Friday, October 10, 2025

Greetings, Friends!

On this October day, we hear from Jesus' using the Message translation...
 
                "Say you're out on the street and an old enemy accosts you. Don't lose a minute. Make the first move; make things right with him. After all, if you leave the first move to him, knowing his track record, you're likely to end up in court, maybe even jail."  (Matthew 5: 25-26 MSG)  
 
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount can be daunting. Commands like "love your enemies" are impossible in our own strength. Only in God's power can we live up to Jesus' principles in Matthew 5-7.
   
But we still have responsibility, and today's scripture highlights one key: make the first move. Those four words are a paraphrase but an apt summary of various translations: "Agree with thine adversary quickly (King James Version); "Settle matters quickly with your adversary (New International Version); "Come to terms quickly with your accuser" (Amplified Bible, Classic Edition). Each of those verbs is directed toward us and implies making the first move.
   
Our sinful nature often resists that. The other guy wronged me, we may think. Why do I have to make things right? 
   
Well, we make the first move because it reflects what God does in our lives: God "demonstrates God's own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 NIV). The deeper our roots grow into Jesus, the further our grace spreads to others.
 
           Lord, empower me to make the first move. I want to reflect You in all I do. Amen.  
 
+++ We gather for worship on Sunday at 8:30am and 10:00am and this week we will hear the story of ten very sick men and one who returned to give thanks. In my message, "Much More Than Normal" I will talk about the difference between being cured and being healed. What are those differences and how can we explain them?  Let's talk about it on Sunday! As usual, we will stream the 10:00am service live on our Facebook page, and later upload the service to our YouTube page.

+++ Following worship, we will enjoy our Second Sunday Lunch ministry. We hope you are signed up to join us following the 10:00am worship service. 

+++ The church office will be closed on Monday, October 13th as we celebrate Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday, October 14th at 9:00am. 

+++ The deadline for articles for our November/December newsletter is Monday, October 20th. Please make sure all articles are in the office by that date so we can keep our publication schedule. Thanks! 

+++ The Healthy Aging class continues on Wednesday mornings in the Fireside Room. See Barb M. for more information about his class offering.  

+++ Our Fall Craft Show is coming up on October 24th and 25th. We hope to see you there with several of your friends. 
 
Make this day a great day and always be willing to make the first step.   
​Pastor Jack