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SUMC Spiritual Vitamins (7-31-2020)
“My eyes are continually toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.” - Psalm 25:15 If we take this Bible verse literally, this verse doesn’t make much sense to us. How can our eyes follow the invisible God? How can God pluck our feet from the net? And what’s the chance of our feet getting stuck in the net? Almost none. So it’s nonsensical. But if we interpret this Bible verse symbolically or spiritually, it makes a perfect sense. If we seek God’s holy will and His righteousness, God will keep us from unnecessary troubles of life. If you don’t believe me, ask any prisoners. They will tell us that their feet got caught in the net of law when they lost sight of God’s good will. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, save us from our narrow-mindedness. We are often selfish, hateful, impatient, and unkind. We ask for a heart filled with hope, love, and joy. Amen. 1. Gaiety is wiser than wisdom. – Will Durant 2. Genius is recognizing the uniqueness in the unimpressive. It is looking at a homely caterpillar, an ordinary egg and a selfish infant, and seeing a butterfly, and eagle and a saint. – William Arthur Ward 3. One of the strongest characteristics of genius is the power of lighting its own fire. – John Foster SUMC Spiritual Vitamins (7-30-2020)
“By the grace of God I am what I am.” - 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul was a great evangelist and missionary. One can argue that he single-handedly built the Western Christendom. There are schools, hospitals, and cities named after him. But he attributes who he is to the grace of God. St. Paul’s greatness is found in his selflessness, humility, and absolute obedience to God. Truly great people are humble. Arrogant people are insecure inside. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, we are often full of ourselves. Help us to empty our ego and fill our heart with humility, kindness and compassion. Help us to find our true self by losing ourselves in You. Amen. 1. Where we come from in America no longer signifies. It’s where we go, and what we do when we get there that tells us who we are. – Joyce Carol Oates 2. Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future. – Ashleigh Brilliant 3. Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able and yet humble man is a jewel worth a kingdom. – William Penn SUMC Spiritual Vitamins (7-29-2020)
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” - Psalm 27:1 Fear functions as an alarm system to save our lives from potential dangers. But inordinate fear paralyzes us and enslaves us. Unless we control fear, fear will control us. A Hebrew poet learned to control fear by having faith in the source of our existence, whom we call God. In God he found light when he was in the dark. In God he found salvation when his life was in peril. When fear knocks on our door, let’s say, “Sorry. Occupied by faith.” As light drives out darkness, faith drives out fear. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, we are weak. But you are strong. Help us to overcome our fear by putting trust in You. Help us to walk by faith, not by sight. Amen. 1. There is no reward from God to those who seek it from men. – Charles Spurgeon 2. Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene. – A.C. Benson 3. Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners. – William Shakespeare Jerry Cho: 920-373-3081 SUMC Spiritual Vitamins (7-27-2020)
“We must obey God rather than men.” - Acts 5:29 Obeying God is like obeying our conscience. Businessmen and politicians often sell their soul and conscience for money and power. Religious leaders often claim to have all the answers and play God when they know only half at best. We should not give our absolute trust to any human being. Men are to be loved, not to be trusted. No human beings deserve our absolute trust. Our absolute loyalty is reserved for God only. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for justice and peace in our society. Help us to overcome our selfishness and extend our love and kindness to fellow human beings. Amen. 1. Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box. -Italian proverb 2. The wind treats everyone the same way. – Norwegian King Oslav V. an international-class sailor 3. The taller the bamboo grows, the lower it bends. – Chinese proverb Jerry Cho: 920-373-3081 SUMC Spiritual Vitamins (7-21-2020) “Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” -Romans 14:8b
The art of Christian living is to let go of our ego and let Christ reign in our hearts. By dying to our old self, we are born anew as children of God. By surrendering our lives to God, we receive a new life in God. Whether we live or die, we are in the arms of a loving God. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, help us to realize that we came from You and we return to You. While we are on earth, help us to live our lives as You want us to live, loving God and loving one another, promoting justice and peace for all humanity. Amen. 1. Don’t fix the blame; fix the problem. - Japanese proverb 2. Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions a good learner would not miss. – Ralph Waldo Emerson 3. A whole person is one who has both walked with God and wrestled with the devil. – Carl G. Jung * Announcement: Outdoors (Parking lot) Service, starting this week * Our church offers two weekly outdoors(parking lot) worship services, starting on Wed. July 22nd at 6 pm and on Sunday July 26th at 9 am, weather permitting. These outdoors (parking lot) worship services are open to everyone. (Please bring your picnic chair and wear a mask.) Blessings! Pastor Jerry (920-373-3081)  SUMC Spiritual Vitamins (7-20-2020)
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” - Genesis 4:9 Cain and Abel had a sibling rivalry and it did not end well. Cain killed his brother, Abel. God appeared to Cain and said, “Where is your brother, Abel?” Cain told a lie to God and said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” In our society we have people who are suffering from poverty, addictions, deadly diseases, discrimination, racism, and systemic injustice. God may ask us, “Where is your brother? How is he doing?” I hope that we won’t say, “I don’t know. I don’t care.” Christians will say, “I care. I support people in pain and suffering.” Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, open our eyes so that we may see our brothers and sisters in pain and suffering. Help us to realize that we are here to care for one another. Amen. 1. “Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” -James Baldwin 2. “We must heal the divisions caused by intolerance and bigotry.” – Janet Reno 3. “Hating people because of their color is wrong and it doesn’t matter which color does the hating. It’s just wrong.” – Muhammad Ali * Announcement: Outdoors (Parking lot) Service, starting this week * Our church offers two weekly outdoors(parking lot) worship services, starting on Wed. July 22nd at 6 pm and on Sunday July 26th at 9 am, weather permitting. These outdoors (parking lot) worship services are open to everyone. (Please bring your picnic chair and wear a mask.) Blessings! Pastor Jerry (920-373-3081) |
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Suamico United Methodist Church
3266 Lakeview Drive P.O. Box 323 Suamico, WI 54173 920-434-1168 suamicoumc@gmail.com |
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