December 30

This coming Sunday is a very special day to me on many different levels.
First of all it is the day Melissa and I will celebrate 7 years of marriage. I thank God she has had the gumption to stay by my side through these years of ministry. Secondly it is my 35th birthday. (Man am I getting old!) The third reason is we will be participating in the Lord's Supper and a baptismal service. What a blessing and privilege. And lastly on Sunday night we will have our annual Chili cook-off at 6pm. Come be apart of a wonderful day. Happy New Year.

Serving Him,
Pastor Mike

Are you up for it?

When I was in my first year of seminary my evangelism class was issued a challenge by Dr. Reid to read through the bible in a year. I had never even attempted it before then, but I agreed to take the challenge. I did it and have done it one other time since then. It is a great blessing to read through all of God's Word in one years time. For 2008 that will be 366 days, leap year. I am issuing a challenge to my church and to you too, are you up for it, will you commit with me to read through the entire bible in 2008? Let me know if you are willing to take the challenge.

There are "One Year" bibles in every translation if you want to do it that way. That is what I am going to do. I have a One Year bible in the NLT, and I am going to use it. It has a reading from the OT, NT, Psalm and Proverbs every day. Doing it this way you read through the OT & NT once, Psalms twice and Proverbs once a month. There are also read schedules that you can use with a bible you already have; they tell you what chapters to read each day. Do a google search and you can find one.

Merry Christmas.
Pastor Mike

Reading from my devotional

"Living the Gentle Life"
Ps 73:23-24

As a disciple of Jesus Christ I am committed to live the "gentle" life. The words of the psalmist, "Thy gentleness makes me great" (Ps 18:35), are no idle remark. It is through gentleness that God develops strong saints. Jesus Christ made it clear in His Sermon on the Mount that gentleness was expected of His followers; hence, the other cheek, the second mile, and the coat as well as the shirt (Mt. 5:39-41). Jesus became the best example of His own teaching when He stood before Pilate, condemned by lies; yet He offered no resistance and submitted His case to God the Father.

Jesus teaches me that the gentle way is the way of victory. I am not to push, make exertions, be ambitious or aggressive. I must never resort to the sword or the fist to gain my ends; nor must I resort to legal undertaking, because I must be willing to suffer loss, if necessary, as Christ did. Naturally, I will be taken advantage of, as God's people have been in all ages. "For they sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter" (Rom. 8:36). Nevertheless, by being gentle I am actually pleading my case before God; by acting the way He wants I am placing the responsibility of my welfare on Him. He is able to help.

The gentle life is the most difficult to live because it is not natural. Further, we have been taught to "stand up for your rights," "assert yourself," "be your own person," until the gentle life seems almost like heresy. We Christians, like the world, are sometimes shameful in pulling strings, politicking, and using influence and other carnal ways to reach our goals. How can we be so unlike Him who "when he suffered, he made no threats" (1 Peter 2:23)? He was the true Gentleman, and He wants me to be like Him so that I can say, "Thy gentleness hath made me great" (Ps. 18:35). -W. Glyn Evans Daily with the King: 366 Daily Devotions (December 15)

Thought you might be encouraged; I know I was.

Serving Him,
Pastor Mike

The Last One

This coming Sunday morning I am preaching the last sermon in the series "The Characters of Christmas." I will be preaching on the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am planning on using John 1:14-18 as my focal text. Please pray as I prepare (and I will be praying too).

I am excited about our PM service as well. We are planning on showing the movie "The Nativity Story" and then singing some Christmas carols by candle light. I know that this will be a great and special time in our lives and the life of our church, please don't miss it.

Christmas is upon us, and right now it feels like Christmas time. Winter has come upon us here in Florida, and from watching a little football on Sunday it is everywhere. Melissa, Morgan and I are headed back to the Carolina's for a few days. It will be nice to see family and friends, eat, sleep and play a little golf. My father-in-law has taken up the game so I get to play twice. Once in Fayetteville and once in Pageland. This is gonna be an excellent Christmas.

One of my favorite times during Christmas is the time right before the exchanging of gifts. Our family takes an excellent gift and talk about the most excellent gift. We take a BIBLE and read the story of the earthly birth of God the Son, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel... Before we give gifts to each other we remember the gift God gave us through His Son Jesus. God gave us the gift of eternal life (John 3:16). I hope you take the time to do the same thing this Christmas with your family. It will make the time together that much more special. Have a Mary Christmas!

Serving Him,
Pastor Mike

Just sittin' here in the office

I am sitting here in my office on this beautiful day in Florida. (I wish I was fishing or playing golf, but the work must be done.) I will probable be AWOL until the first of the year, but I did want to wish anyone who stops by a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I pray you keep Christ in the center of your Christmas this year and every day you breathe. "And God bless us everyone." Tiny Tim

Serving Him,
Pastor Mike

PS. I will be preaching my final message in the series The Characters of Christmas on December 23. I will be preaching on Jesus. "Let us go and see this thing that has been told us..." the Shepherds