Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Its not about the turkey, or the football games (which are pretty lousy this year). But its about resting, being with family, and more importantly, just taking some time to be thankful and count our many blessings. I hope you will indeed do that over the next few days. Reminding ourselves just how fortunate we are to live in America and still be able to experience the greatest quality of life known to mankind.
Yesterday, I got to visit with Arlene Miller for awhile. I left feeling better than she did I'm sure. What a strong woman of faith. She told me she spends her hours often praying and thinking about others just to get her mind off her own circumstances. Physically, she is doing better and better. Please keep her in your prayers however.
Also, please keep the Kilburn family in your prayers this week. This is no doubt a very tough week for them. Please come join us for the courtyard dedication this week and the prayer fountain that will be named in Debbie's honor. Debbie was a great woman of prayer and I am sure her family is now reaping from all the prayers she sowed for so many others.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow. You probably won't hear from me until the weekend. May God bless you and your family.
Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; NASU
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday Wrap Up
Big weekend! Love it! Great services...celebrations! I appreciate Open Arms Ministries for their giving this weekend. We assisted people with food on Saturday morning and gave food gift bags to all of our widows and senior adult ladies this past Sunday. Also, we are collecting coats for the homeless that will be taken to the mission this next Saturday morning. If you want to contribute, please bring them by the church.
It was great to see Tim Studdard Sunday Night. Keep him in your prayers. Remember, to keep praying that that he will spend Thanksgiving with his family.
No cells this week. Next week the men have their annual wild game feast Wednesday, Dec 1, 6:30 pm. Be sure to bring a friend guys!
Next Sunday is the dedication of the Memorial courtyard and the Debbie Kilburn prayer fountain. Also, we will be kicking off our pavers fundraiser to pay off our only existing loan and to build two new buildings. Please come Sunday and get on board!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!
-Pastor
It was great to see Tim Studdard Sunday Night. Keep him in your prayers. Remember, to keep praying that that he will spend Thanksgiving with his family.
No cells this week. Next week the men have their annual wild game feast Wednesday, Dec 1, 6:30 pm. Be sure to bring a friend guys!
Next Sunday is the dedication of the Memorial courtyard and the Debbie Kilburn prayer fountain. Also, we will be kicking off our pavers fundraiser to pay off our only existing loan and to build two new buildings. Please come Sunday and get on board!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!
-Pastor
Friday, November 20, 2009
Friday Countdown to Sunday...Are you a Casual Christian?
Darren Smith is the founder of Streetscape Ministries, an
awesome ministry to the homeless seeing miracles on the streets
in Galveston, Texas.
IS THERE Any SUCH THING AS a CASUAL CHRISTIAN??
-by Darren Smith.
Is there any such thing as a casual Christian? I have heard this
term a lot in recent times and to tell you the truth it makes me sick.
But, as I have thought about this subject and spent time looking
around at the body as a whole, I venture to say for the most part
it is true of most of the church today. Before you get angry and
stop reading, please hear me out. How many believers do you
know that are really sold out for Christ? When I say this I mean
that Christ is the central focus of their life. I mean a person that
has died to self and relies on Christ for his substance, willing to
sacrifice even to the point of their well being, to serve the Lord.
For a long time we have heard sermon after sermon on giving 10%
to the church and yet from the modern church accounts, only 30%
of the people give 10%. This is sad but considering that most of
that doesn't go to do the work of the ministry, its not surprising. I'm
not teaching on the tithe system, I'm using this as an example on
the casual attitude of believers. But I want to take it much deeper
than this and ask some very hard questions. How much of your
time do you give to the Lord? Do you spend more time on you
than you do the Lord? More on entertainment or hobbies than
service to the Lord?
Many times people tell us that we would love to come and help you
guys in the street but we are just so busy we simply can not find
the time. I wonder if they ever stop to think that we have to sacrifice
and make time ourselves. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining,
the Lord blesses us and I wouldn't be anywhere else, but it requires
sacrifice for us to be here as well. I want you to see that if you are
willing to serve, God will bless you. We have people all the time
say, "I have never seen God's power and grace like this in my life."
Many of these guys have been in church all their life and have never
ministered to anyone.
Another response we get is, "I'm not called to do that type of ministry."
Oh, really? I believe we are all called to take the Gospel to the
world, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and to take care of
the widows and orphans. To be able to put off these things places
you in the casual realm. Many will go to church once a week and
then go right out and serve themselves all week without doing
anything for the Lord. Trust me, "I didn't have time" will not help
them when they stand before the Lord.
What makes this so sad is that many of them will never hear a
message on repentance and total commitment to the Lord because
this type message is not popular in the modern church. It doesn't
fill the offering plate or the seats. Instead we hear funny stories
and jokes from the pulpit as well as humanistic teaching on self-
help and prosperity. This system has created the casual Christian
which is no Christian at all. So many have been converted to a
false religion of self and greed and what is worse, they think they
are fine because everyone they know is a casual Christian as well.
When they come in contact with a sold out believer, it makes them
uncomfortable. When they hear a repentance message they label
it extreme and harsh. These same casual Christians see the world
going to hell around them and are not affected at all. The thought
of sacrifice is foreign to them. Material wealth is equated with
blessings from the Lord - after all, many pulpits teach this for self
enrichment - so in their mind it's OK.
The reason I write this is for an awakening. We all must look into
our heart and see if we are sold out to the Lord. We all have areas
we can improve and should! We must get this type of word out
and the body must mobilize for the battle. We all will have to
sacrifice, but we were not put here to live our best life now - our
best life is yet to come when the Lord returns. I know this is very
convicting, but it must be said. We must repent and give our whole
life to the Lord and that means everything, all of us, everything we
are and all we could ever become - we must give it all to the Lord.
So I ask you again, is there any such thing as a casual Christian,
or maybe more important, are you a casual Christian?
-Darren Smith
http://www.streetscapeministries.com/
awesome ministry to the homeless seeing miracles on the streets
in Galveston, Texas.
IS THERE Any SUCH THING AS a CASUAL CHRISTIAN??
-by Darren Smith.
Is there any such thing as a casual Christian? I have heard this
term a lot in recent times and to tell you the truth it makes me sick.
But, as I have thought about this subject and spent time looking
around at the body as a whole, I venture to say for the most part
it is true of most of the church today. Before you get angry and
stop reading, please hear me out. How many believers do you
know that are really sold out for Christ? When I say this I mean
that Christ is the central focus of their life. I mean a person that
has died to self and relies on Christ for his substance, willing to
sacrifice even to the point of their well being, to serve the Lord.
For a long time we have heard sermon after sermon on giving 10%
to the church and yet from the modern church accounts, only 30%
of the people give 10%. This is sad but considering that most of
that doesn't go to do the work of the ministry, its not surprising. I'm
not teaching on the tithe system, I'm using this as an example on
the casual attitude of believers. But I want to take it much deeper
than this and ask some very hard questions. How much of your
time do you give to the Lord? Do you spend more time on you
than you do the Lord? More on entertainment or hobbies than
service to the Lord?
Many times people tell us that we would love to come and help you
guys in the street but we are just so busy we simply can not find
the time. I wonder if they ever stop to think that we have to sacrifice
and make time ourselves. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining,
the Lord blesses us and I wouldn't be anywhere else, but it requires
sacrifice for us to be here as well. I want you to see that if you are
willing to serve, God will bless you. We have people all the time
say, "I have never seen God's power and grace like this in my life."
Many of these guys have been in church all their life and have never
ministered to anyone.
Another response we get is, "I'm not called to do that type of ministry."
Oh, really? I believe we are all called to take the Gospel to the
world, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and to take care of
the widows and orphans. To be able to put off these things places
you in the casual realm. Many will go to church once a week and
then go right out and serve themselves all week without doing
anything for the Lord. Trust me, "I didn't have time" will not help
them when they stand before the Lord.
What makes this so sad is that many of them will never hear a
message on repentance and total commitment to the Lord because
this type message is not popular in the modern church. It doesn't
fill the offering plate or the seats. Instead we hear funny stories
and jokes from the pulpit as well as humanistic teaching on self-
help and prosperity. This system has created the casual Christian
which is no Christian at all. So many have been converted to a
false religion of self and greed and what is worse, they think they
are fine because everyone they know is a casual Christian as well.
When they come in contact with a sold out believer, it makes them
uncomfortable. When they hear a repentance message they label
it extreme and harsh. These same casual Christians see the world
going to hell around them and are not affected at all. The thought
of sacrifice is foreign to them. Material wealth is equated with
blessings from the Lord - after all, many pulpits teach this for self
enrichment - so in their mind it's OK.
The reason I write this is for an awakening. We all must look into
our heart and see if we are sold out to the Lord. We all have areas
we can improve and should! We must get this type of word out
and the body must mobilize for the battle. We all will have to
sacrifice, but we were not put here to live our best life now - our
best life is yet to come when the Lord returns. I know this is very
convicting, but it must be said. We must repent and give our whole
life to the Lord and that means everything, all of us, everything we
are and all we could ever become - we must give it all to the Lord.
So I ask you again, is there any such thing as a casual Christian,
or maybe more important, are you a casual Christian?
-Darren Smith
http://www.streetscapeministries.com/
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Brown Parrot
A little humor today...with the emphasis on "little." Have a great day!
-Pastor
Three sons left home, started careers and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts that they were able to give their elderly mother for her 70th birthday. The first said, “I built a huge house for Mom.” The second said, “I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.” The third smiled and said, “I’ve got you both beat. You know how Mom enjoys the Bible and you know she cant see very well. I sent her a brown parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took 20 monks in a monastery 12 years to teach him. I had a pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for 10 years, but it was worth it. Mom just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it.” Soon thereafter, Mom sent out letters of thanks: She wrote the first son, “Milton, the house you built is not practical. I live in only one room, but have to heat, cool, and clean the entire house.” The second she said, “Marvin, I am to old to travel. I stay at home all the time, so I never use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!” She wrote the third son, “Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to know what your Mother likes. The chicken was delicious.” We all have different ways to express our love for others. Sometimes it is received well and other times it is not.
-Pastor
Three sons left home, started careers and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts that they were able to give their elderly mother for her 70th birthday. The first said, “I built a huge house for Mom.” The second said, “I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.” The third smiled and said, “I’ve got you both beat. You know how Mom enjoys the Bible and you know she cant see very well. I sent her a brown parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took 20 monks in a monastery 12 years to teach him. I had a pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for 10 years, but it was worth it. Mom just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it.” Soon thereafter, Mom sent out letters of thanks: She wrote the first son, “Milton, the house you built is not practical. I live in only one room, but have to heat, cool, and clean the entire house.” The second she said, “Marvin, I am to old to travel. I stay at home all the time, so I never use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!” She wrote the third son, “Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to know what your Mother likes. The chicken was delicious.” We all have different ways to express our love for others. Sometimes it is received well and other times it is not.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Our Response to a Unshakable Government
Hebrews 12:25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."[e] 27The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."
I am so glad that I am a part of a kingdom, a government, that cannot be shaken. As I see governments, corporations, communities, and kingdoms shaken around the world. It really does cause me to be thankful for the unshakable kingdom of God. In others words, I can count on Him. I can depend on His word, His unchangeable character, His promises, His blessings, etc. In contrast, there's nothing in this world I can trust in. Everything changes, everything is fleeting, everything will pass away...but the word of God.
So God says, "Worship Me with reverence and awe. I am a consuming fire." [paraphrase] I encourage you today to do just that. Because you serve a God who is unshakable and His government is unshakable, worship Him today with a great reverence and awe. He will one day burn up all of our works that are shakeable...or outside His kingdom. Our worship of Him today will last, so lets worship our awesome God today!
-Pastor
I am so glad that I am a part of a kingdom, a government, that cannot be shaken. As I see governments, corporations, communities, and kingdoms shaken around the world. It really does cause me to be thankful for the unshakable kingdom of God. In others words, I can count on Him. I can depend on His word, His unchangeable character, His promises, His blessings, etc. In contrast, there's nothing in this world I can trust in. Everything changes, everything is fleeting, everything will pass away...but the word of God.
So God says, "Worship Me with reverence and awe. I am a consuming fire." [paraphrase] I encourage you today to do just that. Because you serve a God who is unshakable and His government is unshakable, worship Him today with a great reverence and awe. He will one day burn up all of our works that are shakeable...or outside His kingdom. Our worship of Him today will last, so lets worship our awesome God today!
-Pastor
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday Wrap Up
Yeah, its late, and I really should be getting ready for bed. But I'm watching the Colts and the Patriots. Unfortunately, for my Colts, its not looking too good right now. Oh well, you can't win them all.
Great services today...both of them. Tonight's worship was off the charts! People really got in tonight and a good crowd as well. Brother Pendley did a masterful job on the Great White Throne Judgement from Revelation 20. It was really good! Congratulations to Chris who was saved this morning. Please remember him in prayer this week.
Just a reminder, if you know someone that needs help with food or you need help with food, please be at the church this Saturday at 8:30 am. Also, we need donations for Thanksgiving baskets. A list of needed goods was in the bulletin today. Please try to help us out.
Well, the Colts are coming back now. Its a close game with two minutes to go. I better call it a night. I can't believe Belichek went for it on 4th and 2 at their on 27 yard line. I can't believe it! Oh well. Have a great week!
-Pastor
Great services today...both of them. Tonight's worship was off the charts! People really got in tonight and a good crowd as well. Brother Pendley did a masterful job on the Great White Throne Judgement from Revelation 20. It was really good! Congratulations to Chris who was saved this morning. Please remember him in prayer this week.
Just a reminder, if you know someone that needs help with food or you need help with food, please be at the church this Saturday at 8:30 am. Also, we need donations for Thanksgiving baskets. A list of needed goods was in the bulletin today. Please try to help us out.
Well, the Colts are coming back now. Its a close game with two minutes to go. I better call it a night. I can't believe Belichek went for it on 4th and 2 at their on 27 yard line. I can't believe it! Oh well. Have a great week!
-Pastor
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday Countdown to Sunday...the Calcified Heart
"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."
Good morning everyone! It's Friday and Sunday's coming. I know for a lot of you Sunday means the end of the weekend and the next day you got to go back to work. So lets focus on today...Friday. And celebrate the beginning of a few days off for most of you. Praise the Lord!
While pastoring in Terre Haute, I knew a woman that was diagnosed with FOP (Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva). It's a cryptic disease that slowly, irreversibly turns its victim into a mass of solid bone. It hardens the soft tissues, like muscles and tendons, rendering an ossified suit of armor. As tragic as this disease is, Scripture describes one even worse. The calcification of the will.
Today, I just want encourage you from Hebrews to keep your heart soft and pliable, and not to "harden your hearts"(Hebrews 3:8, 15; 4:7). In the Old and News Testaments, there are many example of God's people hardening their hearts no matter what God did. God would send plagues, war, blessings, prophets to warn them, etc., but the result was often the same. God says to us in His word, "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." [Hebrews 4:7 NKJV] Notice, He says, "Today, if you will hear His voice..." In other words, don't wait until tomorrow or the next day...hear His voice now, today. What is implied is the necessity of hearing His voice. When we fail to hear Him...when we get so busy and we refuse to discipline ourselves to hear the voice of God the result is the hardening of the heart...spiritual stiffness...that immobilizes and eventually destroys you.
How do you keep your heart soft? The hearing and doing of God's Word. God's Spirit in the book of James says "Be hearers of the Word, and not doers only." (James 1:22) So hear His voice today...so your heart doesn't slowly calcify. It can happen...it does happen...it will happen if we don't obey His voice.
-Pastor
Good morning everyone! It's Friday and Sunday's coming. I know for a lot of you Sunday means the end of the weekend and the next day you got to go back to work. So lets focus on today...Friday. And celebrate the beginning of a few days off for most of you. Praise the Lord!
While pastoring in Terre Haute, I knew a woman that was diagnosed with FOP (Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva). It's a cryptic disease that slowly, irreversibly turns its victim into a mass of solid bone. It hardens the soft tissues, like muscles and tendons, rendering an ossified suit of armor. As tragic as this disease is, Scripture describes one even worse. The calcification of the will.
Today, I just want encourage you from Hebrews to keep your heart soft and pliable, and not to "harden your hearts"(Hebrews 3:8, 15; 4:7). In the Old and News Testaments, there are many example of God's people hardening their hearts no matter what God did. God would send plagues, war, blessings, prophets to warn them, etc., but the result was often the same. God says to us in His word, "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." [Hebrews 4:7 NKJV] Notice, He says, "Today, if you will hear His voice..." In other words, don't wait until tomorrow or the next day...hear His voice now, today. What is implied is the necessity of hearing His voice. When we fail to hear Him...when we get so busy and we refuse to discipline ourselves to hear the voice of God the result is the hardening of the heart...spiritual stiffness...that immobilizes and eventually destroys you.
How do you keep your heart soft? The hearing and doing of God's Word. God's Spirit in the book of James says "Be hearers of the Word, and not doers only." (James 1:22) So hear His voice today...so your heart doesn't slowly calcify. It can happen...it does happen...it will happen if we don't obey His voice.
-Pastor
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