SERMON NOTES:

PRAYER REQUESTS
Candy Swanson (friend of Nancy & Kevin Amundsen) had surgery for a broken back from sliding. For a safe birth of John & Glorias greatgrandchild. Granddaughter, Elle, is in Japan. Pray for a safe delivery. Pray for Ruthann Coburn as she recovers from a procedure for a serious wound on her leg. Linda (Heather Butterfields sister) Gods protection while away from home. Peggy Kipling (friend of Jon Black) has terminal cancer. Prayer for Peggy and Brian for strength. Stephanies mom, Judy (co-worker of Heather Butterfield) who has cancer, but the good news was it isnt in her lymph nodes. Stage 3 but hopeful with chemo/radiation. Regina Shu (Judith Shus mother) as she struggles with diabetic neuropathy affecting her mobility. Amina, a six year old girl who has brain cancer (friend of Michelle Ott). Rose Bih (Sam Atu-Tetuhs wife) as she has high cholesterol and heart problems. Kay Prouty (mother of Pastor Pauls brother-in-law) who has cancer. Steve Gast (Jennifer Huehns college friend) received new lungs for his Cystic Fibrosis, has returned home after complications. Pray for continued healing. Sarah Womack (Nancy Amundsens daughter) as she searches for a new job. Stephanie (Jerry Hermsens friend) for her health. Beverly Dols (John Ivers sister) as she is in hospice care. Jessica Johnson (Stacy Foremans cousin) has been diagnosed with Lyme's disease. Due to the side effects and the illness symptoms she is unable to work. Joanne Seeman Benick (Jon & Jodi Blacks friend) who has cancer. Julie Fjeld (Jennifer & Mike Huehns neighbor) who lives with cancer. John Thiessen as he lives with cancer. Donna McCullen (wife of Ken McCullen) who is suffering from cancer.

DEVOTION
In his sermon this past Sunday Pastor Paul preached about what it means to be an extraordinary blessing. The Scriptures are full of stories that share understandings of a blessing. This week we will have the opportunity to learn and study them. May you be a blessing through your own study of blessing! Comments about the devotion can be emailed to pastor@colpres.org. Monday, January 20 Read Genesis 1:20-23, 1:26-31 In the Creation Story the Creator God was active in blessing. God blessed the sea creatures and the flying creatures (verse 22). God also blessed humankind (verse 1:28) One way to understand a blessing is that some important divine stuff is transferred to that which is being blessed. As humans we celebrate that we carry part of God with us. In the church we call this the Holy Spirit. The Spirit resides within us. It is the mysterious way that God takes residence in each of our bodies. We are blessed by the Spirits presence. Today take some time to notice how you are blessed by God. Be aware that the Holy Spirit is with you. Take note of how this blessing always goes with you. What a wonderful gift! Prayer: Thank you God for blessing us. Remind me today that I carry part of you within me. Tuesday, January 21 Read Genesis 12:1-3 Some people believe that this story should have started the entire Bible. In the calling of Abram God started the relationship between God and the people of Israel. All three significant religionsChristianity,

2 Islam, and Judaism trace their origins back to this story.

Notice that God told Abram that God would make Abram great. And notice that God told Abram that Abram would be blessed and that Abram would be a blessing to others. Often when we think of something great we think of something powerful or majestic. In this story great has another meaning. Think of greatness in terms of blessing others. You have an opportunity to be great today!! You can do this by blessing someoneby touching someone in an extraordinary way. Be aware of your opportunities! Prayer: Help me be a blessing today to someone who needs it! Wednesday, January 22 Read Numbers 6:22-27 These five verses are often known as the Aaronic blessing. We hear them sometimes as a blessing or benediction at the end of worship. This is a beautiful blessing to memorize. Try memorizing it today. If you want carry the Scripture around with you. Put someones name in the verses and pray it as a blessing on that person. Here are the words of the blessing. The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26 Prayer: May I use the blessing as a blessing to someone that I know today

3 Thursday, January 23 Read Deuteronomy 10:6-9 The Levites became known as a group of people who were set apart for priestly duties. One of those duties was to bless people in Gods name.
We might not be called to be set apart to be a priest, but we have the same calling as the Levites to bless people. Imagine how the church would change if the people in the church became known as those who bless others. How powerful it would be if this became how you and I became known as people who blessed others. Imagine if people who described Chain of Lakes said, those people are the people who bless us and our community. Being a group of people set apart for blessing is not something just meant for the Levites. Its meant for you and I too Prayer: Help our new congregation be a group of people who become known for how we bless others. What an exciting mission. May your Spirit continually lead us to be this kind of people. Friday, January 24 Read Luke 9:12-17 Whats often missed in this story of the feeding of the 5,000 is how Jesus blessed the bread and blessed the fish. See verse 16: And taking the five loeaves and the two fish, Jesus looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, Somehow this small amount of food became enough to feed 5,000 people. A blessing isnt magic, but when a blessing takes place magical things happen. Events happen that we werent expecting or anticipating.

4 We probably have had times in our own lives when we were blessedsomething happened to us that we werent expecting. It wasnt necessarily magic, but it was like magic. We couldnt have ever anticipated what happened.
Prayer: Thank you for how you bless people. Give me the faith to see that through your blessings, fantastic events can take place events that we werent even expecting. Saturday, January 18 Read Matthew 26:26-29 The first act of Jesus with the bread was to bless it. Jesus had been celebrating the Passover meal with his followers. He then blessed bread. This blessing was extraordinary. When we celebrate Communion we still receive this blessing. God loves us in a way that we cannot even imagine. God promises that we will never be alone. Through the cross we are forgiven of our sins; through the resurrection we are promised eternal life; through the Spirit we are challenged to create a world according to Gods desires. What blessings! You might remember some moments when youve been blessed through Communion. Take a moment to remember these blessings. What was happening? How were you blessed? How did that experience form you? Prayer: In the Upper Room you blessed bread and the world was changed. May I continue to be part of a movement that creates a world according to your desires.