Sunday is Coming!
What’s your story?
On Mother’s Day, it’s a good time to reflect on where we come from. It is good to know and share our family stories.
So, what’s your story?
Where do you come from?
Who is your family?
Who is your mother?
Who is your father?
What is your race or ethnicity and how does that shape your view of the world?
How does your identity as a man or a woman affect your story?
What unique experiences, skills, passions, etc. make you who you are?
how do these details connect you to God & others?
This Sunday we will continue our study of Galatians as we consider who we are in Christ. In Galatians 4:4-7, Paul presents Jesus himself as a model for considering our own story, and we also see that through Jesus, our story now connects to God’s Story—
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Consider Jesus’ life story: Paul reminds us that Jesus was born of a woman also, under the law. He was a Jewish male, and details in the Gospels reveal that he was probably from a poor family. He lived as a Hebrew under Roman oppression. Jesus had a family, a heritage, and a history, and he lived and taught from this point of reference.
But as much as Jesus was fully human, he was also fully God, and was able to meet the requirements of the law to “redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”
Paul says because Jesus redeemed us from slavery to sin and death, and filled us with his Holy Spirit, we are adopted into the family of God and can now call God, “Abba, Father.”
Consider the Gentile’s Story: When Paul talks about slaves and adoption, he is using two very distinct gentile metaphors. It is quite remarkable that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use these ‘worldly’ images to explain some profoundly spiritual gospel truths.
In a “Big Picture” way, it shows that everyone’s story has elements that can be redeemed and used to tell God’s Story.
Now consider our story: As we realize our true identity as children of God, may we see that all of the factors that shape our identity give meaning and purpose to our story, and God can redeem and use all parts of our story to tell His Gospel Story.
Through Jesus, we are no longer slaves, but God’s children; and since we are his children, God has made us also heirs. An heir does not merely sit back and do nothing with the family estate and the family fortune--if they do, it might all waste away to nothing. An heir must carry on the good name and the work of the Father—they must carry on “the family business” of loving people as God our Father loves people (thanks to Joyce Hornbaker for reminding me of this concept!)
Last week we reviewed how the True Gospel, as Paul calls it, tells us that the only thing we need to do to receive salvation is believe in faith. A child inherits the father’s estate simply by being his child. Nothing else. But if we stop there, that is not the full gospel…
In response to salvation by grace alone as heirs of God, we are entrusted with meaningful and life-giving work to continue passing on the overflowing blessings of the promises of God our Father.
Heirs are not slaves—they do not submit to some other authority, but they must use their freedom to make their own choices in line with what is best of the ongoing goodness of the family name. They must manage the father’s house, while also resting in the fact that they have a permanent place in that house, not as a servant or slave, but as a child of the father!
Jesus said in John 14:2-3--
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
Consider that Jesus has made a place for each of us in His Family. We have our own room!
God loves to bring people in! In response, who do you know that needs to be welcomed in and given their own room? Their own place at the table? Who can you welcome to the family?
How can your story connect you to the story of others?
Let us allow God to make all of our stories something great for His Glory!
This Sunday
We will celebrate all women on this Mother’s Day! Some of the kids from our children’s ministry will be handing out special gifts to every woman as they exit the sanctuary.
8:30 –
Happy the Home Where God is There #453
Tell Me the Old Old Story #622
In Christ Alone (contemporary hymn)
Take the Name of Jesus with You #235
11:00 –
God so Loved
Beautiful Things
Nothing but the Blood
Everlasting God
Upcoming Opportunities
- We are hosting a Wild Game Dinner on Saturday, May 18 at 5:00 in Crossroads Station. This event is designed as a night of fellowship and outreach for sportsmen (and sportswomen) and will feature door prizes, food from the forests and fields, and a special presentation the by PA Trappers Association. Service opportunities are available if you’d be interested in helping, or would like to share some wild game dishes from your own hunting and fishing experiences. See the sign-up sheets in the Gathering Place or Sunday School Classrooms, or reply to this email for more info.
- Next Sunday, May 19th, we will be having a special elective class during the Sunday School time in the fellowship hall in Crossroads station. This class will explore the rise of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and how Christians can think about this and other technological changes in our world.
Children & Youth Highlights
- Our Youth Ministry is continuing to meet on Wednesday evenings through the month of May. Many of these meetings will be off site. For more information, reply to this email or reach out to our Youth ministry team.
- On Friday, May 17th, Children and their families are invited for a night of Pizza and Games at the Robert’s House. More info is available through our Children’s Ministry department.
- On Saturday Morning, May 18th, we will be providing two training opportunities for our Children & Youth workers in room 209. The first training at 10:00am will share about ways to connect with children & youth, and at 11:00, we will offer Mandated Reporter Training, which is required to be taken periodically by all who serve with Children and Youth. If you are interested in serving at Bible School or in other ways in the future and have not taken this training, please plan to attend.
- Youth Sunday is June 2! Our students will be leading us in worship during both Sunday morning services. We will also celebrate our High School Graduates on this day!
Greenvillage 50th Anniversary
50 years ago, members of our own SFCOG congregation followed God’s Leading to plant a new church in Greenvillage, PA. This past weekend, the people of the Greenvillage Church of God celebrated this milestone with a special combined service. You can view this celebration on their YouTube channel, and you might see some familiar faces from the past and the present:
Communications Updates
The May edition of our “FYI” Newsletter is now available. Look for it at the Welcome Desk or in the center section of the Sanctuary.
If you have information you would like to communicate, communication request forms are available from the church office or in the Gathering Place.
We are Children of God through Christ, who has redeemed us and allowed us to be adopted into the family of our Heavenly Father! Let us serve our Father well and be about the ‘family business’ of showing Love to all people!
Pastor Rodney Bistline
Shippensburg First Church of God
seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org
Helpful Links:
Online Messages (shipfcog.org)
Care Groups & Sunday School Classes
Weekly Bulletin & FYI Monthly Newsletter (updated over the weekend)
shipfcog.net/site/shipfcog/shipnews/index.html
