Church guide

Our oldest attendee at NRC is 92. P.o ir youngest is 11 months. All ages are welcomed here.

Here are some scenes from our Easter Egg Hunt at Normandale Reformed church this past Sunday. We are a close knit family of passionate Christ followers who love, pray for , encourage, and build up each other. If your looking for a non condescending church who accepts you in all of our imperfections, we invite you to vome and be a part of our growing community.

Happy Easter from our church family! We hope you have a blessed day as you celebrate that He is risen🙏🏻❤️!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.gotquestions.org/amp/Bible-overcomer.html&ved=2ahUKEwj26oTymeDhAhUPeawKHdiMDbUQFjAFegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw3sJ7CmUJ_Ig3xz_kbyEvQq&cf=1

Easter Sunday Devotional ( Read this in preparation of the Easter Message given by Pastor Dave today. ) John 16:31-33 (Amplified) Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? [Do you believe it at last?] But take notice, the hour is coming, and it has arrived, when you will all be dispersed and scattered, every man to his own home, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] You are an overcomer today no matter how you feel but based solely on Who you know. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. He is given as a gift from God to everyone who believes in His Son, Jesus Christ. You have the Power of God living on the inside of you ready to face every tribulation, trial and test which allows one to do so without experiencing distress or frustration but remain focused on overwhelming victory. If you have never won a battle, then it is difficult to be confident in the war. I understand that. The finish line seems too far until you know what it takes to cross one. Victory is unforgettable to those who have tasted it. To be an overcomer just like Jesus promised requires some essential qualities and traits. You must win a conflict. You must render someone incapable or powerless. You must surmount, go over or get over something. You must be victorious. In the hours just before the Cross, Jesus Christ experienced the isolation, rejection and betrayal. All that He could rely on in those last moments of humanity was God. He knew that He was not alone because the Spirit of God lived inside of Him allowing the Lord to finish the work that He started even when His Humanity rebelled and surrender His Life although His Lordship prevailed. What is your excuse? Why have you given up? What made you exit the race? What made you give up the fight? You are an overcomer. Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT) A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. It is high time that Christians began to win again rather living defeated and broken lives. Jesus Christ has already deprived the world of its power to harm you. He already conquered it for you. Now it is up to every man and woman of God to walk in victory! How in the world did we lose our way? Well, go back to the Garden. “He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the LORD God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:10-12) People lose their way by believing a lie more than the truth. Walking in Truth, keeps us in step with the Lord. But when we choose to believe the lie of the enemy over the Word of God, we act upon it. Conflict between us and the Kingdom of God separates us from victory so we are now walking in defeat as the world sadly turns to its own destruction. Not only that but look how fast human conflict began, there were only two people on the face of the earth when Adam turned on Eve. I am speechless at such a revelation. When God asked who told you, the man did not tell Him of the enemy in the form of a serpent but pointed to his newly created wife. The enemy uses this same tactic time and time again effectively in the life of people. We must resolve our conflict with God and each other to be an overcomer. But how does one end such the battle that has waged war in humanity since the beginning of time? First, we must come to the realization that God is not our enemy. He is part of the Triune being comprised of Father, Son and Spirit. Each is an equal partner in the character of God and must be recognized as such. Each has His Own Personality but each makes up the Person of God. All of God loves you. All of God is with you. All of God is for you. With such realization there must be a commitment to live in partnership with the Lord. We are called Soldiers of Jesus Christ because we are united in our battle and stand victoriously as one. United we stand but divided we fall. We must clothe ourselves in the Armor of God each day and stay focused on the Kingdom of God and not the “civilian” matters of the earth. (2 Timothy 2:3-8) There will be hardship in overcoming but what battle does not have discomfort just ask any good soldier. To overcome you must stay in the Word of God. Routinely not randomly. This is the Belt of Truth. God’s Righteousness protects our heart from the enemy’s attack. Have you clothed yourself in the Righteousness of God and worked to maintain it? You are going to have to turn from evil and do good. (Psalm 34:14) God’s Way is the only way to remain in right standing with the Lord. Grace doesn’t cut it without a commitment to Jesus Christ. You cannot have grace and mercy your way it is all a Gift from God which means you get it His Way! You must walk in peace every day. You cannot live in conflict with the Lord or other people which means you walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) When I first forayed into the gym, walking along the elliptical machines, I noticed people had thrown their towels over the screens facing them. I wondered why, but now I am fully aware. They are blocking the time clock. Why? If you are watching your progress step by step rather than measuring your success by completion, you will give up every single time. Early on, I learned to stop watching the tracker and often just look at my feet forcing them to take one more step until the timer goes off and I know that I have finished the workout. I know that after six songs I am home free so I focus on the music and keep the beat. If we would only stop looking around and gauging our success by other people, we would overcome many obstacles in life. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will happen. Hope is all about the things that we cannot see but consider a reality with God. Stop looking all around and focus on the God who has said, “Yes” and “Amen” to everything that He has promised you. Look at Jesus who is our example. The author and finisher of the faith that we need to win the race, be victorious in battle and overcome the world. After faith, shields us from the lie of the enemy no matter how real it seems. Salvation gives us the Mind of Christ that transforms our thoughts and renews our mind. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. If you do not know the Word, you do not know your mission or the outcome. Time to pick up that Bible, dust if off and use it! To win this conflict beginning with the one that is going on inside of you, begins with taking a stand of faith. Be persistent in prayer and stay alert! The biggest opposition that we face is with our rebellious heart and random thoughts. Resolve these two conflicts and you will walk in victory as an overcomer. Happy Resurrection Day. Have a blessed Easter. Pastor Dave

Passion Week Devotional for Lent 4/20/19 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne” ( Jesus in Revelation 3:21). The Bible makes it clear that Jesus has overcome death and the grave. Consider the following promises: “When He had by Himself purged our sins, (He) sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33) . “Death is swallowed up in victory [from the same Greek root word as ‘overcome’]. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? . . . thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:54–57). “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:4,5). “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: . . . Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:3,4). In the Book of Revelation many hope-inspiring promises are given to those who overcome: they will “eat of the tree of life” (2:7); they “shall not be hurt of the second death” (2:11); they shall “be clothed in white raiment.” To the overcomer Jesus says, “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels” (3:5). See also 2:17; 2:26; 3:12. “For the accuser of our brethren is cast down. . . . And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Revelation 12:10,11). Through Him, our destiny is sure. Let's overcome together. Pastor Dave

Bring your kids. Bring your grandkids. Join us for a special Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00 a.m. on the south lawn of the church. Bring your baskets. We have the EGGS !!!!@

We invite all of you to join us in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Sunday April 21st, at 10:00 a.m. Join us for worship, Scripture, praise and a message on overcoming. Jesus is the overcomer of all times and we will explain why and how a personal relationship with Jesus can help you become an overcomer todsy. We invite you to join us. We hope you say YES !!! NORMANDALE REFORMED CHURCH 2002 South Second ( Route 29 ) Pekin, IL * 2 blocks south of Cranwells Root Beer Stand

Passion Week Devotional Good Friday April 19 What is Good Friday and why do we call Good Friday “good,” when it is such a dark and bleak event commemorating a day of suffering and death for Jesus ? For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. Paul considered it to be “of first importance” that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day, all in accordance with what God had promised all along in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3). On Good Friday we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (1 John 1:10). It is followed by Easter, the glorious celebration of the day Jesus was raised from the dead, heralding his victory over sin and death and pointing ahead to a future resurrection for all who are united to him by faith (Romans 6:5). Still, why call the day of Jesus’ death “Good Friday” instead of “Bad Friday” or something similar? Some Christian traditions do take this approach: in German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag, or “Sorrowful Friday.” In English, in fact, the origin of the term “Good” is debated: some believe it developed from an older name, “God’s Friday.” Regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins. In order for the good news of the gospel to have meaning for us, we first have to understand the bad news of our condition as sinful people under condemnation. The good news of deliverance only makes sense once we see how we are enslaved. Another way of saying this is that it is important to understand and distinguish between law and gospel in Scripture. We need the law first to show us how hopeless our condition is; then the gospel of Jesus’ grace comes and brings us relief and salvation. In the same way, Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier” of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26). Paradoxically, the day that seemed to be the greatest triumph of evil was actually the deathblow in God’s gloriously good plan to redeem the world from bondage. The cross is where we see the convergence of great suffering and God’s forgiveness. Psalms 85:10 sings of a day when “righteousness and peace” will “kiss each other.” The cross of Jesus is where that occurred, where God’s demands, his righteousness, coincided with his mercy. We receive divine forgiveness, mercy, and peace because Jesus willingly took our divine punishment, the result of God’s righteousness against sin. “For the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus endured the cross on Good Friday, knowing it led to his resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of God’s reign of righteousness and peace. Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good. Pastor Dave

Passion Week Devotionals for Thursday 4/18 Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." And so said all the disciples.—Matthew 26:35 The triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The cleansing of the temple. The teaching and the miracles. All displayed their leader’s power and the faith of the disciples soared. Now, on this fifth day of the week, came the most intimate moment of all, the Passover meal, that high holy feast, just the twelve and Jesus. Over and over, at the table, He reiterated His love for them, even kneeling before them to wash their travel-weary feat. If they had ever doubted, they could no longer do so. What if, as Jesus cautioned, testings and trials lay just ahead. They could face anything. “Lord,” Peter assured Him, “I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” (Luke 22:33) Maundy Thursday corresponds to those times in our own lives when our faith feels unassailable. Surrounded by so many proofs of His love, how could we ever doubt? Thursday is the most perilous day of our pilgrimage. Because when the test comes, we so often fail. Before daybreak Peter was swearing he’d never heard of Jesus. Maundy Thursday represents our failures too—the ones which swiftly follow our moments of high commitment. The times when, having made great promises, we fall on our faces. When we let God down and let ourselves down and are left with only the certainty of our own weakness. Yet strangely, Thursday also ushers in the most hopeful stage of our journey. Because at last we are truly on the road to Easter. We have learned better than to place our trust in ourselves. “I tell you, Peter,” Jesus replied to Peter’s confident boast, “the cock will not crow this day, until you three times deny that you know me.” (Luke 22:34) But He said it without condemnation, without rejection. Jesus knew that the way leads through loss. Loss of self-satisfaction and self-sufficiency. He knew that on the other side of Easter, Peter would find the power that never fails. Allelujah! Thank You that the strength is Yours. Pastor Dave

Passion Week Lent Devotional for Wednesday April 17 And Jesus…drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.—Matthew 21:12 It was an unheard-of scandal! This young rabbi who yesterday had the whole city in a patriotic uproar, today stormed into the very temple precinct itself and created chaos. Doves flapping, men shouting, women scrabbling after the rolling coins. This fellow from Galilee, once again stirring up trouble! But stirring-up is always what happens when Jesus enters the scene. This day of Holy Week has its parallel in our individual journey of faith. He comes, and priorities are overturned, assumptions swept aside. The first thing He did on entering Jerusalem is the first thing He does on entering a life: He goes straight to the temple, to the place where we worship, and cleans out whatever is not part of God’s design. The process is called by many names: sanctification, amendment of life, getting right with God, but the meaning is the same. The recognition that with Jesus in charge, many things we used to do, say, want, are no longer okay. It’s such a common pattern that we’ve come to expect it. And then there’s the danger in the cleansing experience. We think we know what things He wants to get rid of. When my mother was growing up, the list included wearing makeup, reading novels and riding a bicycle on Sunday. Each group, each era, has its own expectations. But the hallmark of that day in Jerusalem was surprise. Jesus knew what stood between people in those days and God. “Astonished” is how Mark describes people’s reactions to that original cleansing, and astonished is how we feel when God’s housecleaning, not the one we envisaged, gets underway within us. Prejudice. Old hurts. A sense of inferiority. Whatever blocks our relationships with Him, out it must go. “What are you doing!” we cry when the Cleanser strides in. “I’m making myself a temple,” He replies. Pastor Dave Craig

Passion Week Lent Devotional for Tuesday April 16 This is the week of Jesus' passion, also known as Holy Week. On Friday of this week, we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. But we also remember all those who were together with him in the last days. We try to put ourselves in the disciples' shoes during what was certainly the darkest period of their lives. Through the Scriptures, we will play the part of Jesus' followers as they fall asleep, betray, deny, flee, despair, and generally fail to "get it". With God's help we will imagine what it was like for them to watch their king, their savior, be arrested, whipped, humiliated, stripped naked, crowned with thorns, and hammered to a wooden cross. ... It's reasonable to ask, "If this is Holy Week, what would an unholy week look like?" The horror of holy week was a stumbling block to the Jews, even for Jesus' own followers. They stumbled on the fact that this "King" was killed by the Romans when he was supposed to be conquering them! Instead of taking the throne, he was nailed to a tree, and forever cursed by it, they thought. But Jesus' way was not their way. He knew that by dying, the Jews could not only be saved from the perceived tyranny of any military power, but from a far worse tyranny, that of sin and evil. Jesus chose the path of suffering and death so that they—and we—could be free forever from the punishment due to us because of the evil we have done. He took our place on the cross. If we are able to "get" this truth, then suffering and death are no threat to us, whether at the hands of a Roman soldier, or in the hand of a just God. We don't need to fear death because of what Jesus did. Because of Jesus' suffering, we also have an advocate when we suffer. No matter what we are going through, no matter how tough or terrorizing, one thing is sure: Jesus understands. He has endured far worse, for our sake. When we are tempted to look up out of the dark holes we find ourselves in, to search the heavens and call out to God—we may wonder, "Where is God and why won't he rescue me?" Consider for a moment that Jesus doesn't gaze down at you from some great throne in Heaven. No. He is beneath you, waiting for you to let go and fall back into his arms. Jesus has experienced the limit of suffering and he is able to meet you where you are. There is no depth of despair to which we can ever descend that is lower than Jesus went when he died under the weight of a worldful of evil. But no matter how low we have been, don't doubt that if we are found in Jesus when he ascends on Easter day, then we will rise with him, and will have no reason to fear death again. Pastor Dave Craig

Our 40 days of Lent Devotional- Holy Week April 15, Monday Seize the Week Without any arm-twisting or conscience-pressing, I would encourage you to consider how you might make the most of this week. These are some of the darkest and brightest days in the history of the world, and they are rich with soul-sustaining food and life-clarifying vision. In the chaos of our increasingly fast-paced and hectic society, Holy Week is a reminder to pause and ponder, to carefully mark each day and not let this greatest of all weeks fly by us like every other. Perhaps pick a time each day — alone or with family or housemates — to slow down and savor what was happening during the Passion week some two thousands years ago. Consider reading through a Holy Week devotional — or even better, one (or a couple) of the Passion narratives from the Gospels: Matthew 21–28 Mark 11–16 Luke 19–24 John 12–21 Block out several minutes. Find a comfortable place to sit. Seek to quiet your soul, and pray that God would meet you in the events and significance of this week. And spend a few moments in prayer after you read and turn the truth Godward in adoration of Christ. Receive this week with thanksgiving, and make it holy by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:5). You may want to make it memorable with candles or some other special flair. If your church, or another in town, does a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service, that presents another opportunity. A Prayer for Passion Week If you’d like a specific biblical text to serve as a prayer charter for this week, here’s what I’m asking for myself and my family: that God would make the prayer of Ephesians 3:16–19increasingly true of us this Holy Week — that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Jesus’s step-by-step journey to Golgotha is a glowing revelation of the extent of his love. He loved us “to the uttermost” (John 13:1) in going all the way to the cross for us, with every bruise, every puncture, and throb and stab of pain. And it is during Holy Week that we see most profoundly how deep the Father’s love for us. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). May God make this to be for you a week of being newly grounded in the love of Christ, so plainly on display from the resolve of Palm Sunday, to the ultimate sacrifice of Good Friday, to the triumph of Easter Sunday. And may you freshly know the love of Christ, in all its breadth and length and height and depth — and wonder upon wonder, be filled with all the fullness of God. Pastor Dave

Lent Devotional for day 37 - Friday 4/12 One of my favorite Bible stories growing up as a child was the story of the Israelite’s fleeing Egypt and journeying in the desert for 40 years Exodus. I was amazed by the powerful ways God worked among the people and and made Himself known to them. It made the greatness of God come alive. I felt such awe and wonder for what our God was capable of. As I have grown in faith, I realize how similar I am to the chosen people of Israel; especially when they wandered in the desert for 40 years. Because of their sinful ways and hard hearts, they wandered for 40 years before God saw them purified and fit to enter into the Promised Land of Canaan. But they certainly were not the happiest of happy campers during those 40 years! They grumbled to Moses, complained about lack of food and water, and even told Moses at one point they wish they had never left Egypt?! That sounds crazy for a people who were in bondage for hundreds of years. But it’s true, and you know what, it is no different for each of us. Sometimes in the middle of our own greatest sufferings and trials, we grumble and complain against God just like the Israelites. We wish our burdens were not so heavy and we can often feel alone, lost and unsure of God’s presence with us. It is easy to see the goodness of God when we are in the Promised Land, but much harder when were are wandering in the deserts of our own lives. Are you wandering in the desert in your own life? Though it is difficult and painful, take heart! Just as the Israelite’s time of wandering came to an end, so to for your own. God leads us into the desert to purify our hearts and to teach us a valuable lesson. Will you allow God to use difficulties to strengthen and change you? Or will you harden your heart like Israel? Spend ten minutes in silence today. In the quiet of your heart, reflect and think about the greatest suffering and trials you have experienced; your own desert. Talk about them with Jesus; be honest. Can you find goodness in the difficulty? Can you see you see the hand of God at work, even when you are wandering in the desert? And always, always remember we have to go through the desert to experience the goodness and glory of the Promised Land. Pastor Dave

Lent Devotional for day 36 - Thursday 4/11 Desert Experience A desert is generally a very dry and barren place. There are stretches of sand and nothingness, and it’s not the kind of place most people would willingly spend time in. In the Bible, the desert is also depicted as an unfriendly and lonely place. Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the desert to be tempted by the Devil for forty days, and, because of their disobedience, the Israelites had to wander in the desert for forty years. God had to provide them with water and food, as these were in short supply in the desert. So why would God lead His people into the desert? When pondering this I realised that the desert generally does not have much that could distract you. There isn’t much in the line of sightseeing, and the view around you may be pretty mundane. When you pass through a desert area your goal is to get to the other side – to your destination. Your needs are basic – food, water, and shelter from the blistering sun or wind storms. There are times when our own disobedience and sin may result in us finding ourselves spiritually in a desert place – a place where God seems far away and silent. But in our scripture God says He is going to allure her (Israel) and lead her into the desert in order to speak tenderly to her. Wow! It struck me that God could be the One Who decides to lead us, His own treasured possession, into a desert place. In those times He may also feel far away, and we may seem to struggle to hear His voice and to understand why we’re in the dry, weary place. Yet He says that He would speak tenderly to us in that place – that place of little distraction and an urgent drive to get through it. When you find yourself in a lonely, dry time in your walk with God, remember the great things that came from desert experiences in God’s Word. Moses met God in the burning bush in the desert (Exodus 3). Elijah received very clear direction for the next step in his ministry after he ran and hid in the desert, following his altercation with the Baal prophets and Jezebel’s subsequent threats (1 Kings 19:15-18). Jesus came out of the desert after His temptation ‘in the power of the Spirit’ (Luke 4:14), and started His public ministry immediately following this. We also read of multiple miracles God did for the Israelites in the desert. The desert experience can be a dry, barren place, but when God leads you into such a season, He has a purpose for it and He WILL speak, if you will listen. ‘A gem cannot be polished without friction nor a man perfected without trials’ (Chinese Proverb). Prayer: Lord, thank You for the desert seasons. Help me to submit to the times You lovingly lead me there, and forgive me for doubting Your loving-kindness when I struggle to understand. Speak tenderly to me, Lord. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. Amen. Pastor Dave

Lent Devotional for day 35 - Wednesday 4/10 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. — Deuteronomy 8:2 The desert can be a dangerous place. In Bible times it was always a place of uncertainty, peril, trial, and death. Not the kind of place you want to go on vacation! During desert experiences we can too easily focus on our circum­stances instead of God’s character. We grow weary instead of waiting patiently. Yet God’s Word reminds us, Do not let your heart be troubled. — John 14:1 Believing that God is good and that He can take care of us through our desert experiences gives us hope and joy in the midst of our uncertainty. When my feelings threaten to overshadow my trust in Him, I must turn my heart immediately to His promises. I remind myself that the Lord isn’t slow to fulfill His promises (2 Peter 3:9). His ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30). God works all things for good (Romans 8:28). Just like He led the Israelites in the desert, He leads us. PRAYER Father, I know that You are good. I know that You are present with me, even in the hard places. So now, when I can’t understand why I’m going through a desert place, help me cling to the promises You’ve given me in Scripture. Help me to remember that Your character doesn’t change like my circumstances do. In Jesus’ name, Amen. How is God testing you in your desert experience?What part of your character do you think God is trying to refine in this season?What promise from Scripture do you need to cling to during this time? * * * Your Turn All believers go through seasons of being in the desert. One preacher said that God either leads us into the desert or He creates the desert within us… and that it’s to draw us to Himself and make us more like Jesus. Come share your thoughts on our blog. We want to hear from you about being refined in the desert. ~ Pastor Dave

Day 34 of our Lent Devotional- Tuesday 4/9/19 Have you ever found yourself wandering through a spiritual desert? I know I have. I’m told these spiritual “dry spells” happen to every Christian, but that doesn’t make them any less discouraging. There are days when the silence between you and God can be deafening. You try to worship but the words fail. Prayers seem empty, and even Scripture becomes a blur. Many prominent Christians have shared their thoughts on why this happens: “you’re recovering from a time of sin, dealing with a season of doubt, stuck in an old-fashioned rut,” the list is endless. The more important question is, “What do we do when we find ourselves in these spiritual droughts?” Scott Slayton, of the blog One Degree To Another, recently shared his advice for believers struggling through a spiritual dry spell. Below, you’ll find a list of actions Slayton recommends, as well as a few methods I personally have found helpful. Remember the Good News “We can become overly introspective when we walk through the spiritual wilderness. Instead of constantly looking within yourself and evaluating whether your feelings for God are strong enough, instead look to Jesus whose love for you never wavers. When we gaze at Christ, we remember that he lived the perfect life we could never live and then died in our place bearing our sins. We are right with God, not because of our good works, but through faith in Jesus alone. Because of Jesus, we have been reconciled to God, adopted by God, and given an inheritance by God. Look to this encouraging Gospel, for it will remind you of the depth of God’s love for you.” Read the Story of Elijah The story of 1 Kings 19 is not what you’d expect from the life of a prophet. At this point, Elijah has spent years serving as God’s appointed messenger. He’s been fed by ravens during a famine (1 Kings 17:2-6), witnessed the LORD raise a boy from the dead (1 Kings 17:22-24), and is just coming off a fresh victory over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18). You would think his confidence is God would be unshakable. Instead, Elijah turns tail and runs the moment he hears the queen is after him. Elijah’s time in the wilderness reminds us that these moments of despair happen to every Christian. Even in the empty places, the whisper of God is still present. Talk to a Friend “The Psalmists aren’t the only people to have walked through the desert. Your Christian friends know what it is like to be discouraged and distant from God. Sit down and talk with them about what you are walking through. Ask them how they worked through it. Even if they cannot offer actionable suggestions, it’s good for us to talk to another believer who can pray for us and encourage us in our struggles.” Pray Anyway In my latest period of spiritual drought, I found that prayer offered me an irreplaceable lifeline to God. Even when it felt like I was talking to myself, I continued to pray and this action served to comfort me. I knew, despite the silence, God heard my prayers. The important thing wasn’t his response, it was that I continued to reach for Him. Christ taught us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), because God will never stop speaking to us so long as we continue to pursue Him! Time in a spiritual desert can be exhausting, but it doesn’t last forever. God will breathe new life into your weary bones, and on that day, you’ll find He never left your side. What about you? How have you stayed close to God in a period of spiritual dryness. Be sure to leave a comment in the space below. Pastor Dave

Day 33 of our Lent Devotional- Monday. 4/8/19 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. Matthew 4:1-2 Sometimes it's not what’s in our lives troubling us most. It's what we must do without. It's the gaping hole that won't be filled. Feeling a sense of lack, of deprivation, is often referred to as a “desert experience.” Desert experiences can take on many forms – spiritual, relational, and physical. When we hit a period of dryness in a particular area of our lives, we instinctively think something must be wrong with us. “Perhaps if I pray more and become holier, I’ll feel God’s presence again.” Or “If I acquire more financial skills, I’ll finally be able to afford what I want.” Or “If I become more loveable, I’ll finally find someone to marry.” So we strive, trying to fill in the gaps in hopes we can earn the blessing. In our striving, we may be missing out on an opportunity to grow in our faith. Sometimes, a desert experience is necessary in order to bear greater fruit later on. Some of the greatest Saints embraced desert experiences as spiritually profitable. Elisabeth Leseur, a French upper-class housewife in the early 20th century, spent much time in relational and spiritual deserts throughout her marriage to her husband, a professed atheist. In her diary, later published as The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur, she recorded times of "complete resignation, but without joy or any inner consolation." Later, when reflecting on her faith, she writes, "And yet through all these trials and in spite of the lack of interior joy, there is in my soul some central place, which all these waves of sorrow cannot reach." Elisabeth’s perseverance in seeking Christ in the desert later inspired the conversion of her husband. In the Bible, periods of physical deprivation often preceded key moments in salvation history. Moses wrote the Ten Commandments during a 40-day fast (Exodus 34:28). And it was after a lengthy fast that Elijah heard God’s still, small voice (1 Kings 19:8). We see in the passage above that Christ literally ventured into the desert for his own 40-day fast in preparation for what was to come – our salvation through His sacrificial death. Now, I’m not advocating starving yourself or allowing clinical depression to go untreated. Yet, in the short time we’re here on earth, periods of darkness or barrenness – whether voluntary or involuntary -- can be used by God for great purposes. Right now we're in the middle of Lent, which is traditionally a 40-day period when believers purposely descend into the “desert” in order to contemplate Christ’s suffering and to hear God’s still, small voice more effectively. Although I don't love to suffer – in even small ways – God has used Lent to teach me that the desert has a beauty all its own. That’s because God values the sacrifices of His children. Not that he takes pleasure in our pain, but He uses lack to refine us and draw us closer to Him so that later we may know joy on a deeper level, beyond what our five senses can currently discern. Of course, we’re not meant to live forever in a season of Lent. We know, with confidence, that after Christ’s suffering saacrifice, Easter morning came. Yet, Lent is a season set aside to remind believers today that we are still inhabitants of the "Shadowlands," as C.S. Lewis liked to call them. We are not in heaven, and we have work to do. Though we may experience beauty and joy in this life, nothing can fully satisfy us except God's plan awaiting us in the fullness of time. Intersecting Faith & Life: Decide on one luxury you regularly enjoy and give it up until Easter. It can be a type of food, a behavior (like watching TV or using critical words in your relationships), or money (donated to a cause instead of spent on yourself). In its place, increase time spent in quiet prayer. If you’re currently having a “desert experience” in your life, be encouraged by knowing God is near. Further Reading Matthew 6: 1 - 6, 16 – 18 Joel 2: 12 – 18 Pastor Dave

Lent Devotional for day 32 - Sunday 4/7/19 Where do you need leadership in your life? What challenge, decision, or circumstance is weighing on you? Where do you need a word from God today? We have available to us the most perfect guide to lead us throughout the twists, turns, and challenges of this adventurous life. The Bible says in Romans 8:14, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” As children of the Most High God, we are granted full access to the leadership of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. No child of God is exempt from the leadership of the Spirit. We don’t earn access by our own merit. We don’t gain more favor to receive more leadership. God has given us all the gift of the Holy Spirit because he loves us. He has filled us with his Spirit because he longs to lead us into the abundant life he has planned for us. So, let’s learn today how we can better discover and follow this gift of leadership we’ve all been granted through Christ in the Holy Spirit. First, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the Holy Spirit and the Word of God work perfectly together. One does not contradict the other. Both the Holy Spirit and the Word he inspired are vital in living the Christian life. God’s word says in Galatians 5:16-18, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” The leadership of the Spirit is in direct opposition to the lifestyle of the world. His desire is always to lead us away from sin that entangles us in the perspectives and pressures of the world toward a lifestyle of peace, joy, and intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. All of his leadership is purposed toward the goal of abundant life in God, of the fullness of satisfaction in God rather than the weak and fleeting pleasure in things of the world. So how do we follow this person of the Holy Spirit toward that abundant life? Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” How do we “keep in step with the Spirit”? It all starts with spending time getting to know what the Holy Spirit is like. He has a personality. He has a voice. His leadership feels a certain way. Just as you get to know a person, you can get to know the Holy Spirit. And the absolute best way to learn about him is one-on-one. Often we wait until we are in public, or right before a highly stressful situation, to ask for the guidance of the Spirit. But it’s in the secret place that we learn what his voice and leading sounds and feels like so that we can discern his guidance out in the rush and stress of the world. It’s in the secret place that we grow in relationship with the Holy Spirit so that we can follow his steps throughout the twists and turns of our day. John 16:13 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”The Holy Spirit is excited to speak to you what he hears from the heavenly Father. He longs to declare to you God’s plans to love you, provide for you, heal you, transform you, and deliver you. He longs to lead you to the fullness of life available to you here. Spend time getting to know the Holy Spirit in the secret place today. As you pray ask God to reveal himself to you. Spend time in prayer resting in the presence of the God who dwells within you, who is nearer to you than the very ground beneath your feet. Here are some key steps to keep in mind when you are depending on the Holy Spirit to lead you: 1. Meditate on God’s desire to lead you into abundant life. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Romans 8:14 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal himself to you.Spend time learning about who he is. Ask him to speak to you and to reveal the way his leadership feels. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13 “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'” Acts 13:2 “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements.” Acts 15:28 3. Open up your life to the Holy Spirit. Ask him to reveal to you things he wants to lead you away from. Ask him to show you the life he wants to lead you to. And commit to following his leadership today. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:16-18 When you have opportunities to indulge in the flesh, choose life in the Spirit instead. When you feel a desire to avenge yourself, promote yourself, slander someone, or engage in a sinful activity, choose life in the Spirit instead. Choose to love God and others. Live in step with the Spirit and discover the amazing life he longs to guide you into today. Pastor Dave

Meet two of our loved church members that volunteer for our church preschool, Hobby Horse Preschool/NRC.Bud made us the buddy bench in Mrs. Bland’s room, they both helped us move last summer and Miss Becky volunteers every Monday in Mrs. R’s class. Today Becky brought us fabric strips that she cut and even ironed for us to weave in our Easter baskets with the fours. Hobby Horse appreciates their support!

My littles in junior church this morning ☀️🐦

This song has become a tradition at the annual NRC ladies' Christmas party🎄

It's the most wonderful time of year! This video was last year's ladies Christmas party. We are going to repeat the fun this year 🌲. All ladies are invited to Val Bland's,1237 Redwood, December 8 at 5:30 to slow down, relax and have fun with your sisters! Julie Thomas will be leading our devotion, we'll share a meal, carols and celebrate the reason for the season 😊. Please leave a message here or on Val Bland's FB page for more details and to let us know if we get to see you!