November 2019 Newsletter

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November 2019 Newsletter

Have a great day!
~ Carmen

Scripture for Sunday (10/27/19)

These are the details of the services for George Stewart:
  Contacts: Richard Stewart (210) 275-6563, Katy Calverley (210) 316-4561

  Memorial Service is at Christ of the Hills Presbyterian Church on Thursday, November 7th at 1:00 PM. The address is 635 Highway 46 East Ste. 203-204, Boerne, TX 78006.  Pastor Pete Johnson will officiate.

  Internment is on Saturday, November 9th at Mo Ranch outside of Hunt, Texas. At 1:00 we will meet on Serenity Hill near the Chapel on the Hill for the service.  Reverends Jim & Laurie Barker will be officiating. If weather is severe, we will have a service at the Mo-Ranch Chapel near the Guest Lodge. If anyone wants to join us for lunch in the dining hall, you will need to have a reservation (we need a head count). If you would like to make a memorial gift, please make them to Christ of the Hills Church.

Scripture for Sunday
John 8:31-38 (ESV) 

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (10/20/19)

Scripture
Daniel 5:1-31 (ESV)

1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 

5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. 

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.” 

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. 

24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Questions for Reflection
1.    What would constitute a perfect party for you?
2.    What kinds of puzzles or riddles do you like to solve?
3.    While drinking wine, what orders did Belshazzar give? (5:2-3)
4.    To whom did the king and his court give praise? (5:4)
5.    What happened while the people were feasting? (5:5)
6.    How did the king react to the handwriting on the wall? (5:6-7)
7.    What happened when the wise men came to the king? (5:8-9)
8.    What was the queen’s counsel to Belshazzar? (5:10-12)
9.    When Daniel was brought before the king, what did Belshazzar say to him? (5:13-16)
10. How did Daniel respond to the king’s words? (5:17)
11. *In his reply to the king, what did Daniel say about God and His dealings with Nebuchadnezzar? (5:18-21)
12. How did Daniel confront Belshazzar’s pride? (5:22-24)
13. What did Daniel say about the judgment of God? (5:25-28)
14. How did the king reward Daniel for his words? (5:29)
15. What makes people proud nowadays?
16. What can we do to keep pride from clouding our perspective and respect for God?
17. If you were struggling with a difficult personal problem, whose counsel would you seek? Why?
18. When someone asks for your opinion or advice, how honest are you in sharing what you think?

Scripture for Sunday (10/13/19)

Pastor Jeremiah Kibobi will be our guest preacher tomorrow. He will also be speaking during the Sunday school hour in Grace Place. The Lord is doing a lot through his ministry. He is the country director in Kenya for Watch and Pray. He also has a ministry called Vision of Glory. 

Lunch will follow worship, brisket will be provided by the church. Please bring a dish to share.

They are hoping to be able to get sponsors to support more children in their visions children education support. The aim is to be supporting 600 children every day. By supporting these less fortunate children we are building the church of Christ and raising the leaders of tomorrow.

Scripture
2 Kings 7:1-9 (ESV) 

1 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” 

3 Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.” 5 So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. 6 For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.” 7 So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. 8 And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. 

9 Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household.”

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (10/6/19)

Saturday (10/5/19) is Men’s Breakfast.  Coffee will be on at 6:30, breakfast at 8 AM. Come join us.

Scripture
2 Timothy 1:2-14 (ESV) 

2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

Questions for Reflection
1.    What is characteristic of the people you enjoy being around?
2.    In what ways have your parents or grandparents significantly shaped your life?
3.    Why did Paul long to see Timothy? (1:4)
4.    Who were Lois and Eunice, and what did Paul say about them? (1:5)
5.    What was Timothy reminded to do? (1:6)
6.    What kind of spirit does God give to His people? (1:7)
7.    In what way did Timothy need courage? (1:8)
8.    Why has God called us to a holy life? (1:9)
9.    What did Paul tell Timothy to do with his training? (1:13)
10. For whom do you pray on a regular basis?
11. What family member or friend has had the biggest role in your spiritual growth and development?
12. What gift has God given you?