You're In My Heart

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's missing church. Unfortunately, tomorrow I will be away for both services, but I have Rick Cope preaching both morning and afternoon services. What I miss most is not being able to meet the needs of the people. I know that each individual in our church has a different need and different questions they may have about their spiritual relationship with God. I don't like not being available in person, but I want you all to know that I will be available by phone and I encourage you to reach out to me with any questions you may have or if I can help you pray about anything. While out of town, I'll be picking up much needed accessories for our "treat bag" hand-out next Sunday. Don't forget that we still have a lot going on. Our Christmas dinner is scheduled for the 23rd of December at 11am. No Sunday School that morning and no afternoon service. The puppet team will be putting on their Christmas program on the 23rd so I would like to encourage everyone to come out and celebrate the birth of Christ with us. Remember that I miss you already and I'll be back soon. Keep our family in your prayers, as you will be in ours. I love you all and hope to see you soon. My cell phone number is 273-4186 if you need to call. Go with God and go with love, because God is love. God bless you all.

Church Sign Design

Notes from the Pulpit

Here are a few things for us to look at this week:

1. There is no service for Wednesday, November 21.
2. I received my acceptance letter this week from Clear Creek Bible College. Classes start in Jan. 2013.
3. The Thanksgiving Jubilee was amazing! We had such a good time, and I really appreciate everyone that pitched in cleaning the church and the fellowship hall. 
4. There's still work to be done. We will get together soon after the Thanksgiving holiday to do some repairs and painting.
5. Floors: There's still a decision to be made on what kind of flooring to put in the fellowship hall. Any input would be greatly appreciated. 
6. A new church sign will be ordered shortly. A design has been created and we will see how it goes. The new aluminum sign will replace the 200lbs rusted steel sign that is up.

Thanks everyone for all the hard work that has been put in to making God's house look better and feel like home. God will reward you for your efforts. God bless you all.

The Shadow

It's cold outside! The snow here in our part of Eastern Kentucky has our bones quivering. It always feels good to wrap up in a warm blanket, sit in our favorite chair, eat our favorite food, and just relax while time allows. The "Psalmist" knew about warmth and where to find it. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psa. 91:1. The loving arms of God is a great place to rest in. Have you ever felt like you wasn't as warm and cozy with God as you should be? When is the last time you dwelled in your secret place? Do you have a secret place? Alone time with God is critical to Christian growth. There are so many things that distract us during our everyday activities, so to have a place and time where you can be alone with God will be beneficial.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6 how to have that alone time, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Christ lets us know how important it is to have a place where we can be alone when we pray to God. Moses would go on the mountain away from the people so he could talk to God in private. It got him away from all the stress and complaints that the people would bring him. Your hiding place to talk with God will give you that warmth that you've been looking for. It allows for an intimate time with the Father and he will overshadow you with his love. How will you stay warm this winter?

Announcements from the Pulpit

You may have noticed that we haven't uploaded any podcasts recently. The computer at church is finally up and running and we will have more services to bring to you in the future. Tonight's message was about the faults of the Pharisees in Matthew 23. They wanted people's compliments, cared about the outward appearance, placed unnecessary burdens on the church, and taught one thing, but lived another. We can learn from their behaviors, as it was a guide to "what not to do". I hope you all have a blessed night and I want to leave you with our Announcements from the Pulpit:

1. Continue prayers for Billy Joe Fields, Clifford Halcomb, and Ralph Hall. 
2. Church service for Wednesday, October 31 has been moved to Tuesday, October 30 at 6:30 pm.
3. Puppet Show at Cloverlick Freewill Baptist Friday, October 26.  
4. Sunday, November 4 is our monthly Tri-City nursing home service at 4:45 pm. No 6:30 pm service at the church on that day.  
5. Sunday November 11 is Veterans Day! Puppets With a Purpose will be performing at our 6:30 pm worship service.  
6. November 16-18 at 6:30 pm is our annual Thanksgiving Jubilee. There will be no night service on the 18th.  
7. We understand that there will be a lot of people out of town for Thanksgiving so service for Wednesday, November 21 has been cancelled. 
8. Thanks everyone for their continued support and for you lifting me up with your prayers. God bless you all.

Continuing On....

Tomorrow we will resume "The 20 Blessings of Christ". We are working our way down the list to understanding what God has already blessed us with and being able to give thanks for those blessings. Most times, we think that are blessings should have a monetary value, but His blessing consist of what money can't buy and gives a greater satisfaction to our lives and a purpose. I can't wait for tomorrow. See you there! Sunday School at 10 am and Worship Service at 11am. The men will meet for prayer at 10:45 am in the Juniors Sunday School room.