Pastor Steve Howell leads worship service at St. Pauls United Church of Christ and will return on July 25th
(7-19-21) The Congregation of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ Rockford welcomed Pastor Steve Howell to the pulpit on Sunday, July 11, 2021.
His message entitled Who Controls Your Schedule is based on the Gospel Lesson John 7:1-13. He asked the congregation to ask this question of themselves because that is who controls your life. Jesus had 3 years of ministry and taught people the way to live. God controlled his schedule. He was always going into privacy so he could have a word with God. His own half brothers did not believe he was the son of God until later. James, Joseph, Jude and Simon ganged up on him like the TV sit-com Home Improvement where the boys were always picking on each other. They told him to go to the Jerusalem Tabernacle and prove himself. He was tempted to do so, but he refuses. He was also tempted to jump from the top of the Tabernacle when he returned from 40 days with Satan in the wilderness. He said, Its not right to temp the Lord your God.
His brothers and friends did not control his schedule, even when there was a crisis like when Lazarus was dying. Jesus had other things to do instead of falling for the tyranny of the urgent which manipulates all of us. Jesus was a people lover, not a people pleaser according to the Bible. Talk to your heavenly Father daily. Jesus always did and he would go off in private to do this. He followed the schedule from listening to discussion with his Father. Only whats done for Christ will last.
Pastor Steve Howell is a retired minister from Grace Missionary Church.
Pastor Steve will be back in the pulpit on Sunday, July 25, 2021 delivering the message entitled Anyone Thirsty? which is based on the Gospel Lesson John 7:37-44 – for those of you who like to follow the scriptures.
Please call Becky Shope 419-363-2227 for any questions regarding the worship services.
Visit the St. Pauls UCC Rockford Facebook Page for information as well.
The Cookie With A Heart In The Center
The Congregation of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ Rockford welcomed Reverend Doug Meyer to the pulpit on Sunday, July 18, 2021. He called the children forward for the Childrens Message. He had been baking again. The cookies were in the shape of a hand with a heart in the center. The cookies stood for two lessons: God holds us in his hand and they are also helping hands. We are loved by God and we need to then go out and love others.
Doug continued with the sermon which was based on the Gospel scripture of Mark 6:30-34. Mark explains that Jesus had great compassion for the people who kept following him. Compassion drives us outside ourselves and we reach out to others. The author Flannery O’Connor wrote that compassion makes us aware of the suffering of others. Pastor Doug said we are in the age of me-ism self indulgence. A healthy corrective to me-ism is compassion like Jesus had for the tired and the hungry. He looked in their eyes and saw sheep without a shepherd. Their faces showed spiritual hunger, and he taught them, cared for them and healed them just as a shepherd rubs healing oil on the injuries of his flock of sheep every night. That kind of compassion can do miraculous things.
Reverend Doug Meyer is the retired minister from St. Johns Lutheran Church in Celina serving over 50 years in the
ministry of God.
St. Paul’s United Church of Christ is located at 1538 Oregon Road, west of Rockford. Check the church out on Facebook.
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