Ocala First Connection

Proverbs 4:20-25 *Mark 8:1-13* Ephesians 4:21-5:1 “And Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them." ~Mark 10:14-15 “Giving Up Fingers for Lent” Holland Hatchett’s story (written by her mom, Jennifer) The night before Ash Wednesday, I spent a bit of time trying to explain the concept of Lent to my daughters, Holland and Keeghan. Given that they are 6 and 4, it was not the easiest job, but I did my best. I asked them if there was something they would like to give up for Lent and Holland asked if she could think about it. Of course I said ‘yes’ so we said our prayers and then off to sleep they went... The next day,   when I picked up Holland from dance and we were riding home she...

Psalm 25:4-15 *Mark 9:33-50 * James 4:5-8 “Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ “ ~Mark 9:33-35 “Following the Cross“ by Barry Shields I recently sensed the call to start a men’s bible study, so when I put the word out, interest arose from a handful of guys. This lit a fire in me to make this the best bible study ever. I started to envision various outreach projects: car washes for the youth, outings for the elderly, and ways to help homeless men become self-sufficient and connected to the community. I was so excited I could hardly stand it! As our first meeting drew near, things changed. Two of the men couldn’t attend because of scheduling...