Notes to New Covenant

as a church- here at New Covenant- we've started off the year working thru Romans 12- aiming to MEMORIZE an entire chapter!  It's been challenging for many of us- but refreshing for all who have gotten after it!

Romans 12

13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior. 

I know nothing about cars.  Saying that in an area like Flint/Saginaw where 9.7 out of 10 people have some sort of ties to an auto company is tough to admit.  If there’s a rattle under my hood, it could be my engine about to fall out, or it could be that a twig found its’ way under.  I may never know. 

But I do know enough to know the need for calibration- that checking- that testing to make sure things are as they ought to be.  Romans 12 is this amazing passage, and here from verses 13-16- there’s some great passages that can help us to make sure we’re calibrated properly.

·         Share with the Lord’s people who are in need-  Is what’s mine, ‘mine’, or am I really willing to…(gulp) ‘share’.

·         Practice Hospitality-  Do I make a practice out of it, or has it been a 1-time performance?

·         Bless those who persecute you-  Do I find myself thinking more often thoughts like ‘That’s not fair’…or ‘how dare you?!?’ RATHER THAN, ‘How can I improve your life?’

·         Rejoice with those who rejoice- Am I rejoicing with them, or thinking, ‘Why doesn’t anything good ever happen to me?’

·         Mourn with those who mourn- Am I running too fast to feel the pain those in my path are going through?

·         Live in harmony- Am I making it more harmonious, or am I just adding to the noise?

·         Do not be proud/be willing to associate with people of low position.- Do I still see people with labels attached to them…other than ‘beloved’?

·         Do not think you are superior?- Am I still playing the comparison game?  ‘At least I didn’t…it’s a good thing I don’t…I’d never do…’

I may need to stop pretending there’s a twig under my hood- and maybe it’s time to realize the engine’s about to fall out.  Let’s stop ‘playing’ church- and let’s live the transformed life.

Pastor Phil

fears

There are some things in life that should stop you.  Some things in life we LET stop us.  Some of those things are fears.  Some fears are healthy.  Some fears keep us from truly experiencing life to the fullest.

But, I do wonder how many times we let our fears, worries, doubts, insecurities...or just the- 'I can't do that...'s stop us.

(ok...that being said though...I'm NEVER doing what this guy Alex Honnold does)

Crowder collides with TSO & 4000 cell phones

Sounds like an interstate nightmare, doesn't it?  But instead it's a holiday bonanza...er...blitzfest...er...AWESOMENESS!  Thank you Crowder for making grainy cell phone footage turn out to be one of the most amazing videos I've seen in a long time!