enewsletter

OnLine Enews Oct 21-28, 2026

Pastor, Tom Willetts

WORSHIP TIMES

9:15am Sunday School

Sunday Worship 10am - Traditional Worship

Thursday Choir Rehearsals @ 3pm

Saturday Worship @ 4:45PM

UPCOMING MEETINGS/EVENTS

Wed, Oct 21st - Movie Day-Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond

Thur, Oct 22nd at 10am - GriefShare - Conf B

Mon, Oct 26th at 9am - Lunch Ladies

Mon, Oct 26th at 10am - Veterans Benefits mtg - Conf B

Mon, Oct 26th at 11am - Christmas Card Party - getting Military Cards ready to mail

Tues, Oct 27th at 9am - Laundry Love

Tues, Oct 27th at 1pm - Leadership Mtg

Thur, Oct 29th at 10am - GriefShare - Conf B

Fri, Oct 30th at 10am - Alzheimer's Caregivers Support Grp - Conf B

Sat/Sun, Oct 31 - Nov 1 - All Saints Weekend, Daylight Savings Time Ends/Communion

Sun, Nov 1st - 3pm - CLUSTER CHARGE CONFERENCE

Mon, Nov 2nd at 10am - Veterans Benefits mtg - Conf B

Tues, Nov 3rd at 11am - Staff mtg - Conf B

Thur, Nov 5th at 10am - GriefShare - Conf B

Fri, Nov 6th at 9:30am - TOUR OF VALERIE'S HOUSE - Lunch after - Ride Share

Sat/Sun Nov 7 & 8 -Turn in Green Food Bags

Mon, Nov 9th at 10am - Veterans Benefits mtg - Conf B

Mon, Nov 9th at 11:30am - Brown Bag Luncheon - Plan the Nativity Festival

Tues, Nov 10th at 1pm - Outreach mtg - Conf B

Wed, Nov 11th - CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED

Wed, Nov 11th at 8:30am - Sip'n Scriptures - Perkins

Wed, Nov 11th at 9am - Lunch Ladies

Wed, Nov 11th at 10am - Alzheimer's Caregivers

CHAD ON VACATION OCT 19-27

DEVOTIONAL

OPENING PRAYER

Almighty God, you have sent Jesus to show us how to live. Grant us the power of your Holy Spirit so that we may follow him in faithfulness all the days of our lives. AMEN.

INTRODUCTION

Jesus is still in the Temple facing the various and competing religious and political groups of his day. The Pharisees try again - they are stubborn and steadfast in their testing of Jesus. Jesus has implied the greatest commandment in last weeks verses. They want to make sure Jesus knows the commandments. Let’s read the scripture.

SCRIPTURE LESSON

Matthew 22:34-46 NIV

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

⁴¹While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴²“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied.

⁴³He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

⁴⁴“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

⁴⁵If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

REFLECTION

Jesus’ answer comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 – the Shema. It was accepted as the fundamental – greatest commandment. He adds verses from Leviticus 19:18 to expand the application of the Shema to include all people in our love as well. This was Israel’s fundamental law, which Jesus is calling them to live out. The Pharisees have no response to Jesus’ correct and expansive answer.

Jesus goes on the offensive and further asserts his authority to correct the Pharisees and to expand his claim to being the Messiah. He does so in a most Rabbinic way – he asks the Pharisees a question. ⁴²“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

The Pharisees offer the traditional answer – the Son of David. Jesus’ correction points out that the Messiah is beyond simply being a human blood heir of former great leader. The Messiah is the Son of God. God sends the Messiah in God’s time and to accomplish God’s mission. The Messiah is greater than their traditional understanding and will accomplish far more and in a much different way than their preferred tradition prescribes. This answer blows their minds. That is why they could make no reply and stopped asking him questions. The only questions possible would only further expose their lack of understanding and faithfulness and Jesus’ authority and bolster his claim to being the Messiah. Jesus continues to assert his authority and teaching in the next verses. Jesus in not done yet.

CLOSING PRAYER

Live today in Christ’s presence, remembering he is near and will sustain you as you serve in his name. AMEN.

Blessings,

Pastor Tom

THANKSGIVING FOR ALL SOUL'S

Please pick up a green bag to fill with food for All Soul's Thanksgiving.

Return filled bags before Nov. 8th as they will be on the Altar to be blessed on Sunday, the weekend of Nov. 14th & 15th.

THANK YOU.

Many have gone to the VA for benefits and have been denied. They went away disappointed and never followed up. This does not mean you did not qualify, it means you did not understand the process of the VA claims system. Join us every Monday morning at 10am and gain knowledge needed to process your claim and the appeals process. Go to Ministry Center - Conf Room B. David Jackson at 239-826-0893.

SAVE THE DATE

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

Thursday, Dec 10th at 11:30am

HERON'S GLEN CLUB HOUSE

More info will be shared closer to date.

CALLING MEN AND WOMEN:

Come and join us on a 'CARD WORK DAY." Monday, Oct 26th at 11am at church to finish the cards for the military.

You have heard the saying "many hands make light work." So please, plan to come for an hour or two so the cards can be ready to take for mailing over-seas. THANK YOU ALL!! Dottie & Marsha

CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR OUR OVERSEAS MILITARY

Time again to bring in Christmas Cards and envelopes for our Military overseas. Please feel free to add a little word of encouragement like, 'GOD BLESS,' 'THINKING OF YOU', STAY SAFE,' "HOPE YOU ARE HOME SOON", then sign your name. First Name or First and Last if you want.

Deadline for cards is Sunday, Oct. 25th. There will be cards available from last year to sign if you don't have any cards. Last year we sent 1,500!! Can we do that again?

Thank you for helping.

Dottie Brown and Marsha Smith