Recently, I have been doing various brain quizzes to keep my mind sharp. The ones I take are often multiple choice. Sometimes I am uncertain of the correct answer. Do you know the difficulty of being uncertain about what is correct – when you feel inwardly divided. The Psalmist prayed in Psalm 86:11: “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.”
Don’t you long for an undivided heart – without the disunities of life? Don’t you long to know who you are, what your purpose is, where to go, what to think? Life just works better when it is free from divisions and the disunities of life.
In the Old Testament book of Judges, we read: “all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” Do you know what that is? It is a prescription for chaos! The Prophet Elijah scolded the Israelites, as we read in 1 Kings 18, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” We are often a divided people. There are many things that divide our lives.
We do not like being divided. It is hard. Jesus knew how hard it was to be divided. Jesus was on his way to the cross; and he knew that the world would try to divide his disciples; so, he offered a prayer in chapter 17. This is really, what I like to call the Lord’s Prayer. It is where we discover Jesus’ heart. In fact, the theme in these last discourses of Jesus is UNITY! In chapter 14: “My desire is that you should be one with me in my Father’s house.” In chapter 15: “My desire is that you should be one with me as a vine and branch are one.” In chapter 16: “My desire is that you should be one with me in the Spirit.” In chapter 17: “My desire is that you should be one with me in the love of the Father.”
Jesus wants your life to be united. “Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” Jesus prayed “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may also be in us . . .”
When Jesus is central in the Church – when Jesus is the central core of our lives and of our life together, the world will take notice. Our loyalty must be aligned to Christ – and to Him alone. Is the Church of Jesus Christ here in Waynesboro defined by our common commitment and undivided loyalty to Jesus Christ – or are we being swayed by every wind and doctrine coming down the pike? I challenge us to not to be divided but to trust with all our heart in the ONLY unifying force that can hold us together – JESUS CHRIST!!
This Sunday – Combined Worship Service
We will worship with our “sister” congregation – Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian Church this Sunday. Their address is: 8312 Brooksville Road in Greenwood, Virginia. They are just off Rt. 250 on the other side of Afton Mountain. Their worship service begins at 10:45 a.m. Bruce Hankee will be preaching and Pastor Glen will officiate the Lord’s Supper. They have invited us to a covered-dish dinner after the worship service! They are furnishing the meal!
We will celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. We encourage you to examine yourself before receiving the Sacrament per 1 Corinthians 11:27-32.
Adult Sunday school
Our Adult Sunday school class will meet this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at our facility, which will give plenty of time to drive to Lebanon EPC for worship and fellowship! The Bible study will focus on Matthew 15 – How is Your Heart? Please join Janet Coiner and others in this exciting study. Bring your Bible!!
Tithes and Offerings
An offering box is available when you enter or exit the sanctuary. Additionally, online giving opportunities are available on the website.
Click on image to learn more!
Amazon Smile
Support Hope Community Church by choosing us as your Amazon Smile charity. Simply login to Amazon. In the upper left corner, Click Amazon Smile. If you are supporting a charity already, you will see that name. Click the dropdown arrow. Click “Change Charity”. Search for “Hope Community Church Waynesboro”. Click and select.
Training2Send Class
A new class formed recently. The third class will be next Monday at 6:30 p.m. at our church facility (Large Sunday school room). This is an outstanding eleven-week class for learning how to share the Gospel!!
Mission Corner
This month our church is focusing on the ministry of Love INC! Love INC helps churches help people. Members of HCC volunteer in a variety of ways to support this ministry.
Love In the Name of Christ’s vision is:
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to see Christian churches united in purpose and fully engaged in actively living out their faith
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by lovingly serving people in need in their communities.
On a separate note, Kathy Doyle reports: East Augusta Weekday Religious Education (WRE) includes Wilson, Stuarts Draft, and Stump Elementary schools. It is a ministry that provides children in grades K-5 with the opportunity to learn about God, their Creator and Jesus, their Savior. This school year 867 students are attending classes held at off but adjoining school sites.
The total budget is close to $60,000 with all funding donated. This includes small salaries for three terrific teachers. Children miss, on a rotating schedule, their non-academic classes, which include art, music, physical education. Parent permission is given for this instruction. Glory to God!
You can visit our website and go to the Outreach Page.
Prayer Meeting
Our Weekly Prayer meeting is held at our church facility each Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. We invite you to join with us in prayer as we seek the Lord’s face!
Contagious Disease Preparedness Plan
The Session adopted a Contagious Disease Preparedness Plan to support our church family, as well as our visitors. We want to be supportive of our entire church family, as well as our community in this season of increased cases of COVID-19, including the new omicron variant. The plan has been sent to our members for reflection and feedback and is available at the church.
March Birthdays
Kelly King (3/2); Caleb Severs (3/3); Alice Reider (3/13); Ruby Lucas (3/16); Esther Danraj (3/18); Sean O’Ram (3/25); Debby Ray (3/31)
