Meriden Seventh-day Adventist Church

In Esther 1, Queen Vashti courageously stands firm against an unwise command. Her example reminds us to set healthy boundaries and consider how our choices impact those around us.

During the summer our onsite market stand is also open Thursdays from 9-12pm in addition to the standard Tuesday market day 🤗 This Thursday, June 18 from 9-12pm we will have summer squash: yellow and zucchini, new baby potato, beet bunches, beets by the pounds, purple cabbage and regular cabbage, fresh garlic, heirloom blue corn meal and kolrabi 😊
@topfans

Prophecy is not merely about knowing the future; it is about understanding our purpose in God’s story.

From Daniel’s visions to the messages of Revelation, Scripture reveals a God who leads history toward redemption and calls His people to faithfully share the everlasting gospel.

As Erton C. Köhler writes, “When the books open, the church cannot remain passive.”

Continue reading this powerful reflection in the comments.

Seventh-day Adventist leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 30 to establish the Intercultural Mission Training Institute at the University of the Southern Caribbean in Trinidad and Tobago, a missionary preparation center designed to equip workers for cross-cultural service around the world.

See how this partnership is helping prepare the next generation of missionaries in the comments.

He will not fail you.

Taming the Tongue

There’s an old expression, “Bite your tongue,” that you hear quite frequently, which simply means “Stop talking! Don’t say what you were going to say,” because once words leave your mouth, you can’t take them back… the damage is already done! Words spoken in anger are rarely what you would want to say if you had time to cool down and think about it. And bitter words can cut the heart like a knife. God’s Word identifies just how evil the tongue is in James 3:6: “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” The Bible also recognizes the difficulty of controlling what you say in James 3:8: “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” In other words, it’s humanly impossible to control every word you speak; only God can do that. The Bible says in Luke 1:37, “For with God nothing will be impossible.” That’s why it’s so important to turn your life over to Him and let Jesus take over! When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, there will be no angry words spewing from your mouth, only words of gentleness and kindness. You won’t be tempted to gossip, speak harshly about your enemies, or yell at someone who has done you wrong. God will replace all those words and feelings of hatred with His spirit of forgiveness and words of wisdom. Ask God today to tame your tongue and allow Jesus to truly shine in you!
Good morning. Happy Thursday. Father in heaven, thank you for waking us up this morning to a blessing of a new day of life and for having you in our lives. Please guard our tongues so we may not sin against you. Praying for God’s leading in our lives my dearest family.

Handle With Care
By Jason Bradley | June 17

“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a v***r that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14

The older I get, the more I realize the fragility of humanity. It is paramount that we view life through an eternal lens as opposed to a temporal one. Each day is a blessing and an opportunity to witness for Christ. Each breath is a gift from God that is handcrafted with purpose. The question is, what are we going to do with the gracious gift that’s been bestowed upon us? What difference will we make in a secular society to help the growth of Heaven’s eternal population?

With good information comes the necessity of its application. Imagine receiving instructions that lead to eternal life but acquiescing to the snares of the enemy that lead to eternal death. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Yet, more often than not, we become voluntary prey for the predator due to our spiritual negligence. We should constantly evaluate our lives in the mirror of the Holy Scriptures. When the enemy misapplied Scripture to attempt to cause Christ to stumble, Jesus responded with, “It is written.” That should be the position that we take, but in order to do so, we must internalize what is written.

The human race and its self-inflicted frailty can be enhanced by Jesus Christ’s perfect strength. In moments of weakness, we should claim Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The Christian walk requires an immense amount of fortitude, but the beautiful thing is we’re not walking alone. We serve a risen Savior who has overcome the world and its many entrapments.

We’ve been granted a gift we don’t deserve because we serve a God who has redeemed us by the blood of the Lamb. It’s hard to fathom a love that is so rich and so pure, yet we have the opportunity to bask in it. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1.

As we navigate through the rough terrain of this world, we are faced with many decisions. Perhaps the most important decision is which road we will take. Will we choose eternal life, or will we default to eternal death? God’s Word makes it clear: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13–14.

Time is short, and our eternal destination hangs in the balance. Nevertheless, God is longing to spend eternity with us. The question is, do our actions reflect our desire to spend eternity with Him?

Lord, silence the what-ifs that spin in my mind, the endless scenarios, the catastrophic possibilities, the fears that multiply faster than I can counter them.

What-if thinking steals my peace, robs me of today's joy, and keeps me trapped in futures that will likely never happen.

Teach me to recognize when my mind starts spiraling into what-ifs and to interrupt that pattern by anchoring myself in what is true right now.

The what-ifs are loud and convincing, painting vivid pictures of disaster, but they're not prophecies, they're anxieties masquerading as preparation.

Help me replace what-if with what is, trading speculation for present reality, fear for faith, imagined disasters for current blessings I'm missing while I worry.

Remind me that You have given me a spirit not of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind, and that sound mind rejects the tyranny of what-if thinking.

Give me the discipline to take every anxious thought captive, to speak truth over fear, to silence the what-ifs with the promises of who You are and what You've done.

Let my mind be still today, quieted from the noise of what-ifs, fixed instead on You, trusting that whatever comes, You'll be there, and that's enough.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.