January 11, 2026
Family Talk
By Dave Phillips
We have so many blessings in life - but one of the greatest blessings is to be a part of a local congregation where men, women, boys and girls come together as a spiritual family in order to serve a living and active God. Just because God may appear to be out of sight does not mean that He is not active. Our sermons during the month of January are designed to show that we, individually and collectively, have a purpose in life. In short, it is to bring glory to God. To the extent that we are able to do that at Germantown, we are ‘living the dream’ that God had for us. We are glad to be a part of that process and work for the glory of God, not ourselves.
The Elder’s Breakfast is quickly approaching. I keep forgettinng that many who are newcomers may not know the history of our breakfast. This is actually a more recent event than you might imagine. We used to have, as many congregations do, a reserved Sunday presentation of the budget for the year - usually occurring during the Bible Study period. But during the time of land purchase and building plans, one class (which was called the ‘Caring Class’) introduced a breakfast idea where people could hear the ‘latest updates’ on the issues surrounding our planned move. It went so well that the same idea was planned on a regular basis to present the plans for each new year and entertain questions or listen to suggestions that might be offered for consideration. Most importantly, it was to pray for our efforts together for the new year. We now, unless it changes in the future, been doing that every last Saturday of the month of January, which represents the end of our fiscal year. So, you are invited to come and be a part of this process. Enjoy breakfast served by our elders and their wives, and listen to the proposed plans and join us in prayer as we work our way through 2026. God is good. We are indebted to Him and to each other. It should cause each one of us to pray more fervently each day.
Our theme for the new year was introduced last week, but we’ll be formally introducing and expanding on each month when we get to the Elders Breakfast. Our theme for the year is “For Such a Time as This.” The key element to know and affirm is that God is working in every aspect of our lives. He has a timetable that we respect. God is working in our lives. He rarely, if ever, explains what He is doing. We know He is working by looking backwards and trying to learn from His word how He has done it for centuries. That’s the theme for January sermons. We have a purpose - a purpose that unites.
