Welcome,
Pastor Julio C. Peña's November 2024 Message
“PRIORITIES”
This month’s theme is priorities and I’m challenging all who are part of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church family and all who are reading this article that we will look into what each of our own priorities are.
To discover your priorities, simply pay attention to what you are thinking, where you spend your money, how you invest your time. There will be three questions that will help you discern your current priorities.
- What do you think about?
- How do you use your money?
- What do you do with your time?
Our understanding of the life to which Jesus invites us is radically deepened when we ask those same three questions from another perspective.
- What do you think God wants you think about?
- What do you think God wants you to do with your money?
- What do you think God wants you to do with your time?
We will look at establishing priorities through relationships, study, action, fellowship, and prayers.
We will look at ways in which transformation will be taking place this month as we end the Christian Calendar year.
At the end of the month, we will end with a powerful Sabbath time of reflection, sharing a meal, fellowship, worship, play, study and prayer.
For this to truly transpire work, we will need to use all of ourselves, the mind, body, soul and spirit.
Let me end with this from Romans 12: 1 – 8 “A New Life in Christ”
Pastor Julio C. Peña
The New Life in Christ
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. [a]
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministries, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
1st FYI
November 5th is the Election for our next President. I’m not telling who you need to vote for, but I will tell you to do your homework on the issues that they each stand for and make a Christian Educator decision. And above, no matter who wins, let us not be in HATE, but be in the LOVE of Jesus Christ.
2nd FYI
November 11th is Veterans Day. Let us remember the sacrifice of the men and women who fought for our country and their families. We need to thank the living veterans for their service and to the families who lost loved ones.
3rd FYI
Thanksgiving Day, let us remember to be thankful for how blessed we are and to pray for individuals who have lost so much such as our homeless, prisoners, in the hospital, addicts and etc. Let us be prayerful, kind, and thankful on this Thanksgiving Day.