Discipleship (Page 7)
The “Great Outlet” – An overflowing work of God
A few years ago, Paul Ragusa had an encounter with God that changed his life. Though he had gone to church for most of his life, he found himself missing something critical. But then he had an experience he can only refer to as being “born again,” dramatically transformed into a new person in Christ. “I feel as though I have become an entirely different species of man with completely different capabilities,” he says. “All of the interactions that I…
What Does Discipleship Really Mean? Whole-Life Discipleship
What does discipleship really mean? It’s been a question Stephen Johnson has been on a journey to answer for years. “Whatever discipleship means,” he says, “it must be relevant to everyone, everywhere, at all times, or it isn’t real discipleship.” The model of whole-life discipleship has offered this all-inclusive vision of life to Fellowship Bible Church, where Stephen has pastored for the last eleven years. It has also made discipleship very relational and situational, inviting everyone to ask what the…
Lord of “My” Time / Being Open to God’s Timeframe on our Frontlines
Our church has been blessed by God with the arrival of a refugee family into our congregation. It wasn’t something we planned or prepared for, but in God’s unique and perfect way, they were added to our number. In many ways it is clear that we were not prepared for them. We had no idea the connections and resources that they need to resettle here in our community. We were and remain confused by the process and the regulations and…
February 13th – Weather & Snow Update
We have church in-person and online today, February 13th, 2022. Please join us online if you don’t feel safe driving. We’ll have 20-minutes of worship, a 20-minute massage, and 45-minutes of small-group discussion, with a Zoom option for those who would like to join from home. The second page of the bulletin has the Zoom login info. God bless.
January 29th, 2022 – Service & Snow Announcement
At this time (Saturday, January 29th, at noon), the Deacons and Elders have determined that we will hold worship in person tomorrow. The snow will be ending later this evening and we have been assured by our snowplow contractor that the parking lot will be plowed and salted and stairs and walkways will be cleared and salted as well. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed. Please check the website and Facebook page in the…
Spiritual Connectivity / 6Ms of Fruitfulness on the Frontline
The yellow light blinked slowly, alerting me that there was a problem. I asked Alexa for help, and she told me plainly, “I’m having problems connecting to the internet.” So I called the help desk to get the wireless router back online, but when the technician told me to cycle the power on the modem, the call dropped unexpectedly—I had forgotten that the phone also required an internet connection! Since you’re reading this, you know that I eventually did get…
Thank You for Your Service
I spent the first 10 years of my career in the U.S. Navy. Since that time, on several occasions after telling someone about my history, someone would say, “Thank you for your service.” I was always honored to hear it, and humbled too. As I’ve reflected on this, it strikes me how little I thank people for something. For example, when I check out at the grocery store, I may exchange “Thank you’s” with the person behind the counter. This…
New Year’s Resolution – Connecting My Goals to God’s Mission
I’ve always been a fan of New Year’s. I’m not necessarily talking about the big events like they do in Times Square (although I do like to watch the ball drop on TV!). No, for me it’s all about the ‘new’ – the possibilities that it brings. A new year is a chance to make changes, to do something different, to be different. So, as you might imagine, I have made a few resolutions over the years. As I’ve started…
Frontline Redeployment: 3 Truths for When God Sends us Someplace New
Over the course of my life, I’ve had a few occasions where God has ‘redeployed’ me to a new frontline – in fact, since I began my career in the Navy, many of these were actual redeployments! Sometimes we welcome these changes. For example, I was really excited when I was heading off to college and about to embark on that new adventure. Other redeployments are not as welcome. Several years ago, when I learned that my team was going…
Collaborative Church Service – Psalms of Praise, Lament, Confession & Thanksgiving (12/26/21)
This service will not be broadcast on Facebook Live, but we invite those staying at home to join us over Zoom. You can access the Zoom info through our Facebook Page or Group. Welcome & Invocation Today is a time to pray, praise, confess, lament, and share stories of God’s faithfulness. Jesus Loves Me (Kids’ Song) Dismissal of children downstairs. Song (Request) Intercessory Prayer Prayer requests then the pastor prays. Song (House of the Lord) Psalm 103 – Psalm of…
Worshipful Shopping: Honoring God at Checkout
As I was waiting in line to buy something a few weeks back, I asked myself, “What does it mean to worship God here?” I’m not sure about you, but there are few places I find less worshipful than standing in line waiting to check out. Instead, I just want to get through the line as quickly as possible, and get to the next item on my to-do list! But the reality is that the checkout line is just as…