WEEKLY EMAIL CONNECTIONS
March 7, 2023
Weekly Bible Reading
Epistles - Sunday – 1 Cor 3-4
The Law - Monday - Gen 36-39
History - Tuesday – Ruth
Psalms - Wednesday – 27-29
Poetry - Thursday – Job 19-20
Prophecy - Friday - Isa 51-55
Gospels - Saturday - Matt 26-28
MARCH PRAYER FOCUS:
FACING ADVERSITY
Upcoming Events:
- March 8 New Wednesday class series, FLC, 7 p.m./New ladies class, Parlor, 7 p.m.
- March 11 Set your clocks ahead an hour.
- March 12 Daylight Saving Time begins.
- March 13-17 CISD Spring Break (Church office is closed)
- March 17 Ladies Game Night, Parlor, 6 p.m.
- March 18 Men’s Breakfast, FLC, 8 a.m.
- March 19 God Squad, FLC 1, 9-10 a.m.
- March 22 Pancake Supper Fundraiser for The Bridge, FLC, 6 p.m. (no Koinonia this month)
- March 24-26 Spring Church Campout at Lake Whitney State Park
- March 26 Combined children’s Bible class Sunday morning at Westhill for those not at the campout.
- March 29 Student-led Service for all ages, Youth Room, 7 p.m. (no Bible classes)
REFRESH YOUR SOUL
We are thrilled to announce the 2023 Ladies Spring Retreat at the local Liberty Hotel the evening of April 21 and the morning of April 22. The cost for the retreat is $20 per person which can be paid to Aleaha Robertson, Becky Wilkin, or Emily in the church office. There is a reduced rate for hotel rooms for those who wish to spend the night; the link for that opportunity is below. More details coming soon regarding this event which is sure to be a blessing to all ladies who are able to attend. Here is a link for your group to make their own reservations:
https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/AV72N3
Devotional Thought for the Week
A New Batch
By Jay Crook
In 1 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul addresses the issue of sin in the church. In the very middle of that chapter he says, "Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth" (6-8).
For years I have taken this whole chapter as one message about sin, but one word in this passage just made me look at it differently, "Passover."
The Passover, or Feast of Unleavened Bread, lasts for seven days. Prior to Passover, all unleavened bread and yeast are to be removed from the houses. For seven days the Jews were to eat bread made without yeast (Exo 12:15; 34:18; Lev 23:5-8). With that in mind, the message to the Corinthians takes on new meaning.
Paul may have been giving a subtle message to the Hebrew Christians. The yeast represents sin, but for the Jews, it reminds them of slavery, because the Jews left their yeast in Egypt as they headed towards the promised land. Paul also refers to the old and new which could refer to the old law of Moses and the new law of Christ.
Could it be Paul is talking about a new kind of Passover? During the Jewish feast, they were to think about their escape from Egypt. Now they can think about their escape from sin. They are now part of a new batch. Just as dough has several ingredients, so now the Jews are mixed with Gentiles. They are to get rid of the old. They are now Christians.
John the Baptist addressed Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:36), and now Paul refers to Jesus as the Passover lamb. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice that brings all mankind from the land of slavery of sin towards the Promise Land.
During Passover, there were two days of celebration, the first day and the last day. I think it is significant that God gave instructions to celebrate the end of Passover. Passover is over. It ended almost 2000 years ago. Paul tells us now to celebrate the feast with a new bread "without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth."