February 2024

Northern Kentucky  Emmaus Community Newsletter!!
 

And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope dose not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans :2-5 NIV

Reporter: Elizabeth, tell me what was going through your mind when Zechariah returned from the temple and tried to relay Gabriel’s news. Elizabeth: Well, needless to say, I was shocked that he was unable to speak. Something major had obviously happened, but I had idea what… or why he couldn’t tell me. So I ran to get the writing tablet. Reporter: And once you read it? Elizabeth: Oh my! Tears of joy streamed down my checks. How could this be? I was in total awe of God’s goodness and His favor on us.

Reporter: Your husband asked Gabriel the same question, except not exactly from a place of wonder and awe. Were you disappointed by Zechariah’s initial disbelief? Elizabeth: Zechariah is a good man, a righteous man, but I know how hope deferred can make the heart sick. I was disappointed for him, not in him. Reporter: You still had hope? Elizabeth: My desire was for a child, but my hope has always been in the Lord. You know, I think of all the times Zechariah and I prayed for a child during all those years of suffering barrenness, not knowing that every detail of John’s conception, birth, and life had already been planned.

Reporter: How did you respond to the news that your child would grow up to be the messenger who, in the strength of Elijah, would herald the arrival of the Messiah? Elizabeth: I still marvel at how we used to read about” the one calling out in the wilderness,” years before we knew that one would be our son. I dropped to my knees in awe of the Lord’s favor. I was so completely overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. For the first five months of my pregnancy, I remained in seclusion, relishing the miracle inside me… and what it would mean for God’s people. He chose me for this. He chose me.

Reporter: Why do you think it all happened the way it did? Elizabeth: clearly, John’s life was fashioned to fulfill the promises God made through His holy prophets. But why me? Why did I get to be his mother? Only God knows. I imagine He wanted to make it extra clear that it was all Him. That noting is impossible with God. Our miraculous little family is proof. And since no one can deny that, we’ll boast all the more in the hope of the glory of God. We were chosen.

Your brother in Christ,

Greg Beagle

Northern Kentucky Emmaus

Community Lay Director

De Colores!

 

Gathering/Agape party/Men’s walk # 50/Prayer Chart information

 February Gathering is 2/8/24 at Immanuel Boone Campus. Fellowship begins at 6:30 p.m./ the gathering begins at 7:00 pm our 4th day speaker is Ann Posey from Memphis Emmaus walk number 42 table of Rebekah.  Music led by Brian Myers, Jen Myers Scott, Frank Hadden, Hayden.  Also the gathering will resume back facebook live.

Agape party Sunday February 11 2:00 -5:00 pm @ Jennifer Meyers “chairperson o Agape” house located at 1246 Brightleaf Blvd Erlanger, Ky 41018. She can by contacted by email at chuck.jenmeyers@gmail.com or phone/text 859-486-0778 if any questions.  

MEN’S Walk #50:

 

Please keep our Men’s walk lay director John Parker and the team for MW#50 (April 4-7), in your daily prays as the men’s team has started team training.

Pray, Pray, Pray for our upcoming Men’s Walk!

 

Pray for Pilgrims! Do you know someone you would like to share this amazing experience with? Pray fully before asking them to attend the walk. Pilgrim information is found on our website www.nkemmaus.com sponsorship , Pilgrim Application. Application deadline is March 21.

 

Pray Chart:

Now is the best time to sign up for the Men’s Walk pray chart, let’s fill all the pray times before April.


 

Save the Date Candlelight service April 6, 2024 @8:00 pm at Higher Ground Conference and retreat center

3820 Logan Creek Ln.

West Harrison, IN 47060

January 2024

NKY Emmaus Community Newsletter

Hope for the New Year…

As we ring in the New Year, we tend to reflect on the events of the year past. Many of us have experienced exquisite blessings of love and marriage, new family additions, new careers and locations… Many of us have, also, endured tremendous struggles that we seriously thought we could not bear – sickness, the passing of loved ones, financial hardships, devastating disasters, and the hollow loneliness that comes with it all.

As we anticipate the New Year with both anxiousness and excitement as we set new goals and make future plans, I find it so very comforting to remember this: We have a Father. We have a Comforter. We have a Savior. We have hope.

We have God’s love and promises to carry us through this life and He – Our Father – has promised us that He will never leave us or forsake us. What a wonderful promise! Through thick and thin, joy and sorrow, God is there with us. There is nothing that happens to us that doesn’t first pass by Him. Every moment of bliss or struggle, our Heavenly Father shares with us.

Reflect on the year past and be thankful for His presence in gladness and in sorrow. Look forward to the year that lies before us, knowing that we are not left alone and comfortless. Know that our joys are His joys. He loves us with an un-conditional love that cannot be quenched. His Grace will be more than sufficient. Rejoice! We have a Savior!

Your brother in Christ,

Greg Beagle

Northern Kentucky Emmaus
Community Lay Director
De Colores!

Here is the list of NKY Emmaus  Board members for the year 2024!!

Community  LD

Greg Beagle

Community SD
Rev. Geoff Egbers

Assistant Community  ASD
Rev. Kelly McClendon

Agape 

Jennifer Myers

Team Selection

Deb Garey

Music

Missy Martin

Assistant Community LD 

Bryan Meade

Supplies
Marty Berry

Communications
Mark Burns

Registration
Stephanie Meade

Sponsorship

Vern McKinley

Literature

Jill Artmeier

Outreach

Tom Cracchiolo

Prayer
Chris Hensley

Faclities/Support

Brent Bevins

Secretary

Melinda Carpenter

Treasure

Sherry Taylor


January Gathering: January 11, 2024  at Immanuel Methodist Boone Campus, located at 1440 Boone Aire Road Florence Ky. 40142.  Fellowship begins at 6:30 pm. The gathering begins at 7:00 pm our 4th day speaker is TBD

Agape party: Sunday January 14 2:00 pm thru 5:00 pm  at Jennifer Meyers house agape chairperson located 1246 BRIGHTLEAF BLVD Erlanger Ky. 41018.  She can be contacted by email at chuck.jenmeyers@gmail.com or phone/text at 859 486 0778 if you have any questions.

MEN’S Walk Number 50 Information:

Please keep our Men’s walk lay director John Parker and the team for MW#50 (April 4-7), in your daily prays when they start their team training later this month.

Pray, Pray, Pray for our upcoming Men’s Walk!

Pray for Pilgrims! Do you know someone you would like to share this amazing experience with? Pray fully before asking them to attend the walk. Pilgrim information is found on our website www.nkemmaus.com , Sponsorship tab Pilgrim Application. Application deadline is March 21.

Pray Chart:

Now is the best time to sign up for the Men’s Walk pray chart, let’s fill all the pray times before April.

Save the Date Candlelight service April 6, 2024 at 8:00 pm at
Higher Ground Conference/retreat center
3820 Logan Creek Ln.

West Harrison, IN 47060

The December gathering will be at Immanuel Lakeside Campus on Thursday December 14th with fellowship starting at 6:30 pm please bring your favorite Christmas cookies to share and the gathering will start at 7:00 pm please come and join us, our fourth day speaker is Sara Berry from Women’s walk #49.

The Gift of Christmas “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” Luke 2:10-12 As I’m writing this, Christmas is only a few short weeks away. We are already being bombarded with special events at our churches and in our local communities. I challenge all of us to stop, yes stop, for a few minutes each day to meditate on the special, true meaning of this season. Let us spend time every day as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. During the hustle and bustle of the next couple of weeks, please take a few minutes each day to “pause”, hit the reset button, and meditate on our many blessings that we do not deserve but are so abundantly given to us by God’s wonderful gift of Grace through Jesus Christ. As we celebrate with our families, friends, and even strangers this year, let’s remember and contemplate the greatest gift of all….Jesus. I would like to share an excerpt from a song that some of you may remember from around 1980: ‘And so this is Christmas and what have we done Another year over A new one just begun’ Friends, another year is nearly over and what have we done? Have we let others know about Christmas all year long? If not, remember that a new year is just about to begin…… Merry Christmas!!

Your brother in Christ,

Greg Beagle

Northern Kentucky Emmaus

Community Lay Director

MEN’S Walk # 50:
We are pleased to announce that John Parker will be the men’s walk Lay Director for MW#50 (April 4-7). Please be praying for John during this time of forming the team.

Pray, Pray, Pray for our upcoming Men’s Walk!

Pray for Pilgrims! Do you know someone you would like to share this amazing experience with? Pray fully consider asking them to attend a walk. Pilgrim information is found on our website www.nkemmaus.com -> Sponsorship tab -> Pilgrim Application.

    Prayer Chart:

Now is the best time to sign up for the Men’s Walk pray chart, let’s fill all the pray times before April.

 Save the Date Candlelight service April 6, 2024 @ 8:00 pm at Higher Ground Conference and retreat center 3820 Logan Creek Ln. West Harrison, IN 47060

NKY Emmaus Community Newsletter November 2023

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The Simple Gospel

1 John 3:21-23 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

This is God’s commandment: that we believe in the name (and nature) of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another. One commandment, two parts. God commands us not just to believe, but to believe and love.

All through Scripture, the Spirit of God interweaves faith and love. In the parable of the wise and foolish builders, Jesus calls us to hear (have faith) and to obey (act in love).1 In the teaching of the sheep and the goats, Jesus reveals that we are not judged on the quality of our theology but on how we loved Him through one another. Paul writes of faith and love as joining to form one spiritual breastplate and explains that the only thing that matters is faith working through love.2 Faith and love are so united that both James and John challenge us to measure our faith not by what we believe, but by how much we love others.3 It is love that gives value and substance to our faith and so we can never separate faith from love.4 The call to faith is a call to love.

1 Peter 1:22-23 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

We can see the connection between faith and love again in this passage. Our souls are purified through faith in the blood of Christ for a sincere love of the brethren. Love is the goal.

(from First Love by Geoff Woodcock)

Your brother in Christ,

Greg Beagle

Northern Kentucky Emmaus

Community Lay Director

De Colores!

COMMUNITY GATHERING:

November 9th at Immanuel Lakeside, Dinner will start at 6:15 pm and the gathering starting at 7:00 pm,

Adam Dunn will be our 4th day speaker/NKY Men’s walk number 29

Please come and help us welcome our newest community members from women’s # 49

The women from walk #49 will be meeting at 5:30 pm for a reunion, they will be meeting in rooms 102/104

MEN’S Walk #50:

We are pleased to announce that John Parker will be the men’s walk Lay Director for MW#50 (April 4 thru 7, 2024)  Please be praying for John during this time of forming the team.

Pray, Pray, Pray for our upcoming Men’s Walk!

Pray for Pilgrims! Do you know someone you would like to share this amazing experience with? Pray fully consider asking them to attend a walk. Pilgrim information is found on our website www.nkemmaus.com – Sponsorship tab -Pilgrim Application.

Save the Date Candlelight service April 6, 2024 @ 8:00 pm at Higher Ground Conference and retreat center

3820 Logan Creek Ln.

West Harrison, IN 47060

Women’s walk # 49 information 

Location: 

Higher Ground Conference and retreat center 

3820 Logan Creek Ln. 

West Harrison, IN 47060 

** Send off : Sponsors with Pilgrim start arriving at Higher Ground Retreat Conference Center in the Life Center building lobby at 6:00 pm Thursday October 19, 2023 for check in of Pilgrim with Send Off at 7:00 pm. 

** Sponsors Hour: Thursday October 19, 2023 from 7:10 pm- 8:10 in Life Center 

** Candle Light Service: Saturday night October 21, 2023 located at Higher Ground Retreat Conference Center in the Life Center building through the main lobby of the Life Center. Arrive starting 8 pm with service starting at 8:30 pm 

** Closing: Sunday afternoon October 22, 2023 located at Higher Ground Retreat Conference Center in the Life Center building through the main Lobby of the Life Center. Arrive starting at 4:00 pm with service starting at 4:30 pm 

** Any Questions during the walk contact Community Spiritual Director at 859-240-9127 call or text , or email Kayak2@teamegbers.com 

Pilgrims List :Debbie Appleman, Andrea Bachman, Erin cook, Nikki Dion, Lorie Ferguson, Rita Florence, Ciara Hampton, Amber Hardy, Tracy Holscher, Kristen Kidd, Erin Knauf, Barbara Lewis, Alice Ruzindana, Joan Shope, Missy Thompson, Beth Tyron, Victoria Warren 

Team List : Sara Berry, Deb Garey, Linda St Myers, Sharon Wilcox, Chris Muncy, Stephen Fincher, Beth Dingus, Sara Forrest, Kathy Dunn, Cathy Egbers, Robin Daholt, Alissa Mesmer, Becky Caproni, Beth Mizer, Lori Thomas, Lisa Salyers, Cindy Vice, Kassi Fleckinger, Katie Kohlman, Martha Krebeck,  Jennifer Myers, Barb Dartnall, Jennifer Hern, Teresa Turpin, Missy Martin, Chrisi Payne, Lori Berry, Nancy Jackson, Candice Rice, Cheri Westmoreland, Brandy Wahle, Geri Campbell, Missy Suit, Sheila King, Ann Scheve, Heather Lord, Tawny Cotto, Monique Marshall, Stacey Sanders, Barb Aaron, Jennifer Montague 

Prayer Chart: 

As of October 14, 2023, these are the following times that needed to be filled up before Thursday walk begins. To sign up for prayer slot, please go under our website nkemmaus.com, then click on prayer. 

Friday October 20: 12:00 am, 12:30 am, 1:00 am, 1:30 am, 2:00 m, 2:30 am, 3:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 5:30 pm, 6:00 pm, 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm, 9:30 pm, 10:30 pm, 11:00 pm, 11:30 pm 

Saturday October 21: 12:00 am, 12:30 am, 1:00 am, 1:30 am, 2:00 am, 2:30 am, 3:00 am, 3:30 am, 4:00 am, 4:30 am, 5:00 am, 12:30 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm, 3;330 pm, 4:00 pm, 4:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 5:30 pm, 6:00 pm, 6:30 pm, 10:00 pm, 10:30 pm 

Sunday October 22: 12:30 am, 1:00 pm, 1:30 am, 2:00 am, 2:30 am, 3:00 am, 3:30 am, 4:00 am, 4:30 am, 11:00 am, 11:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:30 pm,4:00 pm, 4:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 5:30 pm, 6:30 pm 

September 2023

NKY Emmaus Community Newsletter

Our next gathering will be September 14^th at Devou Park – Volpenhien shelter (please use your GPS) please bring your family and help us celebrate 28 years together as a community. The shelter is right next to a play area. We will be eating at 6pm. Please bring your own drink (bottle water will be provided along with ice). We are asking the community to provide the dessert for the picnic. The menu will be hamburgers, hotdogs, Mac & Cheese, & beans.

RENEGADE

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9-13

He was coming. Like in a movie.

It’s the premise of a lot of great westerns: At a desolate time in a desolate place, the stage is set for an unlikely hero to emerge; only instead of the gun-slinging cowboy riding in to save the town (and the dame-wrong genre), it was Jesus, and He was coming to save the world.

But the world did not know Him.

Think of that. Creator God walked among His creation for the purpose of saving them, and they had no clue. But why would they? Frist, He was too average looking to be noticed: “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (Isaiah 53:2). Second, He was too poor to be impressive. According to the Law, a lamb was the required sacrifice for atonement of sin unless someone was too poor to afford one, in which case two doves or pigeons could be offered instead: “And when the time came for [Mary and Joseph’s] purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord … and to offer a sacrifice according to

what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:22,24). Third, He was from Nazareth, a town so small and off the beaten path that it was considered uneducated, backwoods, full of hicks and sticks: “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom moses in the Law andalso the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ Nathanael said to him, ’Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’” (John 1:45-46).

He came to His own, and they did not receive Him.

Jesus was raised in Nazareth, but He didn’t stay there. When He claimed to be the Messiah, they rejected Him-Then they ran Him outta town on a rail. “When [the people of Nazareth] heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove [Jesus} out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away” (Luke 4:28-30)

But to all who received Him …

To all. Besides faith, there were no requirements for having a relationship with Jesus. No status, no age, no race, no gender. No prior education or track record of good behavior-the greater the transgression, the greater the forgiveness. He welcomed the poor, the rich, the intelligent, and the not-so-much. He, in fact, broke every cultural, political and social boundary in pursuit of the all: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). He gave the right to become children of God.

Through Jesus, we lay claim to heaven’s territory, its rights and its riches. Jesus becomes our brother and God our Father. “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:16).

So yeah, it was tough to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Hero, especially because of what He looked like, how He acted, and who He chose to spend time with. But those who got it, those who followed the renegade once their eyes were opened—they reaped the reward. And so can we. And with Him we become our own kind of renegade—with Jesus, ride or die.

PRAYER FOCUS

Worship the Father and Son for their unique characteristics, and ask God to give you strength and courage to proudly proclaim you follow a renegade.

(From The Chosen 40 Days with JESUS)

Your brother in Christ,

Greg Beagle

Northern Kentucky Emmaus

Community Lay Director

De Colores!

Please pray for Sara Berry and the women’s team for WW#49 as they have started their training.

Save the Date Candle light service October 21, 2023 @8pm

Don’t forget to sign up for the prayer chart for WW#49!

Pray for the pilgrims for WW#49 pray for open hearts and open minds, pray for those church leaders who haven’t been on a walk yet, and pray for those who have said no several times. The application deadline is October 5^th.

If you are interested there will be a Clown training on Saturday September 23^rd from 10am until we are finished, at 823 Saint James Ave in Park Hills, Ky. Please contact Diana 859 907-0486.

We now have a full Emmaus Board our two newest members are Tina Jansen (4^th Day) and Tom Cracchiolo (Out Reach)

August 2023

NKY Emmaus Community Newsletter

WORDS

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. IN him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1-5

The Word was in the beginning, before the heavens and earth, before sunsets and the Pacific, before wildflowers and whales and strawberries and freckles. He was before all of it because He made all of it. The Word spoke the world into existence, which is perhaps why Jesus was called the Word. By His words came all that we know, and by His words come light and knowledge, healing and hope. The words Jesus spoke changed the course of history-along with the lives of twelve very ordinary men.

The disciples were an unconventional group made up largely of fishermen, an anarchist Zealot, and a thieving tax collector- none of whom would’ve scored very high on a like ability scale. They were rough around the edges and ranged from salt-of-the-earth and smelly to downright sketchy. They were loud, proud, greedy, defensive, skeptical, and independent, or some combination thereof, so it’s a wonder such men wholly responded to Jesus’ simple words in Mark1:17: “Follow me”

Passing alongside the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. (vv.16-20)

What in the world! They dropped everything and followed Him, just like that? We get a little more context regarding Simon Peter and Andrew in Luke 5:1-11. Jesus had preformed a miracle just before His audacious request. But still, it was crazy talk. So I have to imagine the words sounded different from Jesus than they would’ve from anyone else-anyone other than The Word. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5).

As strange as it is to imagine dropping everything familiar for what is entirely unknown, somehow the trade made sense. In Jesus is life, so His words transcend circumstances and break down barriers. They light up dark corners, removing fear, doubt, and self-preservation. They bring clarity and elevate our understanding of what’s real, true, and important. They take us from completely missing our purpose to seeing in neon that our only reason for being is to follow the one who spoke us into being.

The disciples gave up all they had to follow Jesus when He called them. For three years they sat under His teaching and listened to Him pray. They watched Him welcome children and honor the least of these. They heard Him tell jokes, laugh at their jokes, and be respectful to His mom. They witnessed Him heal the sick, defend His Father’s house, and chastise the self-righteous. With words.

And they stood helpless when He said no words on His way to the cross. So of course twelve ordinary men, initially full of hot air and void of purpose, became the very ones so changed by Jesus’ words that they would fearlessly take them to the ends of the earth.

Prayer Focus

Thank the Father for whatever words impacted your life most, such as your favorite Bible verse. And recommit to Him to read His Word and say His words to others.

(From The Chosen 40 Days with JESUS)

Your brother in Christ,

Greg Beagle

Northern Kentucky Emmaus

Community Lay Director

De Colores!

The August Gathering will be on 8/10/23 at Immanuel Boone campus (1440 Boone Aire Road Florence, Ky) with fellowship starting at 6:30 and the gathering starting at 7 pm. Our 4th day speaker is Danny Goldberg MW#49

Please pray for Sara Berry and the women’s team for WW#49 as they have started their training.

**Save the Date Candle light service October 21, 2023 @8:00 pm

** Don’t forget to sign up for the prayer chart for WW#49!

Please make plans to attend our September picnic gathering on 9/14/23 at Devou Park the Volpenhein Pavilion (please use google maps). We will be celebrating our 28th anniversary!

Pray for the pilgrims for WW#49 pray for open hearts and open minds, pray for those church leaders who haven’t been on a walk yet, and pray for those who have said no several times. The application deadline is October 5

Northern Kentucky Emmaus July 2023 Newsletter Represent“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.Luke 9:23-24To save our lives, we must lose them. That’s a mind bender, for sure, but clearly vital to understand. Jesus said it to the disciples after they’d already dropped everything to follow Him from town to town. They sacrificed their careers, homes, and relationships for the man they believed was the Messiah. Life as they knew it had turned upside down, but more would be required of them, and Jesus was doubling down. He knew what lay ahead. He knew He was leaving. And He knew they would become pillars of the early church, in charge of spreading the truth about salvation to the world, discipline the masses, and claiming Christ in the face of imprisonment, Torture, and death. They would lose their lives on earth-figuratively and literally-for the sake of all they would gain in heaven.And they did it well because their testimonies, their personal stories of what Jesus had said and done, were potent demonstrations of His trans formative love and power in their lives. They shared the gospel with an unstoppable, contagious, relentless passion that-to be honest-seems kind of rare these days.How come?Well for starters, they weren’t in love with themselves or their own stories. They weren’t branding their Christian narratives for maximum personal benefit, approval, or sympathy… or for clicks or likes. They weren’t assigning themselves the hero role or belaboring their “before Christ” dysfunction with all its juicy, sensationalist tidbits. When you look at biblical examples, it’s amazing how few words are given to their broken pasts-the almost exclusive focus is on Jesus.Take Mary Magdalene. The fact that she was delivered from seven demons is a crucial aspect of her testimony because it showcases Jesus authority and why she responded to Him the way she did. And then that’s it. That’s all the detail we need to know. In other words, her autobiography wouldn’t have been titled The Dark Years with three hundred pages dedicated to describing the monsters within. Fascinating? Sure. But powerful and effective and glorifying to the one who rescued her? Not so much. There’s a reason we meet Mary Subsequent to her healing-because that’s where the real story is.There are a few other things we know about her: (1) she followed Jesus and financially supported His ministry until His crucifixion, which means she gave everything she had to follow Him: (2) she endured the crucifixion and stayed close to Jesus while He suffered and died: and (3) as mentioned in “Delivered,” she was the first person He appeared to after He rose from the dead, and she was the one He sent to tell the disciples the universe-altering news. All because the old was gone and dead. Jesus had given her new life.Which means that even if you’ve been a believer for all of ten minutes, those minutes are entirely more relevant than the twenty, forty, or eighty years of darkness prior to your conversion. Reason being, we’re called to represent Jesus and to die to the lives He saved us from. When we do that, and when He stays the hero of the story, our words and lives become real-time, potent demonstrations of His trans formative love and power.PRAYER FOCUST. Thank God for how He’s transformed you, repent of any times you’ve represented Jesus poorly, and ask Him to be part of how you tell your story.(From The Chosen 40 Days with JESUS)Your brother in Christ, Greg Beagle Northern Kentucky Emmaus Community Lay Director De Colores!  DATES TO REMEMBER: The July Gathering will be on 7/13/23 at Immanuel Boone campus (1440 Boone Aire Road Florence, Ky) with fellowship starting at 6:30 pm and the gathering starting at 7:00 pm. Save the Date Candle light service October 21, 2023 @ 8:00 pm Agape Party July 9th 2:00 pm -5:00 pm and August 27th 2-5 pm. Please contact Jennifer Meyers for more details. Our September gathering will be at Devou Park 9/13/23 Please pray for Sara Berry as she begins making phone calls to put together the team for Woman’s Walk #49 October 19-22 at Higher Ground Retreat Center. Pray for the pilgrims for WW#49 pray for open hearts and open minds, pray for those church leaders who haven’t been on a walk yet, and pray for those who have said no several times.

June 2023                    

 NKY Emmaus Community Newsletter 

DELIVERED 

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” 

2 Samuel 22:2 

We’ve all been delivered from things. Our mothers delivered us from their wombs. Good explanations delivered us from confusion. Time delivers us from our past. 

It’s a continual process, deliverance. It comes in all shapes and forms and ranges from significant events to the familiar moments that slip by quietly. Mary Magdalene knew this well. 

First, she was delivered from seven demons. Then, over the course of Jesus’ three years of ministry, she was delivered from everything she thought she knew. Mary went from being constantly tormented by darkness (Luke8:2) to being regularly enlightened by the Light of the World, Jesus. The sparse details about her life prior to Christ only serve to emphasize her deliverance-meaning that because Jesus delivered her from death, she followed Him to His. Mary Magdalene was one of the few with Jesus until the very end. 

Familiarity developed over that three-year span of ministry. She knew His voice and His laugh. She listened intently to His teaching. Some of His words she could process immediately, some she failed to fully comprehend. She marveled at Jesus’ compassion for the suffering and marginalized. She became fiercely loyal to the one who healed the oppressed and set captives free. Each subsequent miracle substantiated what she knew the moment she experienced her own: He was the Messiah. 

Jesus was arrested. The disciples scattered. And Mary found herself standing at the foot of the Cross with the woman who had delivered the Messiah into the world. 

And His crucifixion, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away. Jesus-the Messiah, her deliverer, teacher, and friend-was not there. The Gospels have varying accounts of what happens next, but Luke 24 says she was reminded of what Jesus had told her in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised” (v.7 NIV). Those words had eluded her before, but now she remembered and understood that He too was delivered. 

After the ultimate sacrifice, the resurrected Christ appeared first to this devoted woman we knew so little about. But Jesus knew her. He knew exactly what He had delivered her from and for. And while standing in front of the empty tomb, Jesus told her it was her turn. Mary Magdalene would be the first to deliver the single most important message in human history: He has risen! 

Prayer Focus 

Thank God for the fact that His deliverance allowed for yours, then ask Him for guidance in delivering the news to others. 

(From The Chosen 40 Days with JESUS) 

Your brother in Christ, 

Greg Beagle 

Northern Kentucky Emmaus 

Community Lay Director 

De Colores! 

The June Gathering will be on 6/8/23 at Immanuel Boone campus (1440 Boone Aire Road Florence,Ky) with fellowship starting at 6:30 and the gathering starting at 7pm. Our 4^th day speaker is John JD Marcum from MW#49. 

Please pray for Sara Berry as she begins making phone calls to put together the team for Woman’s Walk #49 October 19-22 at Higher Ground Retreat Center 

Save the Date Candle light service October 21, 2023 @ 8:00 p.m.   

Agape Party July 9^th 2-5pm and August 27^th 2-5 pm. Please contact Jennifer Meyers for more details. 

Pray for the pilgrims for WW#49 pray for open hearts and open minds, pray for those church leaders who haven’t been on a walk yet, and pray for those who have said no several times.