“Believers Having The Mind Of Christ”
(Philippians 2:5-11)
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
The Apostle Paul actually commanded the Philippians to develop the same mind as Christ. Our thought process and attitude should be the same as Christ. When we are faced with decisions, we should ask ourselves what decisions would Jesus make if faced with the same decisions. Like Paul, I encourage each of us to develop a mindset like Christ Jesus. If we practice thinking like Jesus, we will make fewer mistakes and experience less stress.
Announcements
Spirit-Filled Worship Celebrations: We have been experiencing a hallelujah time every Sunday since we reopened. Without exaggerating, our morning Worship Celebrations are high-spirited like a Revival, for God is definitely doing a new thing at St. John! Therefore, plan to worship with us this Sunday in person or online (live streaming or podcast), and please share this information with others. To learn more about our online Worship Celebrations and Ministries, you may visit our website (sjmbc.org).
St. John Safety Protocol: We are still adhering to our church safety protocols. Temperatures will continue to be checked and hand sanitizing will continue to be urged upon entering, social distancing will continue to be applied regarding where people shall sit and walk, wearing masks will continue to be strongly encouraged, utilization of restrooms will continue to be restricted to 2-4 people at a time (depending on the size of the restroom), and congregating before and after Services will continue to be prohibited. We ask everyone to arrive at least 10 minutes before Worship Celebrations begin to ensure safe and comfortable seating.
Church School: Our Church School is prodigious! We strongly encourage everyone to participate in our Church School (formerly called Sunday School) which convenes Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. The teachers and curriculum are the same as they have been, and the teachers are doing a great job weekly preparing and presenting their lessons. In order for St. John to continue to have a great Church School, more of us need to participate, so we appeal to everyone (members and non-members of St. John) to log on to our online Church School via our website (sjmbc.org). You will be blessed as a result, and you can choose the class that you desire to attend.
St. John Graduates: Congratulations to all St. John 2021 graduates! We want our graduates to know that St. John values each of you and each of your achievements which is why we are conferring financial scholarships and gifts to them. To graduate from Preschool to Elementary School, from Elementary School to Middle School, from Middle School to High School, from High School to College or from College to a Destined Career is an achievement. We encourage our graduates to embrace Philippians 4:13 which states: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Moreover, we commend the parents of our graduates for providing the resources through Christ for our graduates, and we further commend the parishioners of our church for financially supporting our Scholarship Ministry (led by Min. Peggy Alexander) to bless our graduates with scholarships and gifts.
Pastor Edification Month: Unfortunately, last year we were not able to celebrate Pastor Edification Month due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, if God is willing, August is Pastor Edification Month, and we will be celebrating my 27th year as Pastor of St. John. In each Worship Celebration throughout the month of August, a parishioner will encourage the pastor with a one-minute edification. If you appreciate the 27 years (especially these last 17 months) that the pastor has served St. John, demonstrate it at some point in the month of August.
It’s Blessing Time!
We thank those of you who have been supporting St. John financially. With everything that we have done and are doing, your financial contributions are needed. We currently give in person during Sunday Morning Worship Celebrations, by mailing or dropping off our Tithes and Offerings at our Administration Building or South Campus, or by giving online through our website (sjmbc.org). If you are financially able but not supporting St. John financially, allow God to bless you with more by giving today your Tithes and Offerings.
May God bless and sustain each of us.
Your Servant In Christ,
Dr. Kevin B. Hall, Pastor