10Nov
Sunday morning’s sermon fed off of the momentum of our Teacher’s Workshop with a lesson on “Renewing Our Commitment to Bible School.” Bible study is a Christian imperative, and Bible school is an important aid to following this imperative. If you aren’t attending Bible classes on a regular basis, why not challenge yourself to start this Wednesday. Remember, learning is an important part of Christian maturity! (Heb. 5:12-14).
Sunday night we started a series entitled, “My Prayers in the Psalms.” This series is based on the idea that the book of Psalms is a collection of model prayers that relate to struggles we face today. If you are struggling with your prayer life, read the Psalms and look for a prayer that suits your condition. Once you have found it, pray the relevant Scripture until the words become your own. This is putting the Bible to practical use in our prayer lives.
The first lesson in this series on prayer was “A Prayer for Longevity” from Psalm 52:8-9. Many Christians struggle for endurance. In this psalm, we find David praying for longevity and making the following three pledges:
1. I will trust in God’s mercy.
2. I will be grateful.
3. I will wait on God.
Work these pledges into your personal prayers this week. See if they lead to endurance and stability. By listening to David’s secret to longevity, all of us can gain more endurance for our walk with Christ.
09Nov
The greatest opportunities afforded man are those arising from his problems. President John F. Kennedy was once asked how he became a war hero. His response was: “It was quite easy. Somebody sank my boat!” Of course, he couldn’t allow himself to sink along with the boat. In order to take advantage of the opportunity, he had to act upon the problem. A great obstacle the church faces is the carelessness of false teaching. Below are some opportunities that can arise from this problem. Continue reading »
03Nov
03Nov
We had a great number for Friends & Family Day yesterday, a record attendance of 310! Thanks to everyone who invited friends, prepared food, and made this a wonderful experience. If you invited a friend, make sure to follow up this week with a phone call to see what your guest thought about the services. Invite him or her to come back. Who knows, Friends & Family Day could be someone’s first step to becoming a Christian.
Using “David’s Six Friends,” I encouraged the audience to look for friends with the following qualities:
1. Someone who has the kind of soul that you would like to have
2. Someone who would make a good investment
3. Someone who loves you
4. Someone who is loyal
5. Someone who can keep a secret
6. Someone who is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for you
Because the election is this Tuesday, Sunday night we discuseed some matters pertaining to “Before and After the Election.” For a summary of my thoughts on this matter, you can go to my blog, Truth & Repose. Also, make sure that you are prepared for the election by viewing a sample ballot. Here’s one for the Jefferson County/Birmingham area, and here’s one for St. Clair county. Hopefully you know by now where each presidential candidate stands, but if you are still unsure, go here for summaries of their political platforms. An explanation of the amendments up for adoption to the Alabama Constitution is here. You may want to fill out a voter’s guide that you can take with you to the polls tomorrow.
02Nov
Robert Louis Stephenson once wrote, “So long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend.” Friendship is invaluable. Just look at all the people who became great because of their friends. Where would Ruth be without her mother-in-law, Naomi? Where would David be without his best friend, Jonathan? What would Paul have done without Barnabas, Silas, and Timothy?
For some, friendship comes easily. Unfortunately, this is not the case with everyone. But there is good news. Friendship is at least possible for everyone. Not only that, but there is no reason why every person cannot have the greatest man who ever lived for their friend. Continue reading »
