Growing Together Blog

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Written by Sparky Pritchard Thursday, 31 December 2009 23:25

New beginnings – fresh starts … I love them!  It gives us the opportunity of setting the course for the journey before us in the new year.  Though some people don’t embrace the idea of resolutions, all of us can benefit by evaluating who we are, what we are doing, and where we should be going.

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Written by Sparky Pritchard Friday, 18 December 2009 14:06

It was evening.  All was still in the countryside as the shepherds bedded their flocks down for the night as was the routine in those fields of Bethlehem.  The stars sparkled and the air was crisp.  Around the fire huddled several rugged figures sharing stories and discussing plans for the next day.  It was life as usual.  But all of that was about to change.

Suddenly a bright light flashed before their eyes, a million times brighter than the flames of their camp, far brighter even than the Palestinian sun at midday.

And out of that explosion of brilliance appeared a creature that defied description or imagination.  So stunned and shaken were those seasoned shepherds that they cringed in terror.

Just then a reassuring voice eased their fears and announced the unthinkable that God Himself had entered time and history in the form of … a child!  This was incredible news.

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Written by Sparky Pritchard Friday, 11 December 2009 15:53

Looking for a heart-warming story for the Christmas season?  My eye caught this one in one of James Hewett’s books.

“It was the first day back to school after Christmas vacation, and the teacher used a good bit of the morning by going around the room and asking each child to tell how they spent Christmas.  The first boy said, ‘Well, we are Catholics and we went to midnight mass and came home and went right to bed.  The next morning we had a big breakfast and sat around the Christmas tree and opened all our presents.’  The second child then told her experience.  ‘We are United Methodists but we did about the same thing.  We went to the Christmas Eve candlelight service and came home and went to bed. We had a big Christmas breakfast and then opened all our presents.’  The third child then said, ‘Well we aren't Christians.  But we did have a big breakfast and opened presents around the tree.  Then we all got into the car and went downtown to my dad's department store.  He showed us all the empty shelves.  He showed us all the money.  Then we made a circle around the cash register, joined hands, and sang, What a Friend We Have in Jesus.’”

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Written by Geoff Chan Friday, 04 December 2009 16:17

Dr. Li was a bright, young orthopedic surgeon in China and a devout Buddhist when he came to Richmond to study. When he first came to the Chinese Bible study, he was arrogant and proud.  But God placed believers around him, including his professor, landlord, and close friends.  During the next two years, we witnessed his change in personality, and he became a follower of Jesus Christ in 2002.  He also became a humble man, with a servant’s heart. The transformation in Dr. Li’s life is a perfect example of the life-changing power of God.  Dr. Li was baptized at Immanuel, and after they moved to Minnesota, I had the privilege of leading his wife to Christ as well.  They are active in a local church, and this December they will be going to Chicago to attend a national mission conference for Chinese believers.