Service Highlights or Announcements for this Sunday
May God continue his faithful care of those in our congregation during this coming week of Thanksgiving. May God grant us comfort and companionship as this holiday we may be separated from the family we hold dear. May we seek God for his care, comfort, and companionship.
We are blessed to have special music by Michelle Spencer and her father during this week’s video service. This is a great treat!
Come check out our virtual Gather(ing) via Zoom on Wednesdays at 7 pm. We would LOVE to see you there. Come ready to discuss our scripture passage and raise our voices in song! If you would like the Zoom link, please sign up here.
Reflection of the Week
This Sunday we continue to discuss the choices we can make to stay mentally healthy. Last week we discussed choosing gratitude. This week, we will choose compassion.
Whenever we wonder what in the world to do with our lives, Christ offers a simple answer: Begin with a simple act of compassion for the one who is right in front of you.
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus says that those who choose to show compassion discover Jesus himself in “least of these, my brothers and sisters.” Conversely, those who live self-centered lives miss out entirely on this encounter with the Savior.
In small and great ways, let us choose compassion over self-centered living so we too may discover the living Christ in our midst.
See you Sunday!
Peace and Health,
Pastor James
Scripture Passages of the Week
Ephesians 1:15-18
Paul’s Prayer
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason, I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.
Matthew 25:31-46
The Judgement of the Nations
‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’
