As I'm writing this, a storm is passing over 1835 Gate 8 Road. We've got thunder, lightning, and heavy rain. I pray that our power doesn't go out (although if recent history means anything, it probably will).
But thundershowers aren't the only type of storms we have to deal with in life, are they? The truth is that we all face different kinds of storms: financial, physical, emotional, etc. And right now, it seems like we've got a lot of families that are weathering some pretty intense storms.
With that in mind, God has laid a message on my heart for Sunday that I hope will be incredibly encouraging. My sermon is entitled An Anchor For Life's Storms, and we'll be looking at two primary passages: John 16:33 and Hebrews 6:19-20. In the midst of life's storms that toss us like a ship on the open ocean, God has provided us with an anchor! And although He doesn't promise us that we'll never have troubles and trials, He does promise us that He'll see us through them!
So if you know someone that's going through some struggles right now, I want to strongly encourage you to get them here this Sunday. And if you know someone who doesn't know Jesus, this message will have a powerful emphasis on the Gospel. This will be a great weekend for you to invest and invite!
In the midst of all of the storms that are raging around us, God is still working in a powerful way here at Eulaton First Baptist Church! And I, for one, am incredibly excited to see how God's going to show His great and awesome power in the midst of these storms. There's an old hymn that contains these words, "Trials dark on every hand, and we cannot understand...but we'll understand it better by and by." If I were to rewrite that and do a Lambertized version of that song, it would go something like this: "Storms will come and storms will go...but THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
A Tale Of Two Fathers
It was so great to be back with my church family on Sunday! Vacation was wonderful, but getting back to worshipping with EFBC was even better. I had a blast preaching last Sunday!
Now as we look forward to Father's Day, I have to say that I'm incredibly excited about the message God has given me for Sunday. I'll be sharing a sermon entitled A Tale Of Two Fathers, and we'll be looking at 1 Samuel 1-2 if you want to read ahead. In these two chapters, we see two very different fathers. One had a son who became well known for his faith. The other had two sons that brought shame on the priesthood and the ministry of the temple. Looking at the good, and not so good in these stories, we'll learn seven lessons about being a good father.
Come to worship Sunday expecting God to do great things in our midst! I know this world we're living in seems dark and dry. I know we're living in troubled times. But let's remember the words of David in Psalm 63:1-2:
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. (NKJ)
Let's come together this Sunday expecting to see His power and His glory! Let's come together this Sunday expecting lives to be changed! And let's come together this Sunday expecting God to do greater things!
I know I say it all the time, and I know it probably sounds cliché by now, but I really do mean it every week when I say that, "THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"
Now as we look forward to Father's Day, I have to say that I'm incredibly excited about the message God has given me for Sunday. I'll be sharing a sermon entitled A Tale Of Two Fathers, and we'll be looking at 1 Samuel 1-2 if you want to read ahead. In these two chapters, we see two very different fathers. One had a son who became well known for his faith. The other had two sons that brought shame on the priesthood and the ministry of the temple. Looking at the good, and not so good in these stories, we'll learn seven lessons about being a good father.
Come to worship Sunday expecting God to do great things in our midst! I know this world we're living in seems dark and dry. I know we're living in troubled times. But let's remember the words of David in Psalm 63:1-2:
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. (NKJ)
Let's come together this Sunday expecting to see His power and His glory! Let's come together this Sunday expecting lives to be changed! And let's come together this Sunday expecting God to do greater things!
I know I say it all the time, and I know it probably sounds cliché by now, but I really do mean it every week when I say that, "THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"
Friday, June 04, 2010
Two Weeks In One
I'm so out-of-my-mind excited about the next two Sundays at Eulaton, and the bad thing is I'm not even going to be here for the first one! Because of that fact, today's Sunday preview will look ahead to this Sunday the 6th, and the following Sunday the 13th.
This week we'll have a couple of guest speakers sharing in our services. Our youth camp speaker, Jeff Brooks, will be sharing in the morning worship service. Jeff did a great job at camp, and I know you'll be blessed as he comes to share with us Sunday morning. Charles Israel, who spoke at Greg Cupp's ordination last month, will be speaking during the evening worship service. I was really blessed by the things Charlie shared during the ordination service, and I have no doubt he'll have a word from the Lord as he comes this Sunday night.
And I know it's over a week away, but I can hardly wait for June 13th! My message for that day is entitled I Once Was Lost, and we'll be looking at Luke 19:1-10. This message will have a HUGE emphasis on the Gospel, and I want to strongly encourage you to try and get your lost friends and family here that Sunday. Remember: Invest and Invite!
Come this Sunday and the next expecting greater things! God is working, lives are being changed, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
This week we'll have a couple of guest speakers sharing in our services. Our youth camp speaker, Jeff Brooks, will be sharing in the morning worship service. Jeff did a great job at camp, and I know you'll be blessed as he comes to share with us Sunday morning. Charles Israel, who spoke at Greg Cupp's ordination last month, will be speaking during the evening worship service. I was really blessed by the things Charlie shared during the ordination service, and I have no doubt he'll have a word from the Lord as he comes this Sunday night.
And I know it's over a week away, but I can hardly wait for June 13th! My message for that day is entitled I Once Was Lost, and we'll be looking at Luke 19:1-10. This message will have a HUGE emphasis on the Gospel, and I want to strongly encourage you to try and get your lost friends and family here that Sunday. Remember: Invest and Invite!
Come this Sunday and the next expecting greater things! God is working, lives are being changed, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Recharge; Not Retire
"Summertime, and the living is easy." I seem to recall those lyrics from a popular song, and it has me already looking forward to having a time to refresh and recharge. My family will be taking a week for vacation this month, and we're excited about getting to go back to Pawley's Island, S.C. again this year. My only regret is that I have to be gone from EFBC during a time when God is moving so mightily.
But I know, and I hope you do to, that we all need periods of rest and rejuvenation. And that's just as true for those of us in vocational ministry as it is for folks employed in the secular world. I read recently where one minister wrote: "Pastors cannot lead their churches on empty." Even Jesus understood this, and He often took opportunities to get away and get refreshed.
And so, while I'm away, I won't be checking my email. I won't be posting on my blog. I won't be on Facebook. I won't even be working on sermon preparation. What I will be doing is spending some quality time with my family and with my Lord. And when I return on June 12th, I plan on being rejuvenated and energized, ready to see what God has next for us at EFBC (and hopefully hearing some glowing reports about what He did while I was away).
So this summer, I hope you'll have the opportunity for some times of refreshing. Let the Lord recharge your batteries and prepare you for greater things in the days to come. But just remember one thing: don't take the whole summer off from church! I've seen it happen all too often: folks go on vacation; come home, and suddenly serving the Lord becomes an afterthought. Let's all strive to NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!
I truly believe that EFBC's greatest days are still ahead of us. And I truly believe that this summer could be the best this church has ever experienced! Youth Camp's just ended, Bible School's just around the corner, and Children's Camp is right after VBS. God's got big plans for us in the coming days, weeks and months! So let's take the time to get refreshed and recharged, but let's all determine that we're not going to retire on God this summer!
But I know, and I hope you do to, that we all need periods of rest and rejuvenation. And that's just as true for those of us in vocational ministry as it is for folks employed in the secular world. I read recently where one minister wrote: "Pastors cannot lead their churches on empty." Even Jesus understood this, and He often took opportunities to get away and get refreshed.
And so, while I'm away, I won't be checking my email. I won't be posting on my blog. I won't be on Facebook. I won't even be working on sermon preparation. What I will be doing is spending some quality time with my family and with my Lord. And when I return on June 12th, I plan on being rejuvenated and energized, ready to see what God has next for us at EFBC (and hopefully hearing some glowing reports about what He did while I was away).
So this summer, I hope you'll have the opportunity for some times of refreshing. Let the Lord recharge your batteries and prepare you for greater things in the days to come. But just remember one thing: don't take the whole summer off from church! I've seen it happen all too often: folks go on vacation; come home, and suddenly serving the Lord becomes an afterthought. Let's all strive to NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!
I truly believe that EFBC's greatest days are still ahead of us. And I truly believe that this summer could be the best this church has ever experienced! Youth Camp's just ended, Bible School's just around the corner, and Children's Camp is right after VBS. God's got big plans for us in the coming days, weeks and months! So let's take the time to get refreshed and recharged, but let's all determine that we're not going to retire on God this summer!
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