This coming Tuesday, November 2nd every Christian has the opportunity to make the changes that need to be made in our local, state, and national government by the simple act of voting. Vote! It is your right as an American to make a positive difference in our country and in the world. Make this right a priority on Tuesday.
This Sunday morning (31st) our lesson from the pulpit will help us to know what God expects from every Christian: He expects us to give three things: Time (We each have been given the same amount of time, 24 hours every day), Talents (We each have talents, given by God to be used in service to others), and Treasures (Everything we have is a gift from God). He expects us NOT to give three things…Can you guess what three things Christians must never give? We will discuss these things on Sunday morning, Lord willing.
On Sunday evening we are in for a very special time of worship, study, and fellowship. Our young men will be handling every aspect of the service. Make sure you are here to support them. I am certainly looking forward to this very special service. I remember the first time I led a song in the church. The song was “Send the Light,” number 192 in our song book. I was about 10 years old and practiced leading that song in my Papa’s old barn loft with my two brothers acting as the church. What a sight and sound that must have been so many years ago. I wonder if my mother stood outside that old barn just to hear us sing. There was no way anyone could have known that 41 years later I would be preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in Columbia, South Carolina. God knew.
Where will our young men and young ladies be tomorrow, next year, 41 years from now? God knows. We hope and pray that they will be preachers and preachers’ wives, song leaders and the wives of song leaders, elders and elders’ wives, deacons and deacons’ wives, Bible teachers, faithful Christian parents, and faithful Christian friends following the pattern of the Bible in life and living. What they become is a product of prayer, preparation, practice, privilege, and participation. May we at St. Andrews Road do a good job in each area of service to our young people! Thank you to Allen Hutchison for your love and faithful dedication to the young men and women at St. Andrews Road. Thank you to every faithful Christian parent for your dedication to bring up your children in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Thank you to every young man and woman for your commitment to Jesus Christ and His church at St. Andrews Road. We are so very proud of you!
Remember that “Daylight Saving Time” ends early on Sunday morning, November 7th. Cindi and I usually move the clocks “fall backward” before we go to bed on Saturday night, November 6th. Whew! Can you believe that Thanksgiving is less than four weeks away with Christmas just around the corner? This is my favorite time of the year!
BIBLE BOWL 2011! We will host the Statewide Bible Bowl on Saturday, February 26, 2011. Everyone is already studying the book of Matthew. Please go to the bulletin board in the lobby to sign up to be on one of our Bible Bowl teams. There are four divisions: Preteen, Teen, Adult, and Senior. If you have a question or need further information, just call the church office. You can also check our website: www.sarcoc.org for up to date Bible Bowl information. For those who do not sign up to be on one of our teams, we will need your help in other areas of the Bible Bowl. In the coming days we will post several sign-up sheets on the bulletin board for your consideration. We love working together.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
We’ve had a great week showing and sharing the gospel of Christ here in Columbia, South Carolina. The fall weather is simply gorgeous with cool mornings warming up nicely through the evening. I hope you are taking full advantage of such wonderful blessings. Get up a little earlier to go for a morning walk. Walk outside just after sunset and look up at the stars. Sit on the deck for a few minutes early or late and enjoy a bit of nature: squirrels preparing for the winter, falling leaves, geese settling on or lifting off the lake if you are near the water or flying overhead toward a warmer climate. These simple experiences make life worth living. Some people never look up to see the evidence of God. They rarely look out past their own feelings and needs to see the beauties around them. They seldom look around them at the opportunities for joy and service to others. They have even more difficulty looking within themselves to see that they have become far removed from the balance of life.
As Christians, we can, we must live a different, better, balanced life. Every morning let us think of God. Let us speak to Him in prayer and remember the assurances we have in Jesus Christ. Let us read God’s word, the Bible to be reminded of our past, our blessings, our duty, and our future in Christ. Let us do more than read the Bible. We must rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15), realizing that God communicated to people before the coming of Jesus Christ in different ways (Hebrews 1:1-2). Today we do not read to obey the Old Testament, the Psalms, nor the Prophets of old. The Old Testament was God’s word to those who lived before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We read to obey His Son, Jesus Christ in the twenty-seven books called the New Testament with words written down by nine inspired men chosen by God (Matthew, Mark, Luke (2), John (5), Paul (13), Peter (2), James, Jude, and the writer to the Hebrews). These twenty-seven books are the final revelation from God to mankind in these last days in which we live (Jude 3, Galatians 1:6-10, Luke 16:16). Now make no mistake about it. The Old Testament is valuable to us today. Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” The Old Testament was written for our learning, not for our keeping.
Sin is our enemy. Sin has always caused humanity problems. Still does. Sin separates us from God. The Bible is written so that we might know right from wrong, truth from error, so that we might not sin (1 John 2:1). We must stay away from sin. And when we do sin, thankfully God has provided a way out of sin and into his salvation through His Son (John 14:6, 1 John 1:1-2). We must take the way. When we turn to God we must turn away from sin.
This week end on Friday and Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. I will be preaching the gospel at the church of Christ at Windsor Lake. If you can make one or more of these meetings, the church there would be greatly encouraged and you would be too. Pray for me as I travel across town to encourage our fellow Christian brothers and sisters.
This Sunday morning we will continue in our series of lessons on the theme “Fully Committed to Christ.” We will focus our attention on the question: “Am I fully committed to the Lord’s church?” If you would like to read ahead, read Matthew 16, Ephesians 5, and Acts 2.
On Sunday evening we will consider the personal relationship that Jesus had with various people during His ministry; children, His friends, the hungry, the troubled, the helpless, and the rich and the poor. Jesus is “A Personal Savior.”
As Christians, we can, we must live a different, better, balanced life. Every morning let us think of God. Let us speak to Him in prayer and remember the assurances we have in Jesus Christ. Let us read God’s word, the Bible to be reminded of our past, our blessings, our duty, and our future in Christ. Let us do more than read the Bible. We must rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15), realizing that God communicated to people before the coming of Jesus Christ in different ways (Hebrews 1:1-2). Today we do not read to obey the Old Testament, the Psalms, nor the Prophets of old. The Old Testament was God’s word to those who lived before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We read to obey His Son, Jesus Christ in the twenty-seven books called the New Testament with words written down by nine inspired men chosen by God (Matthew, Mark, Luke (2), John (5), Paul (13), Peter (2), James, Jude, and the writer to the Hebrews). These twenty-seven books are the final revelation from God to mankind in these last days in which we live (Jude 3, Galatians 1:6-10, Luke 16:16). Now make no mistake about it. The Old Testament is valuable to us today. Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” The Old Testament was written for our learning, not for our keeping.
Sin is our enemy. Sin has always caused humanity problems. Still does. Sin separates us from God. The Bible is written so that we might know right from wrong, truth from error, so that we might not sin (1 John 2:1). We must stay away from sin. And when we do sin, thankfully God has provided a way out of sin and into his salvation through His Son (John 14:6, 1 John 1:1-2). We must take the way. When we turn to God we must turn away from sin.
This week end on Friday and Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. I will be preaching the gospel at the church of Christ at Windsor Lake. If you can make one or more of these meetings, the church there would be greatly encouraged and you would be too. Pray for me as I travel across town to encourage our fellow Christian brothers and sisters.
This Sunday morning we will continue in our series of lessons on the theme “Fully Committed to Christ.” We will focus our attention on the question: “Am I fully committed to the Lord’s church?” If you would like to read ahead, read Matthew 16, Ephesians 5, and Acts 2.
On Sunday evening we will consider the personal relationship that Jesus had with various people during His ministry; children, His friends, the hungry, the troubled, the helpless, and the rich and the poor. Jesus is “A Personal Savior.”
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Some of us did not receive our newsletter in the mail last week! We do not know what happened. I did my part. Kay did her part. The Post Office…Well, we’re trying to find out what happened there. If you are reading this before Sunday, October 10th, I guess everything is back in order now. Anyway, as usual, I try to find a lesson to learn in every situation. Try and think about what it takes to get a gallon of milk into your refrigerator. Grass, water, a cow, a farmer, a barn, milking equipment, storage containers, inspectors, trucks, gasoline, truck drivers, pasteurization processes, a production factory, refrigeration equipment, stores, purchasing agents, store managers, you and me with jobs that pay enough to get to the store and purchase the milk, health to walk back to the milk aisle (You know they always put the milk at the very back of the store.), and then finally, a glass to pour the mile into to drink it (Of course, you should never drink out of the container). I enjoy milk in my cereal, with cookies, with cornbread in it (I know. That sounds gross to some people, but it is really delicious to me) and mixed with ice cream to make a milk shake. I especially enjoy chocolate milk. Back in our not to distant past, getting a glass of milk was not all that complicated. But I won’t get into that that.
NOTE THESE VERY SPECIAL MEETINGS!
Our monthly Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting is scheduled Tuesday, October 19th at 10:00 a.m. here at St. Andrews Road. Our theme for the fall is “Faithful Elders in Every Congregation.” We have looked at the need for faithful elders and the qualifications of faithful elders. This month we will focus our attention on the work of faithful elders. I have the privilege of presenting the program this month. If you have an hour or two on Tuesday the 19th come and meet with us in the fellowship hall. We usually have about 20 or so at the meeting. We begin at 10:00 and close the meeting at 12:00.
The Windsor Lake congregation is hosting a gospel meeting on Friday night and Saturday night, October 15th and 16th at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon, October 17th at 3:00 p.m. at their facilities at 238 Windsor Pointe Road, Columbia. I have the honor and privilege of preaching three lessons on the theme “He Knows Those Who Are His.” I hope you will come out and support this fine congregation of the Lord’s church.
We will have our annual FALL FESTIVAL here at St. Andrews Road on Saturday, October 23rd. I always enjoy our fall festival. This year we plan to meet at “the sheds” in back of our facilities on St. Andrews Road. We will have a fish fry. Mmmm! Bring a side dish, a drink, and your lawn chairs. Men: This year we will once again test our cooking skills at the Men’s Dessert Cook Off. Gentlemen: Prepare your favorite dessert and see if you can wow the judges. We always have a great time in Christian fellowship.
Our sermons this Sunday morning and evening will once again center on fully committing ourselves to Christ and how we know that we are Christians. I am especially enjoying our Sunday evening series “I Know That I am a Christian Because…” I know that I am a Christian because I am a disciple of Christ (Acts 11:26). I know that I am a Christian because I am persuaded (Acts 26:28). This Sunday evening we will look at the final lesson in this series; “I know that I am a Christian because I sometimes suffer (I Peter 4:16). It’s true. We are sometimes persecuted because of our faith in Jesus Christ. When we suffer because of our faith in Jesus Christ we should rejoice and not be ashamed because we know that we are in good company. Jesus suffered too. Be ready. Be strong. Be blessed!
NOTE THESE VERY SPECIAL MEETINGS!
Our monthly Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting is scheduled Tuesday, October 19th at 10:00 a.m. here at St. Andrews Road. Our theme for the fall is “Faithful Elders in Every Congregation.” We have looked at the need for faithful elders and the qualifications of faithful elders. This month we will focus our attention on the work of faithful elders. I have the privilege of presenting the program this month. If you have an hour or two on Tuesday the 19th come and meet with us in the fellowship hall. We usually have about 20 or so at the meeting. We begin at 10:00 and close the meeting at 12:00.
The Windsor Lake congregation is hosting a gospel meeting on Friday night and Saturday night, October 15th and 16th at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon, October 17th at 3:00 p.m. at their facilities at 238 Windsor Pointe Road, Columbia. I have the honor and privilege of preaching three lessons on the theme “He Knows Those Who Are His.” I hope you will come out and support this fine congregation of the Lord’s church.
We will have our annual FALL FESTIVAL here at St. Andrews Road on Saturday, October 23rd. I always enjoy our fall festival. This year we plan to meet at “the sheds” in back of our facilities on St. Andrews Road. We will have a fish fry. Mmmm! Bring a side dish, a drink, and your lawn chairs. Men: This year we will once again test our cooking skills at the Men’s Dessert Cook Off. Gentlemen: Prepare your favorite dessert and see if you can wow the judges. We always have a great time in Christian fellowship.
Our sermons this Sunday morning and evening will once again center on fully committing ourselves to Christ and how we know that we are Christians. I am especially enjoying our Sunday evening series “I Know That I am a Christian Because…” I know that I am a Christian because I am a disciple of Christ (Acts 11:26). I know that I am a Christian because I am persuaded (Acts 26:28). This Sunday evening we will look at the final lesson in this series; “I know that I am a Christian because I sometimes suffer (I Peter 4:16). It’s true. We are sometimes persecuted because of our faith in Jesus Christ. When we suffer because of our faith in Jesus Christ we should rejoice and not be ashamed because we know that we are in good company. Jesus suffered too. Be ready. Be strong. Be blessed!
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