Friday, May 29, 2015

AIR DATE:  05/29/15
DENNIS

Good morning everyone. I believe that every person has a story to tell. Stories are powerful. They can make a huge impact on individuals and on societies. Through stories legends are born, heroes are made, and traditions are started. They can change the direction of a person’s life. They can even change someone’s outlook. We can often find motivation when we recall the accounts of a certain person’s life and go on to do the impossible.

This is kind of impact the church at Rome in Paul’s day was making on a lot of people. He writes, “Your faith is being reported all over the world.” What made their story so widespread was not the heroic exploits of Rome’s gladiators, their philosophical schools, their cultural status or political influence. It wasn’t any of those things. What made the church in Rome’s story so powerful was their faith in Jesus Christ and how it had impacted their lives.

The people of Rome were making a huge impact on the world, because they coupled their story with the story of God. I am Dennis Gossett for Central United Methodist Church inviting you to come share your story with us.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

RAY

A friend holds a package out to you.  The paper covering it is stained and crumpled, but your friend assures you what's inside is beautiful and life changing.  What would you do?  Do you trust your friend and open the gift despite its package, or do you turn away in disgust and exclaim, "I don't care what you say: I'm not opening that ugly gift"? 

It amazes us as believers that God would give us - the undeserving - a new life through the torment of his son on the cross.  The fact that he would take something as ugly as crucifixion and make it beautiful causes us to wonder.

And even more wondrous, God does the same with us.  He takes our ugly - sin stained lives and regenerates them with the purity of his Holy Spirit.  He offers us a life-changing package that could be wrapped only one way: the blood of Christ.  Only by opening this gift will we receive new life from Christ. Have a great day.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

JOHN

Good Morning! I’m John Branning the Lead Pastor of Central United

Methodist Church. At Central we are for connecting God to People and

People to God. If this is going to happen it means that we have to

intentionally enter into relationships with people who are not followers of

Jesus, yet. This is most uncomfortable to people of faith; and the reason I

believe is that we have bought into the idea of avoiding relationships. We are

told to even fear relationships. Don’t make eye contact at the grocery store,

don’t wave at people on the street, and don’t speak unless we are spoken too.

Jesus told his follower to get involved in the lives of others and especially

those who didn’t know him. The only way to have spiritual influence on

others is to be in relationship. This means you and I will have to get out of

our comfort zone and start connecting God to people. I hope today that you

will find someone new and start a conversation not about the Bible or how

much you love your church but a conversation about the person you’re

talking to. Listen to their story, get to know them, and then let God use your

relationship to connect himself to them. I invite you to Central where we are

for connecting people to God and God to people.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

SABRINA

After days of rioting, on Wednesday, April 29th, Major League Baseball decreed that the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox would play before an empty stadium, both for the safety of fans -- and to not overtax law enforcement resources - With no crowd noise or energy to distract from events on the field, each crack of the bat and umpire's call was magnified. Players found it tougher to stay focused.  You could hear a pin drop. The noise echoed through Camden Hall.
The game went on and the Orioles won 8-2, but everyone was in agreement, it was not a game they would like to repeat.

Our relationship with God is much the same as that baseball game. We can live this life, go about our day to day tasks, and never enter into a relationship with God.  We can play the game of life, leaving God outside the stands. But there is an emptiness, a hollowness in life. We lose our focus. We are created to live in harmony with God, to have interaction, look to Him as our source of energy and strength through our daily lives. Philippians 4:13 reminds us, “I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength.” That is a powerful reminder in this game of life.

GLENDA

Good Morning! Today is Memorial Day.....a time to honor and remember all

who gave their lives in military service to our county. Do you know where

this idea began? Well, really nobody knows for sure, but I like the story that

it began right here close to home in Columbus, MS.

In 1866, Columbus was a hospital town and in many cases a burial site for

both Confederate and Union Soldiers. Four women decided to mark the

graves of the Confederate soldiers with flowers. On April 25, 1866, on the

way to the cemetery, one of the women spontaneously suggested they mark

all graves...both Confederate and Union.

Other states claim they were the first, but it doesn't really matter where it

started. In 1971, President Lyndon Johnson declared the last Monday in May

to be called Memorial Day in remembrance of all military personnel who

died in any war defending our country.

Don't let today be just another holiday. Stop and thank God for all those

brave men and women who gave their all for us. Have a wonderful day!

Friday, May 22, 2015

GLENDA

Good Morning! One

day as students came

into a seminary class,

they noticed a big

target on the wall,

and on a nearby table

were many darts. The

instructor told the

students to draw a

picture of someone

they disliked or

someone who had

made them angry.

They drew their

pictures and placed

them on the large

target and began to

throw their darts.

Some threw their

darts with such force

that their targets were

ripping apart.

Finally, the instructor

told them to stop. He

removed all the

targets, and finally,

the large one that he

had placed under

them. It was a picture

of Jesus…holes and

jagged marks

covered his face. The

instructor simply said

these words: “In as

much as you have

done it unto the least

of these my brothers,

you have done it also

to me.” The point, of

course, is that we

need to guard what

we say and what we

do. Have a wonderful

day!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

RAY

Good Morning!

Southern California’s

Imperial Valley was

originally a desert,

but growers now

depend on irrigation

to bring water. The

Imperial Irrigation

District includes more

than 1,400 miles of

irrigation canals.

Canals and pipes are

simply channels—a

means for getting

water from one point

to another.

In a similar sense,

weak human beings

are channels for

God’s power. God

wants to demonstrate

His power to the

world. To do so, He

does mighty works

through those who

have no power of

their own.

Paul wrote that he

was glad to be found

weak, for then God’s

strength in Christ

could be revealed

through him. He told

the Corinthians that

God chooses to use

the weak and foolish

things of this world to

shame the powerful.

When God displays

His power or wisdom

through a weak

person, there is no

question about the

source.

If you find yourself in

a place of weakness

today, tell God you're

willing to be used to

display His power.