Church Blog (Page 15)
The Cloaks Off Their Backs
The Cloaks Off Their Backs Daily Devotion for Lent | Friday, March 2, 2018 Read Mark 11:1-10. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. (Mark 11:8) “The red carpet treatment.” That’s how modern Western cultures describe a royal welcome. The crowd welcoming Jesus had similar ideas. Joyfully Jesus’ disciples threw their cloaks over the donkey’s back, doing the best they could in place of a saddle. The…
Just A Colt
Just A Colt Daily Devotion for Lent | Thursday, March 1, 2018 Read Matthew 21:1-11. (Jesus said) “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” (Matthew 21:2-3) It was just a colt—a young donkey, old enough to carry someone safely,…
Super Subs Weekend Results
Super Subs Weekend Results Immanuel Youth hosted a Super Sub Sale on the weekend of February 4th, 2018. We are thrilled to announce our results: 200+ Super Subs were made fresh and sold that day. More than 30 youth and youth family members participated. More than 300 chocolate chip cookies were baked. Our profits totaled $1150. The Stewardship Board hosted a Canned Food Drive to compliment the Sub Sales. We are proud to report the generosity of Immanuel’s members: 186…
Wasted Or Not?
Wasted Or Not? Daily Devotion for Lent | Wednesday, February 28, 2018 Read Mark 14:3-11. And while He was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster ask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the ask and poured it over His head. (Mark 14:3) My grandmother once gave me a tiny jar of expensive solid perfume from Greece. To get the fragrant ointment…
Extravagant Love
Extravagant Love Daily Devotion for Lent | Tuesday, February 27, 2018 Read John 12:1-8. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3) Put yourself in Mary’s place. It hadn’t been that long since she was weeping for her dead brother Lazarus at Jesus’ feet. Jesus raised him from the dead, and…
It’s Not Enough
It’s Not Enough Daily Devotion for Lent | Monday, February 26, 2018 Read Mark 12:41-44. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny…. (Jesus said) “She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:42, 44b) Two little coins, which together make a penny. Not much of an offering, is it? Humanly speaking it’s just foolish: somebody is now going to have to…
The Image On A Coin
The Image On A Coin Daily Devotion for Lent | Sunday, February 25, 2018 Read Mark 12:13-17. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” … (Mark 12:16b) Here again we have the leaders trying to trap Jesus in His own words. “Does God want us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? What does His Law say?” They knew very well that if He said, “Pay them,” He would be in trouble with the people, who…
Pay Your Taxes?
Pay Your Taxes? Daily Devotion for Lent | Saturday, February 24, 2018 Read Matthew 17:24-27. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” (Matthew 17:24) The two-drachma tax was something that every Jewish man was supposed to pay for the support of the temple. So when the collectors came to Peter about it, they probably wanted to know whether Jesus was a good temple-supporting…
New Clothes
New Clothes Daily Devotion for Lent | Friday, February 23, 2018 Read Luke 8:26-39. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. (Luke 8:35) The story of the demon-possessed man of the Gerasenes starts out as a horror tale. The poor man was afflicted with thousands of demons—thus…
Asleep In The Boat
Asleep In The Boat Daily Devotion for Lent | Thursday, February 22, 2018 Read Mark 4:1-2, 35-41. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:37-38) He must have been really tired. After preaching all day, Jesus is asleep in…
Weather Threatens. Be Careful Out There, Immanuel!
Weather Threatens On This Mid-Week Evening Be careful out there, Immanuel! Weather threatens. As the 4:00 pm service drew to a close this evening, we could tell that the weather was declining. Folks are quickly eating soup in the Fellowship Hall before warming up their cars to head home. (The chicken noodle and potato soups are wonderful, by the way.) Scraping the windshield will be necessary for anyone who parks their vehicle for any length of time this evening. So…
Gathering Grain
Gathering Grain Daily Devotion for Lent | Wednesday, February 21, 2018 Read Mark 2:23-28. One Sabbath He was going through the grain fields, and as they made their way, His disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (Mark 2:23-24) “I feel like I’m being nibbled to death by ducks.” Have you ever heard anybody say that? It’s a good description of…