Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (1.10.14)

Hey there Church of the Way!

I hope you've had a great week (and stayed warm)!  This Sunday, we kick off a brand new 3-week series called "Rich People."  We're going to look at what it means to be rich and talk about some of the habits of the wealthy.  We might just find that some of the financial habits at the gurus say are best today have been around for thousands of years.  Perhaps God will even redefine what we think of being 'rich.'  This is a great series to invite friends to that are looking to get a handle their finances in the New Year.

Also, remember we've got Family Promise coming up on Jan. 19.  We won't host families again until December, so let's take this opportunity to love on those in our community that don't have a home.  In the cold months like this, it's especially important how important this ministry is.  You can contact Jim Ramsdail or Kim Navarro to sign up

Thought for the Week
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you."  Acts 1:8

As you know, I've been in Washington, DC all week working on my doctorate at Wesley Theological Seminary.  I'm still not quite used to the landscape in DC.  It's weird to walk by buildings knowing that decisions are being made in those buildings that will literally impact every person on the planet.  I also know that there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes in those buildings that we don't know and wouldn't understand.  There are a lot of people with a lot of power there.  But it's not really power.  It's a limited control.  Every politician, military officer, coach, teacher, CEO, or bully that thinks they have power really has a little power.  It won't last.  They'll die.  Things will change.  Power is not bad.  It can be used for good or bad.  It strikes me that we forget the power that God has granted us.  We're playing with a stacked deck.  The power of the Holy Spirit lives in us.  This is the power to defeat death, the power to end addiction, the power to give victory over sin, the power of love to trump evil, the power of forgiveness to win over hurt, the power to heal the brokenhearted.  This is true power.  And these are the things that matter.  Know that as you go through life you are not powerless.  The power of the Holy Spirit lives within you.  It is the power that rose Jesus from the dead.  And...IT.  IS.  IN.  YOU.  Tap into it.

In Christ,

Carter 

Sunday Preview & Thought for the Week (12.5.13)

I hope you're having a great (rainy) week!  It's starting to look and smell like Christmas around my house, and that's certainly the season at Church of the Way.  This Sunday, I hope you'll get into the spirit as we continue to talk about getting from Christmas what we really need in the series "White Elephant."  This week, we'll be talking about 'Good News.'  I'm looking forward to sharing that news with you!

Thought for the Week
"For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat...I was a stranger and you took Me in."  Matthew 25:35

This time of year I get a lot of calls about whether or not we're sponsoring families.  Sometimes LIFE Groups are able to help.  Simply, there are lots of people in need in our community, and the holidays bring that to light.  This coming Sunday we start another week of hosting homeless families through Family Promise of Gwinnett.  We'll be sharing in hosting them with our sister church, New Hope UMC.  It's a big job.  There are lots of things that have to be done and lots of volunteer spaces that must be filled.  But it's a week...to help families...who don't have a home.  It's children who sleep in Sunday School rooms every night.  It's moms that don't have a stove to cook their kids a meal on.  It's families that don't have a Christmas tree because they don't have a corner to put one.  And all God needs from me is to cook a meal, share some fellowship, set-up some beds, or sleep overnight?  And when I do that, I'm not just ministering to people, but Jesus said I'm ministering to Him?  That sounds like a no-brainer.  There is no relationship with God that isolates us from community.  Relationship with God means a relationship with others, for we are all made in God's image.  So, when we serve others, we serve God.  When we love others, we love God.  When we feed others, we feed God.  When we welcome others, we welcome God.  There are lots of ways to serve others this Christmas season, and Family Promise is a simple and profound way to do that.  Let's be a people who take seriously our relationship with God by serving the ones made in His image.  You can find out what opportunities there are to serve in Family Promise by contacting Jim Ramsdail or Kim Navarro.

In Christ,

Carter