Children’s Ministry

January 5th

 Tonyette Hall and Haley Fultz

• January 3rd thru the 5th - Reboot Youth Winter Camp
• January 5th - Communion Sunday
• January 5th - Sunday Funday - Samya Watkins Testimony and Singing
• January 19 - Church Business Meeting - 6 PM to 7 PM
• January 26 - Kingdom DNA training with Joel Rainey (During Sunday Funday)

As the new year begins, many of us are thinking about resolutions—promises to exercise more, eat healthier, or spend less time on our devices. While these goals are important for improving our physical and mental well-being, I want to encourage you to consider a different kind of commitment this year—a spiritual commitment to deepen your relationship with God and live out your faith in a way that impacts your life and the lives of those around you.

When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

These words remind us that our primary purpose is not only to know God but to love Him fully and express that love through our actions. Instead of simply focusing on external changes, let’s commit to a deeper transformation that aligns our hearts with His.

Living Out the Greatest Commandments

A commitment to spiritual growth can take many forms:

1. Deepening Your Love for God

   • Spend more time in Scripture and prayer each day.
   • Seek to understand God’s will for your life and ask Him to guide your decisions.

2. Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself

   • Find ways to serve others in your church, community, or workplace.
   • Offer forgiveness and grace, even when it’s difficult.
   • Be intentional about building relationships that reflect Christ’s love.

Why It Matters

Making changes to your health or habits is valuable, but these resolutions often fade as the year progresses. A commitment to live out the greatest commandments, however, has eternal significance. It transforms not only your life but also the lives of those around you, as they see the love of Christ through your actions.

As we embark on this new year, let’s resolve to focus on what matters most: loving God with all our hearts and loving others as ourselves. These are commitments that will endure far beyond 2025 and bring us closer to God’s vision for our lives and His church.

Let’s walk together in this journey of faith, encouraging one another to live out the gospel every day. May this be the year we draw closer to God and to one another as a church family.

Happy New Year!

Pastor Phil Graves

New Sermon Series: We are One

As we begin the new year, join us in January for a powerful sermon series, We Are One, exploring the unity we have in Christ. Each week, we’ll focus on how we can grow together as a church body, embrace differences, and work toward God’s purposes with a unified mission.

Schedule:

• January 5: Unity in the New Year: Setting a Vision for Church Unity
• January 12: One Body, Many Parts: Embracing Differences for the Kingdom
• January 19: Life and Unity: Valuing Each Person (Sanctity of Human Life Sunday)
• January 26: Unity in Mission: Working Together for God’s Purpose

Don’t miss this opportunity to start the year focused on God’s vision for unity. Worship services begin at 11:00 AM at The Steadman-Keenan American Legion Post 96 in Brunswick.

Note: We sincerely apologize for the delay in sending out the newsletter. We understand the importance of timely communication and regret any inconvenience this may have caused.