We had a wonderful week with over 75 different kids attending at least one nigh, and many leaders and helpers! Thanks to everyone for their time, attention, dedication, and service to share God’s love with other. The children’s VBS offering will help support a young boy’s education expenses. Our kids did a great job raising […]
God’s grace is in our lives even before we recognize it, but God pursues us and desires us to know our identity as beloved children. Holy Baptism is a sacrament – a sign of God’s grace and recognition of who we are. We must listen for God’s voice among the noisiness of our lives and […]
Neighbors are not bound by how close they live or how well we know them; a neighbor is anyone in need. When we’re tempted to see each other as less than beloved, we need to remember the call to “love people, not thing; use things, not people.” But loving our neighbor is risky and requires […]
Though we might prize independence, we are ultimately dependent on God. Our freedom is not the same as being able to do what we want when we want to, but the freedom to live as God’s people – loving God and loving others by putting our faith into action. To read Pastor Mary’s message, based […]
God is with us! That’s the truth we claim; no matter where we are, God is with us. God’s presence isn’t limited to a particular space, like a church building, and yet it’s difficult to remember that the incarnation (God coming “in the flesh” and literally “pitching a tent”) means that God knows our human […]
Our story as human beings begins with God creating us in the images of God, yet we can get caught up in our view of ourselves rather than God’s view of each of us as beloved. We need to reclaim that what happened “in the beginning,” paying special attention God’s work as Creator. In the […]
This series is based on a book called It’s Not What You Think: Why Christianity Is about So Much More than Going to Heaven When You Die by Jefferson Bethke. He challenges the church to think about what we believe and why. Our call is to nurture a relationship with Jesus that shows through what […]
Today’s worship service began with “God of the New.” Brad Hilleary and Carole Koch presented the message, which was based on Isaiah 43: 16-21. After telling a bit about themselves, they gave a brief history of both Lake Harbor and Lakeside United Methodist Churches, and went on to explain how it is possible for […]
“Freedom in Christ” is not a license to do what we want when we want, but rather offers a responsibility to love and serve God and others. That freedom shows itself in real ways – by the fruit we bear in our daily lives. The fruit of the Spirit is not a list of characteristics […]
Paul’s setter to the Galatians is clear that our salvation begins with Jesus Christ – not with anything we do or rules we follow. In a church where there are people of different backgrounds (in Galatia, it was Jews and Gentiles), Paul’s goal is to show them that they are defined not by their ancestry, […]