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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220329
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220407
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20220330T203450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220330T203456Z
UID:10000162-1648584000-1649275199@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:Surprise from the Audience
DESCRIPTION:When I was a youth in youth group\, our summer mission trips were service projects paired with a musical we put on in churches near where we were serving. My senior year our trip was to inner city Chicago\, and I was fortunate to play the role of Jesus that summer. It was not because I was a great singer or actor\, it was actually the opposite reasons I got the role. I could not sing well or remember lines\, and the role of Jesus was a silent role! What actually got me the role was most likely because I was the only kid in youth group that had long hair and had no problem growing a full beard in a month’s time! The role seemed perfect. \nWe set out on our journey to Chicago\, and one of the locations was a church in uptown. It was an inner-city church surrounded by poverty and many of the congregation were living in group homes where people are placed who might need a little extra help in maintaining a mostly independent lifestyle. Most of these folks had jobs\, schedules\, and responsibilities but need help in managing their day to day living. Some were dealing with emotional trauma\, while others were mentally challenged. \nWhile performing at the church on Sunday afternoon\, we had a reasonable crowd there from the community. We were doing a musical that walked through the last week of Jesus’ life. We got to the scene where Jesus is being marched through town toward Golgotha\, where He was crucified. Then things got a little crazy. There was this huge middle schooler playing the part of the Roman Guard escorting Jesus to the cross. He was doing his part of yelling and pushing me around. At one point I “dramatically” fell to the ground\, and out of nowhere this even bigger guy from the audience jumps on top of our kid\, the Roman guard\, and pins him to the floor right in the middle of our performance! We immediately stopped the drama and I turned around to pull the guy off of my friend and began to attempt to explain that he was not really hurting me\, and that we were telling a story that happened a long time ago. The kid who was the Roman soldier was a little freaked out at the time\, and we had to calm him too\, but he was physically unhurt. It was an event I never will forget! \nI did learn a couple things from that experience. The first one was I learned real fast how to explain the love of Christ and how to begin to help someone begin to have that incredible relationship with Christ. Secondly\, what am I really actually willing to give up for the sake of Christ in my own life? Or am I only willing to give up what is easy and does not take much effort in following Jesus? Am I willing to stand up for my relationship with Christ in the face of opposition that might cost me something? I know that our world is changing fast these days\, and I worry about how little we seem to need God in our lives. I also observe how little we want to put Jesus as a priority in our day to day living. Are we all more like the denying Peter the night of Jesus’ arrest\, or are we more like the Peter who preaches at Pentecost under the threat of possible arrest who begins to turn the world right side up? Which Peter would you want to be more like\, and what are you doing to get there? I hope no one tackles you because of your faith\, but I do hope you wrestle with your faith more than just occasionally! \n  \nHappy Lent! \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/surprise-from-the-audience/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/wp-content/uploads/Faith-bigger.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220322
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220330
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20220323T184704Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220323T184704Z
UID:10000157-1647979200-1648583999@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:Lesson from Lent 2022
DESCRIPTION:Lesson from Lent 2022 \nDevotion by Pastor Richard \nThis year for Lent I have really tried to be consistent in my “Lenten commitment.” Usually I mean to try hard in doing everything I intend to do\, but usually about half way through I end up just giving up. I am so undisciplined at times! This year though I have really done much better! I have not been perfect by any means\, but I have tried much harder than in the past\, and feel like I am finally making a little progress. \nThis year I committed to setting aside time everyday to ready a devotion\, to read the corresponding Scripture reference\, to journal my thoughts that God puts on my heart from the devotional\, and then to spend time in intercessory prayer. You know\, stuff we should be doing everyday anyway! This year I have been paying more attention to how this is affecting my mind and my heart. I have discovered that when I am most consistent and really focused on those disciplines that I feel so much better than when I let it slide. I can really feel God’s Presence and see more clearly where He is moving in my life. My attitude is so much better. My patience with people is definitely increased\, and I feel so much more comfortable in sharing Christ with others. \nAs I think and process this\, I am wondering two things: \n\n1. Why do I not do this everyday if my connection with God is so much stronger? and\n2. Do we as people deliberately and intentionally pull ourselves away from God\, and if so\, why??\n\nThe good thing is that even Paul struggled with stuff like this. In my mind I hear now the section of wrestling that Paul does in Romans 7: \n14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual\, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do\, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do\, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is\, it is no longer I myself who do it\, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me\, that is\, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good\, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do\, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do\, it is no longer I who do it\, but it is sin living in me that does it.21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good\, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me\, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God\, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! \nWhat a comfort this is\, that I am not the only one who wrestles with wanting to be one way\, but always seeming to be fighting against myself to do what is right and what is even best for myself! My lesson I have learned is that the wrestling may be the most important part. Every time I feel my grip on my life letting go a little more\, and God’s hand being a little stronger in my life. Happy Lent Everyone! Remember that our own personal struggles will never match those of Christ Himself as he heads knowingly to the cross. \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/lesson-from-lent-2022/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/wp-content/uploads/struggling-with-sin.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220315
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220323
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20220316T205611Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220316T205646Z
UID:10000153-1647374400-1647979199@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:Where Did I See God Today?
DESCRIPTION:Where Did I See God Today?\ndevotion by Pastor Richard\nI believe that God is always at work around us. He is moving and doing things constantly with the intent of drawing us closer to Him and to each other. So\, a question that I need to remember to ask myself is: “Where did I see God today?” Last week I mentioned “God’s Interruptions\,” and today’s question is similar but puts more of the noticing of God’s actions as part of my own responsibility in the relationship. Yes\, your relationship with God is a two-way participatory kind of thing! You do have responsibility to God as you would in any other relationship\, and that includes noticing the gifts and blessings He bestows on you. \nIf we look\, we can find God everywhere! He is in the smile of stranger. He is in the hug of a child. He is in the note of encouragement you unexpectedly receive. These are the places I noticed God speaking to me this past week. I noticed Him in the laughter of strangers when I was being silly on Saturday. I see Him constantly in the love my wife pours out on me and our youth. I see Him when our youth and children step out of their comfort zones and get involved in things like church dramas\, spaghetti dinners\, and yes\, even Sunday School participation! \nGod loves for us to notice Him in the small as well as the large\, in the common as much as in the uncommon. Last week during my devotional time\, one day it just poured rain\, and I felt God in the rain and its noise. The next day was sunny and I felt God in the warmth\, and heard God in the songs of the birds\, and because I noticed\, my heart was warmed by God’s Spirit. \nI even saw God in the tragic death of a childhood friend. My friend’s passing rekindled old relationships from my childhood\, and yes\, those reconnections reminded me of the strength of God’s love through the years. The thing about God is\, He is everywhere and can be found in every breath. At Easter time the children hunt for Easter Eggs\, maybe we should have some fun too and hunt for those God moments that surround us every day! Then go and share them with someone! \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/where-did-i-see-god-today/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220222
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220303
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20220222T221717Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220222T221836Z
UID:10000152-1645556400-1646247599@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:Quiet Time with God
DESCRIPTION:When I was a teenager\, I began to really get involved in a church around the age of fifteen. It was a youth group at Eastern Hills Baptist Church in east Charlotte. It was there I found a welcoming and excited bunch of peers\, but more importantly I found a group of caring adults willing to invest their hearts\, souls and a significant amount of their personal time in a bunch of teenagers. We had parents of our youth involved\, grandparents\, and even parents of children who all were regularly involved. One of these cool adults was a parent who had two small children at the time\, Alan Weaver. \nAlan was our puppet team director. He worked with all of us choir rejects. Not all youth are cut out to be singers and performers\, unless we can hide behind a curtain and let our puppets do the performing! We would meet for an hour every Sunday\, practicing for a performance that was on our schedule. We would go to nursing homes\, children’s homes\, do a Sunday morning skit in church\, and every year we would put on a massive dinner and show for the church. He kept us busy and we had the strongest arms and hands you could imagine! \nAlan was amazing\, he had the patience of Job. We would be knuckleheads and goof off and Alan would never lose his temper with us\, even though we asked for it on countless occasions. I know other adults would have either lost it with us or quit\, but not Alan. He loved us and we knew it. So when he was serious about something we knew to listen. \nAlan had one message he would religiously drive into our young minds: Quiet time with God. He would ask us every chance he got either\, “how is your quiet time with God going?”\, or “are you having a daily quiet time with God?” To Alan\, the whole point of calling yourself a follower of Christ was that you actually spent quality time with Jesus\, EVERYDAY! He was so consistent with the message that over forty years later I still hear him in my head\, especially when I have not been spending as much time with Jesus as I know I should. Actually\, Alan is still posting that very message on facebook to all of us he has influenced over the span of a lifetime! \nAlan knows that the key to a fruitful\, productive and totally amazing life is a real consistent relationship with Jesus. Taking time to focus on Christ everyday should be something that we want to do\, that becomes a part of our daily routine. It can be spending time in prayer\, reading the scriptures\, journaling\, or any of a number of spiritual practices. It is the intentional setting aside time for God\, daily. It is a practice that honestly changes lives. It changes your whole perspective. God desires relationship with us\, and when we live in that relationship\, life is so different. Our approach to people and problems drastically change. Our relationship with Christ becomes so much deeper. Alan is right\, there should be nothing more important to a follower of Christ\, than spending time with the one who loves you the most! \nListen to Alan’s advice and grow in your faith! \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/quiet-time-with-god/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220216
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220224
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20220217T235007Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220217T235007Z
UID:10000151-1645038000-1645642799@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:God Uses Us Best When We Are Åt Our Weakest
DESCRIPTION:Devotion by Pastor Richard \nSometimes I feel that we miss out on the activity of God and the Holy Spirit in our lives because we try to do everything ourselves and\, in our attempt\, to plan and control everything we ignore the possibility of allowing God to show up and do something amazing. I am not saying not to plan or be prepared\, but we really need to learn how to rely fully on God and to trust Him more. \nThere was this youth retreat I was planning a number of years ago. I thought I had everything figured out. I had the logistical planning done\, the kids were signed up\, and the chaperones were recruited. The only thing left undone was the planning for the retreat itself\, the messages\, activities and games so that it would be a cohesive event. Then about a week before we were to leave\, I got the flu. I ran a pretty high fever\, felt like dirt\, and had no energy to plan. My head was flu fogged and I was miserable. \nThen I began to stress about the retreat. I needed to plan. I could not come up with anything that made sense\, so I prayed. Later that night\, in the midst of my feverish state and trying to rest\, God spoke. It was so impressed upon my mind that I got up in the middle of the night and wrote out everything that popped into my mind. Then I went back to bed. \nThe next morning my fever broke and I began to start feeling better. I picked up my notes from the night before and put the retreat together from what I had written. That ended up being one of the most amazing retreats ever! It was like God was everywhere that weekend and in everything we did. Even the message on the beach Saturday evening was just wow. The environment could have been any more perfect for all of us to recognize God’s presence that night. God showed up and the youth and adults were drawn so much deeper into their relationships with God. It was not anything I had done\, other than listen and trust the Lord. It was simply amazing. \nA few years ago\, I had lunch with one of my former youth\, who is now a successful programmer in the Raleigh area. He is grown\, married and his kids are now teenagers. In our conversation and reliving the youth group memories\, he mentioned that retreat and how God’s presence had impacted his life. He and his family are very involved in a church and he volunteers with the youth. He and his wife are both such loving and giving people impacting the lives of others around them. They are evidence of God’s love and grace still working in the world around us. \nGod desires relationship with us. He really wants incredible things to happen in our lives and in the creation. Will we let Him? Will we become vulnerable enough to let Him work? Or do we continue to be strong\, in control and independent? Are we willing to let God work through our weaknesses or are we going to keep them hidden from ourselves? \n2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT \n8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said\, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses\, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses\, and in the insults\, hardships\, persecutions\, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak\, then I am strong. \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/god-uses-us-best-when-we-are-at-our-weakest/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/wp-content/uploads/hands_23370ac.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20220111
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220119
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20220113T001945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220113T002221Z
UID:10000147-1641927600-1642532399@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:Christmas Donuts!
DESCRIPTION:Christmas Donuts\nDevotion by Pastor Richard\nYes\, I know\, Christmas is past\, now we are in full on winter mode planning furiously for the coming year. The break is over\, Jesus is born\, the celebrations have moved past\, it is time to get focused on the New Year. So\, Christmas donuts? \nEvery Christmas Eve for the past ten years or better\, I have encouraged the churches I have worked for to engage with the working community who are stuck in jobs where they cannot be with their families on Christmas Eve. The church provides Christmas Eve Service participants a dozen donuts\, and they are asked to give them to someone who is working that night. I am thinking people like police\, firemen\, healthcare workers at hospitals and emergency rooms\, gas station attendants\, convenient store workers\, just anyone who is spending time away from their families and friends due to having to work. It is just a very simple\, non-intrusive\, non-threatening way of letting someone know they are cared for and appreciated. It is a simple\, random act of kindness activity that I borrowed from another church. \nThis year was more difficult than in past years in getting everything together. Processes changed with the supplier. I had to go to the mall area on Christmas eve (I am not even going to discuss that nightmare!). I thought I had others on board to help. We had family coming in that day. Well\, it was Christmas after all! I started asking myself\, “is it worth the hassle?” I had not gotten any feedback or cool stories from people who had taken them in a couple years. I really had no idea if people were actually giving them out. I was thinking it was time to end this little project. \nWell\, this year\, it just so happened that two people told me stories of how our donut thing impacted them personally and the folks they gave the donuts. One story was from my wife. She spends more than enough time in the local Dollar Store\, and had begun looking forward to seeing  one particular employee there. She was so excited to be able to take donuts to her. We stopped by Christmas Eve evening\, and the store was still open. She ran in\, but did not find her friend\, instead there were a couple young people working. They were so surprised at her gift\, one asked her if they were really for him to eat\, one gave her a big hug\, and another ran to open and hold the door for her as she left. Needless to say\, she was smiling ear to ear when she returned to the car. \nThe second story was from our office admin. She got a phone call maybe the day before Christmas eve from a lady who asked her if we were the “donut church” and if we would have donuts there at the Christmas Eve services. Her answer of course was yes\, we would have them. Apparently\, this lady attends our Christmas Eve services and loves taking home a box of donuts. She comes and hears the Good News of Jesus being born into the world and leaves with donuts! To me that is a win. This person is a guest who is encouraged by our hospitality and chooses to join us for Jesus and donuts. \nThe point to all of this is to remind us of the verse found in Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” I believe that God uses all of our good intentions and good deeds for His glory and for blessing other people. It really should not matter that we benefit from that action\, what matters is our faithfulness in that action. Maybe I should be a little more faithful in those actions where I attempt to do good\, because I have no idea of how God is going to work in any of those situations. Even in the task of trying to get others to hand out donuts on Christmas Eve! \nA little kindness goes a long way! \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/christmas-donuts/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions,news and events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211228
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20220106
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20211229T192133Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220106T011022Z
UID:10000140-1640718000-1641409199@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:Happy Hopeful New Year
DESCRIPTION:We made it! It is now 2022! After all we have been through these past two years\, I am hoping that this year is something special. I am hoping for people to genuinely like each other and look out after one another. I am hoping for a real quick end to all this covid stuff. I am hoping to get in shape\, to eat and be more healthy. I hope to be a better husband\, dad\, and even brother. I hope we can go on a real vacation this year. I hope for great things to happen in the youth and children’s ministries at church. I hope lives are changed for the better!! I hope\, I hope\, I hope! \nI am hoping for a lot\, right? Well as I see it\, I figure most of my hopes would be good hopes\, things that God would think are good things\, so everything is going to go my way this year… maybe\, or maybe not. I think in order to make it an excellent year that two things need to happen. \nFirst of all\, I have to make sure that God is in the middle of it all. We are all great at making new resolutions that we try to stick to\, but usually give up way too early\, and that is why we seem to make the same ones over and over again. So\, if we put God in the middle of them we will definitely stand a better chance at accomplishing them. He actually wants to be in the middle of your life and all of your decisions\, whether you know it or not! \nSecondly\, I believe we actually have to try and participate in bringing about the changes and the hopes we have for a better future. It seems like we hope for a lot\, then we just sit around waiting for God to deliver\, not doing anything to participate with God\, just expecting God to do all the work. Christianity is not “a sideline let’s watch and see kind of thing\,” but it is more like get up and participate kind of thing.” \nGod has given us minds to be creative. We have hearts that need to love and to give. We have resources that we can share. We even have the ability to be disciplined enough to be sowers of hope that in turn always brings us more hope and joy than we actually expect. We just have to act and move on those things we want to happen in our lives. I honestly believe that we have the potential to make this 2022 so incredible for ourselves and our community\, all we have to do is put God in the middle and get to work ourselves! \nHappy New Year!! \n\nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/how-well-did-i-live-my-life-this-past-year/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/wp-content/uploads/pine_23384apc-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211221
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211229
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20211222T202707Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211229T192500Z
UID:10000136-1640113200-1640717999@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:The Christ Child\, A devotion by Pastor Richard
DESCRIPTION:The Christ Child\nA devotion by Pastor Richard\nThis year\, for some reason\, has been much\, much busier than usual for me personally. Normally I look forward to December and my work with youth and children slowing down a little. We try to do our parties and Christmas celebrations earlier in the month because of all the family things and travel starts to occur mid-month. Of course\, other areas of the church have more than usual going on with extra services to plan and organize. This year has been different. Maybe it was my nephew’s wedding last week. Maybe it was my family deciding they could come see us and spend Christmas with us after all. It might have been deciding to preach on the day after Christmas when the opportunity arose! It just feels like a lot. I am not going to mention all the different areas of stress\, conflict\, and the attempt to deal graciously with all those involved! \nIt is so easy to get caught up in all the distractions and miss the lessons God teaches us in the birth story of His own Son. I bet I have either read or heard the birth story at least twenty times this December\, and we are still not even to Christmas Eve! I have yet to take the time and process what it means for me\, this year\, in this context. I have not begun to think of how this precious babe should be directing my path for 2022\, which is lining up to be another challenging year. In my heart I feel that God is up to something and will be moving in new and fresh ways in our country\, but my fear is that we are going to miss our opportunity to be a part of it simply because we do not stop and pause at the manger. We are too busy with everything else to take the time to peer at the baby in the stable and see the face of God. \nSo\, my question for all of us\, with myself being at the top of the list\, what is God teaching us from the manger this year? What lessons of His unfathomable love is He trying to teach me this season? It is so easy to walk on by and continue with my life\, and do the things I want\, without pausing to really notice God coming into our world\, just so that we all might find a better way of living and relating to both our Creator and with one another. Let me encourage you to do some deeper self-reflection and God-reflection this year. Do not take that next step into 2022 without having spent time with Jesus and His family in that old stable in Bethlehem. Discover how God wants to change you and use you for His purposes in the coming year. \nMerry Christmas!!! \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/the-christ-child-a-devotion-by-pastor-richard/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions,news and events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/wp-content/uploads/O-Come-Let-Us-Power-Point-Templates-dragged-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211214
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211222
DTSTAMP:20260615T124351
CREATED:20211214T231205Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211222T203951Z
UID:10000131-1639508400-1640113199@www.harrisburgumc.org
SUMMARY:Joy\, Devotion by Pastor Richard
DESCRIPTION:What brings you great joy? Stop and think for a minute\, do not just take the first answer that pops into your head. Think about what really brings you the greatest joy? Is it an action that you do for someone? Is it an action someone does for you? Is it something you witness from time to time out in the world? Is it something material like a car\, house\, or some object? Maybe your great joy resides in a memory of someone no longer alive. I just want you to seriously think about what brings you the greatest joy. A lot of things make me happy\, but only a few bring me “great joy.” My “great joy” is most likely different from your great joy. \nNow think about the shepherd story in Luke 2\, and notice verse 10: “ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” (NLT). The angels are telling those poor\, smelly and afraid shepherds that God is in the process of doing something incredible! Someone is coming\, someone that will bring us all\, not just joy\, but great joy! And not just to those shepherds but a joy for the whole world forever! \nDuring this Advent and Christmas seasons\, life gets tougher for some reason. We all pile on tons of other things and events on top of our regular responsibilities. We also sometimes dwell on those that are no longer with us or cannot be with us during these times of special gatherings. There are even those out there that suffer from loneliness and depression more at this time of year than the rest of the year. They witness families getting together and they have no family. It can be an incredibly tough time of year for so many. So where can we find that great joy that Luke talks about? \nLet us rediscover that joy by heading back to the manger scene two thousand years ago. Let us join that walk with the shepherds to discover God’s precious gift of joy. Maybe we need to run to Bethlehem as I imagine some of the shepherds are doing! I cannot see them taking their time getting to the manger\, after all they were serenaded by God’s heavenly host\, and told by God to go and see the miracle that is the baby Jesus! That gift is the gift that changes the direction of humanity. It is a gift of a love we cannot even begin to imagine in the midst of our brokenness. It is a gift that if we let it\, can bring us the greatest joy that will change our very nature and lead us down paths God truly intended for us to travel in this life. It is a gift that allows us to move even through our own pain\, loss\, and distractions to a point of great joy and celebration. \nGo! Take a peek into that manger and see the greatest source of joy for the whole world\, for all time! \nMuch Joy! \nPastor Richard
URL:https://www.harrisburgumc.org/event/devotion/
LOCATION:4560 Hwy 49 S.\, Harrisburg\, NC\, 28075\, United States
CATEGORIES:Devotions,news and events
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