Weekly Newsletter

Hello Friends,
Yesterday was Juneteenth which marks the end of legal slavery in the United States when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the implementation of the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, in Texas the last state to enforce it.
While legal slavery has ended, there is much work still to be done to bring about the day where all of God's children are seen, understood and loved equally. I pray each one of us works towards making this a reality within our lifetime.
With the nicer weather garage sales are popping up. I passed one the other day that had two end tables for sale. They were painted turquoise with white dots, and they were quite beat up. I thought about people who do furniture restoration and could turn these end tables into something useful and beautiful again. Did you know God is in the restoration business! That’s right! The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17) The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). God promises that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). You accept Jesus by praying to Him, confessing your sins, committing to follow Him, and declaring Him as the Lord of your life.
John Wesley the founder of Methodism taught that God’s grace shapes us throughout our lives. After God’s prevenient grace convicts us of our sin and our need for Christ, and after we receive forgiveness by faith through God’s justifying grace, our spiritual growth continues. By God’s sanctifying grace, we mature as disciples of Jesus Christ. The word sanctify simply means “to make holy,” but not in a holier-than-thou sort of way. Instead, God’s sanctifying grace shapes us more and more into the likeness of Christ. As the Holy Spirit fills our lives with love for God and our neighbor, we begin to live differently. And like a restored piece of furniture to remain useful, it must be cared for. Wesley prescribed some ways we can put ourselves in positions to receive God’s sanctifying grace. These “means of grace” are things we do to grow toward “holiness of heart and life,” as Wesley called mature faith. Things like attending worship, receiving the sacrament of communion, worship, prayer and Bible study. Also important are acts of compassion, acts of justice like working to eliminate racism and advocating for the poor and marginalized. Do you know someone who needs to be restored? Point them to God, the one who created the restoration process.

Here are your Daily Scripture Readings
Week 4: Diverse people, One Vision
Sunday–Revelation 7:9-17
Monday–Colossians 2:1-11
Tuesday–James 2:1-13
Wednesday–Romans 12:1-21
Thursday–Matthew 28:19-20
Friday–Luke 14:7-14
Saturday–Isaiah 43:8-13

See you Sunday
God bless you all.
Pastor Robyne