His Table Church
April 2024
Thank you to all who made Easter weekend at HTC so wonderful! The egg hunt was loved by all and Sunday service was beautiful!
Thank you to these beautiful ladies who worked nursery Sunday so parents could enjoy Easter service!
Help Us Connect
Do you call His Table your church home? If so, please complete the google form below so we have the most accurate information for you and your family!
What's Happening In April
Women / Mondays, April 8th & 22nd / 6:00 PM: Women's Bible study continues at the Buckner home! Snacks, coffee, and fellowship at 6 & the study begins at 6:30. Want to join? Contact Sharon for details at 708-404-1179. Communication for this group is through the GroupMe app.
Sunday, April 14th / 10:00 AM: Diapers and wipes baby shower before service honoring Josh & Victoria Richardson. They are welcoming a baby boy soon!
Sunday, April 21st / 10:30 AM: Baptism Sunday & taking in new members! Let Brad know if you want to be baptized or join HTC! Brad@histablechurch.com
Kids / Sunday, April 21st / 1:30 PM: Kid's bowling at Woodleaf lanes in Salisbury! Bowling, shoe rental, and pizza for all kids is free! Adults can purchase food and bowling separately. Address: 1811 Jake Alexander Blvd W, Salisbury.
Stay Tuned In May
Youth
All youth 6th-12th grade are welcome to attend HTC Youth meetings! You do not have to be a YMCA member to attend.
The Youth meet every Sunday at the YMCA from 5-7 PM, unless otherwise noted! Be sure to follow the Facebook page for the most up to date announcements!
There will be no youth meeting on Sunday, April 28th.
Save the date for May 17th: Youth Camp Out at the Cardwell home!
HTC Youth uses the Group Me app for communication with teens and parents. Visit the youth FB page (His Table Youth) or contact Pastor Alex for the specified link!
Questions about youth? Contact Alex at alex@histablechurch.com
Stay Connected
Follow us on social media for the most up to date news and announcements:
FB: His Table Church, His Table Kids, His Table Youth, His Table Women’s Group
IG: histablechurch, htc_kids_church, htc_youth_group
Becoming Interrupt-able
Jesus' life was full of people--needy, hungry people who followed Him around constantly asking for things. As a parent, this sounds familiar.
I was recently listening to a podcast, The Culture Translator, in which the speaker quoted that during at least half of all Jesus' miracles, He was being interrupted. They were re-iterating how important it was for us as Christians, especially parents, to become interrupt-able.
Jesus was always on His way to do something important, yet He took time for people. Someone needed to be healed, someone had a question, children wanted attention.
Jesus didn't get annoyed, or say "Look, I'm on my way to do something important because I'm the Son of God, so I don't have time for this."
No, He was humble.
He stopped.
He healed.
He listened.
He forgave.
He took the time.
He realized that being interrupted by all of these needy people was actually a part of the plan.
I do not like being interrupted. I have a terrible habit of setting expectations in my mind of exactly how things should be going and when they veer off course, I get irritated. When someone calls and messes up my work flow, or one of my children decides to interrupt me during my seemingly-very-import-task, or someone has a meltdown at an inopportune moment, or something or someone makes me late, I get annoyed. I know this is natural in a way, but my annoyance and irritation do not hide and it happens over the silliest inconveniences. I am not proud to admit this. To be honest, I need Jesus to change how I portray myself in those moments, and I know that actually starts on the inside. God is always working my heart. Always showing me the error of my own ways and how much I need His help changing how I view things.
The majority of moments in which God works are in the spontaneous, day to day moments and conversations. I have to be willing to unclench my own fist and open my hands and say, use me Lord. I surrender my own agenda to You. Whatever interruptions may come, how can You be glorified through it?
These are just a few of the many, many examples of Jesus performing a miracle after being interrupted:
In Mark 2: 1-12, Jesus heals a paralytic in the middle of teaching. The house is so full of people listening to Jesus that they can not physically get to Jesus, so 4 men carried this man (most likely lowering him down through the roof) to Jesus. Jesus stops what He is doing to heal him--and uses the miracle to teach about His authority to not only heal, but to forgive sins.
In Matthew 8:23-27, the disciples are in the boat and a storm comes up, but Jesus is sleeping. He wakes up to perform the miracle and talks to them about their lack of faith. The disciples realize that even the wind and waves obey Jesus.
In Matthew 9:18-26, Jesus is teaching and is interrupted by a synagogue official pleading with Him to heal his daughter. Jesus gets up to go to his house and heal her. Then, while He is on His way to perform this miracle, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years presses her way through the crowd just to touch His garment in hopes of being healed. Jesus doesn't just allow His power to heal her, He stops and acknowledges her faith and healing. He took the time and He spoke life to her, even though He didn't have to.
But Jesus turning and seeing her said, "daughter take courage; your faith has made you well." At once the woman was made well. --Matthew 9:22
In Matthew 19: 13-15, little children are brought to Jesus. The disciples actually rebuke them. I unfortunately feel like I may have reacted that way--Sshhhhhhh, kids, don't bother Jesus! He's teaching. He's doing important things! Not Jesus. He actually encourages them to come near and encourages His disciples to have child-like faith.
Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. -Matthew 19:14
Jesus, again and again, takes the opportunity to teach them about the Kingdom through yet another interruption.
I love this quote by author and pastor Paul David Tripp:
Parents, if your eyes ever see or your ears ever hear the sin and weakness of your children, it's never an accident, it's never a hassle, it's never an interruption; it's always grace. God loves your children and because He does, He has placed them in a family of faith so that you can be His tool of convicting, forgiving, and transforming grace.
-Paul David Tripp
How many teach-able moments have I missed with my own kids because I'm annoyed when they interrupt my task list? How many times do I miss opportunities right in front of me because I am irritated at being interrupted? When I study Jesus' life, His attitude is the opposite of mine. He stops, He shows care, concern, and most of all--compassion.
Seeing the people He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. --Matthew 9:36
There's a song by Zach Williams I'm reminded of:
Oh, I have days I lose the fight
Try my best but just don't get it right
Where I talk a talk that I don't walk
And miss the moments right before my eyes
Somebody with a hurt that I could have helped
Somebody with a hand that I could have held
When I just can't see past myself
Lord, help me be
A little more like mercy, a little more like grace
A little more like kindness, goodness, love, and faith
A little more like patience, a little more like peace
A little more like Jesus, a little less like me
Often, I have been so set on accomplishing my own tasks that I miss the opportunity to stop and listen to someone's need, and possibly witness to them. What about a fellow Christian who needs to hear an encouraging word--am I too busy to uplift a friend who needs it?
I want to see the way Jesus saw. To see my so-called annoyances or unplanned interruptions as possibly holy and orchestrated by God.
Jesus was in a state of constant inconvenience for the sake of other people. He welcomed being bothered. This is not a natural way to live, but Jesus calls us to it! I am convicted knowing that I need to become okay with being inconvenienced--because it means I am putting someone else above myself. Jesus lived His life by serving and putting other people before Himself.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. -Phil 2: 3-8
Jesus humbled himself so much that He gave up His life for us. I have to work to remember this when I'm minor-ly inconvenienced by someone else's need.
Lord, give us eyes to see our interruptions as opportunities instead of annoyances. Prepare our hearts to be tuned to each moment you are trying to use to bring glory to Your name! Help us to decrease and lay aside all of our selfishness, so that You can increase, Lord!
His Table Church
Email: brad@histablechurch.com
Website: www.histablechurch.com
Location: J.F. Hurley Family YMCA, Jake Alexander Boulevard West, Salisbury, NC, USA
Phone: 704-591-1000