F4 Schedule for Fall 24 - Spring 25

 Our Wednesday evening gatherings are a combination of worship and classes. We resume in September.

 

F4 Dates

2024-2025 School Year

FALL 2024

11 SEP	WORSHIP	9-11 SVC – 10 MIN IN CR
18 SEP	CLASSES
25 SEP	CLASSES
2 OCT	WORSHIP	10 MIN IN CLASSROOM
9 OCT	BREAK	FTP
16 OCT	CLASSES
23 OCT	CLASSES
30 OCT	CLASSES
6 NOV	WORSHIP	10 MIN IN CLASSROOM
13 NOV	WORSHIP	FALL FINALE

 

 

SPRING 2025

15 JAN	CLASSES
22 JAN	CLASSES
29 JAN	WORSHIP	10 MIN IN CLASSROOM
5 FEB	WORSHIP	10 MIN IN CLASSROOM
12 FEB	CLASSES
19 FEB	CLASSES
26 FEB	CLASSES
5 MAR	WORSHIP	10 MIN IN CR (ASH WEDS)
12 MAR	CLASSES
19 MAR	SPRING BREAK
26 MAR	CLASSES
2 APR	CLASSES
9 APR	CLASSES
16 APR	WORSHIP	10 MIN IN CR (RESURRECTION)
23 APR	CLASSES
30 APR	WORSHIP	10 MIN IN CR (FINALE)

Balance

The life of the church is important to believers. We share the gospel, encourage and comfort each other, and do the things that God planned for us to do before we were born. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed. Sometimes we think that we should do more. I ask that you consider what we are called to do and what we are doing and see if we have some balance (not equality but balance).

We want to reach people and see them in worship, education, and fellowship activities, but we also know that through the ages, God has worked with a remnant. Sometimes we are to grow. Sometimes we are to strengthen what remains. We want to get it right.  We want the right balance. The session is likely the only place where balance is discussed much among leaders.

Let’s do a simple exercise called RAD (Recognize – Analyze – Divide) and see what we already know. You may want to grow the lists in each area. Let’s start with what we recognize.

Worship

Sunday Morning Worship X2

Wednesday Evening Worship (usually 1 time per month)

Summer Singing (1 time per month)

Thanksgiving worship and meal

Christmas worship and meal

Community Services (2 times per year)

CPC Birthday Worship & Fellowship Meal

 

Fellowship

5^th Sunday Meals (currently suspended for 2024)

Summer Singing (1 time per month)

Thanksgiving worship and meal

Christmas worship and meal

One Pot Meal + Activities X2 (sometimes X3)

CPC Birthday Worship & Fellowship Meal

 

Education

Sunday School

Wednesday Evenings (7 Months)

Occasional Bible Studies

Outreach/Evangelism

Walk A Block for Jesus (or other event/activity to reach those beyond our walls)

Hour of Power

Broadcast of services (can be a double-edged sword)

Online Posts – Life of the Church

Wristbands/Gospels/Other giveaway items for any occasion

Food Ministry

Take home supplies to give to Trick or Treaters

 

Reserved for Families (Typically nothing scheduled for the body other than Sunday morning worship)

Resurrection Sunday

Mothers’ Day

Father’s Day

Christmas Day

Days/Times Unique to  a specific family/families

 

Other Activities

Meetings

Committee/Commission Work

 

Worldly Competitors – Not saying these are good, bad, or ugly, but they are competitors for our time and energy.

Youth Sports (Traditional boundaries of Sunday and Wednesday are nearly eviscerated).

Travel (We are a very mobile society)

Livelihood (You don’t work. You don’t eat or make the car payment)

  

Other Areas of Consideration

Salvation belongs to the Lord, but these belong to us:

Worship

Evangelism

Discipleship

Education

Fellowship

 

CPC uniqueness

Known for our grace

Connectional (among judicatories, generations, and institutions)

Connectional (among members. Campers, Presbytery meetings, Youth Retreats, and General Assembly help with connections)

 

Balance in the Body of Christ

 

We are commissioned to take the good news to the world. The subordinate missions are to make disciples, baptize, and teach the words of our Master. We are the body of Christ. We are letters and ambassadors from Christ. We are a family of faith.

·       We as believers are charged to put the words of Jesus into practice.

·       We are challenged to take his yoke and learn from him.

·       We witness to the lost.

·       We testify among believers. Sometimes, our testimony and witness use the same words.

·       We are to be good examples for others, salt and light in the world.

·       We carry our own loads and help those who need help with theirs.

·       We fellowship with one another.

·       We grow in God’s grace as individuals and as the body of Christ.

Our comfort zone is labeled Growing.

We as the session in our role as the spiritual leaders of this body must be aware of our balance in doing so many things, with so many others not listed.

Too much evangelism (if there is such a thing) at the expense of education and discipleship gives people the illusion that they have reached the finish line when our race of faith has only begun. Real and abundant life is just beginning.

Too much teaching and training at the expense of fellowship detracts from the assurance that we know as believers. We must always encourage one another, pray with and for each other, and just enjoy being family.

That doesn’t mean that we divide up what we do evenly. It means that we who have been called to this special form of ordained service observe, discuss, and take action when needed if we think we are a little out of kilter.

We are the keepers of the balance keys.  That said: Unto everything, there is a season…

There will be times for surges. Evangelism should be ongoing, but often it gravitates to events (Day at the Park, VBS, Backpack Ministry).

Fellowship should be continuous, but what once came naturally, is now challenged more than ever by the demands of the world. What do we do?

Discipleship and Christian education take us to and through difficult topics and issues if we are up to really hearing what God is saying to us.  Making disciples will cause friction with the world. If you haven’t read your Bibler lately, that’s a good thing.

As we do our best in our positions which God has called us to and to which we have answered the call, realize this. You are not here by accident. God knew exactly what he was doing when he put you here. Surrender to God’s leading. Put the gifts and talents that God gave you to work now. Produce good fruit.

What will that fruit look like?

·       Reaching more people with the good news.

·       Choosing wisdom over sentiment and jumping on the world’s bandwagon.

·       Helping those who truly need help.

·       Speaking the truth in love (not judgmental condemnation) not only to help those to whom we speak, but as a sign of our maturity in Christ.

·       Discipling a new believer by walking with them as we follow Christ together.

·       Enjoying doing what God leads us to do and enjoying each other in the process.

·       Living less as an organization and more as a family.

·       Trusting God over our own understanding more and more.

·       Being known as a follower of Jesus by our love.

Surely there are others that come to mind. Sometimes, the proof is in the pudding, aka, we know we are balanced when we are producing fruit by reaching the lost and enjoying the fellowship of the body while we do it.

Sometimes, we see where we should be producing fruit but we are not. Do we try another way? Do we continue with what we are doing but fertilize a little more and give something more attention?

Please think, pray, and meditate upon these statements, some of which may be provocative.

Remember, that group thinking is improved many times over if preceded by individual thinking, and such thinking can help avoid the trap of groupthink. Remember that acceptance time takes time. That is, when you hear someone else’s idea and it’s just different, your first tendency is to reject it. If we give our minds some acceptance time, we might see value where we only saw difference before.

So do your individual thinking, Put this balance thing into your prayer life. Give the Spirit that lives within you a chance to speak to you. Let’s discuss balance at our July meeting.

 

Are You Ready?

  

 I’m talking to the faithful. Are you ready?

I’m not talking about the return of Jesus, though we should live each day as if he were coming in the middle of the night or the morning.

I am talking about being ready to disciple new believers or old ones who come home.  Why would they be coming?

God promised to pour out his Spirit in the last days. Ever since Jesus rose from the dead and the Spirit was manifest in the apostles, the last days have been underway. The end of the age is near. How near? I can’t say, but we are closer than we were and we should be ready to disciple new believers into obeying God, fulfilling every command in love, not  simply compliance, fellowship among believers, and even evangelism.

How do I get ready?

Pray. Make plenty of time for listening.

Read his holy word. We are blessed that God has placed us in a time where we know so much of the story.

Study his word. Memorize scriptures that you might need when you can’t get to your Bible. Dig in. Know and experience the full biblical witness. Do not become anchored in only a few verses to the exclusion of others.

Put his words into practice. Do what we are told to do.

Do all of this in a spirit of love.

Repeat.

There is a basic decision model used in warfare. It is the OODA Loop. Its an acronym that stands for:

Observation.

Orientation.

Decision.

Action.

Once you have finished the process, you start again.  What happened (observation)?

How do I relate to and navigate this new situation (orientation).

I will do this.  Whatever this is should be some form of putting his words into practice (decision).

Then we do it (action).

Then back to Orientation and another trip through the loop.

There is a parallel in our discipleship. We take note of our situation. We seek God through his word. We put his words into practice and then do it all again.  We grow in God’s grace.

Yes, there is more to be done in the fullness of our salvation—our discipleship—but these will prepare you to receive and help others who have professed Jesus is Lord.

We are still a work in progress, but we can help others as God completes his masterpiece in each of us. In God’s time, we are already perfected, but in our lives, we still are being shaped and reshaped to perfection by the Potter.

Remember, when people come, we are not their seniors or supervisors.  They do not follow us, though we should set a good example.

We walk with them as we follow Jesus and bring glory to God. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

As siblings in our Savior and Redeemer, we should help those who come to know the ways of the Lord.

We must not become Pharisees who enjoyed their positions and expected people to do what they said because they typically did know more than most of the people.  But they did not know the love that was to accompany God’s directives.

Love must guide us.

Are you ready? Probably not completely, but if we do our part God will take care of more than you can imagine.

We must continue to grow in his grace and be ready to receive those who respond to his Spirit in the days ahead.

Amen.

Memory Verses for 2024

Jan -Psalm 19:1

Feb - Psalm 23

Mar - Psalm 100

Apr - Psalm 25:1

May - Psalm 25:2

Jun - Psalm 25:3

Jul - Psalm 25:4

Aug - Psalm 25:5

Sep - Psalm 25:6

Oct - Psalm 25:7

Nov - Psalm 25:8

Dec - Psalm 25:9

2024 Liturgists

 Liturgists 2024

 

January

7             Ethan Delp

14           Rick Reeves

21           Kathy Stegall

28           Kenzie Delp

February

4             Desarae Simmons

11           Larry Walker

18           Rick Reeves

25           Kendra Walker

March

3             Garrett Stegall

10           Gerald Stegall

17           Faith Schneberger

24           Gage Stegall

31           Desarae Simmons

April

7             Kenzie Delp

14           Kylie Denbo

21           Ethan Delp

28           Kaitlyn Denbo

May

5             Gage Stegall

12           Kristy Denbo

19           Kathy Stegall

26           Rick Reeves

June

2             Avery Simmons

9             Libby Spence

16           Emma Stegall

23           Kathy Stegall

30           Kenzie Delp

July

7             Larry Walker

14           Kathy Stegall

21           Garrett Stegall

28           Gerald Stegall

August

4             Young Adult Class

11           Elders

18           Kristy Denbo

25           Ethan Delp

September

1             Rick Reeves

8             Kathy Stegall

15           Ethan Delp

22           Larry Walker

29           Sharman Spence

October

6             Lori Schneberger

13           Danny Rush

29           Kendra Walker

27           Ethan Delp

November

3             Kristy Denbo

10           Garrett Stegall

17           Rick Reeves

24           Des Simmons

December

1             Kendra Walker

8             Laci Stegall

15           Kristy Denbo

22           Desarae Simmons

29           Rodney Chilton

 

On call

Lynn Ferrari

Three Questions - One More Time

 Read Jeremiah 31:3

John 3:16-17

John 13:34-35

James 4:8

 

 

Three Questions -- One More Time...

 We continue through the book of Genesis and are up to chapter 42.  If you want to hear me preach that chapter, you will have to go to the Burns Flat CPC Facebook page and watch the 9:00 am service.

Why not preach it here?  We had this wonderful thing happen this week.  It was called camp.  We sent 27 young people to camp, and as far as I know, we brought the same number home without any stowaways.

So, this morning, I give you three questions.  They will be familiar to some.

The questions are:

How long will God love you?

How much does God love you?

What are you going to do about it?

To the first question. How long will God love us?

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

I have loved you with an everlasting love;

    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

Here it is in The Message translation.

God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will.

    Expect love, love, and more love!

It seems that our world is going absolutely bonkers, but our God just won’t stop loving us.  It’s not about how well the world is doing.  It’s not about our performance, though our very lives should be a living sacrifice—an ongoing offering—to God.  It’s not about how well we scored on our Law of Moses test.

It’s about love.  It’s all about love.  Why?

God is love!

God wants us to have his divine nature. He wants us to know love and to be love and to do that he just keeps on loving us. 

Mark your calendars.  Tom just worked REO Speedwagon into the sermon.

And I'm gonna keep on loving you

'Cause it's the only thing I wanna do

I don't wanna sleep

I just wanna keep on loving you

Evidently, God thinks that we are worth it. Go figure.

Question 2.  How much does God love us? We know this answer by heart.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

I can comprehend my own child or grandchild going into the service and perhaps risking his life for his country.  I get that.

I have a hard time comprehending the trust that Abraham had in God when he told him to sacrifice his one and only son, Isaac. That’s some stuff right there.

Risk of death is one thing.  Giving your son over to death is another.  I am glad that God called me to be a Marine officer and to pastor a church in Burns Flat, America instead of what he asked Abraham to do.

I don’t know if I would have it in me to sacrifice my own son.  As much as I preach trust in the Lord and as much as I try to live trust in the Lord, sacrificing your own son just seems like a bridge too far.

Yes, there were some teenage years when it might have been easier, but sacrificing your own son is too much.

When it came to loving us, God said that no price is too high. He paid the price in his own blood—the blood of Christ Jesus.

When you wonder how much God loves you, visualize Jesus on the cross.  His arms are stretched out wide to make it difficult to breathe.  The Romans were devious like that.  They built good roads and aqueducts, but they knew how to maximize pain as they killed you.

But as you visualize Jesus being executed on the cross think of his arms stretched out for you. How much does God love you?  More than you can imagine.

So now, to my favorite question.  What are you going to do about it?  What are you going to do in response to this fantastic, unbelievable love of God that we know in Christ Jesus?

Our salvation rests in our belief.  We believe in Jesus and the One who sent him.  In our profession of faith resides our salvation.

But we are promised more than just being saved from the flames of hell.  We are promised fullness. We are promised abundant life.

Our salvation is one thing. Our response to salvation is another.  Our response is our discipleship and our discipleship begs the question:  Do we realize how much God loves us?

Do you realize how many Christians have a casual response to their salvation? Jesus died for me.  That’s cool, bru.  What’s for lunch.

How could our response be anything less than everything we have given willingly to God.  Yes, we tithe and make offerings and sing hymns of praise and sometimes stay awake for the sermon, but I am talking about more. 

I am talking about in everything we do, doing it for the Lord.  Our jobs, our school, our time with our families, and our time alone is all meant to be an offering to God.

God wants to see us bring glory to his name and enjoy him while we do it.

Do we comprehend that?  God wants us to enjoy bringing glory to his name.  It’s not a gotta-do.  It’s a get-to-do—a blessed-to-do.

Even our loving response to God’s unfathomable love is designed to be a blessing to us.

Let’s respond to God’s love by living fully for him and enjoying him every step of the way! That doesn’t mean that we quit school, quit our jobs, or begin our lives as homeless people.  We live fully for God in whatever it is that we think or do.  Our thoughts, attitudes, and actions belong to God.

That’s generally where I stop.  If I am asked to speak at an event that I thought I was just attending, I rely on the three questions.

If I am meeting with a group for just about any purpose, somehow, I work in these three questions.

Today, I want to ask you a fourth question.  Did you grow nearer to God over the past week?

Was it just fun with friends or was there something more?  You might not believe the number of people in this world that just go to the next thing.

They don’t understand purpose.  They have no purpose in their lives.  They just do whatever is next.

These words come to mind.

Adrift

Rudderless

Lost

You who believe in the God who is above all love are people of purpose—God’s purpose.  His purpose for you is woven with love.

God is love and he wants to manifest his love in this world through you.

So, I ask again, did you draw closer to God this week.

If you didn’t, it’s time to take inventory of your life.  Do you have a relationship with God or do you just know about him?

If you did draw nearer to God this week, build upon that momentum.  Keep moving nearer to God.  He is coming nearer to you.  Build upon what you have accomplished.

Some of you might be thinking, he’s just talking to the campers… No such luck!

The three questions are for us all as is the fourth.  Did we grow nearer to God this week?  We were not at camp but we are people of purpose.

Did we draw nearer to God?

If the answer is no, then it’s time we take inventory of our lives. If we find ourselves just going on to the next thing without regard to the purpose that God has given us, take inventory.

If it’s yes, then we too should build upon that momentum.

God will never stop loving you.

He loves you so much that he sacrificed his Son for you.

He has commanded us to love each other as much as he loved us.

Are we getting to know this God of love better each day?  Did we draw nearer to him this week?

Consider that the God of all the universe wants a very close relationship with you. Come to know him better each day.

Amen.