January 26, 2020
Pastor Ken spent most of Saturday in Eastland at the First Baptist Church getting organized for a Walk to Emmaus. This will be Men’s Walk number 449 and held from April 30 through May 3, it will be at Solid Rock Camp in Eastland. The Spiritual Director is Rev. Howard Martin from First United Methodist Church in Stephenville. Pastor Ken will serve as Assistant Director.
The congregation was glad to see Robert and Irene Sohm able to be in church last Sunday. We have missed their smiling faces. We had two guests with us, they were a mother and son.
As soon as some people get well, someone else feels ill. Dr. Harlan Raley is in the hospital in Fort Worth and I seem to be relapsing with upper respiratory troubles.
Laura Leatherwood was our Worship Leader and Joe Salinas was the acolyte.
The scripture lesson was given by Laura. She read from Matthew 4: 12-23
We learn from this part of Matthew when and how Jesus began to call His disciples to follow Him.
It starts after John the Baptist is arrested and Jesus goes to Galilee. From that time on Jesus began to announce, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” As Jesus walked along the water’s edge of the Galilee Sea, He saw two brothers, Peter and Andrew. They were fishing with their net. Jesus called out to them, “Come follow me and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away they left their nets. As they walked on Jesus saw two more brothers, James and John who were sons of Zebedee. Jesus called to them and they also followed. Jesus traveled throughout Galilee teaching and healing the people of disease.
“Truly Seeing God” was the title of Rev. Ken Lunsford’s sermon.
When Jesus set out to build His team of a few good disciples where did He look? In the synagogue to find the most learned scholars in Capernaum. No, He finds fishermen by the Sea of Galilee. Fishermen who left what they were doing and went to Jesus right away. Now that is enthusiasm and loyalty.
Our preaching series is titled: “Seeing God More Clearly in 2020 and this sermon was titled “Seeing God More Clearly!” One thing today’s lesson teaches is, in order to see God more clearly, you’ve got to get up and go where God calls you. Because inaction means you value something else more than serving the God who created you.
All throughout the Bible God uses the people who get up and go where He leads. Even if it leads to unknown territory.
If you want to see God more clearly, you’ve got to focus on the opportunity to serve God right now, than focusing on what you leave behind. That is not easy.
To see God more clearly, you will find Him in serving others.
What’s standing in your way? What is between where you are and where God wants you to be, that can be called idolatry.
You must know that God uses small gifts just as surely as He does large ones. Ask Him, ask God to give you a new vision in 2020. To contact the church, email the office at fumcdublintxsecretary@gmail.com,or call 445-2157. We would like to hear from you.