Billy Graham tells the story of a time early in his ministry when he arrived in a small town to preach a sermon. Wanting to mail a letter in those days, he asked a young boy where the post office was. When the boy told him, Dr. Graham thanked him and said, "If you will come to church tonight, I will tell you how you can get to Heaven." The little boy thought about it for a moment and said, "No, thank you, sir, I don’t think I will be there. You don’t even know how to get to the post office!"
In our text this Sunday, we’ll discover another “I AM” statement of Jesus. The apostle John records for us in the 14th chapter of his gospel a conversation Jesus had with the disciples in the upper room just after Judas headed out to do the dirty deed inspired by Satan and Peter was informed that he would deny even knowing Jesus three times by morning. In it, Jesus begins to tell them that He is going back to His Father’s house where He will get busy preparing rooms for them to join Him. Still confused, Thomas asks Jesus how to get there since they don’t know where He’s going or the way to get there.
Here it is! Jesus then says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Why not bring along your family and some friends this Sunday as we lay out the directions to heaven by going through Jesus?
John
This Sunday, November 14 we will be expressing our gratitude to God for all His blessings to the family of Christ at FCC. The dinner will begin at 5 PM. The church will be providing the turkey, gravy, dressings, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, beverages and table service, etc. You are asked to bring a side dish of green beans, a corn dish, salad, and or dessert.
Come and celebrate with your church family and friends at FCC.
The Gift of Thanksgiving 2021 Update
We’d like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to each and every person who contributed to our Gift of Thanksgiving project. Thanks to your generosity we were able to raise $1,041.76 towards our goal of $660. This means we are not only able to fully fund our goal of providing Thanksgiving meals to 11 local families in need but will be able to roll the surplus forward to supply needs for families at Christmas. It is a clear reminder that the Lord can do even more than we can hope for when we are willing to bring Him what we have. We also wanted to remind everyone that you are invited to join us from 3-5 on this Sunday, November 14, 2021, as we pack these Thanksgiving meals up and deliver them to area families, right before we come together as a Church family from 5-7 for our All Church Thanksgiving Dinner. This is an awesome opportunity to make an immediate impact in our community, reflecting the love and light of Christ to local families, and to kick off the Thanksgiving season right.
Thank you for your faithfulness FCC!
Upcoming Events
November
14, All Church Thanksgiving
December
2, Women's Christmas Dinner
4, Drop-N-Shop
5, Common Ground @ Sullivan Christian Church
24, Christmas Eve Service
Mark your calendar for these special events. All events are subject to change so keep an eye on the "E-newsletter" and the "First to Know" bulletin for more details.
Life is better in community! We have a handful of small groups that meet on various days and times and could be a great fit for you!
We gather weekly, share in fellowship and take the Word of God deeper into our hearts and lives.
If you are interested in joining a LIfeGroup or starting a LIfeGroup, please contact Rob and he will help get you started.
Last week Jason White stepped up to teach a lesson on Mephibosheth and the beauty of purpose in suffering, as well as providing a picture of God’s grace. This was a memorable lesson for students, and a powerful reminder that God is indeed “working all things for good for those called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). This week, we return to our series, Freedom in the Kingdom, with a look at Galatians 5:23-26, and what it means to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) as we live out our lives in our newfound freedom in Christ. This promises to be an impactful and practical lesson on the Christian life.
I’d like to leave you with a Word from the Apostle Paul, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
The idea of “keeping in step” may elude students when they first hear it, but for those of you who marched in band, or my fellow former soldiers who know what it is to march and run in perfect formation, “keeping in step” carries with it a picture and powerful meaning that we must not lose sight of.
The point of marching in formation is not just to look pretty or entertain in the military, though when it is done well it certainly can do both, but rather the point of meticulously fine tuning and cooperating for the common goal of nothing short of marching perfection is really about team building; it’s about the unit unifying around a common goal, purpose, and identity.
Marching as one instills confidence, both in yourself and in your team members, and builds unit cohesion and trust, the kind of cohesion and trust a soldier will need when they go into war with their unit and must stake their lives on being able to absolutely trust that the person to their left and right is going to do the right thing, and that person likewise depending on them to do the same.
Over the past few weeks, we have considered the natural state of man in the fruits of the flesh and contrasted that with the evidence of the supernatural transformation the Holy Spirit is producing in the hearts of Christians in the Fruit of the Spirit. What we have really been looking at is the theological concept of sanctification. When we answer God’s call to salvation in Christ Jesus, He takes us as we are and begins the process of making us someone better, conforming us to the image of Christ, making us more and more like Him. It is the greatest honor and blessing we receive as Christians outside of salvation itself.
While it is certainly true that God is at work producing these Christ-like characteristics through the Holy Spirit, it is also true that we are called to “keep in step”, to cooperate with this process. In this we see the beauty of God’s sovereignty at work in our lives, as well as the dynamic of our free will. It is why Paul can admonish Christians later to not “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30) by living our lives in a way that opposes His work in our hearts, in a way that is “out of step” with the sanctification of the Spirit.
So, here’s the big question: are you keeping in step with what God is doing in your life, enjoying the freedom and comfort of being unified in the Spirit, at peace and unafraid knowing you can trust Him fully regardless of what battles may come your way? My hope and prayer is that answer is a resounding yes, but if you’re looking around unsure, apprehensive, remember it is never too late to repent, to refocus, “change step”, and get right back to marching to the sound of the Master’s cadence.
Grace and peace to you friends, God bless and keep you in the week ahead.
As I Am Music, our student-led worship band and music ministry, has grown so has our need for leaders and teachers. If you are musically gifted and would be willing to spend Tuesday evenings from 6-8 PM pouring into our students, I Am Music is looking for you. Even if you could only spare one Tuesday a month, please contact Shaun at shaunratcliff@fccunion.org so we can work together to help our students grow as musicians, Christians, and leaders.
Tuesday mornings from 9-11 AM. The Bible is always applicable, so even if you can't make it at the beginning, you are always welcome! The gathering is in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
Men's Bible Study
Join us Saturday, November 13 @ 7 AM for a men's Bible Study at Red, White, and Brew Coffee Company.
Needs arise more than just on a Sunday morning. If you need prayer at any time, please know you can text ‘prayer2fcc’ to 94000 and a staff member will receive your request any time and be praying for you.
You can also email your request or call the church office to be placed on the prayer list. There is a prayer table in the lobby where you can place a prayer request in the box and we will pray for you!
We are family, and we want to support you in any way we can and prayer is always the first and best place to start. Please feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Join us in the Fellowship Hall downstairs for Celebrate Recovery. We will start with a time of food and fellowship at 6 PM. We have childcare starting at 6 PM. Please follow the sign for check in. We want to spread the love of Jesus to everyone in recovery from life's hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
So many times we hear “leave a legacy'' which sure- we should leave a legacy; Dave Ramsey has spent the better part of his life teaching how to do just that financially with his ‘7 Baby Steps’. There are many people who have left legacies, like Albert Einstein in the educational world and who can deny the spiritual legacy left by Billy Graham? What if, instead of dying to leave a legacy we strive to live a life of legacy. Check out how Celebrate Recovery can help you start living your best life and living to leave a legacy. Click here to see our new blog!
Check out our Facebook page at @FCCUnionCR. If you have any questions, comments, or requests feel free to email us.
Tai Chi Fitness
Tai Chi Fitness Fun for All!
Monday's from 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM, First Christian Church,Union will be a place to participate in a free class for (mostly) senior citizens, but anyone pursuing a healthier life is welcome. Tai Chi fitness is a program developed by Dr. Paul Lam, a Chinese physician living in Australia. It is used worldwide for anyone who wants to improve their physical health and strengthen themselves for fall prevention.
Tai Chi originated in the orient, but the emphasis will be on Christ, beginning and ending each session with prayer. Any reference to any kind of oriental philosophy will be turned toward Christ and His sovereignty.
The medical field and Medicare recognize its effectiveness in improving health and vitality. It is a slow-moving exercise designed to deliberately make a mind/body connection, enabling awareness of our center of gravity, weight distribution and where our balance lies. It is not rigorous, and we don’t get down on the floor. If necessary, this program of Tai Chi can be done by holding onto a chair or even sitting in one. So, if people can get into the building, they can do it! Sessions will be held downstairs in the large, blue room nearest the glass double doors.
Questions? Call the church office, ext 5, or Jenny Hannaford.
Have you ever wanted to do a Bible study with your spouse, kids or maybe a group of friends but you didn’t know where to start? Leading a Bible study can seem like such a big task. Planning what to say and what questions to ask can be one of the reasons people are so hesitant to lead a study. Well, what if we took all the planning and prep work out of it and made it easy for you to do right in your own living room?
As someone who attends First Christian Church you have access to RightNow Media, a website with hundreds of video-driven studies. There are studies on just about every topic you may want; from parenting to having “the talk” with your older kids, marriage, studies on books of the Bible and so much more. There are even cartoons for the kids that teach Biblical principles. And the best part is, it costs you nothing! If you would like to check out this incredible resource you can sign-up here.
