The Conference needed a place for Mary after her ordination. She will be appointed senior pastor of St. Matthew. She will do a fine job.

This is an involuntary ending of my 44-year history with this church. April 19 will be my last Sunday. (Although I will remain senior pastor until July 1st.)

I have no concept of my life without ministry, so I will be doing something somewhere. I will see what God has next for me.

My biggest concern is for those for whom my ministry may be important in their lives. I cannot help but feel that I am deserting people, leaving people behind that may need me, although I had nothing to do with this decision.

But we know that God is working. As I have always told you, life goes on. We will see where God leads.

Join Me on Facebook

I made the invitation on Sunday for folks to join me on Facebook. This will be one way I can stay in touch with people after I am no longer at St. Matthew. I welcomed 35 new friends to my Facebook page this evening. This includes several people who watch the services online.

Memorial Service

This Saturday at 11:00, we will have the memorial service at the church for Diana Eades’ sister, who passed away a few weeks ago. You are invited to share in this time of love and remembrance. May the Lord and our love be with this family.

Pastor’s Class

The class will continue for two more weeks, ending on Palm Sunday. For these two weeks, at 9:45, followed by breakfast.

Breakfast

It’s a “We-bring Sunday.”
Bring something good.

At 10:30, before worship.

Holy Week and Easter are coming.
This is a great season in the church.
Expect a wonderful Sunday.
See you in worship.

God Bless
[email protected]

This Sunday

Sermon this Sunday—The Power of Trust
What holds us back from God?
What stands between us and God?

In the scripture this Sunday, a paralyzed man has complete trust in Jesus to fix his situation and goes to extraordinary lengths to get what stands between him and the Lord out of the way.

The anthem, a beautiful arrangement of The Old Rugged Cross, will come right after the sermon this week, not right before it.

Pastor’s Class

We will consider the most remarkable experience I have ever had—a time when God answered a prayer in a way I did not think possible, even for God.

That’s at 9:45.

Breakfast

It’s a “Winston Sunday.”
Feel free to help.
At 10:30—before worship.

This is a great season in the church.
Expect a wonderful Sunday.
See you in worship.

God Bless
[email protected]

Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday.
“Spring forward.” Set your clocks ahead and lose an hour of sleep.

Already I miss it.

Personally, I could use some sleep right now. Physical therapy day always wears me out. But I can tell it is helping. The treadmill helps too. Getting there—slowly but surely.

This Sunday

The sermon is titled “The System Is Working.”

Most people believe we are part of a broken system. God made the world, something went wrong, and now we are stuck living in the mess. But that is not what Jesus says. His message is far more hopeful. Life, it turns out, is better than we often think. Come and be uplifted.

The choir will also share something special. What did church music sound like in the time of Shakespeare? We will find out as the choir performs an anthem by Orlando Gibbons, who died in 1625. Beautiful—and fascinating.

Pastor’s Class

We will be talking about the purpose of life.

And yes—we believe we actually know what it is.

Class begins at 9:45 AM.

Breakfast

It is a “We-Bring Sunday.”

Which means the breakfast comes from all of us. Good food and good fellowship.

Breakfast begins at 10:30 AM, before worship.

This is a great season in the life of the church.

See you Sunday.

God Bless,
Max
[email protected]

Last Sunday, I shared two powerful conversion stories. One was Patrick Glynn, once an agnostic, who encountered Raymond Moody’s book Life After Life and suddenly realized he “had been wrong about everything.” The second was David Rolfe, a filmmaker from the UK who set out to debunk the Shroud of Turin. Instead, after examining the evidence, he became convinced—and joined the church.

We’re not doing play-like. Jesus is the real thing. We have a Savior, and life goes on forever.

As we walk with our Lord toward the cross this Lenten season, we are reminded each Sunday that even though life can be hard, it comes with a promise. We will make it. Nothing can stop us. Nothing can separate us from God’s love.

Pastor’s Class

We’re having a good time in Pastor’s Class—it’s worth getting to church a little earlier. Every week, life looks a little better—and a lot more mysterious. Join us in our quest to better understand who God is, what God is doing in our lives, and who we are becoming. We meet at 9:45 a.m.

Breakfast

This Sunday is a “Winston Sunday.” Feel free to lend a hand. Breakfast begins at 10:30 a.m., just before worship.

This Sunday — Lent Two

Mary will be preaching, and the choir will offer a beautiful anthem: Arise, My Soul, Arise.

One More Thing

In one month—on Palm Sunday, March 29—we’ll gather for dinner to mark the beginning of Holy Week. We’ll also celebrate Keith Butterfield’s 99th birthday, making up for the dinner that had to be canceled when Keith became ill. So yes—let’s order that birthday cake again.

This is a great season in the church.

See you Sunday.
God bless

ASH WEDNESDAY—6:00 p.m. tonight—if you are reading this the day it arrives—begins “the journey to the cross.”

Why come to worship tonight?

Lent is about giving our time and attention to Jesus Christ in a sacrificial way for 40 days. Is it convenient to come to church on a Wednesday evening? No. Of course not.

That’s the point.
That’s where the sacrifice comes in.

Brief message tonight: “No Pain, No Gain.”

We will receive the ashes of repentance and kneel at the altar for prayer.

Our journey in the footsteps of Jesus, as he moves toward the cross, begins.

Ash Wednesday—6:00 p.m.

This Sunday

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Mary was scheduled to preach, but her 100-year-old uncle passed away, and she will be traveling to West Texas for the funeral. Our love goes with her. She will be with us tonight for Ash Wednesday.

My sermon on Sunday will ask the question: Why doesn’t God do it the easy way?

God could make Himself known to everyone in the world in an instant.
One shout from heaven and a great light display would do it.

But God does not do that.

Why?

Sermon Sunday: Why Not the Easy Way?

The choir will begin Lent with a bit of Mozart.

Pastor’s Class

At 9:45, we will consider the most challenging experience we have discussed yet. If this happened, the world simply does not work the way we think it does.

Breakfast

It’s another “We-Bring Sunday.”
Help make it a good time of food and fellowship.
Thank you for helping.

10:30—before worship.

Prayer List

Please add Judy Reeves to our prayer list. Joe and Joe Christian Adams took John Reeves to a doctor’s appointment on Monday. While there, Judy developed a heart issue. As of Monday evening, she is at Medical City Arlington awaiting test results.

John and Judy have had more than their share lately. Please keep them in your prayers.

God Bless,
[email protected]

See you tonight?
Sunday?
This is a beautiful season in which we center our lives on the Center of our lives.