Every year, the night before Christmas Eve—what we affectionately call Christmas Eve’s Eve—has become one of the most meaningful gatherings at Open Arms Community Church. It’s more than an event on a calendar. More than a service filled with music, candles, and tradition.
This year, it’s an invitation into something deeper. A moment to step out of the shadows of a weary world and experience what we’re calling A Feast of Light.
🌟 Why a Feast? Why Light?
Across Scripture, across cultures, across generations—light has always meant hope. Guidance. Healing. Warmth. Safety. Presence. And a feast? That means abundance. Plenty. Enough for everyone.
A Feast of Light is where these two ideas meet:
Light that breaks through darkness.
Hope served freely to anyone who hungers for it.
A table where every person—no matter their story—is welcome.
In a world heavy with anxiety, addiction, loneliness, and exhaustion… this night stands as a reminder that darkness doesn’t get the last word.
🌙 Because We Know What Darkness Feels Like
Bradford is full of people fighting battles no one sees.
The mom who cries after the kids go to bed. The dad who feels like he’s failing. The teen drowning in silent anxiety. The person trying to stay sober one more day. The one grieving a loss that still aches. The worker who feels invisible. The neighbor who feels like their best days are behind them.
And for many, Christmas makes those feelings even sharper.
That’s why Christmas Eve’s Eve matters. That’s why A Feast of Light matters.
It’s a night specifically created for people who need a moment to breathe, to hope, to remember that the light of Jesus still shines—brighter than ever.
🔥 A Table Where Everyone Has a Seat
On December 23, our building fills with warmth—lights glowing, music rising, candles flickering, voices singing, kids laughing, friends reconnecting, strangers becoming family.
It’s a place where:
The weary find rest
The hurting find comfort
The lonely find connection
The searching find direction
The broken find healing
The hopeful find joy
Everyone—yes, everyone—has a place at this table.
✨ What You Can Expect This Year
This year’s Christmas Eve’s Eve gathering at Open Arms Community Church will be a beautiful blend of:
Powerful worship
A message of hope and light
Stories of transformation
Moments of stillness and reflection
A candlelit celebration reminding us that the Light of the World has come
Whether you’re someone who hasn’t been to church in years, someone who’s never missed a Sunday, or someone who isn’t sure what they believe at all—this night is for you.
🕯 Light Always Wins
The heart of Christmas is simple: God stepped into the world—not when everything was going well, but when the world was weighed down by darkness.
And He still steps in today.
The light still shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)
This is the promise we’ll celebrate together.
🎄 You’re Invited to A Feast of Light
Come as you are. Bring someone you love. Bring someone who needs hope. Or come because you need hope.
No matter where you’re coming from, there’s a seat for you—lit and waiting.
📍 Where:
Open Arms Community Church 71 Congress Street, Bradford, PA
📅 When:
Tuesday, December 23 2025 6:00 PM and 8:00PM
🚌 Need a ride?
Free transportation is available. Check out our bus schedule at: 👉 ChristmasEvesEve.com
This Christmas, let light rise again. Let hope take root again. Let your heart be filled again.
We’d love for you to join us this Sunday, December 7 at 7PM for a worship service on campus at the Harriet B. Wick Chapel, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
This special gathering is hosted by the Sunday Dinner Microchurch—a group of young adults who meet weekly for connection, conversation, and growing in faith together. After their usual Sunday gathering, they’re heading to UPB to lead a night of worship, and you’re invited to be part of it!
🙌 What to Expect
Live worship led by young adults
A warm and welcoming space for students and friends
A chance to pause, breathe, and encounter God together on campus
📍 Location:
Harriet B. Wick Chapel University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
🕖 Time:
Sunday, December 7 at 7:00 PM
Bring a friend, bring your questions, or just bring yourself—you’ll find community waiting for you. We can’t wait to worship with you this Sunday night!
Christmas Caroling: Sharing the Sound of Hope This Season
There’s something powerful about the sound of God’s people singing together—especially when those songs carry the hope, comfort, and joy of Christmas. Last Sunday, our caroling team visited The Pavilion at BRMC, and it was a beautiful start to the season. The residents smiled, clapped along, and many shared how much it meant to have visitors bringing warmth and encouragement through music.
Caroling isn’t about perfect voices—it’s about showing up. It’s about presence, compassion, and reminding our neighbors that they are seen and loved. And we’re just getting started.
Throughout the next few Sundays, we’ll continue visiting nursing homes in Bradford, PA, spreading Christmas cheer one song at a time. You’re invited to join us!
Why Caroling Matters
For many residents in care facilities, the holidays can be bittersweet. Some feel lonely, some miss loved ones, and some simply need a little brightness in their week. A simple carol can awaken memories, lift a heavy heart, or create a moment of connection that lingers long after the music stops.
Caroling becomes:
A gift of presence
A reminder of hope
A spark of joy during a quiet season
It’s one of the easiest and most meaningful ways we can share Christ’s love with our community.
Join Us for the Remaining Caroling Dates
Here is the updated schedule for the rest of December:
December 7 • 1:45–2:45 PM Chapel Ridge
December 14 • 1:45–2:45 PM Bradford Ecumenical Home
December 21 • 2:00–3:00 PM Bradford Manor
Whether you’ve been caroling with us for years or have never tried it before, we would love to have you join in. Your voice matters—your presence matters—and together, we can make this season brighter for our neighbors.
Our visit to the Pavilion was a beautiful reminder that small acts of love can have a profound impact. As we continue through December, let’s bring that same joy and compassion to every resident we meet.
This Christmas season, let’s shine together—one carol at a time.
Saturday, December 6 at 5:00 PM • Open Arms Community Church, 71 Congress Street
There’s something special about gathering as a church family to prepare our space for the Christmas season—but this year, it’s more meaningful than ever. For the first time, we’ll be decorating our new building for Christmas! We can’t wait to fill 71 Congress Street with lights, beauty, laughter, and the joy of the season.
And of course… It wouldn’t be Decorating Night at Open Arms without our Annual Chili & Soup Cook-Off! 🌶🍲🔥
🎄 Let’s Make Our New Home Shine
Everyone—kids, teens, adults—is invited to help transform our lobby, auditorium, stage, hallways, and kids’ spaces into a festive celebration of Jesus’ birth. Whether you’re great with a ladder and lights, or prefer fluffing garland and placing ornaments, there’s a place for you to serve and belong.
Decorating Night is one of our favorite traditions because it’s hands-on, relaxed, and full of connection. Serving side-by-side draws us closer—and seeing the church beautifully prepared for the season brings so much joy.
This year, decorating our permanent home at 71 Congress Street is going to feel extra meaningful. Let’s fill it with warmth, beauty, and memories.
🍲 Annual Chili & Soup Cook-Off
Think your chili is unbeatable? Convinced your soup recipe should be legendary? Bring your best—and earn bragging rights for the entire year!
We’ll have tasting cups, voting cards, and plenty of friendly competition as we crown:
🏆 Best Chili 🏆 Best Soup
Whether you’re entering a pot or just coming hungry, you’ll enjoy some incredible food and even better company.
👨👩👧 Bring the Whole Family
Decorating Night is super family-friendly. Kids can help with ornaments, enjoy taste-testing, and be part of building the warmth and beauty of our church home.
📅 Event Details
📍 Location: Open Arms Community Church — 71 Congress Street, Bradford, PA 📆 Date: Saturday, December 6 ⏰ Time: 5:00 PM 🍲 What to Bring: A pot of chili or soup if you’re entering the competition… and a willingness to have fun and help decorate!
❤️ Let’s Celebrate the Season—Together
This is more than decorating and food—it’s a moment to come together as a family, celebrate what God has done, and prepare our hearts and our church for Christmas.
See you Saturday at 5 PM as we deck the halls, share some incredible food, and make our new building sparkle for the season!
As Advent begins, Open Arms Community Church enters a season designed to awaken our hearts, stir our longing, and remind us that we live in a sacred tension. In the opening message of Journey to Salvation, Pastor Zoe Hatcher guides us into Isaiah’s ancient prophecies—words spoken 700 years before Christ came in the flesh, yet words that still shape our waiting today.
Advent does not simply look back at a manger; it looks forward to a King. We prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, but we also prepare our lives for His return. And in that preparation, Isaiah offers a vision big enough to steady weary hearts, bold enough to realign our priorities, and beautiful enough to rekindle hope.
Watch the Full Message: Journey to Salvation, Part 1: A Pending Invitation
Isaiah’s Vision: A Kingdom Worth Longing For
Isaiah ministered in a time of spiritual wandering, political tension, and moral drift. His message was often rejected because he called people to repent—a word no one wanted to hear then and few want to hear now. Yet woven into his warnings were breathtaking promises of a future shaped not by human power but by God’s coming salvation.
Isaiah saw a future where the world is reordered around the presence of God:
Isaiah 2:1–5 (NLT)
This is a vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
3People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.
4The Lord will mediate between nations and will settle international disputes. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation nor train for war anymore.
5Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Imagine it: A world where nations no longer train for war. A world where tools meant for harm become tools meant for life. A world where every nation is drawn—not by politics or power—but by the sheer beauty of God’s presence.
This is not myth or metaphor. It is the future reality the people of God are heading toward.
Living in the Tension of the “Already and Not Yet”
Jesus has already come as Messiah. He has already died, risen, and offered salvation. But the full restoration Isaiah describes? We haven’t seen it yet. We still see war. We still see division. We still see the ache of unfulfilled promises and the deep groaning of creation.
This tension—the already and the not yet—is where Christians live. It’s where faith is forged. It’s where hope becomes an anchor rather than a concept.
Pastor Zoe described this as the ache of Advent: We have experienced the light of Christ, yet we still long for the day when His kingdom is fully revealed.
That longing aligns us with God’s people across generations—Israel waiting for the first coming, and the Church waiting for the second.
Revelation echoes Isaiah’s promise with vivid imagery:
Revelation 21:10–11, 22–27 (NIV)
10And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
22I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24The nations will walk by its light… 27Nothing impure will ever enter it… but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
What Isaiah saw in shadow, John saw in glory. What Isaiah longed for, we are promised. What Isaiah proclaimed, Jesus will fulfill.
And yet—we’re not there yet.
We live between the promise given and the promise completed.
A Vision Given, A Community Called
Pastor Zoe shared how God pulled back the curtain for a moment in 2020 and showed her a vision of unity and worship in Bradford: families, children, and believers from different places gathering on a hill, worshipping the Lord together. She didn’t know how or when, and she still doesn’t know all the details—but she knows what she saw.
And she knows God has already begun fulfilling pieces of it.
Community worship nights. Prayer walks. Churches partnering instead of competing. Lives being restored. Walls coming down. Hope rising.
This is Advent in real time: We acknowledge the pain of the now, but we cling to the promise of what will be.
God’s faithfulness in the past gives us confidence for the future.
Wake Up — The Time Is Short
But Isaiah’s invitation is paired with urgency—and the New Testament intensifies it.
Paul writes with Holy Spirit clarity:
Romans 13:11–14 (NLT)
11This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13Because we belong to the day… 14Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is not metaphorical language. This is a spiritual alarm clock.
Time is running out. Salvation is nearer now than ever before. The Lord is coming.
Paul calls believers to drop whatever belongs to darkness—old habits, secret compromises, toxic patterns, shame, addictions, quarrels, jealousy—and put on Christ like armor.
It is not fear-driven. It is love-driven. Because the One who loves us most is drawing near.
Are We Ready for His Return?
Jesus spoke plainly about His second coming:
Matthew 24:36–44 (NIV)
36But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 42Therefore keep watch… 44You also must be ready…
No one knows the hour. Not even Jesus Himself.
If we would prepare our homes when guests are coming, we must prepare our hearts when the King is coming.
This is the heart of Advent. Preparation. Anticipation. Readiness. Surrender.
Walking in the Light Today
The invitation is simple: “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Wherever the people of God go, His light goes with them. Every step becomes sacred. Every moment becomes an opportunity to shine the kingdom. Every act of obedience becomes preparation for the world to come.
Salvation is not just a moment—it is a journey. And Advent reminds us to keep walking, keep watching, keep hoping, and keep stepping into the light.
The Savior has come. The Savior is coming again. And today, the invitation is open:
Wake up. Step into the light. Walk with Him.
Take Your Next Step
Support the Mission
Your generosity helps Open Arms shine the light of Jesus, serve families, meet needs, and spread hope throughout Bradford and beyond. 👉 Give today:https://openarmscommunitychurch.org/give/
You know the great thing about rock bottom? Bedrock is the ideal place to build a strong foundation.
Kelsey Boudin
Life throws painful moments at us, like arrows, and they always seem to land right at the core of old wounds. But in those moments, life also holds up a mirror. Lies are laid bare. Reality shocks us.
Lying on my living room floor just a few short months ago, I found God again – at age 36. Then I promptly found Open Arms Community Church in Bradford. For pushing back the darkness in my life – and for so many other reasons soon to be discussed – I urge area residents to support the church’s Local Impact Fund this Giving Tuesday (Dec. 2) at https://openarmscommunitychurch.org/push-back-the-darkness/.
Truth be told, I had been to Open Arms before, several years back before the church moved to its current location on Congress Street. The pastor’s husband has long been one of my best friends. A true man of God, he had always held the doorways to faith open to me, with a friendly nod saying, “Come in out of the cold, man.”
I did. For a while.
But like so many others, faith can be short-lived. We begin to feel better about our adult problems and human foibles. We may mask or rationalize away our addictions. If we’re feeling stronger, why do we need God? “Thanks for the pick-me-up, God. I’ll take it from here,” many of us have in some way said. That mindset, of course, never works. As Jesus’s parable of the farmer sowing seeds (Matthew 13) notes, the seeds spread on footpaths, shallow soil and among thorns get picked off, blown away, dried up or choked out.
We need deep, fertile soil. Open Arms is that deep, fertile soil.
I immediately joined the men’s group – aptly called the Tribe of Lions – and gained the strongest and most honest support system I’ve ever met. Men from different walks of life and perspectives, with personal issues all their own, coming together to help shoulder their brothers’ burdens.
I felt the call to serve. I had also for years neglected my creative passions like art and music, so I dusted off my guitar and joined the praise band. Joining the band has allowed me to fill my creative cup, flow it forth to others and praise God with beautiful music.
I’m also an alcoholic, a decades-long battle that ends now with support from the church’s Homecoming Recovery support group. This one is undoubtedly the most intimate of all, with members at various stages of recovery from any number of addictions. Here we’ve encountered something not often found at home or out in the community: genuine love and understanding. We aren’t judged. Our life struggles and triggers aren’t looked upon with suspicion or condemnation. Through discussion, support, prayer and Scripture reflection, we’re given the opportunity to finally heal deep wounds that guide our actions beyond reach of the conscious mind.
Open Arms Community Church features so many programs like these – called microchurches – to help men, women, teens and children. Just as importantly, the church is outwardly focused into the Bradford community and surrounding areas, which so desperately need help. The move downtown was strategic, placing the church at the heart of neighborhoods crushed by addiction, violence, broken families and despair.
Thoughts and prayers alone make for a pretty poor ministry. The good folks at Open Arms dive deep into the muck of life to rescue and redeem.
Miracles aren’t instant gifts, divine interventions and deliverances. More often, they’re good works – groups of average people brought together to use their skills and compassion for God’s purpose.
I’ve seen this in action.
Regardless if you’re religious, the truth is the good work Open Arms Community Church is doing within your friends, families and neighbors deserves support.
(Kelsey Boudin lives in Olean, NY and can be reached at kelsey@grandriveragency.org.)
Every one of us is becoming someone. Whether we realize it or not, our lives are being shaped—formed—by the habits, rhythms, priorities, and practices we live out each day. Some of those are intentional. Many are not.
Pastor Zoe Hatcher opened this final message of our Do As I Do series with the story of two men who both died at the same age—one living an unintentional life with an intentional end, and the other living a deeply intentional life with an unexpected end. One man’s choices left little fruit or legacy. The other’s intentional walk with Jesus shaped not only his life, but the lives of countless others.
Our life is the byproduct of our lifestyle. We do not become like Jesus by accident. We do not drift into Christlikeness. We choose it—or we drift away from it.
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” — John 14:6 (NIV)
If Jesus is the Way, then following Him means arranging our lives around the way He lived. But what does that practically look like in our Monday-through-Saturday lives? What does it look like for our habits, schedules, relationships, rest, and priorities?
That’s where today’s message leads us: into the essential practice of crafting a Rule of Life.
What Is a Rule of Life?
A “Rule of Life” is not a list of rigid rules.
Pastor Zoe defines it (along with Rich Villodas and John Mark Comer) as:
“A set of practices, relationships, and commitments inspired by the Spirit for the sake of our wholeness in Christ.” — Rich Villodas
“A schedule and set of practices and relational rhythms that create space for us to be with Jesus, become like Him, and do as He did.” — John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way
The word “rule” comes from the Latin regula, meaning a straight piece of wood—the same type of straight wood used in the ancient world to construct a trellis.
A trellis lifts a grapevine off the ground, supports it, holds it up to the sunlight, and creates space for fruit to grow.
Likewise:
A Rule of Life is a trellis for your soul.
It is a support structure that lifts your life toward Jesus so you can become fruitful in Him.
Without a trellis, a vine grows wild, tangled, and fruitless. Without intentional rhythms, we do the same.
You Already Have a Rule of Life
Before we talk about crafting a Rule of Life, Pastor Zoe reminds us: You already have one.
Your current habits, routines, schedule, screen time, spiritual practices (or lack thereof), reactions, relationships, sleep patterns, and ways of coping are already forming you.
The better question isn’t:
“How do I create a Rule of Life?” but “What is my current Rule of Life?”
Once we honestly look at what’s shaping us, we can ask the next essential question:
Is my life ruling me, or am I ruling my life?
Counting the Cost
Luke 14:27–30 (NIV)
“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”
Living by a Rule of Life is one tangible way of “counting the cost.” It is the practical, daily expression of carrying your cross—not just in belief, but in lifestyle.
Growing Fruit That Lasts
Colossians 1:3–12 (NIV)
Paul’s prayer for the church in Colossae beautifully mirrors God’s desire for us:
“…that you may live a life worthy of the Lord… bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God… strengthened with all power… having great endurance and patience…” (vv. 10–11)
A Rule of Life positions us to receive this kind of growth—slow, steady, Spirit-empowered transformation.
Just as a healthy diet requires both universal nutrients and personalized needs, a Rule of Life includes spiritual disciplines every believer needs (Scripture, prayer, Sabbath, community, generosity) as well as unique practices God invites you into for your season of life.
Limits That Set You Free
Our culture treats limits as oppression. Jesus treats limits as liberation.
Hebrews 12:1–13 (NIV)
This passage invites us to “throw off everything that hinders,” run with perseverance, and submit to the Father’s loving discipline—which “produces a harvest of righteousness and peace.”
Discipline is not punishment. Discipline is formation. Discipline is love.
Isaiah 35:3–4 (NIV)
“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come…’”
A Rule of Life helps us embrace God’s loving limits that ultimately make us more free, not less.
Guarding and Guiding Your Life
A good Rule of Life must do two things:
1. Guard
• What habits, behaviors, attitudes, or inputs need to be kept out of your life? • What is harming your soul, shrinking your peace, or pulling you away from Jesus?
2. Guide
• What practices is the Holy Spirit inviting you to add? • What rhythms will shape you into Christlikeness?
Pastor Zoe shared her own examples—practices she incorporates to counter depression, victimhood, pride, indulgence, resentment, and emotional reactivity: • Praise • Gratitude • Fasting • Scripture & prayer • Journaling • Confession in community
Each practice is not the end goal. Jesus is.
Rule or Be Ruled
1 Timothy 4:6–15 (NIV)
Paul calls Timothy to train himself in godliness, devote himself to the Word, steward his gifts, and persevere so that “everyone may see your progress.”
This is the heart of a Rule of Life: choosing formation over drifting, choosing discipline over disorder, choosing Jesus over convenience.
Start Where You Are — Not Where You “Should” Be
Pastor Zoe warns us not to create idealistic, perfectionistic, unattainable plans that leave us discouraged. Start with what is real, not what is aspirational.
Think subtraction before addition.
Ask God: “What needs to be removed from my life so I can hear You more clearly?”
Often the first step in spiritual growth is not doing more, but doing less.
Two Kinds of Spiritual Practices
A well-rounded Rule of Life will include both:
1. Practices of Engagement
Things you intentionally do: • Sabbath • Justice • Hospitality & meals in community • Fellowship • Generosity • Participating in the Lord’s Supper
2. Practices of Abstinence
Things you intentionally stop doing: • Silence • Solitude • Slowing • Fasting • Simple living • Secrecy • Scripture meditation and prayer
Ask the Holy Spirit: Which practices are You inviting me into in this season? Why this one? Why now?
Start with one engagement practice and one abstinence practice, then build slowly.
Every believer in Jesus Christ is called to be a witness—but many of us never stop to ask what kind of witness we actually are. In this message from Open Arms Community Church, Misty Surine challenges us to examine our hearts and our walk with God, to understand our calling as disciples, and to discover what it truly means to be a witness through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Watch the full sermon here:
What Is a Witness?
In a courtroom, a witness is someone who has personally seen, heard, or experienced something—and tells the truth about it. Spiritually, a witness is someone who has encountered Jesus and speaks of Him with honesty and conviction.
Jesus Himself defined our role:
Acts 1:4–8 (CSB)
While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus makes clear: we are not witnesses by our own strength — but by His Spirit.
Our Responsibility as Witnesses
Paul reinforces this calling:
Romans 10:6–15 (CSB)
But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’” that is, to bring Christ down; or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.
On the contrary, what does it say? “The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.”
This is the message of faith that we proclaim:
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.
Paul’s question remains for every believer today: How will they believe… if we don’t tell them?
The Four Types of Witnesses
In the sermon, Misty described four kinds of witnesses we may become in our walk with God.
1. The Casual Witness
Like someone who passes an accident on the road, they see something is happening but don’t stop to engage. They know about Jesus, but they do not pursue Him. Frequent exposure without response hardens the heart.
2. The False Witness
Jesus warns of this category explicitly.
Matthew 7:21–23 (CSB)
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’
A false witness knows the language of faith but not the Lord of faith.
The evidence of genuine faith is fruit:
Galatians 5:22–23 (CSB)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
3. The Partial Witness
They know Jesus… but not fully. Something is held back.
God gives a promise:
Jeremiah 29:13 (CSB)
You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.
Jesus echoes this:
Matthew 7:7 (CSB)
Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
Many believers begin well, but never press deeper. They have treasure in Christ, but only dig a few inches down.
Jesus described this treasure beautifully:
Matthew 13:44–46 (CSB)
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure buried in a field that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.” “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.”
The partial witness has not yet surrendered everything for the “priceless pearl.”
4. The Intimate Witness
This is the witness Jesus desires us to become.
Ezekiel 11:19 (CSB)
I will give them integrity of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.
Romans 8:16 (CSB)
The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children.
1 John 3:21–24 (CSB)
Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he has given us.
The intimate witness doesn’t just know Jesus—they walk with Him.
Your Testimony Matters
A person who has been changed by Jesus has a story that carries authority. Someone who has only heard about Jesus can only repeat information. Only the one who has personally encountered Him can witness with power.
Your story is not small. Your testimony is not insignificant. Someone’s salvation may come through hearing what God has done in you.
A Call to Action
As Misty challenged us in the message:
“What kind of witness are you right now… and what kind of witness is God calling you to be?”
Take time this week to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal:
Where your heart stands
What parts of your life need surrender
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In Do As I Do, Part 10 – Service, Melissa Robinson from Open Arms Community Church shares a message that calls believers to live out their faith through serving others. The heart of this message is simple yet powerful — following Jesus means loving, giving, and helping the way He did. Service is not a task for a few; it’s the calling of everyone who follows Christ.
Created to Help
From the beginning, God designed humanity for community and connection. He made people to need one another and to reflect His own nature as a helper.
Genesis 2:18 (NIV) “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’”
The Hebrew word for helper in this verse is ezer — meaning help, rescuer, or strength. This same word is often used to describe God Himself. That means helping is not weakness; it is divine strength in action. God built His image into humanity when He gave the ability and the desire to serve.
Being a helper is not a lesser role — it’s a reflection of the Creator. The world often overlooks those who serve quietly, but in God’s Kingdom, serving is sacred. Every act of service mirrors His heart.
The Example of Jesus
Jesus modeled the perfect life of a servant. Though He was equal with God, He chose humility, obedience, and sacrifice.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NIV) “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
This passage reveals the very heart of service: humility. True service flows from surrender. It gives without expecting, helps without recognition, and loves without condition.
The Call to Follow
When Jesus invited His disciples to follow Him, He called ordinary people — fishermen, tax collectors, outcasts — and gave them extraordinary purpose.
Matthew 4:19–20 (NIV) “‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.”
Matthew 9:9 (NIV) “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”
These men were not chosen for their skills, status, or education. They were chosen because they were willing. Following Jesus is not about perfection — it’s about availability. The same invitation still stands today: Come, follow Me.
The Humility of Service
One of the most beautiful and humbling scenes in Scripture is when Jesus washed His disciples’ feet.
John 13:12–17 (NIV) “When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord,” and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’”
Jesus transformed a simple act of hospitality into a powerful lesson on humility. He showed that no task is beneath the servant of God. Every gesture of kindness and compassion can be a reflection of heaven.
Serving the Way Jesus Served
Serving is more than volunteering or being kind — it’s a lifestyle. It’s how believers demonstrate the love of God to a broken world. Four principles guide a life of service:
1. Serve with Love
Love is the foundation of all service. Without it, actions lose meaning.
Matthew 22:37–39 (NIV) “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Love fuels every act of service. It opens eyes to see the needs of others and hearts to respond with compassion.
2. Serve in Hiddenness
Real service doesn’t seek attention or praise. It is content with God alone seeing the sacrifice.
Matthew 6:1–4 (NIV) “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
The unseen moments — the quiet acts of generosity and encouragement — are where the character of Christ shines brightest.
3. Serve with Availability
Service often happens in interruptions. Jesus was never too busy to stop for someone in need.
Matthew 9:18–22 (NIV) “While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, ‘My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.’ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.’ Jesus turned and saw her. ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed at that moment.”
Availability means being present — willing to pause, listen, and care. The interruptions may actually be the ministry God intended.
4. Serve in Kinship
Service is not about hierarchy but relationship. Jesus restores, includes, and calls believers into community.
John 21:17 (NIV) “The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
Serving is how the love of God is extended through community — feeding, tending, and caring for one another.
Greatness Redefined
Jesus redefined greatness through servanthood.
Mark 10:43–45 (NIV) “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
True greatness in God’s Kingdom isn’t measured by influence or power but by love in action. Serving is the mark of a disciple.
A Life That Reflects Christ
Every believer is called to serve — not from obligation, but from gratitude. Service is the natural response of a heart transformed by Jesus. It’s how faith becomes visible, how love takes form, and how the world encounters God through His people.
The world doesn’t need more people trying to be important; it needs more hearts willing to serve.
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” — John 13:17
If this message encouraged you, we’d love for you to experience what God is doing at Open Arms Community Church. Whether you’re new to faith, searching for purpose, or ready to grow deeper in your walk with Jesus, there’s a place for you here.
Join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM for worship, teaching, and community. Come as you are, bring your family, and discover what it means to live and serve like Jesus — together.
🕯️ Push Back the Darkness: Bradford Prayer Vigil A Night of Light, Hope, and Unity in the Heart of Bradford
The headlines in Bradford have been heavy. Our community has faced more than its share of heartbreak — stories of addiction, loss, and tragedy that weigh on all of us. It’s easy to feel like darkness is winning. But on Monday, November 24, the people of Bradford will gather to declare something different: hope still shines here.
Open Arms Community Church invites everyone in the community to join us for the Push Back the Darkness: Bradford Prayer Vigil, a peaceful evening of light and prayer for our city. We’ll meet at 6:30 PM at the Hooker Fulton Building Parking Lot (125 Main Street, Bradford) to pray together before walking through the heart of our community.
Each person is encouraged to bring a flashlight, candle, or lantern — a simple symbol of the light we carry and the faith we share as we pray for Bradford.
This isn’t a protest or demonstration. It’s a moment of unity — families, churches, and neighbors coming together to pray for healing, peace, and transformation across McKean County.
Why We’re Gathering
Our mission at Open Arms has always been to bring hope, healing, and purpose to the people of Bradford. We see the pain our neighbors are walking through — addiction, isolation, broken families, and loss — and we believe the best way to make a difference is to reach people before the crisis takes over.
That’s what this night is about. It’s about showing up, standing together, and reminding one another that light always breaks through the dark.
What to Expect
6:30 PM — Gather at Hooker Fulton Building Parking Lot (125 Main Street) We’ll begin together in prayer, lifting up our city and those who are hurting.
Following Prayer — Community Prayer Walk We’ll walk together through parts of downtown Bradford, carrying flashlights, candles, and lanterns as a visible reminder that hope still lives here.
Closing Moment We’ll gather again for a final prayer and blessing over our city and the people who call it home.
We’ll also be filming moments from the night to share during our GivingTuesday campaign on December 2, helping spread the message that Bradford’s story isn’t over — it’s being rewritten by faith, compassion, and community.
Be Part of the Light
If you’ve ever looked at the headlines and wondered what you could do to help, this is your moment. Bring your light. Bring your faith. Bring your hope for a better tomorrow.
Together, we can push back the darkness and remind our city that God is still moving — and His light still shines in Bradford.
🕯️ Push Back the Darkness: Bradford Prayer Vigil 📅 Monday, November 24 | 6:30 PM 📍 Hooker Fulton Building Parking Lot – 125 Main Street, Bradford, PA
📖 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5
✨ Help Us Keep the Light Shining
If this vision moves your heart — if you believe in what God is doing through Open Arms to bring hope, healing, and purpose to Bradford — we invite you to join us in making that light shine even brighter.
Your generosity fuels the ministry that reaches people before the crisis hits. It supports our microchurches, recovery groups, community nights, and local partnerships that make real impact every week.
Every gift, no matter the size, helps light another candle of hope in Bradford. Together, we can keep showing our city that the darkness doesn’t get the final word — hope does.