We had church services last Sunday with several hardy souls braving the cold and ice. Pastor Ken Lunsford called our members who lived in the country and told them he would delay communion till Sunday, 3-8.
Mary Haley was our Worship Leader and Joe Salinas served as acolyte. David Cleveland and Raymond Salinas were the ushers.
Our congregation extends sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Lane Jones, Wyette Jurney, Blayne Williamson, and Gene Westmoreland.
On a happier note, Jaxon Salinas had a birthday on 3-1 and JoAnn Ragan celebrated on 3-4.
Lee and Betty Lusk enjoyed another anniversary on 3-3, congratulations!
The Methodist Men are beginning a new Bible Study on 3-8. They are to meet at the church on Sunday evenings, it’s tentatively set at 6:30 p.m. I know Pastor Ken will have coffee and treats waiting for you because he is religious about that.
Remember daylight savings time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, 3-8.
Pastor Ken gave the Children’s Lesson to two little boys and he talked about playing marbles. He said you can play for fun or for keeps. If you play for keeps you may lose your marbles to another player. Pastor Ken said Jesus plays for keeps with you, Jesus loves you and cares for you when you give your heart to Him.
“Why Did Jesus Have to Die?” This was the title of Rev. Lunsford’s sermon.
In today’s scripture from Mark 8: 31-38 Jesus tells His disciples that He will soon suffer and be put to death. “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again.” Jesus spoke plainly about this and Peter rebuked Jesus! Peter did not want to receive this news.
One of the reasons Jesus had to die was to fulfill prophecy. In Isaiah 53 written some 500 years before the birth of Jesus it says, “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Christ also had to die to ransom us from Satan. Christ was a sacrificial lamb slain in our place. Another reason is that He could not ask His followers to do anything He would not do Himself. Jesus knew many of His followers would give their lives as martyrs.
To follow Jesus is a call to a radical lifestyle. We are to offer our lives as a living sacrifice. How far will we go in our devotion to Christ? Remember Christ’s words: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”
Email Pastor Ken at fumcdublin@embarqmail.com or contact our office secretaryoffice@embarqmail.com
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