable us to make the right choice when it comes to standing in His way or cooperating with Him.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“God Accepts You”
This week Sunday in our sermon series on the book of Acts, we spent time in chapter 10. In this passage of Scripture, the Apostle Peter visits the home of a gentile named Cornelius. Cornelius was a Gentile, a centurionin the Italian Regiment of the Roman Army. He rose in the ranks to command 100 Roman soldiers. Verse 2 of Acts chapter 10 tells us of Cornelius:
He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
Cornelius is not called a convert to Judaism. He is a Gentile who believed in the God of Israel and worshiped God as did his entire family.
According to the common law of the Jews at the time, it was illegal for a Jew to visit the home of a Gentile, let alone associate with one in public. But God had given Peter a vision in which God declared in Acts 10: 15
Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.
When Peter met Cornelius and his household and all the Gentile neighbors who had gathered, he told them about Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit came upon them, just as the Holy Spirit came upon the house in Jerusalem that was full of Jewish believes. They were praising God and speaking in tongues, just like on the Day of Pentecost.
Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” Acts 10:46-47
After this, Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire started following Jesus. Eventually, Jews and Gentiles in Coronado became followers of Jesus, and our congregation was established in the late 1800’s.
Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will bring a new revival to Coronado:
Almighty God, we pray that You will pour out Your Holy Spirit on Coronado. Please reveal Your Son, Jesus Christ to our community so that others may embrace Him as their Lord and Savior. Enable us, by you Holy Spirit to proclaim the love and salvation and forgiveness of Jesus to others. We pray all of this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor David
“Being Made Clean”
Last Sunday in our sermon series on the book of Acts, we spent time in chapter 10. In this chapter, the Apostle Peter has a vision from God in which the Lord tells Peter that God is making all foods clean. This is why we are now able to eat food that was once considered unclean or non-kosher in the laws of the Old Testament. Foods, such as pork and shellfish, have been declared clean by God. Foods that are a mix of meat and milk, such as cheeseburgers, lasagna, enchiladas, and beef stroganoff have also been declared clean by God.
But in Peter’s vision, God isn’t just making food clean. God is making people clean. Both Jews and Gentiles are being made clean by the blood of Jesus. Next Sunday, we’ll see how God prepared Peter through this vision to visit the home of a Gentile named Cornelius.
We have been made pure because of the blood of Jesus. Our hearts have been cleansed because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. And yet, we still struggle with sin.
Being tempted is not a sin. Giving in to temptation is a sin. When I was a high school student, an interim pastor of the church I grew up in, Rev. Loren Riddings, preached a sermon on temptation and sin that I have never forgotten. He said:
Temptation is when the bats are flying around in the belfry. Sin is when the bats settle down and make a nest.
Sometimes in the struggle with temptation we give in and engage in sin. Afterward, we are filled with remorse and guilt and shame. Sometimes we even wonder if our sins will be forgiven. And sometimes we long to be made clean and pure on the inside again.
At times like this we find comfort and hope in Scripture passages such as 1 John 1:8-9
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
God has made us clean and pure by the blood of Jesus that was shed for us on the cross. So, enjoy living the pure and clean and holy lives that Jesus has given you!
In Christ,
Pastor David