To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Valentines Day is coming…a reminder to LOVE, as you have been LOVED...especially this year.
TAKE THE VALENTINES DAY CHALLENGE:
This year there are two things that make this challenge even more important.
1. People are hurting, and in that hurt struggling, and the love of God through the people of God can bring healing. Often hurting people are more vulnerable to sin, negativity and deception, so one of the ways that we fight the spiritual battle we are in is this practical LOVE! Seek to prayerfully encourage someone in your spiritual family this week!
2. Loving is one of the best ways to get the focus off of yourself and on to God and others...which is healing and offers hope. Choose to love God's way...and as you experience His love and offer it to others you will find yourself BLESSED, and the church MATURED.
Our challenge for you this year is to actively obey Ephesians 5:1-2 during this special week. Obviously we want you to be imitators of God and live a life of love always, but this year we want to use this day as a reminder to us of the importance of loving one another in the bride of Christ.
The Spiritual Battle is real, and the best way to fight back is LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Okay, second best, best is to LOVE GOD!
So…the CHALLENGE is that you would actively love someone in our church family in a way that encourages them. This can be as simple as a note, phone call, or email, or as profound as a full meal. The idea is not to be loved, but to love, so please focus on what you can do to join us in this challenge, and feel free to love more than one other person or family. We are an amazing church (in loving one another), and I think more and more the John 13 pattern of being known for our love is marking us, so this Valentines day…join us in actively loving a family member for God’s glory and our reputation and care. There is always room to grow and we need your help to do it!
Take the challenge!
When you are loved, pass it on, and we will move ever closer to who God wants us to be.
I have found that, as Psalm 1, many Proverbs, and 1 Corinthians 15 teach, who you are around shapes how you think, feel and respond to life. Another way of putting this is, you matter to others in how they will face the day. Your life, your encouragement, your being positive and living a life of faith, and not gossiping or slandering, will help people around you to stop their sin and negative influence, and join you in being a blessing and honouring God. So, may I challenge you, as we are currently doing so well as a church, to choose to change any negative sinful conversation you are in, to blessing, and encouragement. WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER, but we will have to do it God's way and in God's strength, especially as the time apart lengthens.
If you are like me, the news this week from the PHO was very discouraging (no in person meetings for another month or so)! I so long for us to get together again as God's people! Please join me in praying for this, and for wisdom and unity as we seek to stay as healthy as possible as a family, unified in our love for God and obedience to His Word. Please pray for your Elders as they seek to be servant leaders in a very difficult time, and to help others love God and serve His bride with the wisdom of God, the unity of the Spirit, and the joy of the LORD!
Be a PART of the solution, and LOVE, and help others stay focused on Jesus and obedience to His Word!
Sunday Is Coming
Title: Getting Into Good Debt: Part 2
Text: Romans 13:8-14
- Why is love so important to God?
- What does it mean to have a debt of love?
- Read and reflect on 1 John 4:7-12; Ephesians 5:1-2
- One scholar states, “The greatest test of godly love is its willingness to sacrifice its own needs and welfare for the needs and welfare of others, even to the point of forfeiting life if necessary.” How can you pay your debt of love to those in God’s family?
- Why is being impacted by the Gospel so important for one’s capability in understanding and paying this debt?
- How can you love in a practical way this week (take the Valentines day challenge :))?
ALL OF THAT WAS repeat. I was sharing with Jeff that my goal is between 30-35 minutes in preaching, and if that is the case I am really over achieving lately :). So...broke the message up into two parts. This week we will focus on the clothing part of this passage while reviewing the LOVE portion. Thought it would help with time and I suppose it did, but was still over the time Jeff had allotted, so .... will keep working on it, as we study God's Word together for God's glory! I so love the book of Romans and what it is teaching us for such a time as this.
As I said in the message, I think Romans 13 is the most talked about passage of Scripture in the Bible, and sadly many stop too soon, and don't read on. I think Romans 13 is fairly easy to understand in terms of what it teaches...but really hard to truly apply, in fact, I think only possible in the POWER OF THE SPIRIT.
Looking forward to another great Sunday with you focused on God and His Word, and the response we are to have as God's people in obeying what He has revealed to us! Please prepare your heart for what God has for you, He loves you enough to have a special message just for you!
Remember to: INVITE ONE, ENCOURAGE 3
Keep Informed
cloverdalebaptistchurch.ca/
Sunday School Is On! Join us in connecting around God and His Word!
Connection Café Is On! Join us! More than ever we need to make an effort to stay connected! The One Another passages are still applicable to us NOW, even though it is a little more difficult to apply.
We are seeking to minister to you, so take the time to find the resources that can be a blessing to you on our website!
Kids ministry is seeking to serve you, and help in discipling our children and families even though we are not gathering live. Please take advantage of this, and continue to make church a priority that your children can see and taste!
Thanks all for staying informed, and for being a person who has a positive impact for God's glory and the good of His church at CBC.
Invite 1, Encourage 3
Take The Valentines Day Challenge
Have a great week!
For God’s glory, and the good of His bride at CBC,
Pastor Rob
PS
I told a story that was right to the wrong Hymn on Sunday (my not so cute way of acknowledging that I made a mistake). I love the story of faithfulness, and want us to be faithful, and so in my enthusiasm told the wrong story (Spafford's, not Crosby's). Some of you have graciously reminded me of that, and I thank you :)
Fanny Crosby, who became blind at the young age of 6 weeks, continues to be a blessing to us through her heart for God and the church, and longing for revival, so powerfully displayed in her songs. So, although not the right story, a wonderful story all the same, and worth looking into. A reminder as well that Acts 17:11 should always be in play at Cloverdale Baptist, although I suppose mistakes on a hymn story not significant enough to be too upset!
Keep listening closely and communicating widely. He loves you, and has called you to LOVE!