Throughout All Generations

Throughout All Generations

“16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-20

Intro: The past “1000 Days” have been exciting.

Today we wrap up one step in the journey

Today we Celebrate: reducing the debt on the Family Life Center ¼ Million dollars in 18 months.

Even though we still have a $94,000.00 more to go we are in process of refinancing the loan.

also rebalancing the church operating budget.

I want to thank especially Bob H. and Jeanie D. We love these two people.

(They don’t want any recognition

But everyone owes them a hug or a handshake and a word of thank you and appreciation for the job they done as co-chairs of the campaign.

I love Paintsville

I love Johnson County.

I love all of you.

I love this church.

Turn to someone right now and say, “I love this church.”

I want to thank all of you for your work and effort.

All of this hard work frees up money and resources so that we can shift the focus from debt to Missions.

We Celebrate: establishing the Living and Legacy Endowment Fund.

Which provides a second permanent funding source for Ministry.

Today is truly a historic day at First United.

I am not sure I even grasp how significant these two accomplishments are.

years from now:

Today will be looked back upon as the day things took a significant change for the better.

I hope you can see the big picture like I do.

None of what is happening is an accident

It is all coming together by design, and discernment, and hard work,

by me and the staff

and the people you have elected to represent your vote in the committees.

After God finished creation

You know after everyone rested on the Seventh day

On the Eighth day committees were created

What is happening today was planted 3 years ago.

The Family Life Group that we taught at the parsonage

and Janet Baker will start the next Family Life Group in a couple weeks.

Let’s give God all the praise and honor for guiding us this journey.

We begin to take the first step in our NEW journey

for the next “1000 Days the theme is “Helping People Changing Lives.”

We will turn the attention outward rather than inward.

We will focus more on building relationships with people around us.

If I could pick any time for a person to come to church it would be today.

I would pick today over Christmas, over Easter, over any other Sunday.

Because today represents a turning point;

a change in the momentum that has been in the works for almost a decade and a half.

The work we have done over the past 18 months

will free up resources so that the next generation of visions and dreams can come true.

Today I want to talk about three things:

1. God’s love is an unlimited resource

2. Christ through the Holy Spirit completes us

3. (ask you to) Dream with me

I. God’s love is an unlimited resource.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” Ephesians 3:16

Think about the words “His glorious riches”

The meaning here is one of value being given or bestowed upon us from God.

Let me tell you. When the God of the universe says you are of value and worth

Nothing else that any person on this earth says about you matters.

• YOU MATTER, (you are important to me here!!!!)

Value is determined by how much someone is willing to pay.

How much is your car worth?

Not as much as you paid for it when you bought it.

The moment you drive it off the lot it goes from new to used.

Your car is worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. No more.

How much is a baseball card worth?

To some of you, it's worth nothing.

A Honus Wagner baseball card sold for 3.1 Million dollars last year.