Can you conceive of God on your own? I want to suggest that on our own devices, we cannot think or conceive of God. It is like we read in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Unless God chooses to reveal himself to us (to show us who He is), we would not know of his existence. But God is generous and there are three main ways He has revealed himself to us.
First, God has revealed himself to us through the world – this is called natural revelation. We know of God’s existence through the light of a sunrise; through the beauty of creation; through the body you inhabit right now. This is evidence of God’s existence.
Second, God has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ – the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. As the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God.”
Third, God has revealed himself through the Scriptures of the Old & New Testaments. The words of the Bible are, as we read in 2 Timothy 3:16 – breathed out by God. This is no ordinary, human book. This book is evidence of God. In fact, everything that God has wanted to reveal about himself is included within the pages of His written Word.
The existence of the book itself is a miracle. Think about this question: How does a document like this come into being? It was written by over 40 authors, most of whom never spoke to one another; it was written in several different languages in different times (spanning over 1000 years); it was written in many different genres and forms of literature – poetry, historical narrative, eschatology, prophecy, etc. How does a book with this kind of diversity come together – and then hold together, telling a unified story? It is a miracle!
That is why I encourage you to read the Bible! But don’t stop there . . . meditate upon it, study it, memorize it. Get the Bible inside of you. It is then God will come near!
Sunday Worship
This Sunday, Pastor Glen will continue his Ephesians series: Ephesians: Our Identity and Purpose. His sermon is entitled, “Reading the Owner’s Manual,” based upon Ephesians 1:18-19. Please read this verse in context in preparation for worship!
Adult Sunday School
Our Adult Sunday school class will meet this Sunday immediately after worship in the large Sunday school room. Please join Janet Coiner and others, as we study Matthew 10 – The Twelve Disciples! Please bring your Bible!!
Children’s Sunday School
Our dynamic Sunday school team is requesting volunteers to serve as Sunday school teachers. You would serve no more than once a month! Pray that God will raise up more teachers for this important ministry!
Tithes and Offerings
An offering box is available when you enter or exit the sanctuary. Additionally, online giving opportunities are available on the website.
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.
Church Directory Available Online
Annual Congregational Meeting
Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 23rd, immediately after our worship service. There will be no adult Sunday school that Sunday.
Mission Corner
This year, we as a mission team are going to try to provide you the congregation with more information about the missions we support. Each month, we will highlight a different ministry.
ComfortCare Women’s Health is a life-affirming, nonprofit medical clinic that seeks to engage, educate, empower and equip women and men most vulnerable to abortion when facing an unintended pregnancy.
We are collecting donations of paper towels, toilet paper, cans of ginger ale, and bottled water for them to provide to their clients. Additionally, we are kicking off the baby bottle campaign. Pick up a bottle in January. Collect your spare change through February, then bring back your bottle for us to give to Comfort Care.
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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, together, 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.
January Birthdays
Janis Glickman and Stephen Wright (1/14); Candi Brown (1/22); Janet Coiner (1/27); Linda Ritchie (1/30)
