{"id":1268,"date":"2014-04-12T11:10:28","date_gmt":"2014-04-12T15:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=1268"},"modified":"2014-08-15T08:17:47","modified_gmt":"2014-08-15T12:17:47","slug":"mens-fellowship-gathering-41214","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=1268","title":{"rendered":"UMM Gathering with Mike Denelsbeck (4\/12\/14)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em>The United Methodist Men held our monthly gathering this morning (Saturday April 12).\u00a0 Our guest speaker was Mike Denelsbeck. \u00a0\u00a0 Mike has an interesting story.\u00a0 From working as a prison guard, to being a Lay Director of the Garden State Walk to Emmaus Community, to his current ministry as a local pastor (of the <\/em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #800080;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/archives.umc.org\/Directory\/ChurchDetails.asp?FAC=13598\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Rosenhayne UMC<\/span><\/a><\/span><em>), he has led a life of growth and commitment to our Lord. Mike has a passion for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em>The following shares the message that Mike shared with us&#8230;.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Where Do You Find Comfort?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When life hits you with stress, worry, or pain&#8230; where do you go for comfort?\u00a0 Here are a few paths that people frequently take:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">FOOD&#8230; <\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Whether its candy or something more substantial, food often provides a temporary relief from stress (in fact there are physiological explanations for this).\u00a0 They don&#8217;t call it &#8220;comfort food&#8221; for nothing!<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">DRINK&#8230; <\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Anything from water, to something stronger.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">TURN INWARD&#8230; <\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Take a walk, journal,\u00a0 shut out the world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">TURN OUTWARD&#8230; <\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Be with friends<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000080;\">WAIT IT OUT&#8230; <\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8220;Time heals all wounds&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800000;\">2 Corinthians 1:3-11 talks about the comfort that Paul found from doing God&#8217;s work and sharing with other Christians&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class='et-learn-more clearfix'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class='heading-more'>Read Passage<span class='et_learnmore_arrow'><span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class='learn-more-content'><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2 Cor 1:3-11 3 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.\u00a0 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.\u00a0 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.\u00a0 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.\u00a0 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,\u00a0 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. NIV<\/span><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class='et-box et-info'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class='et-box-content'><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Who was Paul? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Before his conversion, Paul was known as Saul. Saul was born at roughly the same year as Jesus. But unlike Jesus who had a lowly background, Paul was well educated and respected. He became one of the Pharisees; one of the leaders of the Jewish people. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After Jesus&#8217; died (and returned to heaven!), Saul zealously persecuted anyone who believed that Jesus was the Messiah (God&#8217;s promised King). He was on one of these missions (to Damascus) when Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light.\u00a0 Check out the passage in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=acts+9&amp;version=NLT\" target=\"_blank\">Acts chapter 9<\/a><\/span>.\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Saul then became known as Paul. From that time forward, Paul began to defend and promote the same faith he had earlier tried to defeat.\u00a0 The book of Acts records three missionary journeys that he took; through his teaching, many churches all over the known world were started.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Much of the New Testament consists of the letters that Paul wrote to these churches during his travels and during his eventual imprisonment.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Paul certainly wasn&#8217;t concerned with &#8220;comfort zones.&#8221;\u00a0 In fact,\u00a0 in the above passage from 2 Corinthians, he says that his comfort comes from relying on God, not by trusting in himself.\u00a0 Paul went through a lot of suffering, and yet as he looked back, he was convinced that God was using everything in his life to build His kingdom.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #800000;\">What?\u00a0 Who?\u00a0 ME!?!<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mike shared several personal stories showing how his life prior to becoming a pastor prepared him for his calling.\u00a0 But all through those times (and even now), the question &#8220;What- who, Me???&#8221; keeps popping up.\u00a0 Who am I do do this? \u00a0 Moses had the same questions at the burning bush when he eventually ended up saying &#8220;Oh God&#8230; send someone else!&#8221; (see <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Exodus%204&amp;version=NLT\" target=\"_blank\">Exodus <\/a><\/span>chapters 3 and 4).<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If our source of comfort is always in our comfort zones, we&#8217;ll never the the people God wants us to be.\u00a0 When we&#8217;re in our comfort zones, we&#8217;re tempted to rely on ourselves and make it the &#8220;Me Show&#8221; instead of the &#8220;God Show.&#8221;\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/AquariumFish.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1460 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/AquariumFish.jpg\" alt=\"AquariumFish\" width=\"180\" height=\"120\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/AquariumFish.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/AquariumFish-140x94.jpg 140w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" \/><\/a>When you buy a tropical fish, the people at the pet store dump the fish into a plastic bag filled with water from the tank he came from.\u00a0 When you get the fish home, you&#8217;re supposed to place the entire bag into your tank and give the fish a few minutes to get acclimated.\u00a0 You don&#8217;t just dump the fish into the tank until the temperatures balance and he gets used to the new environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But, for the fish to live and to thrive in the &#8220;real world&#8221; of your tank, you have to cut open the bag and release him into the &#8220;big tank&#8221;. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In the same way, we need to be released from the protection of our comfort zones in order to move where God wants us to be and to experience the true comfort of being the people God has called us to be.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<div class='et-box et-download'>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class='et-box-content'><span style=\"color: #000000;\">What&#8217;s it All Mean??? <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Is God calling you to to do something outside of your comfort zone? <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Is He currently preparing you for something you&#8217;d never imagine yourself doing?\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Would you hear His voice if He called? <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are your ready to trust in God for your success instead of your own abilities? <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Are you ready to trust God for His comfort instead of your own &#8220;Comfort Zone?&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For more info on the Men&#8217;s Group<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000080; text-decoration: underline;\"><a title=\"United Methodist Men\" href=\"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?page_id=147\"><span style=\"color: #000080; text-decoration: underline;\">Click Here<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Check out the following video from a couple of years ago where Mike shares about two of his ministries, Walk to Emmaus and The Christian Motorcycle Association&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mike Denelsbeck   Walk to Emmaus   CMA   9 30\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JqZImHIGNYc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United Methodist Men held our monthly gathering this morning (Saturday April 12).\u00a0 Our guest speaker was Mike Denelsbeck. \u00a0\u00a0 Mike has an interesting story.\u00a0 From working as a prison guard, to being a Lay Director of the Garden State Walk to Emmaus Community, to his current ministry as a local pastor (of the Rosenhayne [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,12,52,19,26],"tags":[79,95,90],"class_list":["post-1268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-evrpt","category-fellowship","category-grouppresentations","category-men","category-umm","tag-friends","tag-obey","tag-purpose"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1268"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1754,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1268\/revisions\/1754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1268"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}