SERMON NOTES:

Prayer Requests
Pray for David Norim that he finds employment as an adaptive PE teacher. He struggles with school budgets constantly eliminating positions in this field. Pray for quick healing after Dave Nyberg undergoes foot surgery. Pray for John Thiessen as a cancerous tumor has been found on his ureter connecting to his right kidney. Pray for the Fjeld family. Classmates of Emily Huehns lost their parents in a terrible car accident. Pray for Jennifers family in Texas who mourn the loss of her grandmothers husband Russell Babb. For the family and new baby girl who was born to Judith Shu and Jonathan Tse. For Chuck Godfrey and his family as they grieve for the passing of his step-father. Pray for Erika Dochniak as she struggles with diabetes. Pray for a seven year old boy named Carter Olson who is undergoing chemotherapy for brain cancer. Prayers are working!! So far he is tolerating chemo but has 4 more months of treatment ahead of him. Pray for Jennifers sister Rebecca Klein as their family go through divorce. Pray for Angelicas friend Ann, a friend and colleague, who is receiving treatment for breast cancer. Pray for Carole Lloyd, a friend of Pastor Paul and Amy Moore, whose brain cancer has reappeared. Pray for Dwight Zvorak as he recovers from the disease of alcoholism. Pray for persons and process involved in property purchase for COL.

DEVOTION

During 2012 we have a chance to grow in our understanding of the Scriptures. Each week five questions are shared about the Bible. You can access the questions and answers to these questions at colpres.org. We are also being encouraged to memorize one Scripture every two weeks. This week we are memorizing Deuteronomy 6:4-7. That Scripture can also be found on the colpres web site. This week we have the opportunity to learn more about what it means for Scripture to be inspired. Comments and thoughts about the devotion can be E-mailed to Pastor Paul at pastor@colpres.org. Enjoy!! Monday, January 16 Read Micah 6:6-8 On this day the United States is celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King was a living embodiment of this Scripture from Micahin particular verse 8. He gave his life to fight for racial justice for African-Americans. On this day, IPastor Paulread Kings Letter from a Birmingham jail. It is a classic statement of doing justice. King was unwilling to go slow in his desire for equality. He eloquently shared his views in this letter. To read this letter go to: http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Letter_Bir mingham_Jail.pdf A few comments in the letter are worth remembering. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. As you pray today, pray that Kings vision for the world will come true.

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Tuesday, January 17 Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9 This passage is known as the Shema. The word Shema is the first word in this passage. It is translated as Hear. At Chain of Lakes we are encouraging people to memorize the first three verses of this passage. Memorization is not a reflection of our memory; it is a reflection of repetition. When we read over and over again a passage, it slowly sinks into our memory. The write of Deuteronomy wanted the adults of Israel to place the love of God into their heart. They were then instructed to teach these words to their children and to talk about them when they were at their home. The command to love became a vital part of a community. As you pray today, pray that we at Chain of Lakes can be a community that practices the Shema. May we teach these words of love to our children Wednesday, January 18 Read 2 Timothy 3:10-17 The last two verses are important verses in the Bible. At some point this year we will be asked to memorize them. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for teaching in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. The Apostle Paul gave these words to his follower, Timothy. We can take them as a reason that the Bible is powerful. These words of scripture are inspired for God. Another way to think of inspired is God breathed. Its as if God breathed the words of Scripture into being. Some people have taken this particular passage and tried to prove that all of the Scriptures were without error. This is the doctrine of inerrancy. Pauls

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intention was not to prove the truth of Scripture. He wanted to show how the Scriptures could help Timothy in his faith lesson. His teaching to Timothy is just as relevant to us today. Carefully read over these verses. As you pray today, give thanks to God for them. Thursday, January 19 Read Genesis 12:1-9 One of the reasons we believe the Bible is inspired is the words came from God. Just as God inspired Abram to leave his surroundings for a long village, God inspired the people who wrote the Scriptures. Unfortunately the church has gotten into some nasty debates about what it means to be inspired. On Sunday I, Pastor Paul, shared two different views about what it means for Scripture to be inspired. God didnt necessarily dictate the words of Scripture; however God inspired the people who wrote down the words of Scripture. This inspiration might have come from Gods voice or it could have come from the still small voice that existed inside of the writer. As you pray today, give thanks for the inspiration of Scripture. Thank God that we have these words in the Bible that reveal to us the workings of God. Friday, January 20 Read John 20:19-29 It is hard for some people to believe the Bible reveals the Word of God. Many of us have doubts like Thomas did. He declared that unless he could see the wounds of Jesus he would not believe that Jesus was raised. In a similar way some people cannot believe that the words in Scripture really came from God. They need proofa deeper proof than faith can provide. At the end of this story Jesus spoke to people who need proof. He said, Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.

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For some of us believing that the Bible reveals Gods Word is an act of faith. Though we dont have proof we believe through faith. Through this faith we become blessed. As you pray today, pray for the type of faith that Jesus described at the end of this story. Also pray for the people you know who are like Thomas. Dont at all condemn them for their doubts. Celebrate their questions and pray that they might come to believe in faith. Saturday, January 21 Read 2 Peter 1:16-21 This passage has also been used to share a view of inspiration. People who wrote down the Scriptures were moved by the Holy Spirit and thus spoke from and for God. We believe that the people who wrote the Bible were moved by the Spirit to share the words that we have. Just like the 2 Timothy passage we read on Wednesday, we celebrate that Scripture is inspired or God breathed. This is going to be the year of the Bible at Chain of Lakes. As you pray today, pray that all of us can become more committed to learning the Scriptures. May we become confident in our understanding of the storyline of the bible; may we see the Bible as a book that shares Gods loving relationship with the world.