 Dear Church Family:
Together in One Place As we approach Pentecost Sunday this weekend with so many churches separated by fears and walls and opinions, this verse feels especially weighty. Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. On that first Pentecost, the Spirit permeated the church and those followers who had waited and prayed “in one place,” experienced a mighty infilling of the Spirit. They preached with boldness. “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” So, how do we do “in one place” in the context of social distancing? In chapter 8, the early church experiences “the next phase,” social distancing. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” The answer was not the upper room, it wasn’t Jerusalem. It wasn’t even the temple. It was the Holy Spirit. That is why scattering did not stop the church. The Spirit was present in each of them. Ephesians 4:3-5 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;” Do you remember this old song? We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord; And we pray that all unity will one day be restored. They’ll know we are Christians by our love, yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love. 1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand; And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land. We Will work with each other, we will work side by side; And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride. 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. I look forward to a time when we can ALL worship together, but until then, let us continue to be One in the Spirit and be doing the work of God wherever we are, for His glory! All praise to the Father, from whom all things come; And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son. And all praise to the Spirit who makes us ONE. ("They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love" by Peter Scholtes Copyright: 1966 F.E.L. Publications.) Holly Woodbridge
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 Dear Church Family:
John 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” In this scripture passage, the risen Christ suddenly appears to His disciples. They are huddled in hiding behind locked doors because of the threats from the Jewish leaders. They are still alive…sort of…kind of…maybe. The abc’s of survival are there in place, but not much else. A spiritual hypoxia has settled in as they choke on their own fetid fumes of fear. Paralyzed by threats from without and insecurities from within they are in desperate need of healing attention. Thankfully, the doctor has arrived. The scripture text simply says, Jesus breathed on them. He will become for them their spiritual respirator. Jesus breathed on them. The words take us back to the moment of creation itself. In Genesis, God breathed into the nostrils of humanity his very own breath of life. God’s energizing breath mixes and mingles with the dust of the ground and out comes a living soul. There is this paradox that is at the heart of what it means to be a human person. We come from the dust. We are fragile. We are vulnerable. Little things can so easily set us off. Yet at the same time we have been breathed into by the God of all creation. Now the reviving life of God is breathed out through Jesus, creating new men out of these disciples with feet of clay. Empowered by the breath of the Spirit, they will become ministers of God’s new creation. They will pass on the peace that Jesus has given them. They will become the channel through which God will bring new life and forgiveness of sins to the world. As we approach this Pentecost Sunday, may we pray for a fresh wind of the Spirit to blow on our lives. May we breathe out the oxide of our fears and anxieties. May we breathe in the life of his love and grace. May the lyrics of this hymn be our prayer today! “Breathe on me Breath of God, Fill me with life anew That I may love the way you love, and do what you would do” Pastor Donny  Dear Church Family:
Colossians 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. As a young boy I challenged myself to climb every tree that looked to be unclimbable, to climb the antenna pole on the side of the house to reach the top of the two story house, and to scale the inside walls of every farm building to reach the rafters. But my greatest challenge was always how to climb a 50 foot high barn roof with its multiple slopes and cupolas at the very top. One side of barn was built into a hill so the roof was only 5 feet above the ground. But it still remained just how to get up that extremely steep roof. One day I took the challenge. Realizing there was a lightning arrester cable up the very edge of the roof to the top and with slick wooden shingles I bared my feet, grabbed the cable and slowly hand over hand, step by step pulled myself all the way to the top. SUCCESS! The view was great, just sitting there, feeling the breeze blow and gazing across the farm landscape. Sometimes our life challenges may seem to be a seat of the pants experience. God challenges us to test him, to try his word, to prove him seeking those things above. If you’re not satisfied with your current actions, the solution is change your mind; as David expressed in the Psalm “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart”. Climbing trees, I learned to test each limb before I placed my full weight on it. Likewise, test each thing you do against Gods word to prove Him. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it, to be in control. However, you are not in control no matter what you think. The choice is up to you; follow Jesus or follow Satan and the ways of the world. Remember that delayed obedience is still disobedience. My roof top experience, though it gave me a better view, could not compare to the perspective of how big God’s creation is. The closer I got to the roof top, the greater the vision. The closer we get to Christ, the greater our vision and perspective of Him as well as our looking back brings understanding. Ponder this question: How is God challenging you and how will you respond? THE REST OF THE STORY: Now, how to get down off that roof? Using the cable I came up was not an option and the other side of the barn roof was a 15 to 20 foot drop to the ground. So, simple solution, the side I came up being only a 5 foot drop to the ground at the bottom of the roof, I would just sit down and slide down the roof on the seat of my pants. Sounded like a plan, only thing was once I committed, the slide picked up speed, the seat of my pants and bare feet got really hot and oh by the way, wooden shingles are nailed on with little tiny little shingle nails, some of which were sticking up, managing to ventilate the seat of my pants. Now you know the rest of the story. James 1:22 should challenge each of us “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves”. May God Bless you as you keep seeking those things above! Pastor Jerry  Dear Church Family:
Well today I venture back to work and out of my hiding place. It’s been a long 9 + weeks! I haven’t minded being at home and working from home but I really did miss the people and the camaraderie that comes with working with such a great bunch of fellow pastors and coworkers!!! So now it’s back to the “normal” routine. Although I am not totally convinced that it will be exactly like it was before. There have been many changes take place in the last 10 weeks or so. The news media keep telling us it’s not safe to go back to work. That we should continue to stay at home and distance ourselves from everyone even loved ones. But I have decided for me that it is safer coming into an office that isn’t crowded than risking going into a super market or store that is crowded with people. I know that I have to be careful since I have been put into that “high risk” category whether I like it or not! So I will take the necessary precautions to keep me safe and others around me. I know that many of you have already gone back to the work place or are preparing to go back. I’m sure many of you have had the same doubts and wondered if is this is really a good move. But as I have prayed about this God has given me some promises to stand on. Hopefully these verses will help you also as you begin to venture out of your hiding place. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise-- in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Psalm 56:3-4 I lift up my eyes to the mountains-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you-- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:1-8 The enemy loves to try to put doubts and fear into our minds and keep us from serving Christ! I will not succumb to those fears and doubts! So it’s back to work! Back to the work that I am called to do and a work that I love! It’s back to worshipping as a body of believers. It’s back to doing God’s work! So, I will see you all as you come in to the church to worship or come in to the office! I’ll be the masked bandit sitting at the desk! Pastor Fran  Dear Church Family:
Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself. “Ask, and you will receive…” (John 16:24) We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “…unless you…become as little children…” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything. To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature. Pastor Dick  “....Discipline yourselves for the purpose of godliness...”
-1 Tim. 4:7-8 Hello church family, I’ve been thinking about discipline a lot lately. Before you think about it, I don’t mean the kind of discipline you give to your children although the way my kids are acting right now maybe that’s what I should be working on. I’m talking about Spiritual Discipline. I’ve been reading “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” and in it Donald Whitney says “So many professing Christians are so spiritually undisciplined that they seem to have little fruit and power in their lives. I’ve seen men and women who discipline themselves for the purpose of excelling in their profession, discipline themselves very little for the purpose of godliness. I’ve seen Christians who are faithful to the church of God, who frequently demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the things of God, and who dearly love the Word of God, trivialize their effectiveness for the Kingdom of God through lack of discipline. Spiritually they are a mile wide and an inch deep. He goes on to compare spiritual discipline to a musician who works hard at learning to play an instrument knowing that it takes years to acquire the skill or someone who will work hard to lower their golf score knowing it may take years and countless hours of practice or those dedicated to their career who will risk everything else in life to get ahead. He says “These same people will give up quickly when they find the Spiritual disciplines won’t come easily, as though becoming like Jesus was not supposed to take much effort.” How are you in the area of spiritual discipline? Are you more faithful at scrolling through Facebook or posting your next selfie on Instagram? Are you more devoted to your work? Your hobby? Are you in the mile high and inch deep club? What area are you lacking in? Bible intake? Prayer? Worship? Evangelism? Serving? Stewardship? Fasting? Silence and Solitude? Journaling? Pick one and make that your focus this week, or this month and begin developing your spiritual discipline. Pick up a copy of this book, maybe it will help you as it is helping me. “The goal of godliness isn’t found on the surface of Christianity, it has to be dug from the depths with the tools of the disciplines...for those who persevere the treasures are more than worth the trouble.” (-Whitney) It takes time, it takes work, it takes discipline to grow in Christ, are you willing to do that? Join me this week in taking the time you spend on social media, or even just a portion of it, your evening TV time, a portion of the time you spend on your hobby, whatever it may be and spend it on one of the spiritual disciplines. Let’s do this together! I will be focusing on Bible intake and Prayer. (I’d say silence and solitude but I can’t even go to the bathroom alone or take a shower without the door being beat down...I’ll work on that when the kids get a little older.) Much love and many blessings, Pastor Delinda Good afternoon church family,
Pastor Holmes here with some great news! We are continuing in resuming our in person worship services this Sunday, May 24th. Our traditional hymn service will begin at 9:00 AM. Our modern worship service featuring Donny and the worship band will be at 11:00 AM. The church has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. The first two available pews at the back of the sanctuary has been reserved for those who feel they may be in a higher risk category. Every other pew has been roped off to provide at least 6 feet of distancing between individuals and families. If you choose to wear a mask, that is totally acceptable. If you do want to wear a mask and forgot yours, we will have some available for you. Our hospitality area will continue to be closed for a few more weeks. There will be no in person Sunday school, children’s activities or teen meetings at this time. One final thought. If you have any health issues which might be exacerbated by attending our in person worship, please continue to meet us on our live stream option at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. God Bless You, Pastor Holmes  Dear Church Family:
Remember the story of Joseph? His life did not go quite as planned. Put yourself in Joseph’s shoes for just a moment. The message he received as he’s traded for silver was clear: we’re better off without you. Betrayed and scornfully hurt by his own flesh and blood. What would be going through your mind if you were Joseph? It’s hard to describe, isn’t it? No words could express what he was feeling. He was all alone. No one was there to hear his cries. No one was there comfort him in the midst of some of the most painful moments of his life. No one, that is, except God. In Joseph’s story, five words changed everything. Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph…” Joseph didn’t have a lot going for him in the pit and even less afterward, but when Joseph was in despair and wondering how life would turn out, he could rely on a single truth: God was with him. This truth didn’t change the reality of Joseph’s situation. But it was better than being alone. This truth didn’t mean that Joseph could see where the story was going. But he could know that he wasn’t entirely dependent on himself to get out of this situation. This truth didn’t mean that Joseph could easily deal with the things that happened to him or the hurt of his brothers. It didn’t mean that he had a reason or explanation for the pain in his life. But he didn’t have to figure out things all by himself. The same is true for you. When there’s nothing you can do, God is with you. Knowing that God is with us may not change our circumstances, but it might just change us. It might just give us enough hope to keep going, even in the midst of our hopeless circumstances. God bless. -Pastor Michael  Service Instructions for Sunday, May 24th. Each week we are trying to improve and make it easier to access our services online. We pray that you have found the services uplifting and encouraging, allowing you to grow in your relationship with Jesus. This week we are able to open all three streaming platforms—YouTube, Facebook, and The Woods Online—for both 9:00 and 11:00 services. You can now watch on your favorite platform at either 9:00 or 11:00 by simply clicking one of the links below at the beginning of the hour to watch our services. Additionally we will continue to broadcast the sermon at 10:30 on WIBW - MeTV. (Channel 13.2, Cox - 11, U-verse - 12) (One quick tip: if you log on a little before the stream starts, occasionally you may need to refresh your browser for the stream to begin.) If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Blessings!   Chat with our Woods Church family or request one-on-one prayer from someone on our team during the service. Click here to watch The Woods Online.  Create a watch party for you and your friends and let us know you're watching in the comment section. Click here to watch on Facebook Live.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel and ring the bell to receive notifications for when we're live! Want to watch on your Smart TV? Open the YouTube app and search for Wanamaker Woods.
Click here to watch on YouTube Live.  Dear Church Family:
In my distress I called upon the Lord; yes, I cried to God; and from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears” (11 Samuel 22:7) David knew distress intimately. The stress that came from wrestling with lions, bears, giants and even kings. He also knew the stress that comes from wrestling with self. Deception, lying, murder, adultery, all were companions at times in his life. And wrestle he did! Temptation was no stranger to him. He knew and acknowledged to God that most of his problems and burden’s were self inflicted. He did not try to put the blame on others, but embraced and owned them as sin. The amazing thing about David is that he always turned back to God. He never allowed himself to wallow in his sins for long periods, but rather, to confess his wrong actions and turn to God for help. (Maybe that is why he was called a man after God’s own heart) We encounter the same kind of temptations David faced. His answer is our answer. “In my distress I called upon the Lord”. To be sure, these are not easy days. We are being asked to adapt to things a few short months ago were unimagined. Our distress has a remedy; follow Davis’s lead, and “cry out to God.” Your cry for help will not go unheeded! Pastor Holmes  Dear Church Family:
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11 ESV) I find that many distractions are trying to come between me and Yahweh. I don’t think this is anything new, but it seems to be more intense in the last few months. I don’t think it’s just about all the pandemic worries, either. Maybe (I hope) it’s because I’ve been seeking to spend more time in GOD’s Word and the enemy doesn’t like it! I like Paul’s prayer about our love abounding. He is referring to “agape” love, and a quick look at Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance shows agape as being expressed toward one another (John 13:34) and all mankind (1 Thess. 3:12) while staying focused on the LORD’s essential nature (1 John 4:8). All this while being knowledgeable and discerning. No pressure. I have no excuse for my distractions. I can’t blame organized sports, outside amusements, or a heavy workload. It is simply me, and it is my personal challenge to be discerning about the distractions I allow into my life. Those things that prevent me from being discerning and knowledgeable about how my “agape may abound . . .” I trust in the Lord’s ability to keep me in His hand (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38-39). And I know that it is my earnest desire to be found pure and blameless when Christ returns (verse 10). If this is our desire, it is vital that you and I conquer the distraction issue. This can only happen as we are “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Pastor Bill  Dear Church Family:
It was in 2012 when my family and I endured one of the worst times in our lives. I had just found a relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and was not sure why we were going through this crisis. While the tears flowed and the pain became too much for my wife and I to bear, while comforting one another I remember the feeling of someone wrapping their arms around the both of us. A feeling of peace settled over us and I said to my wife “ I cannot tell what tomorrow will bring, But from this day forward we follow Jesus and not the world”. Having said that the problems did not go away but our relationship with God was strengthened and our relationship with each other renewed. Life can be difficult but I have yet to find a day when the Lords presence has not comforted me. King David went through many difficulties and in Psalm 23:4 he wrote “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me." Psalm 23:4 I have lived life without God and today I find myself desiring God more than life, when we make God our priority we become his priority! I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words. My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. Psalm 119:147-148 As the years have gone by God has been so good and given more than we deserve, we simply desire to follow him and nothing else. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 We will get through this and my prayer is that we all grow deeper in the desire for God. Have an amazing day! Pastor Marty 1 Corinthians 1:26-31  Dear Church Family:
In his book Invitation to a Journey, M. Robert Mulholland tells the following story: It is said that one gloomy day, Dwight L. Moody visited a man who had expressed some interest at one of Moody’s meetings. Moody was ushered into a comfortable room with a fire blazing on the hearth. After some gracious preliminary conversation, the man began to argue that it was possible for a person to be a Christian without participating in the life of the church. As he made his elaborate and detailed arguments, Moody leaned forward in his chair, took the poker and pulled a flaming coal from the fire out onto the stone hearth. Moody watched as the coal slowly dimmed and went out. He then turned and looked at the man, without saying anything. After a long pause the man said “Mr. Moody, you have made your point!” We can no more be formed in the image of Christ outside of corporate spirituality than a coal can continue to burn bright outside of the fire. In this period of social distancing, it may have been difficult for you to maintain your fire, being separated from your brothers and sisters in Christ. Now that we are in the position to be able to return to the assembly, don’t be afraid to let that fire be returned to your spirit! -Pastor Jared.  Dear Church Family:
The Goal – This ONE thing! Philippians 3:10-13 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death. Then there is hope that I myself will somehow be raised from death. I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. There is a saying in the Woodys house. “We can only go forward.” We make mistakes, plenty of them. Many of us would love to have do-overs, but that is not how this timeline we exist in works, no chutes and ladders in life. You just keep moving forward. We made a really big move last summer. BIG! We left all we knew; a culture we were familiar with, an area we celebrated, people we treasured. We are now experiencing the blessings and challenges of this new KS adventure. Many of you have encouraged us and shown such kindness to our family. We have had wonderful opportunities in ministry. We are walking in step with you now. But, every once in a while, we look back and think, “WHAT HAVE WE DONE?” And then we remember, “We can only go forward.” I am not sure all Paul forgot in the past, but he reminds us the same. It’s about moving forward. It’s about the goal before us. And what is that goal? A new job, a new home, or at least a clean home, better marriage, good retirement, NO, no, no. Those are good goals, but not THE GOAL. There are many little goals along the way as we walk in step with Him, but they are simply steps in the journey of THE GOAL. THE GOAL is THIS ONE THING. To be what God made me to be- HIS. Holly Woodbridge  Dear Church Family:
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Exodus 17:10-13 We see in this passage Moses lifting his staff in a prayerful position of intercession. It is a visual reminder to us of God’s presence and power. We search our scriptural memory and recall that this is the very staff that Moses held tight-fingered at the burning bush. The same staff God used in an overlay of the miraculous in the presence of the Egyptians. The rod of Moses was a reminding relic of God’s previous triumphs over His enemies. It is, however, no longer enough. Moses needs friends in facing the foes. He needs a band of brothers for the battle. Moses needs relationships; real flesh and blood folks who could sustain and bolster him in prayer for the combat before him. In the weeks ahead we face the task of rebuilding much of what has been lost to us in our culture. We continue to face the effects and after effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We seek to regain the rhythms of our spiritual community at Wannamaker in a way that is safe for our most vulnerable. We face the accentuated problems of joblessness, addiction, depression, and domestic abuse. In a sense, it is what holy war looks like to us in this day and age. As Paul tells us, the weapons of our warfare look different. We do, however, ask the same kind of questions as those who came before us. How can I be an intercessor like Aaron or Hur to those struggling to persevere around me? How can I encourage and support them today? Closing Prayer Lord, grant us the spiritual resilience to intercede until our battles are won. Today, we take up the spiritual battles that we have so often put down too soon. We are grateful that we are not praying alone. We trust in the promises of God that a breakthrough is on the way. Gracious God, help us to live this day to the full. Amen! Pastor Donny  Hello church family, Pastor Holmes here with some great news!
We are resuming our "in person" worship services this Sunday, May 17th. Our traditional hymn service will begin at 9:00 AM. Our modern worship service featuring Donny and the worship band will be at 11:00 AM. The church has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. The first two available pews at the back of the sanctuary has been reserved for those who feel they may be in a higher risk category. Every other pew has been roped off to provide at least 6 feet of distancing between individuals and families. If you choose to wear a mask, that is totally acceptable. If you do want to wear a mask and forgot yours, we will have some available for you. Our hospitality area will continue to be closed for a few more weeks. There will be no in person Sunday school, children’s activities or teen meetings at this time. One final thought. If you have any health issues which might be exacerbated by attending our in person worship, please continue to meet us on our live stream option at 9:00 and 11:00 AM. God Bless You, Pastor Holmes  Dear Church Family:
Where does one find the power to overcome life’s adversities? If we think about the electricity we use we often take it for granted until it goes out, then we miss the precious resource. Only when you turn on a light switch or plug a device into an outlet do we realize the invisible power that is within our grasp. Similarly, the Holy Spirit of God has come to us as an invisible source of power that can aide and direct our lives as well as intercede between us and God. Like a new flashlight battery there is a power within it, a power available to us, but without putting it into use it provides nothing to us, it just sits there waiting for us. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord you have the power of the Spirit of Christ within you; that very presence of Jesus Christ, invisible but available to you. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord“. You have a potential which by our own nature is impossible, but as we walk in faith closer and closer to Christ, the Holy Spirit which Christ has placed in us strengthens us to be his witnesses. Acts 1:8 …you shall be My witnesses…even to the remotest part of the earth. A dimmer switch on a ceiling light has the full power of its source available to be utilized, but unless we use it by turning up the switch, likewise unless we yield to the Holy Spirit, and allow that power to be utilized, the light of Christ within us will not grow any brighter. By developing a greater relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit can take your insecurities, your fears, and change you into a confident, more powerful person to proclaim Christ, His love and His Kingdom to the world around you. As a Christ follower, you already have all the power you need within you. The question is “How will you use it”? Today, ask Jesus to open your heart to the Holy Spirits leading, allowing Him to direct you in a bolder new way for you to both seek Him and glorify His Kingdom. Pastor Jerry  Dear Church Family:
Can We Just Go Back to Normal?? Well let’s see, we have been in this stay-at-home mode for about 8 weeks now and if you are like me, I am so ready for all of this to be over. Now whether that will happen anytime soon is still to be seen but one thing I do know is I am itching to go back to a more “normal” pace of life. Maybe you have gotten somewhat used to the stay-at-home lifestyle and are enjoying having time to do things that you have not had the time for. No matter where you are in all of this for most of us we are looking at a gradual transition back to our work places or back to worshiping together again or back to life as we used to know it…well maybe it will never be just like it used to be but we will all have to face transition back whether it is physically going back to work or mentally preparing ourselves to meet the changing and maybe challenging circumstances ahead. I am sure that life will continue to unfold in a restricted, socially distancing format. But I hope that over the past few weeks you have been able to use your time at home to invest in your relationships. Whether it has been in helping your children with homework, sitting down to meals as a family, having real conversations, doing family devotions with Holly, having time to get to know your spouses again or just slowing down the pace of life. Besides - just think of all the honey do lists that have gotten done! Hopefully, you will be able to reflect on the things that you will want to take with you and carry on from this time at home. Maybe you have realized that your kids don't have to be in everything to keep them occupied. Maybe you have also realized that cooking together as a couple or family can be a worthwhile experience. Maybe the communication between you and your spouse or your child has greatly improved since you have had to occupy the same space at home for a few weeks now. Maybe you have found some time for you that you greatly needed. Maybe you have taken more time to get re-acquainted with loved ones through Zoom or facetime that you were too busy to keep in touch with. My prayer is that as we step back into the hustle and bustle of life again that we will not become so busy with the minutia stuff in life that we get too busy to enjoy life. To enjoy the little things. To enjoy our families. That we will still take the time to sit together at mealtime, play games in the evenings, take walks together, have devotions together and always tell each other “I love you.” To seek Him first and let Him guide our steps ahead. I am sure there will be a lot of uncertainty that we are going to face and I’m not sure what our lives will look like weeks or months from now but one thing I do know is that I know the One that does! Jesus said in Luke 12:22-31 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. I do not know about tomorrow, but I know the One who walks beside me and holds my hand and He knows what lies ahead for all of us. Isaiah tells us, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold on to you with my right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 Pastor Fran  Dear Church Family:
The Source of Abundant Joy Romans 8:34-39 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul was speaking here of the things that might seem likely to separate a saint from the love of God. But the remarkable thing is that nothing can come between the love of God and a saint. The things Paul mentioned in this passage can and do disrupt the close fellowship of our soul with God and separate our natural life from Him. But none of them is able to come between the love of God and the soul of a saint on the spiritual level. The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; Paul said this is the reason that “in all these things we are more than conquerors.” The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. “We are more than conquerors through Him”---“in all these things”---not in spite of them---but in the midst of them. The experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). Pastor Dick  Dear Church Family:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me ... restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” - Psalm 51:10 Deep reflections at play dough time. I sat here watching my kids play with play dough, well one of them, the other was eating it. There are a couple of things that drive me crazy about play dough, I don’t like the colors mixed (call me OCD), the itty bitty leftover pieces after you clean it up and digging it out of a toddlers mouth. Today we sat and played with play dough and I looked at this giant ball of mixed up play dough that would normally drive me a little crazy and God spoke. I could see it for the ugly lump it is (at this point it wasn’t completely mixed so it wasn’t an ugly brown just yet, it was more marbly, but still...) or I could see it as something beautiful in the making. Like a potter with his lump of clay, I began to break it down and mold it and shape it, and the words to an old familiar song came to mind. “Change my heart, O God! Make it ever true. Change my heart, O God! May I be like you. You are the potter, I am the clay, mold me and make me, this is what I pray.” The songwriter Eddie Espinosa said in an interview once, “The year was 1982. I had been a Christian since 1969, but I saw a lot of things in my life that needed to be discarded. I had slowly become very complacent. I acknowledged my complacency, and I prayed to the Lord, ‘The only way that I can follow you is for you to change my appetite, the things that draw me away. You must change my heart!’” I am far from perfect, ask my family, and sometimes I too grow complacent. Sometimes I require the breakdown, God is molding me, and sometimes it’s necessary to break me apart to put me back together the way He intended. I am still a work in progress and always will be as long as I’m on this earth, but my prayer is that God would continue to show me where I can improve and help me to do so. My desire is to be like Him. I, like the writer of this song, have been a Christian for a long time (for me it’s much longer than he was when he wrote the song). There have been many stages of my life where God has broken me down and smoothed out some of the rough edges. My prayer is that those around me, in my circles will see Christ in me more and more daily as He weaves the beautiful mess that I am in Him. Is He breaking you down? Where in your life do you need to be more like Christ? Where have you grown complacent? Take a few moments today and reflect and pray this scripture (Psalm 51:10 above) and song with me and watch as God continues to mold you into the beautiful masterpiece He has planned. Love and Blessings, Pastor Delinda  Dear Church Family:
Happy Mothers Day! If there’s ever one family member that’s taken for granted, it’s our mothers. We are often nearly blind to the loads moms carry. A glance at several of the mother’s day cards at the store reinforce this idea. The joke for so many of them draw upon the attitude that moms need to forget the housework because it’s their day. Besides, tomorrow they can always pull double duty and catch up. I think the point is made. We often take our moms for granted. Today, even in the midst of everything going on, I challenge you to consider the priceless value of the one woman who made your life possible. Think about her example, her support, her humor, her counsel, her humility, her hospitality, her insight, her patience, her sacrifices. Her faith. Her hope. Her love. Abraham Lincoln said, “He is not poor who has had a godly mother.” I’ll add to that, you may be in debt to her, but you're not poor. Thank you moms! You are so blessed. You may feel a little uncomfortable today—you may even try to find a place to hide in order to avoid the limelight. True servants are like that. But know that we are grateful for who you are and for all that you do. Thank you for pointing all of us to Christ and to the God who loves us. Strength and honor are her clothing; she is confident about the future. Her mouth is full of wisdom; kindly teaching is on her tongue. Her children bless her; her husband praises her. (Proverbs 31:25-26, 28) -Pastor Michael  Dear Church Family:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.” (Titus 2:11-12) The word that seems to jump out of Paul’s instruction to Titus is grace! “It has made its appearance”, and brought with it instruction and wisdom. Aren’t you glad God does not leave us in the dark when it comes to needing things such as wisdom and instruction, especially in the arena of grace? Receiver or giver, grace makes its appearance and we always become better for its arrival. I remember a time I was driving in some heavy traffic, and instead of paying attention to all the other drivers, I allowed myself to become distracted by some recent events in my life. All at once I realized the lane I was driving in was about to end abruptly. With seeming no option, I cut the car off behind me, knowing I was going to get a frustrated and angry response. As the car I had cut off eased up beside me in the other lane, I looked over with some trepidation. Much to my surprise, the driver simply waved, shrugged their shoulders and smiled. I will never know for sure, but I think I had just encountered a grace giver, who perhaps at one time had found themselves in the same situation. These are days when we have the opportunity to practice, share and give grace. We all will have a time to give it, and we will all have a time when we need it. When you encounter that harried grocery store cashier, or the mother that has had just one day too many with children kept cooped up in a house that keeps getting smaller by the day, or the distracted driver more into themselves than their driving, let “grace” show up. It will make a difference, not just for them, but maybe, just maybe when you need it to show up for you. Pastor Holmes  Dear Church Family:
Grace! What a powerful, beautiful word. It’s a truly amazing thing we can’t buy or earn in other ways—it must be received as a gift. John Newton, in one of my favorite hymns, puts it this way: Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me!I once was lost but now I'm found; Was blind but now I see. Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far And grace will lead me home. the Lord has promised good to me His Word my hope secures; He will my Shield and Portion be, As long as life endures. Grace! What a wonderful concept. I believe GOD’s grace is like a beautiful gem with many facets. It has to do with GOD’s forgiveness, acceptance, His presence. It is through His grace, also, that His Spirit enables and empowers us by bringing a form of completion and freedom to our lives that we can’t have without it. His grace offers spiritual gifts to all believers. This is only a sampling – you can no doubt identify other aspects of grace in your lives. Let me just leave you with a couple thoughts from Scripture. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Hebrews 4:16 (ESV) Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. May GOD’s grace and shalom fill your lives in these uncertain times. Pastor Bill  Dear Church Family:
I recently shared this with the Montara campus, I feel I should share it with you. In his book Everyday Champions , Joe Horn shares what Albert Barnes had written long ago. “ Many of the most useful people in the church are distinguished mainly for their simple confidence in the promises of God; and often accomplish more by prayer and their faith in God that others do who are distinguished for their wisdom and learning. Humble piety and reliance in the divine promises, and that measure of ardor, fearlessness, and zeal which result from such confidence; that belief that all obstacles must be and will be overcome that oppose the gospel; and that God will secure the advancement of his cause, will often do infinitely more in the promotion of his kingdom than the most splendid endowments of learning and talent. Indeed, if a man were disposed to do good on the widest scale possible, to do the utmost that he possibly could in saving people, he would best accomplish it by seeking simple “ faith “ in God’s aids and promises, and then under the influence of this, engage with ardor in doing what he could. Faith is one of the highest endowments of the Christian life.” When I read this I thought of all that are at home praying for this nation, our churches and our communities. Do not stop seeking the Lord throughout all of this. Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he seeks finds, and to him who knocked it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8 In this trial of our lives, we never lose sight of God and know the promise in Romans 8:28 to be true “ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose “ All of us are so important to the kingdom of God, continue to seek him daily and beauty awaits on the other side. Have an amazing day. Pastor Marty 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Dear Church Family, Update From WWCN For May 6th:
We are ready to open the doors to gather in worship very soon. God has been faithful, even in these difficult days. On May 17th we will have services at 9 AM and 11 AM. In order to help accommodate some of the restrictions still in place, we are asking for families to perform a personal risk assessment prior to coming to the church building. If you feel you are “at risk” or are not ready to come together with the church family, we totally understand—know your church family loves and cares about you. We will still make available our livestream on our website, wwnaz.org. We ask that you practice the guidelines for social distancing. Families may sit together and every other pew will be sectioned off. Because of some of the restrictions still in place, we will not have Sunday School, Nursery, Kids Crossing, Sunday evening or Midweek activities. We will not be serving donuts or coffee. If you would like to wear a mask, feel free to do so. The offering plate will be at the back of the sanctuary and current means of giving will still be available. We will continue to take extra care to clean the church and sanitize areas as often as possible We are excited to have everyone back together and we have been so thankful for your continued support through this difficult time. May God bless you and see you soon! Pastor Holmes and Pastoral Staff |
AuthorNotes from the Staff @The Woods Archives
March 2023
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