Weekly Word: Dec. 11th

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~ Peace

From Luke 2:13-14 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of Heavenly host praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

In a world that seems to be filled with more violence and chaos than peace, allow God to be your peace! Therefore, whatever circumstances you are facing, find rest this week in the peace of Christ.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

“In what area’s of your life do you feel the deepest need for God’s Peace? Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you.” 2 Thess. 3:16

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Dec. 4th

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The Star Leads to Love

The second Sunday of Advent signifies love and reminds us that Jesus was sent to us because of God’s great love for us! Over the next few weeks of December, follow the star with us as it leads us on a journey to love. Let the reality that God’s love came crashing into our world permeate your life this week.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.” When do you feel most loved by others & by God?  And listen to what Ephesians 3:17-19 says “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Nov. 27th

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~ Advent

More than two thousand years ago, a star burst through the darkness and signaled the long awaited but still unexpected birth of a savior. Today another star shines, piercing the darkness of our lives with hope, love, joy, and peace. His name is Jesus and His light shines drawing us into a journey to follow Him.

Advent is a season that is officially observed in many churches. The four weeks before Christmas are set aside as a time of expecting, waiting, and preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. The term advent means “coming.” However, advent is not an extension of Christmas! It’s a season that links the past, present, and future. Advent offers the longing for the coming of the messiah, to celebrate His birth, and to be alert for His second coming!

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Nov. 20th

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Jesus Understands ~

Hebrews 4:15 Jesus has been tempted in all things as we are.

Sometimes we face situations that nobody else could possibly understand. We think to ourselves, I’m all alone & no one cares how I feel. However, Jesus does! When we pour out our hearts to Him, and present our feelings. He carefully listens & He knows what it is like to be abondoned, betrayed, and even face death. Yes he cares for you and has been tempted like you and promises to be with you through any situation in life. Bottom line; Jesus understands what your struggling with! He gets you to the finish line.

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Nov. 13th

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Teachable

Matthew 18: 2 Except you become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven.

Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when He said become as little children? He meant you must be teachable. If you are teachable, you are reachable. If you’re hungry for God’s word you have a future. A child is dependant! Jesus said without me you can do nothing. All we do of lasting value is because we are dependant on Him. Notice also that a child is trusting: It never occurs to them to wonder if their needs will be met – they’ve learned to trust.

It’s been said, if we use God as a first resort, we wouldn’t have to use Him as a last resort!

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Nov. 6th

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Psalms 91:2

The Lord is our refuge & fortress, He’s our protection and our help in a crisis.

But at the same time we need to do our part to keep our church and our members safe. We are updating our strategies for safety during our services and will do everything possible to be ready in case of any emergency situation. We will have special training in the near future to be better prepared and able to handle any crisis.

So be at peace, God is good, and we are using common sense to combat the crazy world we live in!

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Oct. 30th

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God Knows Your Name

When we see a flock of sheep, we see exactly that… a flock, all alike. Not so with a shepherd; to him every sheep has a story, every face has a name. When we see a crowd we see exactly that, a crowd filling a stadium or a church. Not so with Jesus; to Him each one of us has a story and each one has a name!

This means what matters to you, matters to Him. You might think that’s true when it comes to the big stuff like death, sickness, and disasters. On the contrary, He also cares about the small things in life like your concerns, emotional pain, & the heavy burdens you carry day to day. Please understand this, we are God’s children through Jesus Christ, we really are! Take your concerns & give them to Jesus, put them on the cross. Receive His peace and allow Him to lead you because he really does care about everything that encompasses you!

John 10:3 He calls His own sheep by name, and leads them….

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Oct. 23rd

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Be Generous

Romans 12:8 If it is to encourage, then give encouragement, if it’s giving then give generously; God didn’t say you had to be rich to give, He just said you had to be generous. It’s interesting what Jesus noticed. He noticed a widow who put two copper coins into the alms box and said she gave more than all the others because she had given her all.

Sometimes we excuse our hard heartedness by saying, “if the want money, let them go out and work for it like I did.” I agree, we must not reward laziness, but all around us are people who did nothing other then be born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many of them don’t want a handout, they want a hand-up.

Today be sensitive to His voice when He speaks to you about ministering to others. For what you make happen for others He will make happen for you!

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Oct. 16th

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Amnesia

Deut. 8:11 Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord ~

I remember reading this story and it made great sense to me, I hope you’ll enjoy it. A spider dropped a single strand down from the barn rafter and began to weave his web. Months went by and the web grew. His elaborate maze caught flies, mosquitoes and other small insects, providing the spider with a rich diet. Eventually it became the envy of all the other spiders. Then one day the spider noticed a single stand stretching up into the rafters. I wonder why it’s up there, It doesn’t catch any dinner? Concluding it was unnecessary, he climbed as high as he could and severed it. In a moment, the entire web began to fall in upon itself tumbling to the floor, taking the spider with it.

Could we as people make the same mistake? Can a country, a family, or even a church spin a web and then sever it? Can we grow so successful & strong, so self sufficient that we forget the strong strand that supports us. A bold portion of our population stares at the strand of faith upon which our country, family, and church hangs on and asks; why is that there? We’re not the first country to suffer from amnesia. Israel did it too, and Moses warned them: “Beware in your plenty you don’t forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands.” Keep Him first in all you do, in the good times & the bad, & you’ll be Blessed!

~ Pastor Turner

Weekly Word: Oct 8th

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Jesus Understands

Hebrews 4:15

Jesus was tempted in all things as we are.

Well intended friends sometimes say, I know how you feel. However deep down we think, no you really don’t, but Jesus does! He was tempted in all things as we are, so He can interpret and present our feelings to God the Father, and He does. On the other hand Jesus was without sin, so how can He really feel my sin the way I do? In fact He can because of His purity, He actually feels the pain of our sin much more than we do.

In conclusion, Jesus’ separateness from and sensitivity to sing, actually increases His ability to sympathize with us. Bottom line – Jesus understands what you’re struggling with.

~ Pastor Turner