NO. LIVERMORE — At the Feb. 11 North Livermore Baptist Church service, the congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service. The Invocation/Lord’s Prayer were recited. The hymns that were sung were “He Keeps Me Singing” “Tell Me the Old, Old Story”, and “He Touched Me”. The service ended with “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.
The sermon, titled “Now What Do I Do?” and scriptures from Mark 1:29-31. Pastor Bonnie began asking if anyone had ever been at a crossroad in their life and wondered what the next step would be. When a job is lost, a relationship falls apart, bills come in and no money available, etc. We have all been there during our lives.
In the scriptures that was read, Peter’s mother-in-law was in bed sick. It says that Jesus went to her and took her hand and helped her up. As she took Jesus’ hand and stood up, the fever left her. She was completely healed. She was healed because she obeyed Jesus when He told her to get up. What does she do? She starts serving the people that were there.
She was completely healed, probably never felt better in her life, because she was healed by Jesus. When we become born again through Jesus Christ, we are healed from the sickness that causes death. We are healed to help and to serve others in Jesus’ name. When we help and serve others we are responding in faith and we will find joy and more blessings than we could ever dream of.
Another person in the Bible that asks, “now what do I do” is Paul. For many years, Paul was putting Christians to death because of their faith in Jesus. Until he found faith in Jesus and changed his life around.
Paul realized that when he changed his ways, he saw the love, compassion, grace, and forgiveness that God showed him. Paul wrote about these things in many books of the Bible. He could write about these things to comfort us as he experienced the same comfort from God.
From Dale Carnegie, “Just for Today”, gives us ways to express what God wants from His children. Just for today, I will be happy, just for today, I will take care of myself, just for today, I will strengthen my mind and learn something useful. Just for today, I will do something for someone and not let anyone know, just for today, I will live for today, and today only, and not try and tackle life problems all at once.
Just for today, I will take time by myself and relax with God, reading His Word, and praying. If we want to live out our lives the way God intends, with peace and happiness, we need to think and act it.
Paul also taught us, that even though he lost everything, his wealth, family and friends, to follow Jesus, he gains so much more in Jesus. Maybe, our life seems hard here on earth, but as children of the King, we have an inheritance waiting for us when we leave this world for our eternal world.
The year 2023 is behind us, and God has seen us through it. Many people had a rough year, others did pretty well. We may be wondering “now what do I do?” in 2024.
God wants us to remember that He is still on the throne and active in our lives, He wants us to wait patiently on His plans for our lives, to continue reading His Word and living it out in our lives, to allow the Holy Spirit to be revealed in our hearts, continue in prayer, and seek out His wisdom.
Announcements listed in the bulletin are that the congregation will be collecting canned Carrots for the Food Pantry in February. Bible Study: Tuesday at 1 p.m.
You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Tuesday’s from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
