In Preparation for Sunday

 

The Sunday after Easter has been the traditional day in which we look at the doubts of Thomas and the fears of the other disciples.  This is based in part on the next verses of John which we will study this Eastertide.
 
As we will see, what is missing from their lives is PEACE.  There are two biblical words for PEACE:  Shalom and Eirene.
 
The Old Testament Hebrew word is SHALOM.  David Silver writes:

 

"The Hebrew word SHALOM is understood around the world to mean peace. But peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word SHALOM. Here in Israel, even though we don't have much in the way of peace, we use the word SHALOM on a daily basis. We use it to greet people with, and we use it to bid farewell to people. However, SHALOM means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.

 

Strong's Concordance 7965 - Hebrew Shalom ..... A word study in the New King James version for SHALOM says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.

 

Shalom comes from the root verb Shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full. In modern Hebrew the obviously related word Shelem means to pay for, and Shulam means to be fully paid.

 

Sar SHALOM (Prince of Peace) is one of the descriptive names the Bible uses to indicate the ministry and personality of the Messiah: Isaiah 9:6 - The Son of God is completely perfect in all things.
 

So in essence, when you speak out the word SHALOM - you are not only proclaiming peace, but all the above meanings of the word over that person - that's a mighty blessing!!!"
 
The New Testament word for PEACE is Eirene. The Greek Lexicon describing the use of this word in the New Testament uses these definitions and descriptions:

1. a state of national tranquillity

    a. exemption from the rage and havoc of war

2. peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord

3. security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)

4. of the Messiah's peace

    a. the way that leads to peace (salvation)

5. of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is

6. the blessed state of devout and upright men after death.

 
This Sunday as we gather the "Sunday after Easter" we realize that the joy of that Resurrection Day is intended to bring PEACE in our lives and in our world, in the full meaning of that word.  May you experience His Peace this Sunday.

Denny

5th-6th Grade Confirmation Class

 

Class will be held this Saturday, April 18th from 9-11am. For more information contact Nelda Nutter at 965-1338x226 or the church office at 965-1338.

 

Women's Spring 1-Day Retreat 

 

Join us on April 25th at our church for a day of refreshment and renewal. This year we are privileged to have Re. Dr. Delia Nuesch-Olver join us as our guest speaker. She has been a pastor, church, planter, professor at Seattle Pacific University and is currently serving as Director of Latin America Free Methodist Ministries. 
 
When: Saturday April 25th from 9am-4pm (lunch included at 12noon).

Where: Santa Barbara Free Methodist Church at 1435 Cliff Dr.

 

Cost: $25 for early registration received by Sunday April 1, 2009: after April 1st the cost will be $35.

 

Limited scholarships are available-contact Cheryl Wayman:965-1338x229. (Registrations are transferable but not refundable and here are no part-time rates.)

There will be a love offering taken for our missionaries Delia Nuesch-Olver and Kyle Leon in Costa Rica.

 

If you have any questions or if you would like to donate to the retreat scholarship fund, please contact Cheryl Wayman.

Registration is required.

Church Finances

 

In this time of financial struggle, please remember your church family:

Offerings Needed YTD:  $184,426.67
Offerings Receive YTD:  $168,551.99  (91.39%)
Still Needed YTD:          $15,874.68  

 

51st Annual Community Prayer Breakfast 

 

Friday, May 8, 2009

7:30am

Free Parker's DoubleTree Resort

 

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Brian Birdwell is a survivor of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. After American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, just feel away from his second floor office, Birdwell was thrown to the ground and engulfed in flames. Of the burns that consumed 60 percent of his body, nearly half were third-degree burns. After enduring more than 30 operations and months of hospitalization and multiple skin grafts, Brian has made a miraculous recovery. He was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on that day.

 

Lieutenant Colonel Birdwell is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He earned his bachelors degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas and Masters of Public Administration from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

 

Throughout his twenty year military career, Brian served in many duty assignments including the DMZ (demilitarized zone) in Korea, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and provided humanitarian relief to Central America after Hurricane Mitch.

 

Since his retirement, Lieutenant Colonel Birdwell founded Face the Fire Ministries, Inc. The ministry was established to assist burn survivors and wounded servicemen and women and their families.

 

Tickets for a table of ten are $250 each and are available by mailing a check payable to the Community Prayer Breakfast , sent to Marian Groff, P.O. Box 24017, Santa Barbara, CA 93121 or by contacting Marian Groff at 965-8690 

Memory Verse

 

John 3:16 & 17
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." 

John 1:1-18
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
 
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
 
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
 
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 
15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' "  16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,who is at the Father's side, has made him known.  

Celebration of Ministries

 

You can enjoy the Celebration of Ministries Slideshow online by clicking HERE or visiting our website at: http://fmcsb.org/2009_COM.html