Vacation Bible School 2013

We would like to invite all of the children of Person County and the surrounding areas to Kingdom Rock.  This will be held at Warren's Grove on July 7th-11th from 5:30pm-8:30pm.  Come on out for a great time to learn about God's great promises that we find in Jesus Christ.  We will have Bible stories, skits, crafts, snacks, recreation, and music.  Each night we will also have a meal right at 5:30pm.

Lastly, invite your friends and family to the commencement program that will be on Sunday, July 14th at our 11am worship service.  This is a time for us to discover God's life-saving love.

Revelation 7.1-17

This coming Sunday we will be focusing on Revelation 7.1-17.  In this passage we read about the 144,000 that are sealed by the angel that ascends from the rising of the sun (v2).  We continue to see who these saints are ------ and they come from some of the tribes of Israel.  Then our attention shifts to a multitude from every nation (v9).  Apparently, this multitude has gone through the great ordeal (v14).  Because of this great ordeal their robes have been washed by the blood of the lamb and now God has promised to be their shepherd and to lead them beside the springs of water (17). 

Martyrdom is our scene in this passage.  Utter devotion to the lamb of God has caused this multitude to die for their faith.  Their blood has been spilled at the hands of sinners ------ and now the blood of the lamb has washed them clean.  This scene of the martyrs seems so different then Christianity in America.  The real question for us is ------ does it feel different because we have sold ourselves out to a culture that opposes Christianity?  or is this what a time of peace for Christians is to look like?  The answer to these questions is the one that I struggle with in the 21st century.  I am afraid that the first question is the one that more represents our situation. 

Come Lord Jesus, Come!  Make things right in this world!

Revelation 5.1-14

This coming Sunday we will be focusing on Revelation 5.1-14.  In this passage we begin by seeing a scroll that is in the hand of him who sits on the throne.  This scroll has seven seals and an angel begins proclaiming that there is no one who is worthy to unseal the scroll.  John begins weeping at this terrible news ----- but then one of the elders comforts him by telling him of the conqueror who is worthy to unseal the scroll.  That conqueror then appears on the scene.  This conqueror is "a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth" (Revelation 5.6).  The lamb takes the scroll ------ and at the sight of this all of creation begins singing!

What a awesome glimpse that we are given the pleasure to behold ------- a glimpse into the very throne room of God.  Christopher C. Rowland comments on this passage by saying: "The identification of Christ with the lamb, made throughout the book, suggests that an act of witness, at great cost, has turned the world upside down.  The victim is shown to be in the right, and the demonstration of that witness shakes the fabric of the cosmos and its institutions to the core."  In the slaughtered lamb we see Jesus ----- the one who is the conqueror of death and the grave!

Jesus is the one who is worthy to unseal the scroll ------ but with this unsealing there is a shaking of the entire universe.  Everything that can be shaken will be shaken.  True authority and power is found in the one who conquered by giving of his own life.  This shakes our systems and institutions to the core ------ for we see the slaughtered lamb ------ who overcame the world through love.  Now, we can do nothing else then sing of this great love that is found in Jesus Christ!

The Book of Revelation

During the months of April, May, and June we will be focusing on the Book of Revelation. Concerning the book of Revelation M. Eugene Boring writes: “Although every biblical book is subject to misinterpretation, no other part of the Bible has provided such a happy hunting ground for all sorts of bizarre and dangerous interpretations.”

We see this all around us: people predicting the end of the world, preachers hollering about the dragon and the false-prophet, and name-calling based on weird interpretations of the book of Revelation. What we are going to do is look at what Revelation meant to those in first century Asia — but also what the Lord wants to say to us in the 21st century.

In Revelation 2.10 John writes: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Let us delve in to the book of Revelation so we can learn what it means to lay down our lives for our faith. This teaching series will be during our 8:45am & 11am services at Warren's Grove. All are invited!

Below you will find a listing of what passage we will be focusing on each Sunday:

April 14th, 2013: Revelation 1.1-8
April 21st, 2013: Revelation 1.9-20
April 28th, 2013: Revelation 4.1-11
May 5th, 2013: Revelation 5.1-14
May 12th, 2013: Revelation 7.1-17
May 19th, 2013: Acts 2.1-21 (Pentecost Sunday)
May 26th, 2013: Revelation 11.15 – 12.12
June 2nd, 2013: Revelation 19.1-21
June 9th, 2013: Revelation 21.1-8
June 16th, 2013: Revelation 21.9 – 22.10
June 23rd, 2013: Revelation 22.11-21

Ephata Choir

In 1997 ten young people of the United Methodist Church in Friedrichsdorf/Germany founded a Choir with the help of some adults. More and more people joined the group, which now has about 50 members at every age and regularly sings during Sunday worship.
Searching for a name we found the Bible story where Jesus healed a terminally ill man (Mark 7, 31 – 37). "Ephata!", he said, which means: "Open up!"
The Choir Ephata would like to invite people to open themselves to Jesus Christ and for a new life in Christian discipleship. Music helps our hearts to be opened for God.
In July 2000 we made a first Choir tour to the USA. It was a tremendous experience of Christian fellowship in so many congregations and families. So, we decided to venture other tours. After being present in the USA a second time and tours to England and the Czech Republic, our plan to visit the Republic of South Africa became a reality in the year 2008. This tour deeply moved us as we met many unique and impressive ambassadors of God’s love, caring in particular for the poor and the disadvantaged.
The opportunity to be guests in so many churches and to meet so many people is the most important gift for us when we give concerts and meet other congregations in our country or abroad.

We would like to extend an invitation for all of you to come to this awesome concert on Sunday, March 31st at 5.30pm in the sanctuary at Warren's Grove. Immediately after the service feel free to stay for a covered-dish supper. All are invited!

Confess Your Sins

James 5.16: “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”
During the season of Lent we would like to invite all of you to come and be intentional with living into this injunction from James. This is an intentional time to lay before another person some of the sins that have haunted us and the darkness that has kept us from living into God's best for us.
We will be setting aside time Sunday afternoons during Lent where you can come and meet with either Philip Chryst, Jason Knott, or Lisa Reynolds. This will be confidential — and will be treated with the utmost respect and love. We are not going to be putting up screens and hiding in booths, instead we are going to do this in a way that the Bible tells us to do — and that is to confess one to another and pray for one another.
In our heart of hearts — we know that we struggle with sins. Yes, we think sometimes that we are not as bad as some people, but when we look into the depths of our heart we realize that we are sinners in need of a savior. We scratch just below our surfaces and find resentment, bitterness, jealousy, laziness, greed, arrogance, lust, gossip, anger, rage, envy — and that's just to name a few. We are truly sinners in need of a savior.
Below you will find the dates for this time of confessing our sins to one another. Please go to the downstairs entryway of Warren's Grove and either put your name in a time slot or just mark through a time slot (for confidentiality). This way we will be able to plan for how many people will be coming. If you have any further questions please see Pastor Philip Chryst (336.592.3400 or pchryst@nccumc.org) or Pastor Jason Knott.
Sunday, February 17th from 2pm-4pm
Sunday, February 24th from 2pm-4pm
Sunday, March 3rd from 2pm-4pm
Sunday, March 10th from 2pm-4pm
Sunday, March 17th from 2pm-4pm
Sunday, March 24th from 2pm-4pm

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What have we become?

Luke 5.1-11

This coming Sunday we will be focusing on Luke 5.1-11. In this passage we see the calling of the first disciples in the gospel of Luke. Jesus does not have enough room on the shore to preach ----- so he asks a fisherman to take him out a little way and let him preach from the boat (preaching from a boat would have to be cool). Once the message is done, Jesus then turns to Simon the fisherman and says ------ let's go out and catch some fish. Simon then has to make a decision ------ he has been out all night fishing and the preacher / miracle worker / carpenter has told him to go and try again. He can either act on this advice ----- or say no way. When Simon does what Jesus tells him to do he catches so many fish the boat(s) begin to sink.

Interestingly, when Simon has this happen to his boat ------ he doesn't begin running around talking about how much money he has just made. Instead he falls to his knees, at the feet of Jesus, and says "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" The miraculous blessing elicits a response from Simon ----- the response of confession. Simon confesses his own inadequacies and his own sinfulness.

Is there a time in your own life where the Lord has revealed himself to you ----- and you felt inadequate and ill-prepared? If so, what did you do?

Covenant Renewal Service 2013

Luke 2.41-52

This coming Sunday we will be focusing on Luke 2.41-52. In this passage we see the only example of the young Jesus in all the gospels. Here he goes with his parents to the Temple at the festival of the Passover. This annual pilgrimage was when he was 12 years of age. Jesus had been memorizing from the Torah and ended up staying behind and engaging with the rabbis that were at the temple. His parents had to return to Jerusalem to find him there. After asking where he had been ----- for they were surely nervous when they did not find him in the caravan ----- he said: "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2.49) It then says that Jesus went back home with his parents and was obedient to them. During these growing up years it says that "Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor." (Luke 2.52)

What we will be focusing on this coming Sunday is how Jesus grew in holy habits. Habits of scripture reading, engaging in the Word of God, obedience, wisdom, and worship. As we come to the beginning of 2013 we would like to be intentional in giving each of us an opportunity to make commitments to the Lord in our holy habits. We would look to Jesus, who is our example and guide, so that he can show us what it means to be one dedicated to the Lord. I would encourage all of you to be in prayer, considering the commitments that the Lord is laying on your hearts ------ and then come and make that commitment before the Lord this coming Sunday.

The Gospel of Luke

For the months of December 2012 through March 2013 we will be focusing on the Gospel of Luke. In Luke we find an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When Luke writes this gospel he confesses that there were others who had written an account of the life of Jesus. What he wants to do is write an account of the life of Jesus in dedication to a man named most excellent Theophilus (Luke 1.3). Luke then says he wants to write this for Theophilus "so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed" (Luke 1.4).

Many of us have had instruction in the ways of Christ ----- what we want to do during our time in the Gospel of Luke, is to learn more about this Jesus ---- "so that you may know the truth."

We would like to invite you to come and learn the truth concerning Jesus Christ. Not the assumptions that people make of the God-man ---- instead may we know the truth ----- and the truth will set us free. This teaching series will be during our 8:45am & 11am services at Warren's Grove (www.warrensgroveumc.org). All are invited!

Below you will find a listing of what passage we will be focusing on each Sunday:
December 2nd, 2012: Luke 21.25-36
December 9th, 2012: Luke 3.1-6
December 16th, 2012: Luke 3.7-18
December 23rd, 2012: Luke 1.39-55
December 24th, 2012: Luke 2.1-20
December 30th, 2012: Luke 2.41-52
January 6th, 2013: Matthew 2.1-12 (Epiphany Sunday)
January 13th, 2013: Luke 3.15-22
January 20th, 2013: Luke 4.14-21
January 27th, 2013: Luke 4.21-30
February 3rd, 2013: Luke 5.1-11
February 10th, 2013: Luke 6.17-26
February 13th, 2013: Luke 12.22-34
February 17th, 2013: Luke 4.1-13
February 24th, 2013: Luke 13.22-35
March, 3rd, 2013: Luke 13.1-9
March 10th, 2013: Luke 15.11-22
March 17th, 2013: Luke 20.9-19
March 24th, 2013: Luke 19.29-40
March 31st, 2013: Luke 24.1-12

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