LaGrange Presbyterian Church 1901 Prestwick Drive, LaGrange, Kentucky 40031 (502)222-8973

JANUARY 2017 NEWSLETTER THE PARABLE OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE There are three main characters in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The loving Father, who is God. If we are tempted to see ourselves as imitating the Father's love in this parable, we must remember that when we actually share such love, it is with God's help and strength. Many of us can relate quite well to the younger brother, especially if you are a younger brother or sister yourself. You can probably relate to his desire to be free of the family, and the unfair attitudes of the older brother, the third character in the parable. Jesus says, "A few days after receiving his share of the inheritance, the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living" (Luke 15:13). We should not assume he squandered the money immorally, for the Greek words do not imply such. It is enough that the boy finds himself broke, and a long way from home. In order to survive he must feed the pigs of a citizen of that country, a

repugnant job, especially for a Jewish person. He decides to return to his father's farm in hopes that he might be forgiven by his father. On his way, he practices a speech about how dad might teach him a trade, so he can pay him back. We see no hint of remorse or seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. He wants to buy his father's love, see if he can earn it in some way. Unconditional love, freely given love, is a difficult thing to understand. The prodigal son only understands the imperfect love that must be earned and somehow deserved. So often this is the kind of love we share with our children and those we care about. How often do we tie our love for others to their ability to please us? When our child misbehaves, or does poorly, what do we do to make certain that our disapproval of their actions does not diminish our love for them? A friend of mine told about a women's support

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group she was once in, and one day the topic of conversation was the love of their parents. Many of the women found that they had received the love of their mother unconditionally, but their fathers had put them to the test before he would give his love. Many of the women could think of a time when they had finally done something noteworthy enough to earn their father's love. They found such testing to be painful. Continues on page 4 What’s Inside

Worship Highlights Officer Retreat Office Volunteers Seeds Class Spiritual Hunger Solomon’s Club Birthdays/Anniv. Funny Bone Calendar

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WORSHIP HIGHLIGHTSCalled by God to sow seeds wherever Christ leads Praise Service Saturday 5:30pm Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service 10:30am

Worship Highlights Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any spiritual resolutions? Is worship a high enough priority in your life each week? Make a New Year’s resolution to increase your worship attendance. To help you keep your resolution we will have a spiritually uplifting worship service each week. Second, resolve to come to Sunday School each week. We offer great learning opportunities for all ages. There is no better opportunity to enhance your growth as a disciple than to join with others in a Sunday School class.

Officer Retreat Our Session will be taking a day on Saturday, January 7 to have our 18 th officer retreat. We ask the congregation to pray that the day will be blessed by the Holy Spirit and get 2017 off to a great start. Those attending the retreat include Al Earley, Randy Royer (Clerk), Traci Jones (Evangelism), Adam Wilson (Mission), Tammy Taylor (Small Groups), Clarence Robinson (Building and Grounds), Diane Coffman (Budget and Finance), KC Burdette (Worship), Lauren Rittman (Christian Education), and James Atherton (Congregational Agape). The morning session will be leadership development, and the afternoon will be goal setting and calendar planning. Pastor Earley has been helping with and leading church retreats for 30 years and knows firsthand what an impact such retreats can have on the leaders of the church, and the strengthening of the mission and ministry of the church. It is his hope that this annual event will continue to be a high-point in leadership development and ministry planning for our church into the future.

Thanks to Office Volunteers Many thanks go to our office volunteers. Each day they help Pastor Earley with church projects and answer the phone from 10:00-12:00 noon. If you get a chance say thanks to Mary Ellen Lewis (Monday), Tammy Taylor and her friend Melissa (Tuesday), and Judy Barill (Friday). There is a need for office volunteers on Wednesday and Thursday if you are available to help. See Pastor Al if you are interested.

SEEDS Class for New Members A SEEDS class is being organized for all those who would like to live out their faith in Jesus Christ through the ministries of our church. The Seeds class will be after worship on two Sundays of January. If you have any questions, see Pastor Earley. -2-

FEEDING YOUR SPIRITUAL HUNGER: DO YOU ADD OR SUBTRACT? One salesgirl in a candy store always had customers lined up waiting, while the other checkers stood around doing nothing. The owner asked for her secret. “It is easy,” she said. “The other girls scoop up more than a pound of candy and then start taking away pieces. I always scoop up less than a pound and then add pieces to it.” Any way you look at it, a pound is a pound. But there is a real psychological difference between taking from it and adding to it. We have enough being taken away from us as it is. Most of us are hungry for that which gives to us. How can you and I relate to other people so they feel we are giving rather than taking away? One of the most important ways we can do this is to develop our servant’s heart. After Jesus washed His disciple’s feet he said, “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). When the church sponsors mission opportunities in LaGrange, Louisville, other places in the country, or around the world make it a priority to participate as often as possible. If you are cannot participate or are physically unable to pray for those that do. A great way to get started if you have never done a mission project is to come to one of our LaGrange Mission Projects. These occur at periodic times during the year. Decide now to volunteer the next time one is advertised. Once you start letting God use you to help others, you will see the truth of the words of Jesus, “As you did it for the least of these, my brothers, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:40). Another way we can add to another’s life is to visit or call on someone in need. At the end of your personal or phone visit take time to say a prayer with them. If you don’t think you are good at praying out loud then invite the person to join you in the Lord’s prayer. This powerful and familiar prayer always brings the Lord’s presence in some unique way. Anytime we can allow God to be present in someone’s life we can feed their hunger, as well as our own, for that which will build them up, and make life more meaningful. Finally, don’t forget to invite people to church when you encounter them. Your desire and willingness to add to their lives will earn you the right to be heard. If they seem uncertain encourage them to read one of my articles in the newspaper to find out a little about the pastor. Keep inviting and praying that they will attend until they do.

SOLOMON’S CLUB The first luncheon for 2017 will be on the 23rd at Noon. All adults are invited to come and enjoy the fellowship, lunch plus some good laughs. Look forward to seeing you on the 23rd

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Continued from Page 1 Men often struggle to show unconditional love, but so do many women. Think about someone you love, or at least are supposed to love whose relationship is somehow strained right now. Do you put them to the test to see if they deserve your love? Do you remind them over and over again of some flaw in their life or personality, as if they might have wondered if you now approved? What have you done to reach out with unconditional love, with love that has no strings attached? When was the last time you simply called that person to see how they were doing? Could you do that for a year, and see how God might use your gesture of love to rebuild your friendship? I challenge you to reflect on the love shared with those you care about. If you have any doubt that those adults and children know you love them unconditionally, it is time to express such love. If you are not sure what it means to love this way, then read this parable over and over again, and reflect on how the father is overjoyed to have his son back, and what the son has done with his money and life mean nothing to him at that moment. Then read the rest of Luke, especially how God gives up his only son Jesus Christ, for all people that we might know of God's unconditional love, forgiveness, and salvation for our lives. Then let God's divine love give you the courage and strength to share unconditional love with a loved one, child, or older brother or sister. Along the way, remember God is with you, ready to make any sacrifice, even of His only son on the cross, to show His amazing, infinite, unconditional love for you. We celebrate the love of God every week in worship. I hope I see you this weekend so we can worship together. Yours In Christ, Pastor Al

Birthdays & Anniversaries January Birthdays: 01 – K.C. Burdette (1997); 05 – Kevin Dant, Joe Mallek; 13 – Anna Barill; 19 – Alex Johnson; 22 – Danielle Earley (1997); 24 – Trevor Morton; 25 – Wyatt Durbin (2006); 31 – Adam Clark (1997), Conner Knebel (1998), Anne Langford ; January Anniversaries: None

February Birthdays: 06 – Adam Wilson; 12 – Gordon Robinson; 14 – Madison Job; 15 – Samuel King (2014); 20 – Traci Jones; 21 – Robbie Durbin; 25 – Carl Brooks Rainbolt; 28 – Mary Ash

February Anniversaries: None

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Biblical Humor to Tickle Your Funny Bone FLORIDA COURT SETS ATHEIST HOLY DAY In Florida, an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter & Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews & observances of their holy days. The argument was it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized day. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, 'Case dismissed.' The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, 'Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter & others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur & Hanukkah. Yet my client & all other atheists have no such holidays.' The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, 'But you do. Counsel, your client is woefully ignorant.' The lawyer said, 'Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.' The judge said, 'The calendar says April 1st is 'April Fools Day.' Psalm 14:1 states 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.' A Sunday School was putting on a Christmas pageant which included the story of Mary and Joseph coming to the inn. One boy wanted so very much to be Joseph, but when the parts were handed out, a boy he didn’t like was given that part, and he was assigned to be the inn-keeper instead. He was pretty upset about this but he didn’t say anything to the director. During all the rehearsals he thought what he might do the night of performance to get even with this rival who got to be Joseph. Finally, the night of the performance, Mary and Joseph came walking across the stage. They knocked on the door of the inn, and the inn-keeper opened the door and asked them gruffly what they wanted. Joseph answered, "We’d like to have a room for the night." Suddenly the inn-keeper threw the door open wide and said, "Great, come on in and I’ll give you the best room in the house!" For a few seconds poor little Joseph didn’t know what to do. Thinking quickly on his feet, he looked inside the door past the inn-keeper then said, "No wife of mine is going to stay in dump like this. Come on, Mary, let’s go to the barn." Once again the play was back on track!

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JANUARY 2017 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

1 SS 9:30 am, Worship 10:30 am, Life Church 1 pm, Hispanic Church 3 pm Revival Prayer Meeting 7 pm, Bible Reading Marathon begins at Midnight

2 Bible Reading Marathon continues 9 pm at Church

3 Prayer Mtg. 9:30 am LBS 11 am,

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8 KOK SS 9 am, Communion Worship 10:30 am, Life Church 1 pm, Hispanic Church 3 pm

9

10

11

Prayer Mtg. 9:30 am LBS 11:00 am

CAPS 10 am, MBS 6:30 pm

15 KOK SS 9 am, Worship 10:30 am, Life Church 1 pm, Hispanic Church 3 pm

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22 KOK SS 9 am, Worship 10:30 am, Life Church 1 pm, Hispanic Church 3 pm

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29 KOK SS 9 am, Worship 10:30 am, Life Church 1 pm, Hispanic Church 3 pm

Solomon’s Club – Noon, Girl Scouts 6 pm

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17 Prayer Mtg. 9:30 am

MBS 6:30

18

LBS 11:00 am

CAPS 10 am Cub Scouts 6:30 pm MBS 6:30 pm

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25

Prayer Mtg. 9:30 am

MBS 6:30 pm

LBS 11:00 am

Newsletter Deadline

31 Prayer Mtg. 9:30 am LBS 11:00 am

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Thursday 5 Classical Conversations 8:30 am Scouts 6:30 pm

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Friday

Saturday

6 Hispanic Church 7 pm

7 Officer’s Retreat 9 am; Communion Praise Service 5:30 pm

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14

Hispanic Church 7 pm

19

20 Hispanic Church 7 pm

26

27 Hispanic Church 7 pm

Praise Service 5:30 pm

21 Praise Service 5:30 pm

28 Praise Service 5:30 pm

LaGrange Presbyterian Church 1901 Prestwick Drive LaGrange, Kentucky 40031

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