SERMON NOTES:

Prayer Requests
Y Pray that many quality people will apply for the Music Leader position. Y Pray for Tawny Zbanski, a co-worker of Sally Leitch, who is struggling. Y For Sheri Varshos son who is struggling with headaches. Y Pray for radical healing of cancer for John Leggate whos been fighting for several years. Y For Kevin & Nancy Amundsens nephew, Wyatt LaBaw, to be safe in combat zones over the next 8 months in Afganistan. Y For Kaelyn Owens mother Miah as she has had 5 surgeries in the past month and a half, and is not doing well. Pray for recovery. Y For the recovery of Pam & Kevin Van Meters son Steven, who broke his leg and fractured his ankle. Also please remember him as a Marine currently in Yorktown, VA. Y For two of Gary Wassams former students at Peace Presbyterian Church. Katie Twedell, 22, who is recovering from brain surgery. Andy Hall, 24, who is recovering from two surgeries to combat his testicular cancer. Y For Ward Sessing who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Y For Josh Dochniaks Uncle Tim who will be receiving surgery for prostate cancer. Y David Weems, who is struggling with job and personal issues. Y Pray for Kevin & Nancy Amundsens brother-in-law Harold Martin who was diagnosed with cancer and will be having 35 radiation treatments. Y Tom Umscheid, the husband of Pastor Pauls cousin, who is going through cancer treatment in Rochester.

Y Pray for John Thiessen as he undergoes chemo for his ureter/kidney/lymph-node cancer. Y Pray for Jennifers sister Rebecca Klein as their family go through divorce. Y Pray for Angelicas friend Ann, a friend and colleague, who is receiving treatment for breast cancer. Y Pray for persons and process involved in property purchase for COL.

DEVOTION
The New Testament is a wonderful collection of books and letters. The 27 books are made up of four gospels or stories, one book of history (Acts), and the rest is a collection of letters. The following six passages are significant passages in the New Testament. They give us a flavor of this collection of 27 books. Enjoy! Comments about the devotion can be Emailed to pastor@colpres.org

Monday, April 16 Read Mark 1:1-7, Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 15:1-7

Each of these stories is foundational to the Gospels. In the Mark story, John Markthe author of Markshared the beginning of the good news or gospel. In the Matthew story, Matthew shared that followers of Jesus Christ are light of the worldour task is to share the light that is within us. In the Luke story, Luke shared how we are called to go out of our way to find people who have gotten away from the flock, that is from God and the church. If someone said the word, Gospel what images would come to your mind? These stories reveal that the gospel is sharing light and love with the people we encounter.

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As you pray today, pray that you can share light and love. Pray that through your words and actions you can share the gospel.

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This letter is a beautiful example of Paul appealing to the better side of Philemon. Paul spoke of Philemons responsibility towards Onesimus. Paul believe that Philemon had a responsibility to treat Onesimus as more than just a slave. God is always appealing to our better side and wants us to live this way. As you pray today, ask God for your better side to come out. Pray that we at Chain of Lakes will always be able to share our better side with each other and with the world.

4 Friday, April 20 Read Hebrews 4:14-Hebrews 5:10

Hebrews doesnt fit into most categories in the New Testament. Over time people became aware that it wasnt written by Paul and it isnt categorized with the General or Catholic Letters. In this passage the writer of Hebrews shared a basic message about Jesus as our high priest. Throughout Hebrews we read about the primacy of Jesus. Jesus is more important than angels, Moses and anyone or anything else that people could put in front of Jesus. All of us are susceptible to putting something in front of Jesus. What do we put in front of Jesus? What is more important to us than our relationship to Jesus? As you pray today, be open with God about this. God is very interested in our reflections.

Tuesday, April 17 Read Acts 16:16-40

Acts is a story that started with Jesus ascending into heaven and ended with the apostle Paul in Rome about to be killed in a terrible persecution started by the Roman Emperor, Nero. In between, Acts is a story of the development of the church. In this story Paul shared the wonderful story of healing a slave girl. This healing can cause us to rejoice thousands of years later. This girl was liberated from terrible oppression by Paul. Often when the gospel and such miracles happen, forces of resistance happen. In this story the slave owner was that force of resistance. He had Paul and Silas thrown into prison on a false charge. What sources of resistance do we experience? How have we noticed resistance to the marvelous workings of God in our lives? As you pray today, pray that God would help overcome these forces of resistance. In this story Paul and Silas left prison. The forces of resistance were overcome. This can happen in our lives too.

Thursday, April 19 Read James 1

James is part of the General or Catholic (Universal) letters. These letters were not written by Paul. The other General letters are 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, & Jude. James is a book for people who like to do faith. Martin Luther wanted James taken out of the people because of the books focus on works. Verses 2-4 are especially meaningful: Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. Can you think of a recent or current trial that you are considering. Is it possible to give thanks for that trial because youve developed endurance? Or could you pray for endurance through this trial? This endurance can be a wonderful quality for us to have. Pray for this and for anyone who we know that is going through a trial.

Saturday, April 21 Read Revelation 3:14-22

The start of the book of Revelation is a set of seven letters to seven different churches. John was the writer of Revelation. In this passage John shared a message with the church at Laodicea. He was critical of the people because they were lukewarm in their faith. They were neither hot nor cold. John preferred that they would be one or the other. He told them that Jesus is knocking on their door waiting to come in. From this passage comes the picture of Jesus knocking on the door.

Wednesday, April 18 Read Philemon

The book of Philemon is one of the shortest in the Bibleonly 25 verses. In the book Paul, who identified himself as an old man (see verse 9)appealed to Philemon to release a slave by the name of Onesimus. Paul had a relationship with Onesimus and had become very close to him.

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What temperature would you describe your personal faith. Talk about this God during your prayer time today.