Announcements

MEMBER ALERT:

There is only 1 week remaining for you to submit corrections, updates and photos to Marian Phair if you want them to appear in the 2025 directory. If not received by December 15, 2024 after morning worship service, your information in the current directory will be used. If you have nothing in the current or draft directory, nothing will be in the 2025 directory unless you provided information after the current directory or draft were published.

Bible study for the ladies on the English-speaking side: December 14th at 10 a.m. via Zoom. For additional information, contact Winnie Sylvester or Rosemary Dayie.

Bible study for ladies on the Spanish-speaking side: December 14th at 5 p.m. at the church building. Sister Maria Rios will be the speaker.

Men’s Bible study: December 20th, 7 p.m. at the church building. Volunteers to lead/facilitate future Bible studies are needed. Contact Bob Greene for more information.

Wednesday night Bible will remain at 7:30 PM each week!

Sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board for hall monitors, Sunday morning greeters, meal contact persons and Bible class substitutes and assistants on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Bible class teachers and assistants are needed, see Arnoldo Velásquez or one of the elders if you desire to serve in this capacity

Pray for our shepherds and the flock (our congregation): that we may all submit to the Lord's will and His design for His Church that He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28, 31; 1 Thessalonians 5:11-24; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 5:1-21; Titus 1:6-15; 1 Peter 5:1-11).

Pray for the congregation in Ecuador, for the security of that country and for all people who are suffering through no fault of their own.

MEMORY VERSES

Lev. 11:45: 'For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.'" NASB1995

1 Cor. 11:22: What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. NASB1995

Worthy vs. Unworthy

With the growing egocentric and entitled mentality that is spreading throughout humanity (and creeping into our families and the Lord’s church), we would do well to go back and meditate on the words of the great John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said, “there has not risen one greater” (Matt. 11:11). This forerunner of Jesus—of whom the Holy Spirit prophesied hundreds of years before his birth that he would prepare the way for the Lord (Matt. 3:3; Isa. 40:3)—proclaimed of Jesus, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose” (Mark 1:7).

How lowly must one be to not even be worthy to “loose” the sandal strap of another or even to “carry” it (Matt. 3:11)? Interestingly, there are not many details found in all four gospel accounts, but this statement from John the Baptist is recorded by each of the gospel penmen (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; John 1:27). What should that tell us about the significance of this admission?

The words perhaps remind us of the centurion in Capernaum, who said to Jesus, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You” (Luke 7:6-7). Here was a Gentile military officer, who was captain over one hundred Roman soldiers, and yet, he did not deem himself worthy to even be in the presence of Jesus.

Sometimes we start to “think more highly” of ourselves than we “ought to think” (Rom. 12:3), and we need to be reminded that in our relationship with Christ, there is only One who is worthy! The entire host of heaven (“many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,” Rev. 5:11) are continually shouting around the heavenly throne (as if with a “megaphone”), “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12). Do we remember that the Lamb “was slain” for us? Do we realize how unworthy we are of His love, His care, His attention, His blood, His promises?

Before we begin to think that we are entitled to the blessings that we have in Christ, let us remember that we were once like that prodigal in Luke 15. When he finally “came to himself” (as you and I once did), he got up, went to his father and humbly said, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (15:18- 21). No, we are not worthy either! But, thanks be to God that He does not measure our worthiness in the way that we deserve but through the prism of His love! Truly, He is worthy of all praise, honor and service we can give to Him! ~ David Sproule

THINK ON THIS!

1. The task ahead of us is never as Great as the Power behind us!

2. God loves everyone, but probably prefers"fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"