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"Then on the seventh day you must explain to your children that you do this because the Lord brought you out of Egypt." -Exodus 13:8 Here are some links to learn more about the Seder meal: https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1751/jewish/What-Is-a-Seder.htm https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-seder-plate/ The first two pics are some charts explaining the plate at a Seder meal and it simple meaning. The las pic is a coloring page that you can print out for younger children.     **NOTE: This is a repost from March 26, 2018. I believe it is still a good message for us today.**
This was not a good day to be on Jesus' bad side. On the Monday of Holy Week, Jesus sets things straight for the Temple and curses the fig tree. This may be why Mondays are so bad still today. Maybe it all started when Jesus walked into the temple and saw how people were desecrating the holiness of God in such a public way. People had not come to worship and give glory to God and revere him as the father. They had come to make some cash. In reality, they weren't interested in God at all and were willing to help their poorer Jewish neighbors give a sacrifice at passover, but for a price. This was a great weekend to make some money. 300,000 to 400,000 Jews would be ascending on Jerusalem to celebrate passover and many of these travelers would need something to sacrifice. And if they were poor, then all the better. Jesus was at the end of his rope and could not stand to see how disrespectful people were to God, his house, and his prized creation...his people. On a side note, this wasn't the first time the temple had been treated with such contempt. In Nehemiah's day (Neh. 13) the temple was being treated with disrespect when Tobiah had been given a room in the temple. Do I need to rethink my office at the church building? No, Tobiah shouldn't have been there because it was Law that no Ammonite or Moabite should be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them (Neh. 13:1-2) Not only had Eliashib provided a room for Tobiah in the courts of God, but had also neglected the Levites and the portions they were to be receiving. So what does Nehemiah do about such a travesty on the house of God. "I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah's household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense." (Neh. 13:8-9) He then called upon Judah to bring tithes and take care of the neglect of the Levites. There is a lot more going on here too as Nehemiah tries to reestablish the temple of God. But back to Jesus...what does he do about the crimes against God's house? "Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 'It is written', he said to them, 'My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.'" (Matthew 21:12-13) Jesus was angry! But he had a right to be angry. Just like the day of Nehemiah, Jews had forgotten what it meant to be at the temple in the presence of the Lord. They forgot their worship. They forgot his holiness. It was a bad day to be on Jesus' bad side. You know its a Monday when you go to get a fig and the tree hasn't bore any fruit. So what does Jesus do about this? He curses the tree and right then it withers (Matthew 21) And before Monday can get away let's make these connections. It isn't necessarily about commerce or fruitless trees. This is about faith and the realization for Jesus that Friday will have to come, because the people who should be closest to God, don't have a clue who they worship or why. They need to drive away the distractions that have made God something he is not. They need to dig deep for an ounce of faith that doesn't depend on human ability, but the power of God. They need to realize that the Messiah is right in front of them and instead of always taking a cynical look at God's message and messenger, they must trust in the God that has chosen them, given them life, and provided them a savior. As we think about Holy Week and especially the Monday of Holy Week, we must focus on the fact that God is to be our focus of worship, that faith is real, and that Jesus is our Savior...now and forevermore! Holy Week Monday Meditation: Matthew 21:12-22, Mark 11:12-26, Luke 19:45-48 This is my first online sermon. I hope it encourages you!  Children Blessings for 2019-20 School Year Dylan Matthew Mercer Dylan, we are so proud of the young man that you are becoming. While it is sad that you are not our little boy anymore, it is exciting to see what God is doing in and through you as you become a man. This will be your second year in middle school and another opportunity to shine bright for God and His Kingdom. Here is our blessing for you: May the Great God Almighty, full of honor, wisdom, hope, light, love, and life walk the halls of Ruth Doyle with you during this year. May you reach up to him as you reach out to others. Dylan you are a planner, who loves to talk, and is driven to greater things. May God bless your plans and may you always plan for His ways first, then your own. May the words that you speak be uplifting to others and always be seasoned with the Spirit of God. May your drive for greatness be shown through your academics as well as your love for God and others. May God bless you with rich friendships that will encourage you and give you His strength. You are blessed! Brody Daniel Mercer Brody we are so proud of the young man that you are becoming. While it is sad that you are not our little boy anymore, it is exciting to see what God is doing in and through you as you become a man. This will be your second year in middle school and another opportunity to shine bright for God and His Kingdom. Here is our blessing for you: May the Great God Almighty, full of honor, wisdom, hope, light, love, and life walk the halls of Ruth Doyle with you during this year. May you reach up to him as you reach out to others. Brody you are a compassionate man who seeks justice while finding the humor of life. May God bless you with deep compassion as you grow sensitve to the needs of others without losing your own way and ambitions. May the Lord use this compassion to put a drive in you for justice. Seek a peace of reconciliation as you stand up for the left out and bind them together with the “in crowd.” May God above use your humor to break the tension and draw people who are different together. May God bless you with rich friendships that will encourage you and give you His strength. You are blessed!  Brynn Leigh Beth Mercer
Brynn Leigh we continue to be grateful that God blessed our family with you. Your energy, laughter, happiness, and life that you bring to us all is an unmistakable joy. God has big plans for you in life and especially this year in 1st grade. Don’t forget as you walk the halls of Woodrow Cummins Elementary to use your light that shines for His glory and purposes. Brynn Leigh you are a sweet girl that can draw all kinds of people together with great joy. May God Almighty bless you with overwhelming sweetness with those that are drawn to your positive energy. Be a light that shines in the darkness. May God use your sweetness as a tool to include all people showing others at school that everyone has worth. May God give you great joy that flows out of you and spreads to all that are near. May you bring a smile to the teachers and students at WCE. May God bless you with rich friendships that will encourage you and give you His strength. You are blessed! |
 Michael MercerI like to explore different things about theology and the life of the church. You might also find things here about me and my family. Prayer Requests:God Is... by Michael Mercer
God Is... -God is... is a book that takes a look at Genesis and portrays six true images of God. There are many ways we think about God that are unhealthy and even destructive. These six images help turn our attention to who God really is and how we might follow him more closely. Click the Lulu button below to download your copy!  Categories
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