Weekly Newsletter

ENCOURAGING THOUGHTS

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength
Sometimes, with everything going on around us, true joy can seem like a distant, elusive dream. Something we hope for but don't often experience.

Joy, according to the Bible, is not just a fleeting feeling or emotion that we try to grasp onto.

Galatians 5:22 calls joy a fruit of the Spirit and in Nehemiah 8:10b, it refers to the joy of the Lord as our strength.

Those verses make it clear that joy is a powerful force - a gift from God in our lives. We receive this joy, not by chasing things that bring us fleeting moments of happiness, but by allowing the Holy Spirit to make His home in our hearts and yielding each day to the work God wants to do in us. 

Earlier in Nehemiah, chapter 8, all the people had gathered together. They heard God's laws and His Word being read and explained to them, and they began to weep.

Then Nehemiah and the others who were reading and explaining God's laws to the people encouraged them all to go and celebrate! To not be sad, but to rejoice.

Sometimes, we experience life and we see the brokenness around us and in us, and our hearts become heavy with sadness. And sometimes, feeling that sadness is good. Sadness can convict us, and help us to grieve and to heal. But let these verses be a reminder that sometimes God wants us to choose joy, even when we aren't feeling it, and to let our hearts be strengthened by it.

This week, check out the story of Nehemiah, and let the joy of the Lord be your strength!

"This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!"
Nehemiah 8:10b (NLT)

ANNOUNCEMENTS​

A Bridal Shower to celebrate Nancy Peters and her upcoming marriage to Corwen Maine will be held on Saturday, June 7th from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at One Life Church. For more information, and to RSVP, text Caydence at 403 308 0788!

We're having a Connection Sunday on June 8th! Join us for a special time of fellowship and a chili lunch afterward. We are still looking for a few more people who can bring a crock pot of chili to share. Those who aren't bringing chili, please bring a dessert to share! If you have any questions, please contact the church office. 403 394 7707

The Lethbridge Pregnancy Care Centre's Baby Bottle Campaign is well underway! Thank you to everyone who took a baby bottle to fill with cash, coins, or a cheque! Remember to bring back your baby bottles by Father's Day (June 15th). If you would like to still donate online, or find out more about the LPCC, you can do so by clicking here!





To see a list of all of our upcoming events, check out our website here!