Pastor's Thoughts https://www.potomachills.org Latest News Mon, 18 Mar 2024 23:52:40 -0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ Heart Prep for Sunday, March 17th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-17th_2 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-17th_2#comments Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:00:00 -0400 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-17th_2 A quick reminder that there is an open house/reception at the Rist House tomorrow (Friday, March 15) from 4-6:30pm, with a devotional and prayer time at 5:30pm.  I’d encourage you to spend some time with your church family as we grieve together the passing of Iris Dillard.  And we grieve not so much for her death, because she is alive and rejoicing with her savior, but for our loss.  Thankfully, we grieve with a sure hope in Christ Jesus for a joyous reunion in heaven.

It's in times like these that we spend a lot of time praying.  So, it is fitting that we’re going to be looking at the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:5-15 this Sunday.  It’s a prayer that most of us are familiar with, and many of us know it by heart.  But that familiarity can mean that we no longer hear its instruction to us.  As we prepare for worship this Sunday, I’d encourage you to pray the Lord’s Prayer, to take your time and meditate on each of the petitions.  I think that we’ll find it profitable as we grieve together, for it directs our eyes not toward ourselves and our loss, but to God.  And so, come ready this Sunday to see how we are directed and blessed by the instruction of the Lord’s Prayer.

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A quick reminder that there is an open house/reception at the Rist House tomorrow (Friday, March 15) from 4-6:30pm, with a devotional and prayer time at 5:30pm.  I’d encourage you to spend some time with your church family as we grieve together the passing of Iris Dillard.  And we grieve not so much for her death, because she is alive and rejoicing with her savior, but for our loss.  Thankfully, we grieve with a sure hope in Christ Jesus for a joyous reunion in heaven.

It's in times like these that we spend a lot of time praying.  So, it is fitting that we’re going to be looking at the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:5-15 this Sunday.  It’s a prayer that most of us are familiar with, and many of us know it by heart.  But that familiarity can mean that we no longer hear its instruction to us.  As we prepare for worship this Sunday, I’d encourage you to pray the Lord’s Prayer, to take your time and meditate on each of the petitions.  I think that we’ll find it profitable as we grieve together, for it directs our eyes not toward ourselves and our loss, but to God.  And so, come ready this Sunday to see how we are directed and blessed by the instruction of the Lord’s Prayer.

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Heart Prep for Sunday, March 10th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-10th_2 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-10th_2#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2024 12:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-10th_2 Thanks to everyone who continues to pray for and provide for Joanne.  We are overwhelmed and amazed by your kindness.

This Sunday we come to one of many teachings of Jesus, that, truth be told, we would probably rather not hear.  Jesus takes the teaching of the Pharisees and turns it on its head.  But He does it in an arena that is up close and personal.  He challenges our actions when we’ve been wronged, when we’ve been insulted, when we’ve been offended, when we’ve been taken advantage of, when we’ve been imposed upon in some unjust manner. 

Now, we don’t like any of those things (at least, I don’t), and so, how do we usually respond?  We get back, we get even, we get revenge, we retaliate, we reject, we get justice (at least, what we think is justice).  And Jesus tells us that we’re just doing what’s expected, but He wants us to do what’s unexpected.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Matthew again this week (Matthew 5:38-48) with another hard saying of Jesus.  And, as we should come to expect, there’s a lesson here that goes well beyond simply doing what’s right and wrong.  Jesus calls us to live “the unexpected Christian life,” and as always, it’s way easier said than done.  Pray that we all listen carefully this Sunday.  And since it’s the time change this Sunday, I’ll see you bright and early, Dr. Dave

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Thanks to everyone who continues to pray for and provide for Joanne.  We are overwhelmed and amazed by your kindness.

This Sunday we come to one of many teachings of Jesus, that, truth be told, we would probably rather not hear.  Jesus takes the teaching of the Pharisees and turns it on its head.  But He does it in an arena that is up close and personal.  He challenges our actions when we’ve been wronged, when we’ve been insulted, when we’ve been offended, when we’ve been taken advantage of, when we’ve been imposed upon in some unjust manner. 

Now, we don’t like any of those things (at least, I don’t), and so, how do we usually respond?  We get back, we get even, we get revenge, we retaliate, we reject, we get justice (at least, what we think is justice).  And Jesus tells us that we’re just doing what’s expected, but He wants us to do what’s unexpected.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Matthew again this week (Matthew 5:38-48) with another hard saying of Jesus.  And, as we should come to expect, there’s a lesson here that goes well beyond simply doing what’s right and wrong.  Jesus calls us to live “the unexpected Christian life,” and as always, it’s way easier said than done.  Pray that we all listen carefully this Sunday.  And since it’s the time change this Sunday, I’ll see you bright and early, Dr. Dave

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Heart Prep for Sunday, February 25th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-25th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-25th#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-25th Thanks to everyone who has continued to pray for and provide for Joanne. It is much appreciated. She started physical and occupational therapy this week, but it’s very slow until she can start bearing weight on that leg. So, we’re still taking things a week at a time.

This Sunday we come to the second of many scenes where something Jesus does is challenged. Once again, we find ourselves in a “letter of the law” versus “the spirit of the law” contest. And once again, Jesus responds in a surprising and unexpected way (He keeps doing that!).

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Luke again this week (Luke 6:1-11) with a story of Jesus intentionally healing a man on the Sabbath. And, as we should come to expect, there’s a lesson here that goes well beyond healing another person. And in order to fully understand these lessons, we need the eyes of faith (“spiritual discernment” – 1 Cor. 2:10-16). Pray for that to happen this Sunday. See you then, Dr. Dave

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Thanks to everyone who has continued to pray for and provide for Joanne. It is much appreciated. She started physical and occupational therapy this week, but it’s very slow until she can start bearing weight on that leg. So, we’re still taking things a week at a time.

This Sunday we come to the second of many scenes where something Jesus does is challenged. Once again, we find ourselves in a “letter of the law” versus “the spirit of the law” contest. And once again, Jesus responds in a surprising and unexpected way (He keeps doing that!).

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Luke again this week (Luke 6:1-11) with a story of Jesus intentionally healing a man on the Sabbath. And, as we should come to expect, there’s a lesson here that goes well beyond healing another person. And in order to fully understand these lessons, we need the eyes of faith (“spiritual discernment” – 1 Cor. 2:10-16). Pray for that to happen this Sunday. See you then, Dr. Dave

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Heart Prep for Sunday, March 3rd https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-3rd_2 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-3rd_2#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-march-3rd_2 March is upon us already! It’s hard to believe, but we’re only about a month away from Palm Sunday and Easter! If you haven’t already, please mark down that we’re going to be having a Good Friday service at 6:30pm on March 29th at Harper Park Middle School. It is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts to rightly celebrate Easter.

And as we march our way through Jesus’s life, we won’t quite get to Jesus’s death and resurrection by Easter. But over the next 4 weeks, we are going to get to Jesus’s famous Sermon on the Mount. This week, we’ll be just taking the first 12 verses of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, looking at the Beatitudes.

Now most of us have a passing familiarity with these words of blessedness. But I would bet that most of us have taken them to a list of things that we ought to do and be. We need to be poor in spirit, meek, and pure of heart. But I would encourage you to focus on the word that is repeated over and over again: “Blessed”. To prepare for worship this Sunday, I encourage you to spend time meditating on what it means to be blessed. I’d also encourage you to spend some time with the standard Old Testament beatitude found in Numbers 6:24-26. Hopefully, when we come to the Word this Sunday, we’re going to see how we are blessed in Christ Jesus far more than we can possibly imagine. See you then!

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March is upon us already! It’s hard to believe, but we’re only about a month away from Palm Sunday and Easter! If you haven’t already, please mark down that we’re going to be having a Good Friday service at 6:30pm on March 29th at Harper Park Middle School. It is a wonderful way to prepare our hearts to rightly celebrate Easter.

And as we march our way through Jesus’s life, we won’t quite get to Jesus’s death and resurrection by Easter. But over the next 4 weeks, we are going to get to Jesus’s famous Sermon on the Mount. This week, we’ll be just taking the first 12 verses of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, looking at the Beatitudes.

Now most of us have a passing familiarity with these words of blessedness. But I would bet that most of us have taken them to a list of things that we ought to do and be. We need to be poor in spirit, meek, and pure of heart. But I would encourage you to focus on the word that is repeated over and over again: “Blessed”. To prepare for worship this Sunday, I encourage you to spend time meditating on what it means to be blessed. I’d also encourage you to spend some time with the standard Old Testament beatitude found in Numbers 6:24-26. Hopefully, when we come to the Word this Sunday, we’re going to see how we are blessed in Christ Jesus far more than we can possibly imagine. See you then!

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Heart Prep for Sunday, February 18th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-18th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-18th#comments Tue, 13 Feb 2024 17:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-18th Thanks to everyone who’s been praying and providing for Joanne.  It is much appreciated.  It will be a long road to a full recovery.

This Sunday we come to another event that Jesus is well known for … His calling of the first group of disciples.  But how He does it is what’s striking here.  Remember Jesus was a carpenter from Nazareth (an inland village) who comes to the Sea of Galilee to tell fishermen how to fish.  Now if you know much about fishing or fishermen, you know that non-fishermen, telling fishermen, how to fish, is not usually a recipe for success.  But then again it’s Jesus … so something amazing happens.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Luke again this week (Luke 5:1-11; 27-32) with a story of Jesus calling people to follow Him.  But, as we should come to expect, He calls all the wrong people, in the wrong way, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.  As we shall see, Jesus doesn’t always follow the conventional wisdom.  And once again, we have much to learn from Him.  See you Sunday, Dr. Dave

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Thanks to everyone who’s been praying and providing for Joanne.  It is much appreciated.  It will be a long road to a full recovery.

This Sunday we come to another event that Jesus is well known for … His calling of the first group of disciples.  But how He does it is what’s striking here.  Remember Jesus was a carpenter from Nazareth (an inland village) who comes to the Sea of Galilee to tell fishermen how to fish.  Now if you know much about fishing or fishermen, you know that non-fishermen, telling fishermen, how to fish, is not usually a recipe for success.  But then again it’s Jesus … so something amazing happens.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Luke again this week (Luke 5:1-11; 27-32) with a story of Jesus calling people to follow Him.  But, as we should come to expect, He calls all the wrong people, in the wrong way, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.  As we shall see, Jesus doesn’t always follow the conventional wisdom.  And once again, we have much to learn from Him.  See you Sunday, Dr. Dave

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Heart Prep for Sunday, February 11th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-11th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-11th#comments Wed, 07 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-11th Thanks to all who have been praying for Joanne. I’ll keep you updated on our FB group and Realm.

This Sunday we’ve come to something that Jesus is well known for … His healing of those who are physically suffering. Jesus meets several people that others don’t want to be around. And while He heals many people in the gospels, we’re going to look at two in particular – one leper, one paralytic.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re back in Luke this week (Luke 5:12-26) with a story of two people who think their life is over … and for all practical purposes, it is. Until they meet Jesus. Since these are some of my favorite stories, we’re going to look at them through more of a story format. You’ll need to bring your imagination!

Then we’re going to look at what we have in common with them. I know, we have no lepers in church (at least that I know of), but have you ever met someone who was considered a social leper, a social outcast, by others? Have you ever met someone who seemed so overwhelmed by life that they had a hard time functioning, trouble making decisions, an inability to change … almost as if they were paralyzed? I’ve met those people, you probably have too. Jesus certainly did. And we have much to learn from Him. See you Sunday, Dr. Dave

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Thanks to all who have been praying for Joanne. I’ll keep you updated on our FB group and Realm.

This Sunday we’ve come to something that Jesus is well known for … His healing of those who are physically suffering. Jesus meets several people that others don’t want to be around. And while He heals many people in the gospels, we’re going to look at two in particular – one leper, one paralytic.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re back in Luke this week (Luke 5:12-26) with a story of two people who think their life is over … and for all practical purposes, it is. Until they meet Jesus. Since these are some of my favorite stories, we’re going to look at them through more of a story format. You’ll need to bring your imagination!

Then we’re going to look at what we have in common with them. I know, we have no lepers in church (at least that I know of), but have you ever met someone who was considered a social leper, a social outcast, by others? Have you ever met someone who seemed so overwhelmed by life that they had a hard time functioning, trouble making decisions, an inability to change … almost as if they were paralyzed? I’ve met those people, you probably have too. Jesus certainly did. And we have much to learn from Him. See you Sunday, Dr. Dave

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Heart Prep for Sunday, February 4th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-4th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-4th#comments Sat, 03 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-february-4th Have you ever had the wonder of something fade in your mind? The first time you kissed your spouse when you were dating was (hopefully) a wonderous experience. But after locking lips for the next 5-10 years, the thrill of the kiss wears off. In some cases, it can be easy to take the wonderful almost for granted. There’s a phrase for this: Familiarity breeds contempt. And our Christian walk is no different. It can be easy to become complacent, to presume upon the grace of the Lord, after 10, 15, or 50 years of reading the same Scriptures and practicing the same repentance. The wonder of the Gospel can wear off. I wonder if that’s what happened in Luke 4:14-30, our passage this Sunday. The Nazarenes had known and lived with Jesus for about 30 years before we get to Luke 4 and His return to His hometown at the start of His public ministry. I wonder if they took for granted who Jesus was, and if that played a role in their rejection of Him.

For us, that question is instructive. Most of us have been believers for a long time. Do we still come to the foot of the Cross with the same spirit that we had when we first became believers? Are we still desperate for grace? Are we still relying solely on Him? Or have we begun to take Him and the Gospel for granted a little bit? Do we live by our own strength and merely put a Christian veneer on our lives? Do we really live like we are big time sinners in desperate need of grace? I encourage you, in the days between now and Sunday, to consider those questions as we prepare to hear the Word and come to the Table. Thankfully, I think that we will find that the Lord meets us even in our sin in this area to call us back to Himself. So come ready to look hard at our sin, to see the wonder of the Gospel, and to rejoice with one another at the fellowship lunch over His graciousness to us. See you Sunday.

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Have you ever had the wonder of something fade in your mind? The first time you kissed your spouse when you were dating was (hopefully) a wonderous experience. But after locking lips for the next 5-10 years, the thrill of the kiss wears off. In some cases, it can be easy to take the wonderful almost for granted. There’s a phrase for this: Familiarity breeds contempt. And our Christian walk is no different. It can be easy to become complacent, to presume upon the grace of the Lord, after 10, 15, or 50 years of reading the same Scriptures and practicing the same repentance. The wonder of the Gospel can wear off. I wonder if that’s what happened in Luke 4:14-30, our passage this Sunday. The Nazarenes had known and lived with Jesus for about 30 years before we get to Luke 4 and His return to His hometown at the start of His public ministry. I wonder if they took for granted who Jesus was, and if that played a role in their rejection of Him.

For us, that question is instructive. Most of us have been believers for a long time. Do we still come to the foot of the Cross with the same spirit that we had when we first became believers? Are we still desperate for grace? Are we still relying solely on Him? Or have we begun to take Him and the Gospel for granted a little bit? Do we live by our own strength and merely put a Christian veneer on our lives? Do we really live like we are big time sinners in desperate need of grace? I encourage you, in the days between now and Sunday, to consider those questions as we prepare to hear the Word and come to the Table. Thankfully, I think that we will find that the Lord meets us even in our sin in this area to call us back to Himself. So come ready to look hard at our sin, to see the wonder of the Gospel, and to rejoice with one another at the fellowship lunch over His graciousness to us. See you Sunday.

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Heart Prep for Sunday, January 21st https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-21st https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-21st#comments Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-21st This Sunday we’ve come to one of the major events in Jesus’ life. It’s one of only a few stories of His life that are present in all four gospels. The narrative of His birth isn’t in all the gospels. The temptation isn’t in all the gospels. Most of His miracles and parables aren’t in all the gospels. The Beatitudes aren’t, The Lord’s Prayer isn’t, not even the raising of Lazarus. What is in all four gospels? The Baptism of Jesus. And that means it’s important.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior and we’ve come to the story of John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Here we not only see John the Baptist fulfilling his role as the last Old Testament prophet and the forerunner of Christ, the one who announces the appearance of the Messiah, but we also see Jesus being confirmed and commissioned as the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.

We’re back in the Gospel of Matthew this week (Matthew 3:1-17) with a story about John and Jesus and how they’ve come to change your life. And we’ll learn that there are some things we should never forget. I think you’ll find it fascinating. See you Sunday, Dr. Dave

P.S. Please continue to pray about officer nominations. If you need a guide or a nominations form, the link to them is on Realm.

Also, our theology survey went out this week. It would be very helpful for us if you would take a few moments to fill it out. Thanks.

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This Sunday we’ve come to one of the major events in Jesus’ life. It’s one of only a few stories of His life that are present in all four gospels. The narrative of His birth isn’t in all the gospels. The temptation isn’t in all the gospels. Most of His miracles and parables aren’t in all the gospels. The Beatitudes aren’t, The Lord’s Prayer isn’t, not even the raising of Lazarus. What is in all four gospels? The Baptism of Jesus. And that means it’s important.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior and we’ve come to the story of John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Here we not only see John the Baptist fulfilling his role as the last Old Testament prophet and the forerunner of Christ, the one who announces the appearance of the Messiah, but we also see Jesus being confirmed and commissioned as the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.

We’re back in the Gospel of Matthew this week (Matthew 3:1-17) with a story about John and Jesus and how they’ve come to change your life. And we’ll learn that there are some things we should never forget. I think you’ll find it fascinating. See you Sunday, Dr. Dave

P.S. Please continue to pray about officer nominations. If you need a guide or a nominations form, the link to them is on Realm.

Also, our theology survey went out this week. It would be very helpful for us if you would take a few moments to fill it out. Thanks.

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Heart Prep for Sunday, January 28th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-28th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-28th#comments Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-28th This Sunday we’ve come to another major event in Jesus’ life … His temptation in the wilderness. Jesus is challenged with three temptations, and He fends them off with Scripture. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast. There are some things going on here underneath the surface that make this event incredibly significant.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Matthew again this week (Matthew 4:1-11) with a story of Satan tempting Jesus away from God the Father, away from God’s Word, and away from the Cross. And we’ll learn there are some things going on here that we might not see at first glance. I think you’ll find it interesting, and encouraging. 

Thanks to all who prayed for me this week. With your prayers and some strong antibiotics, I’m feeling much better. Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, Dr. Dave

 P.S. Please continue to pray about officer nominations. They’re due by the end of the month. If you need a nominations form, the link to them is on Realm.

Also, our theology survey is still available and waiting for a number of you to fill it out. It would be very helpful for us if you would take it. The link to it is also on Realm. Thanks.

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This Sunday we’ve come to another major event in Jesus’ life … His temptation in the wilderness. Jesus is challenged with three temptations, and He fends them off with Scripture. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast. There are some things going on here underneath the surface that make this event incredibly significant.

We’re continuing our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior.  We’re in Matthew again this week (Matthew 4:1-11) with a story of Satan tempting Jesus away from God the Father, away from God’s Word, and away from the Cross. And we’ll learn there are some things going on here that we might not see at first glance. I think you’ll find it interesting, and encouraging. 

Thanks to all who prayed for me this week. With your prayers and some strong antibiotics, I’m feeling much better. Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, Dr. Dave

 P.S. Please continue to pray about officer nominations. They’re due by the end of the month. If you need a nominations form, the link to them is on Realm.

Also, our theology survey is still available and waiting for a number of you to fill it out. It would be very helpful for us if you would take it. The link to it is also on Realm. Thanks.

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Heart Prep for Sunday, January 14th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-14th https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-14th#comments Thu, 11 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -0500 https://www.potomachills.org/weekly-thought/post/heart-prep-for-sunday-january-14th This Sunday we’ve come to what, at first glance, feels like a pretty ordinary story.  But it’s anything but.  And that’s not because of what happens, but how little we know about what happens.  We’re continuing in our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior and we’ve come to the story of when Jesus was accidently left behind in the Temple, when he was twelve years old.

In the book, “The Christmas We Didn’t Expect,” David Mathis writes, “It's striking how little we know about most of Jesus’ life here on earth.  Between the events surrounding His celebrated birth and the beginning of His public ministry when He was “about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23).  Given the influence and impact of His life, humanly speaking we might find it surprising that so little about His childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood is available.  That is, unless, divinely speaking, this is precisely how God would have it.  But why?”

And believe it or not, all of what we know about Jesus between the ages of two and thirty comes from  our passage for this Sunday.  We’re back in the Gospel of Luke this week (Luke 2:39-52) with a story about the boy Jesus listening and speaking with the priests in the Temple.  And some of the things we learn about Him, and from Him, could be life changing.  It should be interesting, and definitely worthwhile.  See you Sunday, Dr. Dave


P.S.  Please continue to pray about officer nominations.  If you need a guide or a nominations form, the link to them is on Realm.

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This Sunday we’ve come to what, at first glance, feels like a pretty ordinary story.  But it’s anything but.  And that’s not because of what happens, but how little we know about what happens.  We’re continuing in our series on the life of Christ, Walking with Jesus: A Year with the Savior and we’ve come to the story of when Jesus was accidently left behind in the Temple, when he was twelve years old.

In the book, “The Christmas We Didn’t Expect,” David Mathis writes, “It's striking how little we know about most of Jesus’ life here on earth.  Between the events surrounding His celebrated birth and the beginning of His public ministry when He was “about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23).  Given the influence and impact of His life, humanly speaking we might find it surprising that so little about His childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood is available.  That is, unless, divinely speaking, this is precisely how God would have it.  But why?”

And believe it or not, all of what we know about Jesus between the ages of two and thirty comes from  our passage for this Sunday.  We’re back in the Gospel of Luke this week (Luke 2:39-52) with a story about the boy Jesus listening and speaking with the priests in the Temple.  And some of the things we learn about Him, and from Him, could be life changing.  It should be interesting, and definitely worthwhile.  See you Sunday, Dr. Dave


P.S.  Please continue to pray about officer nominations.  If you need a guide or a nominations form, the link to them is on Realm.

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