New Sermon Series Begins Sunday

I just wanted everyone to know how excited I am about this Sunday (I know, I sound like a broken record every week, but I REALLY AM EXCITED). This Sunday morning I'll be beginning a new series of sermons entitled Messages For Messed Up People. The first message in this series is called Not What You Expected. I don't know what you expect from a message with that title, but you need to be here this weekend to see if this message is what you expected it to be or not. OK, was that confusing, or is it just me?

Anyway, I'm pumped about this new series of messages. But let me give you a little disclaimer: If you've got everything together, never have any problems, and never do anything wrong, you might just want to take the month of September off on Sunday mornings. If, however, you're like me and realize that you are anything but perfect, you should make plans to be at EFBC this Sunday.

Let's face it, folks: we're all pretty messed up, aren't we? There's not a perfect person on this planet. We all have struggles, we all have insecurities, and we all have sinned. Now I've met some people before who seemed to wear a façade of perfection on the outside, almost as if they can't let anyone know that beneath that glowing exterior is a soul that is just as messed up as the next person's. I believe it's time that we drop the charade and take off the mask. Let's just admit that we're all messed up and that we are nothing without Jesus.

I hope you will come to worship this Sunday with a sense of expectation. Remember the verse I shared with you last week: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory (Ps 63:2). I've asked Carol about putting this verse on a sign that we can hang above the glass doors in the vestibule. Are you coming to worship to see His power and His glory, or are you just coming to a social gathering to "see and be seen." I don't know about you, but I want to have an encounter with God Almighty this Sunday morning. I hope you do, too.

Before I close this message, let me ask everyone to please be praying for John McCoy and Ann Smith this morning. They are both having heart cath's at RMC today.

That's all for the moment. Just remember, you'd better not get complacent now; cause the best is yet to come!