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Happy Mother's Day from our family to yours!

The sermon topic this morning was "Proud to Be Woman, and Grateful to be Mom", Genesis 2:18-24 from Pastor Eloise Newman. In 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother, the United States began the official recognition of Mother's Day in 1914. Jesus made his entry into the earth realm through the birth of a woman, who became mother. The Bible has a lot to say about mothers, and not all are good examples such as 1 Kings 3:16-18, or Jezebel who knew what she wanted and she went after it without giving a thought of who got hurt. Should we be shocked or judgmental about these moms? No! But we should be concerned the children would raise children watch what we do. All mothers, our mother, ourselves as mothers, we are human with faults and failures. But thanks be to God who makes the difference in our lives. I say to every mother, and every woman who have had to be mother, and those who helped raise children or a child. I commend you as sheros. Motherhood is a joy but it is not without headaches and heartaches. In raising children we also raise ourselves in the interim. If you are expecting praise every day, stop it. It will most likely never happen, only when you have grown older, grown tired, and you are considered an empty nester will your children begin to reward you and honor you. Especially after they have children of their own, then they will begin to understand all you had to give up to be their mom. Mothers, mother-in-laws, grandmothers, stand in moms, and daddy moms, let love be your guide. On this day, we are reminded of the sorrow of the cross, and the joy of resurrection. New life gives us hope. This business of living and loving is wrapped up in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the keeper through ups and downs, sunshine and sorrows. I pray that God surround you with his glorious presence and your love ones. This I Wish for You! Listen to the beautiful song by Heather Headley. https://youtu.be/3iDKVDXQuGc

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's! A shout out to the men of Ward's for cooking an amazing breakfast.

Some of you may wonder, why do we have to hear the story again about "The stone in place, "The stone rolled away, or "Let the stone cry out." After all, Easter is over and we celebrated Jesus' Resurrection last week. This morning, Minister Barbara Wallace explains the significance of hearing it again. It's Sunday, three women are walking to the tomb of Jesus so they can anoint his body. They had forgotten something, how will they gain access to the tomb? The tomb was sealed with a massive stone. They asked each other, "who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb. The women arrive and the stone has been rolled away, and it's empty. The body of Jesus is gone. An angel tells them to go and tell the disciples what has happened. The angel tells the women, "don't be alarmed, you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified." He has RISEN! The question the women asked each other is still a good question for you and me; "who will roll the stone away?" Who will roll the stone away from the places in our lives where death and decay have locked us in, and where we find ourselves trapped?" One of the great lessons of the Resurrection is that the solution to our problems does not depend on us. Jesus is the greatest solution to our every day life given situations. As believers, we should take advantage of every opportunity we have and do what we can for Christ instead of worrying about what we can not do. Significance of the stone: 1) The stone represented a barrier between the living and dad, 2) symbolized and signified that Jesus had died, 3) it signified Victory of Jesus, 4) the stone was removed to provide evidence that Jesus is the Son of God. Each of us face our own tomb where our hopes and dreams seems to be buried and sealed. God still moves stones! What are some of the stones that need to be removed today? The significance of it all was for us...God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus' dying on the cross is solely bases on one thing, and that is LOVE. That is how we should be living and basing our life on, LOVE. It is only in Him that we live, move, and have our being!

Minister Ellis Jones brought a message from the third last words On Good Friday from John 19:26-27. I thought it was just another Good Friday, being taught year after year. Jesus laid down his life for us. He could have said something, but he did not say a mumbling word. Why did he do it"? The answer came as a teachable moment. If we only look at the pain and hurt Jesus went through, we will miss it. He could have denied the people who tried to kill him, and call on his friends, but he didn't. Jesus is face-to-face with his mother. Teachable moment...was unselfishness. The pain started in Gethsemane, the garden, and with the beaten. We're just looking at the cross. He was beaten, bruised, torn. He was in pain carrying the cross. Jesus showed unselfishness not just on the cross, but on his way to the cross. Jesus is telling us this is how I want you to be. While Jesus was on the cross, he saw his mother. It's amazing how much we miss because we don't look. There are people in our lives right in front of us and we don't see them. One of the greatest gifts God gave was sight. it was given not for you to only see what's in the mirror, but for you to see what's through the window. When Jesus saw his mother, the teaching begins. "This is your mother." At the same time you begin to wonder, how did she feel. Was it news to her, was she prepared for this? There was no disrespect. When Jesus said women instead of mother. It's not personal anymore between them. When Jesus saw his mother, he saw us too, and we received the same as she did. Even though we came 2000 years later, he saw us. I don't know how the conversation came about between Jesus and John, but Jesus told him I'm about to go through some stuff and I need you to be there for me. It's amazing the people that don't show up are usually the people you help the most. When Jesus leaves you something, do you thing it's a burden or a blessing? The health he's given you, is it a blessing or a burden? Whatever Jesus gave you is to bless you not to harm you. At the same time, he wants you to see other people. Everything he's given you is to help someone else. Is what Jesus left you a burden or a blessing?

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"Embrace the New", Isaiah 43:16-21 was today's sermon from Rev. Eloise Newman. Isaiah was speaking primarily of Israel's return from Babylon. The promise comes from God to the children of Israel at a bleak period of their history. They are in captivity; they have lost everything they thought they would keep forever, and they were home sick. Israel's task was to be a witness telling the world who God is and what God had done. Believers today share the same responsibility of being God's witness to the people. Do people know what God is like through your words and examples? While they cannot see God directly, they can see them reflected in you. Nothing is more admirable than someone who is not afraid nor ashamed to declare their faith to the world, witnessing to the goodness of God. Isaiah invites us to picture a new exodus for a people once again oppressed. As the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt before the first exodus, they would cry out to God and again he would hear and deliver them. A new exodus would take place through a new wilderness. The past miracles were nothing compared to what God would do for his people in the future. God promises the Israelites victory, as he does with us when we seek to be free and live in wholeness. Christ came to do new things. Sacrificed his new life for our liberty, laid his body down so that we might be saved, so that we might live. He who knew no sins became sin for us. We are living in trying times of upheaval. Each day the news get's worse than the day before. People are more oppressed than ever. So many have their backs against the wall with no hope for tomorrow. We are called to witness and to offer a new way, a new hope. The character of God has not changed. God's grace and power has sustained us in the past, will see us through the present and guide us into the future. God wants to do a new thing in the lives of his people. God wants to show himself mighty in the lives of his people. The new thing is something that has never been done before. When new things come into our lives, all the old things disappear. They lose their prominence, and they will lose their glory. Spring forth means new beginnings unseen activity, unseen God. Jesus came to seek those who were lost. Jesus came to give us life and life more abundant. The sky is the limit so live expecting God to do new things!

We regret to inform you and ask for your continual prayer for our Pastor, Eloise Newman and her family on the passing of their love one, James Newman. Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 25, 2019. Visitation with family is 10am, and Service at 11am. Services will take place at Corkran Memorial UMC, 5200 Temple Hills Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748.

Minister Ellis Jones reminded us on Sunday, "Wrestling: It's Not Fake," Matthew 4:1-11. Angels accompanied Jesus in the wilderness. What better company is there than to have Angels. Jesus was sent into a place alone. Everything Satan tried, he thought he had Jesus, but Jesus moved with the word of God. Without the proper training; teaching in your heart, you will stay in the wilderness. If you are trained, you will not have to stay in the wilderness long. When you find yourself in the wilderness, find a word from God. God told Jesus you are already prepared. Jesus was lead to the garden. He took three disciples. When he entered into the garden, he entered for a distance then stopped. The disciples fell asleep. You better know who you're taking with you. Jesus comes back and the they are still asleep. The wrestling was in the garden with himself (Jesus). Most of the time the wrestling comes from yourself; from your spirit. We wrestle with coming to church, singing in the choir, or even tithing. The tone is different when you're wrestling with yourself. When you know the word of God, you use it and don't wrestle; you can't stay in the garden. God never sends you any place without an exit. We keep wrestling with the things God wants us to do. Say, "not my will, but your will be done." As long as you continue to wrestle, you may get hurt. Get out of the ring as fast as you can and get into God's will. Give into God's will and he can get you out of the wilderness. "Wrestling Is Not Fake."

"Why are we doing this?" Scripture: Luke 4:1-13, sermon taken from a communication from Joe Lovino: 10 Ideas For A More Meaningful Ash Wednesday. Pastor Eloise Newman's sermon this morning was defined as, "Teachable Moments" concerning Lent. So often we have the misconception that Lent is more about giving up something you really don't like all that well. But the truth of the matter is the Lenten season is about sacrifice. We miss the reason for the season if we can't wait to get back to that bad habit, that butter pecan ice cream or those potato chips. If we are honest with ourselves, we will have something we can give up to make us better people, and better kingdom builders. On last Wednesday, we entered the Lenten season. All over everywhere, people flocked to churches to receive ashes on the foreheads, masses of people. So why are we doing this? Other than tradition, most church goers as well as the man on the street are not able to articulate the meaning of Lent, nor why we place ashes on the forehead. It is important to be reminded that we are dust and that dust we will return. That knowledge should help us determine how we live. The ashes on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for our sins as we participate in services of our mortality. From the moment we took our first breath, we started the journey back to the creator. Ash Wednesday is an important day in the church calendar. It marks the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter. This Holy day is not a holiday from work, school, or most other obligations, so if you are not intentional in or observance, it is likely to resemble any ordinary Wednesday. Lent is the period of forty days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is the season of reflection and preparation before the celebration of Easter. By observing the forty days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus' sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for forty days. For many, fasting is only mandatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, all other days are not required to fast, it is your choice. Remember, this is a season not a day. Wayne Lawson in a sermon stated, "Our Lord is not interested in what we give up for forty days then return to it. He is interested in our giving up the sins in our lives which will make Easter joyous." Take this season to stretch yourself toward God. So let's pray more, love more, and when the forty days are up and we stand in our churches on Easter Sunday, you would have developed a more diligent habit of loving, praising, and giving. We can then declare, I love because he first loved me, we can then declare I give because he has given to me, and I can praise because it's just what I do. Amen!!!

Join us tomorrow for adult and youth Sunday school at 8:30am, and worship at 10:45am. We look forward to seeing you!

This morning, Pastor Eloise Newman asked the question, "What is the evidence that you've been with God?" Scripture: Exodus 34:19-35. Moses had experiences with God. He had history with God, but he still wanted evidence of who God really is and if God would keep his word. Moses said to God in the 33rd chapter of Exodus, "show me who you are, I need evidence, show me your Glory." Moses wanted evidence of God's presence with him. If you have not had an experience with, it is because you have not asked. James says, "You have not because you ask not." In the scripture, we find God and Moses again in conversation. God had summoned Moses back up to Mount Sinai to replace the tablets that Moses destroyed. The Bible says, "then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with Moses, and he again called out his own name, Yahweh. I am the God of compassion and Mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish my love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin." God gave Moses evidence of his presence. Moses wanted to see God's Glory. He wanted assurance, evidence that God would be with him. Because we are finite and morally imperfect, we cannot exist and see God as he is. To see God from behind means we can only see where God has passed. We can only know him by what he does and how he acts. And when God showed Moses his Glory, Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. When Moses returned to the people, he had an unusual glow as evidence he had been with God. Do you have evidence that God is indeed good? Does it show in your attitude? Does it show in your kindness? Does it show in your love for others? Does it show in your giving? Is there evidence that you are long suffering? Does the evidence show up in your patience with others? Does it show up in your faithfulness, your self control? Is there evidence in your gentleness? Is there evidence in your loving, your joy? Is there enough evidence to prove that you have been with Jesus? Do you display peace in the midst of adversities? Do you have the evidence that you can now make the declaration, "Follow me as I follow Christ."

"Why Should God Let You Go To Heaven"? is a question Minister Barbara Wallace asked. The first answer is Jesus sacrificed for all, Hebrews 9:24-28. The sacrifice of Christ is good news for all of us who struggle with sin and guilt. Jesus died on the cross to show us what love looks like in action, John 15:13. The death of Jesus saves us from our sins by giving us a new path for our lives, one that challenges us to follow Christ in the way of love. His sacrifices draws, compels, and attract souls. "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself". His sacrifices was the offering that was pure, perfect, uncontaminated, unpolluted, and untainted. His sacrifices offers us access to no more crying, no more sickness, no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more death. Jesus' sacrifice allows us to appear before God because he removes our sins, cast them as far as the east is to the west. We are covered, we are converted, we are convinced, and we are sheltered in his everlasting arms. Now let us sacrifice to gather in the lost. Let us leave no one behind. All people die physically, but Christ died so that we would not have to die spiritually. We can have wonderful confidence in his saving work for us, doing away in his saving work for us, doing away with sin, past, present, and future. He has forgiven our past sin when he died on the cross; he sacrifice himself for all; he has given us the Holy Spirit to help us deal with present sin. He appears before God for us now in heaven and he promises to return and raise us to external life in a world where sin will be banished. Scripture tells us to "Study to show ourselves approved", 2 Timothy 2:15. Ephesians 1:4 "Even before he made the world, God loved us". Ephesians 1:11, "Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God". Ephesians 1:14, "The Spirit of God is guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised."

Sermon from Minister Ellis Jones Sunday, February 17. Proverbs 4:1-27, "Got to Get It." Proverbs is a book of guidelines, encouragement, how we should live, and how we should treat each other. Solomon wrote it, and was full of wisdom. With so much wisdom, he displeased God. Solomon was trying to impress upon his children, "in all your getting, I need you to get knowledge, wisdom, and understanding." When we ask God to order our steps, you can't go back and say change the paths. We have to understand what and why we do it. Everything is to please God. All we have to do is line up with his word. In all your getting, get understanding. We need to find out what it takes to please God. Our mindset should be to worship when we walk into church. "Forget about yourself and concentrate on Him." God is asking us to get understanding of where he want us to go. God does not have to go shopping to get you what you want. You just have to do what he wants you to do. God has given us faith, but we have to use it in a manner of commitment, knowledge, and understanding so God can bless you. Take time to find out what God wants, know who he is, and how he wants it.

Rev. Eloise Newman preached from Matthew 18:21-35, "Free to Forgive". Last week's sermon reminded us that we are living in trouble times. If we are not careful and do not guard our hearts, we can get caught up in the foolishness of mankind, and that causes us to lose sight on God who is the ruler. When we lose sight on God, we than stand in situations becoming fearful of living productive lives. The Holy Spirit gives strength to endure the unreasonable hatred and evil in our world. We are all guilty of saying the wrong things and behaving the wrong way. We have all offended others at one time or another. We have all crossed the line of discretion and indiscretion in the way we have treated others. We have failed to give to someone what was needed at the time it was needed. We have all shown preferential treatment at one time or another. We have all been less than considerate to people in need. The inability to forgive not only destroys relationships, it destroys the people who don't forgive. Forgiveness frees one to enjoy relationships and live with peace and tranquility in our hearts. To forgive is to turn the key, open the prison door and let the prisoner go free. That's what Jesus did for us. He pardon us so that we could live free, and said to us, "go and do like wise". Only the free truly knows how to forgive. Because God has forgiven all our sins, we should not hesitate to forgive others. As we realize how completely Christ has forgiven us, it should produce in us an attitude of gratitude and forgiveness toward others. When we don't forgive others, we are setting ourselves above Christ's law of love. Since the church is made up of sinners saved by Grace, who have been forgiven, we must show the same to others. We are living in a time if you have made mistakes, or done something in your past, we will strip you of your lively hood and put your stuff all over the media of unforgiveness and disgrace. The church must be better than the world. Those who have been forgiven much should also forgive much. We are never more like Christ than when we forgive. As believers in Christ, we have the responsibility to forgive, to let loose all hate, dislike, and the need for revenge. Brothers and sisters, love like Christ and forgive like Christ!

"Fear Not", Isaiah 43:1-7 sermon preached by Pastor Eloise Newman on Sunday. The scripture is for those who fear they have been abandoned by God, and for those who fear they have lost their connection. For you see, when we can't seem to hear from God, we feel a sense of abandonment. Because sometimes, when we are going through, God is silent. America is living in fear because America has left their first love "In God We Trust". When we place our trust in anyone other than God, we set ourselves up for failure and a life of fear. You may know the feeling when it appears that God is not there, when you feel all alone, when you feel your prayers are not going any further than the ceiling. When you've cried and prayed, cried and prayed, and God remains silent. Then fear sets in because if God doesn't do it, if God doesn't hear, we are hopeless. Fear is the first recorded emotion in creation in Genesis 3:6-10. You know, the things we fear are never as bad as we imagine. We already learned that the battle is fought in the mind. God has given us his word, "Fear Not". We fear anyway knowing that fear does not come from God. Let's be clear, we are talking about the fear that stops us from obeying God because we are looking at the situations of life. I shall not worry, I shall not fret. Why? Because I know that my redeemer lives, and because he lives I don't have to fear. Fear Not for I have redeemed you! I will be with you. I have called you by your name. When you walk through the waters, I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, I will be with you. "Fear Not".

"What's New", 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, focus verse 17, sermon from Minister Ellis Jones this morning. Our resolutions as believers need to include Christ. They become what we want instead of what Christ wants. If you take your old thinking into a new year, all you've done is changed the calendar. We are reactive Christians. Once we try something on our own and it doesn't work, we run back to Christ. We need to change our way of thinking. There is no room for darkness and light in the same place. Paul was not always a Christian. There came a day when he had to be accountable. It changed his life and thinking. Salvation is the route to what Christ has for us. But it doesn't stop. Everything about Christ has to be accepted before it works. Until we accept the things of Christ, there will be no newness. Christ is offering us his newness. We can accept it or refuse it. Just because you're in church does not mean you're in Christ. Being in him means you know his will. Paul is saying the new is here. We should do what Christ says and if it doesn't work out, he's got you. The old conversations about you has passed away. The old conversations about your church has passed away. The New is Here (Isaiah 60:1). Before the light shines on the church, we must arise and shine. When we do, we find ourselves in Christ. All the things we've done and said has passed away, and the New is Here! if we rise and shine, we will see the Glory of the Lord and find ourselves in Christ.

There will be no services tomorrow due to the weather.

With confidence in God, we can look ahead and walk boldly into a new year. Happy New Year!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's! A shout out to the men of Ward's for cooking an amazing breakfast.