It’s great to be back in beautiful Columbia, South Caroline after our trip to west Texas a few days ago. Boy, west Texas is different…big for sure, but barren except for a few farmers, the cotton fields, and oil wells. I like trees, grass, water, and people. It is true that Columbia seems to be getting crowded, but try living in a place where your next neighbor is five miles or more away. I sat out in the local preacher’s front yard for one hour and saw only one car, his. He lives right in the middle of town (population 253). Of course I do realize that sometimes, on some days this would be a wonderful pleasure. Thank you for allowing me to be away to share the gospel of Christ with our fellow Christians in Texas.

This Sunday, September 26th will be a very special day for us at St. Andrews Road. Brother Joey Treat will be with us for the morning service. He will be sharing all the wonderful news of our work together in the gospel of Christ from the South Pacific Islands, specifically Saipan, Chuuk, and Palua.

Immediately following our morning worship hour everyone is invited to a potluck luncheon in the fellowship hall. Please bring enough food for you, your family, and our guests. Let’s make sure that we all plan big!

On Sunday evening we will get to meet and hear Brother Patrick Swayne from Melbourne, Australia. He will sharing the news of his work as a missionary “down under” and then meeting with our eldership to talk about how we might be a part of the work of Christ there.
Do you remember the sermon last Sunday morning? The love of Christ is:
Our __________________ to serve
Our __________________ to obey
Our __________________ to gratitude
Our __________________ to heaven
I fear that too few Christians know, understand, appreciate, or ever acknowledge the power of the love of Christ in the world. When we come to know, understand, acknowledge, and appreciate the demonstration of God’s love for mankind in Christ Jesus we are forever changed in mind, in speech, and in lifestyle.

What about Sunday evening? Do you remember how you know that you are a Christian? I know that I am a Christian because: ___ ____ __ ____________. You can find the answer in Acts 11:26.

We had a great Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting this past Tuesday morning. Bill Young led the discussion on the subject of “The Qualifications of Faithful Elders in Every Congregation.” The meeting was well attended and the discussion, as always was in depth and with enthusiasm. We are studying a series of lessons on the theme “Faithful Elders in Every Congregation.” We have discussed “The Need for Faithful Elders” and “The Qualifications of Faithful Elders.” The next lessons will be “The Work of Faithful Elders” in October and the “The Relationship of Faithful Elders to the Congregation They Serve” in November. If you can take an hour or two to study with a group of elders, deacons, preachers, and Christian brothers please come and be a part of the meeting. We meet every third Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. We take a break in December for the holidays and another break in July and August for summer vacations.

I have been honored with an invitation to preach the gospel of Christ in October at the Winsor Lake church of Christ on the other side of town. The congregation at Winsor Lake is hosting a gospel meeting on Friday evening (15th) and Saturday evening (16th) at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday afternoon (17th) at 3:00 p.m. I hope we can have a good crowd from St. Andrews Road at each service.

Gone again! Cindi and I will be in a small town in west Texas this week. I will be preaching in a gospel meeting with the church of Christ in Ackerly, Texas beginning Sunday morning, September 12th continuing through Wednesday, September 15th. Ackerly is south of Lubbock and west of Abilene on the map in the middle of oil country. My friend, Craig Shackleford is their preacher. I am excited about visiting with them and sharing life lessons from God’s word to encourage them to greater faith in God. We plan on being back in Columbia late Thursday night, Lord willing. Please pray for the safety of our journey and that the church there will be edified in faith, hope, and love. Brother Caleb Colley will be preaching while I am away.

Remember our monthly Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting on Tuesday, September 21st at 10:00 a.m. Brother Bill Young will present a program entitled “Faithful Elders in Every Congregation – The Qualifications of Faithful Elders.” God has directed every congregation to be led by faithful, qualified elders. It is true that some congregations simply do not have men who meet the qualifications given in God’s word. These congregations must pray for, work toward, and prepare men who will be qualified for the eldership. St. Andrews Road is overseen by three faithful, qualified elders who leqd us in the way of righteousness and prosperity in Christ. We also have other men in the congregation who are living according to the Biblical pattern. They are preparing themselves for the eldership in the near and distant future. We must endeavor in every way to follow the pattern of leadership found in the Bible. This meeting is held every third Tuesday in the month at St. Andrews Road and is open to every Christian brother who desires to attend. After the meeting we have lunch together at Cracker Barrel on Bush River Road, Dutch-treat of course.

September 26th will be one of those very special days at St. Andrews Road!
On Sunday morning, September 26th Brother Joey Treat, missionary in Chuuk, Pacific Islands will be with us to share all the good news from the other side of the world. We are planning a “pot-luck” lunch following the morning assembly. Then on Sunday evening Brother Patrick Swayne, missionary in Melbourne, Australia will be with us to share all the good news from our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ down under. You won’t want to miss out on this very special day of worship, study, and fellowship as we focus on God’s blessings to us and through us.

Can you believe that there is only 16 weeks left in the year? Whew! Don’t believe me? I counted twice. God tells us over and over in His word, the Bible concerning the brevity of life and how we must take advantage of every opportunity and possibility one day at a time. Just as we heard this past Sunday, we must WAKE UP to all the possibilities every day for ourselves, for our families, and for the church. We must GET UP to take full advantage of God’s blessings in our lives. We must OPEN UP in obedient faith to do what God asks us to do. Really the only reason anyone can’t is that they won’t. It was our Christian brother and inspired writer to the Philippians, Paul who said; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He was writing the truth. God was the One speaking the words Paul wrote. He could. We can too.

Take a look at the “Family News” section on your newsletter today. There is so much we all can do to encourage our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. Pray for those who are sick and shut-in. Make a visit. Make a call. Send a card. Email. Text. You can make such a positive difference when you decide to!

The Polishing the Pulpit workshop in Sevierville, Tennessee was great. The workshop is an annual event where Christians from just about everywhere meet in the Smoky Mountains at the convention center for six days of intense Bible study and training. The event is organized in a special way. Each participant can choose a “path” of instruction especially formatted for their particular role or interest. If you are an elder, you can choose a program for the entire week that focuses solely on the eldership. If you are deacon, a program of instruction has been designed especially for you. If you are preacher, a youth worker, or a Bible class teacher you can choose that particular program of instruction. There are special sessions for teenagers. I chose a variety of sessions that included:
Robert Taylor, Jr. - “If I Were Starting Out as a Preacher Again…”
Cliff Goodwin – “How to Grow in the Spiritual Disciplines”
Gary Hampton – “How Can We Get This Church to Grow”
Eric Lyons – “Salvation: The Gift of God’s Grace”
Brad Harrub – “Little House on the Prairie or Big Mansion in the City”
Dan Winkler – “I’ve Got Peace like a River”
Caleb Colley – “Influence 101”
Matt Vega – “A Lawyer Looks at the Trials & Persecutions of Early Christians”
Alan Highers – “Hot-Button Issues Facing the Church”
I appreciate the opportunity to attend this great workshop for myself, my family, and the church of Christ at St. Andrews Road. Know that you will be hearing what I have learned in the coming days.

Our Sunday morning sermon is entitled “Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?” taken from the angel’s question to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18:14. Of course we all know the answer to this question. Nothing is too difficult for God. We will look at three things we can do: wake up, get up, and open up to God’s opportunities, to God’s purpose, to God’s blessings. Check out Genesis 18 as you prepare for the lesson this Sunday.

Sunday evening at St. Andrews Road is always a very special time of worship, study, and fellowship. This Sunday evening we will focus our attention on “Developing Positive Expectation.” Do you remember the lesson Jesus taught from a widow who had been wronged? She sought justice from a judge who didn’t regard God or man. The unrighteous judge honored her request simply because she kept on keeping on. She had the power of positive expectation. We too, can develop this character trait in our own lives. We’ll discuss how on Sunday evening. I hope you will be present for this great lesson from God’s word.

Lately we have been blessed with several new Christian brothers and sisters deciding to work and worship with us at St. Andrews Road. Some have moved into our area. Others have recently obeyed the gospel. God is blessing us with laborers just like He promised. Jesus said in Matthew 9:37-38: “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” We have been praying. God answers our prayers. What shall we do? Let us get to work together reaching up and reaching out with the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the eldership shepherding, the deacons serving, the preacher preaching, the Bible teachers teaching, all Christians working together toward heaven.

Statements from PTP: “I am not a body with a soul. I am a soul living in a body.” (Cliff Goodwin – Alabama)

The new school year is now underway. I’m looking forward to my fellow Christian brothers and sisters being home again, back from family vacations and visits. It will be great to have a full house again when the church meets together for worship on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Our area monthly Men’s and Preachers’ Meeting on Tuesday was a good one. This fall we will be studying “Faithful Elders in Every Congregation.” I introduced this series with a lesson on the need for faithful elders in every congregation. Next month we will take a look at the qualifications of faithful elders. Brother Bill Young has served as a gospel preacher and also as an elder of the church for many years before his retirement. He is well qualified to present our program in September. If you have a couple of hours available, we meet every third Tuesday in the month at 10:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall. After the meeting we have lunch together at one of our local restaurants.

Lately we have had much to pray about. Sister Mary Dennison remains in the Providence Heart Hospital. The doctors are working to bring her system back into balance. Sister Elma Berrier is working hard every day at Heartland Rehabilitation Center trying to improve enough to go home. Brother Jerry Satterfield is doing much better after his sinus surgery a few days ago. One of our teenagers, Kyle Holton has had a tough battle with food poisoning and is on his way to recovery. Sister Teresa Reeves is improving after her fall and then her surgery to repair a broken elbow. Another one of our teenagers, Shila Johnson is improving after surgery to repair a dislocated knee cap. The past few days have been rough on Brother Jimmy Gist as he continues his battle with cancer. There may be others that I do not know about. Please remember last Sunday evening’s sermon from Luke 18:1-8. The widow was persistent in prayer, persistent in hope, and persistent in her faith in someone who didn’t care. The judge didn’t care for her. He didn’t care for anyone. He didn’t regard man or God. Yet this unrighteous judge helped her because she kept on keeping on.

Our faith and our hope is in the living God, our Father. He cares for us, hears our prayers, and is ready, willing, and able to help us according to His will and purpose. Our challenge is to keep on keeping on in hope, in faith, and in persistent prayer. Jesus said it best in Matthew 6:33; “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

This Sunday morning we will focus our attention on WISDOM – Why Do I Need It? We will consider what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:1-18 and make a list of the reasons every one of us should earnestly desire wisdom from God. Then on Sunday evening we will again look at WISDOM and ask the question; How Do I Obtain It? If you would like to read ahead, read James 1:5-8, 2 Chronicles 1:7-12, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, and 1 John 2:1-2.

Cindi and I will be attending the Polishing the Pulpit Workshop in Sevierville, Tennessee from August 27th through September 2nd. Brother Alan Larmon and Brother Allen Hutchison attended this workshop last year and really benefited from the lessons that they heard. I am thankful to have the opportunity to attend this year. Please pray for us as we make the trip to the Smoky Mountains for PTP.

Mark you calendar for September 25th. It is a very special privilege for us to have two wonderful missionaries visiting with us on Sunday, September 25th. Joey Treat from Chuuk will be with us on Sunday morning and Patrick Swayne from Melbourne, Australia will be with us on Sunday evening.

Our annual ALL NIGHT SINGING is this Friday night, August 6th beginning at 7:30 p.m. I hope you will be a part of this great time of fellowship where Christians sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs well into the night. We plan on singing for a couple of hours then take a break. The singing will resume and continue as long as we can.

Our annual youth rally; BREAKOUT 2010 is this Saturday, August 7th. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Brother Caleb Colley will be our speaker and has planned some really great lessons on the Christian’s ACTIVE DUTY. Please make plans to come out on Saturday for this very special event.

Thank you so much for your positive comments about last Sunday’s sermons. To God be the glory because every lesson I present comes directly from the Bible. Are you a faithful Christian? Only a faithful Christian will hear Jesus say “Well done.” A faithful Christian “is” until death. Faithful Christians bear much fruit. Faithful Christians not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk. When it comes down to it, faithful Christians walk a different, difficult path from the rest of the world. We must not conform to the world. We can and must allow God to transform us by and through the word of God.

Some people seem to think that God will not accept them, that God does not value them, that God does not love them, that God will not forgive them unless their lives are perfectly in order. They are mistaken. Please don’t be mistaken! If this is the case with God then none of us will ever be accepted, valued, loved, or forgiven. I love to read the Biblical account of a father and his two sons in Luke 15:11-32. The young prodigal son made some really poor decisions. He made some sinful decisions. Yet what happened when this young sinful son realized his wrong and decided to return home to his father? Read it. The father joyfully accepted his son even though his life was sinful, dirty, and in disarray. It is true. We all are capable of making some really bad choices. It is also true that we are capable of making really good choices.

Don’t be fooled by the lies of the devil and those who are mistaken about His goodness and His will for every man, women, boy, and girl in the world. The Holy Spirit wrote concerning God’s plan for every human being in 2 Peter 3:9; “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH but that all should come to repentance.”

This Sunday morning we will consider the subject “BUSYNESS” not business, busyness. Our lives are about to get very busy again with school, homework, tests, sports, practice and games, getting up earlier, going to bed earlier, and everything else that goes with the close of summer. In our busyness we must not forget our first and foremost commitment to Christ and His church. We must never be too busy with life that our Bibles go unread. We must never be too busy with our own schedule that we miss the opportunity to help others who are in need. We must never be too busy to pray, to sing, to give, and to worship. Let’s make sure that we put first things first. When we do, all the other things will be in the right order.

On Sunday evening we will take a look at Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:6-8; “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” We too have a fight to fight. We have a race to finish. We too must keep the faith. What was at the end of Paul’s journey? Read it.