September 6, 2009
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him.
It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preacher’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. He then sat back in his chair, still silent.
The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow, and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.
The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.
July 29, 2008
Our Priorities
Where does God rank on your list of priorities?
If God is your #1 priority, how are you showing it?
Can others see that God is your #1 priority?
Where would God place Himself on your list of priorities?
Use the space below to think about your priorities, how they should beranked and how they are actually ranked.
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Sunday, June 22
Potato Head Family
As I was pondering what to write for this week’s bulletin, I was look around our office and noticed Bethany’s Potato Head Family. With the exception of Mr. Potato Head, the entire family’s eyes are looking upward and their hands spread wide. As I looked at these classic toy characters, I realized something; their eyes are fixed towards Heaven. They will always be looking upward.
Inspiration can come from anywhere if we will just take the time to look around. This family of inanimate toys can give us inspiration if we’ll just take the time to apply what see and learn from these spuds.
Are our eyes fixed towards Heaven? Are we constantly looking to God with our arms spread wide as if to say, “Here I am Lord, may your will be done in my life.” There is a song in our song book, 983, that beautifully states this idea of having our eyes on Jesus. Although it is a one line song, it portrays exactly what we should be doing on a daily basis.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace.”
Sunday, June 1
Practicing What We Preach
Over the course of the next three months, we are going to be very busy. Three of our biggest events of the year are all in June, July and August. June 8 is homecoming. This is a very special day for those life-long members of Pleasant View, as well as for those who were raised here and have since moved away.
July 20-24 is our Vacation Bible School. This is perhaps our busiest time of the year. It is during VBS that this many people work the hardest together. VBS is special for the children of our community as well as the adult members at Pleasant View. I think at times, the adults have just as much fun with VBS as the kids.
And as tradition would have it, the second full week in August is reserved for our Gospel Meeting. Ben Flatt, of Henderson, TN, will be speaking for us this year. His theme is “The Words Written in Red.” He will be speaking on truth, salvation, out reach and relationships all found in the words of Christ, the “words in red.”
This is a busy time of year, but it could be the most fruitful time of year for the Lord’s church if we all work together. Homecoming, VBS and a Gospel Meeting are only as successful as the preparation which goes into them. I don’t think we expect Brother Flatt to come, preach and all of Slullbone respond. It is up to us as individuals to prepare the way for Brother Flatt. If we don’t reach out, then he will only be another visiting preacher.
The same is true of VBS. If we just “wing it,” then we will flop on our face. VBS takes much preparation and thought. However, if we don’t do our part to reach out to the children of the community, as well as their parents, then all our hard work will be in vain.
The events we are planning over the course of the next three months are not for us as members of Pleasant View. These are evangelistic efforts to reach the lost. However, if we don’t search for the lost, we’ll never find them. Let’s all work as hard as we can to make the events of the next few months a great success for the Lord’s church.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
What Does It Mean to Worship God?
When we think of “worship,” we think of that period of time from 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Sunday mornings and from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings, and the aspects which are included in worship. However, are we truly worshipping God?
Unger’s Bible Dictionary defines “worship” as this: “The act of paying honor to a deity; religious reverence and homage” (p. 1371). Notice an observation Unger makes about worship:
“It is as natural to worship as it is to live. The feeling and expression of high adoration, reverence, trust, love, loyalty, and dependence upon a higher power, human or divine, is a necessity to man” (p. 1371).
Therefore, a few questions should naturally be asked. In what are you putting your trust? To whom or to what are you loyal? Are you more loyal to your job than you are to God? Do you fully depend on God for everything?
When we come to worship God in a corporate setting on a weekly basis, our full and undivided attention should be on our God; not on others around you, not on the children beside you, nor on your busy schedule for the day and/or week. If we are not giving God our undivided attention while we worship Him, then we are not truly worshipping Him. Let us, this day, strive to worship God with our heart, mind, body and soul, as it is His day.
