Servant of All

“He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,  "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Mark 9:36-37

Exposure: Read Jesus' remarks to His disciples about being a servant. In the next 24 hours, live this passage out by serving someone. Especially think of a way you welcome a little child in Jesus' name.

Exploration: Why do you think Jesus took a child into His arms for this remark? What does it say about Jesus' ministry that a little child was already nearby?

Expression: Who do you think was blessed more? You the server or the people being served?

Experience: Take an inventory of how you spend most of your days. Is your life characterized more by being served or serving? Is it any different during Christmas time.

Here are some ways that you can serve this Christmas season.

*Volunteer to ring the bells for the Salvation Army –Call 623-2800 for a time slot

*Come Christmas Caroling with Debbie and me on Wed Dec 17th at 6pm as we visit retirement communities and shut ins homes.

*Buy a children’s version of the Christmas story to be given away to needy families on Christmas Eve. Email me at kyle@celebratejesus.org

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Terrified

9  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:9-11 (NIV)

Exposure: Read Luke 2:1-20 focusing on the account of the shepherds who became witnesses to Jesus' arrival.

Exploration: Wonderful and terrifying at the same time! What do you think was going through the shepherd's minds when the angels appeared?

Expression: How would you have felt if you were given this news? Discuss with a friend or journal about your reflections of this miraculous scene.

Experience: Have you had an experience where God interrupted your life with an important message? How was that a combination of terrifying and wonderful? Take time to pray—not to say anything to God, just to listen.

This Sunday at all five C3 services Pastor Derek and I will be looking at how an interruption in a young girls wedding plans changed all of human history.   

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

The Announcement to Joseph

,,,”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 which means the Lord saves, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21

Exposure: Read Matthew 1, notice the opening chapter of the New Testament (I will often speed read through the genealogies verses 1-16) to get to the account of Joseph, the earthly father God chose for His Son.

Exploration: Consider how the weight of generations of expectations (vs. 17 fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah) affected Joseph's ability to step into such an awesome role. What do you think was going through Joseph's mind when the angel showed up and told them about Jesus?

Expression: How would you have felt if you were Joseph? Think about or discuss with a friend what this announcement meant to Joseph and to all of us.

Experience: Have you had an experience where God asked you to do something that seemed ridiculous? Make a plan this Christmas season to do something ridiculous that you know God wants you to do.

This Sunday at all 5 services Pastor Derek and I will be kicking off our new Christmas message series “No Fear” we will look at the account of the Gabriel the  angel making the most important announcement to Mary. Be sure to be there!

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

THIS SATURDAY:

Ladies, Have You RSVP’d Yet?

DON’T WAIT-DO IT NOW!

C3 COLBY WORK DAYS Tonight & Saturday.

Help get our church in Colby ready for their first Christmas Eve service.

Contact brant@celebratejesus.or if you can help.

Coming Soon:

98.5 The TRUTH Presents:

December 12th 7:05pm

Friday Family Flicks for FREE!

Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday December 14th 5pm

Start a New Habit TODAY

"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation".  Luke 2:29-30

I have heard psychologists declare that habits, whether good or bad, are made or broken in 21 days. With that in mind I want to invite you on an Advent journey with me from now until Christmas as we "Rediscover the Christmas Season". With help and thanks to a You Version devotional, we will look at the significant characters in the greatest story ever told, the coming of Christ and the first Christmas.

Each weekday this blog will include four elements for you to interact with the Bible story. Exposure, Exploration, Expression, and Experience.  

For example, as we begin today look up in the New Testament,  Luke 2:21-40

Exposure: Read the account of two people (Simeon and Anna) who waited every day in the Temple for the Messiah's  arrival.

Exploration: Think about these two people who were blessed by seeing God's Savior with their own eyes. How can your life reflect this kind of anticipation?

Expression: Think about how you anticipate Christmas. How much of this feeling of excitement is centered on the arrival of Christ?

Experience: Ask God to open your eyes so your vision of Jesus becomes clearer than it has ever been. Ask God to make you more aware of what it means to live your life with the expectation of the Advent of Jesus.

Devote time each day to take in the Christmas story and its relevance for your life as a great ADVENTure. Let's experience it fully this Christmas season and solidify the good habit of engaging God's powerful word EVERY DAY.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

THIS SATURDAY:

Ladies, you don't want to miss this!

C3 COLBY WORK DAYS This Friday & Saturday.

Help get our church in Colby ready for their first Christmas Eve service.

Contact brant@celebratejesus.or if you can help.

Coming Soon:

98.5 The TRUTH Presents:

December 12th 7:05pm

Friday Family Flicks for FREE!

Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday December 14th 5pm

Down Load the C3 App

At the beginning of this week we have heard a lot about “Cyber Monday”; e-commerce stores offering amazing deals that customers can take advantage of in the comfort of their own homes. Back in 2005 Shop.org coined the term "Cyber Monday" after analyzing increased Internet traffic and sales on the first day that most people return to work after the holiday weekend. A new twist to Cyber Monday, now includes online retailers promoting Cyber Monday through smart phones. Comparison shoppers with mobile devices connected to the Internet can easily find the hottest deals with just the press of a button. Many retailers even have apps that allow smart phone users to look up products in their stores.

Did you know that Celebration Community Church has its own App for mobile devices?

On the C3 App you can read the Bible, access our on line bulletin that informs you of all the upcoming church activities, birthdays, prayer requests and sermon outlines. It is easy to view Pastor Brant and my messages. You can get health tips from Celebrate Health,read this daily blog and even get notifications of important church events.

One of the conveniences available on the C3 app is the ability to give to your church on the app. So even if you miss church some Sunday you can still safely give.

To down load the C3 app go to your Apple or Android store install it for free.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

THIS SATURDAY:

C3 Colby work days This Friday & Saturday.

Help get our church in Colby ready for their first Christmas Eve service.

Contact brant@celebratejesus.org if you can help.

Coming Soon:

98.5 The TRUTH Presents:

December 12th 7:05pm

Friday Family Flicks for FREE!

Annual Congregational Meeting Sunday December 14th 5pm

You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14

About 500 years ago, the great theologian Martin Luther was walking through the woods thinking and praying. As he looked at the trees in the forest he noticed the backdrop of the beautiful stars behind them. He thought to himself, “Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could replicate that same effect?” So he took candles and put candles in these trees to make it look like the stars shining through the branches.

So Martin Luther is credited as being the first one to put lights in a tree. And also, because he wanted his kids to see this beautiful thing, he was the first one that actually brought the Christmas tree from the outside to the inside.

Last Sunday some members of their C3 small groups stuck around after the 10am service to put up Christmas decorations throughout our building. As families were decorating the four trees we set up throughout our building I got to thinking , just as Martin Luther wanted to show his children the beauty of the lights on the tree, our Heavenly Father wants to show his children the beauty and power of His light shining through them. Thank you to ALL who participated in the decorating party.

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

THIS SATURDAY:

C3 Colby work days This Friday & Saturday.
Help get our church in Colby ready for their first Christmas Eve service.
Contact brant@celebratejesus.org if you can help.

Coming Soon:
98.5 The TRUTH Presents:

December 12th 7:05pm
Friday Family Flicks for FREE!

Give Thanks In All Circumstances

Have you ever noticed that some Bible verses seem easier to memorize than to put into practice? One that immediately comes to mind—especially during the Thanksgiving season—is “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

That word “all” is challenging because there are situations when we do not feel particularly grateful. The Bible teaches us that gratitude is not dependent on our circumstances.

In her book, “The Hiding Place”, Corrie Ten Boom relates an incident that taught her to be thankful for things we normally would not be thankful for. She and her sister, Betsy, prisoners of the Nazis, had just been transferred to the worst prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. Upon entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and infested with fleas. Their Scripture reading from their smuggled Bible that morning in 1 Thessalonians had reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances. Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters. Corrie at first flatly refused to give thanks for their flea infested barracks, but Betsy persisted. Corrie finally agreed to somehow thank God for even the fleas. During the months spent at that camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings in their barrack without guard interference. Several months later they learned that the guards would not enter the barracks because of the fleas. Give thanks in all circumstances…

Your pastor and partner in ministry,

Kyle

Congratulations to Celebration Community Church Leadership Academy Graduates. Kirby Benisch Amanda McCord, Pastor Brant Rice, Cassie & Mason Hickel, Pastor Derek Mayfield, Mathias and Emilie Carter, Shawn Chance and Pastor Kyle Ermoian

THIS SATURDAY:

C3 Colby work days This Friday & Saturday.

Help get our church in Colby ready for their first Christmas Eve service.

Contact brant@celebratejesus.org if you can help.