December has begun

December is here. That has so many things tied to it for all us.

It is the holiday and time off from work or school. It is time with family, those you rarely get to see. It is a time of giving, sharing and doing things for others that we don’t always do the rest of the year.

It is also the time of the year when we talk even more about Jesus, the real reason for Christmas. It is His birthday. It is Him who is the reason for the season. It is time of the year when we can put up decorations and talk about Jesus without dear of being shunned.

You get it. But I ask you to really get it. Get the goal in front of you to make much of Jesus.

Matthew 1:21 NLT

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins

From the manger to the cross… it was a three decade journey full of life and meaning. It was a God given gift, the first Christmas gift, that took on more meaning than any of us really know. That is why I ask you to take a few minutes and look at your goals for this Christmas

Our church introduces an exciting time this coming Sunday called “Give-Back ’22”. You don’t want to miss this. You want to be part of blessing something through random acts of kindness.

Our church takes our annual mission offering in December, and you can give knowing that we share a common mission, to demonstrate the love of God to our community and beyond. Plan to give and help us meet our goal of $1,000.

Make much of Jesus. December has begun. It isn’t the only time we talk about Jesus. It is the time when the world stops, or at least slows down, and we can share something that matters much to us and that changes lives.

John 8:28 NLT

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me.

Next week I return to Cuba to help with a retreat for the FCA staff in central Cuba. Will you pray for this trip? If so, please reach out to me at pastormh@gmail.com

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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