A New Year: Back to the Beginning

The heart of Growing in Faith at FUMC is to encourage Believers to be in the Word on a regular basis. Hopefully, stimulating an appetite for more and a hunger to see His Word made flesh in your life. We went through the New Testament together, but Oh, there is so much more.

With the beginning of the New Year we're taking the blog posts Back to the Beginning: Genesis. 2017 will take us through Genesis, Exodus, Psalms, and Proverbs with a five day a week reading schedule and devotionals available here for each reading. We hope you will continue to join us and invite others in your circle of influence to come along.

Being in His Word is essential to spiritual growth and a vital life of prayer. After all, Scripture is how He speaks to us. Don't you want to know what He has to say to you?

Looking forward to a blessed New Year of increasing faith, peace, love, joy, and grace!

Grow Team

Christmas Day

Nativity Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7 and Isaiah 53

Share these readings with the family and friends you are gathered with today. Consider the great gift Jesus brought us on His birth day.

What can you give Him?

The Gift of Prayer: Intercession

“Your kingdom come, your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:10

Intercession, the act of coming before God on behalf of another or even for ourselves.

Jesus is our great Intercessor. He came to earth to intercede. Mediate forgiveness, healing, and peace between humanity and Father God. Scripture says He always lives to intercede (Hebrews 7:25), standing at the right hand of His Father (Romans 8:34).

As His disciples, His followers, we too have the privilege of interceding on behalf of ourselves, our loved ones, our community, the whole world. Jesus made the Way, by the power of the Holy Spirit, for us to intercede. We can be a part of making the way for His Kingdom to come now, His will to be done now, in the lives of those for whom we intercede.

Today, recognize your Intercessor, by praying for those who need His power, peace, healing and forgiveness in their lives. His Kingdom come, His will be done…

The Joy of the Plan

We both had decided that being single was just fine. We had our families, work, and our ministries. I told God that if it was His plan for me to marry, he would have to put that certain someone directly in my face.

And so, it happened at a ministry event. I patted a chair for him to sit down and enjoy the program and he took it as an invitation to come sit by me. 

We dated and spent time together, got engaged, and then found out he was sick. I’m pretty sure God knew all along and put us together just in time for the love and support to be there to carry us through the hard time to come. Chemo treatments, nausea, and fatigue, to name a few of the challenges.

But JOY… love that conquers all.

Love that makes life complete. Love that brings meaning to the journey of life. Joy that comes from following God’s plan. No matter the circumstances, we can choose daily to expose the joy or suppress it.

God had a plan for David and me but, more than that, God had a plan for all of us in this Babe in a manger. The Son who would come, in flesh, to show God’s love and redeem His people. JOY is in God’s love for us. JOY is in God’s plan that saves us.

Thank you, God, for the plan you had all along and for allowing me to see the truth, the goodness, and the wisdom of the plan. As James said, I count it all JOY!

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way,

consider it an opportunity for great joy.

James 1:2 

I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me.

Psalm 71:23

Linda Powell

Joyful News

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; I bring you Good News of great joy

that will be for all the people.”

Luke 2:10

Have you ever noticed the different responses you see in faces when you comment: Christmas is just around the corner? Some faces frown and respond: So much to do, in too little time. Too many requests from charities. Too many gifts to buy. So little resources! What do all these faces lack? The remembrance that this is Advent, a time which should be filled with joyful expectancy as we await the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child. The One who has brought joy into my life and all who know Him.

On a night, long ago, the angels sang: I bring you Good News of great joy! A song sung to all people. Let’s lay down our negatives, our joy-less faces, our prejudices. Let your heart be filled with joy… not materialistic fleeting joy, but the true joy that comes through Jesus Christ. The angel’s message brings abiding joy… the Messiah has been born. When Jesus was born, He brought to earth everlasting salvation and love. The angel’s song, the joyous words, I bring you God News of great joy which shall be to all people.

My life has been so filled with His love, guidance, protection, and faithfulness. What is my gift to the newborn King? Mary the mother of Jesus said Yes to the angel without hesitation when told it was God’s plan for her to be chosen as mother of the Christ Child. She gave herself! My prayer is that I may be selfless as the mother of Jesus and be willing to follow His leadership, serve as He leads, and say Yes without hesitation to His bidding.

Choose this Advent Season to have the face of joy, joy that lasts. Be filled with joyful expectancy of the gift of the Christ Child. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Our Father, may the everlasting love and joy brought to his earth

at Jesus’s birth be ours throughout this Holy Season. Amen.

Thought for the day: Jesus is everlasting joy!

Helen Drummond