God's Will In The Mundane + This Sunday At Immanuel
Good morning Immanuel. God's will for us is found in the fabric of the mundane day-to-day moments.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18).
Sometimes we imagine finding God’s will to be like a quest to find a needle in a haystack. With that mental image in mind, knowing God’s will feels like an exercise in futility, where the looming accusation behind every life challenge and failure is the sense of having “missed” God’s will. Paul’s words to us in 1 Thessalonians 5 are liberating. Paul doesn’t challenge us to a quest for a needle in a haystack or drive us to frantically uncover a hidden mystery. Instead, he invites us to be aware of the many ways Christ is mercifully and graciously at work in the mundane day-to-day moments and to respond to daily grace in kind. Notice how Paul locates responses like rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving in the context of ordinary moments—always, without ceasing, in all circumstances. God’s will is not a hidden or elusive secret reserved for highly spiritual individuals to attain. His will is an open invitation to acknowledge and respond to the many ways His goodness shows up in our daily lives. We are invited to rejoice always because even mundane moments with Jesus are working towards our joy in Him. We are invited to pray without ceasing because even our smallest needs are opportunities to know the bigness of Christ’s love. We are invited to give thanks in all circumstances because Jesus is with us in all circumstances, even in the mundane. God be praised!
January 6, 2023 - This Sunday At Immanuel
Sunday Morning
SERMON - Pastor TJ will take us back to our sermon series in Ephesians!
Seminars
Our Studying the Bible Together Seminar resumes this Sunday in the staff lounge at 9 am, led by Tom Cox.
Session 1 of Next Steps resumes this Sunday in the staff lounge at 10:45 am, led by Tony Shepherd.
Our First Word Genesis Seminar resumes this Sunday in the cafe at 9 am, led by Russell Moore.
No Discover Luncheon in January. Discover Luncheon resumes in February. Please make sure to RSVP for the next one on February 12.
Engage
BIBLE READING PLAN - Everyone could use a fresh start reading the Bible. Printed Bible reading plans are available at the lobby's connect desk!
WOMEN’S RETREAT - Have you heard about the upcoming Immanuel Women’s retreat? You are invited to join us from March 3rd to 4th at Deer Run Camps & Retreats. The cost is $85 per person. You can learn more and register here.
ONLINE PRAYER MEETINGS - Every week, Jenn Ross, an Immanuel Discipleship Group leader, facilitates two online prayer meetings that everyone is welcome to join. The Zoom meeting times and links are below:
Every Thursday afternoon from 12:00-12:45 pm
Every Sunday morning from 7:30-8:00 am
On the horizon
BAPTISMS AND DEDICATIONS - Mark your calendar for Sunday, January 29, 2023, for Baptisms and dedications at Immanuel!
I needed to hear this today. Thanks, Tony!
Liberating indeed, thank you Tony!