VBS

This Saturday kicks off the VBS at Southside Baptist Church for this year. We will kick off with a Luau at the church property on Highway 97 just past the airport next to the L&L store. It should be a great time of learning God's Word and just old fashion fun. Free hotdogs, chips and snacks for all.

Pray that this year will be especially blessed. In recent years there hasn't been much parcipitation, as we have been told. Nonetheless, we are "preparing for rain" and are confident that God will make it a success. We have been in prayer, knocking on doors with handouts, advertising, and speaking to a large number of children and their parents in our neighborhood over the past two months. All have responded positively.

For us this VBS isn't about adding numbers to our church, it's about adding souls unto God. Come and join us this Saturday at 6:00.

Study Time

It is such sweetness for us to be able and to have the privledge to study God's Word. The more we study the more we know God. The most favorite time of our day is when we study God's Word and spend time in prayer. These times bring us such peace and we depend more and more on God for all things. Each time we study and meditate on scripture it brings more security, faith, patience, compassion and leaves us longing to learn more. The more we study and learn the more we realize that there is so much more to learn from the scripture. Eventhough we spend a great deal of time studying and meditating on God's Word we know that it is impossible to learn everything scripture teaches. The most we can do is to spend what time we have in this life learning what we can, as much as we can and savoring the sweetness of God's Word and praising God for this precious Book He has given to us that gives us so much direction, comfort, promice for things to come. But, more than that sharing what we learn with others so that they too may know God personally. This is our expected and reasonable service to God.

Scratching the Surface

Last night I went out to sit in my carport for about half an hour while having a conversation on the phone. When I came inside my dog was jumping up and down like he was so excited I was back. Being slightly annoyed at his energy late in the evening I asked my dog, "Why are you so excited to see me? It's not like I've been gone for hours." To my amazement my sweet daughter walked into the room explaining to me that since one year to us is like seven years to a dog the time I had spent outside, which was half an hour, was the same as three and a half hours to our dog. My daughter had obviously put some thought and meditation into the fact that she had learned.

Even though I had heard the fact of one year being equal to seven years to a dog. I never thought past that fact. How many times do we read our Bibles and accept what we read and believe what we read but just the surface of of what we read is as far as we go? Scripture tells us we are to meditate on the Word. Maybe if we spend more time meditating on what we read in the Bible we will do far more than scratch the surface and will grow in the Word and closer to God.

Preaching of God's Word

It has become exceeding more necessary of stressing the importance of listening to God's word. In my favorite links we have included some of our favorite sermons from pastors and evangelist we trust in preaching God's Word. We encourage all to listen to these sermons. These sermons have been a great help in learning and understanding scripture on a deeper level. Please leave a comment concerning any sermons you may listen to. We hope they help you grow in your walk with God.

Pew Warmers

I just got a new book by Gene Jackson called The Pew Warmers:Thorns Among The Wheat. I read an exerpt from the book on -line This book is written by a local person and is observations of how church participation has changed in his years in the ministry. It is available at a local store and on-line as well. Some of the subjects include; practice of religion as traditions within the church, the absence of Biblical teaching in churches, two lifestyles of church goers, motivations behind attending church,, and church goers unaware that they are unsaved.

I haven't started reading the book as of yet but I am sure that I will post my comments about it when I am finished. If you have read this book please let me know what you think.

Time With God

We spend a lot of time thinking about and discussing what we learn in Bible Study on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings. We both confess that we pray multiple times during the day. I have gotten to the place where I even ask God what to do in every situation and for every decision I have to make - even the simpliest of things. We look forward to each and every time we have extra Bible Study sessions. We have changed the types of movies we watch and the music we listen to. I don't think we have turned a radio in any of our automobiles from Christian music for the past four years. God has changed us so much. When we look back to how we used to be, it is almost inconceivable how we could have been that way. We don't discuss how we were before God changed us unless it is to witness to others what incredible things God has done for us. At times I get so overwhelmed and am filled with such emotion from what I see God do. He has been so good to us eventhough we don't deserve anything he does for us. We have problems to deal with just like everyone else, but now we have a peace within us knowing that God is in control. We're so glad he's in control. We're never alone. As long as we depend on him, he will never forsake us or leave us. We pray for the ones that don't depend on God in this way. You never know what God will do in your life until you surrender to him fully. If you want to be totally amazed and astonished, I pray that you too will surrender to God and let him show you all the plans he has planned for you once you do. Once you accept Christ as your Savior, pray and ask forgiveness of your sins; Hold on...Enjoy....Praise Him for all that he does. Stay in the Bible...Learn about Him....Trust Him....Submit yourself unto Him...you won't be disappointed.

What Does It Take To Get To Heaven?

I knock on doors every week to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I always ask, "What are you depending on to get you to Heaven?". I get a variety of answers. Most of the time, sad to say, it is not the same thing that the Bible says. I also ask, "If you were to die today, are you 100% sure that you would go to heaven?". Again, sad to say, most of the time the answer is they are less than 100% sure.

We need more people knocking on doors who know what the Bible says about salvation. Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin, died on the cross to pay for our sins, was buried and was raised the third day and is in heaven seated at the right hand of His Father. We need more people to spread this news that if we confess our sins to Christ, ask for forgiveness and repent for our sins, and ask Christ to be our Savior that we are made new creatures - and best of all - that Christ is coming back for us so we also may be in Heaven with Him and therefore escape the wrath of God and all the things that will come upon this earth.

If you believe these truths, are you knocking on doors? Are you spreading the gospel even if you are unable to knock on doors? Do you show the gospel in the way you live your lives? Do people who don't know you able to tell you are a child of God when they meet you?