On October 15, 2023 we begin the series, “The Struggle is Still Real.” Chaplain Jonathon Maloney will be sharing the kick-off message to this weeklong series offering help for the struggles that we all face. Each evening of this week we will focus on a different specific issue which people report encountering these days. The format for the weeknight sessions will be a Panel Discussion with opportunity for questions from the audience, in person or online. Our panel will consist of Pastor Bill Crane, Pastor Anthony Collison, Chaplain Jim Asher and Chaplain Jonathon Maloney. (Here’s the link to post anonymous questions online. If we have time we will attempt to answer the questions in the order received.) Plan to join us each evening. If you can join us in person at 3608 Richlands Hwy, Jacksonville, NC 28540, come early each weeknight at 6:30 for a meal before the 7 p.m. session. If you are unable to join us in person, plan to join us for the 45 minute (approximately) portion that will be live-streamed on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. TOPICS Sunday – Intro Monday – “Why am I so sad?” Tuesday – “Why do I struggle with money?” Wednesday – “Why are relationships so hard?” Thursday – “What do I do next?” Friday – “Why is loss so difficult?”
Galatians 6:9 NLT “9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
Have you ever been so tired that you just wanted to quit? Often we work hard, but don’t see much evidence of positive results from that work. The temptation is to give up in frustration!
My few attempts at being a gardener had more than their fair share of frustration! Seeds that didn’t sprout and plants that never bore fruit! Tender plants that were eaten by wildlife! Crops destroyed by fungi and insects! Have you ever experienced this? It is enough to make you move on to another hobby!
However, if we want to eat, someone has to do the hard work of tilling, planting, cultivating, weeding, and harvesting! I, for one, am glad for all the farmers who put in the hard work that make it possible for me to eat at mealtime!
Paul calls his fellow Christians in the area of Galatia to persevere, even if they encounter hard times! The work of Christian ministry, loving, helping, serving, is often not easy! But Paul says in Galatians 6:9 NLT, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good.” Ever been there? Tired of doing good?! I suspect that Paul understood that feeling clearly! (If you don’t think so, read what he writes in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 about all that he has endured while trying to do good.)
Then Paul tells the folks in Galatia why they should persevere in doing what is good, “At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9b NLT) This reminds me that the harvest often takes longer to mature than I would hope! I suspect that the Lord is probably trying to teach me patience! Just as our garden or farm crops don’t mature overnight, neither do we, nor do the “seeds” we sow. We are called to trust the Lord to bring our harvest to maturity at just the right time.
Paul’s words also remind me that I am to reject the temptation to quit when I get tired, or when it all seems “too much,” or when I’m not seeing the results I expected…or for any other excuse! Paul says we will “reap a harvest of blessing”…that is, the harvest is certain!! If we are planting good seed (as God’s word calls us to), we will, without doubt, reap a harvest of blessing! The only way we would fail to reap that good harvest is if we give up! How sad it would be if we gave up just before “the right time!”
So, I am choosing to keep on doing good…whether I see results now or not! The promise is clear. I will reap a harvest of blessing, if I DON’T GIVE UP! So, join me in keeping faith for a harvest of blessing as we serve others in Jesus’ name!
Would you treat a molehill like a mountain? Ridiculous, right? But have I ever blown anything out of proportion? Have I ever reacted like it was “the end of the world” when something went wrong that turned out to be a temporary problem?
Can you relate? Is it possible to do this in our spiritual life also? Jesus challenged His listeners about this in Matthew 23 (NIV)
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Jesus reprimanded the religious leaders of His day because they were majoring on minor issues. They were focused on the wrong things, and in so doing ignored the most important things!
Lord, help me to evaluate whether I have fallen into the same trap of focusing on the minor issues to the exclusion of the most important ones. Remind me to make loving God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength and loving my neighbor as myself my central focus!
Jesus reminded His disciples that the temple in Jerusalem was intended to be a “house of prayer for all nations.” (See Mark 11:17 NIV “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?”
– What would it look like for Faith Church to become a “house of prayer?” What would it look like for prayer to become a noticeable characteristic of our church family?
– What does it mean to be a house of prayer for all nations? Would it mean to welcome, make space for, people from any and all nations? Would it mean to pray for all nations? Is there a convenient way for us to pray specifically for people groups (“nations”) around the world?
Here is one way to be prompted to pray for the people groups around the world. See the photo below that is courtesy of unreachedoftheday.org. The photo will update each day to display a different people group for which you can pray.
Bookmark this post and return frequently, or daily, to pray for all nations!
Sometimes folk ask us, “What do Nazarenes believe?” or perhaps “How do Nazarenes believe they should live?” If you are a member of our church, we encourage you to review the linked document, at least once a year. If you are interested in becoming a member, please review it as well. Then let us know if you have been looking for folk like us who do our best to take the Bible seriously and believe that our faith was meant to be lived!
Pray this prayer from King David each day this week.
If you want your life to change for the best, sincerely pray the prayer of King David (Psalm 139:23-24) each day this week. Then, if you want to take the next step on this journey, accept the challenge to read one chapter each day from the Gospel of John (click HERE to see Chapters 1-6), and pray for the Holy Spirit to live in you and guide you to change for the best!
“Living on Mission” – We hosted special sessions online the week of May 17th-23rd. We hosted special guests joining us most evenings talking about how to live out Jesus’ mission in our lives, in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our everyday worlds. Part of the sessions were interactive, allowing us to ask questions of our guests. You can find the sessions on Facebook & YouTube. Some of our guests included Dave & Lora Seymour (pastoring in Concord, formerly missionaries in New Zealand, Joe & Beth Heath (formerly missionaries in South Africa), Russ & Carla Fraizer (missionaries in Kenya), and Matt & Sara Marshall (Navy Chaplain and former missionaries in Africa).
I used to think of God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn’t really know Him.
But later on, when I met Jesus, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Jesus was in the back helping me pedal. I didn’t know just when it was He suggested we change, but life has not been the same since I took the back-seat to Jesus, my Lord. He makes life exciting. When I had control, I thought I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places and at break-through speeds; it was all I could do to hank on! Even though it often looked like madness, He said, “Pedal!” I was worried and anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into adventure. And when I’d say, “I’m scared,” He’d lean back and touch my hand.
He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, my Lord’s and mine. And we were off again. He said, “Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight.” So I did, to the people we met, and I found in giving I received, and still our burden was light.
I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He’d wreck it, but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it drift to take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus.
And when I’m sure I just can’t do any more, He just smiles and says… “Pedal.”
(This was shared in our Wednesday evening Zoom session, Feb. 10, 2021)
Have you ever looked back on a completed year and wondered what you really accomplished? At the beginning of a new year is a great time for assessment of the past year and for making plans for the new one. However, sometimes this can be a discouraging task. Most ambitious folk will probably look back and feel that they should have done more. If we aren’t careful we can lapse into comparisons…” by this age ____ had already changed the world…and I’ve done nothing!”
Well, can we all do two things?1) Take a chill pill!The only person who has totally changed the world in a moment is God!“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1, 3)Creating light for the first time?!Now that’s changing the world!Did you know that the Hebrew verb used in Genesis 1:1 for “created” is used in the Bible with only one subject…only one person does this act of creating:God!Is it possible that we fall prey to the temptation to try to expect too much of ourselves?Chill out a bit this year!Only God can create something out of nothing!
The second thing we can do is:2) Do something small today, and every day!They say that the way to eat an elephant is…one bite at a time!Invariably when I hear of someone who accomplished great things, if I investigate the account more deeply, I find that the person’s great accomplishments were the result of a long, long path filled with almost daily hard work.The small, unsung, daily tasks prepared that person to be able to accomplish what became visible to the world.But not many people take note of the countless hours invested in the foundation that made the notable accomplishments possible.The lesson here is to be faithful in following the gifts, abilities and passion that God has invested in you!Or as Eugene Peterson put it: we need to pursue “a long obedience in the same direction.”
So, what I am trying to do this first week of the New Year is this:1) realistically assess how things went last year, learn what I can, and remember Rome wasn’t built in a day…or a year!2) Remind myself of the God-given gifts, abilities and passion that I am responsible to shepherd and nourish in this coming year.Then pick out some simple things I can do on a daily or weekly basis to build a foundation using these gifts God has given me.The Bible never says that anyone but God created anything, but it does record that people “fashioned” things (see Ex. 39:8).That is, we can take what God has already created and do something useful with it!So ask yourself three questions:
What has God given you the ability to do?
If you could do anything, what would you do?
When do you feel most fulfilled?
Then ask yourself:What could I do today to live out the answer to these questions?Do a little bit of that every day this year!
If you do that, just imagine what your annual review will reveal on January 1, next year!!I can’t wait to hear about it!
We have a class for those wanting to learn English. If you know someone who might be interested, please share the news! The 12-week class will meet on Sunday afternoons from 4:30-7:00 p.m.
Aprende Inglés gratis Hablar es confianza -Entorno de aprendizaje divertido y seguro. -Instrucción en el aula con escenas de películas, juegos y ayudas visuales. -Entrenadores de inglés para ayudar con la pronunciación y gramática. -Hacer nuevos amigos. Domingos, a partir del 16 de enero de 2022, de 16:30 a 19:00 h. El curso es de 12 semanas. Para más información llame al: (910)382-9096
Jacksonville Faith Church of the Nazarene hosts the Tragedy into Triumph series to provide real help & hope to people all over Onslow County who are hurting.
[Published March 17, 2021] Jacksonville Faith Church is pleased to announce the nationwide simulcast of the Tragedy into Triumph Series, which will features well known athletes, authors and people in the news from April 20-22, 2021. This series will show how God can bring triumphant change into our lives, even in the midst of tragedy. This is event is free to the public and is being simulcast exclusively to the church’s location at: 3608 Richlands Hwy, Jacksonville, NC 28550
Leading up to the simulcast events April 20-22, Pastor Bill Crane will share a sermon series, “Tragedy into Triumph” which will focus on Jesus’ tragedy into triumph story on Palm Sunday (March 28th) and Easter Sunday (April 4th), and the tragedy into triumph stories of Joseph and Moses (April 11th and 18th). This will lay the foundation for hearing stories from people in our day who have also seen God work to turn tragedy into triumph.
On Tuesday (4/20 @ 7:00 pm) Pattie Mallette, mother of Justin Bieber will share how abuse, addiction, and bad decisions almost led to her destruction, until she found Jesus.
On Wednesday (4/21 @ 7:00 pm) Kylie Bisutti, former Victoria’s Secret Super Model, will share what happens when you accept Christ, and walk away from the “self” oriented modeling industry.
On Thursday (4/22 @ 7:00 pm) Chad Williams, US Navy Seal, will share how God has led his life through adversity.
Please plan to join us for these special events!
For more information go to www.tn2tsimulcast.org (or www.jaxnaz.org, see Blog page) or call 910-353-0221.
Faith Church has called its members and friends to join us in a focused time of prayer during our “Preparing for the Harvest” emphasis. Our Prayer Vigil will be held on Saturday, January the 16th from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. You are invited to pick a block of time, of any length, to join us in prayer for the needs of our community, our nation, and our world, as well as your own personal needs. The Prayer Vigil will be hosted at our church, 3608 Richlands Hwy, Jacksonville, NC, with social distancing protocols. Follow the link above for the online resources so that you can participate right where you are!
Some items that might be helpful for your prayer time: Bible, notebook, pencil or pen, and or devotional book.
The Board of General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene has called our church to a week of prayer and fasting. Here is their call for us to join in this essential work during the week of January 11-17th, 2021:
We have just completed celebrating the season of Advent and the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus came fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
What happens in one part of the world is not isolated but impacts us all. This is certainly true as we reflect upon the pandemic and the ways in which it has touched the whole world. This can also be said of political unrest, which creates uncertainty and destabilization around the globe. It is in these precarious times that God’s people turn toward the sure and certain hope that is found in Jesus Christ.
As followers of Jesus, we seek ways to be loving, forgiving, and charitable. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He reminds us: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). He continues by telling us that we are called to be salt and light in our world: “… let your light shine before people, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Like the Lord we follow, we are called to be peacemakers and to have a positive impact as salt and light in our world. This cannot be done apart from God’s grace experienced through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the Board of General Superintendents is calling the global Church of the Nazarene to a week of prayer and fasting beginning on Monday, 11 January. When the church joins in prayer and acts in unanimity with Jesus’ vision, we are assured that God will do what we cannot.
Please, join us each day of the week as we focus on the need for spiritual renewal within the Church and for healing of the great divides in our world.
Monday — Pray for spiritual renewal and revival to come to the Church.
Tuesday — Pray for peace and opportunities to show Christ’s love to others.
Wednesday — Pray for the persecuted church around the world and for our missionaries.
Thursday — Pray for those who are suffering as a result of the global pandemic.
Friday — Pray for unity among God’s people and for healing across the nations.
Saturday — Pray for those who have yet to come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Sunday — Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us again so that we may be empowered to be Christlike in this world.
Do you ever face fear in your life? If so, please plan to join us this coming week, September 13-20, for our special emphasis “Facing Down Fear!” We will focus on a Biblical approach to the fears we encounter in life.
The Sermons on each Sunday (the 13th & the 20th) will share a story from the Bible of folk who had to face down fear. Also, each evening at 7 p.m. we will be posting a short devotional on Facebook and/or YouTube which will also help us learn how to “face down fear.”
Sunday – 13th – “Who Can Rescue You?” – 1 hour & 7 minutes – message begins at 27 minutes
A. Sunday School class at 9:30 a.m. Go to Zoom.us If prompted, enter Meeting ID: 374 550 875 Due to security requirements, you will now need a password. Text us the word “Unfailing” at 910-216-4511 for the password. Please download the Zoom app and join us FREE!
B. Worship Music: We encourage you to spend time worshipping the Lord with music, using this Playlist (or one of your own): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlFD6pq8u-pekUs8DA1nWNppLYPvrOgbz If you start the playlist by 10:25 you will be ready to join our live presentation by 10:45.
C. Join us for our SundayMorning Message presented by Pastor Bill, by joining us on Facebook Live on our church’s Facebook page. Go to https://www.facebook.com/jaxnaz.org/ at 10:45 a.m. to join the event. Pastor Bill will be encouraging us to celebrate the victory that our resurrected Lord offers us!
D. EYEWITNESSES: A special event for Easter Evening at 6!
This evening we will consider the testimony of another eyewitness of the Resurrection! Join us Sunday evening at 6 p.m. for the concluding episode of this video series. Go to Zoom.us to join us. Text us the word “eyewitness” at 910-216-4511 for the password to join this FREE event.
This is the day we have all been working toward: the first service in our new building…and it will be Easter Sunday also! How fitting! Plan now to join us as we celebrate the Lord’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, April 21, at 9:30 a.m. for Sunday School and at 10:45 a.m for Worship! This is your only chance to attend the first Sunday service in the building! Don’t miss it!
Combined Federal Campaign: Between Sept. 1 and Dec. 15, all U.S. federal, military, and postal employees can give to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Inc. (NCMI) by payroll deduction through the Combined Federal Campaign. To give, designate CFC #11735 on your pledge card. Retirees can give to the campaign directly or through the retirement system.
For more information about the work that Nazarene Compassionate Ministry is doing, go to ncm.org.
Our National Night Out Photo Booth – complete with green screen technology!
Thanks to all those who stopped by our National Night Out Photo Booth! We were busy with our awesome guests all evening long! Today our wonderful helpers are beginning to send out the great photos we took!
We will have the drawing on Friday for the two prizes we offered at the photo booth. Those who signed up for our church’s email newsletter were entered into a drawing to win either a $50 Walmart Gift Card or a free registration for the upcoming Financial Peace University class. Winners will be notified by email (or text message for any who registered with a cell phone number instead of email).
Please join us at 10:45 this morning for our Christmas service! Held at Hunters Creek Middle School (4040 Hunters Trail, Jacksonville NC) in the Cafeteria, this will be our only service today.
Come help us recount the wonderful story of Christmas, God’s amazing Gift given to you!
Join us for a spiritual retreat, with fellowship with friends and food included for good measure! We will be meeting on Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m. at Northeast Creek Park at the picnic shelter near the softball field. We will begin with a time of spiritual retreat (materials will be provided…just bring a Bible, a notebook, and a pencil or pen). Then we will gather together for a picnic lunch! (Bring a picnic food item and we will all share!) Some may want to bring games to play for this time of fellowship! Plan now to join us!
Thank you for joining us on a spiritual journey from “Ashes to Fire,” from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost Sunday. We would love to have you join us for worship this week! Click here to discover our location & service times!
Our Scripture readings for the Wednesday of Easter Week 1, can be read here. Please take some time to read these passages and then meditate on the following questions. Then talk to God about what the Bible is teaching you.
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Where do you see God’s glory displayed? What do the heavens declare to you about God? Why do the upright in heart experience joy? (see Psalm 97:1, 6, 11)
Why does Micah choose to look to the Lord? Do you choose to look to the Lord? How? (see Micah 7:7, 9)
What do you have to offer those who are hurting around you? Will you? What could you do today to help someone in need? What does God have to offer to those in need? What will you allow God to do through you? (see Acts 3:6-8)
What unfruitful branches are there in your life? Are you willing to let the Father remove them? What fruitful branches in your life need pruning? Are you bearing fruit for Jesus? What does it mean to “abide” in Jesus? (see John 15:1-11)
Are you willing for all glory to go to the Lord and not to you? What does it mean to you to hear that “the Lord has been mindful of us”? How have you been blessed by the Lord? (see Psalm 115:1, 12-13)
Every now and then I see someone wearing a t-shirt promoting their favorite sport. You’ve probably seen the one. It says, “Life is basketball or football or soccer (or whatever the person’s favorite sport is). Everything else is just details.”
Whenever I see someone wearing a shirt like that, I actually feel sorry for them. You see, they are saying that life is about a game. What happens when they realize that they’ve focused their lives on something that really doesn’t matter in the long run?
So, if life is not about a game, what is it about? Is it about your job or your house or your car or your next promotion or your money or even your family? What happens when you lose one of those or all of them? Well, maybe life is about religious stuff. Maybe life is about church attendance, or charitable giving, or maybe…surely life must be about studying the Bible!
Well, actually Jesus tells us the answer in the Bible, in the Gospel of John, chapter 5 and verses 39-40. Jesus says to the religious people of His day, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
Jesus is saying that even the Bible can become an idol if you pursue it instead of Him. You see, the religious folk of Jesus’ day studied the Bible. They had figured out exactly how many words it contained, how many times each word appeared, which was the shortest verse, which was the longest chapter, and even what the middle word was. But they were missing the point. The Old Testament Scriptures were given to prepare the Jewish people to accept the coming Messiah. But they rejected Him!
Now I will be the first to encourage you to read AND study the Bible. I’ve spent quite a bit of my life doing just that. But if we focus on the Bible and lose sight of the One the whole Bible points us to (Jesus Christ), we’re missing the point!
So what is the point? Well, if I put it on a t-shirt, it would say:
“Life is Christ, everything else is just details.”
