Our Blog Poll #11 question was, "Do you believe public prayers should be offered in Jesus' name?", and the results are:
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.
NOTE: I never knew the story behind Evinrude Motors, this is cool!
That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. —Ephesians 3:16
During a picnic on a scorching day at a Wisconsin lake, Ole’s fiancée Bess said how much she would enjoy some ice cream. So the young Norwegian immigrant gladly made a 5-mile round-trip by rowboat to bring it to her. When he returned exhausted with a container of melted ice cream, Ole told himself there must be a better way. He put his mechanical mind to work, and a year later in 1907, Ole Evinrude field-tested his lightweight, detachable motor for small boats. He married Bess, and when the outboard motors went into commercial production, she wrote the advertising slogan: “Don’t Row! Throw the Oars Away!”
Ole Evinrude was not a lazy man, but he understood the limits of human power. Each day we employ machinery to accomplish the tasks of life. But we often stubbornly rely on ourselves when we’re trying to serve God. In Ephesians 3, the apostle Paul wrote of a better way: “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (v.16). Instead of self-effort, Paul urged believers to find strength in “Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (v.20).
Don’t row! Receive and use God’s power.
And if my heart and flesh are weak
To bear an untried pain,
The bruised reed He will not break,
But strengthen and sustain. —Whittier
We can do whatever God wants us to do if we depend on His power to do it.
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Relationships > Relating to God > Power For LivingWASHINGTON (BP)--The Senate voted Sept. 27 to add homosexuals and transgendered individuals to the classes protected under hate crimes laws.
Supporters of the controversial measure gained its passage as an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill, purportedly to make it difficult for President Bush to veto. The White House, however, has promised a veto by the president, even if it is part of the Defense bill.
"I hope and pray that if this bill makes its way to the president's desk that he will fulfill his promise to veto it," said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC).
Read more of this story on Baptist Press.
Read a related story on The Christian Post.
I spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Baker County yesterday. I was able to share about our internet ministries and our ministry in Ghana, West Africa.
A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"
Annie replied, "Because people are sleeping."
It's no secret that churches have stepped up their technology use as more projection screens adorn the front of churches and more preachers maintain a prominent presence on the Internet.
But not all are fans of high-tech churches.
"I feel like it's too much and it takes over the worship," said the Rev. Dorothy LaPenta, pastor of the 150-member Hope Presbyterian Church in Mitchellville, according to The Washington Post. "People will just be sitting there, their eyes fixated on the screen. They're waiting to be given something instead of participating."
It's typical for worshippers who flock especially to megachurches to sing praises in tune with a full contemporary band and a high-tech sound system complete with stage lights and lyrics on jumbo screens. Pastors take the stage with camouflaged headset microphones and flash Scripture passages on the screens largely to the convenience of those who forgot their Bibles or who don't have one. At more innovative churches, a short video clip introduces the sermon.
Read more of this story on The Christian Post.
This video is described by the poster on YouTube this way:
To give free hugs or not to give free hugs that is the question.
Giving free hugs to complete strangers is an amazing experience. Giving free hugs in the name of Christ is that much more amazing. The one bond in the free hug is Jesus Christ. To meet another fellow Christian and hug in the lords name is indescribable.
I will speaking during a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Baker County tomorrow, September 27, 2007. The meeting, held at the Baker County Health Department, begins at noon. I will be discussing our upcoming mission trip to Ghana, West Africa. The Baker County Health Department is located on Lowder Street (CR23-A) in Macclenny, Florida. Visit the Kiwanis Club website for more information about the organization.
The Blog Poll #11 question concerns praying in Jesus' name. You can cast your vote in the left-hand column of this site. Voting will continue through Saturday night.
I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord. —2 Chronicles 34:15
The builders of the Panama Canal overcame many enormous challenges: the moving of tons of earth, the redirecting of a river, and the cutting down of miles of jungle. But the tiny mosquito threatened to shut down the whole project. The Isthmus of Panama was an ideal breeding ground for this pest. As mosquitos infected canal workers with yellow fever and malaria, the death toll began to soar.
Fortunately, a physician who had studied these diseases arranged for an army of workers to spray the area with a chemical to kill mosquitos. The number of illnesses dropped dramatically.
In the Old Testament, we read of Judah’s epidemic of idolatry and its accompanying moral sickness. When the Word of God was rediscovered, King Josiah exclaimed, “Great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the Word of the Lord” (2 Chron. 34:21). Josiah understood the Scripture’s preventive cure for moral sickness. He began to apply its spiritual truths, and soon a revival swept the land that restored the nation’s spiritual health.
When we neglect the reading of God’s Word, we invite spiritual illness. Let’s be sure to set aside time to absorb its life-giving message.
The Bible will transform our lives
And turn us from our sin,
If we will study and obey
God’s principles within. —Sper
The Bible is God’s prescription for the health of our soul.
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Bible Study > Application > Effect/PowerBelow are our top 9 viewed videos from our YouTube Channel. The counts reflected were as of 10:41 AM on Tuesday, September 25, 2007.
 Added: 7 months ago Views: 1,028 |  Added: 2 weeks ago Views: 696 |  Added: 7 months ago Views: 475 |
 Added: 3 months ago Views: 443 |  Added: 4 months ago Views: 259 |  Added: 4 months ago Views: 253 |
 Added: 2 months ago Views: 225 |  Added: 2 months ago Views: 209 |  Added: 1 month ago Views: 178 |
| See All 25 Videos | ||
A ten-year-old, under the tutelage of her grandmother, was becoming knowledgeable about the Bible.
But one day, she surprised her grandmother by asking, "Which virgin was the mother of Jesus? The Virgin Mary or the King James Virgin?"
ANDERSON, S.C. (BP)--The idea of tailgating before a baptism celebration might seem rather unusual to some, but at NewSpring Church, it's part of an effort to reach people with the creativity and relevance found in the Bible.
The fast-growing Southern Baptist congregation baptized 562 believers during a celebration staged in its parking lot with more fanfare and excitement than most churchgoers typically expect.
"We invited people to come tailgate before the baptisms like they would before a football game," said Tony Morgan, chief strategic officer at NewSpring in Anderson, S.C.
Read more of this story on Baptist Press.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--At schools across the nation, students will mark the annual See You at the Pole gathering Sept. 26 by praying for their schools, friends, teachers, government and nation.
The student-led event started with a group of youth in Burleson, Texas, in 1990 and has taken root nationwide as students proclaim their faith publicly and ask God to intervene in circumstances they face together.
This year's theme is "Gather. Unite. Pray. Come Together," based on Jesus' prayer for believers in John 17:20-23.
Read more of this story on Baptist Press.
Terry D. Elixson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Winter Springs, Florida has been called as pastor of New Oak Grove Baptist Church near Alachua, Florida. It was a unanimous decision by the church to call him beginning Sunday, October 7th. Terry served FBC Winter Springs for almost three years. He has also pastored Attapulgus Baptist Church in Attapulgus, Georgia. Terry and his wife, Penny, were raised in Lake Butler, Florida and they have four children. Prior to his call to the ministry, he served in Sardis Baptist Church in Worthington Springs, Florida.
Terry serves as a member of the board of directors of James Croft Evangelistic Association. I hope you will all join me in praying for Terry and his family as they make the move to New Oak Grove Baptist. Also, pray for FBC Winter Springs as they now begin the search for a pastor.
The Blog Poll #10 question was, "How often do you read the Bible?", and the results are:
DALLAS - A handwritten card containing a Bible verse that Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin used during a lunar Communion service was up for sale Thursday at a space-related auction.
Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, read John 15:5 during the 1969 mission while using a small amount of wine and a wafer furnished by his Presbyterian church. Heritage Auction Galleries calls the moment the "First Religious Sacrament Performed on Another Heavenly Body."
Read more of this story on One News Now.
Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house. —Mark 2:11
When I asked my husband to buy eggs on his way home so I could make cornbread for supper, he said, “I’ve got something better than cornbread.” Coming from Jay, that was a surprising statement. But I learned what he meant when he walked into the house and handed me a fresh loaf of homemade cinnamon bread. A label on the wrapper said, “Thanks for the dough. We kneaded it.” The bread was made by Sue Kehr and given as a “thank you” for a donation to a youth organization.
Sue started making bread after she had to quit her job as a nurse because of a head injury. Instead of letting circumstances pull her down when she could no longer help people in her usual ways, Sue rose to the challenge and created a unique expression of gratitude. She now makes and gives away delicious homemade bread to ministries that can then distribute the loaves to others.
Although Sue did not receive complete physical healing like the paralytic Jesus healed (Mark 2), she did rise up and cause many to be amazed at the work of God in her life.
God has something for each of us to do, despite our limitations. Rise up and ask what He might want to do through you.
When God asks you to lay aside
Some cherished work you loved to do,
Accept His choice of someone else
And let Him give new work to you. —Fasick
Step up to the tasks and do what God asks.
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Christian Life > Personal Crisis > PerserverenceVIENNA, Austria - Austria's president has told a Vienna newspaper that he believes a society which adheres to Europe's Christian roots is superior to others.
But President Heinz Fischer told Die Presse that he doesn't view other religions as enemies. He said violence and intolerance are the enemy, "not faith or a particular religion."
Read more of this story on One News Now.
- Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
- The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The Congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
- Thursday night Potluck Supper. Prayer and medication to follow.
- A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
- At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?" Come early and listen to our choir practice.
I have been asked to preach the first service of a revival meeting at Little Creek Baptist Church in Georgia. The service will begin at 11am on Sunday, October 7, 2007. The church is located on Little Creek Road in the community of Little Creek, Georgia.
NOTE: This joke is so, so bad, we need a laugh cue at the end.
A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, "You are in charge of the cooking around here so you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides it says in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that! Show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says, "HEBREWS."
Less than a week after a Nebraska state senator filed a lawsuit against God, a one-page document marked "Special Appearance" mysteriously appeared at the Douglas County Courthouse in Omaha, a local CBS affiliate reported Wednesday.
"It was on the counter in legal filing yesterday,” Gordon Rieber in the Clerk of the District Court's office told Omaha’s Action 3 News. “No one saw it come in. She (an employee) turned her back and there it was."
In the paper, “God” says the suit by Sen. Ernie Chambers (D-Omaha) should be thrown out because there was “[n]o proper and sufficient service of summons” by a deputy.
Read more of this story on The Christian Post.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” —Luke 23:34
A 12-year-old boy on a school trip to a museum stuck a wad of chewing gum on a painting worth $1.5 million. The gum left a stain about the size of a quarter on Helen Frankenthaler’s landmark abstract, The Bay. Officials at the Detroit Institute of Arts were unsure whether they could remove it. The boy was suspended from school. “I don’t think he understood the ramifications of what he did,” said a school official.
In Luke 23, Jesus prayed a powerful prayer for people who didn’t understand the ramifications of what they were doing. He asked His Father to forgive those who were putting Him to death (v.34). They devalued God’s Son—flogging Him, spitting on Him, ridiculing Him, and placing a crown of thorns on His head. They drove spikes through His hands and feet and pierced His side. Although they didn’t understand the full scope of their actions, through the death of His Son, God offers forgiveness to all who repent and believe—even to Jesus’ murderers.
Because of our sin, we all played a part in putting Jesus to death. The good news is that God is gracious. He will forgive and remove the stain of sin and give us a second chance through His Son.
For Further Study
How can we be sure we have not made
ourselves unforgivable in the eyes of God?
Read The Forgiveness Of God
No one is too bad for God’s forgiveness—but it must be accepted.
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Relationships > Relating to God > Forgiveness FromClick any episode title to play.
A federal court has ruled in favor of a government courthouse display in Rowan County, Kentucky, that showcases historical documents -- including the Ten Commandments.
The ACLU had claimed that the Ten Commandments inclusion violated the Establishment Clause, even though it was side-by-side with the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta and other historical documents. Attorney Mat Staver, of Liberty Counsel, says the judge's decision countered the ACLU's claim that the "Foundations of American Law and Government" display was unconstitutional, but the ruling was consistent with previous federal court rulings concerning other Kentucky Courthouse displays.
Read more of this story on One News Now.
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Some forty years after it first revolutionized children’s television programming, Sesame Workshop (the makers of public tv’s Sesame Street) has announced the launch of a video podcast series.
The short weekly episodes focus on a single “word on the street” (literally, a word chalked onto blacktop). The recent podcast about squid featured grown-ups and children talking about and dancing like squid, and included a newsroom feature about squid by NBC anchor Brian Williams.
Read more of this story on Podcasting News.
The young couple invited their aged pastor for Sunday dinner. While they were in the kitchen preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having. "Goat," the little boy replied.
"Goat?" replied the startled man of the cloth, "Are you sure about that?"
"Yep," said the youngster. "I heard Pa say to Ma, 'Might as well have the old goat for dinner today as any other day.'"
The revival meetings at Winokur Baptist Church are going very well and the music has been really great too. In fact, on Monday and Tuesday nights the music was provided by The Wilson Family Band. The group is mostly made up of family members of Robert Wilson.
I knew Robert back in the 1980's when he was with a band called River Grass Review. We worked several shows together in Florida and south Georgia. Monday night was the first time I've seen Robert since those bluegrass music days. I doubt either one of us would have ever thought we'd be ministering together in church some 20 years later!
It was a blessing to see and hear his family playing bluegrass gospel music for the glory of the Lord. I really enjoyed our fellowship time and the ministry too.
Pictured left to right are: Clint Wilson (banjo, mandolin, guitar and vocals), Melissa Wilson (mandolin and guitar), James The Giant (preaching), Reggie Herrin (Winokur Baptist pastor), Katie Wilson (fiddle and vocals), and Robert Wilson (guitar and vocals) Not pictured is Drew Jones the bass player for the band.
This is the second time in two weeks that I have been reunited with bluegrass friends from the 80's (read about the first time in a previous post). God is richly blessing me by rekindling old friendships in new ministry opportunities.
The revival services at Winokur Baptist Church will continue on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 7pm. The church is located on Crews Road in the Winokur, Georgia community. For more information call Pastor Reggie Herrin at (912) 496-3012.
Our Blog Poll (#10) for this week is about reading the Bible. You can cast your vote in the left-hand column of this site. The poll will close on Saturday night.
NOTE: Here are a few stories that give the results of the last night's presidential "Values Debate" and "Values Voter Straw Poll.
I will speaking during a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Starke on Tuesday, October 2, 2007. The meeting, held at the Western Steer Family Steahouse, begins at noon. I will be discussing our upcoming mission trip to Ghana, West Africa. The Western Steer Family Steakhouse is located on US 301 South in Starke, Florida.
