Shippensburg First Church Of God Blog Site: What you Need to Hear... SFCOG update for 8/13

Sunday’s Coming, and as always, we’ve got News to Share!

“I’ve got Good News and Bad News”

—Has anybody ever told you that? And then asked you which you wanted to hear first? Which do you prefer?

Similar question-- Is it better for people to tell you what you want to hear, or what you need to hear?

Sometimes what we need to hear is not what makes us feel good in the moment, but it will certainly be more helpful for us in the long run.

However, sometimes in the difficult moments of life, it can be hard for us to look forward to a day when things could be better. It is sometimes hard to believe the Truth that God is in Control and He wants what is best for us, particularly when our present situation is not what we want…

When we consider God’s Plans, there’s an underlying question that we must consider-- Do we Trust God?

Do we TRUST in God’s PLANS for us? Do we Trust what His Word says regarding his plans for us?

The prophet Jeremiah delivered a message that was not what people in his day wanted to hear, but what they needed --it also contained a hopeful word for the long-term future, even though the short-term news was not good news.

This weekend, we will continue studying the letter that Jeremiah sent to the exiled people of God who were living in Babylon. Recall that the people of God were in a place where they did not want to be, and God sent them a message that they did not want to hear… but it is what they needed to hear, and it reminded them that better days were ahead, even if they couldn’t see it now, and even if they weren’t happy with where they were at the moment.

We all have to wrestle with that question from time to time—Do we trust God, even when things don’t go our way? Do we seek Him in the hardships and uncertainties of life? He wants to be found by us, and that’s Good News!

I hope you’ll join us this weekend in the sanctuary or online!

“I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

-Jeremiah 29:14

Here’s some more Good News:

We will have special music provided by Hayleigh Wall during both the 8:30 & 11:00 services this weekend.

This Sunday we will be hosting a Seminar for all Youth & Parents, ministry leaders who serve Children & Youth, and Anyone who would like to learn more about the Biblical View of Identity and how to care for people in a culture of confusion. The event is this Sunday, August 13 beginning at 2:00 PM in the Sanctuary. There will be a similar session for youth during their Sunday School time that morning. More information was put in church mailboxes and has been distributed by our Youth Ministry to parents. Feel free to ask myself or Pastor Gary for more details. The event will not be on our live stream, but it will be recorded and shared again in house at a later date.

Childcare will be available Sunday Afternoon, but please let us know if you will be bringing children so we can plan accordingly. You can reply to this email.

Next Sunday, August 20, we will have some opportunities to support our local teachers, administrators, and support staff as they prepare for a new school year. We will hear from two educators, Tony & Bethany Massara, during our Sunday morning services, and on Sunday evening at 6:00, we will also have a special time of prayer in the Annex.

Add the following to your calendar:

• August 22 – Trivia Night at University Grill at 7:00pm hosted by Pastor John Culbertson (outreach opportunity). Teams of up to six people can participate, or you can just come for the food (Taco Tuesday). Best to call the University Grill to make reservations – 717-530-1148

• August 30 – Community Night Resumes on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:00, with classes for all ages!

• September 10 – Combined Worship Service and Church Picnic at Memorial Park. This year we will include a Cornhole Tournament! See sign-up sheets in classrooms or in the Gathering Place.

• September 22-23 – “The Commands of Messiah” Seminar with Dr. Arnie Fleagle, Friday evening at 6:30 and Saturday morning 8:30-noon.

I look forward to worshipping with you soon!

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org