We have added a “Food Blessing Box” to our landscape and ministry for those in need to be able to grab non-perishable food items for a meal or two. Feel free to take advantage of these items. We also need non-perishable food items to replenish the box when needed. Please bring your items to church or add your items to the box. May ALL who give and receive be blessed!
Letter From The Pastor
September 2, 2024
I was having a conversation the other day about important papers. Each of us was saying how we had our own “safe” place to keep what we need to keep so they won’t get lost or damaged. There were the usual places like in a file drawer, or in the dresser drawer. Some had a safety deposit box or a fire box, and there were even a couple who used the freezer! The freezer might sound odd but think about it – a small space where papers in a Ziplock bag can be kept, are easy to get to, and the least likely place for fire damage to occur. I thought it was a great idea.
Later, as I was thinking about this conversation, I started thinking about how we always seem to be trying to find a safe place for all our valuables. In fact, we tend to spend a lot of time keeping our “stuff” in just the right spot. We have jewelry boxes, safes, files, shoe boxes on the top shelf of the closet, and whatever else we think is good. We keep our money in a bank, our car in the garage, our phones in our pockets, our children inside the shopping cart when we are in a store. We want to know where our things are at any given moment. The more precious it is to us, the more diligent we are about keeping track of it.
What about our eternal future? Isn’t that precious? Yes! Perhaps the most precious, most valuable thing we could ever hope for. Where do we store something so precious as that? Matthew 6:19-20 tells us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
We can devise many different ways to keep our possessions safe in our homes, but there is no guarantee that they will never be lost, stolen, or destroyed. If we stop to think about it, though, what are we protecting? Whatever it is might be important to us here on earth, but does it have any impact on our eternity? There is nothing in this world that we can take with us, so the answer is no.
So, what is our treasure that we should store up in heaven? It is everything that our heart should be focused on in the here and now: our faith, our love for God and neighbor, the joy we have in knowing that we have been given the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. These are the things we should treasure above all earthly things. The good news is that when we learn the value of all these things, when we realize there is nothing more important, we begin to learn how to keep them safe by storing them up in heaven where they will never be stolen or destroyed – ever.
Why does this matter? Why should we be concerned with prioritizing our valuables, why does it matter where we keep anything important – on earth or in heaven? To find the answer to that, we only need to read the very next verse, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus knows that our hearts want us to focus on what is most important to us, and that on our own, we will likely choose the things of earth over eternal things.
Jesus loves us enough to die for us, and that love means he wants us to choose wisely when we are listing all the things we treasure. On what do you place a high value? That is where your heart will lead you. Choose wisely. Choose eternally.
God bless you all,
Pastor Donna
September 2, 2024
I was having a conversation the other day about important papers. Each of us was saying how we had our own “safe” place to keep what we need to keep so they won’t get lost or damaged. There were the usual places like in a file drawer, or in the dresser drawer. Some had a safety deposit box or a fire box, and there were even a couple who used the freezer! The freezer might sound odd but think about it – a small space where papers in a Ziplock bag can be kept, are easy to get to, and the least likely place for fire damage to occur. I thought it was a great idea.
Later, as I was thinking about this conversation, I started thinking about how we always seem to be trying to find a safe place for all our valuables. In fact, we tend to spend a lot of time keeping our “stuff” in just the right spot. We have jewelry boxes, safes, files, shoe boxes on the top shelf of the closet, and whatever else we think is good. We keep our money in a bank, our car in the garage, our phones in our pockets, our children inside the shopping cart when we are in a store. We want to know where our things are at any given moment. The more precious it is to us, the more diligent we are about keeping track of it.
What about our eternal future? Isn’t that precious? Yes! Perhaps the most precious, most valuable thing we could ever hope for. Where do we store something so precious as that? Matthew 6:19-20 tells us, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
We can devise many different ways to keep our possessions safe in our homes, but there is no guarantee that they will never be lost, stolen, or destroyed. If we stop to think about it, though, what are we protecting? Whatever it is might be important to us here on earth, but does it have any impact on our eternity? There is nothing in this world that we can take with us, so the answer is no.
So, what is our treasure that we should store up in heaven? It is everything that our heart should be focused on in the here and now: our faith, our love for God and neighbor, the joy we have in knowing that we have been given the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. These are the things we should treasure above all earthly things. The good news is that when we learn the value of all these things, when we realize there is nothing more important, we begin to learn how to keep them safe by storing them up in heaven where they will never be stolen or destroyed – ever.
Why does this matter? Why should we be concerned with prioritizing our valuables, why does it matter where we keep anything important – on earth or in heaven? To find the answer to that, we only need to read the very next verse, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus knows that our hearts want us to focus on what is most important to us, and that on our own, we will likely choose the things of earth over eternal things.
Jesus loves us enough to die for us, and that love means he wants us to choose wisely when we are listing all the things we treasure. On what do you place a high value? That is where your heart will lead you. Choose wisely. Choose eternally.
God bless you all,
Pastor Donna
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Morning education classes
Classes for Pre K- Adults of all ages are meeting from, 9:30 am to 10:30 am.
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Young ones (Birth - Pre-K) - the nursery
*Pre-K - 1st Grade - downstairs with Ms Connie *2nd - 5th Grade - downstairs with Ms Roberta 6th - 8th Grade - downstairs with Ms Sabrina |
9th - 12th Grade - downstairs with Mr Chris
Young Adult/College & Career - in the library Russ Bowman's Class for adults - at Dunkin' Donuts Alpha and Omega for adults -in the Fellowship Hall |
Watch previous week's messAGES FROM pASTOR dONNA (AND OTHERS) ON OUR worship services PAGE OR ON OUR fACEBOOK PAGE (@ROOTSTOWNCHURCHofhope)
For more news, updates and info, check out our News page!
Habitat of portage county Apostles Build
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Apostles Build Story: The project that was started in July 2019 has been completed! The Hummel-Tucker family were presented with their home on April 25th at 2 pm! Blessings to the family as they begin to move in and get comfortable! Thank you to all who helped, prayed for, donated to this project!
