Aspen Grove Church family,

                     I pray that you are doing well. January has been living up to its reputation of being cold! I hope you have been staying warm! We started the New Year on January 4^th, with a message titled, “The Times are changing, BUT GOD… remains the same,” coming out the Book of Revelation 21:4-5. Have you realized all the progress that has been over your life time? Microwaves, Computers, and televisions have all become common household items. The list could go on and on, but of all the changes that have come about, one thing remained the same… GOD. The problem with the reality of a changing world, is life is filled with uncertainty, loss, and shifting circumstances. Bob Dylan summed it beautifully with his song titled, “For the times they are a-changing’.” However, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The solution for ever changing world is the Unchanging Character of GOD. The writer in Hebrews 13:8 stated, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” His Word is Truth: His divine counsel is always reliable. As proof, GOD shows of the Unchanging Lordship of Jesus. All throughout Jesus’s ministry, he always stated the same thing, “I must be about my Father’s Business.” In fact Jesus summed it the best when HE stated in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” In a world of change, we find our eternal hope and security in the one thing that never changes: God. Our Response to the Unchanging God (The Application) should be as follows:  Anchor Your Faith: Build your life on His unchanging promises, not shifting sands; Trust & Rely: Lean on His constant power and faithfulness through every storm; Worship & Serve: Don’t just give Him your "leftover" time, talent, and treasure as an act of worship, but truly Acknowledging Him as Ultimate Boss; and lastly, Speak Boldly: Share the unchanging message of reconciliation through Christ with a world in need. This New year let’s make it our goal to grow closer and walk closer to GOD. When people look at us, let’s pray that the see Jesus… in spite of ourselves!

                    On January 11, we preached a message titled, “Hold on to the Promises of GOD,” coming out the Book of Obidiah, a minor prophet. GOD made promises with Abraham that HE’s going to make a whole new start with him, promising him that he would the “father of many nations and people (Gen.12:1-3). In that promise, GOD also gave a warning that if anyone would interfere would face some serious consequences. Obidiah reminded the Edomites, the offspring of Esau, about that promise and explained to them about what GOD was about to do to them. Even though the Israelites were in exile, didn’t change the promise made from GOD to Israel. Edom made a terrible mistake, and they paid dearly for it. He says Edom would disappear off the map, and it has. Where’s Edom today? It’s been overtaken and over run so many times; there’s not even a trace of it anymore. GOD made a promise to Abraham and HE continues to fulfill it. So, no matter what is going in this world, the one thing we all can rely on is GOD with His Love, His Mercy, and His Grace.

                    On January 18, we shifted some gears and preached a message titled, “Won’t you please be my neighbor? And played off a little bit from the PBS program, “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood.” So, question: What is a neighbor? How can we love our neighbors well? Think of a neighbor right now… what are you willing to do for them? One thing for certain is, Good neighbors are hard to come by. In today’s world, everyone is looking out for themselves. We hear phrases like, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world so we got to protect ourselves, because no one else will.” “I’m looking out for numeral uno because I’ve been burned too many times helping others.” The scripture we used came from the Book of Mark 2:1-12, the story of the man with the palsy and his friends brought him to Jesus. The man’s, with the palsy, neighbors went all out for him because they understood that  Good Neighbors are willing to carry the load. They were willing to carry the Load to completetion. In other words, they carried the man and made sure that he got to Jesus. They were not stopped by difficulty and inconvenience, and because of their faith, the man was healed. Have you ever considered that your Faith just might be the missing piece to complete their Faith. Often though, what’s good for your spirit is very often painful to your flesh. GOD wants you to be happy, but more importantly, HE wants you to be HOLY! Those men carried a man to the house where Jesus was, lifted him up on the roof of the house, and lowered him down after tearing up the roof, just o get that man with the palsy to Jesus. What kind of neighbor are you?

                     On January 25, we didn’t meet together due to Inclement weather (Ice Storm). Instead, we did a devotion through our Facebook page. We used the Bible verse, Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand." Fear is a normal reaction to a perceived threat. However, we see repeatedly in God’s Word that He tells us not to be afraid because He is with us. This life is not always easy. Trials, loss, illness, and uncertainties can cause you to doubt. But take heart. You have the God of the universe on your side! The maker of the heavens, Earth, and all that is in it is your strength. Have you ever thought of all the animals on Earth, the different fish of the sea, and all the many galaxies and stars that God created? That is the God who loves you and is with you. When we try to work everything out on our own, trying to control every outcome, we stop relying on God’s plan for our lives. While there is nothing wrong with planning, some things will ultimately be out of our control. In those times, it is reassuring to remember that God will strengthen and uphold us at that moment. He promises to equip us with all that we need. His love never changes. It is an abiding love that never fails. We cannot earn it or lose it. Isn’t that wonderfully reassuring? God promises to uphold us with His righteous right hand, providing constant companionship and comfort. He will never leave us. So, as you go about your day, take notice of the birds of the air and the clouds in the sky, and remember that our amazing Creator is with you. He loves you and desires to have a relationship with you. GOD, the Creator of the Universe wants to have an active relationship with you, flaws and all.

I hope everyone is having an awesome 2026! Until our next meeting, I pray that our LORD may bless you and keep you; may HIS face shine upon and bring your peace. Remember everyone,  GOD loves you!

 

Pastor Sonny