Risen Welcome

The Lord is risen!  He is alive and well.  Jesus is reigning as King over all.  Jesus is the Son of God.  He was born of a virgin and walked this earth.  The Lord performed signs and miracles and spoke words of God.  Jesus was put on trial by his enemies and was sentenced to death on a cross.  The Lord submitted himself to God and gave up his life.  Jesus was buried in a tomb and stayed hidden for three days.  On the third day the tomb was found empty and he was not to be found.  Praise God he revealed himself to the women, the disciples and many others.  After commissioning his disciples to spread the good news and advance the kingdom of God, he ascended into heaven where he sits on his throne in heaven granting forgiveness and giving his Holy Spirit to all who confess, repent, and obey the gospel. 

We gather each first day of week because of the resurrection.  The church is the embodiment of the kingdom of God to worship Jesus and to love others.  We celebrate the Lord’s Supper each week to remember the Lord’s death.  We are transformed by the gift of his life.  We celebrate Baptism to participate in the gospel; the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord.  We are transformed by the power of his blood and by the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We live as kingdom people continuing daily in God’s word being shaped and formed by the message of love.  We live to love God, love others, and serve the world.

We are blessed to have you join us for worship [every time].  We pray that you will give your life to Jesus as Lord and Christ.  We pray that you will accept the invitation to become his disciple.  We pray you will use your gifts to edify the body of Christ and to advance the kingdom in this place.  We are committed to loving God and loving others.  Let us know if we can serve you in any way.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

It's that time again! A potluck lunch will be held after services this coming Sunday (4/2) morning. Bring something YOU like to eat and share it with the rest of us. But by all means, if you don't have anything to share, STAY AND EAT WITH US ANYWAY and enjoy the food and fellowship. Morning Bible study starts at 9:30, the "Main" worship services at 10:30, and potluck promptly (!) after service. And remember, EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE.

     The best sermon you can give the world is your lived devotion to the Lord. You cannot help but to tell others about the good things that the Lord has done for you. Your testimony of Christ living in you is the best gospel presentation those in your world can hear. I am praying that the Lord opens the hearts, minds, and ears of those who hear the good news proclaimed through your life will come to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Speak the word. Show the word. Preach the word. The word is love. Be love. Speak love. Show love. If you keep silent, your world will not know what love is. The world will know you belong to Christ by your love. I pray the world will see your love and glorify God.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:14-15, 17) “Preach the word in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:2-5)

Lord open ears to hear and minds to understand. Lead those who hear the gospel through your people to come to repentance. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who gives us strength. We are the workers in your harvest field. You provide the increase. To God be the glory. -- Bryan

      “Who is this (Jesus)? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (Mk. 4:41) The Prince of Peace has the power to calm the seas and stop the storms. He can cure every disease and restore every physical ailment. Jesus can overcome every military force and erase every spiritual attacker. Jesus defeated sin through his sacrificial death and triumphed over the grave. His body was resurrected. Which is easier for our Lord to say “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say to a lame man, “Get up and walk?” (Lk. 5:23) For our Lord both are a piece of cake. Jesus is mighty to save. He has the power to bring perfect peace that overcomes every storm of life.

       The peace of Christ is a raging river of life. His love and mercies never cease. The Lord is the well-spring of life that never runs dry. As followers of Christ, we have this gift of life through the presence of the Holy Spirit living and welling up inside of us. The Prince of Peace continually restores, redeems, and sets our life straight. Do you have….

     Do you have peace like a river in your soul? Are you experiencing the power and presence of peace in your life? What is keeping you from giving the control of your life over to God? What is hindering you from letting the Lord have every part of you? Let the body of Christ, his church, help you. We are called to be people of peace, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons (and daughters) of God.” (Mt. 5:9) Have faith and believe. Give your life to the Prince of Peace who defeated sin and death with his own life. His death has brought us life. We can choose to die to ourselves and live for him.You can trust in him. He appeared to his disciples, showed them his nail scarred hands, and even ate a meal with them. Hear him say, “Peace be with you.”

Bryan

     After my first year of studies at York College, in York, NE I returned home to Culbertson, MT to work. It was nice to be home with family and friends and not have to worry about school work and the stresses of all of those requirements and responsibilities, but after just a few weeks into the summer break my heart longed to return. I would stay busy with working three jobs, counseling at bible camp, and spending time with loved ones. There were blessings in that time spent in my hometown, but I began to miss the fellowship and community of faith that I had been a part of at York.

      I missed the community of friends and faculty that shared a common faith and love for the Lord. I missed the opportunity to serve in the ministries of the campus to share a common love for others. I missed the time with mentors who sharpened me and trained me in my gifts in the Lord. I missed the overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit that rested on that place. I missed the times of friendship and fellowship. I missed the intimacy of brotherhood that was formed with fellow followers of Christ.

      When the summer was over, I was anxious to return to my new community of faith at York College. I had an adrenaline filled 850-mile, 14-hour drive from Montana to Nebraska. I was a nutcase of joy and exhilaration driving at times at accelerated speeds to make it back to my place of spiritual formation. At the intersection of I-80 and highway 81 is a multicolored water tower that looks like a huge hotair balloon. Because of the extremely flat terrain of Nebraska, this iconic marker can be seen thirty or forty miles away. Once I spotted that tower on my drive back to York my heart would overflow with excitement and joy.

      I pray that we will have that same joy and excitement about the anticipation of returning each Lord’s Day to gather around his table with fellow followers of Christ. I pray that this will be time each week that we can express our love for God and one for another. I pray that our time each Sunday will be a time of encouragement and discipleship as we guide each other in our walk with the Lord. I pray that we will have opportunity to share our gifts of the spirit and use our resources to meet each others needs. I pray that at the close of each gathering we will have a sense of urgency to share our hope and fellowship with the Lord with others. I pray that we will be anxious and excited to meet again with our church body, our family, our
brothers and sisters in Christ.

Bryan Johnston