Unchurched Prefer Cathedrals Over Contemporary Church Buildings

Unchurched Americans prefer churches that look more like a medieval cathedral over contemporary church buildings, a new study showed.

Although billions of dollars have been spent on church buildings and more contemporary designs, church attendance has declined, said Jim Couchenour, director of marketing and ministry services for Cogun Inc., a founding member of Cornerstone Knowledge Network. The network was thus prompted to ask, "As church builders what can we do to help church leaders be more intentional about reaching people who don’t go to church?"

In a study conducted by LifeWay Research for Cornerstone Knowledge Network, the unchurched preferred more traditional looking buildings by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio over any other option. Given 100 "preference points" to allocate among four photos of church exteriors, the unchurched used an average of 47.7 points on the most traditional and Gothic options.

The other three options were given only 18.5 to 15.9 points.

Read more about this study on The Christian Post.

Special Presentation Tonight

I will be the guest speaker tonight at the semi-annual meeting of the Beulah Baptist Association in Lake City, Florida. I will be sharing my testimony and information about the ministries of the James Croft Evangelistic Association. We will also have an exhibit providing information about the JOY Box Ministry. Please be in prayer for this opportunity.

Mozart Beyond the Grave

When Mozart passed away, he was buried in a churchyard. A couple days later, the town drunk was walking through the cemetery and heard some strange noise coming from the area where Mozart was buried.

Terrified, the drunk ran and got the priest to come and listen to it.The priest bent close to the grave and heard some faint, unrecognizable music coming from the grave. Frightened, the priest ran and got the town magistrate.

When the magistrate arrived, he bent his ear to the grave, listened for a moment, and said, "Ah, yes, that's Mozart's Ninth Symphony, being played backwards."

He listened a while longer, and said, "There's the Eighth Symphony, and it's backwards, too. Most puzzling."

So the magistrate kept listening; "There's the Seventh... the Sixth... the Fifth..."

Suddenly the realization of what was happening dawned on the magistrate; he stood up and announced to the crowd that had gathered in the cemetery, "My fellow citizens, there's nothing to worry about. It's just Mozart decomposing."

OnStar Advisor

Blog Poll #26 Results

The Blog Poll #26 question was, "What is your primary source for news?" and the results are:

• Television News (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.) 3 (18%)
• Talk Radio 5 (31%)
• Newspapers 0 (0%)
• Cable TV News (CNN, FOX, MSNBC, etc.) 4 (25%)
• News Blogs or Other Internet Sources 2 (12%)
• Church Bulletin 1 (6%)
• I don't keep up with news. 1 (6%)
• I don't need news. I am news. 0 (0%)

Total Votes: 16

Here are the results of Blog Poll #25.

Nest In The Greatness

Our Daily Bread

READ: Genesis 2:1-15

The Lord God . . . put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. —Genesis 2:15

In his historical novel Chesapeake, James Michener tells the story of multiple generations living near a marsh. One character, Chris Pflaum, is introduced as a restless 13-year-old sitting in class waiting for summer break. But when the teacher reads a poem by Sidney Lanier, the boy's heart is stirred.

As the marsh-hen secretly builds on the watery sod,

Behold I will build me a nest on the greatness of God:

I will fly in the greatness of God as the marsh-hen flies

In the freedom that fills all the space 'twixt the marsh and the skies.

When Chris grew up, this poem motivated him to work tirelessly to preserve the precious wetlands and the wildlife he loved.

The poem's words stir the heart because they use nature as a springboard of praise to the Creator. But, unfortunately, our living planet can be neglected and exploited. God's mandate to Adam has been passed on to all believers. "The Lord God . . . put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it" (Gen. 2:15). The words tend and keep mean "to cultivate as servants."

We are to care for and guard God's creation as responsible stewards. — Dennis Fisher

The natural world that God has made
Must not be used at whim;
We serve as stewards of His earth,
Responsible to Him. —D. De Haan

To mistreat God's creation is to offend the Creator.

---

For similar resources, search these topics:

Basics Of Faith > God > Creator
Christian Life > Our World > Environment/Nature

Charlton Heston, Dead At 84

(CBS/AP) Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing "Ben-Hur" and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the '50s and '60s, has died. He was 84.

The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said.

Powers declined to comment on the cause of death or provide any further details.

Read more of this story on ShowBuzz.

Payday Someday

This is a sermon entitled "Payday Someday" by Dr. R.G. Lee.

Good Exercise

Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.

With a 5-lb potato sack in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can.

Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato sacks. Then try 50-lb potato sacks and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato sack in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level.)

After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each sack.

Morgan Road Sunday

I will be preaching at Morgan Road Baptist Church this Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 11am and 6pm. Please be in prayer for this church as they begin the search for a pastor.

Morgan Road Baptist Church is located on CR233 near Starke, Florida.

I'm A Light Bulb

NOTE: This one of those "blond jokes" that I think is really funny. If you know any good CLEAN ones, share them with us by clicking "comments" below. Also, please don't take this as some type of attack on blonds... it's just a joke!

I urgently needed a few days off work, but I knew the Boss would not allow me to take leave.

I thought that maybe if I acted 'crazy' then he would tell me to take a few days off.

So, I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises. My co-worker (who's blond) asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb so that the boss might think I was 'crazy' and give me a few days off.

A few minutes later, the boss came into the office and asked, "What in the world are you doing?'

I told him I was a light bulb.

He said, 'You are clearly stressed out. Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.'

I jumped down and walked out of the office... When my co-worker (the blond) followed me, the boss asked her, '...And where do you think you're going?!'

She said, 'I'm going home too. I can't work in the dark!'

Weird Fear

In The Driver's Seat

Our Daily Bread

ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download

READ: Matthew 5:13-16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

I love the story of the stressed-out woman who was tailgating a man as they drove on a busy boulevard. When he slowed to a stop at a yellow light, the woman hit the horn, cussing and screaming in frustration and gesturing angrily. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a police officer who ordered her to exit the car with her hands up. He took her to the police station and placed her in a holding cell.

An hour later, the officer returned and said, "I'm sorry, Ma'am. This has been a big mistake. When I pulled up behind you, I noticed your 'What Would Jesus Do?' license plate holder and your 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker. I assumed the car was stolen!"

Satan doesn't care so much if you're a Christian as long as you don't act like one. If he can get you to live by his signals, he can damage and disarm you every time and dishonor the name of Christ in the process.

Instead, Jesus calls believers to be "salt" and to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16).

With Jesus in the driver's seat of our lives, we can show off the love and glory of God. — Joe Stowell

Called to be salt and light in this world,
Called to preserve and to shine,
Called to reflect the glory of God—
Oh, what a calling is mine! —Fitzhugh

Don't let Satan manage the details of your life.

---

For similar resources, search these topics:

Christian Life > Character > Christlikeness
Christian Life > Character > Hypocrisy

Glass Is Half Full

The Back Pew

Spanish Police Nab Burglar Playing Dead at Funeral Home

NOTE: This story is just too funny (or sad?) not to share. Share your thoughts by clicking "comments" below.

MADRID, Spain — A burglar who broke into a funeral home tried to fool police by playing dead, but two things gave him away.

First, he breathed. Plus, he wore grungy clothes rather than the Sunday best of those dressed for eternal rest.

Police and the Crespo Funeral Home said Wednesday they have no idea what the 23-year-old Spanish man was trying to steal in the break-in March 17 in Burjassot, a small town just outside Valencia.

Read more of this story on FOX News.

Top Video Downloads: March 2008

Here are the 5 most downloaded videos from Walking With The Giant Videos for the month of March 2008:

1. Bowling
2. Bluegrass Gospel Medley
3. Down In The Valley
4. A Very Scary Halloween Story
5. (Tie) Peaceful Christmas Village, The Truth About Christmas, Time Capsule
   

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NOTE: These stats do not include views on YouTube, GodTube or GospelTube.

You can receive e-mail notifications when new videos are added:
Subscribe to Walking With The Giant Videos by Email

You may also contribute financially to this ministry to help with evangelism projects by following these links:

• Credit Card
• Check or Money Order

View top video downloads for February 2008.

Free Church Website Tool Released

The people behind Internet Evangelism Day can provide year-round resources about online outreach. The ministry explains many ways that Christians can share the good news, including through church websites. Churches often find it difficult to create a site that will engage with outsiders in their area, and find themselves asking, "How can our church website help us reach out into our community?"

A new online tool released by IE Day provides churches with a free 15-page evaluation report. Users assess their own website by answering 55 simple questions. Their customized report is immediately displayed online, ready to print or save. The report's recommendations are tailored with specific practical suggestions, based on the questions that were ticked. You can view the evaluation tool here.

A church site which has been prioritized for non-Christian visitors can be remarkably effective in reaching the community. "Week in, week out, more visitors turn up at our church on a Sunday because of the website, than anything else," writes one growing church in London.

The tool also provides the parable 'A Tale of Two Golf Clubs' (which is available to republish) to illustrate the principles of effective church websites.

Church leaders have welcomed this new resource. "This competent evaluation tool provides a valuable service to churches that will help them strengthen their effectiveness in outreach through the Internet," says Dr. Sterling Huston, director of North American Ministries for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Gary McClure of LifeWay Ministries agrees, saying, "This checklist is an invaluable tool to identify critical areas for improvement. Every church should study this regularly and act on it!"

Olympic Committee to China: Don't Block Internet

The International Olympic Committee told Beijing organizers Tuesday that the Internet must be open during the Games.

The message came from a high-ranking IOC official during the first of three days of meetings – the last official session before the August games – between the international Olympic body and the Chinese hosts.

"This morning we discussed and insisted again," said Kevan Gosper, vice chairman of the IOC coordinating commission, according to The Associated Press. "Our concern is that the press [should be] able to operate as it has at previous games."

China is known to block citizens’ access to foreign Web sites including news and blogs, especially those critical of the government.

Gosper warned that restricting access to the Internet during the Olympics “would reflect very poorly” on Beijing. He also reminded China that it is obligated under the “host city agreement” to provide Internet access to the 30,000 journalists expected to attend.

Read more of this story on The Christian Post.

Pick-up Line For Christians?

The word says "Give drink to those who are thirsty, and feed the hungry.” How about dinner?

Student Sues Wisconsin School After Getting a Zero for Religious Drawing

MADISON, Wis. — A Tomah High School student has filed a federal lawsuit alleging his art teacher censored his drawing because it featured a cross and a biblical reference.

The lawsuit alleges other students were allowed to draw "demonic" images and asks a judge to declare a class policy prohibiting religion in art unconstitutional.

"We hear so much today about tolerance," said David Cortman, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal advocacy group representing the student. "But where is the tolerance for religious beliefs? The whole purpose of art is to reflect your own personal experience. To tell a student his religious beliefs can legally be censored sends the wrong message."
Read more of this story on FOX News.

9th Circuit declines review in anti-homosexuality T-shirt case

SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--A student who wore a T-shirt condemning homosexuality to protest his school's participation in the Day of Silence has lost a lawsuit at the full U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, although five dissenting judges criticized the school -- and thus the court's majority -- for supporting "blatant viewpoint discrimination."

The full court declined July 31 to review the case, which eventually could be appealed to the Supreme Court. The case involves a former high school student, Chase Harper, who as a sophomore at Poway (Calif.) High School in 2004 was removed from class for wearing a T-shirt that read on the front, "Be Ashamed, Our School Embraced What God Has Condemned," and on the back read, "Homosexuality Is Shameful, Romans 1:27."

Read more of this story on Baptist Press.

Surfers' Tales

March 2008 Top 5

The 5 most viewed blog posts on this site for the month of March 2008 are:

1. Wii And Mii

2. Chess Players In Deep Creek

3. Civil War Reenactor Chaplain On March Walking With The Giant Podcast

4. Cottondale Music

5. Bring What You Can Carry

Statistics are based on views of posts on this site's RSS Feed as powered by FeedBurner.

NOTE: These stats do not include views by those that came directly to this site through means other than the RSS Feed.

Charity runners to settle chicken and egg dispute at London Marathon

One of life’s eternal questions is due to be answered on 13 April when a chicken and an egg compete to determine, once and for all, which came first.

The Flora London Marathon will see charity runner Hannah Miller don a specially designed egg suit and race her colleague Therese Whitcomb-Eriksson, who will be dressed as a chicken, along the 26.2 mile course.

Ms Miller and Ms Whitcomb-Eriksson are running to raise money for the 'Be a Good Egg' campaign being run by the Christian charity World Emergency Relief (WER). They both work for the charity at its central-London office.

Read more of this story on Christian Today.

New Friends

Glen Baptist Wednesday

I will be filling-in for Pastor Randy Williams at First Baptist Church of Glen St. Mary this Wednesday, April 2nd. The service will begin at 6:30pm. The church is located at 9846 George L. Taber Blvd. in Glen St. Mary, Florida. For more information call the church office at (904) 259-6977.

For up-to-date information on my preaching schedule visit the schedule page of my ministry website. If you would like to receive schedule information via e-mail follow this link: Subscribe to James Croft Ministry Opportunities by Email.

Civil War Reenactor Chaplain Interviewed For Podcast

Program Features:

• Ghana Update: Evangelist Raphael Adjei Kingbi, JCEA Ministry Coordinator (e-mail), gives an update on his ministry activities in the Teshie-Accra Region. The weekly prayer session is still held each Monday and you can add your requests to our list via e-mail. Ralph also reports that he and his wife, Mavis, are expecting their second child.
  
• Interview: Rev. Dr. Col. James Gipson, a chaplain for various civil war reenactment calvary units including the Alabama Volunteer Brigade, the Tenth Tennessee Calvary, the Florida Division Calvary and the Winston Stephens SCV of Macclenny, Florida. He also pastors River City Family Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Gipson shares with us about this unique ministry opportunity. For more information call Dr. Gipson at (904) 786-6800.
  
• Message: Control Burn (Part 2) by Evangelist James Croft is taken from 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 in the Holy Bible.

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Edition: Vol. 3, No. 1
File Size: 19.2 MB
Length: 42 min. 04 sec.

Click any episode title to play.
You may receive e-mail notifications when new episodes of this program are released:
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For more information about this ministry visit these sites:

• Evangelist James Croft
  
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You may also contribute financially to this ministry to help with production costs by following these links:

• Credit Card
  
• Check or Money Order
  

May God richly bless you for your prayerful and financial support!

Ministry Urges Christians to Adopt Terrorists for Prayer

A new web-based ministry is urging Christians to adopt a terrorist and pray for them as Jesus Christ had instructed his disciples to love and pray for their enemies.

Adopt a Terrorist for Prayer (ATFP) agrees that the military needs to fight terrorism, but advocates prayer as a counter-offensive strategy not utilized by generals and politicians. ATFP founder Dr. Thomas Bruce believes the war on terrorism is a spiritual struggle against fear.

“The terrorists are just the highest profile intimidators in Satan's arsenal,” Bruce said in a released statement. “They think they are serving God.”

Read more of this story on The Christian Post.

Yard Sale Collector Finds Piece of History

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL -- When Paul Gruenther isn't selling homes, he is searching for treasures.

"It's an adventure. Everybody loves a bargain," he said.

Gruenther scours garage sales every weekend and he often finds valuable artifacts, antiques and furniture. His entire home is filled with the purchases. But it was a piece of history that recently caught his eye.

He bought a little leather book of hymns at a garage sale for 50 cents. Handwritten inside, is the inscription "William N. Franklin, Sams Creeks, Maryland, September 19, 1885."

Read more of this story on First Coast News.

March Madness

First Revival Meeting Scheduled For 2009

My first revival meeting for 2009 has been scheduled at Huntsville Baptist Church in Lake City, Florida. The services will begin on Sunday, February 15, 2009 and end on Wednesday, February 18, 2009. Service times and other information will be posted on this site later.

For up-to-date information on my preaching schedule visit the schedule page of my ministry website. If you would like to receive schedule information via e-mail follow this link: Subscribe to James Croft Ministry Opportunities by Email.

Blog Poll #26 Now Online

After a two month break, our Blog Poll feature has returned to this site. The latest poll (#26) is featured in the left-hand column of this site. The poll question asks, "What is your primary source for news?" Voting in the unscientific poll will end on Saturday night.

Previous polls and results can be read on this site by clicking "Blog Poll" in the list of categories in the left-hand column.

Churches To Hold Web Focus Day April 27th

"How can we use this new-fangled Internet thing to share the gospel?" Christians are asking. A worldwide "web evangelism focus day" is helping to provide answers. Sunday, April 27, has been designated as Internet Evangelism Day. Churches can download free materials from the Internet Evangelism Day website. These materials make it easy for churches to create a short presentation about online outreach on or near that Sunday. A PowerPoint, video clip testimonies, drama scripts, music and handouts can be used to create their own customized program lasting from one minute to 50.

Church leaders who have already used these materials are excited. "This is a huge help for small churches such as ours," writes a church leader from California.

The Internet Evangelism Day team emphasizes that web evangelism is for anyone, not just the technically gifted. "There are many ways to share your faith online, without any technical background at all," says IE Day Coordinator Tony Whittaker.

Christian leaders are also enthusiastic: "I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day," says Dr. John Stott.

Churches can start planning their focus day now. For more information visit the Internet Evangelism Day website.

Morgan Road Baptist In April

I will be preaching at Morgan Road Baptist Church on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at 11am and 6pm. The church's pastor, Gary Heath, is retiring as of tomorrow. Please be in prayer for this church as they begin the search for a pastor.

Morgan Road Baptist Church is located on CR233 near Starke, Florida.

Catch-up Post: Live Oak Revival Meeting Goes Well

I preached revival services at Beulah Baptist Church in Suwannee County, Florida March 16-19th. The pastor said he was pleased with the attendance and there were several people that rededicated their life to the Lord during the services.

For more information about the church call Pastor James Carrier (pictured here with me) at (386) 776-2799. The church is located on CR144 near Live Oak.

Catch-up Post: Leprechaun Spotted In Macclenny, Florida

St. Patrick's Day 2008 had me once again donning a leprechaun hat, buttons and the color "green" and reading to students at the Baker County Pre-K/Kindergarten Center in Macclenny, Florida. This year I read the story "That's What Leprechauns Do" by Eve Bunting. I read the story to every class at the school and the illustrations from the book (by Emily Arnold McCully) were shown on a digital projector.

I think the children really enjoyed seeing a "real" leprechaun, but some were upset that I (or some of my partners) had "messed-up" their room or left leprechaun tracks on their desks, etc. I also answered many questions for the children about leprechauns, our pot o' gold and what we do in our spare time. As always, there were many questions about "why are you so small". I love answering that one, seriously, I really do.

I really had a wonderful time and the staff at the school make this "leprechaun siting" an enjoyable time for the children and the Leprechaun too.

Catch-up Post: A "Grand" Harvest

Crossroads Baptist Church, in Cottondale, Florida, enjoyed a special harvest on Sunday, March 9th, during revival services with Evangelist James Croft of Olustee. The services saw professions of faith by both a granddad, Steve Barwick, and his grandson, Trace Bush. Pictured are (back left to right) Crossroads Pastor Mark Fejes, Barwick, music evangelists Christy Mabrey and Kyle Graham, (front left to right) Bush and Croft.

Additional info about these services can be found in these previous posts:

• Cottondale Music
• Cottondale Meeting Begins With A Family Affair
  

Catch-up Posts

I've been so busy or lazy that I have neglected to post some of the highlights of the last three weeks. The next few posts will be "catch-up posts". I'll try to be more timely in the future.

Latest JCEA Video Releases

Videos Videos | Most Viewed Most Viewed | Most Discussed Most Discussed | Search Result Videos

Cottondale Music 02:27 Added: 2 weeks ago Views: 106	Bowling 02:13 Added: 2 months ago Views: 239	Time Capsule 02:52 Added: 2 months ago Views: 159
JOY Box Ministry 02:31 Added: 2 months ago Views: 180	Peaceful Christmas Village 02:40 Added: 3 months ago Views: 198	The Truth About Christmas 02:27 Added: 3 months ago Views: 126
Feeding Reindeer And Singing Jingle Bells 01:14 Added: 3 months ago Views: 149	Lake City Christmas Parade 00:53 Added: 3 months ago Views: 401	Sing-A-Long 02:20 Added: 4 months ago Views: 236
See All 37 Videos

Hindsight

Training At FBC Olustee Tonight

I will be conducting a training session for those serving as counselors during worship service invitations at First Baptist Church of Olustee, Florida. The training begins at 6:30pm tonight at the church located at 23311 Lakeside Lane in Olustee, Florida.

The 5 p.m. Worker

The Back Pew

Edgy Hotel Offers 'Spiritual Menu' to Guests

NOTE: Share your thoughts on the following story by clicking "comments" below.

A hotel in Nashville will be the first known in the nation to remove the standard Holy Bible from its rooms and replace it with a “spiritual menu” that includes other religious books such as the Qur’an and books on Scientology, a Tennessee newspaper reported Tuesday.

Hotel Preston, a boutique owned by Oregon-based Provenance Hotels, will require guests to call room service to order their religious book of choice, according to The Tennessean.

The religious book list includes the Book of Mormon, the Qur’an, the Torah, the Tao Te Ching, The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, Bhagavad Gita (a Hindu text), books on Scientology, as well as the King James and New American Bible versions.

Read more of this story on The Christian Post.

'Hannah Montana' Star: I Do Everything for Jesus

“Hannah Montana” star Miley Cyrus and her best friend Mandy Jiroux have dedicated their Easter installment of "The Miley and Mandy Show" on YouTube to Jesus, saying everything they do is for him.

In the video, Jiroux, 20, who performs as a back-up dancer for the popular teen star, reads a question from a fan who asked if the girls were Christian.

The squeaky-clean duo emphatically respond, "Yes!"

Read more of this story on The Christian Post.

You can view the video below:

Free Will

National Anthem at Admiral's Game

This is Chief Petty Officer Barbara (Bobbi) Croft singing the national anthem prior to the Norfolk Admiral's hockey game on Friday, March 21, 3008. Bobbi is my youngest sister.

She said there was a problem with the microphone at the beginning, and added "I adapted and overcame." You go, girl!

Sermon Writing

A minister's young son sat on the floor of his father's office watching him write a sermon.

"How do you know what to say?" the boy asked.

"Why, God tells me." his father replied.

"Well, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

Sleeping In Church

The Back Pew

Bring What You Can Carry

Once there was an old rich man who was afraid of dying and leaving all his wealth behind on earth. So, he took up the matter with God. He pleaded day and night to be able to take all his earthly possessions with him.

Finally, God conceded. He said the man could take as much as he could fit in one suitcase. The old man immediately went out, bought a huge suitcase, sold all he owned and filled the suitcase with gold bars.

Shortly after that, the old man died. Awkwardly dragging the big, heavy suitcase, he approached St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter stopped him, asked him to open his luggage, and then told him he couldn't bring his gold bars into Heaven.The man was irate. "You don't understand," he said. "I got permission directly from God himself for this. He told me whatever I could fit into one suitcase, I could bring with me."

St. Peter, shrugged his shoulders and simply said, "Fine with me. But we've already got plenty of pavement here."

Morning Prayer

Dear God, so far today, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, and I haven't lost my temper.

I haven't been grumpy, nasty or selfish, and I'm really glad of that!

But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on, I'm probably going to need a lot of help.

Thank you! Amen.

No More Caffeine

Cottondale Music

Kyle Graham and Christy Mabrey, students at Baptist College of Florida, led the music during revival services at Crossroads Baptist Church in Cottondale, Florida. This song is entitled "Lord I Lift Your Name On High".

Read more about the Crossroads Baptist Revival.

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? For more information visit Do You Know?

You can receive e-mail notifications when new videos are added:
Subscribe to Walking With The Giant Videos by Email

For more information about this ministry visit these sites:

• Evangelist James Croft
• Walking with the Giant Blog
• Walking with the Giant Podcast

You may also contribute financially to this ministry to help with evangelism projects by following these links:

• Credit Card
• Check or Money Order

May God richly bless you for your prayerful and financial support!

Live Oak, FL Meeting Begins Sunday

The Door Stopper

Two church members were going door to door. They knocked on the door of a woman who clearly was not happy to see them. She told them in no uncertain terms she did not want to hear their message and then slammed the door in their faces.

To her surprise, the door did not close. In fact, it bounced back open. Seeing the two church members at the door frustrated her. She stormed back to the door and flung it shut.

But the door still didn't close. Furious, she grabbed the door with two hands and shoved it as hard as she could. But again, the door wouldn't shut.

Convinced one of these rude church members was sticking a foot in the door, she reared back to give the door a slam that would really teach them a lesson.

Just then, one of the church members said, "Ma'am, before you do that again, you might want to move your cat."

Johnstown Flood

Our Daily Bread

ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Ruth 1:8-17

Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. —Ruth 1:16

On May 31, 1889, a massive rainstorm filled Lake Conemaugh in Pennsylvania until its dam finally gave way. A wall of water 40 feet high traveling at 40 mph rushed down the valley toward the town of Johnstown. The torrent picked up buildings, animals, and human beings and sent them crashing down the spillway. When the lake had emptied itself, debris covered 30 acres, and 2,209 people were dead.

At first, stunned by the loss of property and loved ones, survivors felt hopeless. But later, community leaders gave speeches about how local industry and homes could be rebuilt. This acted like a healing balm, and the survivors energetically got to work. Johnstown was rebuilt and today is a thriving town with a population of approximately 28,000.

The Bible tells us that when Naomi despaired over the loss of her husband and sons, her daughter-in-law Ruth refused to leave her. Instead, Ruth focused on God, her relationships, and the future. God rewarded her faith by providing for them and making Ruth an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matt. 1:5-16).

After a tragic loss, we should look at the resources and relationships that remain and trust God to use them. This can inspire the hope of rebuilding a new life. — Dennis Fisher

Beyond the losses of this life
That cause us to despair
New hope is born within our heart
Because our God is there. —D. De Haan

No one is hopeless whose hope is in God.

---

For similar resources, search these topics:

Christian Life > Attitudes > Hope
Christian Life > Personal Crisis > Trials/Tests

"Why Are You Copying Me?"

Last week I attended the Florida Baptist Convention's iTell Evangelism Conference at First Baptist Church of Orlando, Florida. I helped pass out information at a booth for the Conference Of Florida Baptist Evangelists (COFBE) on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday morning before we left the hotel, I received a telephone call. When I answered I heard a man's voice ask, "Is this James Croft?" When I said it was he replied, "My name is James Croft too, and I want to know why you are copying me." He then began to laugh.

This James Croft, actually known as Jim, had picked up one of my brochures that morning following a men's prayer breakfast at the church. He then called to see if we could meet and to see if we might be related in some way. We agreed we would meet that evening during the final worship session of the conference. These photos were taken by his daughter after the session.

Jim Croft is a member of First Baptist Church of Orlando and is one "on fire" servant for our Lord, Jesus Christ. He shared with me about his salvation experience at the age of 50 and how he is now serving and evangelizing every chance he gets. It was really great to meet him and some of his family.

By the way, we weren't able to determine if we were related or not. Although, we are certainly related in God's Family as brothers in Christ!

Man's Best Friend

A dog is truly man's best friend. If you don't believe it, just try this experiment.

Put your dog and your wife in the trunk of the car for an hour. When you open the trunk, see who is really happy to see you.

Cottondale Meeting Begins With A Family Affair

The revival meeting at Crossroads Baptist Church began with excitement in both Sunday services. The morning service ended with at least seven years of prayers being answered as a man walked to the front during the Time of Decision and received Christ as his Savior. What a joyous time it was, but it didn't end there. At the close of the evening service this man's 8 year old grandson came forward to be saved! It would be an understatement to say the family and church members were excited! I must say it was certainly an honor and pleasure for the Lord to allow me to witness these family members coming to Jesus.

The music for the services is being led by Kyle Graham and Christy Mabrey, students at Baptist College of Florida in Graceville, Florida. They are doing a super job with the music. I'll post a video of one of their songs on this site tomorrow.

I've known Kyle for years as he is a member of First Baptist Church of White Springs, Florida. It's been wonderful to watch him grow from being an "on fire for Jesus" student at Columbia High School in Lake City to answering God's Call to ministry to hearing him preach at his home church in White Springs and now see him developing into a mature minister for our Lord.

Kyle and Christy are engaged to be married in May of this year. Christy is the daughter of Rev. Louie Mabrey, pastor of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in Lake City.

The meeting will continue at 6:30pm CDT tonight through Wednesday at Crossroads Baptist Church located at 3275 Highway 231 in Cottondale, Florida. For more information contact Pastor Mark Fejes at (850) 352-4559.

If you're in the area, I hope you'll join us. Who knows what the Lord will do before this week is over!

(Pictured below left to right: Kyle Graham, Christy Mabrey, James Croft, Sherri Fejes and Pastor Mark Fejes.)

The True Wireless Web

The Back Pew

iBand

From Nothing

Our Daily Bread

ODB RADIO: Listen Now | Download
READ: Genesis 1:1-13

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. —Genesis 1:1

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No light. No sky. No land. It’s incomprehensible to our finite thinking—the barren nothingness that existed before Genesis 1:1.

Then suddenly, through the work of the Almighty, God supplanted nothingness with “the heavens and the earth.” The divine hand reached through the void and produced a place, a world, a universe. Through the magnificent convergence of the workings of the Godhead—with the Son enacting the will of the Father as the Agent of creation, and the Holy Spirit as the hovering Presence—nothing became something. History began its long march toward today.

The first verse of Genesis provides us with sufficient concepts to contemplate for a lifetime. That introductory statement speaks of enough glory, enough majesty, enough awe to leave us speechless before God. Just as today we would have no life, no breath, no existence without His sustaining action, neither would we have the cosmos without His mighty act at the moment of creation.

In awe we wonder what went on before “the beginning.” With breathless praise we marvel at the words “God created the heavens and the earth.” We read—and we stand in adoration. “Nothing” has never been so fascinating! — Dave Branon

I sing the mighty power of God
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad
And built the lofty skies. —Watts

Nature is but a name for an effect whose cause is God.

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For similar resources, search these topics:

Basics Of Faith > God > Creator
Basics Of Faith > God > Existence

Fear Of Flying

There was a religious woman who had to do a lot of traveling for her business. Flying made her very nervous, so she always took her Bible along with her.

One time, she was sitting next to a man. When he saw her pull out her Bible, he gave a little chuckle and smirk and went back to what he was doing.

After awhile, he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in there do you?"

The woman replied, "Of course I do. It is the Bible."

He said, "Well, what about that guy that was swallowed by that whale?"

She replied, "Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible."

He asked, "Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?"

The woman said, "Well, I don't really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him."

"What if he isn't in heaven?" the man asked sarcastically.

"Then you can ask him," replied the woman.

Good Time For An Offering??

A young clergyman, fresh out of seminary, thought it would help him better understand the fears and temptations his future congregations faced if he first took a job as a policeman for several months. He passed the physical examination; then came the oral exam to test his ability to act quickly and wisely in an emergency. Among other questions he was asked, “What would you do to disperse a frenzied crowd?”

He thought for a moment and then said, “I would take up a collection.”

Top Video Downloads: February 2008

Here are the 5 most downloaded videos from Walking With The Giant Videos for the month of February 2008:

1. Bowling
2. Game Day Acrobats
3. Happy Campers
4. Down In The Valley
5. (Tie) July 2007 Podcast Promo, Pray For Rulers and Summertime Excitement
   

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View top video downloads for January 2007.

Biblical Comedian

Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?

A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Civil War Reenactor Chaplain On March Walking With The Giant Podcast

Program Features:

• Ghana Update: Evangelist Raphael Adjei Kingbi, JCEA Ministry Coordinator (e-mail), gives an update on his ministry activities in the Teshie-Accra Region. The weekly prayer session is still held each Monday and you can add your requests to our list via e-mail. Ralph also reports that he and his wife, Mavis, are expecting their second child.
  
• Interview: Rev. Dr. Col. James Gipson, a chaplain for various civil war reenactment calvary units including the Alabama Volunteer Brigade, the Tenth Tennessee Calvary, the Florida Division Calvary and the Winston Stephens SCV of Macclenny, Florida. He also pastors River City Family Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Gipson shares with us about this unique ministry opportunity. For more information call Dr. Gipson at (904) 786-6800.
  
• Message: Control Burn (Part 2) by Evangelist James Croft is taken from 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 in the Holy Bible.

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Edition: Vol. 3, No. 1
File Size: 19.2 MB
Length: 42 min. 04 sec.

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February 2008 Top 5

The 5 most viewed blog posts on this site for the month of January 2008 are:

1. iPod Warriors: Tech Gadget Breaks Barriers for Troops

2. Top 12 Evangelical Christians in Sports

3. Corn Chip Snack

4. Faith factor seen in NFL conduct policy

5. GodTube Enters Presidential Race

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Church Bulletin Bloopers

Our next song is "Angels We Have Heard Get High."

Don't let worry kill you, let the church help.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.

Wii And Mii

Our Daily Bread

READ: Ephesians 4:25–5:1

Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. —Ephesians 4:25

Our grandsons introduced me to the amazing world of virtual bowling using the Nintendo Wii (pronounced we) video-game console. But before beginning, we had to create my look-alike character called Mii (me). From a selection of facial characteristics, they quickly created a person whose hair, nose, glasses, and mouth looked surprisingly like me. “Hey, Grandpa,” they said. “It’s you!” And so it was.

Much of our self-concept comes from others. The feedback of family and friends is vital in helping us discover our unique gifts. As followers of Christ, we are charged with making an honest, positive contribution to each other. We can apply the words of Paul to this critical process. “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. . . . Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Eph. 4:25,29). — David C. McCasland

Between the extremes of hazardous flattery and destructive criticism, we should aim for beneficial reality in what we say to each other. In the “we” of Christian community, the “me” of personality is shaped. It’s a great privilege and responsibility to help each other discover who we are in Christ.

Together, Lord, we seek Thy will;
We bow before Thee—yielded still;
We come today, as oft before,
And with each coming love Thee more. —Group

True community is not organized but exercised.

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For similar resources, search these topics:

Christian Life > Church Life > Unity
Relationships > Relating to others > Judging/Criticism
Relationships > Relating to others > Love For

Bats In The Belfry

Three pastors were having lunch in a diner.

One said, "You know, since summer started I've been having trouble with bats in my loft and attic at church. I’ve tried everything--noise, spray, cats--nothing seems to scare them away."Another said, "Me too. I've got hundreds living in my belfry and in the attic. I've even had the place fumigated, and they won't go away."

The third said, "I baptized all mine, and made them members of the church. Haven't seen one back since!"

Zak's Catering

Value Of A Sermon

One beautiful Sunday morning, a minister announced to his congregation: "My good people, I have here in my hands three sermons... a $100 sermon that lasts five minutes, a $50 sermon that lasts fifteen minutes, and a $10 sermon that lasts a full hour. Now, we'll take the collection and see which one I'll deliver."