https://www.bible.com/events/49192298

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

What Does God Want from Me? Time

Live like the time you have is truly a gift.

What does God want from me?

When is the last time you considered that question?

That question matters, because it implies that God has expectations for us. He expects something of you.

We expect things from God, certainly. We are quick to remember those things:

God, help me

God, heal me

God, provide for me

God, bless me

God, lead me

We have expectations for God, but how often do we think about His expectations of us?

Throughout our series called, “The Talents”, we will reflect on one of the most well-known stories of Jesus to identify what God expects from each of us.

Matthew 25:14-30

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

-First we have to notice that the servants in Jesus’s parable are given their talents. The master wasn’t obligated to give them anything. This is a gift. This is grace. Each servant received his talents by the grace of the master.

-So the first implication is clear: none of us has any ground for boasting in our “talents.” They are gifts. We didn’t earn them. We can’t really ‘deserve’ them.

-Second, God values highly the gifts he gives us.

-Certainly “less talented” servants might have envied “more talented” ones. But in reality, each servant received something of great value.

-We must not undervalue what we have been given. Some are given more, some are given less, but all are given much.

This isn’t only a story of money, or wealth, it’s a story of stewardship. God desires for us to be faithful stewards.

The issue of being faithful stewards of what we have isn’t just a suggestion or a nice idea. It is a requirement of God with dramatic consequences one way or the other.

This is a hard word from Jesus, but the parable really isn’t about God being “hard” or cruel.

This is a story about urgency

Examining the text around this story, it is clear that Jesus is responding to this question: How should we live as we prepare for Christ to return?

The answer is: with urgency. By acknowledging that each of us have been given valuable gifts, skills, abilities, and resources. And we will be held responsible for how we use them.

Ephesians 5:15-16

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:11-16

Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

“Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!”

Just as Paul is admonishing the church in Ephesus, so we must be faithful stewards with our time.

The parable of the talents isn’t about doing more or achieving more. It’s about obeying more and loving more.

How often have you talked with someone on the telephone who seemed to be in a hurry and wanted to get on with more important business? Or visited with someone on the street and received that same hurried feeling? You’ve undoubtedly experienced it…and didn’t enjoy it. And, perhaps, you have also been guilty of this. If you have, why not decide to tithe time, save up chunks, bits and pieces of it, and give them away to people who interrupt your pre-established plans?

It is a great principle of love that people don’t interrupt, not really. Perhaps there shouldn’t even be such a word as interrupt; for when people come into your existence, even for a brief time, that is a wonderful moment of experience for both of you. Relish it. Probe it. Invest some of the time you have tithed. We can’t afford to indulge in the luxury of “being too busy and important” for another person.

We have time for such inanimate things as pieces of mail, vast sprawling shopping centers, the television program which starts at 7:30. But what about relationships with people? Isn’t that a great deal of what life is all about–loving other people? Remember Jesus? How he raced about, hurrying from one city to another, collecting great crowds on the way to give them a few minutes of hurried heaven-data, then dashing on to the next place?

No, that is not the picture of Jesus the New Testament gives. He had time for people. In a crowd, a woman touched his robe. Lots of people were probably pushing against him, touching his robe, but he discerned the urgency in this particular touch. He stopped, taking valuable time for this “interruption.” His disciples were full of fire and computer-like- efficiency. They wanted to get on with the task of getting something done, even if they didn’t always know what that “something” was.

Once a bunch of small, grimy-fingered kids came along and wanted to climb on the Master’s lap. “Get those kids out of here,” thought the goal-oriented disciples.

“No, let them stay. Let’s enjoy them and let them enjoy us,” thought the true-goal-oriented Man from heaven who knew and expressed the great worth of the individual.

The next time a person “interrupts” you, think not of your work and your deadlines; rather, think of that person’s needs, of his covert compliment in desiring to spend a few moments with you. Your meeting may be a significant point in each of your lives, because it is an encounter with another person God has created. you may impart something crucial to his fulfillment–or he to yours.

Paul prayed: “May God, who gives patience, steadiness, and encouragement, help you to live in complete harmony with each other–each with the attitude of Christ toward the other” (Rom. 15:5, TLB). Are you caught up on your time-tithe?

Monte Unger, NAVLOG, January, 1975.

Bottom Line:

Live like the time you have is truly a gift.

Verses for Further Study & Reflection:

Colossians 4:5

Luke 14:28

Psalm 39:4-5

John 9:4

Psalm 90:12

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49194390

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

What Does God Want from Me? Time

Live like the time you have is truly a gift.

Today we begin a new 4-part teaching series called “The Talents”

Throughout this series we will seek to understand and answer the question:What does God expect of me?

We believe whole heartedly that it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can be saved. There is absolutely nothing we can ever do to EARN our salvation.

But truths such as the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God do not nullify the fact that He has expectations about how we are to live our lives.

Our teaching series is based on the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25 known as the parable of the talents.

The parable has a surprise ending for one character in the story, and it becomes clear- this is a hard truth. God’s expectations matter. The issue of how we utilize what God has given us isn’t just a nice idea, it’s not extra credit, it’s central to our life as believers.

And it has dramatic consequences one way or the other.

Matthew 25:14-15

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

The “again” of verse 14 is linking this with the parables before, illustrating what the kingdom of God is like.

It’s like a man going on a journey, calling his servants or employees together and entrusting his wealth to them.

Depending on your translation what is given may be talents, silver, or like the NIV translates here “bags of gold”

The original word here is where we get the English word for talents. It was a unit of measure- in this case of money. We don’t know exactly the value of a talent; some scholars estimate the value of one talent being between 400,000-600,000 dollars.

The first two servants were given millions, and the third was given over a half million.

These were gifts entrusted to his servants. With no further instructions, the man leaves on his journey.

Matthew 25:16-18

The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Two of the servants take it upon themselves to utilize what they had been given. The 3rd servant takes a different approach. He takes his half million and buries it in the ground for safe keeping.

Matthew 25:19-23

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The first servant has put his master’s money to use and doubled it to 10 talents.

The master is well pleased and praises the servant’s efforts. “Well done good and faithful servant- I have many more things in store for you”

The second servant steps up, he also has doubled the master’s money. Again, there is increase.

Both servants were commended equally for their stewardship of the master’s money.

Matthew 25:24-30

“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The third servant is different, and Jesus wants us to see that clearly.

What we do with what we are given, always reveals the true condition of our heart. This servants’ actions are motivated by fear- and he tries to shift the blame back onto the master for his actions.

This last servant seemingly does less than the least- He could have at least put it in the bank to earn interest, but he didn’t even do that.

Had he truly known the heart of his master, he would have done SOMETHING with it. But rather he is shown to be apathetic to the desires of his master-and he receives a harsh and vivid sentence.

“Throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Seems harsh right? Friends, that’s the emphasis of this parable.

What we do with what we have been given matters to God.

He has expectations of his people to invest in his kingdom, to utilize their talents for the growth of his Kingdom.

How are you investing what God has given you?

Throughout this series, we are focusing on 4 different talents, 4 different areas of our lives and how God expects us to invest them for his glory.

We will seek to understand what God expects from us with regards to our time, our spiritual gifts, with our money, and ultimately our very lives.

While we may have different amounts of money, a wide variety of gifts and skills, there is one area that we are all equal, and that is time.

We don’t know how many days we will have, but, within each day, you know precisely how much time you have – and so do I.

Regardless of your age, social status, abilities, or even charming, good looks, you have just 24 hours everyday.

Ephesians 5:15-16

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

So, what does God expect from us with our time?

That we would invest it with urgency, with intentionality.

That we would use our time for the growth of his kingdom.

That we would understand that He gives us every minute for a reason.

We’re busy, we’re tired, we’re overwhelmed- honestly most of us struggle with time in our own ways, so it’s easy for a message about time to feel overwhelming.

But the parable of the talents isn’t about doing more…achieving more. This is about giving back to him what he’s already given us.

It’s about obeying more, loving more

Every day, making the Master’s will, your will.

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

https://www.bible.com/events/49190325

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

A New Wind

Allow His Spirit to be the power that you need.

As we prepare to journey into another new year, we consider this specific question:

What will make the biggest difference for you in the year 2024?

Today we will consider what would happen if you asked the Holy Spirit of God to blow through you in a fresh way in 2024.

John 3:5-8

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

I wonder how many of us consider the work of God’s Spirit in our lives?

Do we believe it matters?

According to Jesus, it is essential, but do we treat it that way?

Is it just an ‘add on’? Something for the more ‘radical’ or ‘committed’ believers?

The Holy Spirit has many roles in our lives, but there is one specific role that I want us to consider today. The Spirit is how God imparts power to you in your everyday life.

The Spirit gives believers power, power to live the life God calls us to, power to use our gifts to serve and sacrifice for others, and power that is far beyond what we can do in our own strength.

Quite simply, too many believers are relying too much on their own power when we have been given this incredible gift: the gift of God’s power.

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Botton Line:

Allow His Spirit to be the power that you need.

Verses for Further Study & Reflection:

John 14:26

1 Corinthians 6:11

Galatians 5:25

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving

Happy New Year!

Many of you will participate in the common traditions of attending parties tonight and eating special New Year’s food.

Then at 11:59 p.m. more than one billion people from all over the world will tune in to see the sparkling Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball drop and welcome in 2024

There are some things I already know about the coming year:

· If you are in Christ, God will be in your 2024.

· You will change. We all will change in the coming year.

o The you sitting here this morning will be new in the coming year.

But here’s the question: Will that change align with God’s plan for you?

“New Year, New You” isn’t just a catchy slogan; it’s an invitation to embrace God’s plan for your life.

There are three types of people here today:

· The Christian who is walking with Jesus

· The person who has fallen away from Christ

· And the person who has never accepted Jesus as Lord.

God loves you! He has a plan for your life. You can make a difference in this world when you trust in the Lord.

As we get ready for the new year, are you willing to be made new?

A new beginning means that you are allowing yourself to accept changes; that reflect HIS plan and not yours. GOOD changes.

The old self, the old life, has failures that are in the past. The things of the past do not have to define who you are today.

I love God’s word as it is filled with truth for you, and you,

and you, and for me.

The Bible says in Ephesians 3:20, He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.

Wow! More than we might ask or think. That sounds impossible, right?

How can that be when we are people who constantly ask, and think about the things that we want?

A lot is going to happen this year; some you’ll expect, and some you won’t.

God is sovereign. He knows all things, and He has a promise for you and for me, and it’s worth repeating,

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

That is a promise for you and for me.

PUT YOUR NAME in that scripture. It is a promise for you!

God has good plans for you. God desires a brand new you, in a brand-new year. God desires to transform you from the inside out.

But it is a choice YOU MUST MAKE.

The Bible says, 22 to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Ephesians during his imprisonment in Rome, approximately A.D. 60.

It is a letter written to the church at Ephesus, and to all believers today to strengthen the church.

Ephesians is a letter of encouragement.

The Bible states that there is an old self that people have which needs to be done away with.

We are to throw off the old self.

And put on the new self.

Our old way of life before Jesus living in our heart is completely in the past.

Paul uses the metaphor of ‘throwing off the old self’ just like taking off old clothes that should be thrown away.

Paul is speaking to the believers. The nature of the old self is sometimes associated in scripture with the term ‘sarx’ or ‘flesh’.

Sarx is used to describe the weak, frail, mortal flesh of the sinful nature of the old self.

It is a self that is focused on this world as its top priority.

Although God is a priority, He is not the top priority.

Unfortunately many people who call themselves Christians get wrapped up in the affairs of this world and lose keeping a heavenly focus on Christ.

What kind of Christian are you?

Are you wrapped up in the affairs of this world OR are you focused on Christ?

We are told to put off our former way of life, the old self. The Greek word that the English translations render “put off” is a word that is used for setting aside clothing.

We can all agree that in this world clothing matters.

We have heard the sayings:

· Dress for success

· Clothes make the man or clothes make the woman

Our clothes make a statement about us. Clothes often reflect your profession, your values, and even your social status.

Paul tells us that we have to lay the old self aside because it is corrupted by deceitful desires. Our desires are lying to us.

They are telling you that you will be happy if you obey your desires. They are telling you:

· If it feels good, do it.

· If you could just do what you feel like doing, it would fix everything.

I am sure you have heard the saying:

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

Putting off the old self is not just changing a few things in your life or changing a behavior or two.

Putting off these clothes means getting rid of the whole way of how we use to do things.

Within the last 3 weeks, Thomas and I have had vehicle problems.

· First the radiator went out of my car.

· Second the brakes went out of his car.

· Third the alternator went out of my car.

These were long hard jobs that required hard work, and Thomas’ clothes got extremely dirty and greasy.

Thomas took a shower after working on the vehicles each day. And when he got out of the shower, he put on clean clothes. Then he sat down to eat dinner with clean clothes on.

Putting on clean clothes goes without saying. Right?

Seriously, would you work on a vehicle all day, get greasy, take a shower and afterwards put the same dirty, greasy clothes back on?

I DON’T think so.

Nor should a Christian put on the old ways.

‘Life is short’.

As followers of Christ living the Christian life is:

· Both a onetime decision – some of you have already made that decision. Others may not have.

· But it is also making a decision for Christ in the ordinary seconds, the minutes, hours, weeks, and years. It is always a conscience commitment to serve Jesus.

o He will unfold the new in you – if you are willing.

My hope is that as you begin this new year of 2024, rather than making New Year’s resolutions, stop and think about a new you in Christ.

New clothes are sometimes stiff. They do not feel as comfortable. But Paul is giving us a picture that we need to get rid of the old clothes.

Two questions that you should ask yourself for the new year:

1. What do I need to put off?

2. What do I need to put on?

Make the choice that you are going to get rid of how you think about life.

· Stop doing things because that is the way you have always done it.

· Stop doing things because that is the way your family or friends do it.

Commit to putting off the old way of life, taking off the old clothes and throwing them away.

Leave the past behind!

Put on the new you in the new year!

Verse 23 says “and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,”

It is important that we have an attitude change. We need to have a new way of thinking about things.

We can’t just put on a new set of clothes without a new renewing of your mind,

a new way of thinking about things.

It is impossible to change our behavior without changing our thoughts and

the way we think about things.

A transformation takes place from the inside out, it is the renewing of our heart, mind and soul, and it is a constant process.

When transformation takes place inside of us:

· Rather than laughing about an unclean joke, we run it through the filter of Christ. WWJD? What would Jesus do?

· Rather than listening to what folks are saying about someone and participating in gossip, we run our words of response through the filter of Christ. WWJD? What would Jesus do?

Start asking the question, “What would Jesus do?” and then let that be your answer.”

Our old clothes feel good.

They feel comfortable.

And so often it is easy to justify putting on the old self because of our circumstances.

I will say it again, always stop and ask the question, “What would Jesus do?”

Rather than collapsing to what our desires tell us to do, stop and run your desires through the filter of Christ.

Listening to what you think and your emotions, without running things through the filter of Christ is what the world tells you to do, and it is putting back on the old self clothes.

Doing this will ruin our lives and go against the ‘good plans’ and the ‘purpose’ of what God has promised for your life.

What is good and holy is only seen through the filter of Christ.

Verse 24: 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Truly knowing Jesus only comes to the new self. There is a distinct difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing someone.

Similarly, there are many people today who know a lot about Jesus without having a relationship with Him, without being transformed from the inside out.

A transformed heart brings new thinking. It is the new thinking that allows the new clothes to be put on.

When we run everything through the filter of Christ, our life changes.

· We begin to see others through the eyes of Christ.

· The choices we make, and the words we speak will be totally different as we run things through the filter of Christ.

I know that when I put on new clothes, I always stop to see what they look like in the mirror.

Paul is talking about the new clothes that are created in the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We are to be imitators of Christ to the world through our thinking and actions.

34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

The point in putting on new clothes is so we may be imitators of Christ.

Jesus is calling for a specific decision by everyone in this room. As a believer, He is calling you to take off the old and to put on the new.

I want you to meet, Nick Viujicic.

I met Nick over 10 years ago at our Harrisonburg Campus.

All Nick wants is God’s plan for his life. And, as you’ll see. That hasn’t been easy.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6qhtn9850f4an5c9hizit/God-s-Plan-For-Your-Life-4_30.mp4?rlkey=9s914ale0ualc8wk2x11gripv&dl=0

As you prepare for the new year, ask yourself these questions:

· What do I need to put off?

· What do I need to put on?

Today you can throw off the old self and put on the new.

If you know Jesus, this is about where He wants to take you in the coming year – how you can grow closer to Him and more like Him.

But perhaps you don’t know Him…

There is no easier time than now, in this place to make your decision to live your life trusting God that He has good plans for your life, and He has a future of hope and not disaster for YOU.

Today you can ask Jesus to forgive you for wearing the old clothes.

You can ask Him to come live in your heart.

And to help you to have a change by putting on the new clothes, with a change of your thinking and behaving.

Jesus will meet you exactly where you are. Choose Jesus to help you change your thinking, values, and your motives.

When you are transformed, He is continuing to form you in His image.

· The liberation of the Holy Spirit living in you begins to change the world of all those around you.

· You become contagious. People want what you have.

When you turn to God in obedience, the world’s influences diminish.

Have you trusted Jesus for your salvation? Have you experienced the mercies of His love?

Are you trusting God that He has a good plan for your life with a future of hope and not disaster?

Let us pray: All eyes closed.

“Dear Lord You are calling everyone in this room to a life of transformation. You desire for us to have a closer walk with You. We are here today not by accident. Father, we desire to do more than say New Year’s resolutions. Please help us Lord. Today we have heard words of Hope.

Father, You are calling us to throw off the old self, and put on the new so that we may be imitators of You to our family, to the people we work with, to the person that cuts us off on highway 33, to everyone. You desire for us not to look and act like the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Help us to trust You. Lord, not our will but Your will be done. Your ways are best even when we do not understand. Lord help believers not to be afraid to say “Yes Lord.” Help us to be imitators of You.

I am speaking to three groups of people:

1. Today, you are a Christian and you are thankful for your salvation. However, today, God has spoken to your heart about something that you need to throw off, something that belongs in the past, God desires a new you. If that is you, surrender it to Jesus and say, “I am taking off this old self, and I need Your help to keep it off” please slip up your hand now.

2. Today, you are someone that once was a Christian. You know that you have fallen away from your walk with God. You were once walking with clean clothes, and because of the things in the world, life circumstances, you have returned to what is comfortable, what is easy, you have put on the old clothes. You have returned to your old ways of life and it is hurting Jesus. Today you want to surrender to God and say, “I am taking off this old self, and I need Your help to keep it off” please slip up your hand now.

3. Today, you are someone who has never taken off the old clothes. You have heard this message today and it has spoken loudly to your heart. You want to take off the old ways and to live your life trusting God, that He has a good plan for your life, with a future of hope and not disaster. Today you are asking God to forgive you for the things you have done that have hurt Him. Today you are asking God to ‘Come live in your heart’. Conform me, transform my heart and mind. Please change me today and continue to change me to be like You. I need Your help. I want to change. If that is you, and you want to invite God to come live in your heart, to turn you from things that are wrong in your life, to take off the old clothes and put on the new, please slip up your hand now.

Today and every day for the believer can be a new start.

No matter what your past looks like – your future can be bright. And I’m living proof of that.

Father, we thank You for the decisions that were made this morning. Please help me, and my church family to be ‘Transformed by You so that I will, we will BRING hope to others through You.’ Please help us to share Your love with everyone we know and that we will meet. We love You Lord, In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.”

https://www.bible.com/events/49187894

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

God With Us – Always

He is always with you, so you are never alone.

Throughout this Christmas Season we have been seeking to understand the power and meaning of the name given to Jesus in the Christmas Story- Immanuel: God with us.

The Christmas story in a word is “Presence”.

The essence of Christmas is the presence of God with us in Christ. His presence changes everything. This is the amazing promise we find in the story of Christmas.

Matthew 1:20-23

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

We need Christmas to be more than just traditions, carols, candlelight, gifts and gatherings.

We need Christmas to be about His presence because we’ve never needed the presence of God more than we do right now.

Loneliness is pervasive throughout our society today:

-At least a third of Americans say that they feel lonelier than ever before.

-20% more people report feeling lonely at Christmas as compared to other times of the year

-It impacts every generation, in fact, Gen Z (38%) and millennials (37%) feel the loneliest compared to other generations

-many have suggested a disconnected digital world is driving pervasive loneliness. We are “50% human and 50% technology.”

We are living in a world that is increasingly disconnected, anxious, and lonely.

The arrival of Jesus describes God’s presence in Matthew 1. But the final words of Jesus in Matthew 28 also points to the power of presence.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So the same one who began as Immanuel, ‘God with us’, now proclaims ‘I am with you always.’

Bottom Line:

He is always with you, so you are never alone.

For Further Study & Reflection:

Exodus 33:13-16

Deuteronomy 31:6

Joshua 1:5

Psalm 23:4

John 14:16

Hebrews 13:5

Updates on the new Waynesboro campus

God is inviting us to step out in faith to plant a Spanish-speaking campus in the Waynesboro community. Join us on the journey!

Check out the link below for more information and for frequent updates throughout the journey.

Waynesboro

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org Thank you for your partnership in building the Kingdom of Christ as you impact others!

Giving