Archive for January 1st, 2012

Posted on January 1, 2012 - by susanm

January 1, 2012

Today’s special message from Jesus Christ is:

John 3:16-17

New International Version (NIV)

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Optional reading pages 14 & 15 from the book The Greatest Words Ever Spoken by Steven K. Scott.

Posted on January 1, 2012 - by techteam

SERMON, JANUARY 1, 2012, GENE SHEPHERD

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Posted on January 1, 2012 - by genes

Start The New Year Off Right

Happy New Year!  

If you really want to have a year that is happy on the deepest of levels, I would urge you to follow the daily Bible reading guide that I have prepared for you.  Compared to the normal, lengthy read I usually suggest, this year’s daily installment will seem quite short.  Any one can find the time to read a few verses each day.  Still, as they say, the best things often come in small packages and our daily reading packages are the best because they come directly from Jesus Christ Himself.  Since we call ourselves Christians, it is imperative that we stay focused on Christ and His directions for life so we can live like Christians.  How else will we know who we are and what we are to do with our lives unless we stay in tune with our role model, Christ Jesus our Lord?

January 1, 2012 - Our first verse for 2012 is one of the most familiar verses in the word –  John 3:16 & 17.  It is about the only verse known well enough to everyone that I can count on audience participation when reciting it aloud in church. Still, the part where voices are loudest is always the first part: 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.  (Although I don’t use the KJV of the Bible to preach, this verse just seems to automatically come out that way.)  When contemplating Christ and what made Him tick you have to begin and end with love.  Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice and rule all spring from the deep love of both God the Father and Jesus Christ the son.  How do we know that?  Because He told us with these propehtic words during the early days of ministry.  I guess you could say that John 3:16 & 17 is rather like a Mission’s Statement about the family business – Salvation Prompted by Love.

Because this verse is such a familiar one, the challenge will be to read and ponder it in a way that seems fresh.  While I am never big ontampering with holy texts, repeat this to yourself several times today as you ponder the verse:  For God so loved (your name) that He gave His only begotten Son that if (your name) believed in Him, (your name) should not perish but have ever lasting life.  For God sent not His son into the world to condemn (your name) but that (your name) might have ever lasting life.  

DON’T FORGET:  Each day’s verse will be posted on this web site at 12:01 AM, so you will always be able to find it here.  Additionally, we have provided a button on the first page you can use to sign up for daily delievery of your verse straight to your email account. 

GRS