Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Dear Jesus, as your mother was so obedient to fulfill your Father’s plan, may it be so with me that Your will may be done.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.  The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be, “ Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.  For no word from God will ever fail.”  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.  “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

“I think God sometimes uses the completely inexplicable events in our lives to point us towards Him.  We get to decide each time whether we will lean in towards what is unfolding and say yes or back away.” “I used to think you had to be special for God to use you, but now I know you simply need to say yes.” Bob Goff

The faith of Mary still leaves me speechless.  As Gabriel unfolds the plan to Mary, she doesn’t ask for a detailed explanation of the road she’ll be traveling.  She doesn’t try to convince Gabriel that he must have made a mistake and she couldn’t possibly be the one God has chosen.  She doesn’t do any of those things.  She simply says “I am the Lord’s servant.  May your word to me be fulfilled.” Her yes changes the everything.  May we all move a little closer to living life with a faith like Mary’s.

You are the Lord’s servant. May everything He has said about you come true.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Dear Jesus, as your mother was so obedient to fulfill your Father’s plan, may it be so with me that Your will may be done.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. – Luke 2:19

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother -John 19:25

In essence, what Mary was doing under the cross was this: She couldn’t stop the crucifixion (there are times when darkness has its hour) but she could stop some of the hatred, bitterness, jealousy, heartlessness, and anger that caused it and surrounded it. And she helped stop bitterness by refusing to give it back in kind, by transforming rather than transmitting it, by swallowing hard and (literally) eating bitterness rather than giving it back, as everyone else was doing.

Had Mary, in moral outrage, begun to scream hysterically, shout angrily at those crucifying Jesus, or physically tried to attack someone as he was driving the nails into Jesus’ hands, she would have been caught up in the same kind of energy as everyone else, replicating the very anger and bitterness that caused the crucifixion to begin with. What Mary was doing under the cross, her silence and seeming unwillingness to protest notwithstanding, was radiating all that is antithetical to the crucifixion: gentleness, understanding, forgiveness, peace, light. – Ronald Rolheiser

Mary is a model of discipleship in the bible and we can learn a lot from her in how she responds to the big moments in life. We have two here, Jesus birth and death. Take a moment and “Ponder” with Mary and about Mary and see what God can reveal to you.

You are the Lord’s servant. May everything He has said about you come true.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Dear Jesus, as your mother was so obedient to fulfill your Father’s plan, may it be so with me that Your will may be done.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. – Luke 2:19

Mary spent the most time with Jesus out of anyone, including His apostles, and it wasn’t even close. He spent the first thirty years of His life with her, not the apostles. I’m sure God blessed her with a great intellect and memory, and so she remembered everything Jesus did and said in those thirty years together with her, and even more so in the three years of His public ministry, including His passion and death. Then she passed these memories and her understanding of them on to the apostles and early Church. In order to have faith, one must have a memory of the experiences, events, and people that have formed that faith. Memories are also necessary for hope, because when things become dark in our lives, and we feel hopeless, we can rely on our memories to remind us that God helped us in times of darkness before, and is still with us now. -Chris Antenucci

Mary pondered these things…She remembers. She hopes. She believes. As we move through the Advent season and enjoy the Christmas lights, the beautiful trees, hear Christmas carols, see nativity scenes….ponder and remember. Remember God’s faithfulness. Remember what He has brought you through. Our hope and trust is in Him.

Our memories bring us hope. Remember that God is with you in times of joy and darkness, let your faith grow.

Let this be a Merry Christmas. Ponder these things.

(I pray you take time to ponder…as I pondered I was overcome with emotion of love and gratitude. I felt God with me❤️)

You are the Lord’s servant. May everything He has said about you come true.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Dear Jesus, as your mother was so obedient to fulfill your Father’s plan, may it be so with me that Your will may be done.

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”  -Luke 11:27

Mary, mother of Jesus. She is the only person to have been with Him at both His birth and His death. She nursed him as an infant and protected him from King Herod’s infanticide. She presented Him in the temple to the Lord and raised Him in the fear of God. She marveled and pondered at the prophecy’s spoke over Him. When she found herself concerned for His emotional and mental well-being she sought to pull Him away to a place where she could provide a mothers nurture and protection. When her beloved son was beaten, placed on a cross and a sword pierced His side…a sword of grief pierced her soul. Then when He rose from the grave on the third day she realized her son, her Jesus, was Immanuel…God with us. And so, it’s no wonder we called her “Blessed”. -Douglas Poole

I once read where Mother Teresa prayed that God would give her the heart of Mary. A heart that would love Jesus as Mary loved Jesus. I pondered that thought…and then prayed the same.

You are the Lord’s servant. May everything He has said about you come true.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Dear Jesus, as your mother was so obedient to fulfill your Father’s plan, may it be so with me that Your will may be done.

And Mary said, “Behold, the Lord's bond-servant; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Fearful and troubled, Mary found herself in the presence of the angel Gabriel listening to his announcement. She could never have expected to hear the most incredible news—that she would have a child, and her son would be the Messiah. Although she could not comprehend how she would conceive the Savior, she responded to God with humble belief and obedience.

Although Mary's calling held great honor, it would demand great suffering too. There would be pain in childbirth and motherhood, as well as in the privilege of being the mother of the Messiah. - The Lexham Bible Dictionary

Can you even imagine being a teenager, betrothed to be married and pregnant; a situation punishable by stoning. Oh, to have the faith to trust God to work out the details and accomplish His purposes even when all current indications would be for something terrible to happen. God, help me to have such a great faith.

You are the Lord’s servant. May everything He has said about you come true.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Dear Jesus, as your mother was so obedient to fulfill your Father’s plan, may it be so with me that Your will may be done.

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. - Luke 1:38

“...The Devil would not have begun by an open and obvious sin to tempt man into doing something which God had forbidden, had not man already begun to seek satisfaction in himself and, consequently, to take pleasure in the words: 'You shall be as Gods.' The promise of these words, however, would much more truly have come to pass if, by obedience, Adam and Eve had kept close to the ultimate and true Source of their being and had not, by pride imagined that they were themselves the source of their being. For, created gods are gods not in virtue of their own being but by a participation in the being of the true God. For, whoever seeks to be more than he is becomes less, and while he aspires to be self-sufficing he retires from Him who is truly sufficient for him.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

There is no such thing as a Self-Made Man. You physically, emotionally, economically, spiritually cannot pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. Any one who says they are self-made speaks in the same tongue as the Serpent. I cannot do it alone and I am stronger because of that knowledge.

You are the Lord’s servant. May everything He has said about you come true.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Thank you Jesus for providing the perfect model of a life lived in harmony with God the Father through faith, prayer, and obedience such that the Father’s will may be done.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:52

In the days of His humanity, He offered up both prayers and pleas with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His devout behavior. -Hebrews 5:7

God rests in the place of Jesus. This is an absolutely incredible claim.  If it were not backed up by the resurrection, we would have to rationally reject it.  How can the God of the universe, the All Mighty, rest in a man named Jesus?  It is simply not conceivable.  Therefore, many reject this claim.  They keep looking for other messengers of divinity.  They don’t see that Jesus is not a messenger!  He is the message – the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about who God is. – Dr Skip Moen

How can Jesus so reflect the image of God and be this message; my belief is that He did it because of an active and vital prayer life with His Father. We see in the scripture repeatedly where Jesus goes off to pray and spend time with His Father. How can we possible expect to display similar characteristics to Jesus if we do not spend significant times in prayer. Jesus is credited with great miracles as a human. I’ve often wondered if it was Jesus directly or was it Jesus calling upon the Father to accomplishments these feats. In John 14:12 Jesus says; “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.” Are we not seeing these miracles because we do not spend the time in prayer necessary to know the Father’s will and then call upon Him to do them?

Would God’s hand be upon you, enabling you to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do the things He did.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Thank you Jesus for providing the perfect model of a life lived in harmony with God the Father through faith, prayer, and obedience such that the Father’s will may be done.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,” Psalms 23:1-2 NIV

People who came into contact with Jesus seemed to have a sense of coming into the presence of a holy God. Jairus ‘prostrated himself at His feet’ (v.22, AMP). The sick woman ‘fell at his feet’ (v.33).

This woman had suffered from a chronic disease for twelve years, which was incurable at that time (v.26). ‘She heard about Jesus’ (v.27) and she responded with faith. She ‘touched his cloak’ because she thought, ‘If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed’ (vv.27–28). ‘Immediately, her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering’ (v.29).

Contact with Jesus had a profound impact on people. Jesus says to the sick woman, ‘Go in peace and be freed from your suffering’ (v.34). The pain of the past twelve years is replaced by peace and freedom. Whatever you are struggling with in your life and however long it has been going on, like this woman, reach out to Jesus for help.

Jairus’ daughter experiences the ultimate impact of meeting with Jesus as she is brought back to life. When Jesus arrived, there was anything but an atmosphere of faith. There was a commotion and wailing. They said, don’t ‘bother’ Jesus (v.35). But Jesus said, ‘Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing’ (v.36, AMP). -Nicky Gumbel

Keep on believing.

Would God’s hand be upon you, enabling you to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do the things He did.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Thank you Jesus for providing the perfect model of a life lived in harmony with God the Father through faith, prayer, and obedience such that the Father’s will may be done.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being…  -Hebrews 1:3

When people say, you know, ‘Good teacher’, ‘Prophet’, ‘Really nice guy’…this is not how Jesus thought of Himself. So you’re left with a challenge in that, which is either Jesus was who He said He was or a complete and utter nut case. You have to make a choice on that.  -Bono

My fear of God dissipated like fog in the morning sun when I realized that Jesus shows me exactly who God is. God loves me, accepts me, walks with me, strengthens me, gives purpose and meaning to my life, speaks peace into my soul, is for me, provides direction and guidance, is full of mercy and grace, challenges me to be and do more, and always only holds out hope. So for decades now I have not only given my life to Him…He has become my life. I can’t imagine my life without Him and I can’t wait for the day my faith becomes sight.

Would God’s hand be upon you, enabling you to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do the things He did.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Thank you Jesus for providing the perfect model of a life lived in harmony with God the Father through faith, prayer, and obedience such that the Father’s will may be done.

“This joy in God is not like any pleasure found in physical or intellectual satisfaction. Nor is it such as a friend experiences in the presence of a friend. But, if we are to use any such analogy, it is more like the eye rejoicing in light.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

You understand. You know pain, suffering, disappointment, frustration. You know what it’s like to be right and proclaimed wrong. You understand absolute power and privilege. You have had the full human experience and you handled it all with love, grace and respect. Thank you for being willing to teach me.

I once read where Mother Teresa prayed that God would give her the heart of Mary. A heart that would love Jesus as Mary loved Jesus. I pondered that thought…and then prayed the same.

Would God’s hand be upon you, enabling you to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do the things He did.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Thank you Jesus for providing the perfect model of a life lived in harmony with God the Father through faith, prayer, and obedience such that the Father’s will may be done.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 MSG

I believe God loves things by becoming them. God loves things by uniting with them, not by excluding them. – Richard Rhor

Jesus (God) is constantly giving His power and resources away so that others can benefit. Thanks to Jesus, we inherit God’s wealth and Jesus’ calling in Philippians 2. How are you becoming like the Jesus in this passage?

Would God’s hand be upon you, enabling you to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do the things He did.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Thank you Jesus for providing the perfect model of a life lived in harmony with God the Father through faith, prayer, and obedience such that the Father’s will may be done.

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  “I am willing,” he said.  “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.  Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet the news about him spread all the more, so the crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sickness.  Luke 5:12-15 

“Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives.  But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, “I can clean that if you want.”  And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes away our sin.” Max Lucado 

Jesus doesn’t need, nor ask, for our perfection.  He doesn’t ask us to get our lives together and right our wrongs, before seeking a relationship with him.  There is nothing we have to do preemptively.  We don’t have to have it all, or even some of it, figured out before we come to him.  Instead, he asks us to just come.  To come with who we are, and what we have, where we are right now, and move into relationship with him. 

Would God’s hand be upon you, enabling you to be with Jesus, become like Jesus and do the things He did.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

I have made known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is still to come. I say “my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.”  -Isaiah 46:10

Everything has seasons and we have to be able to recognize when something’s time has passed and be able to move into the next season. Everything that is alive requires pruning as well, which is a great metaphor for endings. -Henry Cloud

When you have lived long enough and reflect on your life you realize that endings are a part of our journey. Some endings don’t come soon enough…others arrive way sooner than we wish. Some we rejoice over…others leave us grieving. But again, when you have lived long enough and reflect on your life you also realize that with God’s grace…endings lead to new beginnings and new beauty if you step into them. So when endings are hard, rejoice in the beauty you were given and then step into the new.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

"All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen" (Romans 16:27)

Social psychologists call our aptitude at remembering final words (endings) the "recency effect." The principle of recency states that the things most recently learned are the ones most likely to be remembered. Apply that to the many endings in your day: From finishing an email to saying goodbye to our children at the bus stop, our lives are full of opportunities for "one last thing." Unfortunately, my "one last thing" usually ends up being tired, recycled words I've already used or reminders about buttoning coats. This is not what I want my co-workers, children, and friends to remember! When I consider the recency effect, I feel even more certain that the words I write and speak could use a tune-up…Benedictions are like the punctuation in our lives. The words inform the sentence before and give a sense of the sentence to come. Choose your words wisely. I've pondered what I can say to point others back to the only source of true life. And so I close with these words: “As babies evoke smiles to our faces, so does your heart evoke God's delight.” -Nicole Unice

As we move toward the end of 2021, consider your ending. How do you want to close out this year? With your family? With your friends? With your colleagues? With your Cypress Tribe? With Jesus? Once again, it is time to ponder and be deliberate.

Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. God sees your beauty and smiles.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.  - 2 Timothy 3:1-5

“So it falls out that in this world, in evil days like these, the Church walks onward like a wayfarer stricken by the world's hostility, but comforted by the mercy of God. Nor does this state of affairs date only from the days of Christ's and His Apostles' presence on earth. It was never any different from the days when the first just man, Abel, was slain by his ungodly brother. So shall it be until this world is no more.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

Why are you so ready for the end? You can’t handle some difficulty? You think it is unfair that people are allowed to make poor decisions? Do you think you are too good to get your hands dirty? There is work to be done before you can rest. Stop complaining.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Rev 1:17-18

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. – TS Eliot

Endings are always beginnings with God. He not only sees, He exist in eternity past, present, and future, and all at the same time! This is too great for me to understand and like John I want to “fall at his feet as though dead” but Jesus’ response to the reality of endings is for us to “not be afraid”.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

And at the end of 430 years, on this very day, all the multitudes of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt. Exodus 12:41

There's a trick to the “graceful exit.” It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, or a relationship is over--and let it go. It means leaving what's over without denying its validity or its past importance to our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving up, rather than out." - Ellen Goodman

When I sensed the Lord calling me to end my career of 29 year, I was obedient but panicky. After suffering with anxiety and fear for a week, I called out to God confessing “I’m out of control!” In that moment, God revealed a truth that returned my peace and calm; His reply was “You have never been in control.” In that moment, the cognitive knowledge about God being in control became experiential truth. And that truth has provided me with great peace and calm ever since. We will all experience times when things must end; but know it is because our great God has bigger and better things for us. Just think, if Israel never left Egypt, we would not have the Old or New Testament.

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Oh God thank you for this year and that all things end. By your grace and peace let everything we have learned bear fruit in our lives so that your light may shine upon us and others.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit. Ecclesiastes 7:8 

“Loves, listen to me: The wounded become the healers.  Your pain will not be wasted.  Trust it.  Be brave enough to be still in it and you’ll learn that your pain will NOT consume you-it will become the fire you burn to light and warm the world.” Glennon Doyle 

It is so much easier to understand the “bigger picture” in retrospect; to see why God took you down the specific path in your journey, especially if that path is rocky or painful.  In the moment it can feel insanely hard, especially when you’re moving in the direction that God has called you.  There are times when you question your direction and wonder if all the effort is worth it.  If you’re in one of these moments, it might help to remember that His ways are not our ways.  While we only see a tiny piece of the journey at a time, He sees the beauty of His plan unfolding.  Rest patiently in the knowledge that “the end of a matter is better than its beginning."  He may be using this current struggle to start a fire that ignites something beautiful and magnificent in this world.   

May the God who is in control give you peace and calm in ending one place in life and move you on to the bigger and better things He has planned for your life.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-19

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” – John Pierpont “J.P.” Morgan

When things are going well in my life, I tend to get comfortable and complacent. I don’t look for new opportunities and callings the Lord has for me. It usually takes some suffering to wake me up and realize there is a new beginning awaiting my obedience and faithfulness.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. - Proverbs 1:7

“To the divine providence it has seemed good to prepare in the world to come for the righteous good things, which the unrighteous shall not enjoy; and for the wicked evil things, by which the good shall not be tormented.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

You are scared, aren’t you? It’s ok to admit it. The first step is simply to ask for help. That can be your best beginning.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

Your beginnings will seem humble, yet you will end with much. -Job 8:7

A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step. -Chinese Proverb

Jesus invites us into a community where imperfect people can find acceptance, love, forgiveness, and a new beginning. -Erwin McManus

If we wait for the perfect day under the perfect sun when all of our ducks are in a row, and all of our questions have been answered, and we have all that we think we need…we may very well wait until we die. A new beginning, a fresh start awaits all who will by faith take that first step, and then the next, and so on…so start walking. The future awaits those with the faith and courage to step into it.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. -Proverbs 9:10

When God gives you a new beginning, you might have to witness closed doors, but make sure that you aren’t disappointed by it.

You must understand that only when you see an ending, you can expect a new beginning coming ahead in your life.

Be thankful for the closed doors, as they will lead you to a new beginning. Know that God will always have better plans than you, and when he closes a door, he will pave your path towards a new way!

When God gives you a new beginning, it starts with an ending. It is more like finishing off a chapter before you start a new one. Do not lose your hope when the doors get closed, rather know that they have closed only because new doors are waiting ahead to be opened.  -Unkown

As we begin a new year, 2022, there are doors that have closed. But God is opening new doors. Seek wisdom and understanding.  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Remember, that beginnings don’t only happen on January 1 of each year. But beginnings occur each day, each moment. You don’t have to wait for a new month, or a new year. God gives you a new beginning whenever you need it. Seek wisdom and understanding from God. Ponder where God is leading you. Be ready as you gain wisdom and understanding through your commitment to Jesus.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

Those who remain from the kingdom of Judah will be like plants. Once more they will put down roots and produce fruit. Out of Jerusalem will come those who remain. Out of Mount Zion will come those who survive. “The Lord’s great love will make sure that happens. He rules over all. -2 Kings 19:30-31 NIRV

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It's gonna be a bright, Bright sunshiny day” -Jimmy Cliff

God almost always works beginnings from rubble. He seldom bust up something beautiful to build it back again. Jesus death and resurrection alone should be enough evidence. Wherever you are on your journey thank God for your beginning and how He works in life.

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to me and may You teach me to demonstrate my faith in you through obedience as you call me into new beginnings. And when my faith faulters, will you send your Spirit to lift me up.

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.  When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  “I am willing,” he said.  “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.  Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Yet the news about him spread all the more, so the crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sickness.  Luke 5:12-15 

“Loves, listen to me: The wounded become the healers.  Your pain will not be wasted.  Trust it.  Be brave enough to be still in it and you’ll learn that your pain will NOT consume you-it will become the fire you burn to light and warm the world.” Glennon Doyle

It is so much easier to understand the “bigger picture” in retrospect; to see why God took you down the specific path in your journey, especially if that path is rocky or painful.  In the moment it can feel insanely hard, especially when you’re moving in the direction that God has called you.  There are times when you question your direction and wonder if all the effort is worth it.  If you’re in one of these moments, it might help to remember that His ways are not our ways.  While we only see a tiny piece of the journey at a time, He sees the beauty of His plan unfolding.  Rest patiently in the knowledge that “the end of a matter is better than its beginning."  He may be using this current struggle to start a fire that ignites something beautiful and magnificent in this world.   

May your Heavenly Father bless you as you move into the new beginnings He has for you. And may He help you to trust in His faithfulness such that you are free to be the person you were made to be, able to accomplish your purposes and to bring honor and glory to His name.

Contributed by: Melissa Schultz, Cypress Elder

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words Romans 8:26

“The impoverished orphan of Russia, the distraught widow of the battlefield, the aging saint in the convalescent home.  They may think they have no voice, no clout, no influence, but they have a friend.  They have a counselor, a comforter—the blessed Spirit of God, who speaks the language of heaven in heaven.  None of us pray as much as we should, but all of us pray more than we think because the Holy Spirit turns our sighs into petitions and tears into entreaties.  He speaks for you and He protects you.  And He makes sure you are heard, He makes sure you get home.” -Max Lucado

Who are we that He hears the deepest longings of our heart, and speaks for us, to protect us even when we can’t find the words?  I think the answer is less about who we are, and more about who He is.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Keith Killen, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? - Luke 11:13

If you analyzed the actions you performed yesterday, what conclusions would you draw about who you are? Would you see God’s “image” in those actions? Would you find the fruit of the Spirit in what you did? Or would you have to admit that your claims to be a follower were not expressed in the real actions you performed? What kind of verb are you going to be today? – Dr Skip Moen

When I analyze my yesterday’s, I realize there is a lot of opportunity for growth and improvement, and I realize more time in God’s presences is needed. And thank God I am part of a tribe that helps me in this pursuit.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Marq Caughell, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. - Galatians 5:16

“Awake more fully: the majesty of God cannot be propitiated by that which defiles the dignity of man.” - from The City of God by St. Augustine

God does not ask me to clean myself before approaching Him, but if I desire to join in His work in this world, then I am going to have him let Him cleanse me with His Spirit.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Jacque Poole, Cypress Tribe Member

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever- John 14:16

Some old translations of the Bible speak of the ‘Holy Ghost’ and this can make him seem a little frightening. The Holy Spirit is not a ghost but a Person. He has all the charac­teristics of personhood. He thinks (Acts 15:28), speaks (Acts 1:16), leads (Romans 8:14) and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). He is sometimes described as the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9) or the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7). He is the way in which Jesus is present with his people. The schoolchild’s definition is ‘Jesus’ other self.

What is he like? He is sometimes described in the original Greek as the parakletos (John 14:16). This is a difficult word to translate. It means ‘one called alongside’–—a counsellor, a comforter and an encour­ager. Jesus said the Father will give you ‘another’ coun­sellor. The word for ‘another’ means ‘of the same kind’. In other words, the Holy Spirit is just like Jesus.

Today I read Proverbs 21:21, “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” I have found that I am capable of doing amazing things…but when I do my life with the power of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, it is even more incredible.

Let’s pursue righteousness and love…as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent to us as our advocate forever. Life, prosperity and honor will be ours. (Click here for the song “Holy Spirit, You are Welcome Here”)

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Douglas Poole, Lead Pastor

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

And with that He (Jesus) breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit”. -John 20:22

Over the course of my life I have witnessed people say and do some rather bizarre things which they attributed to the Holy Spirit of God. A mentor once told me that the Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of Jesus…so if you can’t imagine Jesus saying or doing something, well you probably have your answer. Then he added, but don’t throw the proverbial baby out with the dirty bath water. For the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus to guide you, speak to you, and to empower you to good. The Holy Spirit is Jesus with you…so welcome Him. -Douglas Poole

There are some mystery’s in my journey of faith. Things I do not fully understand yet fully know to be true. I have never seen the Holy Spirit of God yet I have so many times seen and experienced His presence and work just like I have never seen the wind but have seen and experienced the effect of the wind. The invisible was made known by it’s impact on that which is visible. And I know that which Jesus breaths out…I want to breath in.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.

Contributed by: Taylor Fletcher, Worship Leader

God, help us to demonstrates the fruits of the Spirit as we go through each day such that we are blessed and others see You through us.

Do not quench the spirit – 1 Thessalonians 5:19

 “I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit” -Francis Chan, “Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit”

The Holy Spirit is the person of God responsible for doing the extraordinary acts of God from the first verses (Genesis 1:2) to the last verses (Revelation 22:17) of the bible. He is a part of anyone’s life who is following Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:16). What events or behaviors in your life can only be explained by the Holy Spirits love and involvement in your life?

Through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, would you be able to accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or imagine. Submitting to the Spirit and letting Him have full sway in your life.