Greetings to you all

Welcome! We would love to have you Join us for worship at 10:15 AM tomorrow. Bring a friend along too. Our after-service reception with refreshments is a great way to share this summer wrap-up Sunday together.

“Fellowship” is one of those words that is sometimes minimized or thought of as commonplace or trivial. Frequently used words can lose their punch because we’ve heard them so often. At it’s core, even in English, it hints at one of the deepest needs in the human heart – i.e. a reminder that we’re wired for relationships and no one walks alone. In the Greek language the term includes a sharing of heart, mutual giving and a bond of love. There’s a God-given invitation to come closer to Christ in the way “fellowship” is used in the New Testament. It’s almost as if the word itself is a signpost, pointing the weary traveler to a place where the heart can be revived by the assurance of that “love that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19)

In the journey of discovering God’s will in particular circumstances, there are so many ways that a friend’s empathy, prayer together or an act of kindness enhances our experience of God’s love.

I love that story of a 5-year-old who was fearful at night of turning the lights off. Her parents reassured her repeatedly that it was safe, she would be fine and that nothing changes when the lights are off.

“Besides,” her dad explained, “you know that the Lord is always with you!” To which, his daughter replied, “Yes, I know, Daddy, but I need someone in here with skin on.”

When we link up here with brothers and sisters in Christ, God is sending His help with “skin on”!

Better yet, there is a sense in which, in the gift of Christian fellowship, each of us are called to be that “skin on” presence that reflects God’s love to others. That seems to be exactly what the beloved senior Apostle John meant when he wrote these words to believers in the earliest Christian communities:

“Whoever loves his brother abides in the light and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

[And…]: this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

(I John 2:10 and 3:11)

Love is a force to be reckoned with throughout the Bible. It’s action-oriented, not feeling-oriented. Real love runs much deeper than words. It was fully demonstrated in the sacrificial way Jesus gave of Himself.

In a world where there are countless obstacles to healthy relationships, how good it is to know that God’s love is constant! It’s rock solid. When God’s love is expressed, it is always seeking for a response.

This is why Simon Peter challenged his fellow worshipers to continue looking outside of their own narrow interests by learning to “love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (I Peter 1:22).

That passionate goal for growing Christians still stirs the church into action today. Even on your most difficult day, the love Jesus places within you is real. It’s alive. It’s stronger than the obstacles we face each day.

Speaking of “obstacles”, we know that many friends are facing concerns for themselves and/or their loved ones.

Our prayer gathering on Wednesday September 6th is a time we invite you to share. We’ll meet at 7:00 PM for a brief time of individual prayer followed by shared intercessory prayer, lifting loved ones and friends as well as our needy nation to the throne of grace with expectancy and gratitude. All are welcome to Prayer Together on September 6th, here in the sanctuary at 7:00 PM.

A Special Invitation for Ladies: You’re cordially invited to a luncheon/fellowship event on Sunday, September 24th at 11:45 AM. More details will come your way via an email from Diane Berry within a couple of weeks. Save the date for the Liberty Ladies Luncheon on Sunday, September 24th immediately following our morning service.

Friends and generous supporters who join in to share in the livestream or find us via Facebook Live are a vital part of the vision we share for equipping saints for works of ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Here are links to find us via livestream or via podcast in Spotify:

View the service live online

• Directly from our Live page
• Facebook Live: https://tinyurl.com/355fdkmm

“The LORD your God is in your midst, the mighty One who saves.
He takes great delight in you.
He will quiet you by His love.
He rejoices over you with singing.”
(Zephaniah 3:17)

In His love,
Pastor Joe 

Liberty Church
P.O. Box 295
Westminster MD 21158
https://www.libertychurchlive.com 
Office: 410.857.4313 
Pastor’s Cell: 410.596.4096