John Denies Being The Christ

^"19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders   in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
²⁶ “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing." John 1:19-28

To really understand the gravity of what is going on here, there is one thing you must understand.  When the priests and the Levites came to question him, it wasn't like your pastor coming to have a chat with you after church.  It was more like the police stopping by to ask you a few questions.  John knew he was in serious trouble.  If he had told them what they wanted to hear they would have had him thrown in prison or worse.  Notice they asked, "Are you THE Prophet?" not, "Are you A prophet?"  What they are asking about is the prophet referred to in Deuteronomy 18:18

 "¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him."

  The Jews were looking for three people foretold in the Old Testament: The Messiah, the return on Elijah, and The Prophet.  John the Baptist was a prophet, but not The Prophet.  John said that he was not any of these.  So they wanted to know who he was if he was not any of these.  I love his answer to that one.  He told them who he was, worked in his message, and showed them that he knew the scriptures too, all at the same time.
 
Then they asked him about his baptisms.  He basically said, "Look, I only use water, but the Christ has come and you, the people who have spent your whole lives looking for him, the people who should know, have no clue about who He is.  I know who He is and I am not worthy to even untie His shoes."  Wow!  Bet that really made them mad.  John the Baptist was really putting his life in danger for Christ.  What are willing to do for Him?

Do you know Christ? Do you know who you are in Christ?  If you would like to know Jesus and God the father, please pray the following prayer. Or, you can contact me and I will be more than happy to pray with you.  You can email me at jeremylail@gmail.com.

Heavenly Father, have mercy on me, a sinner. I believe in you and that your word is true. I believe the Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that he died on the cross so that I may now have forgiveness for my sins and eternal life. I know that without you in my heart my life is meaningless. I believe in my heart that you, Lord God, raised Him from the dead. Please Jesus forgive me, for every sin I have ever committed or done in my heart, please Lord Jesus for give me and come into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior today. I need you to be my Father and my friend. I give you my life and ask you to take full control from this moment on; I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Announcements 7-29

  Have you ever imagined a better you?  God has a dream for you!  It's you restored to his original plan. Join us each Sunday Morning in Pastor Scott's Sunday School Class as we unpack what SoulShifts are with practical Biblical suggestions for life.  NEXT WEEK: SHIFT #1: ME TO YOU

WEE Praise  The children's choir, WEE Praise, will practice after the service on Sundays.  ALL children are encouraged to join.

Amanda Young's Wedding - Amanda Young is getting married in August.  If you would like to give Amanda a gift, Vicki sends the following information:  Amanda is registered at Belk's, Target, & Wal-Mart.  A few things they need are: Linen (Queen - Neutral Colors), Black/Glass Coffee Percolator, Gift Cards (Wal-Mart or Lowes) and Money.  DIRECTIONS TO AMANDA'S WEDDING ARE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD!!!

Homemade Ice Cream Fellowship - We will be having a Homemade Ice Cream, Desserts, and a lot of Fellowship after the service on Sunday Night, August 12th.  If you can make a freezer of ice cream or a dessert or bring what you wish, please see Phyllis Howard!  Thank You!

LBA Meeting - The meeting of the Local Board of Administration scheduled for this Tuesday has been postponed.  The meeting will be rescheduled sometime in August

Open Arms Food Pantry - The Open Arms Food Pantry needs your HELP!  
They need:

• Tuna
• Canned Fruit
• Peanut Butter
• Pasta Sauce
• Dry Spaghetti
• Beef Stew
• Cereal
• Oatmeal

Changing your legacy

After hearing the sermon on Sunday, one thought has obsessed my thoughts.



How do you change your legacy?


What if you legacy is addiction?  What if your legacy is neglect?  What if your legacy is ignorance?  What if it is something more subtle?  What if your legacy is stubborn pride?


How do you change your legacy?


In the sermon, we learned that we need to say what God wants us to say, to do what God wants us to do, to live as God wants us to live.  Honestly where I am right now with God, that's fine with me.  I will say that I often hesitate to the point of reticence, so God has to shove me into something.  Once I get that first shove, I'm all in and ready to go.  So I am not too worried about the legacy I am leaving.  I know if I keep following God, facing my weaknesses, and searching for Him above others I know my legacy will be fine.  I don't mean to downplay the difficulty of all that.  It has taken me years of struggle with God to get to this point.  It hasn't been easy.  If you are going through this, I would love to pray with you and for you.  I know myself and several other church members would love to answer any questions that you have and give encouragement.  Email us at srwcprayers@gmail.com.


The legacy that has been consuming my thoughts is the legacy given to me.  How do I change the legacy given to me?  How do I change the legacy that pervades my family?  If I am being really honest, I'm going to say that I don't think I can.  I don't feel powerful enough to change what has been given to me.  I am relatively comfortable changing what I am giving to the future generations.  I am not comfortable changing what has been given to me.  I suppose that the same advice applies.  We need to say what God wants us to say, to do what God wants us to do, to live as God wants us to live.  Saying what needs to be said might break a heart.  Can I do that?  Doing what needs to be done could break a belief in who they think you are? Can I do that?  Living as God wants me to live can make them uncomfortable with who I am?  Can I do that?


















In my strength, I can not.  With God's strength, I can.  And that is the key to it all.  Not me, but God.  

Thirty Days to Live / Message #3 sermon notes

July 22, 2012
Series: Thirty Days to Live / Message #3
Sermon: Leaving a Godly Legacy / 2 Tim 4:6
Pastor Scott Howard

Series passage:
"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.  My life is no longer than the width of my hand.  An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath."  --Psalm 39:4-5

Sermon passage:
"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure."
--2 Timothy 4:6

The importance of leaving a Godly Legacy:

In order to leave a Godly Legacy, we must...
1.  We're going to have to say the words that God wants us to say.
      -Express your words of love, wisdom, encouragement, etc. before it's too late!
"My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body."
---Proverbs 4:20-22  (Solomon to his son)

     If you only had 30 days to live and you're going to speak to those people who are most important to you, how would you finish this sentence?   "Above all else, here's what I want you to know..."

2.  We're going to have to do what God wants us to do.
     -What is your unfinished task, or assignment?
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me---the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."  ---Acts 20:24

3.  We're going to have to live how God wants us to live.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says." ---James 1:22
     -Let the Word change you.
     -Live by the convictions of God, instead of by your preferences. 

What is a conviction?  It is a belief on the inside that always shows up on the outside.

What is a preference?  It is a strong desire which you will compromise when the cost becomes too high. 

So, to leave a Godly legacy we must...
Say....Do....Live....right!  

John 1:6-18 John The Baptist

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 1:6-18

The John that is mentioned here is not the author, but someone else. This John is John the Baptist. He was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus. He lived in the desert and made his clothing out of camels hair. Doesn't sound like someone you would give the time of day, does it? Let alone go out of your way to hear speak, but people would show up by the thousands. They would come out to hear him speak about the coming Messiah. I guess you could say he was the Billy Graham of his day. So when he pointed to Christ and said, "This is the guy!" you would think most people would have been falling over themselves to meet Christ. Just the opposite. People looked at Jesus and said, "This guy? The carpenters boy? He is no savior. No King of Kings. I am sure some of the people followed him, but verse 11 says, "the world did not recognize him." But verse 12 tells us that to all who believe He gave the right to become children of God. Verses 16 tells us that out of his fullness we receive blessing on top of blessing. Wow. What a loving Father we have!

Do you have the Light of the world in your life, or is your world dark? If you would like to know Jesus and God the father, please pray the following prayer. Or, you can contact me and I will more than happy to pray with you.

Heavenly Father, have mercy on me, a sinner. I believe in you and that your word is true. I believe the Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that he died on the cross so that I may now have forgiveness for my sins and eternal life. I know that without you in my heart my life is meaningless. I believe in my heart that you, Lord God, raised Him from the dead. Please Jesus forgive me, for every sin I have ever committed or done in my heart, please Lord Jesus for give me and come into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior today. I need you to be my Father and my friend. I give you my life and ask you to take full control from this moment on; I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Announcements 7-22

  Have you ever imagined a better you?  God has a dream for you!  It's you restored to his original plan. Join us each Sunday Morning in Pastor Scott's Sunday School Class as we unpack what SoulShifts are with practical Biblical suggestions for life.


Prayer List - If you have a name to be added to our Prayer List, please place the name in the Prayer Box on the table outside the Nursery.  Names may be added to the Prayer List at any time.  Please note that names in the "OTHERS" category will be taken off the first Sunday of each month unless you indicate that you want them to remain on the list.

BYF Outing - On Saturday, July 28th the Best Years Fellowship will be going to Shatley Springs for lunch.  We will meet at the church at 10:15AM.  If you are 55 years or older and would like to go, please see Betty Richards or Barbara Cannon.  We need to know if you are going no later than Wednesday, July 25th.

Amanda Young's Wedding - Amanda Young is getting married in August.  If you would like to give Amanda a gift, Vicki sends the following information:  Amanda is registered at Belk's, Target, & Wal-Mart.  A few things they need are: Linen (Queen - Neutral Colors), Black/Glass Coffee Percolator, Gift Cards (Wal-Mart or Lowes) and Money.


Homemade Ice Cream Fellowship - We will be having a Homemade Ice Cream, Desserts, and a lot of Fellowship after the service on Sunday Night, August 12th.  If you can make a freezer of ice cream or a dessert or bring what you wish, please see Phyllis Howard!  Thank You!


Open Arms Food Pantry - The Open Arms Food Pantry needs your HELP!  
They need:

• Tuna
• Canned Fruit
• Peanut Butter
• Pasta Sauce
• Dry Spaghetti
• Beef Stew
• Cereal
• Oatmeal

Open Arms Food Pantry Board of Directors - The following people are presently serving on the Open Arms Food Pantry Board of Directors:

• Charles Hawkins - Director
• David Deitz - Assistant Director
• Betty Richards - Secretary
• Janie Carter - Treasurer 
• Pastor Charles Patton - Operations Manager
• Members-At-Large: James Cannon, Debbie Dellinger, Jeff McFarlin

Where's Our Treasure?

                                                   Photo Credit: Alex Setzer

Matthew 6:19-21 has always proved to be a challenging few passages for me personally, and I imagine most people as well. So not surprisingly, I also found this portion of Pastor Scott's sermon challenging and a bit convicting. This is challenging for us on many levels. First of all, being that we are born into sin, that also comes with it an innately natural self-centered nature. Quite simply, we are born selfish. It's not until we are taught/parented differently that we learn differently. Much the same way, it isn't until we put our faith and complete trust in Jesus Christ that we begin to see the "big picture" and begin to think with a heavenly perspective. This also presents another set of challenges to those who may not be "big picture" type of thinkers.

Our relationships with our peers, neighbors, family, co-workers, friends, and so forth prove vital in how we often measure value. When we see another person with a better job, better car, bigger house, and whatnot, it is natural to covet these things. Just as if we were fortunate enough to be that person on the perch who may be "better off," it would be natural to think less of someone not as fortunate. These feelings may be natural, but don't mistake that for approval. This is precisely why we need God to look at these situations with the eyes and heart of Jesus. Through Him, we can train ourselves to respond naturally with a Christ-like attitude.

So when we have thankful hearts for what we do have rather than focusing on what someone else may have, we are storing up our treasures in heaven. When we look at someone not as well off as equal or even greater than us in certain areas, we are storing up our treasures in heaven. When we respond to harsh words, hurtful accusations, rumors, etc. with a loving response and prompt forgiveness, we are storing up our treasures in heaven.

So how do we respond to what we have read and heard about this week? In what areas can we die to ourselves and shift our focus from the temporary and wordly to the eternal and heavenly? In what ways can we give more of our time, talents and devotion to the Lord?

Thirty Days to Live / Message #2 Sermon Notes

July 15, 2012
Sermon Notes
Series: "Thirty Days to Live" / Message #2
"The Treasure of an Eternal Perspective"
Matthew 6:19-34
Pastor Scott Howard

Series Passage: "Lord remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.  My life is no longer than the width of my hand.  An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath."  ---Psalm 39:4-5

Sermon Passage: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  ---Matthew 6:19-21

• Where is your treasure?

The greek word for treasure is THESAUROS, meaning deposit or wealth; the place where good and precious things are collected.

• Where are you putting your Best, your Energy, your Wealth, your Resources, your Time?

Three Internal Promises:

1. I must guard against materialism. 

Luke 12:15--- "Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'"

What is the measure of your happiness?  Do things measure happiness, money, family, hobbies?  Just keep yourself in check and make sure you are "rich" in the right things, the things that really matter, (earthly realm, or heavenly realm?).

   2.    I will be generous

• Radically generous, Agressively generous, Extravagantly generous.  (with time, focus, love, hope, etc.)
• You cannot love without giving
• What does love do? Love Gives:  John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave..."
• We give our lives.  It's the only reasonable response to what Christ gave.
• If you don't give to God, you don't love God.  (time, energy, gifts, ambitions, dreams, life, etc.)
• We can give to people who are in need:  Matthew 25:35, 40 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in....I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
• Give, because we can't keep it, or take it with us when our life on this earth is over.

   3.   God help me to focus on what matters

• People matter

Announcements 7-15

  Have you ever imagined a better you?  God has a dream for you!  It's you restored to his original plan. Join us each Sunday Morning in Pastor Scott's Sunday School Class as we unpack what SoulShifts are with practical Biblical suggestions for life.


KID'S Camp - Sr. group - July 22-25 & Jr. group - July 25-27.  Any questions see Phyllis Howard


Prayer List - If you have a name to be added to our Prayer List, please place the name in the Prayer Box on the table outside the Nursery.  Names may be added to the Prayer List at any time.  Please note that names in the "OTHERS" category will be taken off the first Sunday of each month unless you indicate that you want them to remain on the list.

BYF Outing - On Saturday, July 28th the Best Years Fellowship will be going to Shatley Springs for lunch.  We will meet at the church at 10:15AM.  If you are 55 years or older and would like to go, please see Betty Richards or Barbara Cannon.  We need to know if you are going no later than Wednesday, July 25th.

Being ALL in

                                                        Photo Credit: Alex Setzer

On Wednesday in the sermon notes, we found out God's assignment for us.  Wherever you are, be ALL there.  The great commission obviously tells us what Jesus wants us to do.  In order to do that, we have to be aware of where we are and with whom we are visiting.  In today's society, it is much easier to be in two places.  I can physically be in my house, but via the Internet I can also be hanging out with a few friends.  I can physically be at a restaurant with family, but via Twitter I can be in a stadium watching a game.  I can physically be at work, but via text message I can be gossiping with a friend.

Those examples and so many more scratch the surface of this fast paced constantly connected society in which we live.  We work more hours often doing more than our job description says.  We have a phone, type writer, and computer in our pockets all the time.  We can communicate with someone sitting beside us or someone across the world.  There are certainly many advantages to that, but one big disadvantage is that we are always connected.  How can we possibly be all there in one place when we are on our computer, or our laptop, or our cellphone, or our tablet computer?  How can we possibly be all there in a conversation if we are watching TV?

Those questions cut me pretty deep because I am an offender.  I hear my phone ding and I want to go check it, instead of leaving it alone and staying with the group.  I am waiting in a lobby or waiting room and I check Twitter or Facebook, instead of talking to the person next to me and looking for teachable moment given to me by God.  At home, I turn the TV on before I get in the floor to play with my son.  With so many distractions, it is not easy to focus and stay right where we are.  When we focus where we are at, it is much easier to do something instead of just thinking about it.  We can turn our intentions into actions when we focus on where we are.  Let's make sure that we are doing what God wants us to be doing and not distracting ourselves with unnecessary things.

Thirty Days to Live Message #1 - This is THE day

Text: Psalm 39:4-5 & James 4:13-17
Date : July 8, 2012
Pastor Scott

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be." ---Psalm 39:4a
How would our lives be different if we recognize our time on earth is short?

We are going to ask God to...


Turn when into now.
        Not, "When I get..., then I will..."  Do it now.
        God's assignment: Wherever you are, be ALL there
        "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." -- Psalm 118:24
        "Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring forth." --Proverbs 27:1

Turn our intentions into actions.
        What are your good intentions that God wants you to do, but you have not done it yet?
        There is power when you do what God has put on your heart.
        "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." --James 4:17
        "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act." --Proverbs 3:27

We are going to turn our whole heart toward Jesus.
        We have just a little bit of Jesus, like flu shots, to keep us from really getting him all over us.
        "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." --Mark 12:34

Announcements 7-8

  Coming in JULY to Pastor Scott's Sunday School Class.  Make your plans now to be a part of this TRANSFORMATIONAL study.


KID'S Camp - Sr. group - July 22-25 & Jr. group - July 25-27.  Any questions see Phyllis Howard



Prayer List - If you have a name to be added to our Prayer List, please place the name in the Prayer Box on the table outside the Nursery.  Names may be added to the Prayer List at any time.  Please note that names in the "OTHERS" category will be taken off the first Sunday of each month unless you indicate that you want them to remain on the list.

BYF Outing - On Saturday, July 28th the Best Years Fellowship will be going to Shatley Springs for lunch.  We will meet at the church at 10:15AM.  If you are 55 years or older and would like to go, please see Betty Richards or Barbara Cannon.  We need to know if you are going no later than Wednesday, July 25th.

Changing our world

  Photo Credit: Cea.

The idea we were left with from Wednesday's sermon notes is that it starts with us.  It starts in our house and with our family.  It starts in our churches and with our communities.  When you look at the problems that our nation faces, it seems overwhelming.  When you see the problems our nation is causing and/or not fixing in the world, it is overwhelming.  How can we change these things?  How can we here in Hickory, NC change human trafficking in the world?  How can we here in Hickory, NC heal the wounds caused by war?  How can we here in Hickory, NC make people realize how much they really matter?  How can we here in Hickory, NC help people make better decisions?

Start with you!


Take time out of your day to be quiet with God.  Pray.  Read your Bible.  Journal.  Whatever will get you quiet and focused on God.  You need to find who He is to you and who He should be to you.  You need to find out who you think you are and who he thinks you are.  You can not possibly change the world without God directing your life and working through your life.  You can't change your house, your family, your church, or your community if you don't change yourself first.

As Christians we need to be regularly evaluating our relationship with God and evaluating who he has called us to be.  If we are holding on to old pain, old guilt, old anger, old success, or a number of other things, we have no room for new to come in.  We have no room for the new success, for the new joys, for the new desires, and new goals.  We know spring cleaning is good for our houses and garages, but do we clean ourselves out ever so often?

Change the world by growing yourself closer to God.  As you grow closer to him, you will find Him calling you to give up the old to gain the new.  You will find him calling you to new places and new things of which you never thought yourself capable.  He will make you capable.  He will make you new.  Then He will equip you to go change the world.

Sermon Notes July 1, 2012

July 1, 2012
Pastor Scott Howard

Our American Heritage
A call to preserve the Christian principles which were the basis on which our country and its government was founded.

Psalms 44:1
"We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago."

What was the basis of American Independence?

"The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity."----"It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty."
---John Adams

"A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do."
---Woodrow Wilson

Have we forgotten Who has blessed us?  Why we fled an oppressive government and founded one based on the principles found in the Gospel?

The first case in which the US Supreme Court ruled (voluntary) prayer in schools unconstitutional was with Engel vs. Vitale in 1962, even though evidence of polls at the time showed 97% of Americans believed in God and practiced religion.  The US Supreme Court ruled with a very low 3%.  The simple, voluntary prayer that was in question was:

"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country."

The court did not see the other side of this ruling as denying many children the right to participate in the spiritual heritage of our country. 

We have been made to believe that the phrase "separation of church and state" is part of our constitution, when, in fact, it is not.  It comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to a committee of the Danbury Baptist Association after the committee had written to the then president.  In the letter, Jefferson was assuring the people that American legislature would not declare one national Christian denomination, but that  the American people would be free to worship their Creator in a manner that was between them and God.  (precisely why America wanted independence to begin with).

The actual phrasing of the first ammendment to the Bill of Rights is, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"  It does not speak of separating church and state.  Yet this phrase is used time and time again, out of context. 

The moment America banned prayer in schools, we told God we did not need Him in our schools, in our lives, in our families or in our nation.  As a result, God has said, "OK."  He is not a pushy God, He will not force Himself on his children. 

Since 1962 (Engel v. Vitale) statistics in every moral sin have increased. 
This effects our youth: more teen pregnancies, pre-marital sex, sexual diseases.
This effects our families: US is #1 in divorce, 1/3 of all births are out of wedlock resulting in broken families.
This effects our schools: academics is declining, violence at schools, test scores keep falling
This effects our nation: US is #1 in violent crime, illegal drug use

These are the 4 areas the simple prayer above asked blessings upon.

The generations that have grown up since America has continually renounced its spiritual heritage have not been adequately taught about that heritage. 

Proverbs 18:1
"A man who isolates himself seeks his own desires; he rages against all wise judgement."

So what do we do? We start with ourselves, we start in our homes, we start in our churches, and in our communities.  We follow the command of our sovereign and loving Heavenly Father, and wait for His promise:

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
II Chronicles 7:14

Annoncement 7-1

Wednesday Night Video:  This Wednesday, July 4^th, we will be showing the video “the Spiritual Heritage of the US Capitol” and spending time in prayer for our country

Open Arms Food Pantry Report for June:

                Total pounds of food donated by the church:                         37.8

                Total pounds of food purchased by the pantry:                    130.2

                                                                                                           168

                Total pounds of food distributed:                                          374.4

                Total number of families helped in June:                               12

                Total number of people helped in June:                                38

  Coming in JULY to Pastor Scott's Sunday School Class.  Make your plans now to be a part of this TRANSFORMATIONAL study.


Men's Prayer Breakfast - All men are invited to join us on Sunday Morning, July 8th @ 8:30 AM for the Men's Prayer Breakfast


YOUTH Camp - "FLIPSIDE" - this year's Youth Camp will be held July 8-13.  Any questions see Pastor Drew.


KID'S Camp - Sr. group - July 22-25 & Jr. group - July 25-27.  Any questions see Phyllis Howard