One time Jesus was approached by a group of Pharisees. They were trying to trap him to say something unlawful so they could build a case against him and have him arrested. Scripture picks up the story in Mark 12:14:

They asked him, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?" But knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at." (A denarius was a common Roman coin at that time.)

"So they brought one. "Whose image and inscription is this?" he asked them. "Caesar's," they said. Then Jesus told them, "Render onto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

In other words, if Caesar's image is on the coin, then it belongs to Caesar.

Jeane was talking to her friend, Linda, a couple days ago and Linda added some wonderful words to that simple parable. She pointed us back to Genesis when God was creating the world and all things in it. Gen. 1:27 says, "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female."

So how do you tell ownership of something? Apparently, you look at the image it bears. And, good people, we are stamped with the image of the Most High God. We were literally created in His image. It doesn't get any better than that.

If you ever feel lost and wonder where you belong, just look in the mirror and say, "I am created in the image of God. His image is stamped on me and I belong to him. I am his - period."

...and Hallelujah to that!

Greg

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Monday, January 23:  Monday night plans have changed since last week. (Remember....our ministry is like an amoeba!) This coming Monday we are beginning a great DVD series by Beth Moore. For those of you who have never heard her speak, she is a dynamic speaker who brings the word with truth, clarity and humor. The topic? Daniel. Be sure to bring your Bibles and notebooks! You'll need them to keep up. Come and hear about how we live and walk in "modern-day Babylon." This is fascinating, folks.

Carrie is making spaghetti; you bring the salads, sides and desserts. (Thank you, Carrie. Your ministry of "feeding the hungry" blesses us.) Bring your dish around 6:30 PM. Class starts at 7:15 PM.

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Saturday, February 4: The Screwtape Letters at Mesa Arts Center, 8:00 PM. Author and theologian C.S. Lewis' brilliant novel reveals spiritual warfare from a demon's point of view. This stage version brings his novel to life; entertaining and definitely insightful, you'll see yourself in more ways than you know. Group rate TICKETS: $33.00. We can carpool as a group from the Park & Ride, southwest corner of I-17 and Bell. Stay tuned for exact times.

Call Elly at 623-297-1110 if you are still interested and she will see what she can do to get you a ticket. BTW, It's a good idea to pick up the book and read it beforehand -  a little background will help you as you watch the performance.


Healing From Loss: Restoring Your Life
A new grief recovery workshop is beginning in February. If you know of someone who can benefit from this 12-week, intensive workshop, be sure to tell them about it. Classes will be every Tuesday night. We already have several participants, and space is limited. Call Greg if you want more information or if you wish to sign up: 602-622-1488.