Canton First Methodist Church

Dads & Granddads, grab the family and join us for a fun-filled evening at a Rome Emperors baseball game! Learn more & sign up here: https://cantonfmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3672021

John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commands.

These words from Jesus have a way of getting at something very practical about the life of a disciple. Jesus does not say, if you love me, feel inspired by me. He does not say, if you love me, admire the stories of those who followed me. Jesus says, if you love me, keep my commands. Love, according to Jesus, is not primarily something we feel. It is something we do. This call to love expressed through obedient lives is a duty Christians are called to perform, yet on a deeper level, this duty is a means for us to express our love and trust in God. Every time we say yes to what God is asking of us, God uses that to deepen our relationship with Him. God uses our seemingly small acts of obedience to form within us a posture of surrender and dependence. He uses our acts of denying our desire for control and comfort in order to form us into people who are willing to sacrifice our own preferences for the sake of others. A life of obedience becomes a visible expression of a heart that truly loves God. As we step more fully into a life of trust in God, the more God forms us into people who reflect the image of Christ in the world.

What is one area of your life where God is calling you to move beyond admiration of Jesus and into active obedience to His commands?

Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”

When Ananias heard God say that Saul, later to be known as Paul, would become a great preacher for Christianity, he would have experienced great difficulty in believing that these words were true. Ananias looked at Saul and saw the Christians that Saul had arrested and persecuted and the suffering that Saul had caused for the church. However, when God sees Saul, he sees him through the vision of the great work Saul will do in the future for the Kingdom of God. God sees who Saul will become, yet Ananias, in his limited vision, only sees who Saul had been. This is one of the great tensions we live in as followers of Jesus. We make decisions based on what we can see, yet God works from a vantage point that is higher than our own. We see the obstacle and the loss, whereas God sees the opportunity that will follow the season of hardship. We see the risk involved. God sees the potential for His power to be demonstrated in a way that leads to new life. God is able to redeem stories that seem beyond hope and use unlikely people for extraordinary purposes. Even when we cannot yet see what God is doing, we can trust that He is working in ways far greater than our limited perspective allows.

How is God calling you to trust Him rather than relying on your own, limited perspective?

The kickoff to the MUST Summer Lunch Program was a huge success! 🤩🎉

This summer, we're partnering with MUST Ministries to help provide nutritious meals for children across Cherokee County. Every meal served is an opportunity to make a lasting impact in the life of a child, and every volunteer plays an important role in making it happen.

Join us in serving our community and helping ensure local children have access to healthy lunches throughout the summer.
Sign up today: https://cantonfmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3590198

Acts 9:13-14 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

Once God calls Ananias to go meet Saul, who had been a notorious persecutor of Christians, Ananias responds with fear and reluctance. Ananias pushes back against God’s instructions as he voices his concerns that following God’s command will lead him outside of his comfort zone and into what could be a dangerous situation. Like Ananias, there are times when we express the same reluctance to follow God’s call. We say that we are willing to be obedient to God’s voice, yet what we may really mean is that we are willing to be obedient as long as God does not call us to anything inconvenient, uncomfortable, or costly. We embrace the idea of obedience when it aligns with our preferences and fits neatly into our existing plans, but when God's call disrupts our sense of control or asks us to move toward something that feels risky, our enthusiasm has a way of giving way to hesitation. Ananias reminds us that faith is not the absence of fear but the willingness to trust God in the midst of it. When we step out in faith, even when we are afraid or do not understand, God will use it for His glory and for the good of others.

Where is God calling you to an act of obedience that feels risky or costly?

Today, a 14-member CFMC Student Ministry - LEaD mission team is heading to Ecuador to serve alongside Jungle Kids for Christ!

Throughout the week, they will be leading math and science classes, serving as assistant coaches, and helping with various projects at the school.

Please join us in praying for safe travels, good health, flexibility, and open hearts as they follow God's leading and share His love with the students, families, and communities they encounter. May this be a life-changing week of service, growth, and ministry for everyone involved.

Acts 9:10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.

When Luke, who is the author of Acts, introduces Ananias, he does so with striking simplicity. We are not given a list of Ananias's accomplishments, nor are we provided with an impressive resume. We are simply told that Ananias is a disciple, likely living an ordinary life in Damascus. However, God uses Ananias and his seemingly average past in remarkable ways to impact the Kingdom and advance the mission of God. We live in a world that places enormous value on credentials, platforms, and influence. We are conditioned to believe that meaningful things happen through extraordinary people, the ones with the titles, the following, and the status, yet the story of Ananias pushes back against that assumption. God did not call a preacher or a leading evangelist. God called an ordinary yet faithful disciple. It can be easy to assume that God won’t call us until we feel more prepared, more gifted, or more qualified, but Ananias teaches us that God has always worked through willing, faithful, everyday disciples. God works, not through people who appear to have it all together with the most impressive resumes, but through willing people who simply show up and say yes.

Is there something God has been calling you toward but that you have been putting off because you feel unqualified?

We can’t wait to meet you at church this Sunday! Join us for a meaningful time of worship, community, and encouragement as we gather together to praise God and grow in faith.

Whether you’ve been attending for years or are looking for a church home, there’s a place for you here. We hope to see you Sunday!

8:15am Chapel | 9:30am Modern | 11:00am Traditional
Sunday School before or after worship.

CFMC Children's Ministry - Kids Connect Canton FMC Preschool CFMC Student Ministry - LEaD

CFMC Student Ministry - LEaD Students, rising 6th graders, and their parents are invited to our annual LEaD Summer Pool Party on Saturday, June 20! ☀️🌊

Get ready for an afternoon filled with splashes of fun, great food, laughter, and time together as we celebrate summer! We can’t wait to welcome our rising 6th graders and kick off an awesome season together.

Sign Up Here: https://cantonfmc.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3522836