Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8

In 2008, greed coupled with irresponsible lending and investing led to the greatest financial meltdown in the USA since the Great Depression.

In 2010, my mighty Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning are struggling to make the NFL playoffs after playing in the Super Bowl earlier this year.

For all time, our God has been and will be, the First and the Last. He is both present and coming to us every second of every day. He is never diminished in His ability and power.

Things and people in this world are only mighty for a season, but our God is ALMIGHTY in all seasons!

"I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

We are thanking God for a fruitful season of ministry for our 20th Annual Community Christmas Outreach. We ask for His grace to empower our words and service. Pray for the Share Team as they finalize our list of individuals and families to help this year and purchase gifts and food for them. One the special things that we do for persons is to ask individuals what items they need and want for Christmas.

We thank God for the partnership of Lilly Endowment. Again this year, they have help to fund our outreach with NO RESTRICTIONS on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ in connection with our efforts!

We ask our members and friends to pray for individuals being ministered to this month at the Juvenile Center, Wheeler Mission and IPS Schools; Arlington Community High School and Louis B. Russell #48.

We will include both Bible-based literature and a special DVD with each gift. As we distribute gifts to both institutions and homes, we will take time to pray, share the Gospel and invite persons to our Christmas Celebration on Sunday, December 19 at 10:30am.

I appreciate the heart of love and service shown by New Covenant Church members. We are a church fully committed to fulfilling the Great Commission and reaching out to people all year long with the love and Gospel of Christ!

Pastor Bryan Hudson

Highlights from 2009 Community Christmas Outreach

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

The purpose of the Word of God is to give us new life and power for living victoriously every day. Jesus gave His life to make this possible for us. We should expect to live in victory everyday, this is the meaning of John's statement, "These things I write to you, so that you may not sin." We do not focus on trying not to sin. We focus on doing the things written in the Word of God.

John also speaks to the reality of living when he writes: "If anyone sins, we have an Advocate…" The reality is that we sometimes "miss the mark," which is the best definition of sin. An advocate is one who represents you, like a lawyer. Basically John is saying, "Do not sin. But if you do, don't run away, run to Jesus!"

"Jesus Christ the Righteous" is always there for you.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 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, purifies us from all sin.

Light and darkness present the most striking contrast of anyone's spiritual condition. Nothing could be clearer. For believer's, John's words are not a matter of "losing" salvation, but of perfecting communion with the Lord and maintaining a useful witness to the world around us.

There is no darkness in God "at all," only the brightest light. So it makes perfect sense that anyone who claims Jesus as Savior should live daily in His light. When we fail to do so, we find ourselves living a lie and being guilty of hypocrisy.

The solution to any issue of darkness is always the same, "Walk in the light of God!" The benefits of doing so include, covenantal fellowship with the body of Christ, and a continual cleansing by the blood of Jesus, which will never lose its power!

1 Peter 4:8, (NIV) And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

Peter tells believers in Christ to have "fervent love" one for another. We must cherish one other with a love that is constant and intense. The word "fervent" that Peter uses in this text to describe love has two meanings:

1. It means "out stretching" in the sense of being consistent. Our love must be constant and unfailing as a reflection of God's love for us.

2. It also means "stretching out" as a runner stretches out to maintain his speed and form.

The God kind of love is neither easy nor sentimental. The God kind of love demands all our mental and spiritual energy. Jesus defined true love in Luke 10:27, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" We should love the unlovely and the unlovable. We should love in spite of insult and injury. We should love when it is not returned. Love is a willing decision more than a feeling.

The God kind of love covers without covering up. When we really love one another, we can accept faults, bear with foolishness, and endure unkindness, while reaching out to offer hope, help and healing.