Hebron Happenings, Sunday, February 17, 2013

New Sermon Series, "The I Am's of Jesus"
Sunday, February 17th I will begin a new series of messages covering some of the great "I Am" statements that Jesus made in the Gospel of John. Some scholars have claimed that Jesus never intended to identify Himself as God, but it is difficult to read the Bible and not see that Jesus clearly identified Himself as divine. When Jesus said "I Am," it was not a coincidence and not without a specific purpose. Certainly, Jesus' hearers knew what He meant by using the expression first found in Exodus 3:14. In that passage God disclosed His name to Moses as "I Am," meaning "I will be what I will be," a designation of deity.

Because Jesus is Lord, only He can satisfy the hunger and thirst that we instinctively have. Only Jesus can reconcile us to the Father, feed our Spirit, quench our thirst, and bring light to our darkened existence. I hope that you will join us on Sundays for this Easter season series of messages that will help us to see Jesus for all that He is, for when we know Him as He is, we will also discover that the living Christ is truly the one who makes us complete!

The first message in the series will be based on John 6:35, "I am the bread of life, Jesus told them. No one who come to Me will ever be hungry, and not one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again." 

The Church Prioritizing Renewal
Our first CPR meeting will be held Sunday, February 17th at 5:00 p.m. in the church sanctuary. Here is some information about CPR.

What Is CPR?
Cardio means "of the heart" and Pulmonary means "of the lungs." Resuscitation is a medical word that means “to revive” — or “bring back to life.” The acronym, CPR is being used to express our desire as a church to prayerfully evaluate our ministry and to form strategies for renewing and achieving our mission. Thus, CPR for us means, The Church Prioritizing Renewal.
Essentially there are four steps to this renewal process:
1. Understanding. Where are we as a church in terms of how we are carrying out our mission?

2. Evaluating. What are our strengths and challenges? What needs to change in order for us to fulfill our mission?

3. Strategizing. What do we believe God wants to do this year, five years from now? What are our goals?

4. Implementing. What specific steps will we take to see church renewal?

Hoped-For Outcomes of the CPR Process?
1. Bringing the church together to talk about our mission in a constructive way.
2. Allowing us as a church to identify both our strengths and challenges.
3. Providing concrete plans for moving forward and carrying out our mission.

Who and When?
Although our Church Council members and Deacons will be a part of this team, every church member that is concerned about the health of HBC and has a heart for renewal is encouraged to participate. The first CPR strategy meeting will take place on February 17th at 5:00 p.m.

Hope House, Sunday, February 17th at 6:00 p.m. 
Jimmy and Glenda Bell will be sharing with us how God is opening doors in our Parish to minister to people who have been caught up in Human Trafficking. 

For His Glory!
Pastor Joe