“Great Expectations 2011” by Pastor Richard Daughtridge Jan. 2, 2011

“Great Expectations 2011 ”

There are four areas in which I desire God’s help this year. I know many of you can relate such desires. I want to share these areas with you in a collective challenge to our church and community.

1. In 2011 God help me to: Follow the way of love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-10 The Message Bible ¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

2. In 2011 God help me to: Expect and hope in God’s Word.

Psalm 119:9

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Psalm 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Psalm 119:16

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

3. In 2011 God help me to: Expect and hope in fellow church members.

Exodus 18:18 Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

1 Cor. 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

4. In 2011 God help me to: Expect and hope in God the Father.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

2 Cor. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

My prayer for you is that you accomplish God’s will and that your dreams and prayers are granted in year 2011.  Pastor Daughtridge

“Wisdom searches for truth and questions demand answers.” by Pastor Richard Daughtridge Sermon Notes 12/12/10

“Wisdom searches for truth and questions demand answers.” by Pastor Richard Daughtridge

The characters of the Christmas story, the wise men always intrigued me.

Ever wonder why they were called wise men? What made them so wise? Did they carry diplomas or have titles? We don’t know. We do know they studied the stars and the scriptures and we know the area that  they came from but there is very little else to go on. It was obvious however who and what they were searching for.  We all search for truth about God. We are all faced with many questions that demand answers. The wise men found both truth and answers in their two year journey.

Today let’s journey with them with a mindset that we to will encounter the Christ child on our journey. Let’s follow the Bethlehem Star.

Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Matthew 2:1-11 ESV Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler  who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Wisdom searches for truth and questions demand answers.

1.   The astronomy question. Science

2.    The theology question. God

3.  The power question. Politics

4.    The scripture question. Bible

5.    The faith question. Believe

6.     The obedience question. Worship

“Truth unheeded is like air unbreathed and questions unanswered are like an adversary ready to conquer us.”

May we like those wise men find the truth and worship?

The messiah has come to us.

Herbert E. Campbell October 11, 1947-November 22, 2010 Click on memorial page at right.

Herb Campbell served our church and community for years. Our love and prayers go out to Pam and the boys.  Click on Memorial Page On the right side of the page.

The Mess, Message, and Messiah of Christmas by Pastor Richard Daughtridge Sermon Outline Sunday 12/05/10

The Mess, Message, and Messiah of Christmas by Pastor Richard Daughtridge

Christmas is more than parties, eating and shopping. Christmas is a good news story. The headline could have read like this: Man was in a Mess. Scriptures delivered a Message. God sent the Messiah.

What does it all mean?  Let’s break it down and experience what makes Christmas a very magical and special time of the year.

Christmas is about a Mess

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 6:3 And the Lord said, My spirit (ruwach)shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Isaiah 60:1-2 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

John 1:4-5 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Christmas is about a Message

Isaiah 11:1-2 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: [2] And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

1.     Birth

2.     Baby

3.     Mission

4.     Angels

5.     Power

6.     Worship

7.     Gifts

8.     Social Acceptance

9.     Light

10. Faithfulness

Christmas is about a Messiah

(Heb. mashiyach), rendered 39 times  in the Old Testament It means anointed.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Matthew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Christ is born.