“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor is not in vain.” If you have ever worked in an organization that has more than a couple of employees, I am sure you noticed a truth: some people work hard while others just “skate by.” If you were the one who did your best, you probably got very irritated with the slacker(s) because they still got paid while you carried the load.  But is that the way things should be in the church?  It has......

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“I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to......

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Rainbow City First United Methodist wants to invite you and your family to begin the celebration of the birth of our Lord by attending a Candle Light Holy Communion (Lord’s Supper or Eucharist) Service on Christmas Eve at 6 pm. This service will feature the reading from Luke’s Gospel concerning the birth of our Lord as well as songs to celebrate that event. Then, we will have a special Holy Communion service where all are invited to come and partake of the Holy Sacrament. Then, as is our custom, we will light......

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For many people, Christmas is not a joyous fun-filled time of year. They may have lost a loved one and are facing the first Christmas without them. They may be facing a disease or some other circumstance that causes them to feel less than their best. And so, while everyone else is “Decking the Hall With Boughs of Holly” as they have a “Holly, Jolly Christmas,” they don’t feel so pumped up. Yet, the message of Christmas is that God cares about our hurts and issues. He is concerned with what hurts......

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“I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will guard and support you, for I have given you to my people as the personal confirmation of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide all nations to me.”- Isaiah 42:6 Typically, we pastors write an article for our November Newsletters around the theme of thanksgiving. We usually remind us all that we need to reflect upon all that God has done for us this year. We encourage everyone to offer up sincere prayers of thanksgiving......

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– Mark 10:45 (My paraphrase) For me, being a Christian means that I: Believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who took on human flesh through the womb of the Virgin Mary. Believe He rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Trust in His Sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. Believe by doing so, I will be forgiven by and reconciled to God, but it also means that I abide by the teachings of Christ such as loving, caring and serving others and......

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Recently, Bridget and I watched a new movie called Astronaut staring Richard Dreyfuss as Angus. Angus is a widower who is in his eighties and has recently moved into an assisted living facility. In his earlier life, he was a civil engineer who was responsible for the construction of a nearby airport and its runways. Yet, all his life, Angus had dreamed of going into space. Therefore, when he hears about a contest that would allow him to be an astronaut in a new private space jet, he enters it and wins......

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I was born in late 1959 (yes, that means I hit the big 6-0 this year)! Back when I was growing up things were much different than they are today, even in the church. In the 60s until even the mid-1980s, the church was flourishing. In fact it was the “happening place,” because everything was closed on Sunday and everybody “went to church.” But then things began to change, stores are now open and even yard service people work on Sundays. Also, many people in our community do not even care about......

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“When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this proof of God’s favor, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.” Acts 11:22-23 Once there was a young boy named Jimmy who played on a little league baseball team. He loved being on the team and all of his teammates and coaches loved him. But there was a problem. He was lousy playing the game! He could not hit or catch the ball. And,......

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“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”- The Apostle Paul I Corinthians 1:18 During the Lent-Easter season, we are reminded of the great sacrifice that our  Lord made in order that we might be redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled. Last year, I did a class on various understandings of the cross event. I know that many of you did not get to attend the class, so I thought I might provide a condensed version of......

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