Wednesday, April 29 – via Zoom

Opening Thoughts – Merv Groff

Merv prayed for our country, our church family and the evening program.

Children’s Story – Jim Myer

He mentioned that he was called to be a minister in May 1962. In fifty-eight years, this is the first time he preached a message on Zoom.

He asked the children to get a Bible, a pencil or pen, a piece of paper and a phone. (I covered the last digits of his phone number for this post.

Memory verse for the children: I will trust and not be afraid. Isaiah 12:2

He told a story about “Bob the Missionary”.

Bob knew when he was young that he wanted to be a missionary, so he prepared by going to Bible school. While he was in school he felt called to go to an island tribe who had never heard the Gospel – the only problem – they were cannibals.

Bob did go to the island – and when they threatened to kill him, he gave them a piece of his wooden leg to taste (He lost his leg in an accident in his youth), they didn’t like the taste and did not kill him.

Years later the island was transformed by the message of the gospel – and the tribe no longer practiced cannibalism.

Jim had three questions for the children and said he would have a prize for the child who called his phone number first – after each question. His wife Fay was the one who answered the phone.

What was the name of the missionary? Bob. The winner came from Vince and Kate’s family.

What is a person called who eats people? Cannibal. The winner came from Jared and Andi’s family.

What was the very large thing in the middle of the island? A tree. The winner came from Leland and Jill’s family.

The Devotional

Fear can be a good thing – but it can also weigh us down.

It is good to run away from a falling tree because you are afraid of getting hit by the tree.

Faith is a balance to fear – and can outweigh our fears.

We worship God in truth, which means we can worship Him anywhere. We don’t have to be at church.

COVID-19 has created some fears – it has caused us to stay at home most of the time, but it is a good reminder that Jesus likes to come to our house.

The virus has disrupted our youth activities, but it is a good reminder to our youth to spend more time with God.

Ask God for direction in your life. Practice Psalm 91:1 – dwell in the secret place of the Most High.

It is a great time to focus on our faith so fear does not weight us down.

Right now I often think about the verse from Psalm 122:1 as I imagine how good it will be to see each of you in church again:

I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

As we stay home, use the time to allow Jesus to become even more real in your life.

Jim closed with a verse from the J.B. Philips translation of the Bible.

We are handicapped on all sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled, but never in despair. We are persecuted, but we never have to stand it alone: we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!

I wish you God’s encouragement as you serve the Lord this week.