May 14, 2008
Another of our great youth events, but all are welcome! We always have a great time, and more and more folks are visiting each Open Door. This time, for our music, we have an Avalanche Youth Conference favorite, Eleventhour. A great band! Food, fun, music, games/video games, an inspirational message, and always something zany and wild! The event starts at 7pm and ends at 11pm.
May 14, 2008
May 10, 2008
…and we miss them…
May 8, 2008
A Starbucks franchise inside a church?
http://www.mommylife.net/archives/2006/07/christian_mater.html
May 1, 2008
There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his freshman year, regardless of his or her major.
Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery.
Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.
This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going on to seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.
One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. “How many push-ups can you do?”
Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”
“200? That’s pretty good, Steve,” Dr. Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300?”
Steve replied, “I don’t know…. I’ve never done 300 at a time.”
“Do you think you could?” again asked Dr. Christianson.
“Well, I can try,” said Steve.
“Can you do 300 in sets of ten? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,” said the professor.
Steve said, “Well… I think I can…yeah, I can do it.”
Dr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.”
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’s class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?”
Cynthia said, “Yes.”
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”
“Sure!” Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut?”
Joe said, “Yes.”
Dr. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?”
Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.
Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.
When the professor asked, “Scott do you want a donut?” Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own push-ups?”
Dr. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.”
Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”
Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?”
With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.
Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!”
Dr. Christianson said, “Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.
Now, by this time Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.
Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.
Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?”
Sternly, Jenny said, “No!”
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?”
Steve did ten….Jenny got a donut.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, “No!” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.
Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.
Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?”
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want.” And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!” Jason didn’t know what was going on.
Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.”
Professor Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?”
Steve said, “Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut.”
Dr. Christianson said, “Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?”
Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. “Yes,” he said, “give me a donut.” ”Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?”
Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift him against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular.
Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a donut?”
Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”
Professor Christianson quietly asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?”
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.
Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?”
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. “Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?”
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me
that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.”
“Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?”
As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, ‘Into Thy hands I commend My spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.”
Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.
“Well done, good and faithful servant,” said the professor, adding, “Not all sermons are preached in words.”
Turning to his class, the professor said, “My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid.”
“Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?”
April 29, 2008
When the tragedy is told in common news headlines, we feel disappointed, momentarily depressed, disgusted perhaps. But the day goes on, and we soon forget.
When the tragedy occurs to someone you work with and see every day, it does something else. The tragedy changes you–you can’t forget, your heart goes out, the depression is prolonged. It has struck close to home–you perceive the reality of the flesh that has been impacted by the tragedy. This is not just a passive event on the morning television news, this has happened to someone in your midst.
Friday afternoon in the break room, she asked another co-worker where he went to church. Less than a day later, her life was forever changed. Interesting, interesting.
Pray for her. Pray for her son who has departed. Pray for her other son, who has taken the younger son’s life, and the lives of three others in the family. Pray for the shattered lives and ruined potential. Pray that there is remorse, redemption, and salvation somewhere in this whole confusing and traumatic event.
Please pray for her, the mother, who has to endure the immense pain of losing one son to death, and another to justice. Pray for those who know her, and know her heart.
May she know that, like us, when it strikes close to home, as has this tragedy, that home is a place where the accepting, forgiving, and loving reside, such as those we share an office building with.
April 28, 2008
Please forgive the low, cellphone-quality pictures below:
Sid Emory, who moves to Dallas Theological Seminary the day after tomorrow with wife Stacy, and children Wes, Will and Bonnie, is no stranger to the toils of moving. Here, he is helping the SOS Ministry pack up and move to a better facility, one of many ways that LRCC has helped out in the community over the past year.
The Easter Service was a beautiful morning ”journey” filled with music, a three-station walk along the new LRCC Walking Trail; and finally Communion and music. Joe presented the monologue “The Thief at the Cross” at Station 1; in the first two pictures David Butler is telling the story of Jesus at the well (Station 2, “The Spring”); and in the last pic Sid Emory manned Station 3, “The Prayer Garden,” where we quietly introspected on our sins, wrote one of them down, and symbolically destroyed the sin, by casting it into a fire.
One of our favorite events, which we still talk about today, is the Christmas party for several children at Plain Elementary. We provided pizza, snacks, drinks, Christmas gifts, and LOVE.
The day before we dedicated the trail, I ran into the kind of guy not many of us want to meet. If you look closely, you’ll spot our friend Jake. His head is poking out beneath the left side of the log, and his body is in plain view on the right. After I climbed back out of the tree, I took this picture, and my sons chased him off.
We know no borders. Even though Plain Elementary is all the way out in Simpsonville, Candace Forrester’s mother provided several hundred special, crocheted Easter candy holders to children and faculty there. Here Ashleigh and David hold up a thank-you poster from the school.
We didn’t plan it, God must have. Through some strange events, Joe Beineke was looking up places to stay at the beach, and was attracted to Sunset Beach, NC. A few minutes later, Stacy Emory talked with Vickie Beineke over the phone with a glowing endorsement of Sunset Beach (with no prompting). We booked a stay without knowing whether the Emories had also done so; or if they had, when. Turns out we were there at the same time. We saw each other on the beach, ate out together at Calabash and elsewhere for ice cream, and one of our fondest memories of both Sunset Beach and the Emories will be when Sid, Wes, and Will showed three of us corn-fed, land-lubbing Hoosiers what crabbing is. Wes and Joe caught a prize-winner (and threw it back), and Chris and Will also caught several crabs, as well as catching some great views of the sunset over the marsh.
Three of the young people in this photo are being mentored by men from LRCC as part of the DJJ Youth Challenge Academy program. This program gives troubled youth a chance to straighten their lives out, and earn a GED, through a 22-week intensive boot camp at a National Guard facility, and a 52-week mentoring process afterward, back-home.
A rare treat. David Butler gave an inspiring and passionate sermon several weeks ago that still has us thinking about and discussing together.
Even in Winter, the scene is gorgeous. Below is the view along the stream that comes from the Spring. A bench to view this scene was prepared by Pete and Tammy Baker for us to enjoy, and although I call it “Pete’s Thinkin’ Place” it may just be as much Tammy’s (or if neither is around, I call it Joe’s). If you were to sit on the bench this was taken from now, you’ll notice a lot more lush, green vegetation, but sadly you’ll notice a significant run-off of clay sediment from construction of new roads mere yards from the spring’s source. Man’s encroachment, however, is only temporary at such a Godly, peaceful place.
April 28, 2008
“You don’t speak politely to a man that’s drowning.”
April 24, 2008
April 24, 2008
Mo 21Apr 7:15 TR First @ Truth Miss
Tu 29Apr 6:15 Renfrew @ Renfrew
Mo 05May 7:15 Woodside @ Berea
Mo 12May 7:15 Paris View @ Renfrew
Tu 13May 7:15 Wrenn @ Berea
Tu 20May 7:15 OLR @ Monaghan
Tu 27May 8:15 Summit View @ Berea
Mo 02Jun 6:15 Monaghan @ Monaghan
Tu 03Jun 7:15 Cherrydale @ Monaghan
Mo 09Jun 8:15 Truth Miss @ Berea
Tu 17Jun 6:15 Clearview @ Renfrew
Tu 24Jun 8:15 Forestville@ Truth Miss
April 23, 2008
April 20, 2008
Put Daddy back on your prayer list.
He has been blessed in that the cancer is getting smaller, but now the chemo is starting to weaken him. He goes tomorrow, April 21st, for 2 units of blood.
Pray for God’s will, nothing more, nothing less.
Thank you prayer partners. Go do spiritual warfare.
Tammy
April 12, 2008
Lake Robinson Community Church has opened a community walking trail to the public. Located on the 10 acre property at the church, the ‘1/2 mile of smiles’ also has a 1/3 of a mile trail. Defined by 3 stations, the half wooded, half open trail give a great place to observe nature at it’s finest.
Blackberries and muscadines will be available for picking, in season.
STATION 1- has a bench and 3 crosses for a time of reading, relaxing and reflecting.
STATION 2 -has a porch swing, child’s swing, benches and horseshoes. The natural spring give a peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world. We have also added 4 Grass Carp Fish to the spring. They are designed to eat algae and keep our spring clean. We had a hawk circling, so we hope they find a safe harbor under the rocks. (Swim fishes, swim)
STATION 3- gives a great place to get in touch with your Creator. The Prayer Garden is a quite place to pray and reflect.
YOU ARE INVITED AND WELCOME. Enjoy!!!
For more information contact me Tammy Baker @ lakerobinsoncc@wmconnect.com
Located on Locust Hill Road, (A.K.A. Hwy 290) 1 mile past the Lil Rebel Restaurant.
3075 Locust Hill Road Taylors, South Carolina 29687
(864) 430-0839
Church meets every Sunday at 10:30am. Come as you are.
April 8, 2008
April 8, 2008
Listen to me closely, lend me your ear
The substance of my statement lets you know I’m sincere
Government officials, shapers of the land
I’ve got to to tell you something you need to understand
You can’t take God away from me
You can take my life, my land, my liberty
Lock me up, I’ll still be free
‘Cause you can’t take God from me
You can take God out of the law
You can make me listen to ya’ll
You can take God out of the start
But you can’t take God out of my heart.
~ Can’t Take God Away
By Audio Adrenaline
April 7, 2008
April 3, 2008
It comes quicker than you expect, it feels different from inside than it looks like outside and you can fight it, kicking and screaming or accept it with grace, but we are all on the same rollercoaster when it comes to age. In 370 days, a half century is coming, whether I like it or not and I must say, I am more excited than dreading the day. I was re reading Rick Warrens explaination of life, and I have a different outlook. It seems we are alway waiting for things to get better, wishing life away, if you will. When he talks about life being like a railroad track, good and bad side by side, every day of our life, I realize we can choose to focus on the good, or focus on the bad. Today their is much good in our lives, many things to be so grateful about, but we have one thorn in our flesh, that can overshadow all that. God has a purpose for that thorn. Mostly, to keep us dependent on Him and help us remember we are only here but a short while, and the things that seem major now will be minor by comparison.
March 30, 2008
Another great LRCC Open Door is ahead! As usual: free food, games, and fun. This time we have two live, awesome bands. Join us April 11, 7:30p-11:30p and come hear Standout and Tuesday’s Child! Video games, ping pong, foosball, board games, and the hippest crowd of youth in the Upstate. For more information, contact Nate Malone. Everyone is welcome!
March 29, 2008
March 15, 2008
The youth group meeting (”The Source”) will be watching a recent blockbuster movie and discussing how the themes can apply biblically. The event begins at 6:30pm, and after the flick, a short discussion will occur. The movie is rated PG-13. Contact Nate Malone for more information. The movie will play at LRCC.
March 15, 2008
“Every heart with Christ, a missionary; every heart without Christ, a mission field.”
March 12, 2008
March 12, 2008
From 11:30am to 1:00pm Saturday, Mar 22. All are welcome! Easter egg hunt for the smaller kids, scavenger/treasure hunt for the older kids, food and other activities. Fun for the whole family!
March 9, 2008
Dear Church Family,
I am writing you to ask for your support in my efforts to raise $1000.00 for the March of Dimes this year. I will be walking in the Greenville Walk on April 26th. I invite you to join me. I will be walking for the health of all Babies.
Every year more than half a million babies are born too soon. Over 120,000 with serious birth defects. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can do something about it. One day every baby will be born healthy. But we have to walk to get there.
How can you help……….
Over the next 6 weeks I will be giving you opportunities to contribute.
*** Empty out your pocket of change. Change jars are located in the entrance of the church. I will except bills as well.
*** Make a pledge to donate. Due in mid April.
*** Purchase earrings for $5.00 with $2.00 of each sale going to the March of Dimes.
*** Donate on line at http://www.marchforbabies.org/teresaldockery
You may donate by credit/debit card, pay pal, check or cash turned into me by mid April.
All checks made payable to March of Dimes. Donating to the March of Dimes, you’ll be helping incredibly adorable, totally loveable, absolutely wonderful little babies.
Thank you for your support and may God bless each of you.
Sincerely,
Teresa L. Dockery
March 7, 2008
Brilliant stuff! Reggie Mcneal speaks on Missional Church Architecture.
March 5, 2008
1. Today, the magazine Christianity Today has come out with a comprehensive article entitled “What Makes a Church Missional?”, written by J. Todd Billings. It has some very interesting things to say, and makes me so inclined to examine this new direction and how we see it for LRCC.
Which are we?
a. Do we call ourselves missional by rejecting the treatment of the gospel as a commodity for consumer consumption?
b. Is it a strategy for survival, as in, are we using the concepts of being missional to market the church and stimulate our own growth?
c. Are we using missional to refocus on God’s action (Barth’s Actio Dei) in the world rather than obsess over the needs of the individual?
d. Are we merely trying to “meet people where they are” as a reinvention of the church to suit postmodern culture?
Perhaps we’re some of each, or any combination of two or more. This may be something we have to sort out for ourselves in a claim of identity and direction for LRCC.
Billings warns of churches becoming locked into processes, or “internal modes,” and self-absorption, despite witnessing a drop in attendance and membership, and re-emphasizes what much of the material published today says about being missional: mission work should not be one program among many, but should be the very essence of everything the church is about. The church isn’t about us–it’s all about God’s mission.
A key problem, in summary, is the confusion about what is God’s mission, and the disagreements that can ensue from this. Different folks will see the context differently—such as offering a seminar on biblical manhood leadership in the family meets a “felt need,” and therefore is a fulfillment of God’s mission. The article makes note of the importance of seeing the center—do our own needs set the agenda, or does the centrality of God’s mission shape our witness to the world.
I like especially one of the new things I learned form the article, and which really comes from The Presbyterian Outlook, which says that being missional is a way to overcome the “painful rifts between theological liberals and conservatives. Theology divides, but mission unites…”
Billings closes with asking and answering how the church can overcome its tendencies to “domesticate an expansive, biblical vision?” We should look, he says, at how our traditions can inform a missional identity. What our strengths are in our traditions are what we bring as emphasis to our missions. It’s a merge, or perhaps more of a friction, of new (which is really old) against old. “A vision for the missional church will push against parts of our historic traditions, just as these traditions will critique parts of the missional vision.”
2. An interesting thing comes from Joplin, Missouri called Mystery Church. It apparently is a social forum open to the public to share thoughts, enjoy the company of others, and restore the art of conversation. The Mystery Church idea is a missional church, as it is described as being “launched in 2006 after six people sat around a table defining what a new church in the Joplin area might be. Their home-based Bible-study group expanded and brought about the need for a gospel- and Biblically-centered, missional church.” If you look at their ad, you will see that they are discussing “missional” type topics: poverty, racism, and addiction.
Go Mystery Church! Right on!
3. Chris Marlow at the Simply Missional Blog recaps the arrival of some church planters in Austin, TX from Seattle and makes me jealous that he lives the exciting life of coffeehouse hopping, and living the good, Christian missional lifestyle.
4. Incarnation is one of our imperatives in being missional. Brother Maynard nails it beautifully with his epiphanous definition of being missional that I just love: BE THERE.
5. Some interesting questions for Missional Leaders to answer, if possible. I found them tough. These are:
a. Conversion: “Can you help me know what a good Christian is, and how can I be one?” How would you respond?
b. Conversion: “A person is a Christian convert if…” (complete the list)
c. Growth: “A person is a mature or maturing Christian if…” (complete the list)
6. Pat Loughery calls attention to Bill Haley’s definition of a Christian community: “An interdependent group of Christians whose lives are centered around Jesus and ordered by love, who share common goals and common commitments and who together intentionally seek to love God and love their neighbor.” Very well-said.
7. Stepchild heralded Steve McCoy’s “reformissionary” blog about his church’s new missional direction, and it’s like a brisk splash of ice-cold water. Steve’s passion will awaken you, just like it is doing for his congregation.
8. At Missional Church Network, a review of the book “God Who Sends,” by Francis M. DuBose. The book is a survey of the passages throughout scripture on being sent. Described as a “wealth of insight.” It’s now on my reading list.
9. Another book review, this one on “Justice in the Burbs,” by Will and Lisa Samson. Described as a half-story, half-essay, about a suburban couple “doing justice as a lifestyle.” It explores the feelings amongst suburbia of insulation from all the bad things outside living the “American Dream.” This is about stretching out beyond our little safety nets, and interrupting our suburban lives. Makes me wonder: what proportion of “missional” churches are in the suburbs, as compared to intra-city, do you think?
10. A. J. Wade (of Myrtle Beach) makes note of some of the bickering that occurs in churches in argument about the right way to do church worship, and he seems to make a justified call to stop all the insanity. Reminds me of the lyrics I heard this morning to FatBoy Slim’s Weapon of Choice. You can go with this, you can go with that, but A.J. Wade ends with this: “Is the name of Jesus being made great in every possible way throughout our city, and are people’s lives being changed because of it?”
February 26, 2008
We were just minding our own business and never expected to see a camel in the road. It gave us a whole new prospective. Can you say drool?
February 3, 2008
A new, weekly Sunday evening bible study begins Feb 10 for middle- and high-school age youth of our church and community. Based from their own decision, our youth will be having this study in the sanctuary, and will be working along their own study path. The event begins at 6pm. (For emergency reasons, an adult will be available elsewhere on the premises).
February 2, 2008
One of the “chain” emails that get virally distributed throughout the Internet. This one, at least, is well worth sharing:
I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just
finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of
work, his electric drill quit, and his ancient one-ton truck refused to
start.
While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me
in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly
at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.
When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His face was
wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a
kiss.
Afterward, he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got
the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t help having
troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, those troubles don’t belong
in the house with my wife and the children… So, I just hang them up on the
tree every night when I come home, and ask God to take care of them. Then, in
the morning, I pick them up again. Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come
out in the morning to pick ‘em up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember
hanging up the night before.”
January 28, 2008
I thought about this as David preached Sunday
Rick Warren
(REMEMBER HE WROTE ” PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE”)
You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having “wealth” from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, “Purpose Driven Life ” author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren,
Rick said: People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body– but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness,”which is my problem, my issues, my pain.” But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don’t think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72 First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor , care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free. We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God’s purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better.
God didn’t put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He’s more interested in what I am than what I do.
That’s why we’re called human beings, not human doings –
Have a blessed week!
Pete and Tammy
January 27, 2008
Posted on behalf of Candace Forrester
Don’t forget the Baby Shower Donations: Piedmont Women’s Center
These items will be collected until Feb 17th. We will need both boy items (blue and green) and girls items (pink and lavender).
Diapers | Wipes | Bottles | Hooded Towel Set | Bath Sets (lotions, shampoos, etc) | Onesies | Infant gowns | Infant head warmer hats | Infant sleepers | Newborn sleep set | Baby receiving blankets | Bibs | Pacifiers | Blankets
Fundraiser
To sell Carnations w/messages for Valentine’s Day for $3 each. All monies will go to the ministry. I will have one to show. We will take up the message with $3 until Feb 3rd. We will be giving them out to church members on Feb 10th for the ones that purchase them. If you would like to help put them together on Saturday Feb 9th, please sign up.
Next Women’s Meeting
Will be Feb 9th: Dinner and a Movie
We will be watching: 27 Dresses at Cherrydale Movie Theater
January 24, 2008
January 22, 2008
The Ladies begin a new series tonight. A study of Beth Moore’s book Daniel. The study begins at 6:30pm at Susie N’s home.
January 22, 2008
January 21, 2008
The LRCC Avalanchers, just before departing for Pigeon Forge on January 18.
Cory, the Avalanche Dude, hams it up.
The coolest crowd at the bowling lanes.
It’s 1 a.m. and we’re just gettin’ rollin’ at the Pigeon Forge Community Center!
Fletcher signs the Avalanche Bug.
Alan Callahan gets the crowd fired up on Friday night.
If Chasen rocked the roof off…
then Eleventhour melted our faces!
…and Overflow brought us together…
Turnin’ the chickie’s heads on the way out of the Convention Center, and back to the rooms to crash for a while.
Nate steers a big rig at the arcade, running other vehicles off the road; but doing it in a loving, Christian way.
Checking out the LazerTag scores. 
Jeremy Kingsley was an enormous inspiration and encouragement to all of us in his breakout session: “Persecution in the Schools.”
Pondering the message: Fletcher and Wes soak it all in.
Chris finishes signing the VW Bug, and hands the pen off to Joe, Ben, and Josh.
Jason rolls for a strike on Lane 1.
Joe puts Sid away in air hockey, right after doing the same to his dad, and later, Nate. On fire!
They made us laugh and challenged our hearts: the messages of the skit group Loud and Clear rang with us loud and clear. Tears of laughter, joy, and gratitude to our Savior were evident.
An inflatable slide right next to the rock ‘n roll stage.
Does it get any better?
Run’s House! One of the most engaging and humorous speakers any of us have ever heard, Jeremy Kingsley delivered the main Message on Saturday night, and was key in the influencing of several new believers toward their salvation, including two (or more) from LRCC!
Eric strikes a GQ pose over at the ping pong and foosball tables with Jessie. Oddly enough, there were lots of girls here.
Ryan and Cory shopping. 
We lovin’ da hatz, dawgz.
“Tee hee hee! You said wee!” The group Loud and Clear delivers a humorous skit with a great lesson.
Ladies and gentlemen, Overflow!
Cory and Jessie in driver’s ed at the arcade.
Someday this VW will be worth millions, thanks to Wes’s signature on the front fender.
If you can’t beat ‘em, love on ‘em. Nate tried his best at arm wrestling, but his opponent was… well, let’s say… a machine.
January 17, 2008
A high school in South Carolina will soon become the first school in its district to offer a class in which students use the Bible to examine its effects on literature, history and art.
Two new courses on the Old Testament and New Testament were approved by the Carvers Bay High school board last Tuesday and are expected to be offered to students in the 2008-2009 school year. The school will become the first in its district to have such a program, joining other schools in South Carolina, including Conway High School in Horry County, that have been teaching the program for several years.
“I look at it more as this is a study of the greatest book ever written from a literary viewpoint,” Principal Kelvin Wymbs told The Sun News.
A bill signed by Gov. Sanford last June allows high schools to offer classes on the Bible as long as they are “taught in an objective manner with no attempt to influence the students as to either the truth or falsity of the materials presented,” according to the bill.
January 12, 2008
We open our doors at LRCC on Friday, February 1 for Youth-age visitors. Food, fun, fellowship, music, and always something cra-aaazy! The door opens at 7pm, and we wrap things up around 11pm.
January 12, 2008
