North Main Street Church of God
Water into Wine
1201 North Main Street Ext. Butler, PA 16001 09/10/2023
Locations & Times
North Main Street Church of God
1201 N Main St Ext, Butler, PA 16001, USA
Sunday 10:30 AM
Sunday Morning
Join us on Sunday Mornings online where you can Check-in/Connect, Give, and Watch along with us.
https://northmaincog.org/online/Know Christ intimately,
Grow in Christ continually, and
Go for Christ daily
Check-in Here
Thanks for joining us! If it's your first time here we'd love to connect with you! Fill out the form below. <br> For our regular attenders, please check in with your name and email, if you need to update information
https://northmaincog.org/online-connection-form/Joining us online?
Thank you for joining us today! Please check in here:
https://northmaincog.org/online-connection-form/
Newcomers to North Main
If you are a newcomer, we’re so glad you’ve joined us! If you’re here in person, make sure to stop by the Welcome Center where we have a gift bag for you with some information about us and some delicious homemade chocolate chip COOKIES. <br> For those online please visit the website below and make sure to click the COMMUNICATION CARD button and fill that out so we can send you a free gift!
https://northmaincog.org/onlineChurch Mobile App
Did you know North Main has a church mobile app? Access videos anytime from your device and never miss a sermon. Securely and easily give your tithes, offerings, and donations. Instantly register for upcoming events, and stay in the know of what's happening. Contact Us at any time with a simple message. Find others in the North Main directory. To download go to:
https://northmaincog.org/app/Bible Reading Plan
Join us in 2023 as we read through the Bible in a year and highlight evidence of “KINDNESS” throughout our daily Scripture readings. Reading Guides and GREEN highlighters, the color that represents KINDNESS, are available at the Welcome Center. You can also access the resources digitally on NORTHMAINCOG.ORG/BIBLE
https://northmaincog.org/bible/
Events
For more information about events at North Main such as our upcoming softball games, women’s hikes, classes, and groups, please make sure to stop by the Welcome Center or visit our website at
https://northmaincog.org/eventsConnection Luncheon
Join us after service TODAY for our Connection Luncheon! Cost: $6/adult $4/child and a max of $20/household. ON THE MENU: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Nachos & Cheese, Salad, and Root Beer Floats. If you’re new to North Main and you’ve never had a connection lunch with us before, lunch is on us
https://northmaincog.org/events/connection-luncheon/Groups
We have new groups starting today including our Discovery Series, a study of Revelation, and a study of the book “Praying is NOT Hard”. It’s not to late to join. There are even more groups meeting during the week that are starting this week as well. To sign up or for more information make sure to stop by the Welcome Center or visit our website at NORTHMAINCOG.ORG/GROUPS.
https://northmaincog.org/GROUPSGive
We thank you for your faithful gifts. You can give online and, of course, on Sundays by using the secure drop boxes located outside the doors of the Sanctuary. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
https://northmaincog.org/give/
(John 2:1-11)
Yearly Theme: “Kindness is… Astounding”
Series Title: “Kindness 24/7”
September 10th, 2023
According to Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner, “Vincent van Gogh noted that a life geared toward avoiding mistakes will be mediocre; those who would achieve greatness must be prepared to fail. If we would warn our children away from investing in doomed efforts, we would simultaneously warn them away from investing in their own development and partial achievements.”
Mediocrity is a beast that most of us fight throughout the course of our lives. Maybe it’s because we lose steam as we grow older, maybe it’s because we’ve believed the disparaging things that people have said to us about ourselves, maybe it’s because of nagging insecurities that we’ve allowed to hold us back from doing what seems impossible, or maybe it’s because we’ve grown all too accustomed to merely going through the motions and routines of everyday life that we don’t believe there is more to life than “this.”
But we don’t start off life this way! From birth through about the pre-teen years, life is anything but mediocre. Life is exciting and full of anticipation. Every day is a learning experience full of possibilities and adventures. The sky’s the limit! Things like clouds in the sky become objects of wonder. The wind on the face is truly a breath of fresh air. The colors of rainbows, birds, and trees in Autumn are sights to behold and not merely distractions to pass by. For a child, life is anything but mediocre.
As we consider the life of Jesus (specifically His miracles) over the next several weeks in our series entitled: Kindness 24/7, we will be exploring the extravagant and exceptional side of GOD’s kindness through Jesus. We will see how Jesus’ life was anything but mediocre, and how He approached people and situations with a sense of love and compassion through kindness in action.
Today we come upon the very first recorded miracle of Jesus in the Gospels: Turning Water Into Wine. Let’s take a look:
Let’s look at a few factors of the exceptional nature of the kindness of Jesus in this miracle:
John 2:1-2 (NLT), The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration.
John 2:4 (NLT), “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
John 2:6-10 (NLT), 6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.
9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
Pastor, Missionary, Author, and Seminary President, the late Avery T. Willis, Jr. wrote:
“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, and my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
“I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, live by prayer, and labor by His power.
“My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable and my mission clear. I cannot be bought, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
“I won’t give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go ‘till He comes, give ‘till I drop, preach ‘till all know and work ‘till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.”
Like Jesus at Cana, may our kindness drive us out of mediocrity and into the exceptional life of abundance in Christ. May we become like little children again and live a life full of wonder and adventure. May we be willing to get out of our ruts and do something with the grace, mercy, and love that GOD has so freely given us. Let us give as freely as we have been given, let us love as we’ve been loved, let us live a life of exceptionalism for Christ, and never look back! For we are the children of GOD, and He’s called us to walk with Him in the High places.
Key Point: “True acts of kindness are not mediocre, but exceptional.”
A pool full of top-notch wine is more than enough for this wedding. Why do you think Jesus makes so much? And why such excellent wine? What does this reveal about Jesus and his generosity?
Jesus responds to scarcity. Where in your life are you “running out of wine” or feeling empty? Jesus wants to show us how good he is by pouring his Spirit into the places of weakness in our lives. Would you like to ask Jesus to meet a need in your life?
As followers of Jesus, we emulate his actions. This week, we challenge you to engage in a Random Act of Kindness! Choose one we have provided for you or come up with your own!
Past Sermons
To view past sermons, please visit our website below.
https://northmaincog.org/media-resources/sermons/Contact Us
If you would like to update your information or have a prayer request, please fill out the link below.
https://northmaincog.org/media-resources/contact-us/North Main Street Church of God
1201 North Main Street Ext.Butler, PA 16001 (724) 285-4214 info@northmaincog.org
http://www.northmaincog.org/Give
We thank you for your faithful gifts. You can give online at NORTHMAINCOG.ORG/GIVE, text "give" to (724) 313-2211, and, of course, on Sundays by using the secure drop boxes located outside the doors of the Sanctuary. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
https://www.northmaincog.org/giveMonday - Thursday
9:00am - 4:00pm