CCOG Newsletter
Weekly Updates
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Reflections from Pastor Jennifer
Your mission - you should choose to accept it - is to go, teach others what Jesus commanded, and baptize (convert and cover) people into the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I would imagine that going on a secret mission is both scary and exciting. On secret missions, there is a definite outcome - the bad guy is defeated, the good guy wins. The mission of God is somewhat different. God's measure of success is not winning or losing, it is faithfulness. Are we faithfully following the path to which He has called us? Are we teaching and making disciples as we go about our day? Are we being Church - the ecclesia, the called out ones? Are we mission minded and on the move? Or are we waiting in fear of the past, present, or future? Remember the order of mission that Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8 - they would receive power after the Holy Spirit indwelled them, then they would be witnesses. We are never asked to go alone. Behold, Emmanuel - God is with us.
OCC
This month, we are collecting toys and hobby items. No toy guns, army-type toys, or breakable toys are allowed. Hobby items may include sewing kits, fishing gear, small tool kits, etc. It is the goal for each child to have one of these items, so please give generously.
March Focus
For the month of March, our focus is on the discipline of prayer. We will be having special prayer during services and using our prayer journals. We will also have a special time of prayer on Friday, March 29. We will gather at the church at 6:30pm in order to go on a prayer walk around our community. Make plans to join us. Resources are available on the church website, as well.
FSM
Our next communal meal is this Sunday! On March 3rd, we will be having First Sunday Meal after our Sunday morning service. Plan to stay for lunch as we fellowship together. Bring food and friends with you.
Easter Movies
Easter Breakfast
Come on Sunday, March 31st to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! Meal and devotions will take place in the fellowship hall. A sign-up sheet will be provided for you to be able to contribute to the meal. Bring every person you know who will not be going to their home church on Easter Sunday.
What God Commands, God Enables.
In the ‘money’ verses ( Matthew 22:37-38 NIV) - Jesus replied: “'Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.”
There are 613 laws in the Old Testament. And people who are committed to religion are concerned that they are covering as many of them as possible. So, it’s not surprising that some are looking to leverage their legalism, to position themselves strategically by making sure they cover the most important commandments. They ask Jesus, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
And Jesus comes back to them with two! But He equates them. Love God full out. And love others benevolently.
Now, there are a few crucial bits for us in this context. Here goes:
It starts like this: love God full out. That sounds impossible (‘but what is impossible with people is possible with God!’). And in some ways it epitomizes the challenge of following God. This is as far from religion as you can shake a stick at. Here is a command that is impossible. There is no way that you can obey that. And, of course, this means that you’re disobeying God. And that means you will be judged by God for your disobedience.
The bottom line on this one is that if this is the paradigm, then God is mean-spirited. Yes, you read that accurately. What kind of God commands you to obey the impossible and then punishes your disobedience? Mean-spirited.
But we know that God is good (there are lots of Bible reading series here that you can check out). What’s the application here? Because God is good, what God commands, God enables. Did you get that?
What God commands, God enables.
So, when He commands us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, then He enables us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind. ‘He enables’. How?
Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit can neutralize our natural inclination to act selfishly and fill us so that our default actions and reactions are to do what is pleasing to God. Among other things? Loving God with all our heart, soul, mind.
But how can you tell that someone loves God full out like this? Simple. They love their neighbor like themselves. How we love our neighbor manifests the love that we have for God.
The take-away today? Get filled with Holy Spirit so that we can love God full out and then we’ll love others like ourselves, (super)naturally.