{"id":10195,"date":"2021-12-29T16:27:49","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T21:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/?p=10195"},"modified":"2021-12-29T16:27:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T21:27:49","slug":"midweek-message-7-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/2021\/12\/midweek-message-7-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Midweek Message 12\/29\/2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

MIDWEEK MESSAGE #89<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #89<\/strong>. I know\u2026I know\u2026you thought I would have come up with a better opening line by now. To be honest, I haven\u2019t really given it much thought.\u00a0 Some of the shows I watch all say, \u201cHello and welcome to (___________).\u201d\u00a0 Or just \u201cWelcome to the (___________). No, not jungle.\u00a0 J I\u2019m just glad you take the time to read the message.<\/p>\n

I hope you had a good ending to a sometimes not-so-good year. I, for one, look at 2021 as being in my rearview mirror. No one got anywhere by constantly looking backwards.\u00a0 Whenever I was younger I would try to set resolutions that I found out I quickly broke. So I stopped. I started asking myself \u201cWhat do I need to do to make this coming year \u201csuccessful?\u201d My first thought about that success was not work, school, or those things which are normally scrutinized as being talking points. I was more concerned with my spiritual walk.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t suspect I am alone, even as I ask myself that same question today. I firmly believe that if my walk with God is in the right place, where it belongs, then the rest of my world will come together. \u00a0Several years ago I clipped a page from something I was reading and filed it away. As I was cleaning out some files the other day I found it. As I read it I thought it would be something good to pass on to you as you look ahead to 2022.\u00a0 The main thoughts are from the article. Any commentary is mine.\u00a0 So\u2026here we go:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ. I will be the first to admit the struggle with this one. Life hits and sometimes hits with a slam dunk. Have you ever seen that game where they have children, and sometimes adults, put their head on top of a baseball bat and then go in circles? When time is up then release them to walk away. Only they can\u2019t. Their equilibrium is so messed up they simply stumble and sometimes fall. Life comes and it is like we are running in circles.\u00a0 There comes a point in time when we need to stop and recalibrate. A lot of people like to do that at the beginning of a new year. \u00a0Hebrews 12:1-2 says, \u201cTherefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let\u2019s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let\u2019s run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus<\/u>, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.\u201d<\/em> Let\u2019s stop expecting the government or the school or the workout or the church to set us straight. Let\u2019s look to Jesus.<\/li>\n
  2. Look to God in the Scriptures. We live in a confused world. There are those who deny the existence of God (as there have always been). There are those who tell us to find God in nature. Nature can reveal God\u2019s creativity but God is not a tree or nature.\u00a0 There are always whackos trying to get us to find God in drugs or some weird teaching. The Bible is where we find God for who He is. Psalm 119:18 says, \u201cOpen my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your Law.\u201d<\/em> To save space I\u2019m going to ask you to turn to and read Psalm 19: 7-11. Those are some powerful verses to focus on for this coming year.<\/li>\n
  3. Remember all God has done for you. How easy it is to forget!\u00a0 We see what we are going through now; we dream up what is ahead, and we find ourselves overwhelmed\u2026and forgetful. Try to remember the same God today is the same God back then and will be same in the future.\u00a0 Here is a great verse to remember! \u201cOnly be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and grandsons.\u201d <\/em> 4:9<\/li>\n
  4. Remain in Christian community. We haven\u2019t talked much about this lately. With the onset of the live stream it is much easier to stay home and watch in the comfort of your recliner. I get that. But one thing live stream can\u2019t do is offer community. It offers isolation. Unless you are involved in a small group which meets on a regular basis, it is so easy to feel like you are alone in the battle. {Note: we are going to make a more concentrated effort to have small groups in 2022}. We have got to have each other\u2019s backs.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad live stream is available and some people are using it to feel connected. But I\u2019m being honest when I say I miss you when you aren\u2019t here. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, \u201cAnd let\u2019s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day approaching.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Just food for thought.<\/li>\n
  5. Pray continually. I don\u2019t know how to emphasize this anymore than those two words.\u00a0 Paul tells us to \u201cpray without ceasing\u201d<\/em> in I Thess.5:17.\u00a0 Jesus told Peter to \u201cKeep watching and praying so that you do not come (fall) into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak\u201d<\/em> in Mt.26:41. \u00a0Make time this year for what I call my \u201cEncounter Time.\u201d Make a concentrated effort to read the Bible and pray. I also do a daily devotional blog called Living in the Shadow that might help your efforts.\u00a0 (You can find that on the church\u2019s website).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    This got longer than I originally intended, but I guess you know me by now. J\u00a0 But I do hope it helps you as you look ahead to 2022\u2026hopefully not with fear and trepidation but with courage and hope.<\/p>\n

    The new theme for 2022 is \u201cFor Such a Time\u2026\u201d\u00a0 This Sunday\u2019s sermon is from the passage where that statement is found: Esther 4. Please read ahead and you will have a picture of what the message will be about.\u00a0 As Christ-followers we are here \u201cfor such a time as this…\u201d<\/p>\n

    Have a great rest of the week. Look with hope to the future.\u00a0 Let\u2019s make 2022 the best year in OVCF\u2019s history. I love you all.<\/p>\n

    Pastor Bill<\/p>\n

    All Scripture is from the NASB2020. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    MIDWEEK MESSAGE #89   Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #89. I know\u2026I know\u2026you thought I would have come up with a better opening line by now. To be honest, I haven\u2019t really given it much thought.\u00a0 Some of the shows I watch all say, \u201cHello and welcome to (___________).\u201d\u00a0 Or just \u201cWelcome to the … <\/p>\n

    Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_crdt_document":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-midweekmessage","category-ovcf-news","nodate","item-wrap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10196,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195\/revisions\/10196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ovcf.org\/ovcf_wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}