Monday, April 30, 2012

Monday, April 30, 2012

JIM CAIN



GOOD MORNING!



George Patton, one of the greatest army generals this country has ever known, once said while addressing his troops, “Your job is not to die for your country but to cause others to die for theirs.” Whether we realize it or not, as Christians we are at war. The Bible refers to us as soldiers who must fight many battles throughout the course of our lives.  This is not a time for believers to go “AWOL” on God.  The good news is that we don't have to be afraid of any battle we face.  God has given each of us an offensive weapon in our armor. It's called the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.



It's time to stop admiring our sword, polishing it and carrying it around like an ornament. We've got to use it!  When we speak the Word of God boldly in faith, that mighty spiritual weapon cuts through every temptation or spiritual opposition that comes our way.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Friday, April 27, 2012

JIM WALL

Good Morning!

When was the last time you read the Bible under an oak tree?  Have you ever prayed while the cool water of a creek ran across your feet?  Wouldn't it be enjoyable to meditate on God's word while watching the sun come up over the horizon?

It is important for each of us to break the normal routine of our time alone with God.  Sometimes the habits of our devotional life can get in the way of our growing closer to God.  In fact, at times they can grow stale and boring.  But there is nothing boring about a God who created the earth in all its splendor and variety.  There is nothing common about being filled with the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to accomplish God's will.  So how do we avoid dry devotional times?  By breaking the routine of the usual and adding some variety to our personal time alone with God.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Thursday, April 26, 2012

BOB PEDEN

Do you start each day with a “do-you-in” list? Oh, you don't call it that. You call it a “to-do” list, but you often end up with a monster that may “do you in.”

Sometimes it feels as if our list ranges from “feed the dog” to “write a chapter in the novel” to “put up storm windows” to “prepare dinner for twelve.” That's what I mean by a “do-you-in” list.

This is Bob Peden of Central United Methodist Church, suggesting you try making this a new priority:

Today tap your special gifts.  Focus intently on one task and do it well.  The rest of your day may be taken up in small activities.  But for a part of today, be at your best.  Resolve not to dissipate your gifts and dull them in endless routine.

 As Emerson said, “We are all entitled to be valued by our best moments.”  Let your best moments break through the clouds of routine and shine every day.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

RAMBO



Hi!  I'm Bob Rambo, Lead Pastor at Central United Methodist Church.  One evening many years ago when my two sons were just little boys, I came in from work one day ready to read the day's newspaper.



My youngest son, Walt, anxious for a little time with dad, began to talk.  I held the paper up while he talked, simply responding Uh-huh.  Uh-huh.  He soon tired of this.  He put his hand over the paper and gently pulled it down.  He looked me in the eyes and said, PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WITH YOUR FACE.  In his own way, my son Walt asked Daddy, can I have your full attention?



When you listen to others, do you always give your full attention?  Or like me, do you tune people out or think about other things?  What about when God speaks to us?  Do we pretend we're listening - or do we “listen with our faces”?



One of the great longings of people today is simply to have someone to talk to and “be heard by.”  Today, let's LISTEN to one another.



Make it a GREAT day!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

SABRINA

 Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is being sure of what we hoped for and certain of what we do not see.”

 This has recently been a key verse for our children in  rotation Sunday School, and as I have personally had the opportunity to dwell on it , I am reminded that it is put in front of us daily...as I await the birth of my seventh grandchild...as five months ago I was in the room with my daddy as he took his last earthly breath...in the faces of those around me at Wal-Mart, church, in the doctor's office...God's mercy, grace, unending love...the miracle of life...the miracle of eternity.



Can you see the air that you breathe...the wind that blows?  No, but we are SURE it is there.  Can you SEE the love of God?  Most CERTAINLY...it is right in front of each of us...We only have to open our eyes and hearts to it...to claim it as our own.  What a wonderful, blessed peace we can have, knowing that our hopes, dreams, heartaches and hurts lay at the feet of the one who created us and with whom we can spend eternity.  Have a blessed day!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Monday, April 23, 2012

GLENDA
Good Morning:

Have you ever heard the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite to passage? His father takes him into

the woods, blindfolds him, and leaves him alone on a tree stump. He is required to sit on that stump the

whole night and not remove his blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry

out for help for anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a man. He cannot tell anyone about his experience.



The beautiful thing is that after he has spent a terrifying night alone, he removes the blindfold to find his

father sitting next to him, watching over him, keeping him safe from harm. We, too, are never alone. God is

always watching over us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is to reach out to Him. Remember that and

have a wonderful day!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Friday, April 20, 2012

JIM CAIN



GOOD MORNING!



The other day when I was driving home from work listening to the news, a report came on about a mail carrier delivering mail on his route when a small, but loud barking dog proceeded to rush at him with visions of a leg sandwich. Before he knew it, the mail man had scooped the dog up by his back leg and threw him over a short fence into his owner's backyard.



Of course, the focus of the story was the lawsuit filed by the dog's owner for abuse.  Now I don't condone cruelty of any kind; animal or human, but I do see an interesting application to this story.  The devil has a lot of believers running scared as he barks and snarls out his threats when the Word plainly states that when we resist him, he will flee.



The word flee means to “run in terror”. Why not start the week off right by putting the devil on the run by visiting His house.  Here at Central we have an 8:30 am service for early risers followed by Sunday School at 9:45 and then we offer a more traditional service of worship at 10:55. We hope you'll pay us a visit, you'll be glad you did!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Thursday, April 19, 2012

BOB PEDEN

There are times and places where the mixing of old and new works well.  It is quite creative, for example, to search for old pieces of furniture, refinish them, and put them in your house.

 There are other places and times when mixing the two doesn't work.  Anyone out there still have an old analog TV and roof antenna?  Do you know any scientists who still use slide rules?  Do you want your child treated by doctors who aren't staying current in their field?

 So why do Christians kick so hard and scream so loudly at the idea of change? Even though the core message of the Christian gospel is fixed and unchanging on the person and work of Jesus, the means of communicating that message must change.

 The ways of God are always fresh and challenging.  Those who try to contain the fresh presence of Jesus within the old and familiar forms typically wind up with the worst of both worlds.  New wine in old wineskins.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

SABRINA

 Renown theologian, Eugene Peterson, states, “All the persons of faith I know are sinners, doubters, uneven performers.  We are secure not because we are sure of ourselves, but because we trust that God is sure of us.”

Life is complicated.  Schedules are hectic.  Following Jesus is often not easy, nor is it easy to hear God's voice in the noisiness of our lives.



We are also quick to judge the actions of those who are unlike us.  Occasionally, we need to step back and remind ourselves that our individual worth comes not from anything we can do...our unworthiness not from what we do not do,  but from a God who loves us unconditionally...in spite of ourselves.



Today I encourage you to take stock...remembering not only your worth, but the worth of those around you.

May we hear God's voice in the unfinished, incomplete places of our lives, knowing that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you...and those all around you!  Have a blessed day!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

SABRINA



For I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.



Following Jesus is not easy, nor is it easy to hear God's voice in the noisiness of our lives.  But as Paul reminds us in Romans Chapter 8, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Not failure, disappointment, guilt, weakness.  God loves us even when we wish God didn't - when we act unloving toward others, when we don't act like Christians.



God sent His own son to rescue us from ourselves. I encourage you to take time during this season of Lent to  remember EXACTLY how you are loved.  If today finds you in a very dark, lonely place...take comfort in knowing that you have a God who loves you, who believes in you, who is with you through both the good times and the bad times of your life.  Have a blessed day, basking in this assurance of love.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Monday, April 16, 2012

JIM WALL

Good Morning!

While riding in my truck I passed a sign that warned:  $100 Fine for Littering.  Soon I saw another sign that stated:  Litter Barrel - 1 Mile.  A short time later I passed a garbage truck on its way to the disposal plant.  There are three things you can do with garbage:  You can collect it, scatter it, or dispose of it.  Some people are garbage collectors.  They are always listening for some choice bit of gossip.  If they were only collectors, it wouldn't be so serious.  But these collectors are often litterbugs and insist on scattering it all along life's highway.  Thank God there are also those who know how to dispose of it.  They put the trash where it belongs - in the litter barrel of gossip.  James 4:11 tells us, “Do not speak evil of one another.”  Today you will find plenty of garbage.  You can collect it, scatter it or dispose of it.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Friday, April 13, 2012

JIM CAIN



GOOD MORNING!



On New Year's Eve, Roberto Carrillo put his escape plan into action as he hoisted himself up to the top of his cell in the prison near Valle Hermoso, Mexico.  He proceeded to squeeze his way through a gap between the top bars and the roof.  Things were going to plan as he got his head and upper torso through and then he simply got stuck.  Unable to move forward or backwards and finding himself hanging upside down, Roberto had no choice but to call for the guards, who laughed while they cut him free with a chainsaw.



Do you feel like life has you “stuck,” unable to advance any further but unable to go back to the way things were?  If so let me encourage you to pay a visit to God's house this Sunday morning for worship and Bible Study.  We have an 8:30 am service for early risers followed by Sunday School at 9:45 and then we offer a more traditional service of worship at 10:55.



We hope you'll pay us a visit, you'll be glad you did!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012

GLENDA



Good Morning:

I was raised on a farm. One day, when I was around 13 years old, my friend and I were outside playing. She saw a monkey sitting on the fence on the other side of the pig yard. Without thinking, she opened the gate and ran through to the other side with me following to find a cat sitting on the fence instead. Not only did she not see a monkey, but by running through the gate, the pigs all got out. We spent the rest of the afternoon chasing after and catching squealing dirty pigs to get them back in the pen. And, what's my point in this story? The point is, we often get ourselves in trouble, because we don't know the facts.  We do not stop and think, and we follow the lead of someone who does not know what they are doing. God always knows what he is doing. Let's follow Him. Have a wonderful day!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

RAMBO



Hi!  I'm Bob Rambo, Lead Pastor at Central United Methodist Church.  A few days ago, two basketball teams met to decide the NCAA championship.  Most often, the best teams make it to the championship - but sometimes a team may not be the “best” - but it gets “hot” at just the right time.  The “chemistry” of the team “gells” at just the right moment - and the team does something great.



Have you ever considered that this is the way “church” is supposed to be too?  Not everyone is a great shooter or dribbler; not everyone has the height to “dunk it” every trip down the court.  But when a group of people find the “chemistry” that comes through God's Holy Spirit - they achieve things that NO ONE thought possible.



But the exact opposite is ALSO true.  When one player decides to “showboat” - to “showcase” THEIR gifts above everyone else - it not only destroys the sense of “team unity,” it also encourages others to selfishly play only for themselves.



As God's people with different gifts, let's use our gifts to be God's “team” - showing God's love to the world.



Make it a GREAT day!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

JIM WALL

Good Morning!

My wife, Diane, is an avid exerciser.  She walks, exercises in the gym, and teachers yoga - all to stay in good physical condition.  She encourages me, and we often exercise together.  But, we sometimes miss our exercising sessions.  And when we do, we do not feel as physically fit.

We know we should exercise often to strengthen our hearts.  But we don't stop with the physical part of our lives.  We also participate in spiritual exercises.  We know that in our walk with God, we need heart exercise to stay fit.

Studying the Word of God and meditating on it throughout the day will help keep your heart spiritually healthy.  Of course, it is always very important to pray for yourself and others, and to worship in the house of the Lord.

I encourage you to stay on a spiritual fitness training program that will draw you close to God.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Monday, April 9, 2012

BOB PEDEN

Yesterday was Easter Sunday for many Christians around the world.  It was the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Christmas is the day we celebrate his birth and recognize that he is God with. God embodied among us, living as one of us.

 Christians remember that Jesus taught and showed us how to live, that he performed many miraculous signs while he was among us, and that he developed close personal relationship with the men and women about him.

 We remember that he suffered and died on the cross and was laid in a borrowed tomb, like the lowliest of us.  But it is the bodily resurrection of Jesus the Christ that gives us the fulfillment of the hope of all people, life everlasting, life perfected, life in full relationship with the God of the universe. And it is that which we celebrate on Easter Sunday. Hallelujah! What a God!

Friday, April 6, 2012

Friday, April 6, 2012

RAMBO



Hi!  I'm Bob Rambo, Lead Pastor at Central United Methodist Church.



Today is “Good Friday”.  Christians remember and observe this day as the day Jesus was crucified.



It seems odd to call a day “good” when it is associated with the cruel death of an innocent person.  But we call this day “Good Friday” because in his dying, Jesus took upon himself all the sins of every person [past, present, and future] - and somehow paid the debt all of us owe.

This is not usually a day of joy and celebration.  In fact, many of us would rather skip the pain and sorrow of Good Friday altogether and go right on to the joy of Easter.



But there would be no Easter joy, no resurrection, without the pain of Good Friday.  So on this day of days - remember how much God loves us - SO much that he gave his only son for us.  We can never fully understand this; it's a mystery.  But we CAN be thankful - and live with gratitude.





Make it a GREAT day.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Thursday, April 5, 2012

BOB PEDEN

Good morning.
Today, in the Christian year, is Maundy Thursday, the day we remember that Jesus shared his last supper, before he was crucified, with his disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem.

 Tonight at 7 pm in the sanctuary at Central United Methodist Church, we will read the story of Jesus's last hours, and share in Holy Communion, the sacrament he instituted that night.

 There is no better way to prepare for the celebration of Easter Sunday than to remember the sorrow that preceded it.

 On Easter Sunday, we will celebrate the final victory Jesus won for us through his resurrection.  At Central, we hold have 3 worship services to accommodate the more than 1000 people we expect to worship with us. We will worship at 8:30 and 9:45 in the Fellowship Hall with the Praise Band and then at 10:55 in the Sanctuary with the choir leading us.

Come celebrate with us Easter Sunday - but today remember the suffering Jesus experienced for us and our sin.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

JIM CAIN



While traveling through the Midwest recently, I saw a coyote a long, lean, brown coyote. A lifeless husk of the animal it had once been, strapped by one leg to a fence post.  As the miles traveled added up so did the number of coyotes I saw displayed this way. When questioned, my driver said the practice began during the mid-1900s as “proof of kill” to ranchers who paid a bounty for coyotes that were killed on their ranches by hunters and that the odor of the deceased animals helps keep other coyotes from hunting the area.



How many times in our own lives have we passed these warnings only to assume they are or someone else or that they don't pertain to us.



As it is written in the first part of Hosea Chapter four Verse 6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge,”

Take a moment today to make sure you aren't ignoring God's warnings and reminders in your own life for it is better to claim God's victory than to be the Devil's trophy today!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

GLENDA


Good Morning:

Last week, the Children's Center participated in a fundraiser for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

We decorated our rooms, we built floats from little red wagons, and we dressed up and paraded around

Meridian. We had a fun activities day revolving around our Trike-a-Thon and raised several thousand

dollars for St. Jude. Although, we had fun doing all of this, the reward was knowing that our contributions

will fund research to help children who are battling different forms of cancer. God wants us to look after

and take care of each other. This is one major way we are teaching our children at Central to not only care,

but to act.



There are ways you can get involved and act right here in Meridian. Anything you can do for others helps to

make us a better community. This is God's commandment, that you love one another. Have a wonderful day.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Monday, April 2, 2012

JIM CAIN



GOOD MORNING!



I will not eat biscuits drowning in gravy, sprinkled with salt and pepper and wash it all down with a carbonated caffeine and sugar infused “energy drink.”



I will understand when someone tells me “yes” and means “no” and vice versa. I will not sprawl out on the couch and watch contrived police shows featuring aging rap stars, meaningless athletic contests, or blithering talking heads.



I will not demean those who hold different political opinions other than mine no matter how uninformed they may be on certain matters.



I will safely increase my heart rate for a specified period of time while perspiring in a controlled environment.



I will reflect upon my blessings and good fortune

I will start all of this …tomorrow.



How many times have you promised yourself one or all of these things?

The one thing God does not promise us in His Holy Word is tomorrow. Take the bull by the horns today and begin to make positive changes in your life while you still can.



You'll be glad you did!