A Look Back & Move Forward

Dave Mullen, a pastor friend here in Manchester, and I were sharing about our common interest in Jonathan Edwards, and he was able to point me in the direction of a marker in Enfield, that indicates the location where Edwards once preached.  I paid a visit to it was was moved by thoughts of what God had done through this man.

Edwards sermons are at the heart, simple and gospel centered.  

Sin is a deliberate disobedience to the will of God.  Sin is our nature.  Sin separates us from God the creator.  Being separated from God means hell is in our future.  Our sin must be judged by God.  God is a good judge, meaning he does not take bribes, or anything else that we try to trade up with him.

The Good News is that God made a way for us not to be separated from him and our sin can be pardoned.  Jesus, the son of God, came from heaven to earth to live a sinless life, and since the penalty of sin is death,  Jesus sacrificed or stood in our place to take the penalty that we deserved, because he loves us.

This is best summed up in John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life".  God's grace is unearned and unmerited.  It just because he loves us.

What God did with Edwards in the 1700s, he is still doing today.  

My prayer is that your heart is being warmed by God.  That the Good News of Jesus Christ is news that you want realized in your life.  My prayer is, just like the Great Awaking in New England of the 1700's, that you would be awakened by the Gospel of Jesus.

Shoot me a email with your questions TimLyda@bellsouth.net

God truly does love you.

Live & Love Like Jesus,

Pastor Tim 

New Daughter In Love

My youngest son Andrew, takes a bride this Saturday. Lynn and I will receive our second daughter in love. Her name will be Jamie Lyda. What an amazing thing to see how God brings people together for His glory.

As a parent, it really does matter that you not only feed and clothe your children, but teach them how to live and have relationships by example. What do I mean?

Well, as I think about this marriage that is about to happen, I am reminded that it was important for Andrew to eyewitness his parents to forgive each other. As a leader of his new home, he is now the lead disciple and he must forgive as Jesus did. How would he know what that looks like if it was not lived out in our home?

It was important for Andrew to eyewitness his dad pursue his mother. To serve his mother and for her to respond like wise. Please don't get me wrong here, this post is not about how Tim and Lynn Lyda have the perfect marriage, but it is a post about never giving up on what God intended and that is relationships between man and woman that brings glory to Himself.

Lynn and I have failed many times and we don't have it completely right all the time, but we choose to follow the Master.

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Parents, PRAY for your children, and their future spouses. God responds to the prayers of His children. This weekend we get to eyewitness God at work as He brings two beautiful people together.

Both Andrew and Jamie are charged to Love, Forgive, and Serve each other like Jesus did. The both of you must leave the families that you knew as children, and begin your lives together. This requires that you are more concerned with the opinions of God and each other that family and friends.

Andrew must lead and love, Jamie must follow and love, and the both must follow the Master for this ship to sail.

1 John 1:7 is clear... Follow the Master, and NEVER stop working on the marriage.

Love,

DAD

Forgive?

As we approach our 2nd week of the Purple Book, I am moved in my Spirit by two loud truths from God’s word.

God wants us to have a transforming influence on the world around us – not the other way around. (Matthew 5:13-16)

(from page 27) – The quality of our relationships with other believers is a crucial testimony to an unbelieving world. We should be able to forgive not just our friends, but even our enemies. We Must Realize That We Are In A Spiritual Battle, and we must be trained and determined not to allow bitterness and unforgiveness to push us into darkness. (Philippians 2:3-4)

Is there a person or persons on your list of people that you need to forgive or to ask forgiveness from? Don’t let next Sunday come and go before you give the very thing that Christ gave you.

Marriage Conference:
There is a sign up sheet as well as a brochure, at the entrance of the sanctuary for the February 20th & 21st Marriage Conference. Cost is $25 per couple. Sign up OR email Jane Blackwell Jane@lifesongchurchonline.com

Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim

Slaying the Giants in Your Life

Slaying the Giant of Resentment

What do you think of when you hear the word Resentment?
How do you detect resentment in others?
How do wounds shape us in the person that we are? Is it true that “Hurting people hurt people”?

What is your definition of "Wound"?
Webster says:
an injury, usually involving division of tissue or rupture of the integument or mucous membrane, due to external violence or some mechanical agency rather than disease.

Defending ourselves from the Giant of Resentment
See 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
To understand how to defend yourself against the giant of resentment, we must understand that LOVE is the only thing that keeps from being a captive of resentment. Love and Resentment can not co-exist in the life of the believer.

To forgive or not to forgive
See Ephesians 4:31-32
As a Christ follower, what right do we have to choose to NOT forgive someone?

I hope that you find the study notes helpful as we approach the Son with the issue of resentment. The notes can be found at http://www.lifesongchurchonline.com/ “Discipleship”.

Gather, Grow, and Go
Tim