<![CDATA[Welcome to the Hermon Community of Faith - Mission Minded Moment]]>Sun, 17 May 2026 17:43:20 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Back to School Beattitudes]]>Sat, 29 Aug 2015 01:43:34 GMThttp://www.hermonpresbyterian.org/mission-minded-moment/back-to-school-beattitudes*1*      Blessed Are The Children, For Theirs Is The Kingdom Of Heaven.

Mark 10: 14 (NKJV)

 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

 Never forget that God loves you, and the kingdom of God is meant for you.  

  

*2*      Blessed Are The Grown-Ups, For They Are To Be Respected.

Leviticus 19: 32 (NIV)

“‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.’”

Job 32: 7 (NIV)

“. . . . Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.”

 

The wisdom of the adults is priceless.  Observe what they say and do that’s right and wrong; if nothing else, you’ll learn from their mistakes.

 

*3*      Blessed Are The Teachers, For Their Job Is A Rough One.

James 3: 1  (NRSV)

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.




The teachers are there to help you learn.  Take the teacher sup on that offer.  The better behaved you are, the more you will learn from them.

 

*4*      Blessed Are They Who Ask Questions, For They Shall Receive Answers.

Luke 11: 9 (NKJV)

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

 

Sometimes it’s scary to ask questions in class when it seems like everybody knows the answers except you.  But just like that saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” those that ask for help usually get it.

 

*5*      Blessed Are They That Follow The Golden Rule, For They Are Truly Pure In Heart.

Matthew 7: 12 (NKJV)

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

 

This is often called the “Golden Rule.”  You’d be surprised how difficult it is to follow.  Even adults have a hard time with this one.  However, you'll be a blessing to others when you follow it.

 

*6*      Blessed Are Those Who Study And Do Homework; For A’s and B’s Shall Be Theirs.

2 Timothy 2: 15 (KJV)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

If you don’t hustle to do the homework and study to learn the lessons, the one who will lose in the end is you.  Learn this lesson now while you have time and are in a place that will greatly impact your future.

 

*7*      Blessed Are Those That Listen, For They Shall Hear God’s Voice.

1 Thessalonians 5:17   (NKJV) 

Pray without ceasing.




God likes hearing from His children.  Pop quizzes, trips to the principal’s office, and final exams should not be the only times God hears from you!   




1 Kings 19:12  (NKJV)

And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

 

Teachers aren't the only ones that love when children listen.  God wants His children listening to Him.  Keep those prayer lines of communication open so that you are talking to Him and so that He can talk to you.

 

 

*8*      Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted For Righteousness’ Sake, For Theirs Is The  Kingdom Of Heaven.

Matthew 5: 10 (NKJV)
 

Sometime during kindergarten – 12th grade and definitely college, you will meet classmates that feel the Christian faithwalk is for babies, and the tenants of faith aren’t applicable to young adults.  Following God’s rules will “put you on the outs” with folk – including some of your friends.  You won’t feel like you’re blessed, but remember that you are.  After all, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8: 31b KJV)

~Joy Colter
Massey Outreach Ministry

]]><![CDATA[10 College Commandments]]>Wed, 08 Oct 2014 20:38:16 GMThttp://www.hermonpresbyterian.org/mission-minded-moment/10-college-commandments
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]]><![CDATA[The Pepsi ™ Generation]]>Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:51:15 GMThttp://www.hermonpresbyterian.org/mission-minded-moment/the-pepsi-generation
]]><![CDATA[Hurt people hurt people!]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 20:18:48 GMThttp://www.hermonpresbyterian.org/mission-minded-moment/hurt-people-hurt-people
]]><![CDATA[Smack Dab In The Middle]]>Sat, 24 Mar 2012 23:28:29 GMThttp://www.hermonpresbyterian.org/mission-minded-moment/first-postA few months ago after listening to Israel Houghton sing the song "Jesus, Be The Center Of It All,” I heard Charlotte pastor Stephen Furtick say that Jesus needs to be at the center of who we are and what we do.  He said Christians mistakenly put Jesus first when we really need to place Him in the center of our everyday lives.  I initially thought that statement was an odd thing to say.  After all, the first Commandment listed in Exodus 20:2 says "I am the Lord your God.  You shall have no other gods before me."  We as Christians know God is jealous (Exodus 20:5), and He shares His worship with nothing else on earth.  Why would God settle for being in the middle of our hierarchy of priorities instead?  Why would it be problematic to aim to keep God first in our lives?  Isn't first place the most desirable spot with the most accolades and the most attention?  Why not have God first? 

Two thoughts came to mind to make me consider otherwise: one of them being my own human nature.  While first place in almost anything is a coveted spot, the fact that there isa first place usually means that there is also a second place, a third place, and a couple of honorable mentions in there too.  If my podium of a priority list can accommodate multiple spots, it stands to reason that there was a competition for first place.  I know it's not unusual for me to place God first only to find Him upstaged and shuffled by finances, school, work woes, or by some insane mundane "wha' ha' hap'm wuz" drama.  When circumstantial storms arise, my attention to God is hijacked by a problem I'm trying to resolve.  My focus, reasoning, energy, and emotions allow the storms in my life to supplant God's rightful place as first.  God has first place when times are good and anything but first when times are bad, and sometimes I don’t think of Him until times get ugly only to ignore Him when skies are sunny and blue!

The other thought coming to mind is scripture.  Though God's commandments were written in stone when Moses gave them to the Israelites, God tells Jeremiah that God will change His approach to imparting His laws to His people.  God gives word to His prophet saying a time will come when God would write the laws on the people's hearts (Jer. 31:33).  In this new covenant God would establish with humankind through Jesus Christ, God’s people would do His will not because they were fearfully required to follow, but because they lovingly wanted to do so.  True, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10); God’s jealously for our attention has not waned now that it’s 2012.  However, the drive to serve God and keep His commandments would come from the heart – the very core of who we are.

The core of me contains my love of my family.  While friends and coworkers see me and base their judgments upon actions they see or words they hear, my family understands who I am in my heart.  Because they  understand my heart so well and accept it for what it is, I love them deeply and carry them in my heart wherever I go.  And out of that love of my family members, I tend to consider them in almost everything I do and every decision I make.  I imagine that is where God wants to be – smack dab in the middle of who I am – the very center of my being.  When God is at the center of me, I will consciously or unconsciously carry Him wherever I go.  I will consider Him and His will in everything I do, and I will prayerfully consult Him in the decisions I make.  I think that’s what Pastor Furtick meant by keeping Him at the center instead of merely first.  Besides, God loved me so much that He gave His Son to die for my sins (John 3:16).  God loves me so much and knows me so well that when I ask for a clean heart and right spirit put within me, He grants me just that (Psalms 51:10).  The center of me is truly the most appropriate place for God to reside.

God in the center of me could never be in competition with the other agenda items vying for my attention.  When I am in the midst of a storm, there is God at my core holding me together and keeping me calm as I weather it. And when times are good, there God is literally – as Richard Smallwood eloquently put it – at “the center of my joy.”  I can’t think of a better place for God to be!
-- Joy Colter ]]>