The Backwards Brain

Chuck welcomed us by asking who had the coldest thermometer reading this morning. He had a 24 below, but someone else shared that they had 25 below. Brrr

Announcements
Covenant World Relief Soup Can Colleciton, Jan 22 & 29
Prayer Team: Call Pearl Harmon or Nancy Peyton
Looking for drama queens... to participate in short skits. See Cheryl Borndal
Ladies Bible Study, 10-Noon Tuesdays
New Members Class will be held in January...
Paula invited everyone to come Friday for a Craft Fun Day here at the church. Paula will teach paintinng classes ($15 includes supplies) Friday January 20.
January 22 is Candidate Sunday...

Terry and the worship team opened with a song followed by a second during the offering. Sue Jessico gave a children's talk this morning. "What are some of the ways you, your family and others do to help other people?" One child shared, "Giving money." Another said, "We give Bibles." Other things mentioned included giving food and clothing and shoes. In Matthew 25: 25 & 26 Jesus said in the parable of the sheep and goats, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

The Backwards Brain

Pastor Terry thanked us for the gifts and cards we gave over Christmas. He then read Isaiah 55.

In verse 11 God says His word, when it goes, will accomplish God's purpose.

Terry began the year last week encouraging us to get into God's word and read a Psalm each day. Today is the 8th so he read Psalm 8 for us next. "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?... Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name!"

God is good and it is a great day to be alive.

Sometimes, however, sometimes life is like Psalm 38.

We were then shows a YouTube video about the Backwards Brain. It was an object lesson on how hard it is to change our thinking. He was given a bike that had been re-engineered to go the opposite direction of where you intend to point it.

The video shows the problems of cognitive bias. Our brains become rigid in how they perceive and behave.

Rigid ways of thinking need to be changed, but it is not easy. This is why we need to wash our brains with Scripture. By being washed over with the truth day after day we are being changed.

We all look at the world with a bias, the one we've developed within and the Biblical world view.

Terry ended by inviting us to ride the bike of faith that is at odds with the world as it is.

So we entered into a time of communion as he asked us, "What is the backwards brain moment in your life? In what area is God wanting to change you?"

We closed the service with Communion and a time of worship.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye

A New Year's Day service. Chuck welcomed us and shared how they went downtown to listen to the symphony.

Announcements
Next Sunday the regular service hours will be in place, with Sunday School.
January 20 there will be an artistic event here in which there will be a day to learn how to paint. There will also be crafts or whatever you bring.
Next Sunday Covenant World Relief jars will be handed out.

How neat it would be if the Holy Spirit were in control all the time, Chuck said, leading into a reading from Psalm 51 before taking time for worship. The quartet sang Give Them All to Jesus during the offering.

Prayers for the needs in our church family preceded the message.

Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye

Terry had us turned to Psalm 1. It's on his heart to get us reading the Scriptures this year. To get to know God, reading the Bible is one of the best ways.

PSALM 1
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

God makes things new. Change is often difficult even though we often like it.

When was the last time you tried to change something about yourself... dietary or money spending or exercise. Significant life changes are hard, because we are so used to what our former habits were.

Embracing change is a commitment. God calls us to be like Jesus, which means making changes in our lives because we are not yet there.

Romans 12:1, 2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Reminder: the therefore is there for a reason. All of us fall short, Therefore we need to be transformed.

So Terry showed us a Transformer that comes in one form and get transformed into another. The Greek word "morph" is the basis of our word for Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is a complete change from one kind of thing into another, best exemplified in what caterpillars do when they become butterflies.

A lot of people ask "Why do so many kids go off to college and lose their faith?" What Terry said was that we have not done a good job of getting our kids to embrace faith from within. Too often our young people have only been taught to conform to rules and how they are supposed to be, and when they go to college they conform to a new set of peers.

What we need is transformation within, not conformation of external behaviors.

What we need is to learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit. And this is what our kids need to learn how to do...

Conforming is like saying, "Cloneliness is next do Godliness." But this is not the same as real transformation.

One cause of chafing in marriage is when we try to be the Holy Spirit for our spouses. What we need in our marriages is to each listen to the Holy Spirit ourselves.

My thought for you this week is for all of you to be reading. Tomorrow, Psalm 2. Tuesday, Psalm 3. This year we will experience a gradual becoming that is good.

Note: God is on your side. You be on God's side. And this week, whatever God prompts you to do, take the step and see what surprises God has in store for you.

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Here are some photos from last week's Christmas service.