01-26-20 Strike up the band! Let’s Roll!

Scripture   Matthew 3:1-17

 Mathew 2 ends with Mary and Joseph leaving Egypt to return to Nazareth where Jesus would be raised. Chapter 3:1 jumps ahead approximately 28 years.

Matthew 3:1-17

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

          4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

          7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

          13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

          15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

          16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Matt 3:15

 But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it.      (from THE MESSAGE)

dikaiosunh = righteousness = Jesus acknowledges and affirms the standard of righteousness as the will of God in His kingdom.

          In other words – there is a right way to live and the standard for that right way has been set by God and God’s standard for living is found in His instruction manual called the Bible.

          HEAR THIS: This is not saying there is a better way to live than you are currently living – that is true; but that is not what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying there is a RIGHT way to live – there is only one set of standards to live by and those standards are God’s standards. Living by those standards – or in that righteousness – makes life better. There is not one righteous standard of God that makes life less enjoyable, yet we all live beneath those standards.  That was true in the beginning when Adam and Eve ate from the fruit tree they were told to leave alone, that is true today for each one of us.

          Just like the people of that day – we need a fresh one-two punch to remind us of what is right and best. The first punch was this camel hair wearing, wild honey and locust eating, living in the desert wilderness guy named John. He came out of nowhere with a strong declaration and warning – The kingdom of God is near. Repent! The second punch came with Jesus saying – LOOK standing before is the standard of righteousness you need to live by.

I can…maybe…repent and not do the wrong stuff, but to do the right stuff – that is a whole other ball game.

          People see standards and boundaries as constrictive and judgmental. YES, they are! We are creatures of habit – of bad habits and we rarely get it right when left to our own way of living. We need boundaries and judgement and I would rather have God, the one who created me, giving those to me than someone else or even myself for that matter.

          So, that is the original meaning of the scripture – Jesus announces that he is not only fulfilling righteousness by letting John baptize him but also that he is the embodiment of all righteousness so that we are without excuse when we can see what God’s right way of living looks like in human flesh – Jesus!

Romans 3:21-24     But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

          That is our exegesis of the scripture but there is something more tangible – more inspirational, more practical taking place at the same time and we see that when we do some ExeJesus!

          When there is a big football game – how do the teams come onto the field? Do they saunter out? Are they casual about it? No, they come out together and fog machines and cheer leaders and bands and break through a Let’s Win banner to cheering crowds.

          What about a marching band? Have you ever been under the stadium just before the Ohio State Marching Band does “ramp”? It is filled with excitement and joy and exuberance (explain)

They don’t just walk onto the field and take up position – they announce their presence with every step they take.

          We saw God announce the creation of the world with six marvelous days of “AND GOD SAID…” Then we heard about God coming in the flesh with Angels proclaiming the coming of God into the world. Now we have John getting the people pumped up – getting them ready – letting them know that the world is on the verge of the most important event in the history of the world. Then Jesus comes, after 30 years of near total silence and says – Here I Am – let’s go! Strike up the band! Bust open the doors! Let’s get moving, I have a church to build and I am ready to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

          Jesus was not able to do anything He did without the Holy Spirit. Notice the end of this story that came with his baptism – the Spirit of God was upon Him and gave him  the strength to do all things – to fulfill all righteousness and build His church! The ONLY way we can fulfill all righteousness and build His church is by being filled with that exact same Holy Spirit of God!  Jesus didn’t have a different Spirit – He had the same Spirit available to us who need to strike up the band, who need to bust through the curtain, who need to get up and get going.

2 Cor 3:13-14, 16-18

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. / But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

01-19-20 First words first!

Scripture    Luke 2:41-52

          SLIDE: Title Slide - Temple

SLIDE: Let’s do some ExeJesus

Imagine a young newly married couple being forced to travel far away from home at the time their baby is due, and no arrangements had been made for their arrival and they were essentially homeless when they gave birth to their child. Then they couldn’t return home right away because the mother was in no condition to travel, yet they had to scrape by for provisions and a place to stay. But they loved God and held to the traditions having their son circumcised on the 8^th day according to the Jewish law and had to wait 40 days before the mother was pronounced pure after having given birth. Now they could go to the temple and present their newborn son to be dedicated to God. They returned to where they had been staying until she was strong enough to travel. After a while, some astrologers show upbringing gifts for the couple’s child but with that, they brought trouble as well. The king of the land, through the astrologers and his own officials, determined that this couple’s child was potentially going to be the new king of Israel. So, the king – Herod, decided to have the couple’s baby killed. To make sure no one would switch children or hide the baby, he had his soldiers kill all male babies two years old and younger in the town where the baby was.

SLIDE: Map Fortunately, the dad got word what the king was up too – and if things had not been bad enough, they had to go further away from their home to a completely different country and hide out there to protect their baby. They also had to bear the weight of all those other babies who were killed because the tyrant king wanted their baby dead.  Later, after King Herod died that they felt safe to return home and allowed any talk about their child being someone special to subside for his own protection.

          And quiet it was. In fact, we hear not a word or an action about Jesus, unless you read false documents like the infancy gospel of Thomas written in 125 AD. You can see hear that what was determined to be scripture and what was not as simple as it seems because there were many non-inspired writings as well. (READ)

SLIDE: Thomas

1.             When this child Jesus was five years old, he was playing at the ford of a stream. He made pools of the rushing water and made it immediately pure; he ordered this by word alone. 2. He made soft clay and modeled twelve sparrows from it. It was the Sabbath when he did this. There were many other children playing with him. 3. A certain Jew saw what Jesus did while playing on the Sabbath; he immediately went and announced to his father Joseph, “See, your child is at the stream, and has taken clay and modeled twelve birds; he has profaned the Sabbath.” 4. Joseph came to the place, and seeing what Jesus did he cried out, “Why do you do on the Sabbath what it is not lawful to do?” Jesus clapped his hands and cried to the sparrows, “Be gone.” And the sparrows flew off chirping. 5. The Jews saw this and were amazed. They went away and described to their leaders what they had seen Jesus do.

2.     1. The son of Annas the scribe was standing there with Joseph. He took a branch of a willow and scattered the water which Jesus had arranged. Jesus saw what he did and became angry and said to him, “You unrighteous, impious ignoramus, what did the pools and the water do to harm you? Behold, you shall also wither as a tree, and you shall not bear leaves nor roots nor fruit.” 3. And immediately that child was all withered. Jesus left and went to the house of Joseph. The parents of the withered one bore him away, bemoaning his lost youth. They led him to Joseph and reproached him, “What kind of child do you have who does such things?”

3.             Once again, he was going through the village and a child who was running banged into his shoulder. Jesus was angered and said to him, “You shall go no further on your way.” And immediately the child fell down dead. Some people saw this happened and said, “From whence was this child begotten, for his every word is an act accomplished?” 1. The parents of the dead boy went to Joseph and blamed him: “Because you have such a boy, you cannot live with us in the village; your alternative is to teach him to bless and not to curse, for he is killing our children.”

4.     His father was a carpenter and at that time made plows and yokes. He received an order from a certain rich man to make a bed for him. One beam came out shorter than the other, and he did not know what to do. The child Jesus said to Joseph his father, “Lay the two pieces of wood alongside each other, and make them even at one end.” 2. Joseph did as the child told him. Jesus stood at the other end and grasped the shorter beam; he stretched it and made it equal with the other. His father Joseph saw and was astonished, and embracing the child he kissed him and said, “I am blessed because God has given this child to me.”

You can tell these are made up stories – but imagine the real conflict for Joseph and Jesus. Any middle schoolboy has a hard time figuring out who they are – imagine what Jesus must have been going through beginning to understand he was God in the flesh and Joseph trying to help him. The Superman movie with Kevin Costner I think shows us a more realistic view of what it might have been like for Jesus in his early childhood.

VIDEO: Jonathan Kent: You Are My Son | Man of Steel

          Now that we have looked at a lot of background – let us get to the truth – what we know for certain. What we know are the very first recorded words of Jesus at age 12 in the temple.

Prelude to his first words – the last words said about him:

Luke 2:30-32   “For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

Luke 2:38   Anna, the prophetess gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke 2:41-52

Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."

          49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"  50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

          51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

The question Jesus asks is not mean. He simply can’t believe they would not know where he was. Another person might wonder, how could you not know I would be at Starbucks? Or, didn’t you think first to look for me in the shoe department? Jesus is saying, I didn’t stay here to hide from you and make you upset, I didn’t even know you had left – I am here because I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I love being at church….in…my Father’s House.

          Church is NOT JUST FOR ADULTS! Jesus at age 12 thought it was the coolest place to be – a place to learn, to worship, to get close to God. Not only are these words his first recorded words – they are the only recorded words during the first 30 years of his life. The only words for the son of God on earth for us to know that he says make them SUPER IMPORTANT.

          Jesus says there is no better place for us to be, at any age, than in church. And to be there with intention, not out of habit or as one who is forced to be there. You ought to want to be there. That wanting to be at church only comes if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you are here for ANY OTHER reason, it will not last. Worse than that, you will be miserable just coming to church.

          What can I do, what words can I say to convince someone how important it is to be part of the church and be in God’s house with God’s people no less than once a week for the rest of your life? There is nothing I can do or say – but I can point you to Jesus and hope his actions and his words stick in your heart and won’t let go. Then maybe some Sunday someone will be looking for you and you can respond: "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house, worshipping Jesus, my savior?" 

01-12-20 2020 Theme Introduction RED LETTER EDITION

Scripture:   Matthew 7:24-27

We’re obsessed with our phones; a new study has found. The heaviest smartphone users click, tap or swipe on their phone 5,427 times a day, according to researcher Dscout.

That’s the top 10 percent of phone users, so one would expect it to be excessive. However, the rest of us still touch the addictive things 2,617 times a day on average. No small number.

 “And by every interaction, we mean every tap, type, swipe and click. We’re calling them touches,” it explains.

Averaging out the numbers, the aforementioned figures mean the heaviest users are touching their devices a couple of million times in one year, Dscout says.

... Probably the most interesting thing in all this was that the people surveyed completely underestimated their phone touching. While they were initially shocked by the numbers, 41 percent said “it probably won’t change the way I use my phone.”

APPLICATION

How many taps, types, swipes and clicks take place between you and God in a day?

If the number of times you were in contact with God on a daily basis could be tracked, would you be shocked by the result? Would it be because of how often, or, how infrequently you reached out to Him?

"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4:8). 

“You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.  Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:3-5). 

When you think about love, what color comes to mind? RED and so you see our new theme for 2020 is RED LETTER EDITION based on: Matthew 7:24-27

GARY talk about Q

"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit — but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.

26 But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. 27 When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."   (THE MESSAGE)

I want everyone to purchase or borrow a red-letter edition bible for this year – or many bible apps have the words of Jesus in Red for you. 

How did the Red Letter Editions begin?

          On June 19, 1899, Louis Klopsch, then editor of The Christian Herald magazine, conceived the idea while working on an editorial. Klopsch asked his mentor Rev. Thomas De Witt Talmage what he thought of a testament with the Dominical words (words of Jesus) rubricated (artistically singled out) and Dr. Talmage replied, "It could do no harm and it most certainly could do much good." Klopsch published the first modern red letter edition New Testament later in 1899. The first modern, fully rubricated (Red Letter) bible was published in 1901.  The idea for red letters for Jesus comes from Luke, 22:20: "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which I shed for you.”

RED LETTER CREATIVITY CHALLENGE:

Write a song, a poem, memorize a passage, write a skit, make a video or pictorial representation of the words of Jesus, do a painting, drawing or any other creative endeavor related to the words of Jesus. Create a children’s story about the words of Jesus that you could share with the children during Picnic with the Pastor.

LET’S BEGIN TO EXEGETE THE TEXT

Slides: 1 – EXEGESIS

            2 – EXEGESIS (Basically add EXEJESUS to the first one)

                  EXEJESUS

3        – EXEJESUS (Then just this word alone)

(1)     Exegesis = noun - critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture.

Exegesis includes a wide range of critical disciplines: textual criticism is the investigation into the history and origins of the text, but exegesis may include the study of the historical and cultural backgrounds of the author, text, and original audience. Other analyses include classification of the type of literary genres presented in the text and analysis of grammatical and syntactical features in the text itself.

In short – Exegesis means “Drawing out”

(2)     Exejesus = noun - critical explanation or interpretation of the Messiah, Jesus.

(3)     Exejesus will include looking most directly at the words Jesus spoke – the words written in red – as well as the cultural background, history, genre, audience, intent of his words, and what they mean for us today.

The meaning is plain: Two people each built a house. They built in the same neighborhood. They built similar houses. The only difference was the foundation they built upon.  Both people described heard the teachings of Jesus (they read – or listened to the red letters – the words of Jesus.) One decided not to live by the things Jesus said and the other one not only listened but also put those words into practice in his or her life. Both had the same storms hit their house – torrential rains and rising water came against each house – the one built on the words of Jesus stood strong in the storm – the one built without following the words of Jesus came crashing down and great was that crash.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy is going to fall. Scientists travel to the town of Pisa every year to measure the building's slow descent. They report that the 179-foot tower, which was built in 1173, moves about one-twentieth of an inch a year, and is now 17 feet out of plumb. Recent renovations may have saved the 810-year old tower and prevent it from collapsing. Quite significantly, the word “pisa” means “marshy land,” which gives some clue as to why the tower began to lean even before it was completed. Also, another issue is the fact that its foundation is only 10 feet deep! No matter how deep you put your foundation in the sand (the ways of the world) it is certain to collapse when the storms come. Likewise, the house built on the words of Jesus will stand strong no matter how severe the weather becomes.

CONCLUISON

How many taps, types, swipes and clicks will you have with the words of Jesus this year? 2617 a day?  How about no less than 1 a day?  Will you read God’s word daily? Will you join attend a current bible study or attend one of our new small groups? I know there is nothing that will boost your spiritual life more than spending time in the Word of God, most particularly looking at the words of Jesus where you will get to know your savior.

01-05-20 2019 Theme Conclusion “Come, ‘now’ is still the time to worship”

Scripture:   Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.

“COME” the first word - large and in charge.

Matt 4:19                                          THE DISCIPLES

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 

Matt 11:28                                            THE BURDENED

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matt 14:28-29                                               PETER

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said.

Matt 19:14                                     THE LITTLE CHILDREN

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Luke 14:16-17, 23                  THOSE INVITED DON’T COME

Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.

 'Come, for everything is now ready.'…….They didn’t come: 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.”

Luke 19:5, 9                   ZACCHAEUS WAS THRILLED TO COME

When Jesus reached the sycamore tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham."

John 7:37                                           THE THIRSTY

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." 

John 11:41, 43                                      LAZARUS

So they took away the stone. Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"  The dead man came out. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

James 4:8a                                  COME NEAR TO GOD

Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Revelation 4:1                   COME TO HEAVEN & WORSHIP

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this."

Revelation 22:17a                NO EXCUSE - NOW WE SAY COME!

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!"

Revelation 22:20      FOR THOSE WHO CAME - JESUS WILL COME!

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”

Remember: we put out a year long challenge – Church Unique’s Milestone # 1. “40 Days of Worship” (share about results and victory meal)

“NOW”

2 Corinthians 6:1-2      As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

“WORSHIP”

Genesis 28:11-22

When Jacob reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. (We no longer have to stop because we have lights and cars - it was a danger to travel at night) Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. (In Jacob's dream, there is now access to heaven. Jacob now knew God was closer than ever and there was real access and interaction between heaven and earth. That interaction is where Worship takes place. Jesus is not sitting passively saying, ok bring it on - Jesus is active in our worship - God is acting and speaking and working in our worship. As we give thanks, praise, and honor to him He is blessing us. Watch what happens next as Jacob is meditating on the connection between heaven and earth - see God’s action in worship) 13 There above it (the ladder) stood the Lord, and he said: "I am the Lord , the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (In worship - God speaks - God blesses - God loves)

16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." (Jacob’s response was worship - to give honor to the one who has blessed him)

18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. (That was a spiritual ACT of worship)  19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. BETHEL (He called that place “Church” Bethel means = house of God)

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

    God saw Jacob and initiated a relationship by sending angels going up and down from heaven to get him looking upward. And indeed, Jacob saw God standing in heaven at the top of the stairway or the ladder to heaven.

    Notice Jacob’s response, he acts in worship. He turns what was previously used for an ordinary everyday object (a rock for a pillow) and set it up as a symbol of his worship and adoration for all God has done. It sounds like a deal - if you do this I will do that that. This is not the case. He is simply recounting how God had just acted toward him and he offers all he has present (a rock) as an act of worship, calls the place church (Bethel = house of God) and gives him an offering - his tithe - a tenth of all he has.

    In a brief story we see the picture of worship - God acts toward us, we respond and act toward God and those two acts intersect much like an extension ladder which shows God coming down toward us and us moving up toward God and the angels of heaven are present helping to make this interaction happen. This individual act of worship is a preview of what corporate worship should look like.

SPECIAL WORSHIP in 2019

No Excuse Sunday / Easter Sunrise Service / Chosen People / Combined outdoor Worship / WorldWide Communion / Thanksgiving worship-Jane Brand / Christmas Eve / A Christmas Double Feature Spectacular / Every Sunday / Personal worship

Without checking in to a notebook, 2020 ought to see us worship REGULARLY and WITH ABANDON

In 2 Samuel 6 we see where King Daivd didn’t care what others thought – he danced before the Lord with great abandon and rejoicing, accompanied by loud shouts and trumpets.

Luke 7:37-38,  44-48, 50

When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.   You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

          In 2020 we are taking a drastic different turn with our new theme, but can never forget that one of the greatest values of Ashland church is to worship. It is not only that Jesus deserves our worship, but our lives CANNOT be lived well without putting worship of Jesus first.

Joni Erickson Tada had a terrible accident that left her a quadriplegic. In spite of her physical limitations she became an accomplished author and artist. 35 years ago she married her husband, Ken. For her wedding she had planned to come down the center aisle in her motorized wheel chair. Just before her grand entrance she noticed two distressing problems. First, she had rolled over her beautiful gown and made a big grease spot and tear in it. Then, the flowers in her lap had slipped and had lodged between her leg and the chair. She was filled with disappointment, and then suddenly the doors to the auditorium opened, and she saw her husband to be.

Here was the man who was committing his love and his life to her. Joni later said, “Once I saw Ken's face, all I could think of was him.  Everything else—the people in the church, the flowers that were sitting a little askew on my lap, the fact that my dress didn't fall right because I was sitting in a wheelchair, the grease marks, the rip in my gown all of it paled in comparison.”

When we see Christ Jesus, He will be all that matters to us.