We read in Ephesians 1:16-17, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,” When we see the word knowledge, it is important to distinguish between the two Greek words for “to know.” The first Greek word is oida and the other word is ginosko. The Greek dictionary defines oida as “to know, to have knowledge of, to know from observation.”
The Greek word ginosko means to know intimately; to come to know; to get a knowledge of; to become known. In the Septuagint (The Greek translation of the Old Testament) it is used for example when “Adam ‘knew’ Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain.”
Ephesians 1:17 uses the root word for ginosko. According to commentator Albert Barnes, the word here means that we “may more fully acknowledge him, or know him more intimately and thoroughly . . . The idea here is, that however far Christians may have advanced in knowledge and in love, there is an unfathomed depth of knowledge which they may still explore, and which they should be exhorted still to attempt to fathom. How far was Paul from supposing that the Ephesians had attained to perfection!”
The point of this part of the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 is not only will our loved ones and neighbors come to faith in Jesus Christ; but, once they have trusted Him, will they come to know Him more deeply? Will they have a deeper intimacy with Him?
Friends, if we ever become content with where we are in our Christian walk, we are in a dangerous place. It is easy to become complacent in our walk with the Lord . . . to just go through the motions of our faith! But there is always more for us to know and experience. So, please pray for a deeper intimacy with God!!
Worship
In Pastor Glen’s absence this Sunday, we are delighted to welcome Larry Roberts to the pulpit. Larry recently completed two years serving as the commissioned pastor of the Warm Springs Evangelical Presbyterian Church. His sermon this Sunday is: “Questions of God,” based on Matthew 16:13-17. Please read this text in preparation for worship.
Adult Sunday School
Our Adult Sunday school class will meet this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the large Sunday school room. Please join Lowell Gross and others for a wonderful time around God’s Word!! We will continue our study of the Acts of the Apostles. This Sunday we will focus on Acts 14: Preaching the Gospel to Greeks and Paul’s Subsequent Stoning! Please bring your Bible.
Ministry Fair
Please mark your calendars now for our ministry fair on February 11th. There will be opportunities to explore various ministries within the church and sign up to serve in a particular ministry area.
Men’s Bible Study
Our Men’s Bible Study meets every Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. in the Community Room at Panera Bread. We are currently driving down Rt. 66, exploring the 66 books of the Bible. This Tuesday Lowell Gross will lead the study, as we explore Philemon. All men are invited and encouraged to join us!!
Parking
Since our parking lot on Sundays is becoming fuller (which is a wonderful problem!!!), we encourage members and friends who can park in the lots to the west of the church facility. There is a path with pavers to walk around the building to the main entrance.
Tithes and Offerings
An offering box is available when you enter or exit the sanctuary. Additionally, Online Giving
Are You Receiving Church Emails
If you or someone you know would like to receive periodic emails, including This Week @ Hope and the weekly Prayer Requests and Praise Reports, please provide your first and last name, as well as your email address. You may give this information to one of our elders: Albert Danraj, Marty Porter, Tim Stewart, or Bob Simmons. Thank you so much!
Golden Oldies
We will meet next on February 13th from 10:30 to Noon at Panera Bread Community Room. A representative from Social Services will be our speaker. All church members and elders are invited to join us for this session.
Prayer Concerns and Praise Reports
If you have any concerns you would like to add to the Prayer Concerns and Praise Reports list or give an update, PLEASE contact our prayer coordinator, Janet Coiner (540.447.0918) by THURSDAY at 10:00 a.m.!! Thanks so much!!
Driver Assistance
If you or someone in our congregation needs a ride to a doctor’s appointment or other appointments, please call Tom Reider (540.649.5162). He has agreed to coordinate rides. He has a list of those who have volunteered to give those rides. We are grateful for this important ministry!!
Mission Corner
We will continue to collect Baby Bottles to support the ministry of ComfortCare Women’s Health once again this year. Baby bottles are to be filled with extra change or any other cash or check donations. The bottles need to be returned by February 18th! If anyone needs more baby bottles or has a question, please contact Pay Layne.
Candi Brown shares her gratitude to all our folks who have donated various items to support families through Love INC! Beginning in January through March we will be collecting baby diapers and wipes. We are grateful for our partnership with Love INC and your support in making donations to this ministry!!
The Missions Team is active keeping in touch with our missionaries and other ministries. Please keep updated! You can visit our website and go to the Outreach page
January Birthdays
Janet Coiner (1/27)