Posts by Michael Nelson (Page 17)

Weekly Update – January 14th, 2021 It is clear in Scripture that without a transformed life, we will not see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” Now a transformed life will look different depending on who we are. Furthermore, the process by which this occurs in our life will vary depending on where we are in our relationship with the Lord. Regardless, the concept…

Weekly Update – January 7th, 2021 This past Sunday I wanted to encourage you in the midst of a new year, not to something new or to something big, but to something ordinary. We as a people typically like big, grand and new things, but it is the way that we handle the ordinary things in life that shape us into who we are. Therefore, as we begin a new year with the circumstances that are still surrounding us, I…

Weekly Update – December 17th, 2020 This month we had the opportunity to help support Hannah and Simon Snodgrass in their ministry with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). We support them every month through giving a small portion of our budget, but this month we were able to specifically partner with them on an initiative that they took with a group of students to whom they have been ministering. Throughout Covid-19, Hannah and Simon have been meeting with Junior Youth Challenge…

Weekly Update – December 10th, 2020 Last Sunday we had J.S. and his wife with us to share about their service in overseas missions. Only his initials will be used in print for security reasons. J.S. and his family are serving in south Asia and have been overseas now for over 15 years. They are currently home on furlough and are looking to go back sometime in January. If you want a picture of J.S. and his family, there are…

Weekly Update – December 3rd, 2020 This week we will shift our focus a bit as we hear from a man who, for security purposes, we will refer to as JS. We will still light the advent wreath for the second week of advent and we will still sing Christmas songs as we anticipate the celebration of our Savior’s birth, but our focus during the time of preaching/teaching will be on international missions. JS and his family currently serve with…

Weekly Update – November 27th, 2020 As we celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend, I wanted to take the opening part of this update to tell you why I am thankful for our church. It has been a long year where many of us have been separated from each other. At the same time, it seems as though there has not been near as much going on at church, due to the threat of Covid-19. Even so, there is a lot to…

Weekly Update – November 19th, 2020 As many of you have heard, there have been updated orders released by Jackson County regarding the spread of Covid 19. By God’s grace, the county exempted churches from this updated order, so we will continue to meet and function as we have been for the past several weeks. This has been a sticky issue since the beginning. There is no real black and white of it, which is why decisions regarding how we…

Weekly Update – November 13th, 2020 As we have talked about numerous times over the last several months, community is extremely important when we are told to live in a sort of isolation. That may sound ironic, but the truth is, being isolated and socially distanced doesn’t necessarily mean we have to be lonely. Sure nothing can replace physical interaction with others. But there are still numerous ways that we can feel connected with each other though many of us…

Weekly Update – November 5th, 2020 Dear Church Family, We are living in a difficult time right now. That is not something I need to tell you though. You have seen the effects of Covid-19, you are living in uncertainty of the presidential election, and perhaps you are experiencing or have experienced your own sufferings over the past several months. During these times it is imperative for us to remember what it is that we talked about on Sunday. Let…

Weekly Update – October 29th, 2020 Dear Church Family, Instead of returning to our series through The Sermon on the Mount, I want us to take a week and look at a passage from the book of Job that deals with suffering. One of the aspects of being a pastor is that there are parts of your personal life that are lived out publically. This includes joys and celebrations, but it also includes times of suffering. Less than two weeks…

Weekly Update – October 22nd, 2020 Dear Church Family, On December 7th and 8th, we will have a photographer here to take pictures for our new church directory. I know that this is kind of early, but I wanted to begin getting the word out so that you can make plans to have your picture made. For those of you who are comfortable, there will be a schedule available in the next few weeks to sign up on. For those…

Weekly Update – October 15th, 2020 As we continue to look at the Sermon on the Mount, there is a common theme that shines through. That theme is the heart. This theme comes through in Matthew 5:20 when Jesus tells us that our righteousness must exceed even the religiously elite. Essentially that means we must be perfect to be acceptable before God. The problem is that this is impossible. Jesus shows us this in Matthew 5:22. Here Jesus tells us…