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July 20, 2024 at First Christian Church United, Lewisville, TX
Good Morning, Dear Ones!! Today's Readings are from Lion Bites Day 272; Deuteronomy 34:1-12; I Chronicles 7:20-29; and Ezekiel 20:45-49
Join us March 28, 2023 at 6:30 pm Tuesday Evening.
Advent Weekly Study
The season of Advent can easily become a time of great stress with Christmas parties, family gatherings, children's/grandchildren's school programs, community parades, shopping and wrapping...well, you get the picture!! With all that demands our time and energy during this season, perhaps now, more than ever, we could schedule one hour per week to leave the chaos behind and settle in for a time of discovering ways in which we can experience the Sacred in our day-to-day lives.
Our Advent Study will take place each Tuesday evening from 6-7 p.m. beginning Tuesdays, November 29 - December 20
If the evenings are not good in your schedule, you may join us each Wednesday from 10-11 a.m. beginning Wednesday, November 30 - December 21. The study will be a 4-week study.
We will be using a book by Richard Rohr and Patrick Boland book titled, Everything is Sacred. If you would like to participate, please let Pastor Shannon know ASAP, so she can prepare the materials you will need for the study. You can order your book from Amazon or other bookstores.
This Sunday November 13
Scripture Luke 21:5-19
Sermon title "Hope When Life is Hard"
Retreat begins at 6:00 pm where we will travel to Australia and have a meal, the journey will continue in Australia, the weekend will be full of fun and travel. Come and See.
More information call 972.446.9808
Moving Forward in an Amazing 2022
Pastor Shannon’s Article!
Can you believe that we are almost finished with 2021? In some ways it seems like a long stressful year; and in other ways, the year flew by in a blink of an eye. How was it for you? As I look back, I do so only to count blessings. I think about all that God brought Paul and I through this last year, and the many little God winks that encouraged us to keep moving forward as we transitioned from Oklahoma back to Texas. God is so good; as I look back, I see His hand at work in our life and in this church. This past year, a friend of mine brought me a small package of salt. She handed it to me on my last Sunday at FCC Moore, and her question to me was, “Do you know the name of Lot’s wife?” I replied, “No, I sure don’t!” She said, “No one does. She is simply mentioned in scripture as a reminder to not look back.” My friend then said to me, “Don’t look back, Shannon! Stay focused on where God is leading you regardless of what others may say or do…just keep moving forward with your eyes on the Lord and all will be well.” That was some of the best advice I received all year!! Don’t look back, just keep moving forward with eyes on Jesus!! For the past couple of years, we have had to do just that because everything has been in a state of change. This includes how we shop, how we visit the doctor, how we worship, and how we interact with others; there is nothing that has really stayed same. With so much change, we have had to rely on God to guide and direct us to what’s next. We can reminisce about what was, but not for too long because when we are looking back, we are not moving forward. We are paralyzed by the past. So now I look forward to what’s next!! Just this morning, I watched a short little video from life coach, Rachel Perry. She shared that her new year practice is to think forward one year, to December 31, 2022, and to write about all the things she accomplished in 2022. Instead of looking back, she looks forward imagining what the year can be like, and in doing so, she sets some goals for her career, her family, and her own personal development. Perhaps this would be helpful for us all to do as we look ahead at 2022.
I am now imagining that it is a year from now, and I am writing this as if it were December 31, 2022. What an exciting year it has been at First Christian Church United!! We have moved beyond the walls of the church to minister to those in our community in partnership with the Revival Church and Primera Iglesias Church. We have made many new friends and have witnessed several accept Christ after being loved and cared for in a variety of ways by each of us. We have continued to serve through CCA and Metrocrest. We opened the doors of the Open Arms Sober Living House and are now investing in the lives of some special women who are experiencing the love of Christ breaking through their brokenness to bring healing and wholeness. Many among us have witnessed miracles happening in the lives of those they minister to through Kairos, and we are now ministering to some young families from the community through multiple efforts that were made this year to meet and pray for our neighbors. I also celebrate today, the spiritual growth I have witnessed in each of you because of a renewed commitment to be more intentional in daily prayer, not only for this church and for each other, but also for those in this community that God continues to give us opportunity to meet and with whom we can share Christ. God has blessed us, so today we take a moment to be grateful!!
Now…back to the present…December 31, 2021…
Please know that I pray for you daily. I am grateful for you and for the opportunity we have to journey alongside one another, and I am so excited for the future we have together as we say goodbye to 2021 and hello to the wonderful
year we will have together in 2022. Blessings to you and your family!!
See you soon!
