Happy New Year!

Jesus Makes Us Whole!

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Photo by Thierry Cleymans on Unsplash

In this life we will have troubles. Jesus told us this. There’s some comfort in his realism and fair warning; none of this comes as a surprise. Some of you are in the midst of those troubles right now. You’ve been betrayed, abandoned, let down, hurt, or disappointed. Others are in a sweet place, but it would be wise to build a cache of hope for when the troubles come.

Jesus didn’t merely warn us of coming trouble like some doomsday prophet, though. He availed himself to see us through it and even to sanctify us by it (that is, to make us more like him). He will never leave us or forsake us, and no one can snatch us out of his hand. He has sent the Helper, his Holy Spirit, to teach and guide and strengthen and transform us as we traverse these troubles. We do not merely survive these troubles–though often it feels like that–we grow through them and are made mature, faithful, and persevering. He is working all things together for good–for ultimate and eternal good, not merely earthly convenience and comfort. He has comforted us so that we might be a comfort to others with that same comfort we have received.

The troubles of this life leave us feeling frail, hollow, and aimless. But Jesus, our Savior, makes us whole through them. And we don’t have to wait for heaven for this, though that is where we will receive perfect wholeness. He heals and restores and strengthens and sanctifies in this life. Draw near to him, and he will draw near to you. Cling to him; he is already holding on to you.

“Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.”

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CELEBRATING SUNDAY…

Sunday: This Sunday, we had the joy of closing out 2024 by giving thanks and prayer. If you missed the service, you can check it out here.

NEW YEAR: MARK YOUR CALENDARS

• Wednesday night at Immanuel

  • Staring back on January 8

• Women & Men Fellowship

  • January 9 - Thursday Women’s Study with Heidi Faulks begins

  • January 13 - Monday Men’s with Pastor Tony & Women’s Fellowship & Bible Study with Any Cox begin

• Next Steps: If you are interested in learning more about membership at Immanuel, our Next Steps Seminar is for you! You can join us on Saturday, January 25, 2024, from 9 am to 3 pm at the Immanuel Cafe for our next class. RSVP here.

• Child Dedication & Baptism: Interested in baptizing or dedicating your baby at Immanuel? Our next parent seminar is on Sunday, January 5th. For more information and to sign up click here.