The Weekend and other Miscellaneous bits...

I'm looking forward to the weekend. (And not because it's Super Bowl weekend.) Today is my birthday, so what I've asked for is... a family night. It will be a good night at home. I have a suspicion that my wife is cooking some of her ought-to-be famous shrimp and grits, and Emily is cooking me a made-from-scratch cheesecake. We will probably play a game or maybe watch "Secretariat". I have a little bit of a surprise for them, maybe.

This morning started off bad/good. In my quiet time this morning I prayed for Bill Helms, a godly older man in our church. I knew he was close to passing away. I felt the Lord remind me during my prayer time that If Bill died today, he was going to have a much better weekend than me. His wife called about an hour later to share with me that he had just passed.

Tomorrow, Donna and I are going to go out, something we rarely do on Saturdays. For Christmas I had purchased cooking classes for her. That was the one thing I knew she needed least but would enjoy the most. So that is our date tomorrow, taking a cooking class together. Ironically, Jeff and Angela Salyer are going with us. Angela is the second least likely person in the world to need cooking classes. It will be interesting. Maybe Donna and Angela can just teach the class. Jeff and I can handle the eating.

I've been mum on my sermon focus this Sunday because this is going to be one of those difficult messages, but it is important, and I am ready to preach it. It's messages like these that will have the least positive-feedback, but perhaps the most significant impact.

We've got some new church members coming over for lunch Sunday and maybe also some prospects. Still mulling over my Super Bowl plans...

It will be a great weekend!

Noel

P.S.
The Pletchers, some friends who have been in Ukraine for the past two months trying to adopt three little kids, finally return to Ohio tonight. I think they are scheduled to land at CMH at 10:15 p.m.. I can't wait to meet their new children!

A Good Start

Yesterday had a great start and a great finish. I'll tell you a little about the start here and I'll fill you in on the finish in my next post.

Yesterday was day one of our Tuesday morning men's Connect Group for the Summer semester. Things went well. All the men shared some personal prayer needs and we prayed individually for each of those needs. We also began to look at the Genesis story of the life of Joseph. I can't wait to see what the Lord will do through these 15 weeks.

-----

Today I will be preaching at Violet Conners' funeral. I sat down yesterday with her husband and their three adult children. I've got to say there have been few times I've been with families that seem as close and as supportive of each other as them. I am actually looking forward to the funeral today. It will be a real celebration of Vi's life.

Pastor Noel

Upcoming Week

It is going to be a busy week but I had a refreshing time with the Lord this morning so I am ready...

This morning is the Heartbeats Golf Tournament. That is an annual event where we try to raise a little money for Heartbeats, a great organization that helps women in crisis situations, and have a little fun as well. Looks like it is going to rain all morning, so I don't know what that is going to do to the schedule.

I will be preaching a funeral at 1:00 p.m. today. The funeral is for someone I never met. These kinds of funerals can be difficult. Pray that I will have wisdom.

A couple of meetings this afternoon, and I hope to get a little bit of a jump on message prep this week since we are starting a new PM series.

Here is what I'm praying for this week...

... Some decisions about construction plans for preschool facility...
... Connect Ministry: The new semester begins Sunday...
... PM Series. I'll blog more on this tomorrow.
... Youth Ministry: Troy and I will be working together this week...
... New Member Class on Wednesday night...

Pastor Noel

How To Know What Is Right

How do you know what is 'right'? The first answer that comes to the minds of most believers is, "You look to Scripture. If it is forbidden, then it is wrong. If not, then it is fine." That simple answer is sufficient much of the time, but not always.

What about doing something that is not forbidden in Scripture but really irks the conscience of another believer? Should we be sensitive to the views and sensitivities of other believers even when those views are not expressly supported in Scripture? Should I be sensitive to how others around me were raised and taught through the years?

There is not always a clear, black and white line when it comes to these kinds of issues. The wisest course of action is usually to be humble, and sensitive and ever-mindful of Philippians 2:3 (Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself).

In my quiet time today I read something that got me to thinking about this...

Acts 15:19-20 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

These are the words of James as he comments on what instructions should be given to the new gentile Christians. Does something seem strange about these instructions? Why were they told to abstain from things polluted by idols, from things strangled, and from blood? Is it a sin to partake of those things?

No, it is not a sin to partake of those things (and other Scripture passages confirm this). These instructions were given as a compromise. The Jewish believers wanted the gentiles to understand that they were saved by grace through faith, not by keeping the Jewish law. But they also wanted the Gentile believers to be sensitive to the way most Jewish believers lived (their lifestyle) and the way they were raised (their background).

There are a couple lessons here that I need to be reminded of often...

First, I need to be sensitive to the fact that some believers were raised with certain traditions and mores that I was not. I should be careful to not offend their sensitivities unnecessarily. I need to remember that it is not all about my rights; it is all about love.

Second, I need to remember that I was raised with certain traditions and I live a certain lifestyle that works for me. I shouldn't expect everyone to conform to my lifestyle and traditions. The model is not me, it is Scripture.

--------------------------------------------------

Pray for me, I've got a funeral today. Difficult situation.

I'm looking forward to worship tomorrow. If you want to read ahead, read and study through Psalm 1.

Pastor Noel