The First Step - by Kim Metzer

During the 8:15am service on Welcome Weekend here at Redeemer, I had the privilege of giving the message.  I spoke that day on having a firm foundation of faith and laid out five aspects of faith.  I’m not going to repeat them all here because the printed copy is available in the church lobby and the podcast is available on the website.  I will talk about the first aspect though: Faith is taking the first step. 

The Bible verses used for the message were from the New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 11.  This chapter gives a litany of well-known people in the Old Testament who acted on faith even though they couldn’t see the bigger picture.  They all had to take a first step and trust that God would be there to see them through the next steps.

Probably the most well-known of the examples given is Noah.  Noah was an ordinary God-fearing guy who built an enormous boat in his yard.  His yard was nowhere near a body of water and he had no way to transport this huge structure but he listened to God, followed the instructions and built it anyway.

In our modern daily lives, these kinds of leaps of faith generally aren’t called for but the smaller ones are just as important.  What kind of faith steps are you considering?  Do you want to learn more about the Bible?  Your first step might be to take a basic Bible overview class (This class will be in regular rotation on Sunday mornings here at Redeemer!).  Are you being called to charitably give more than what you’re giving right now? Your first step might be making a pledge to the church to give a specific amount for the next six months or making a commitment to support the ministry of the missionary family that is speaking on October 18. Perhaps you’re retired or an empty nester with a few hours a month that you would like to fill.  Your first step could be to check out the volunteer opportunities within the church walls or the outreach opportunities beyond the church walls.

God will use whatever first step you take to further His kingdom and to help you reach for more!

 

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”  Hebrews 11:1

Handprints - by Tammy Bowman

This first week of Christian Ed for the 2015/16 started off great! From 3 year olds joining a Christian Ed room for the very 1^st time to the return of high school Christian Ed on Sunday morning, there was an exciting energy present throughout Redeemer United Methodist Church this past Sunday. One of the highlights for me each year is when we welcome new 5^th graders into “youth ministry” in the BRIDGE 56 room. For the past 6 years, students and new leaders add their hand print to the wall as they enter 5^th/6th grade ministry.

A few weeks ago, I found myself sitting on bean bags just looking over the handprint wall. I started looking at the names and thinking about all the students who have passed through that room. The oldest handprints are from students who are now seniors! My focus then turned to the numerous adult handprints who have served in BRIDGE 56 throughout the years and my eyes slowly began to fill with tears.  My thoughts turned into prayers for each person who has been a part of BRIDGE 56 and expanded to praying for the youth of Redeemer, past and present.  I went home thinking about what I had experienced in the BRIDGE 56 room that day; I was trying to put into words what I had been praying for and I was struggling. Then I began reading from 2 Corinthians and it all became clear. Paul’s final greeting to the church in Corinth was this, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

This is what has been on my heart ever since. I pray that the students and leaders who are a part of any event, class, or serving opportunity here at Redeemer will continuously experience the grace of Jesus, the Love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Change in Routine - by Suzie Unruh

So the kids started school last week and Facebook was flooded with wonderful pictures of the first day of school. There were pictures of younger kids sad they weren’t able to go, the kids in their new outfits with new backpacks, the parents screaming ‘Hooray’ as the bus drove away, and then one picture struck me – it was the picture of the kids praying before school.

I pray constantly for my kids; for their safety, for their choices, for God to surround them with Christian friends, and Christian adult leaders at school. As I reflected this weekend on the first week of school and how we survived getting up and the morning routine I realized – I have failed, I am not doing my part – our morning routine includes brushing teeth, breakfast, lunches, etc, but I realized I have not faithfully  included prayer with the kids in our morning routine.

I pray when they leave, when I drop them off, and throughout the day – but my children need me to pray with them! For them to know that God is with them every moment of every day – even if they don’t remember, God does – He never forgets them. It’s never too late to make a change, so starting now – we will stop and take a moment to add this to our morning routine.

Retirement…The Next Stage of Life - by Kelvin Fizzell

At the completion of 41 years of teaching 4th grade in the DeWitt Public School system, my wife Sally has decided to retire. She has been spending the summer months, and I’m sure several months to come, deciding what’s next? Retirement is a big transition; to go from dedicating the majority of your life to something you are passionate about - - to finding your way into the next stage of life. It’s a change that will dramatically affect both of us. I “retired” from the corporate world at the end of 2007 and shortly thereafter accepted a position on the staff at Redeemer Church. Many people have assumed that I will join Sally in the retirement life stage, but I’m not ready (and I’m sure Sally isn’t either) for the "rocking chair".                                                                                                            

As we have talked about what lies ahead, we have looked at from a spiritual perspective. Although the term “retirement” is not mentioned in the Bible, if you google the question “What does the Bible say about retirement?” these verses from Psalms are one of many that are offered as a reference. Psalm 71:17-18 says,  “O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, And I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, Do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.”

Though transition is sometimes hard, there are limitless ways to continue serving, even into “retirement” age. From the Christian perspective, volunteering your time, your skills, your prayers, and your resources at Redeemer Church is just one of those options. Age, physical limitations, or time do not have to prevent you from continuing a life of service…you simply have to be willing. As it says in Psalm 92:14, Even in old age they will still produce fruit: They will remain vital and green.

What lies ahead for Sally and me is still unknown, even some trial and error may come until we discover our “next big thing”. In the meantime, we will continue to pray and enjoy life together.

Worry Less - by Diane Lantzy

I love everything about fall. The beautiful fall leaves, football games, tailgating, the crisp fall air, cider (and donuts), pumpkin pie, the excitement of things starting anew and so much more. What is not to love about all that?? So, if I love everything about fall….why did I often dread its arrival?? Unfortunately, I worry that winter was ever so surely approaching and that I really, really don’t like!

But God does not want us to worry about the future. In the daily devotional “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young she writes the following (and she writes this devotional as if Jesus is talking directly to you):

Do not worry about tomorrow! This is not a suggestion but a command. I divided time into days and nights so that you would have manageable portions of life to handle. My grace is sufficient for you but its sufficiency is for only one day at a time. 

Though this devotional was probably not written with the worry of uncomfortable (at least for me) weather in the forefront, it did make me understand that in my worrying about the upcoming winter, I wasn’t able to enjoy all that God had given me today. I now strive to look at the beautiful autumn leaves and appreciate the moment without seeing the upcoming bare trees laced with white. Since I am a Mom and a Grandma worrying is second nature to me and I will always struggle with worrying about the future of my loved ones. But as I continue to grow in my Christian walk, I pray that I worry less about the future and trust God’s sufficiency for today.