Two New Things

Between now and the beginning of Advent I will be preaching two series that are new things for me. The first of these isn't really new since I have brushed against this subject over the past three weeks.  In September I want us to consider those God-sent things which are, by God's grace, available to us (even if we are undeserving).  This past Sunday we shared about how God writes us into His story, includes us in His plan and uses our weakness, failures, losses and struggles to steer us into a great plan way bigger than we are.  Now we will, for the next 4 weeks, look at God's gift of forgiveness (September 1st), how God's grace gives us sustenance (September 8th) , how God transforms us by molding us (September 15th) and how God enters our lives even in mundane things like our work (September 22nd).

During this time there will be another thing available.  I will be filling the trough in the Prayer Garden so that any who would like to be baptized will be able to either be baptized for the 1st time or remember their baptism.  Let me know if you would be interested in this act of submission and this opportunity to partake of one of the means of God's grace.  

From the end of September to the beginning of Advent (December 1st, 2019) we will embark on a sermon series based on Bob Buford's book, Half Time, Moving from Success to Significance.  There is a quote from this book that reminds me that God has a great plan in which I will find the meaning, purpose and significance my heart longs for.  Vaclav Havel said, "The real test of a man is not when he plays the role he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him."  For a Christian, peace, purpose, value, centeredness, contentedness and true goodness do not come when we "find our passion."  These things come from finding God's plan and road map for our lives.  These things happen when we jump into the things God is passionate about!  When we find this beautiful thing, I believe a whole new world opens up.  Paul's "new creation" and Isaiah's "new thing" do not flow from the passions so easily directed by this world and our own inner desires.  It is when our passions are given in submission to and amplified by God that the door to our destiny is opened.  For God's destiny for us and God's plan for us is, I believe, so much bigger than the idol we often call "passion."

I hope you will journey with me and maybe even get a copy of this book.  The book can be found on Amazon by clicking this link. I hope we can seek and find God's plan together and realize that Paul (2 Cor. 5:17) was right ... "Therefore if anyone is in Christ the new creation has come: the old creation has gone and the new is here!"  I look forward to new things with you!  Randy