For scheduling your appointment please go to this link and sign-up for a picture time that would work well for your schedule.

As always, you can sign up in the foyer during service times.

For everyone who signs up for a free portrait session, they will receive a free 8×10 picture with no obligation.

However, if you would like to take advantage of some Life-touch’s great picture packages, they encourage you to bring things to your session like people you would like in your pictures, pets, and even props. (violins, basketballs, etc)

Also, in support of our new ministry “Feed the Need”, Life-touch will give each family a $5.00 coupon towards a picture package, who brings a can good or dry good for that ministry. They will also donate $1.00 per family who sits for a directory picture towards this needful ministry.

Thanks for your part in our church family!

Jesus said, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37)

Do we believe that? As individuals? As a nation? As a church? God is all-powerful and yet, sometimes we choose to believe that the problem that we are facing in life is too hard for God to solve. Or we have convinced ourselves that the darkness of the sin that we have committed is too dark for God to forgive. But the verse is still found in our Bibles today and the truth still rings true, “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.”

Maybe 2012 is the year for you to give up trying to solve every problem yourself. The year to remove the pressures of life from off your shoulders and placed upon the shoulders of the Almighty God, who not only has the power to change things, but also has the love and care to carry those burdens for you. When looking at the pressures, the failures, and the scars of your life stacked up against you, it may seem an impossible feat. And in our own strength, it is. But allow this year to be one of victory by the power of God, and not a defeat of our own! 2012…Nothing Impossible!

For those of you who have graduated from High School and are in your still under 30 there is a Sunday morning bible study for you. We study and discuss bible topics that apply to college and career age. Living as a Christian is amazing when you live in the knowledge and truth of the Word. Come be a part as we explore God’s Word together.

In Psalm 146 we find an amazing admonition to relish in trust of our Almighty God! Our God is truly an Awesome God! Unlike the ruler in this world, our God will never loose His power to help us nor His pleasure in us.

Notice verse 5, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:”

As our trust in God develops over time, our Christian life will begin to accumulate tools for our spiritual toolbox.

1. The wonderful truth of happiness is that it is really connected with God. God’s blessings will bring a happy heart.

2. Have you ever been without help? It is terrible to be in need and have no help. Obviously our happiness comes from God’s help He extends to us. The psalmist said “this I know, for God is for me.”

3. Hope means to “look forward with desire and confidence”. Have you given God your tomorrows? Do you anticipate God’s hand throughout your future? Are you interested in His divine, miraculous providence of the seemingly mundane?

A person who has God as their hope will find God’s amazing help. This person will find themselves ambushed by happiness.

People today will cite progress, freedom from repression, and a discarding of “antiquated ideas in this post-Christian era” as they strongly push to expose their core beliefs and what should be acceptable upon society. The movement for this has been slow and steady towards an environment that will accept the open and free lifestyle choice of any, except one; biblical Christianity.

Please don’t misunderstand, the “world” that does not know Jesus Christ as Redeemer has and will always act according to their own carnal nature. It is a pathway that will always degenerate towards the dark and base sides of humanity. The problematic issue I see is that those who espouse Christ as Savior are seemingly allowing the philosophy of this “present world” to direct their world-view and behavior.

Even from the pulpits (or teacher’s stand) men who should be firmly committed to giving a clear direction as to the path for Christian people in unclear times are themselves finding it hard to chart these murky waters of “being in the world but not of the world”. Pastors read very little today compared to previous generations. The influence upon a pastor’s heart will always filter over to the congregation.

So instead of allowing the slow and steady change in our cultures entertainment to continue to take your mind down a path of unbiblical ideals, allow this principle to be applied as God truly intended in Isaiah 28:10 “precept upon precept…line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”

Becoming that which God wants us to be is a long journey. This transition should be created, strengthened, added to, strengthened, and added to again. As we regularly give ourselves to be influenced by the precious Word of God we will see our lives being shaped into something different, something miraculous. Where once anger ruled, now peace rules. Where once wickedness controlled, now righteousness grows. A little here and a little there, allow yourself to be influenced more by God than what the world has to offer.

So here we find David, broken, defeated, ashamed. He wanted to find his way back to the joy he had in God. In Psalm 51 he requested that the Lord would give him again the Joy of his Salvation.

David had been tempted before, and he walked away from iniquity. When the joy of our salvation is lost, we begin to look at sin, temptation and worldliness differently. Once our heart no longer delights in Christ, we will gravitate toward the disease of our flesh: sin. The only true cure for a saved person living in depraved flesh, is a heart that embraces Christ, delights in Christ, longs for Christ. It is these people who enjoy life with God.

So David cries out in the midst of adultery and murder, Lord gives me again the Joy of Salvation!

So how can we keep our Joy?
1.  Appreciation is Necessary – A Thankful Christian begins with God but continues to others. This is a tell-tale sign of a heart of joy that we demonstrate appreciation to others.

2.  Action is Needful or Inescapable – When a person is full of Christ’s joy we seek for ways  to bring others into this joy.

3. Enthusiasm is Essential – Forcing a habit of enthusiasm is foundational for continued spirit joy.

Insulate your heart and life by fostering a thirst for the Joy of the Salvation of the Lord! It will be this simple gift that will enable us to endure the pull of this world has for us.

But sadly, we see in Luke chapter four a very different outcome for the returning carpenter’s son. As He gave them an introduction to His Divine ministry they reacted terribly. Instead of joy and support they gave Him anger and rejection. They even went so far as to attempt to kill Him by throughing Him off a cliff. But even though death was His future, it was not His time to die. The Lord released Himself from their hands and walked away. And I can imagine as the demonic fever wore off from the angry residents of Nazareth they were left in disbelief at how things spiraled out of control. Yet the damage was done. Jesus had gone. Never again do we see the Lord returning to accomplish some great miracles in His hometown.

With Nazareth in the distance, our Lord set His face to go to Capernaum. This city was nothing new to Him. He had been here before performing miracles. This city on the Northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee had no reason to open their hearts to the Lord but they did nevertheless! Demons were cast out (Demons who recognized the Lord’s deity more than any in His hometown ever would) sicknesses were healed and the message of repentance was preached.

Yes, Capernaum was a very different experience from Nazareth. However, these two cities were similar in many ways. They both were Jewish. Both were classified as Galileans. Both cities were very religious. Yet both reacted fundamentally different to Christ’s ministry. In your life, were do you reside? Do you fit in with those people who do not see God’s power or enjoy His richest blessings? Are you “too” familiar with Christ that His Word or Will is not held in adoration and respect?

Hopefully, you can better identify with the people of Capernaum! Considering Christ their hearts were open. When His blessings were given they were partakers!

Where do you live today?

Imagine his surprise when in walked his brothers searching to buy food from the great leader who had foreknown of the famine and prepared for it. They did not recognized him but he knew them! In the early verses of Chapter 45 he reveals himself to them and demonstrates more grace than we could conceive. But then he tells them to go to his father and let him know how God has blessed him. Now it was bad enough of a shock to these brothers to find themselves at the mercy of the one whom they had wickedly mistreated. This experience alone would have been most distressing (not to mention cause for cardiact arrest!). However, Joseph demonstrated such grace and mercy to them it helped to calm their terror.

BUT! Then they were sent to the one person they really did not want to explain this new turn of events. Do you remember the scene shortly after they sold their brother? The coat of many colors Joseph was given from his father was torn and colored with animals blood. It was with this awful object they displayed before the eyes of their father and painted a tragic tale of a gruesome death. Jacob morned his beloved son. The loss he felt was very real to him. Now it was their sad duty as repentant offenders to lay before their father what they were guilty of and plead for his forgiveness.

And so it can be for us if we do not show care in our lives. We may find ourselves making a similar journey to lay openly our offense before our Heavenly Father or a wronged loved one. Instead, live with integrity and always treat others in light of the truth that our actions, after years gone by can haunt us when we least expect it!