Hi everyone!  I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday.  Linda and i spent a nice quiet day at home listening to worship music and praising our awesome Lord.  We all have so much for which we can give thanks.

It has not been an easy week for everyone.  Priscilla did sound better when I talked to her this morning.  She and Kimi are improving.  Cathy’s brother Gary fell and broke a hip yesterday and is to have surgery sometime today.  Brenda is attending her uncle’s funeral today.  Pray for her family.  Cindy’s cousin Cathy passed away on Tuesday from covid.  Pray for her family.

Sometime last week, a window was broken at the church.  Public speculation as to who and why is probably not helpful.  Let us just pray for them, and do what we can.  Thanks to everyone who has worked to get it fixed.  We are making slow progress.

This Sunday, we’ll be continuing our kingdom study with the account of the “rich young ruler” from Matthew 19:16-26.  You will recall, I hope, some of the material, as we covered this from Mark’s gospel just over two years back.

We’ve probably all heard some version of the saying, “You can’t be too rich or too thin.”  We know one actually can be too thin, but can you be too rich?  In our culture of envy, it certainly would seem that the answer is “yes,” but how much is too much?  I’ll bet whatever that number is, it’s more than whatever people who believe that have.  There’s no tangible indicator of “too rich,” because the problem is not in the possessions, but in the possessor.   You are too rich if your possessions own you.

Jesus said that it is impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven.  This was astonishing to the disciples.  After all, even the law taught that God would prosper those who obey Him.  Riches were seen as a sign of God’s favor.  Sometimes they were.  If riches alone excluded one from the kingdom, then Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob didn’t make it either.  The point is that no one can get in unless God makes a way.  When questioned, Jesus said, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (v. 26)

I’m thankful for all of you. I am richly blessed, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Love y’all!

Larry