Archive for 'August, 2010'

     A teenage boy lost a contact lens while playing basketball in his driveway.  After a fruitless search, he told his mother the lens was nowhere to be found. Undaunted, she went outside and in a few minutes returned with the eyepiece in her hand.

     ”How did you manage to find it, Mom?” the teenager asked.

     “We weren’t looking for the same thing,” she replied. “You were looking for a small piece of plastic. I was looking for $150.”

     It is so true that our passion and persistence in doing something will be largely determined by its value in our eyes.  For example, evangelism will never be a top priority as long as you see your next-door neighbor as simply a middle-aged guy with a pot belly.  When you see him as an valuable soul whose eternal destiny will be determined by his relationship with God, suddenly things are different. 

      If you see your involvement at church as simply corralling a herd of 4-year-olds for an hour, you will quickly lose heart.  When you see your involvement as an essential element in the building up of the kingdom of God, you will not “grow weary while doing good” (Gal. 6:9).

      Col. 3:2 “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

      Looking at earthly things from a heavenly perspective will change the value of things in our mind.  And that, in turn, will change how diligently we seek to do the things of God. -TFTD

God bless you all and have a great week,

Michael

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sermon:  A.M.-Michael Bryan    P.M.- Michael Bryan

Song Leader:  Joel Owens

Opening Prayers:  AM-Burl McCoy       PM-Billy Lucas

Closing Prayers:  AM-Dustin Simmons      PM-Jim Goldsmith

Lord’s Table:  Billy Bob Toombs, Lou David Allen, Lane Boyd, Tim Walker, Jerry Russell, Rodney Russell   PM-Billy Bob Toombs

Pick-up Cards:  Tyler Jones & Preston Jackson

Worship Helpers:  Russ Russell & Odell Walker

Nursing Home: Jim Goldsmith

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010

Devo:  Lane Boyd

Song Leader:  Lou David Allen

Prayers:   Opening-Joel Owens        Closing-Larry Gill

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sermon:  A.M.-Michael Bryan    P.M.- Dustin Simmons

Song Leader: Lane Boyd

Opening Prayers:  AM-Tim Walker       PM-Kelly Woolard

Closing Prayers:  AM-Shelton Boyd      PM-Jim Jacobs

Lord’s Table: Jim Goldsmith, Larry Gill, Russ McGuire, Ray Juarez, Jason Myers, & Tim Cope                   PM- Jim Goldsmith

Pick-up Cards:  Tyler Jones & Kyle Owens

Worship Helpers:  Cody Buczyna & Jonathan Juarez

Nursing Home: Logan Cravens

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Devo:  Shelton Boyd

Song Leader:  Joel Owens

Prayers:   Opening-Michael Bryan        Closing-Jerry Russell

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. “There are five things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be.”

 One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.

Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

      The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

     Now put yourself in the pencil’s place; always remember these five rules and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

 One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand, and allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.

Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

      By understanding and remembering, let us proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart. – Author Unknown

Have A Great Week,

Michael

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Sermon: Michael Bryan

Song Leader: Greg Chaney

Opening Prayers:  AM-Mark Rogers       PM-Scott Carey

Closing Prayers:  AM-Lane Boyd      PM-Jim Goldsmith

Lord’s Table: Logan Cravens, Scott Carey, Finley Barnett, Wayne Deen, Joe Swinney, Billy Jones            PM- Logan Cravens

Pick-up Cards:  Tyler Jones & Kyle Owens

Worship Helpers:  Cody Buczyna & Russ Russell

Nursing Home: Logan Cravens

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Devo:  Dustin Simmons

Song Leader:  Burl McCoy

Prayers:   Opening-Joe Swinney        Closing-Michael Bryan

    Deut. 31:8 “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

    I just love the story about rain in the Wal-Mart parking lot. If you recall a crowd has gathered at the exit doors waiting for the downpour to end and a little red-haired girl is trying to convince her mother that they need to run in the rain.

    Finally the mom says, “No, we’ll get soaked if we do.”

    “No, we won’t, Mom, remember what you said this morning?” the young girl said as she tugged at her mom’s arm.

    “This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?” “Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, ‘If God can get us through this, He can get us through anything!’”

    Some will hurry on past moments like this!

    Some will hurry on past moments like this and miss the faith-point. But this mom didn’t. “Honey, you are absolutely right, let’s run through the rain. If God lets us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing.”

    Maybe we all need a little washing!

    Rather than trying to control your life, why not step off into adventure with the Lord and see where He leads you!

God bless you all and have a great week,

Michael

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Sermon: Michael Bryan

Song Leader: Shelton Boyd

Opening Prayers:  AM-Burl McCoy       PM-Lou David Allen

Closing Prayers:  AM-Jim Jacobs      PM-Joel Owens

Lord’s Table: Billy Bob Toombs, Billy Lucas, Joel Owens, Zach Owens, Kelly Woolard, & Andy Miller      PM- Billy Bob Toombs

Pick-up Cards:  Tyler Jones & Lincoln Russell

Worship Helpers:  Odell Walker & Cody Buczyna

Nursing Home: Jim Goldsmith

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Devo:  Joel Owens

Song Leader:  Lane Boyd

Prayers:   Opening-Larry Gill        Closing-Tim Walker

    Living life on edge—that is, under constant pressure, fear, or nervousness—is no way of living. I’m talking about anxiety, a sensation that can be good at times but cruel over time.

    When is anxiety helpful? Under stress, our anxiety grows. This heightened state helps us meet deadlines or escape dangerous situations. In short, it helps us get things done and in healthy measures, gives us energy. When anxiety becomes exhausting and debilitating, we know it’s not our partner—but our archenemy.

    How do we return anxiety to its proper place in this partnership? If our anxiety is about some upcoming event, we can do our best to prepare for it. We study, practice, and rehearse, and when we feel sufficiently prepared, we give the rest of our worry to God. I Peter 5:7 tells us, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

    Some of us get anxious about “what ifs.” What if my car breaks down? What if someone kidnaps my child? What if terrorists strike our nation? Understandably, there are many things we can worry about. Take heart in something Winston Churchill said: “When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” We can poison our lives by worrying, or we can live in the moment and know that God will take care of us, whatever happens.

    To combat anxiety, we can (1) relax, (2) exercise, (3) avoid stimulants, (4) refuse to numb anxiety by drinking alcohol or taking drugs which will, in the end, give us something else to worry about, (5) commit to good eating habits and sleeping schedules, (6) find humor in our day, and (7) not take life too seriously.

    We can live in the moment and know that God will take care of us, whatever happens.

    Let’s commit today not to live the rest of our lives on the edge. Instead, let us do what I Peter 5:7 tells us and know that God will take care of us. This way is the only way to really live. - Courtney Loy

God bless you all and have a great week,

Michael

    Every year, MLAW (Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch) holds a contest to find some of the wackiest product labels. Here are some of their favorite labels from the past eight years:
    A popular scooter for children warns: “This product moves when used.”
    A label on an electric hand blender using for “blending, whipping, chopping and dicing,” warns: “Never remove food or other items from the blades while the product is operating.”
    A label on a baby stroller warns: “Remove child before folding.”
    A brass fishing lure with a three-pronged hook on the end warns: “Harmful if swallowed.”
    A household iron warns users: “Never iron clothes while they are being worn.”
    A label on a hair dryer reads, “Never use hair dryer while sleeping.”
    A warning on an electric drill made for carpenters cautions: “This product not intended for use as a dental drill.”
    The label on a bottle of drain cleaner warns: “If you do not understand, or cannot read, all directions, cautions and warnings, do not use this product.”
    A can of self-defense pepper spray warns users: “May irritate eyes.”
    A cardboard car sunshield that keeps sun off the dashboard warns, “Do not drive with sunshield in place.”
    On a hotel-provided shower cap in a box: fits one head.
    Some of those warning labels conjure up some humorous images. Like the last one — can you imagine trying to fit a shower cap onto two heads at once? Ridiculous, huh?
    Almost as ridiculous as taking the body of Christ and suggesting it has more than one head. There is one body (Eph. 4:4), and it has only one head. Fortunately, that head is no earthly person or group of people. It is none other than the Son of God Himself.
    “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (Colossians 1:18)
    This day, give preeminence and praise to the One who is our head! -TFTD

God bless you all and have a great week!

Michael