Self-Control – Nov 1st
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.'”
Matthew 4:1-3 (NRSV)
At the end of the list of spiritual fruit in Galatians 5:22-23, we find SELF-CONTROL. I don’t know about you, but this quality does not seem especially endearing or heroic, compared to the others. But without mastery of impulses and appetites, we undermine ourselves and dismantle the work of the Holy Spirit. As the writer of Proverbs says, “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.”
We are all familiar with indulgences and addictions; the many ways we satisfy legitimate needs by illegitimate means. In this context, the value of self-control seems to be about setting healthy boundaries, exercising moderation, and restraining tendency to self-harm. But in the context of the Christian community and love of neighbor, self-control is important to relationships. It is necessary to build trust, to promote reconciliation and healing, and to sustain peace. Sometimes, saying “no” or exercising restraint is an expression of love.
As we consider this fruit of the Spirit tomorrow, let us ask these questions together:
- In relationships, what kind of situations require self-control?
- How can a lack of self-control cause damage?
- Are there ways to cultivate this spiritual fruit?
YOUNG CHURCH
- Godly Play: The Ten Best Ways
- Big Kids: ZOOM Mtg at 11:20 am on Sunday
Team leaders and parents met via ZOOM this past Wednesday evening. Tomorrow, our SPOTLIGHT segment will shed some light on who our Young Church is, how we can strengthen relationships, continue to learn, and plant seeds of faith together.
FINANCE UPDATE
HOW ARE THINGS NOW?
Here is an update from the Stewardship Team:
Gratitude:
Great job responding to the IRS crisis! It is inspiring to have come together to address our need, to put this particular debt behind us, and demonstrate commitment to Emmaus Road, our shared ministry, in such a tangible way. Eric and Christina, the two people on the front lines of this stressful issue, are particularly grateful for the church’s rally and quick response to the Special Offering.
Commitment:
Strong, consistent giving is necessary NOW to move ahead into the future. After paying off the IRS, we have no buffer in the bank; we used every available resource, and now must commit to meeting (or exceeding) expenses every month to keep up with basic financial requirements to sustain the work we want to do together.
Goal = $8,750 / month.
Commitment = committing to a recurring donation through our online portal, or in written form to the Stewardship team, so we can meet, or adjust, our budget accordingly. (However, there is little room to adjust our budget and still operate in our current form – just FYI).
Current recurring donation commitments total approximately $5,700 / month (this includes all online recurring donations + two consistent checks each month). Current consistent monthly building intake is just $500 from Rehoboth. This leaves us with $6,200 in expected monthly income, about $2,500 short of our monthly expenses.
CHRISTMAS EVE 2020
COVID-19 shall not cancel Christmas Eve!
But we need to adapt our traditional pagaent to a ZOOM format.
How?
Contact Pastor Likkel if you have creative suggestions and willingness to help put things together.
BEYOND SUNDAY
- Four separate Small Groups meet via ZOOM on a regular basis – “Guys Group”; “North End Moms”; “Crown Hill”; “POD-19”; email office@emmausroad.net for info
- New Horizons Dinner – served every first Wednesday; email office@emmausroad.net for info.
- Aurora Commons – Wonder what their wishlist is? See it here; view the most recent update here.