Drama Practice Saturday

This Sunday is Palm/Youth Sunday! You all have been working hard as you have prepared for this weekend. If you are involved in the “flag” part of the drama, there will be one more practice THIS Saturday at 11:00am at the church. Please anticipate the practice going for about an hour and a half. Be sure you are there if you are involved as a “flagger” for the drama on Palm Sunday.

 

Also, all participants in the drama Sunday need to be at the church by no later than 8:30 am on Sunday. We will be performing the drama in both services. And, wear jeans and a white t-shirt if you are flagging!!

 

See you this weekend!

Palm Sunday Drama Practice - THIS SUNDAY

Dear Parents,

 

This Sunday, the 21^st, we will be holding a practice for the drama that the youth are doing for Youth Sunday (Palm Sunday). It will be immediately following the second worship gathering. We will provide food for the students. Please have your child there as we are making every effort to make sure we perform with excellence Youth Sunday. You are welcome to stay and watch the practice as well!

 

Should last an hour to an hour and a half.

 

Thanks!

 

John

Why HE had to die.

Just returned home from another great meeting with my brother in Christ John Follman. In these meetings, John and I regularly discuss how BIG GOD is and (even though we try and make ourselves big) how small and frail we really are.
As I was making the 30 minute drive home (yeah it really is 30 minutes) with the radio turned off and in the quiet of my car, as always GOD began to speak to me. As I drove home, I thought about a commercial I saw on T.V. recently promoting a new program on the History Channel. The commercial informed me that the History Channel was going to try and uncover who in fact was responsible for the death of Jesus. The commercial went on to say that the History Channel would investigate those who played a major role in the crucifixion of Jesus and from that would try to reveal who in fact was responsible. Was it Judas' fault because of his love of money? Was it Pontus Pilate? Was it in fact the Pharisees who loved their own lives and refused to be born again?
I hate to burst the bubble of those at the History Channel but I must say that the person who was most responsible for the death of Jesus was none of those people. The person most responsible for the death of Jesus, was in fact....... Jesus. Isaiah 53:7 says, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet HE did not open HIS mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so HE did not open HIS mouth."
So I say to those of you at the History Channel know this: GOD knew that we would eventually make a wreck of our lives, so he sent his own son Jesus to die willingly as a sin offering for us. Jesus died willingly to bridge the gap between us and GOD. This was predestined before the world began. So as I write this post I am constantly meditating on I Peter 2:22-24 which says, "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at HIM he did not retaliate; when HE suffered, he made no threats. Instead He entrusted HIMSELF to HIM who judge justly. HE HIMSELF bore our sins in HIS body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by HIS wounds we have been healed."
So, my question to you now is this; Do you know HIM?

Important Meeting Tomorrow - Student Ministry

Dear Parents,

 

I hope all who went to Winter Jam had a great time! Thank you for your help in finding rides for students to attend.

 

We are having an important meeting regarding the direction of the Student Ministry tomorrow, Wednesday the 17^th. The meeting will start around 8:05pm/8:10pm in the Gym in the main building. We will be finishing the conversation started in our last meeting together.

 

See you there!

 

John

The runway at Winter Jam

Newsboys @ Winter Jam!

Winter Jam & Youth/Palm Sunday Drama

WINTER JAM THIS SATURDAY!!! Bring your permission forms this Wednesday. Arrive at the church at 12:45pm on Saturday. Bring $10 for ticket, and extra $ for food/CD’s/etc. Arriving back to Somerset hopefully by Midnight…

 

Also, this Wednesday the 10th, the youth will begin working on preparations for Youth Sunday on March 28^th. We are excited about the drama’s being done on both Youth/Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

 

See you here!

The Greatest of all time.

Recently I was just sitting around thinking about the greatest performers of all time in their respective fields. I thought about how my favorite football player of all time is Jerry Rice and how he was the greatest wide receiver off all time. I also thought about basketball and who might be the greatest player of all time. Many say that this is Michael Jordan but, as many of my friends would tell you, I believe "Magic" Johnson was the greatest of all time. Then their is baseball. Is it Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, I don't know.
In Mark chapter 9:33, Jesus disciples were arguing about who the greatest disciple was. In their minds they were trying to get an edge on who would be Jesus' right hand man. You see, in 63 B.C. the Roman general Pompey had led a Roman army into Jerusalem. As a result, the Romans now occupied Jerusalem. All their lives the disciples had heard about a Messiah that would come to save them and now he was here. In their minds Jesus had come to kick the Romans out of Israel and to set up his own kingdom. Even after repeated warnings about His future on the cross, Jesus' disciples still argued over who would be Jesus' right hand man and who would be the greatest in this new kingdom.
In a way, I think this describes all of us. We are constantly trying to make ourselves bigger and God smaller. The fact of the matter is, God is much bigger than all of us ever dreamed to be. In John chapter 1:19 we are introduced to a guy named John the Baptist. In this passage the Pharisees, (the religious leaders of the day) had sent priests and levites to question John the Baptist about who he was. In John 1:20 John the Baptist clearly states, "I am not the Christ." In this moment John the Baptist could have said, "Yep, I am the Christ bow down and worship my glory!" But, instead, John the Baptist gave up his 15 minutes of fame and chose to take a back seat to Jesus.
In John chapter 3 we see John the Baptist again. Now, John the Baptist, or John the Baptizer, was again doing business as usual baptising people. Until this time, John the Baptist had a virtual monopoly on baptizing. If you wanted to be baptized in these days, you went and saw John the Baptist. But now all of a sudden their shows up a new guy on the block and he is baptizing too. His name is Jesus. In verse 26, some of John the Baptist's disciples come to him throwing a fit saying, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan- the one you testified about- well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him!" I can just imagine the crossed arms and the anger in their voice when they said this. In other words, they wanted John the Baptist to go and tell Jesus to stop baptizing people. Baptizing was their monopoly and they owned it.
John the Baptist again chooses to take a back seat the Jesus' when he goes on to say, "You yourselves heard me say that I am not the Christ but was sent ahead of him. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, AND IT IS NOW COMPLETE! HE MUST BECOME GREATER AND I MUST BECOME LESS."John the Baptist could have had all the fame he ever wanted, but he chose to lay down his life for the advancement of someone far greater than himself, JESUS CHRIST.
In Matthew chapter 16:24 Jesus told HIS disciples, "If anyone would come after ME, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." So my question to you today is this: Who's greatness are we living for our's or Jesus'? Meet me in the upper room of the Eagle Heights Church student building this Wednesday night to learn more.