Friday, March 9, 2018

DENNIS Good Morning. I’m Dennis Gossett, with Central United Methodist Church. Do you feel rushed? I know in my own life, things pile up and time gets away from me quickly. Family, work, and other commitments are all demanding of our time. The unfortunate consequence to all of this is being emptied and never re-fueled. However, there is someone who really cares about our life situations. That person is Jesus Christ. He is always pleading with us to slow down. He invites us to intentionally take our time and focus on his words, and just listen. Often in life, it is very easy to lose our focus of the most important things in life. If we are not careful, we can end up chasing those things that are worthless. Our Lord says to us, “labor for the bread from heaven and not the bread that perishes.” Seeking God allows you and I to fill our hearts with desires borne in eternity. Do you desire to seek after the Christ-filled life? You are invited to Central UMC to journey with us, as we seek to go deeper into the nonperishable bread from heaven. God bless and have a great day.

Thursday, March 8, 2018

TIM Good morning, I’m Tim Wise, Sanctuary Choir Director at Central. When I travel, I love to see the beauty of God’s creation all around. From mountains to rivers to valleys, streams, wildlife, and creatures, God’s creation is one to marvel at. It’s even more unique when you understand the delicacy of how each creation operates from lifestyle to anatomics and everything in between. Knowing these details enlightens my faith. God put so much intricate time and detail into his creation. He is more detailed than Bob Ross painting happy little trees on canvas. When you see a great painting – DaVinci’s Mona Lisa, a piece by Van Gogh, or a scene of American life by Norman Rockwell, do you have more awe of the piece of art than of the artist? Not likely. Yet, we do this all the time with God’s creation. If we honor the creation and forsake the Creator, we miss everything. The best way to appreciate creation is to know and appreciate the Creator.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

BENJI We often expect the biggest and greatest thing to be what makes the greatest impact or cause the greatest change. But, it is the small, often unnoticed actions, words, or events that truly make the greatest impact – that set of chain of events that lead to something greater. The kind word spoken in passing that changes a person’s day for the better. An act of unmerited, random kindness that unexpectedly gives hope where there was none and peace in a time of conflict. In my own life, I have seen this truth come to life. I never imagined a simple, innocent question, spoken to a girl in my grade 15 years ago today, would lead to that girl one day becoming my wife. Don’t fret about not being influential or powerful enough to be able to cause global change, just trust in God and continue one step at a time, for even a small rudder can change the course of the largest boat.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

JOHN Good Morning! I’m John Branning, the Lead Pastor of Central United Methodist Church. God has written each of us into His story. We are part of something far greater than ourselves. God calls upon us to trust Him to weave that story together, so that, in the end that will never end, we will worship Him, slack-jawed at the sheer genius of His interwoven plot lines. But like the fictional characters in a novel who are clueless to the authors strategies, we lack the perspective to see how parts of our lives fit into God’s overall plan. Cancer, disabilities, accidents, and other losses and sorrows appear devastatingly pointless. How can these moments bring any good to our story or the story of God? Romans 8:28 says: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Our part in this story is to trust the one that has created us in his image. The God that has come searching for us and to realize that when our story doesn’t look like a fairytale, that our God can make something wonderful from it.

Monday, March 5, 2018

SABRINA We’ve all been there. A friend receives a devastating loss or diagnosis. We are crushed, but want to avoid them because we do not know what to say. Words matter, but sometimes our presence matters more. In the book of Job, we find that when Job experienced great tragedy in his life, he had three friends who came to visit. They came intending to sympathize with him and comfort him. But when they realized how bad things were, they mourned with him; then sat with him in silence. They didn’t start out attempting to fix his problems but chose instead to simply be with him in his despair. We are a culture driven by what we can do. While doing has its place, let’s remember that “being” carries importance as well. Even counselors know sometimes the best thing to do is simply sit and listen. We don’t always have to have the right word to say or know the perfect thing to do. When words don’t work, we need to remember, our presence can be more than enough.

Friday, March 2, 2018

JOHN Good Morning! I’m John Branning, the Lead Pastor of Central United Methodist Church. We all have giants that we face in life, things that may seem like insurmountable problems. It may be something we’re afraid of or something we’re under the power of. It may be something that seems to always loom large and never stop bothering us. Maybe you overcame this giant for a week or even a month and thought you had victory. And then it came back with a vengeance and brought you down. Giants defeat us again and again, because we face them in our own strength – and we lose. Ephesians 6:10 tells us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”. In other words, you can’t defeat your giants in your own strength. You can only do it through God’s strength. We rest in his strength when we face our giants, and we recognize that it is a spiritual battle. Turn your worries into prayers. Turn your fears into prayers. Turn your problems into petitions. Our God is greater than any giant that you face.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

GLENDA During World War 11, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific Island. The enemy was fast approaching, so he climbed up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly, he crawled inside one of the caves. However, he knew the enemy would search the area. He prayed for God to protect him. As he heard the voice of the enemy drawing closer, he noticed a spider weaving his web across the entrance to the cave. To himself he said, “Ha! What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent is a mere spider. God does have a sense of humor!” However, as they came closer, he prepared to make his last stand, but they glanced at the cave and then moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as though no one had entered in a long time. He prayed: “Father, forgive me. I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is much stronger than a brick wall.” The message here??? Put your trust in God. So, trust God and have a wonderful day!