Envisioning our Future                               2/10/13

I hope that you have come in joy to your Father’s house today.  I hope that you hear God’s voice saying to you.  “This is my child, whom I love, “ Just as he said to Jesus that day on the mountain described for us in Mark 2.  Listen to God’s words to us in Galatians 3:26-29  26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

God has called each of us here today as his children.  He has united us as congregation.  He has plans for us.  How do we discover his plans for us?  We pray, we study the bible, and we work together.  Over the next several weeks, we will utilize the scripture to help us find the path that God has planned for us.  Congregationally, we will look to see what the Bible says the church should be about.  Individually, I hope that you will pray for God’s guidance in how you will use your gifts within our church.  Congregationally, we will meet to define the mission that God will lead us to.  It will be the perfect mission for this congregation because we are his children and he knows us.

The book of Acts tells the story of the early Church.

For 40 days the resurrected Christ had appeared to his followers.  He spoke to them about the Kingdom of God.  Then one day while he was among the followers he was taken up into heaven and the followers were left to establish the Church.  How did they begin this journey?  What were the Acts of the Church?  What was the Church’s mission?

Listen to what the church does after Jesus is taken into heaven.

Acts 1:12-14

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk[a] from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

As a congregation we continue to meet together and we continue to pray together.  Take time during the  week to study the scripture and pray.  Listen for God’s guidance in regards to prayer and our mission as a church.  Let God’s plans begin to germinate in your heart!