Dear Emmanuel Family & Friends,
A few words
It's hard to believe that it's already 2015, but it came without our permission or preparedness (or lack of preparation!). Time does that. It moves forward regardless of how we feel about it.
God has given each of us the same number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years as everyone else. How we choose to invest our time is an indicator of what we really believe about ourselves, others and God. I want to encourage you to pray about how you will invest that priceless commodity known as “time” in the year ahead. We can't alter how we spent last year, but we can decide how we'll use our time in the days ahead.
Please join us for at least one of the 15 prayer slots during the Week of Prayer next week. We'll meet Monday through Friday at 7:15 am, 12:15 pm or 7:15 pm each day for 30 minutes each time. We'll seek the Lord together for His direction, His blessing, His empowerment and a growing awareness of His presence among us. Seeking the Lord together is a wonderful investment of the time He's given us. Hopefully you'll be able to join us.
After-Words
Luke 5:1-11 is the account of the calling of Peter, James and John to follow Jesus and become “fishers of people.” These men left everything to become disciples of Jesus. They literally gave themselves to the Lord. Although they stumbled at times as they walked with Jesus, they grew in their understanding of His character, His love and the way He lived life. Though they were uneducated and ordinary people like you and me, God used them to help transform the world for eternity.
Jesus still wants us! He came to the people that He created because He loves us. The fruit that we bare for Jesus is a by-product of His Spirit working in and through us. The greatest gift that we can give Jesus is to surrender our lives to Him because we love Him in response to His love for us. Nothing held back.
If you still have questions about what it means to know and walk with Jesus, please give one of the pastors a call so that we might have a conversation with you. We're on this journey of walking with Jesus with you. We're still growing and learning with you along the way.
Fore-Words
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Epiphany. We will be studying Matthew 2:1-12, where wise men (magi) from the East came to bring precious gifts to Jesus. Although these men were non-Jewish astrologers (a practice forbidden in the Old Testament), God used them to remind us that He came for all people, of all cultures and lands. God's heart is for the nations of the world and all people to know and worship Him. He invites us to be a part of His plan for His Kingdom to continue to unfold locally and around the world.
Please pray for all three services this coming Sunday (9:30 & 11:15 am and the Connection at 6:00 pm.)
Trying daily to surrender all of me to all of Him,
Lou