Don’t Wait

Don’t wait …
for a smile before you are pleasant to others.
until you are lonely before you recognize the value of a friend.
until the funeral to appreciate someone important in your life today.
for a better job before you start working hard.
until you fail to remember good counsel.
until you are ill to recognize how fragile life is.
until you are bitter to ask for forgiveness.
until you are in pain to believe in prayer.
until you have time in order to begin to serve.
until you are separated before you seek reconciliation.
for recognition before you start to serve.
until you are rich to be a generous giver.
for the other one to take the initiative if you are guilty.
for someone to say “Me too” before you say “I love you”.
until the day you die to give your life to the Lord!!!

Give honor to whom honor is due

This is why we want to honor so many of our dear sisters in Christ. Just think about the Caring Kitchen meals, teas and showers, funerals and the bereaved, Life Groups, sick and shut-ins, pot-lucks and more. You all are truly remarkable and worthy of praise. We praise you and the Lord who inspires you to tirelessly serve others.

We belong to Him and each other.

Belong at Joelton

It is a shared desire among us that every person at Joelton will become a follower of Jesus and will seek out his purpose for their lives.  The church at Joelton is a family – a spiritual family of believers who are passionate about their love for Jesus.  Families are not perfect.  But even with all of our shortcomings, we realize that each person here is a precious and loved child of the King.

We belong to God and to each other, and we invite you to share in that same experience with us.

Now you are the body of Christ,

and each one of you is a part of it.

I Corinthians 12:27

Do you know any walnuts?

They may be tough nuts to crack but if you succeed, you’ll find beauty, potential and a valuable source of nutrition. To crack a walnut open, just place it on a rock or a concrete surface, hold it at the right angle, lift a hammer into the air and force it down rapidly. If you hit it hard enough, it will open, but you may sometimes crush it to smithereens. God has a better way. Just bury it in the ground, expose it to the right moisture and temperature and wait for it to crack open from the inside, just like a chicken egg. You never need to beat it over the head to make it sprout and grow and be transformed into a very useful tree. Human beings, when placed in the proper environment, can grow and become what God designed us to be. God’s power to transform people is incredible. There are some important factors in the process of transformation:
1. The potential for greatness that God designed into human beings.
2. The environment conducive to growth provided by Christians who look beyond a  person’s faults to see their needs.
3. A person’s own free will and ability to choose between good and evil.
4. The gospel of Jesus Christ that motivates people to love and goodness.
5. The Holy Spirit present in the life of a person. I know it happens. The Bible says it  happens and I have seen it happen.

I am just a nobody who wants to tell everybody about somebody who can transform anybody.

Feed the Flock

Following a BBQ meal, the church family had a great time at Joelton’s annual talent show, “Feed the Flock.”  The night of music, skits, and comedy included performances from several adults, teenagers, and children who showcased their God-given talents.  It was certainly an evening full of fun, laughter, and entertainment!  Thank you to everyone who organized this year’s event to make it a huge success!

FPU at Joelton

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Starting on March 8th 2017, we’ll offer Financial Peace University (FPU) at Joelton. This is a nine-week class on managing finances via the Dave Ramsey material. The class includes sessions on budgeting, getting out of debt, insurance, investing, and much more. Each class starts at 6:50 pm and will go to approximately 8:15pm. Everyone is welcome. The class costs $120.

For more information on FPU click here. If you have questions regarding the class, please contact Robert Berger.

Youth Area Wide Fellowship

Recently the Joelton Youth Group has gotten together with a few other youth groups in the area. Different congregations have hosted these events and this past Sunday it was time to meet at Joelton. We had a great time with praising God, sweet fellowship, tasty food, and playing games. Thank you to everyone who came and everyone who made this evening a success.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:5 & 6

The Magic Bank Account

Sam Hagan shared with me “The Magic Bank Account”.

“Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 into your account but there were rules to follow:

  1. Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you.
  2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account; you may only spend it.
  3. Each morning the bank opens your account with another $86,400 for that day.
  4. The bank can end the game without warning and close your account permanently.

What would you personally do? Would you buy anything and everything you wanted? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for; even for people you don’t know, (you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself).

Would you try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew it would be replenished in the morning?

Actually, this bank is real and a deposit is made into your account each morning. The deposit is “TIME”.

  1. Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life.
  2. When we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is not rolled over; what we haven’t used up that day is forever lost.
  3. Yesterday is forever gone.
  4. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time WITHOUT WARNING.

So, what will you do with your 86,400 seconds? Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars. Think about it and remember to use wisely every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think. Invest wisely; love deeply; enjoy life. It is a gift from God!

Thank, You, Father, for the gift of LIFE!

Joe