Christmas 2011
Merry Christmas! Here are some Christmas Day thoughts for you. So grab some coffee in your new cup, sit back and relax as we bring the Christmas day message to you!
Truly may your day be full of light, love and light!
Pastor Monty
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Self Forgetfulness
Today as we journeyed a bit into chapter 2 of Philippians, we looked at this incredible invitation of grace God gives us…from His goodness…so every person regardless of their past or present might enter the incredible dance of God. Many people were asking me about the video clip I used to demonstrate this incredible dance (perichoresis) of God that He invites us into, as well as the clip of the Apollo 8 flight where humans saw the full scope of the earth for the first time.
Here is a link to the message from today: http://www.svaonline.org/connect-and-grow/messages-and-podcasts/item/341-poured-out
And below are the videos…
Poured out study week 3 take home sheet
Grace and peace…Monty
Benediction Prayer
I have been receiving numerous requests for the Benediction prayer I read last Sunday at SVA. Our Sunday message/conversation was dealing with humility and leadership as we looked through ACTS 21. In the benediction, I read a prayer from a Christmas card that was very powerful…Here it is for those who wanted it, and for those who didn't hear it, enjoy!
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What to Ask God For
I asked God to take away my pride, and God said no. He said it was not for him to take away, but for me to give up.
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said, "No, her spirit is already whole. Her body is only temporary."
I asked God to grant me patience, and God said no. He said that patience is the byproduct of tribulation. It isn't granted; it's earned.
I asked God to give me happiness; God said no. He said he gives blessings; happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain, and God said no. He said I must grow on my own, but he will prune me in order to make me fruitful.
I asked God if he loved me, and God said yes. He gave me his only Son who died for me, and I will be in heaven some day because I believe.
I asked God to help me love others as much as he loves me, and God said, "Ahhh, finally! Now you have the idea."
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Dei Gratia
Monty
I Am Not Alone…
Loneliness is crippling.
Loneliness can descend on us even in the midst of a room full of people…it has a sense of being unknown, unwanted, rejected or misunderstood. Mother Theresa noted that -Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.
Loneliness also doesn't simply appear quickly, it is a slow process which numbs our God-awareness and disconnects us from relationships. When life doesn't flow in the way that we desire, or in a way that we understand, it is easy to become discouraged…when discouragement visits, he brings along some other friends that really wreck havoc in our souls.
BUT…in those times, even in the moments that we feel God is distant, unaware, or unconcerned…the reality is that He is there, and He is always up to something.
Join me at the Journey Experience @SVA this weekend to see what God might be up to, and where He is working when we get discouraged, depleted and disengaged from life…the truth of God's involvement will bring hope and faith.
Dei Gratia,
Monty