First let me say a word of appreciation and thanks to everyone who was involved in the two Christmas presentations we were blessed with this last weekend. Susan Brown did a wonderful job of working with the adult drama group to present the Saturday presentation, “The Guiding Star.” Everyone who helped with sets, sound, setup and acting were exceptional!


Melody Norris worked with the children and youth to present a wonderful presentation on Sunday morning titled “The Little Shepherdess, All Alone.” Thanks to the kids, their parents and those who helped to bring the Christmas message through the children. God has truly provided dedicated and gifted ministers to VGC.

Mending clothes is becoming a lost art for many families. There was a time when most families could not replace clothing when it was torn, burned or stained. They simply had to repair the clothes the best way they could. I can remember when I was a very young boy tearing holes in my jeans while playing and my mother having to fix them. It was bad enough when she was able to sew a tear together because most of the time the sewing job made the pant leg hang in a crooked way. Then she discovered “patches” you could iron on over a tear or hole to cover it up and keep the pants together. I hated to wear jeans where a patch had been ironed on it because the patch was a dark blue and my jeans were faded and worn. It really looked bad but I had to wear it anyway because we couldn’t afford to buy jeans very often. The other problem was that the patch was strong but the jeans it was ironed to would tear around the patch because the material was worn and weak. The only redeeming element was that those old jeans sure were comfortable, unlike the new ones which were stiff and hard to get broke in. Interestingly, most kids in those days were really sporting a look that is now acceptable in our society… jeans that cost $85.00 or more that come already torn and worn! We just didn’t know how fashion conscience we really were!


God sent His Son Jesus to deal with a torn and worn spiritual mindset that kept the people of Israel longing for something different. Many of the Jews were very faithful and sought to follow God’s law the best they possibly could. Even some of the Pharisees were faithful men who longed for the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah. Others were caught up in trying to put patches on what they thought were holes in God’s law by adding to it and making it very difficult for the people to follow. Jesus did not come to “patch” the old but to make something new! He came to fulfill all the “law and the prophets” and provide a path to reconciling both Jew and Gentile to the Creator.


Too often we desire to have more devotion to or commitment to our Lord. New Year is a time when people make resolutions that they think will help them live better lives in the coming year. All the resolutions a person makes have no real significance if they are still attached to our old way of thinking and living. You can't put a new patch on an old habit and think it will be better! You can't put new wine into a brittle wine skin and think it will hold it. You also can't ask God to do a new work in you if you are still holding on to the sin in your life... or the attitudes of your heart... or the desires of your self-centeredness.

Jesus wants to come into your heart and "create" a new man, new woman, a "new heart." (Psalm 51) For Him to have superiority in your life you must give up the past and allow Him to bring in the new.

I pray your New Year will be filled with His presence, purpose and promise!

God bless,

PJ