Announcements
SYMPATHY: to Roy & Karen Lester at the passing of her mother, Jeanette Buckholtz, on Sunday, December 25. The funeral was held on Tuesday, January 3, in Silver Spring, MD.
IN MEMORY: The flower on the organ is given by Art Garvin in memory of the passing of his wife, Gloria M. Garvin, on January 7, 2013.
OFFERING ENVELOPES: Wednesday, January 11, is the last day to pick up your envelopes from the table in the main Church hallway. If you have chosen to give your tithes and offerings online or you no longer want the envelopes, please let us know by drawing a line through your name on the list located on the table or notifying the Church Office. If you would like to request envelopes, please call the Church Office at (410) 876-3838, ext. 303.
NEW MEMBERS RECEPTION: On Sunday, January 22, following the evening Service, we are hosting a New Members Reception for those joining Church of the Open Door in 2020, 2021, and 2022. We haven't been able to host one for the past two years due to COVID limitations, and we are looking forward to a great time of fellowship!
From My Heart
I trust everyone had a great Christmas and that your New Year is off to a great start. Karen and I had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed being with our entire family. We made a quick trip to West Virginia where we were able to see my 92-year-old dad, and Karen was able to see her 88-year-old dad! So, we had a great Christmas!
In the Old Testament book of Joshua, we read about God’s call to Joshua to succeed Moses as the leader of His people. The Lord promised Joshua in 1:3, that “every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.”
That is quite a promise the Lord made to Joshua and the people. The Lord told him, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” The only requirement the Lord gave to Joshua and the people was that they were to be strong and let the Word of God be their guide.
As we start a new year, we have the same promise given to us! As I preached last week, the Lord says to us, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5). In order to get the full benefits of God’s wonderful promise we must get in the Word of God, grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and faithfully follow His leading in our lives.
The Psalmist tells us in 119:105, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” We do not know what 2023 has for us, but we have the light of the Scriptures to shine on our path so we can see where to go! The Scriptures will be a flashlight for us to show us the path where we are to walk. But they will also be a light shining at our feet to make sure we do not stumble.
My point is the Bible is to be at the center of our lives. The Lord told Joshua the Law (the Bible) was to be the center of their focus, and the Bible is also to be the center of our focus. This is the reason the sorry ole Devil does everything in his power to discourage us from spending daily time in the Bible. Satan knows we need to be strong in our Christian journey, and he also knows our strength comes from the Scriptures. So, if he can keep us away from our source of strength - he will certainly attack us to keep us out of our Bibles.
As we start 2023, let me encourage you to make a conscious decision that you are going to read your Bible daily. I need the Word of God every day, but so do you! Let’s purpose in our hearts that we will read our Bibles every day this year. I promise you will see a marked difference in your Christian life if you will make a sure decision to read the Word of God every day.
Happy New Year, and I trust you will have a great day!
Pastor Norris