New Years Resolutions

(I Don’t Make No) Resolutions
Apologies to Jagger and Richards
By Larry Linville

I don’t make no resolutions
Please don’t give no contributions
‘cause I try, and a try,
And I try to make them
But I only, yes I only,
I only seem to break them.

When I’m watching on TV
And Dr. Phil lectures me
Saying I must make these vows
To cause actions that arouse
He needs to let me be
No no no Hey hey hey

I guess you now can see
I can quit the parody
You can draw your own conclusions
‘cause I ain’t making resolutions
I won’t try, no I won’t try
So let me just say goodbye
Hey hey hey

Happy New Year!

It's true that I don't make resolutions, but I do set goals.
Over the holiday would be a good time to sit down and draw up a list of goals for 2009.
How about a list of goals that will help you grow spiritually?
Will you set a goal as to attendance?
What about Bible study?
What about participation in projects and activities?
How many people do you know who do not attend a church whom you can invite to attend at Paradise?
Have you reviewed you giving of time and money to the church?

Don't forget the fellowship time on Friday evening at 6:30.

Pastor Larry

Sermon for January 4, 2009

We are starting a 4-week series on persons around the life of Jesus.
Pastor Arlin will preach this Sunday on the questions: "Why Do The Wise Choose Jesus?"
It will be helpful if you read Matthew 2:1-12 before you attend.
Look at the different characters in this story
Herod
The Magi
The scholars

This is the perfect question to ask on the first Sunday of the new year.
Since it is the first Sunday, we will celebrate Holy Communion.

Bring a friend and come to draw closer to God.

Year out -- year in.

We will soon be turning the page into 2009. You'll have to remember the new date on checks and other official papers. It doesn't seem possible that we've already zipped through 2008!

Here is one truth: you can't have a perfect attendance at worship for 2009 unless you are in worship this coming Sunday.

That would be a great way to start the new year.
In fact, you can practice by attending our Friday night feast and fun time on Jan. 2nd at 6:30. Looks (so far) like the weather will be OK and it will be good to get out of the house.

Remember -- things will be fine in 2009!

Sermon for Dec. 28, 2008

This coming Sunday pastor Arlin is going to share God's message in a sermon titled: "How Do You See Jesus Today?" Read Luke 2:21-40 and you will have a background to the sermon. This will make you better prepared to receive a message. He will be looking at the response to Jesus by a couple of senior citizens --Simeon and Anna.

(note from pastor Larry: I have seen the sermon and you are going to really be fed!)

Pastor Arlin will lead us from Christmas into the new year. If you recall, the flyer we printed to announce our Christmas events also promoted our sermons for after Christmas. He says:

"(we) have planned our post-Christmas sermons with two things in mind -- to help the non-churched see the importance of becoming faithful worshipers, and to help you who are already faithful grown in your faith and perfect your Christian discipleship."

So now, your pastor's have made preparation and they invite you to join them. Who do you know that needs an invitation to attend services now that Christmas is over? Why not invite them?

Christmas Day

That number 109 has to go!
We came close at the children's pageant.
Christmas Eve was 104.
If we don't make it before Easter, we must make every effort to hit that mark.
Are you ready?

Candle light services were great!
Thanks to Pastor Arlin for taking the lead and doing a lot of hard work behind the scenes.
Thanks to those who provided special music.
Thanks to everyone who attended and to those who brought a guest.

We started out cold, but the warmth of the special night helped thaw us out.

May you all have a very Merry Christmas.
Hopefully, all the preparation we did has made Christmas more meaningful for you this year.

A Child's Christmas Prayer

Pastor Larry wrote this poem for the Christmas Eve service and we share it now with you.

A Child’s Christmas Prayer
By Larry Linville

Dear Jesus,
I’m just a little kid.
I’m not so old you know
but I just keep wonderin’
how your star has such a glow.
You could have stayed in heaven
but you came down to this earth
and made the greatest sacrifice
though I have no special worth.

When you had a birthday party
each and every year
did you know I’d celebrate it
as I sing Christmas songs right here?
Did you get many presents
besides frankincense and gold
and did you have a happy toy
you could just sit and hold?

I wish I could have been there
with shepherds and their sheep
to look upon your sweet face
as you laid there fast asleep.
But since I could not be there
I just ask and pray
that you will be here with me
on this special Christmas Day!
Amen

© Copyright 2008 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Christmas is coming

The extreme cold did not keep us from having a great crowd yesterday.
We had a great time with a beautiful violin duet by John and Anna Wallace.

Now we turn our thoughts to Christmas Eve.
We will have our candlelight service at 7 p.m.
The service will feature much carol singing with the stories behind the carols.
The sanctuary will be beautiful and the crowd will be excited.
We will draw close to Jesus on the evening before his birth, but we expect that Jesus will be born in our heart in a very special way.

We don't know what the weather is going to do, but let's pray that there will be just the right amount of snow on the ground to make it look more like Christmas.

We will end the service with each lighting a candle and singing "Silent Night."
Then we will move to a time of fellowship.

Bring family and friends and let's have a wonderful Candlelight service.