Mark 10:46-52 (NIV) Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. ”Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Pastor Steve reminded the congregation to trust in God and to remember Jesus' promise that he will give rest and lighten the burdens of all who come to him. Pastor elaborated that the Pharisees often distorted God's Word in the Torah; using old traditional rules and laws of religious beliefs to control the people. Jesus' message of the New Gospel was to tell his followers that our God was a loving God and to lay their worries at His feet.
Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV) The Father Revealed in the Son
At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
On the occasion of Pastor Appreciation Day, Pastor Steve reminisced about the first time he walked through the doors of Duck Creek Community Church with his wife Roddie. That was in July 2017 and the first words out of their mouths, simultaneously, were, "We're home."
Pastor's sermon focused on being joyful and grateful as we come together to worship God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Pastor quoted 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Pastor Steve told the congregation, "God tells us change comes from the Lord who is Spirit. My prayer is that we all become more like Him."
This message is focused on the great flood and the effects of it. Also, what the world was like in the time before Noah and the Flood and then the time after.
Pastor Steve takes the listener from Genesis 2, specifically the verses wherein God creates Eve as a partner for Adam, to Mark 10, wherein the first verses report Jesus responding tp questions about marriage as the Pharisees try to trip him up with difficult questions.
Mark 10: 1-18 (NIV) Divorce
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.
They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’[a] 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,[b] 8 and the two will become one flesh.’[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
Pastor Steve acknowledges that marriage is a great demand on both men and women, it’s a commitment of patience, love and caring, and also a covenant with God. Pastor goes on to explain and remind those gathered that baptism also is a covenant with God and God honors his covenants with us and marriage is one of those covenants. God loves His children, says Pastor Steve, and let’s hang on to God’s love and faithfulness. This message focuses on God’s love and that nothing can separate us from God. God may hate the act of divorce, but God loves the divorced just like God loves all His children.
Luke 2, verses 1-20, was the focus of Pastor Steve's Christmas Eve sermon, recounting the birth of Jesus (NIV):
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2(This was the first census that took place while[a]Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3And everyone went to their own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehemthe town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to himand was expecting a child.6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.9An angelof the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.11Today in the town of David a Saviorhas been born to you; he is the Messiah,the Lord.12This will be a signto you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peaceto those on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising Godfor all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
October 8 was Pastor Appreciation Day and love was in the air at DCCC. The congregation enjoyed special songs, readings, video and a wonderful sermon by Pastor Steve. After the service, an Italian lunch and fantastic desserts, along with lots of laughter and fellowship, were the perfect end to the day. Pastor delivered a message about the rich young man who asked Jesus about the way to get into heaven. The price was too high for the rich young man and Pastor reminded everyone in attendance that having a lot of money does not buy love, happiness, or a ticket into God's good graces.
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