When you move in a dark room or space, what do you need to see? Right! Light! Flashlights are way cool. But did you know that every day as you move through life, you have a powerful light that is better than any flashlight you could carry? Yes! It’s your inner light! A light that never dims and a light that God put there to show you the way. Jesus is the Light of the World… and we can sense his presence in our life, be open to God’s action in our life, and by listening to God’s word that lights our path, and your family and the family here at Cold Spring Church, you will always be heading in the right direction… toward the Light that is Jesus! So let your light shine! Your light matters.
“Words to live by”… Whenever we hear this phrase our ears perk up, hoping that what’s spoken next will benefit us, or bless us. This week during worship in the Red Brick Church, we will hear what many consider to be Jesus’ most famous “words to live by” from Matthew 5:1-12 and Micah 6:8. As we will discover in Pastor Kevin’s message, Neighbor-words Bless Our Neighborhoods, blessings are the results of corresponding actions, not words alone. It is not what Jesus said but what he did (words into action) that brought about the reconciliation of the world. Jesus didn’t just change the world, but saved the world. Each of us can turn words of blessing into actions that bless our neighborhoods.
‘The influence of good people makes a city great.
But the wicked can destroy it with their words’ (Proverbs 11:11 ICB).
This Week’s Actionables:
- When have you felt blessed by God? Why? What did that look and feel like? What changes did that blessing bring?
- What does it mean to you to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God? (All tangible actions.)
- What influence will you exercise in your life that will comfort others? Provide mercy? Include the “outsider”? Help someone experience God’s love in their life?
This is a great week to invite a friend or neighbor to worship with you. Once we were strangers, now we are neighbors and friends!
What we say, our words, really matter. When someone says something kid or welcoming to us we feel accepted, respected, and really good inside. Of course, words that are mean, judging, or unkind have an effect, too. It brings people down. It causes pain. So we want to be people of good words, because good words lead to good deeds. We want our words and our actions to build people up! Words have power. Use your power this week for good!
How much does it cost? We ask that question a lot. Of all the prices to be considered, $10.99, 2 for $5, $30/week, even 1 million dollars, the price that is uniquely preferred to any other is FREE! Everybody likes free!
A lot of the online services you probably use are free. Gmail is free. Facebook is free. Yahoo News is free. Buy one and get one free. Food delivery can be free. But increasingly, companies are trying to figure out how to start charging, at least for some services, some of the time. But once free is the norm, its hard to accept when its not. Researcher Russ Roberts of George Mason University found out how upset WWII vets remain with the Red Cross when they stopped offering donuts for free! Get the rest of the story, find out what free really costs, and how we can bravely follow Jesus in Pastor Kevin’s message from Luke 17:11-19, Neighborhood Free for All. What’s free may be worth everything to you, and certainly to our neighbors!
God has great plans for you! And it starts right where you are! God loves you just as you are!
Jesus loves us as we are whether we are near or far.
Teaching us to love and care, accepting neighbors everywhere.
Yes, Jesus loves us! Yes, Jesus loves us! Yes, Jesus loves us, exactly as we are.
How do you like your French fries? Hot and fresh, right? Sure! But you better eat them fast because it only takes a few minutes for those fresh fries to get soggy and absolutely inedible! This week at Cold Spring Church, we will discover that the only thing more challenging than delivering hot, fresh fries is delivering fresh expressions about Jesus (our mission). Pastor Kevin will introduce us to the challenges facing today’s on-demand services like Grubhub and Uber Eats in this week’s message titled: “Expressing the Good News…Soggy or Fresh?” from Acts 10:34-43. We’ll find out what Thomas Jefferson, drive-thru’s, and Grubhub have in common with our mission to deliver fresh expressions of the Gospel so that our neighbors get it’s spiritual nourishment hot and fresh!
In 1802, the first batch of French fries were made in America for Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States. He discovered the French way of deep frying cut, raw, potatoes when he was a diplomat to France years earlier. French fries remained an uncommon chef’s delicacy for a hundred years until drive-ins introduced the easy to handle French fries became a staple of the growing mobile lifestyle in the 1930’s. By the 1950’s perfectly hot, fresh French fries were enjoyed by families dining-in or in their car. Today’s drive-thru’s deliver fries fast enough to gobble down in minutes. Your Grubhub delivery guy may take upwards of 30 minutes to arrive at your house, and by that time, your French fries have morphed from super fresh to soggy! And there’s no more challenging food to deliver hot and fresh than humble French fries.
Of all the great things we do, there is something that we have that will never run out. What is that? It’s you! Your presence. Participation. Engagement. When you set your devices down for a minute and look up, the person you’re with is the most important person in the world…to you! Being with others is a fantastic way to learn, grow, and serve. Sure, we can do lots of things solo. But when we are together, spending time with God, reading the Bible, working on a project, sharing our thoughts and feelings, can create amazing memories that are shared, and shared again, and on and one. Let’s be brave this year and remember we are sharable’s!
How many times already this year (or Decade! Wow, can you believe it?!) have you shared good wishes of Happy New Year? Lots of times, I bet. Well, at Cold Spring Church, we are transforming a mere Happy into something amazing! For 2020, let’s embrace a Brave New Year! Why? Because we know that the Light of the World is shining brightly and God invites us into a new future, something much more than the ordinary, in 2020. This Sunday, January 5th, start 2020 with a welcoming, energizing worship.
Pastor Kevin’s message, Star Words, takes us on a journey to connect with Jesus, the Light of the World, as we join a brave team of individuals we refer to as the Three Wise Men. They, like us today, will follow the Jesus Star to inspire our brave new year ahead.
What has God revealed to you in your life in the light of Jesus Christ? Ther are possibilities ahead. New opportunities to grow. Learn. Share. Serve. Star Words this Sunday at Cold Spring Church… where an ordinary Happy New Year is transformed into a spiritual force-filled Brave New Year! (Read more about your Brave New Year- click here!)