LIVERMORE — At the North Livermore Baptist Church June 12 service, the congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service. The Call to Worship was read and the Invocation/Lord’s Prayer was recited. The hymns that were sung were “Since Jesus Came into my Heart”, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”, and “A Child of the King”. The service ended with “Go Now in Peace.” Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Janet Diaz is the pianist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.
The sermon, titled “God’s Love Letter” and reading the scripture from Romans 5:8. Pastor Bonnie began by asking the congregation if they ever written or received a love letter. How a love letter makes a person feel either by sending one or getting one. You feel special. That is what God does when He gives us a love letter. He makes us feel special, valued, wanted, and very much loved.
God gave us a love letter, His Word, the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, it is a book about all the love God has for His children. Too many times we get so wrapped up in trying to serve God that we forget to love Him. Even Martha in scripture was trying to serve God by staying busy to make everything perfect for Jesus, that she forgot to stop and show Him her love. Mary did, she sat at the feet of Jesus, drinking in all that He was to her, she got that He loved her and she loved Him. Even in all that Job was going through, he stopped and took the time to praise and pour out his love to God. Job never forgot who God was, the loving creator of all.
We see God’s love everywhere we look. We see it in our families, friends, in the joys in our lives, in the air that we breathe. Many times, we get so caught up in our busy lives, that we forget to say thank you God for all we have, to show Him appreciation and our love for Him through our praise and worship of Him. There are many scriptures in the Bible that tells us the love God has for us. A few of them are Romans 8:35, 1 John 4:9-11, Jeremiah 29:11 and the one verse we all know John 3:16. God shows us His love for us through His Son, Jesus who died on a cross to save us. That was God’s love in action. God’s love for us is bigger than the universe, nothing compares to it.
What does God’s love look like? He shows His love to His children every day. He wakes us up every day, He brings blesses to us, He is with us during times of joy and in the times of difficulty. He is never far away from us. He brings peace, comfort, joy, and His presence to His people. How does God show it to us? Through Jesus, His Son. God loved us so much, even as we were sinners, God didn’t want to be separated from us, He sent Jesus to die on a cross and resurrected on the third day to show us that we can live eternally with Him if we only accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus died for.
Why would God do all this? He did it all for you and me, He loved us that much. He was willing to be the biggest sacrifice for us, because He knew we couldn’t do it ourselves. That is pure love. God didn’t want anyone to perish from Him, to be separated from Him, God wanted us to be reconciled back to Him.
God’s love gives us a chance at living with Him in a place He has gone to prepare for us. A place where we will live eternally with Him. A place where God can show us His love in person. Pastor Bonnie ended it with a love letter she wrote to God. She asked the congregation what their love letter would say.
Announcements listed in the bulletin were that the congregation will be collecting canned fruit for the Food Pantry in the month of June. Pastor Bonnie will be out of the office from June 13-15, she will be away at the ABC-USA General Board Meeting. No Bible Study on June 14. We are collecting for One Great Hour of Sharing in the month of June. Vacation Bible School begins July 11 – 15 from 6 – 8 p.m. This year’s VBS theme is “The Big Fish Bay” for ages 4 – 12 years old. The AA meetings are held on Friday nights at the church.
For information, check out our website at northlivermorebaptistchurch.org. You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Monday and Tuesday’s from 9 a.m. to noon.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
