Pastor Mike’s Paper Pulpit First Christian Church Elder & Contact Information CONNECTING POINTS FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH Elders Mack Jones—267-3090 Brett LeTourneau—706-2192 Moses Rodriguez—217-4786 Mike Souza— 674-2268 Secretary Amanda Stutsman—559-674-5203 Pastor Michael G. Stipe—559-259-6879 (2016 Shepherding lists are posted. Call your elder when there is a need.) “TURNING OVER A NEW YEAR” NEW: [noo, nyoo] - Adjective, Adverb, Noun. Of recent origin; Appearing for the first time; Having just come into knowledge; Unfamiliar to; Having lately arrived; Up-To-The- Minute; Fresh; Different. What will it take for your New Year to be truly new? Often we begin the New Year with great hopes, dreams and plans. Scarcely into January we have settled back into the old patterns and life returns to what it once was. What if you turned over something new; something that is Up-To- The-Minute, Fresh or Different? What would it look like to you? I hope you do not know! For if you already know, then it will most likely not succeed in staying new. To stay new it must be Up-To- The-Minute, Fresh or Different. Anything else and it will be old before its time as will be your year. Here are some of the new things from the Word: A New Command (John 13:34) A New Song (Psalm 40:3) A New Compassion (Lam. 3:23) A New Heart & Spirit (Ez. 36:26) A New Thing (Isaiah 43:19) A New Covenant (1 Cor. 11:25) A New Life (Rom. 6:4) A New Creation (2 Cor. 5:17) A New Heaven and Earth (Rev. 21:1) It is summed up in Revelation 21:5— "I am making everything new!" So we don’t so much need to turn it over, but simply grasp what has already been provided for us. We can only do this when it stays Up- To-The-Minute, Fresh or Different. Happy New Year and I will see you Sunday! Connecting People To God - To Each Other & To The World DECEMBER 2015
Transcript
Pastor Mike’sPaper Pulpit
First Christian Church Elder & Contact Information
CO
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EC
TIN
GP
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TS
FIR
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CH
RIS
TIA
NC
HU
RC
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Elders
Mack Jones—267-3090
Brett LeTourneau—706-2192
Moses Rodriguez—217-4786
Mike Souza— 674-2268
Secretary
Amanda Stutsman—559-674-5203
Pastor
Michael G. Stipe—559-259-6879
(2016 Shepherding lists are posted.Call your elder when there is a need.)
“TURNING OVER ANEW YEAR”
NEW:[noo, nyoo] - Adjective, Adverb,Noun. Of recent origin; Appearingfor the first time; Having just comeinto knowledge; Unfamiliar to;Having lately arrived; Up-To-The-Minute; Fresh; Different.
What will it take for your NewYear to be truly new?Often we begin theNew Year with greathopes, dreams andplans. Scarcely intoJanuary we have settled back intothe old patterns and life returns towhat it once was.
What if you turned over somethingnew; something that is Up-To-The-Minute, Fresh or Different?What would it look like to you? Ihope you do not know! For if youalready know, then it will mostlikely not succeed in staying new.To stay new it must be Up-To-The-Minute, Fresh or Different.Anything else and it will be old
before its time as will be youryear.
Here are some of the new thingsfrom the Word:
A New Command (John 13:34)
A New Song (Psalm 40:3)
A New Compassion (Lam. 3:23)
A New Heart & Spirit (Ez. 36:26)
A New Thing (Isaiah 43:19)
A New Covenant(1 Cor. 11:25)
A New Life (Rom. 6:4)
A New Creation(2 Cor. 5:17)
A New Heaven and Earth(Rev. 21:1)
It is summed up in Revelation21:5—"I am making everything new!"
So we don’t so much need to turnit over, but simply grasp what hasalready been provided for us. Wecan only do this when it stays Up-To-The-Minute, Fresh or Different.
Happy New Year and I will seeyou Sunday!
Connecting People To God - To Each Other & To The World
“The thief does not come except to steal,and to kill, and to destroy. I have comethat they may have life, and that they may
have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10
One thing I have learned through my research on dogbehavior is that dogs live in the moment; they do nothold onto the past. I will never know what kind of livesJacques and Maisey had prior to my adoption, and itdoesn’t matter to me, because it doesn’t matter to them.Their energy is focused on the present – on their dailytreats, walks, naps, and play. They greet me eachmorning with fresh joy, and they exude even more joywhen I come home from work. Their enjoyment of life isnot tainted by their past lives. They do not hold ontosadness, regret, or guilt. Can we make this claim forourselves as believers? Do we enjoy today’s abundantlife without sadness, regret, or guilt from the past?
God’s will is for His children to live joyful, abundantlives. This does not mean that we will be perfect or thatwe will not make mistakes. I have made some poorchoices as a believer that caused me to veer far off thepath that God laid out. Each time, when I cried out toHim for help, he has brought me back to where He wantsme to be. When I focus on my own mistakes, there issadness and regret. However, when I shift my focus toGod’s grace in forgiving me and His mercy in placingme back on the path, there is joy and peace. The key tomoving from sadness into joy is found in my choice tofocus on myself or on God. When I choose to focus onmyself, I am faced with the truth that I can never be trulyrighteous. When I focus on God, I am reminded that Heclothes me with His righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), that Heloves me (John 3:16), and that He has good plans for me(Jeremiah 29:11).
As we move into the New Year, I challenge you toexamine your focus and to claim His promises.
~Melissa
PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONARIES
Greg & Vicki SyversonCMF International — Mexico
Scott & Anelle PriceCMF International — Tanzania
Vince & Gretta PaynePanama Mission Foundation
Dr. & Mrs. Yoon Kwon ChaeKorea Gospel Mission
Champions For TomorrowClovis, CA
American Indian Christian Missions
Doors of Hope
Madera Community Food Bank
Madera Rescue Mission
Madera Love INC
Discover more information on themissions we support on ourwebsite: www.maderafcc.org
Attention all Middle School to High School Aged Students
Happy New Year!! 2016 is going to be a great year! Weare so excited to see Matthew Arnold graduate this year. Hehas already been accepted to Fresno State and Grand Can-yon University. He is still waiting to hear from UC Davis,which would be his first pick. Matthew is such a great kid andwe can’t wait to see what God has for him.
This month our youth group is going to be learning howto be compassionate and show compassion towards others.We will start by looking at John 3:16-17 For God so loved theworld that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever be-lieves in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God didnot send his Son into the world to condemn the world, butto save the world through him.
Now that is true compassion!
J O I N U S W E D N E S D A Y S 6 : 3 0 - 8 P M &S U N D A Y S 9 : 3 0 – 1 0 : 3 0 A M
C O N T A C T D A N I E L O R D E V I N A W I T H A N Y Q U E S T I O N S
There are now four emphases in prayer that are opento you as a part of our church family.
The FCC Prayer Team meets each Sunday morning inPastor Mike’s office at 8:45 to seek God and prayerwalk the church facility.
Prayer Hosts are available during the service to prayspecifically with you and for you.
The Intercessory Prayer Ministry meets Tuesday even-ing from 6:30-7:30 to lift up our church family.
House Of Prayer is aninter-church groupwhich meets Thursdaymornings from 6:00-7:00.
The only thing missingis you!
from ramona . . . I recently heard a song
entitled, Heaven’s Sound by Tenth Avenue North. Part ofthe lyric is, ‘We are known, we are loved for all eternity.’ Itmade me think of Pastor Mike’s teaching that we are God’schildren from the moment we are saved by Jesus andnothing can make us more of a child of His. We can bemore obedient children perhaps but we cannot be more ofa child of God. We are loved for all eternity and nothingcan change that.
Romans 8:NKJV38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, norangels nor principalities nor powers, nor things presentnor things to come,39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,shall be able to separate us from the love of God which isin Christ Jesus our Lord.
As you face a new year filled with the unknown, bothgood and evil, secure yourself with this truth, you are
God’s and He loves you. You can trust that truthwhen the whole world collapses around you. You
can’t make God not love you so surrender tobeing loved by Him. He knows you better
than you know yourself and He takes joyin loving you.
“Seven days without
prayer makes one
weak!”~Anonymous
Due to the New Years Weekend therewill be no Men’s breakfast, elders’ orboard meeting.
from Heritage
to InheritanceAs the new year begins, Pastor Mikewill lead us through the lives of someNew Testament Characters who becamenew creations. After they met Jesus,they gained a new identity.
