1st Presbyterian Church Coeur d'Alene ID
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Joy

1/25/2021

5 Comments

 
Jesus
Others
Yourself
When I was younger I remember my mom telling me that at the start of each day I needed to do something for Jesus, others, and then myself. Doing those things in that order will give you Joy in 
Picture
Blake Miller
your days. I always thought that was a great way to remember how I should think about each day and what God has in plan for you every day. I continue to try and use this during the week and find new ways to bring joy into the world.
First thing that comes to mind is the question "What can we do for Jesus?" What does he want us to do for him? I believe one of the most important things God wants for us is to live like him. 1 John 2:6 "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." As Christians it is our mission to share the gospel, act like him, and shine his light in the world. Each morning, start out by thinking about things you can do for Jesus each day as he continues to do so many amazing things in our lives. Philippians 2:5 "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus."

Next question is "What can we do for others." What are some ways you can do something for others? Help them out with something. Even little things like making someone coffee or warming up their car in the morning. Send someone a message asking how you can pray for them. Plan times to gather together for coffee, bible study, worship together, fellowship. Send a message or leave a note with uplifting words to build others up. Those are some things that came to mind when thinking about what I can do that day for others. John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

The last question to have each day is "What can we do for ourselves?" What are things that we need to do each day to achieve Joy in our lives? In the mornings, some things we can do for ourselves is spend time in prayer, devotion, and worship. We need to stay righteous with our thoughts, what we watch, what we say, and how we act. 1 John 3:7 "Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." Also, what we can do for ourselves is eat healthy, exercise, and give ourself mental breaks when needed. Things I like to do for myself is practice some of my hobbies, gifts, talents, and express them.

Each day when you wake up think about doing things in the order of Jesus, others, and yourself to bring you the joy that God has in store for you each day. This week, I Pray that God will protect us and keep us safe, that he will keep our minds and hearts focused on him, and I Pray for an abundance of Joy in our lives. Have a blessed week, First Presbyterian Family.

​In His name,

Blake
5 Comments

Patience

1/18/2021

1 Comment

 
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.    Psalm 27:14
Waiting is one of God’s tools to get our attention. In some ways, the Bible’s title could be The Great Wait. The cast of characters could be the Great Waiters.
​
Noah waited for the rain. Daniel waited through the night with a den full of lions. David waited in the cave. Abraham and Sarah ​waited 25 years for the arrival of their promised son, Isaac, ​after
Picture
Chris Gray
waiting an entire lifetime to even get the promise in the first place.

And it goes on, Joseph waited 13 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Moses waited 40 years to be called by God. Paul waited in prison and even Jesus waited 30 years to begin His ministry, though He was well equipped long before. If God asked even Jesus to wait, why do I think he should speed up my process?

What I love most about the Great Waiters of the Bible is that they were flawed. They were people just like me: working on pleasing God but falling short. Some of them got it, but...most didn’t, which comforts me since I usually don’t get it either. The Great Waiters were no better at waiting than I am.

So, what do the Bible stories of the Great Waiters show me about waiting? How did they occupy themselves while they waited?

While Noah waited for the rain, he got busy with what he had; a lot of wood and some specific measurements. As Daniel waited, he remained faithful in prayer and firm in his convictions. While Joseph waited in prison, he didn’t waste his energy on the question, “Why?” Instead, I get the sense he focused his sights on, “What should I do now?” He did his best with each small task given him, and he stayed close to God. His situation began to turn around; he was ready for every opportunity because he had not wasted his time. Likewise, Job, David, Paul and even Jesus waited patiently.
​
And the moral of these stories? There is always work to be done while waiting. Sometimes the work is hands-on or physical and other times it is a solitary journey of soul-searching. Or it can be a discipline of noticing, a practice of being alert and aware. Sometimes it is about being patient, loving and present. If we choose to surrender to the moment, to believe the moment is part of a larger story and we embrace the longing, the waited is never wasted.

Blessings,
Chris

Inspired by the author Tricia Lott Willford
1 Comment

Hope

1/11/2021

1 Comment

 
I had to turn off the news again. I don’t want to be ignorant of what is going on in the world, but I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious again. I needed to turn my focus away from things I cannot do anything about and focus on the One that is in control of all things, again.
Picture
Stephanie Rogge
Again, here I am again! While 2020 caused me to put my trust and hope in Christ more than any other time in my life, I find that I still need daily renewal. I have to say I am more aware of when I am changing my focus from where it should be. I am quicker to seek His face and get back on course. I don’t ever want to get to a point where I lose hope.
​

Hope. Have you ever really meditated on what that word means? Hope is commonly used to mean a wish: its strength is the strength of the person's desire. If my “hope” solely relied on something I wish would  happen, I would be miserable, because things often do not happen as I would like.
​

But in the Bible hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness.

Romans 8:24-25
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
​
Hebrews 11:1
11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
​
Because Christ is my savior, I can tell Him all my desires and fears and know that He cares. My hope is knowing that as His child, I can rely on His promises and that He is faithful to fulfill them. I’m thankful that I can place my hope on the One who knows my future so that I can have peace in the present.


Your friend in Christ,
Stephanie
1 Comment

My New Year’s Resolution

1/4/2021

3 Comments

 
This time of year it seems that everyone has a new goal, a resolution.  Sometimes I get conflicting directions about how to develop a goal. Make it big! Shoot for the stars, and if I miss my goal, I may still hit the moon! Others say the opposite: make the goal small, reasonable, manageable, attack the goal in tiny bits and pieces. So I now have two issues to wrestle with: 1) what should my new goal be, and 2) which strategy - the big approach or small approach - affords me the optimal chance for success?
Picture
Kent Kimball

My goal: This year I want to be more like Jesus. I know; that goal is so huge that I'm not sure how I even begin to wrap my arms around it. But this post I found online should help, so I'm going to adopt this Christian's strategy:
​
  • Hang out with sinners.
  • Upset religious people.
  • Tell stories that make people think.
  • Choose unpopular friends.
  • Be kind, loving, and merciful.
  • Take naps on boats.​

So, this is my New Year's resolution for 2021. I'll have to wait awhile to implement at least one of the strategies; after all, it's not quite boating weather on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Here's hoping as I shoot for the stars that I get a little closer to hitting the moon.

In His Service,
​Kent

3 Comments

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 First Presbyterian Church | 521 Lakeside Ave | Coeur d'Alene | ID  83814
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  • Home
    • Connect With Us >
      • Prayer Request
      • eNews Archive >
        • 2020 eNews Archive
  • Who We Are
    • Our Mission
    • Leadership & Staff >
      • Job Opportunities
      • Blogs >
        • Blog Archive 2021
        • Blog Archive 2020
    • Elders, Deacons & Ministry Teams >
      • Christmas Families
      • Annual Clothing Givewaway
    • History >
      • Past Ministers
    • What Presbyterians Believe
    • Annual Reports
  • Ministries
    • Children & Families
    • Youth
    • Missions
    • Serve >
      • Choir
      • Church Ministry Teams
      • Ecumenical Kitchen
      • Family Promise
      • Handbell Choir
      • Knitting for Warmth
      • Praise Team
      • Reception Team
    • Grow >
      • Book Studies
      • Men's Fellowship
      • Presbyterian Women
      • Sunday Bible Study
      • Women's Circles
    • Connect >
      • Dinners at 6-ish
      • Flying Solo
  • Sundays
    • Classic Worship
    • Contemplative Worship
    • Sermons
  • Giving