Dear Faith Community Church Family,
A living parable–this is how one Christian writer refers to healing of the blind man in Mark 8:22-26. The healing is unusual. It comes in two stages. Jesus is in Bethsaida on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. His disciples are with him. A blind man is led to Jesus by his friends. The friends want the Lord to heal him. They might not know a lot about Jesus, but they know he is able to get sight to their blind friend. Jesus’ actions which follow upon this request are puzzling. He takes the man outside the village, and then as Mark says, “he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Do you see anything?’” The man responds, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” The man is receiving his sight, but his blindness is not entirely healed. Jesus once again places his hands on the eyes of the man. The miracle is now complete: “he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.”
Was this miracle too difficult for Jesus to accomplish in one step? Not at all! Jesus was not only bringing healing to this man, he was also teaching the disciples (and us!) a lesson on the need for spiritual sight. The disciples were beginning to understand who Jesus truly was as the powerful Son of God, but their faith needed to go deeper. They needed to come to him for spiritual sight–and this comes frequently in stages. This is the need for each of us. We must look to Jesus with the sight he has given us, and turn to him to remove all spiritual blindness from the our hearts so that we may love him and obey him more faithfully each day. This Sunday we pick up with our series in the Gospel of Mark, Follow Me, focusing on the blind man in Mark 8:22-26.
This Sunday we join together for the Lord’s Supper. Please prepare your hearts through prayer and confession of sin before the worship service this Sunday.
Click here to access the livestream for the worship service (9:30am).
Embracing Hope Gathering: Saturday, November 9 (9:30am-11:00am)
All ladies are invited to join us on Saturday, November 9 from 9:30am to 11:00am for a Thanksgiving Fellowship at the home of Amy-Jo Wierenga. Please RSVP to Jenny Johnson or sign up in the Narthex or at Tuesday/Wednesday Bible study.
Ways to Connect after the Service
Are you new to the church or want to get better connected to the life of the church? Stay after the service for Fellowship Time in the Mission Center (just follow the crowd) to enjoy conversation and treats with others. You can also fill out a Connection Card at the table under the “Welcome to Faith Community Church” sign in the narthex and give it to Jonathan Keller. Jonathan would also love to grab a coffee, meal, or walk with you to talk about any questions you may have about the church.
Hurricane Helene Relief Fund
We have an opportunity to show the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to those in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene by giving to a relief fund overseen by Corinth Reformed Church in Hickory, North Carolina, where former FCC pastor Nick Perrin serves as Senior Pastor. If you would like to give to this fund, please write your check to Faith Community Church and clearly indicate that the check is for the hurricane relief fund. You may also give online through our church’s website at this link.
Prayer Requests
LaBelle Family: Please pray that the Lord would comfort and strengthen Pat, Larry, and their family as they mourn the loss of Pat’s mom, Willodean.
Karla and Gary Van Der Molen: Please continue to pray for strength for Gary and Karla as they manage Karla’s ALS.
Mary Hope Austin: Praise God that Mary Hope’s burns are healing as they should, and she should soon no longer require bandages.
In Christ,
Pastor Rhett