Friday, January 17, 2020

GLENDA Good Morning: Did you hear the story about the man who went on a fishing trip, but caught four deer instead? It's a wonderful story of how God works in mysterious ways. True story...a man in Sitka, Alaska, had a fishing charter boat that he took out one day. Well, out into the water, he saw four deer swimming towards the boat. Unusual, because a deer's natural instinct is to go away from human contact. As he got closer to the deer, he realized they were in distress. He lowered the tailgate on his boat and all four deer came aboard and collapsed exhausted on the deck. Back on shore, he opened the tailgate, and the first deer bounded off, stopped, turned and looked back as if to say thank you and then fled into the woods. With a little coaxing the next two left the boat, and the last one had to be carried ashore. To me, God's hand was at work, placing that boat at just the right time and place to save those deer and to take away the deer's natural distrust of humans. A fine example of God taking care of his creations. He will take care of you, too. Just trust Him. Have a wonderful day!

Thursday, January 16, 2020

TIM Good morning, I’m Tim Wise, Senior Adult Minister and Sanctuary Choir Director at Central. Confession is an important part of our relationship with God and to ourselves. James 5:16 says: Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. Confession is an important step for us because it is a part of getting ourselves right with God. We want God to see us as forgiven children, but how can we be forgiven if we don’t ask for it? At Central, each time we take part in the breaking of bread and taking of the cup through communion, we offer a prayer of confession. We confess many general things to God such as not loving Him with our whole heart, failing to be an obedient church, not fulfilling God’s will, breaking his law, and some other things. While this seems very generic, it is a time that we become vulnerable and open to God about our sins. Although he already knows them, it is a time when we can accept the things we have done. Remember when you are working on your faith, confession is a necessary part of your spirituality. You are confessing to God what you have done and accepting it for yourself.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

SABRINA In working with children, I tell them over and over that if they don’t remember one other thing they have learned, it is to remember that God will never, EVER leave them. EVER. As adults, we know all too well, the day will come when they will feel abandoned, often by someone they trust. In those times, as adults, we feel forsaken. If today is one of those days for you, you can rely on that promise. There is nothing you have done or ever will do that will drive God away. He is there – good times and bad. Good decisions and bad decisions. No abandonment. There is no hole too deep, no place too dark. Whether you are facing these days because of your own poor choices or someone else’s decision that has affected your life, hang on. Receive the hope and healing you need to move forward, confident in the fact that He is with you every step of the way. The love that God has for each of us is unfathomable, unrelenting, and immeasurable. And – He will NEVER leave us. Go in today with that assurance.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

JOHN Good Morning! I’m John Branning the Lead Pastor of Central United Methodist Church. There are times in our lives that we are going through a spiritual valley and we want to obtain victory—we want to have answers—we want God's power to flow through us again. Jesus made us a promise, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." - John 7:38 The Lord promises us rivers of living water—not a puddle, not a pond, not a lake—He said rivers! These waters are not meant to be stagnant and not meant to be dammed up! They need to be flowing—unrestricted! We, who are believers in and followers of Jesus, have those living waters within us—but we must clear out the obstacles in our lives that prevent them from flowing! Sins of unforgiveness, resentment, bitterness, and clinging onto petty sins are just a few of the barriers which can damn up the "rivers" of living water! Let's seek the Lord and ask Him to search us deeply and thoroughly that we know how to destroy those obstacles that clog the free movement of His Spirit in our lives!

Monday, January 13, 2020

MATT Good Morning! I’m Matt Farmer, Associate Pastor at Central United Methodist Church in Meridian. What is real love? Love is not lust or emotion or sentimentalism. It's not tolerance, which often translates into intolerance of Godliness and apathy towards evil. What is love? The Bible tells us that the highest love is not based on feelings, but a commitment of our will. It is given unconditionally to another person, no matter how they respond to us. The Bible tells us this love is patient and kind. It's not envious, arrogant, or rude towards others. It's not selfish or easily angered. It's not like a resentment accountant who keeps a record of how others have wronged us. Love hates evil and rejoices in the truth. Real love puts up with a lot and endures it with hope. The Bible tells us God is love. He shows us this real love perfectly in Jesus, who truly loves you. Yes, Jesus loves you. Have faith in Him and you'll experience the greatest love you've ever known.

Friday, January 10, 2020

TIM Good morning, I’m Tim Wise, Senior Adult Minister and Sanctuary Choir Director at Central, and welcome to 2020! It’s a New Year! What does that mean? New year...new you? Have you made your resolutions, started your exercise program and diet...excuse me...your lifestyle change? The “new year...new you” idea tends to get people in a mindset of making changes. I want to invite you to consider doing the same for your spiritual life. I want to encourage you to focus your vision on renewing your spiritual life. Often times, people stray away from where God is leading them, and the mindset may be that you can never return—but it is through confession of sin and acceptance of His grace and forgiveness that we find a new path—should we stray. Now that we are entering the year of “perfect vision”, it’s about time we get our eyes checked and make sure they are focused on God and not on imperfect, temporal things. Romans 12 tells us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” So, as you prepare for your new self, with this new 20/20 vision, allow God to transform you from the inside out.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

JOHN Good Morning! I’m John Branning the Lead Pastor of Central United Methodist Church. "Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut from the frozen waters, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often these ice blocks would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn't find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it." I closed the door," the boy replied, "lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking." This is a good lesson for all of us as we listen for God. You see the question isn't whether God will speak, but whether we will take the time to be quiet and still enough to hear His voice. Let's be sure to take that time to hear what He's saying to us!