Hall / Welch LIFEgroup

October Epistle

2009-10-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

October Epistle

The Fruit of the Vine
John 15: 1-11

What a joy it is for a farmer to see the fruit of his labor. After much toil and energy expended, the farmer can now enjoy the tangible byproducts of his months of sowing, tilling, and pruning.
The frantic Wall Street executive who works sixty hours per week does so in order to reap the benefits of a financially secure living. The proud parents, who invest countless hours of instruction, discipline, and understanding into their children in the hope that one day they will mature and be secure in themselves. All the piano lessons, soccer practices, ballet rehearsals, braces, clothing, and dollars spent on arcade games and educational experiences are done so that one day their children will become responsible adults with a good moral and ethical foundation to build their lives and dreams upon. The young basketball hopeful who subjects himself to infinite hours of practice, enduring physical injury, and disregarding social isolation, does so to fulfill a quest or destiny of becoming a superstar.

I recall working on my first Masters degree in counseling with bittersweet memories. At times it was grueling, intense, bleak, and utterly exhaustive. I endured it, not because I had nothing else to do with three years of my life, but because there was a reward at the end of my academic pursuits. It’s called graduation. Graduation is the culmination or commencement to an era of scholastic endeavors that certify your ability to be confident and competent in your chosen field of study.

In the same way, God our loving Father pours His precious spirit into us that we might recognize the amount of care and nurture He gives to us. He lavishes us with good things in order that we will know the depths of His love. He plans and purposes our lives in such a way that we will have all that we need to be complete and content in Him.

At times, on this journey, we feel as though we are stagnant or have been rendered ineffective to God. We feel as if we will never produce the fruit of the Spirit that God so much desires for us to have. No matter how many sermons we hear, how many New Year’s resolutions we make, or how many times we stand in the mirror and confess positive thinking, we continue to miss God’s standard of holiness. This often makes us depressed and hesitant to continue on in faith. Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in Him, the same shall bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

What a relief to know that as long as I stay attached to the vine, I will produce fruit. What a new freedom and a new joy to cease all striving to impress God. I only consciously remain connected to the vine; a vine that is under the constant care of an infinitely wise farmer. He does this that he may reap the fruit of His labor in our lives.

Finally, I can rest from all the toils of this world and simply abide in the vine. The more I abide, the more I rest. The more I rest, the more this world becomes less important. The more this world becomes less important, the more the fruit of God’s pleasure is produced in my life.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of this earth shall grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace

August Epistle

2009-08-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Place of Peace

Philippians 4: 6-7

We are admonished by the scripture to “be anxious for nothing.” That means NO Thing. To me that seems easier said than done. How is it that we can walk with the Lord and still worry over everyday occurrences? The truth be told, we either have to trust or worry. You can’t do both. Finding the place of contentment is the key. The scripture says that after we pray the peace of God will keep us quiet and at rest. God’s peace keeps us in a place or a state of continued rest. That peace is internal peace. The outside may continue to rage, but the inner man is being renewed day by day. Think about it. I can constantly walk in a state of relaxation and comfort because I know I’m in the place where God Himself is. That’s the place of peace I want to be in. Being where Christ is takes us away from pressure, stress, disappointment, and doubt. This place is the absence of those things. His desire for us as his children is to mature and come where He is. He is above principalities and powers. That’s where I belong. Knowing that and practicing that are two different things. I must believe what God says I have and can be and then, by faith, act upon it. I must “think on these things”. My prayer is to continually go where Christ is and stay there. There I will find peace that passes all my understanding.

June Epistle

2009-07-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Keep looking up!
Psalms 121

Walking through life can be difficult in and of itself. If you couple that with moments of chaos and discord, then life soon becomes out of control. In times like these, it is crucially important that the believer have an anchor deep enough to secure their faith and experience even in trying times. For the believer, it is essential to know “in whom you have believed.”

This has become more apparent to me as I endeavor to be more, know more, say more, and do more. So much more!!! For what ??? To be liked? To be admired? To fulfill a predetermined ego status? Sometimes you just get thrust into the mix of life and life takes you along for the ride. What do you do when life takes you for a ride? You look up. The psalmist says, “I will look unto the hills from whence comes my help…” What a beautiful picture of the man or woman who when facing the trials of life will defer their strength and natural responses to that of the hills. The hills represent a high place. A place of strength. A place of safety. A place of comfort. A place where God is. In the natural, it is impossible to look up and look down at the same time. You will have to focus of one or the other. This analogy can represent to source of our help. When things go wrong, who do we call? I know what you’re thinking. But really, who do we call? Often we call our friends in hopes that they will know what to say or where to direct us to for help. We also call on our past experiences, both good and bad. This is what we know best. We begin to think of how we handled stress and pressure in others situations that might have been less that God’s perfect will for the situation. If we were honest, we call on everybody except the one who can truly help; God.

The writer encourages us to look up. Look to the hills where your help comes from. Our help comes from the Lord. He is the maker of heaven and earth. This is comforting because if He made heaven and earth that means he made me and the source of my aggravation. Still again, if he made it, then he knows how to handle it. If he know how to handle it, that means it’s under His authority. He is in control despite of what it looks like. Because he is the Lord, He will not allow our foot to slip. Our steps are sure and ordered by the Lord. The Lord is our keeper. The Lord himself is our shade to cool us when the heat of this world is seeking to sear us with adversity and trials. The enemy brings the heat of doubt to the believer and prompts him to think, “Can God really take care of me?” Rest assured that the Lord will not allow the sun or the heat of this world to burn you during the day. Day is representative of things you can see coming at you. It is an intense time when the sun is high and hot. What things in your life are acting as the sun? What things in your life is the sun attempting to melt or harden? Take heart, the sun will not overtake you while you are watching it nor the moon by night; the time when it’s dark and vision is limited. We all have night periods when our vision is not keen and we interact with shadows of the night. Take heart because the Lord promises to preserve our going out and our coming in. This gives me comfort in knowing that the Lord is in control. With this in mind, I can take my eyes off the problem or the ground and look up, “where Christ is”. I can “set my affections on things above”. Dear friends receive this comfort and motivate your heart to look up and keep looking up. You’ll find Christ there. He is the Hope of Glory.

May Epistle

2009-05-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Lesson of the Lawn

I recently was given the task of getting an overgrown yard back to a manageable state: it was my own. Indeed it was a monumental task, but the lessons that mingled themselves into grass cutting were distinct and invaluable. We will examine them briefly here.

Lesson1: You can talk to God anytime, anywhere. As I began to get ready to tackle “the yard” I had to survey the responsibility of such a task. Not only did I have to do it by myself, it had overgrown so much until I didn’t know how to begin. At that moment I heard the Lord speak softly to my spirit, “You are more than a conqueror through Him that loved us”. Immediately my emotion was excitement but it quickly dissipated to one of regret…”then why am I not conquering?” It was then that I entered a 2 hour talk with God about the facts of life. I learned that day that God is very much available to walk and work with us through the many difficulties we face on a daily basis. Although He didn’t remove me from the task, He did stay with me and keep my company all the way through it. “…and lo I’ll be with you always even til the end of the earth”. How comforting and reassuring that was for me to have my Heavenly Father assist me in my work.
Behavioral Change: I am more aware of God’s presence in my life on a daily basis. I make strategic effort to engage Him at all times. I make increased effort to guard my quiet time and make it robust and meaningful.

Lesson 2: Neglect is equally as powerful as committing sin. Part of my difficulty with getting the yard manageable again was the fact that I had let it go for so long. Sure I had good reason, in my mind anyway. It was winter and I’m tired of picking up leaves. Its spring and it keeps raining so the yard is too wet. Well, I’m so busy. I’ll get to it later. I’ll straighten it out before it gets too bad. I honestly believed I had good intentions. I genuinely intended to get it done…eventually. James says, “Faith without works is DEAD”. Exactly where my yard was headed; death. God showed me how this is often the case in relationships, spiritual matters, and behavior. We think that what we are faced with can be done later. This is reinforced when we see nothing bad happening as a result of our putting things off. The problem is, putting things off becomes easier and easier each time. Eventually, a pattern is formed. A neglect pattern. In my 10 years of private practice therapy with couples and families, without fail when they present with a problem that needs resolving, they always report that the problem has been going on for some time and they thought it would get better on its own. Usually when they reach me, the problem is at a breaking point for the family. “How similar it is in our lives”, I thought as I continued to cut the knee high grass. What things in my life have I neglected or put off until another day? Could I have spent more time with my son? What about my girls, who will teach them a healthy view of a father or a man? Lord what about my wife? Is she going to wake up one day and say, “I’m out of here” due to my neglect? What about my secret life. You know the things we don’t mention in public or in mixed company for fear we will be found out? Lord Help me with neglect. The remedy from heaven arrived that day and said, “Take it one day at a time. Do all in that day and don’t worry about tomorrow.” Now where have I heard that before?...”take no thought of what you will eat or drink or wear. Today has enough cares of its own…” As I look at the yard now, I’m positive there were warning signs that this was getting out of control. Did I ignore the warning signs? Sure I did. Not with malice and attitude but out of “I promise to get to it later”. Whatever the reason, the “issue” became unmanageable and needed immediate attention. When I started to cut the yard, I didn’t know where to begin. What was once an inconvenience in my schedule or an annoyance was now a major issue. Isn’t that how life goes? Whatever the reason, it now had to be done. The buck stops here. Take responsibility for your own actions. Don’t blame others. Sure things add to the difficulty in addressing it but you ultimately are responsible for it.
Behavior Change: I have started to better manage my time so that I can get all the things done that require my attention. I have also started to prioritize what has to be done immediately and so forth. I have neglected my health for a while now but recently, I started back walking a couple of miles before my day begins. I have cut back on my portions in an attempt to get a handle on my health. I have increased the amount of water I drink. I’m consistently meeting every morning for focused prayer and meditation. This is outside of my quiet time. I’m making the necessary adjustments to spend quality time with my children and wife. I’m getting my work done for work and school more efficiently so that I can go to bed at 10 or 11 instead of 2:30 or 3:30 each night. And yes, I’m keeping up with the yard weekly. It’s not so hard if you stay on top of it.

Lesson 3: You often tear up or injure the ones who try to care for you when things are at crisis level. While cutting the grass and making good progress, I thought, the lawnmower hit a snag and something went wrong. Since I’m not a mechanic I couldn’t tell you what went wrong except to say, where it was revved up, now it only made minimal sound. It appeared to slow down. It lost its energy. It didn’t have the same fight as it once did in tackling the yard. It continued to cut but at less than optimum standard. I thought to myself, “This is how we do ministers and counselors. We allow our stuff to get so bad until we have to call in the big wigs to help us get it back under control. The issues are so great though that we burn out or kill the person trying to help us.” As a therapist and minister I know too well how the problems of people have the potential to rob you of your zest. They impair you and it’s not even your problem. The lawn mower did nothing to deserve this monumental task but was willing to help eradicate it. In the process, the poor lawn mower met a horrible fate. LOL. Though dramatized, this scenario is so true of how we treat those who try to assist in getting our lives back together. The spouse who tries to help us with our addictions or our pain. The co-worker that tries to encourage us to do more and give more but is met with cynicism and negativity. The minister who invests time and energy into helping us see the desire and demands of God but they are met with apathy as we have no intention of changing our ways or our attitude about whatever brought us to them originally. For the sake of the helper, let’s change. If we leave our issues neglected we burn out the ones who agree to walk with us. They can’t help us anymore. They are burnt to a crisp in trying to help us see ourselves and make concession for our failures and mistakes.
Behavioral Change: I have more vigilance about asking those closest to me to pray for me. As I recognize my difficulty in asking for anything from people (based on my history) it has now become evident that God insists that I involve people in my life. They must help me along the way, not only when things go wrong. My response is to allow their assistance and feedback to permeate my soul and apply the Godly lessons offered. This is new ground for me. It implies a level of vulnerability but it is so necessary. This wards off neglect and willful offense as I know people are constantly praying and involved in my life and character. What a blessing. I accept it. I welcome it even if it’s uncomfortable.

I have learned many lessons from getting my lawn back to a manageable state. The lessons far out weigh the difficulties in learning them. I was recently doing my yard when a friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in a while stopped by and complimented me on how good my yard looked (me getting a compliment on yard work…you know that’s God). He said, “I need to go and do the same thing that you are doing…”. Though I knew what he meant, my thought was, “what I do affects others. The work I’ve done to get my ‘house in order’ is being seen by others and inspiring them to greater works”. If that is true in yard work, how else could that principle be applied in my life and work? “…once you have received strength, strengthen your brother” “…as iron sharpens iron…” “…so that men will see your good works and GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN”. That’s what I want: my life to be an example worthy of someone following it. Let people glorify God for the things they’ve seen in me.

Let’s do it!

April Epistle

2009-05-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Communication Is Really Listening With The Heart

We’ve all heard from communications experts who purport the idea that good communication focuses on the three aspects of dialogue: the sender, the audience, and the message. While the ingredients have not changed for generations, let’s consider how we might amend the meaning of effective communication.

Effective communication essentially means I say something, you hear it, and we act upon what was said. I invite you to journey with me, if you will, into a deeper meaning of communication. Communicating means a total involvement of you into the message and idea that is being conveyed. It is all inclusive. Listening leads to communicating. We have all heard therapists say “communicate with your spouse”. What does that really mean? I believe it means we must first listen in order to understand. Once understanding comes, we have the power and ability to respond strategically and spiritually. James 1:19 says, “be quick to hear, slow to speak,…” The idea conveyed here is the anatomy. Anatomically speaking, you have two ears and one mouth; which would suggest that you should listen twice as much as you speak. Interesting huh…? Do you know someone who is a chatter box and has little or no substance to their words? Proverbs 10:19 says, “Where there are many words, sin is unavoidable”. Think about it: does my speaking invite sin into my conversation? This is not an excuse for the strong silent type, but it is a clarion call to the believer to stop and think about what is being heard and what is being said in our conversations.

While counseling a married couple once, I said to them, “…find out what your wife wants and/or needs and give it to her.” To this the husband responded, “She wants me to talk. She wants to get into my head” (the wife is saying ‘Amen’). While this was on the humorous side, the implications that erode their marriage were far from humor. “Listen to her Man!!! She wants something from you. If you don’t find a way to give it to her, she’ll find it somewhere else”, I said. This got his attention. The point of this illustration is to connect the dots of speaking and listening. It is a mutual exchange. A dialogue. The dialogue is Christ centered and person oriented. The dialogue is not about you. What is it that the other person wants or needs to share with you? Listen with the soul. Embrace the points they are saying and even what is un-said. See the passion or anxiety they feel while sharing with you. Connect with that and give it back to them in your response. This is what therapists call empathy. Putting yourself in the shoes or experience of another. The idea is not to leave them at that point, however, it is to advance the conversation and dialogue and move it to meaning and solution if that is what is called for. In order to listen you must be quiet. You must calm your soul. Shut out the competing voices. Listen with intent. (Sounds like we’re talking about God huh?) See how you fit into the conversation and interject yourself, soul, and spirit into the exchange. Listening implies involvement and knowledge. It is a learning process. Some call it active listening. You can practice this with God in daily devotion and meditation. Use those listening skills in your earthly conversations. Constantly talking about business and money is fine in its place, but do you know any thing else to talk about? Speak life into the person…”life and death are in the power of the tongue.”

Dear friends, I encourage you to build lasting relationships, especially with your spouse. Nothing else really matters. If you don’t like the one you have …tough…you’ve gotten them now. Learn to love. God will support that prayer and action. Listen with your soul. Walk faithfully and always believe the best about the persons in your relationships. Let your relationships be full of grace and spirit. Love deep, Love hard, Love long. Make the most of it…today is a great day for listening. Jump in and see where it takes you.

fhall

March Epistle

2009-03-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Nitty Gritty Prayer Life

Grace and peace my dear friends. What a joy and profound privilege we have to share the love and great blessing found in our Lord: Jesus the Christ. Jesus commands that we pray and not faint. He even says, “My house shall be called the house of prayer”. On a functional level, what does that really mean for you and me?

Why is prayer so dreaded and elusive? What are our thoughts about prayer? Remember, you directly relate to God the father based on the model you’ve seen in your earthly father. Though some would argue this point, please consider the implications of it. When your earthly father was distant or absent altogether, the nature progression is to live life apart from God. “He’s not around anyway” would be our thought. If our pattern was to argue with our earthly father, how much more do we think about debating with God when he does or says something we didn’t like? If you had a good father who was somewhat there and listened to some of your needs, we then see a God who listens to some of our issues and we can pray to a God who selects our issues a-la-carte. Let’s assume you had a great father. Attentive, respectful, always present and ready to converse with you at anytime and about anything you desire. The logical progression would be to talk to God everyday and all day because He is always attending to your desires. If we were to be honest, even those of us who had an attentive father still struggle with prayer. Why? Perhaps its because we take God for granted. He is so common to us and we always know that He’s there that we go off into the world and marketplace and assume that when we return our loving and understanding Father will be there. While that is true, the caution implied here is not to take the Lord and our relationship with Him for granted. The bible says, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near.” Remember, “Today is the day of salvation”. Salvation from sin but also salvation from my thought life, my problems, my hang ups, and the pressure of this world.

What we pray for is also important. James says, “You have not because you ask not. When you do ask you still don’t receive because you ask amiss (selfishly).” Dear friends, What are you praying for? Peace? Love? Joy? Comfort? A new car? A new house? Your house to sell? These things are at the center of our thoughts but I challenge you to raise them up. “If ye then be risen with Christ…Set your affections (desires) on things above…where Christ is”. Where is Christ? Christ is in you...He is the hope of glory. Change your prayers to match God heart and desires. When those two become “one flesh” then “He will give you the desires of your heart”.

Remember dear friends, the majority of prayer is private. Go in your closet… “The Lord who sees in secret will reward you openly”. Now that’s straight out of “The Good Book”. Prayer is a lifestyle. Make it yours. Start simply. Be consistent. Praise God for who He is. Worship Him. Bring your faults and failures to Him daily. Come boldly yet humbly. Seek God’s direction for your ministry here on earth, in Jackson, at Colonial Heights and around the world. I challenge the idea of Christians seeing the spiritual disciplines as a “spectator” and not as a powerful life changing force. Live a new life today. The Son has made you free so be free indeed. I challenge and encourage you to prayer. NO EXCUSES. PRAY and watch God transform your life. Blessing to you all

fhall

Survey

2008-10-09T09:13:00.001-07:00

Everyone take this separately...not as a couple. Thanks!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=MV0_2fkLP7OYVC7hSIxpDe2Q_3d_3dWe

Changing of the guards

2008-10-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a sweet time as we sent Randy and Faye off to their new place of ministry. Thanks for all you have done for us over the last 4 years! We love you!

Breakfast was awesome! Thanks to all of you who provided food last Sunday.

Randy is now passing on the teaching responsibility of our class to Fred & Jerry. :)

Dorian, you make me laugh! Had to crop you out of the group photo and show off that crazy face!

See you all Sunday! As the weather is changing and the leaves are changing....I'm excited about the changes in our married adult lifegroups. Looking forward to what God has to teach us in this next "season" of the class.
His,
Julie

Fireproof

2008-08-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jerry and I had the privilege of previewing the movie FIREPROOF. It is produced by the same church that did Facing the Giants. Kirk Cameron is the lead actor and it is an INCREDIBLE movie. If you are married, want to be married, were once married, or know someone who is married...you must see this movie. Seriously. It will be in theaters opening the weekend of Sept 26. Mark it on your calendars! It's important! The church is looking into getting a showing at the northpark theater....look for details about that soon (hopefully).

Go to www.fireproofthemovie.com and view the trailer.

It's almost September!

2008-08-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my last post was in July! Wow...I'm more behind than I thought! OK, so I was reading over my notes from Dr. J's sermon a few Sunday nights ago and thought I would give you guys a quick overview...in case you missed it.

How to know God's will - Romans 12

1. Separate yourself from the world unto God.
2. Make Jesus the passion of your life.
3. Pray.
4. Be willing to do it.
5. Use your brain.
6. Watch for open doors.
7. Examine your giftedness (what comes natural? what does God bless?)
8. Seek wise counsel.
9. Don't rush. Wait on the Lord.
10. Act in faith.

For more details, get the cd :) But, it was a great sermon and God has brought it to my mind several times in the last few weeks. Have a great holiday weekend. See you Sunday.

Acts 2

2008-07-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some principles from Acts 2. Can you come up with more from your own study? Comment and share them! Don't forget to read Acts 3 for next week.

1) God moves in the lives of “willing vessels” V 1
2) When God’s prerequisites are met His Holy Spirit comes. V1
3) When the Holy Spirit comes His power will be obvious. V6-7
4) He fills ALL who are willing. V4
5) His timing is an essential element of His work. V2
6) People will be drawn to the Holy Spirit working in willing vessels. V6
7) If we cooperate with His Holy Spirit people will be saved. V41
8) The Holy Spirit is the source of power in our witnessing. V4
9) When the Holy Spirit opens a door of opportunity He invites us to participate. V14
10) When you respond to the Holy Spirit’s promptings you may be misunderstood. V13
11) If He asks you to get involved He will empower you. You do not have to concern yourself with you lack of ability.
12) The Holy Spirit draws people to the gospel, not you.
13) Some will reject the message “that day” but later they may reconsider and turn to Christ. V47

randy

Acts 2

2008-07-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Class,

Your homework for next Sunday is to read chapter 2 of Acts and write down at least three principles or characteristics of the Holy Spirit and to relate these principles to your life. For example we learned in verse 2 that God’s Spirit may come “suddenly” and without warning.

What are you going to do differently as a result of your study of these passages? Will it affect what you ask God to do in your life or the life of your church?

The possibilities are endless and exciting. God tells us in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that “The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

Look forward to seeing you all next Sunday.

randy

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-18T12:39:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Rachel for the fun...and yummy...father's day cake she made Sunday! If you'd like to see more of her work, go to www.southernbellecakes.com.

Decision Making...

2008-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

These are the principles that we've studied the past 2 weeks. When making a decision and seeking God's will for you, think through these principles and seek God's direction. We will begin the study of Acts on Sunday. Look forward to seeing you then.
Julie

Joshua 7:3-5
Warning- Past victories can lead to a self-reliant attutude.
Truth-Ask God to reveal unconfessed sin before you make a decision.

Numbers 14:39-45
Warning- Don't make decisions when you are in emotional turmoil. Don't act contrary to God's timing and window of opportunity.
Truth- Listen to the counsel of godly leadership previously revealed. God will never lead you contrary to His word.

I Samuel 13:7-13
Warning- God is always on time but rarely early.
Truth- Wait for God to direct even if everyone else deserts you. Don't take matters into your own hands.

Matt. 16:21-23
Warning --Don't mistake your own agenda for God's plan.
Truth--God's plans will likely be a surprise and will often go against your personal desires.

Luke 12:16-21
Warning--Don't allow temporary prosperity to divert your focus from God's plan.
Truth- Keep your focus on what is permanent.

I Samuel 23:1-6
Warning-- Don't allow man's pleadings to direct your course without first asking God.
Truth--Always ask God-"Shall I go up?" before you "go up". If God directs you to go He will provide the means no matter what the opposition.

Seeking God's Direction

2008-06-02T19:01:00.001-07:00

Class,

This past Sunday we looked at verses 13-17 of chapter 4 in our study of the book of James. These verses deal with the issue of presumption.

Most of our study of James has centered on defining genuine faith. James told his listeners that “Faith without works is dead!” He also said that faith will always lead to action. The problem that many of us face (as they did in James day) is trying to determine that when we step out in “faith” how do we know whether we are really being presumptuous by asking God to bless something of our own making.

These 5 verses at the end of chapter 4 give us a warning against presumptuous action.

So in our decision making process how can we tell the difference between “faithful” action and “presumptuous” action?

During our time last Sunday we examined several passages of Scripture to see if God has left us clues that will being this topic in better focus. In fact we as a class are working together to come up with a list of principles from Scripture which will aid us in discovering God’s will in specific circumstances of our lives.

We are looking at the following passages:

1) Joshua 7:3-5
2) Numbers 14:39-45
3) 1 Samuel 13:7-13
4) Math 16:21-23
5) Luke 12:16-21
6) 1 Samuel 23:1-6

Our challenge (homework) is to examine these passages to see if we can learn some key principles to help guide us through the deep waters of the decision making process. For example in our study of Joshua 7:3-5 we discovered a warning against presumption and a principle: The warning: No matter how great a victory God has given in your immediate past (crossing the Jordan river on dry ground, walls of Jericho fall) do not presume to proceed without asking His direction. The truth: Ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin in your life before you proceed with any future decision.

There were several more principles that we learned about making Godly choices and we will share them all after our study is complete.

Be ready to discuss the last four Scripture passages listed above to find warnings or truths related to this subject. You may also look at other passages which relate to how we should make decisions to be sure that our process is right before God. The result should be a much higher level of confidence in your decision making process.

I look forward to hearing what you learned next Sunday as we share our truth nuggets mined from the pages of Scripture.

See you all there.

randy

LIFEgroup news

2008-04-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

The Christmas Village is an organization in Canton that helps young women with unplanned pregnancies (parenting/adoption). Their website is http://www.thechristmasvillage.org/ for more info. Our church has partnered with them to help host the girl's graduation parties when they complete the program. The first girl has finished and will be graduating on May 13th. Since this is the first, we really need a good showing from our church! Ladies, we may not be able to cut logs with chainsaws after a storm...but this is an area of ministry where we can help. It will probably be just about an hour commitment. But what a difference it can make in the life of one person. So, here is how you can get involved. Show up on May 13th! :) The ministry of your presence. She has chosen to parent her child, so we will also be buying gifts for the baby (it's a girl). If you have other commitments on that night, you could send a gift with me or someone else who will be attending. Please see me, Dina Ray, or Lisa Lucas if you are interested. You will hear more about this at the women's event on Thursday also. Thanks!

Another date for your calendar....May 30th. This is the night CHBC goes to the Ballpark! Church-wide game night to see the MBraves. Last year we had a BLAST and I'm looking forward to this game also. Hope your family can attend. Tickets go on sale May 4th.

We are continuing to collect money to send a kid to camp. The cost is $250 and we have collected $100 as a class. Great job so far! Also, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to all who contributed money for Micca Knox's gift card. We collected $100 for her. Awesome!

If you are a book buddy for a George student, please read to them once more before the end of the year.

prayer requests/praises from Sunday:

Lindsay Cress got a job at Fellowship Church in TX. Hooray!
Ryan Garrett asked Jesus to be his Savior! Hooray!
Tonya's sister (Shirley) going through chemo
family of Patsy Castle

One thing that has stuck with me from Sunday is that we have 2 ears and one mouth. So, lets make an effort this week to listen twice as much as we talk. (easier said than done).

Have a great week!
Julie

Need to watch!

2008-04-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

Hopefully, this will change the way you think about Oprah!

James

2008-03-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Class,

This Sunday we will begin our study of the book of James.

In preparation for our study look up as much as you can from Bible Dictionaries, commentaries, etc on the author of “James”.

Remember that this James is likely not the brother of John but the half brother of Jesus.

Look forward to seeing you all Sunday.

randy

The Zone

2008-03-06T21:08:00.001-08:00

Class,

Last Sunday we talked about what God’s Word says about the tithe. We also discussed some of the deceptive strategies that Satan uses to confuse us about this avenue of blessing.

Satan says,

1) Your can’t afford to tithe
2) Just give what is left over after you pay all of the bills
3) All of the tithe does not have to go to the local church.
4) You only tithe on your paycheck.

God says,

1) Malachi 3:10 “I will pour out on you a blessing until it overflows”.
2) Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with the first of all your produce.”
3) Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into my storehouse….”
4) Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with the first of all your produce.”

Next week we will be talking about God’s “Construction Zone”. Satan wants to lead us off of the road to God’s blessings and God wants to build bridges from where you are to where He wants you to be; In the sweet spot of HIS zone.

We will be looking at several passages of scripture during this study so you may want to preview the following:

Proverbs 15:27
Col 3:15
Luke 12:16-21
1 Tim 6:10
Phil 4: 11-13
Rom 12:15
Phil 4:6
2 Cor 8:7
Math 10:42

Look forward to seeing you all Sunday.

randy

The Life God Rewards

2008-03-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

This is a book that Randy recommends that we read. A Life God Rewards by Bruce Wilkinson. Sunday we learned about Satan's lies to us about God's required tithe. They are:
1. can't afford it
2. just give what is leftover
3. all 10% does not have to go to the local church
4. you only tithe on your paycheck
Are we choosing to live under God's blessing or curse?
Hope you can come Sunday to get the final lesson in this series. We will begin studying the book of James after that.

Prayer requests from Sunday:
-Michael Farhart will be home April 12. Pray for continued safety and provision for him & family.
- Alison Hart had surgery on mouth & ears Monday. All went well.
-Annette Hall's boss (Danny Chancellor) has sick mom. Pray for family.
-My brother & his wife had a new baby girl on Monday. All went well!
-Skovron adoption process. Pray for favor and that God would direct the steps to their child.

Over the next few weeks, we will be collecting money to buy a gift card for Mrs. Knox who will be having a baby soon. (She is our adopted teacher at George Elementary).

Don't forget about the class fellowship this Friday night at 6pm at the annex.

Have a great week!
Julie

Possessions

2008-02-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

Class,

Last week we looked at how God wants us to view our “skittles” or possessions. Are we owners or managers? I hope you didn’t get sick on all those skittles (Fred did you eat that whole bag yourself?).

Anyway this week we will slow down a bit and look at some more aspects of our possessions. Do we possess them or do they possess us?

In preparation for our study together I would like for you to consider the following four questions:

1) What is your favorite material possession?
2) What if God asked you to give it up for Him? Would that be an easy thing for you?
3) Have you ever had one of your skittles stolen by someone? How did that make you feel?
4) Do you think that we may have to “give up” something to live “in the zone” of God’s blessings?

We will also talk about the tithe. Where did it come from? What does God expect from us regarding the tithe?

I look forward to seeing you all Sunday.

randy

It's been a while!!

2008-02-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hope all is well with you all! If you haven't been in LIFEGroup in the past 2 weeks, you are missing out. Join us next Sunday for another fun lesson. If you have been in class, are you living in the ZONE (God's sweet spot of success)?

Be sure and think about the skittles God has given you. Pray about what He would have you do with them this week!We need all the book buddies to be visited before spring break...have you been to George Elem lately? If you could help this week, we need people to paint signs/get ready for Dr. Seuss week. Contact Kim Sims if you are available.

Praying that God will bless you this week as you bless others that you come into contact with.
Julie

Matthew 6

2007-11-14T19:50:00.001-08:00

Class,

This Sunday we will be looking at Math 6:24 through the end of the chapter.

This section deals primarily with the subject of "worry".

In preparation for our study write down the possible causes of worry in your life. What do you worry about? Is there a consistent pattern of worry issues in your life?

We all have issues that cause us anxiety (worry) so we need to see what God's word says about this.

I hope we will discover some practical principles to help us overcome our tendency to worry.

Look forward to seeing you all.

randy

Fall Festival

2007-11-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share just a few pictures.... Thanks to everyone who helped with the Cress class trunks (or should I say TRUCKS!). :)

Matthew 6

2007-10-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

Class,

Last week we began the 6th chapter of Matthew.

Chapter 6 covers a lot of topics from proper "acts of righteousness" to your prayer life.

We ended with a discussion about prayer. What is it? How often should I pray? Does it really make a difference anyway? (Phillip Yancey's book Prayer-Does it make any difference?)

Next week we will talk about what is commonly erroneously referred to as "The Lord's Prayer."

We will also talk about the subject of forgiveness and see how eternally important it is not to withhold forgiveness.

Faye is in Ft Worth grandson sitting so she will miss our time this Sunday.

I look forward to seeing you all.

randy

LIFEgroup News

2007-10-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

Just a few important announcements about George Elem. They are having a School Lunch contest this week. There is a walk-a-thon on Thursday and the more people that show up and walk for George...the more points they get. So, if you are free on Thursday night, this is a great opportunity for ministry...and a little exercise! :) On Friday from 10-12 they would like people to come to the school as they celebrate. The news stations should be there. Kim S., Julie J, Amy C, and I spent a few hours today painting signs & banners to decorate the cafeteria. The GAs & RAs are getting involved tonight making a necklace for every child in the school. It's exciting to work down there. If you haven't been yet, lots more opportunities to serve in the future. If you haven't read to your book buddy yet, please do so by Oct 31. We will try to read again one more time before Christmas. Also, we will do the fall festival party on the 31st in Mrs. Knox class if you can help with that it would be GREAT!

Fall Festival at our church on Oct 31:
I sd on Sunday we should do 3 cars, but I think 2 would be better...I forgot we have to staff them too :) We will have the fishing game at one and just decorate the other and hand out candy. If you would like to volunteer your car and/or help with decorating, please let me know! Also, be picking up bags of candy for that night. I'll have a sign up sheet on Sunday for time slots to man the booth. Thanks for your help!! Let's make this night fun for all the kiddos!

Friday Oct 26th the guys will be bowling at the new family lanes in brandon (or flowood...I don't know which it is!) So, put that on your calendar.

DON'T FORGET...this Sunday Clay & Renee Crosse will be at our church. Invite friends & family. Church will start at 5:30 on Sunday night instead of 6.

See you Sunday.
Julie

Matthew 5

2007-10-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Class,

Last week we completed our study of the Beatitudes portion of the Sermon on the Mount.

Remember that the beatitudes reflect the "attitude" of Christ and should characterize our live as well.

Blessed are the merciful-we should be conduits of God's mercy to others

Blessed are the Pure in Heart-no hidden agenda-free from corrupt desires

Blessed are the Peacemakers-speak words of encouragement-no dissension-spread no rumors

Blessed are the Persecuted-only those who take a stand for Christ will be persecuted

We completed our class time discussing that we should view sin like God does. While the Pharisees looked to a list of do's and don'ts to guide their life Christ followers should have the mind of Christ with regards to sin.

The contrast between the Pharisee's approach to "right living" and the Christ way to "right living" could not be more distinct.

Verse 21-22

The Pharisees would be comfortable in their religion if they had never actually murdered someone but they ignored the root cause of murder which Christ addressed in these verses. Jesus' dealt with the attitude and exposed the wrong thinking of the religious leaders of His day.

Verses 27-30

The Pharisees would be comfortable in their religion if they had never actually committed the act of adultery but they again ignored the root cause of adultery which is lust.

This teaching tied in very nicely with our lesson in chapter 4 dealing with how we respond to temptation. It is important for us to construct "hedges" around our lives so that we are not as prone to give in to these temptations.

Jerry Welch will be leading our class time next Sunday and will continue our study of The Sermon on the Mount.

Faye and I will miss you and look forward to being with you the following week.

Blessings,

randy

Matthew

2007-10-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

Last week we began our study of the most famous of Jesus' messages, The Sermon on the Mount.

Math 5:1-11 covers the part of this message know as "the beatitudes."

To get the full impact of what Jesus is saying to us we must first understand His premise which is found in verse 20 which says, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

This was a very important and troubling statement to Jesus' followers. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were the "recognized" church leaders of the day. For Jesus to make this statement was to imply that these church leaders had missed what the Scriptures say about Heaven and eternal life.

It is also important for us because we also do not want to miss what He said about God ordained righteousness. To the Pharisees righteousness meant following an extensive set of rules of right and wrong. Jesus taught that it was impossible to "live right" without a totally changed heart and a renewed mind.

The beatitudes are a description of the "Christ centered" life that every true believer should model without really thinking about it. This is so much more than a set of rules that guides our daily lives but rather it is essentially the life of Christ flowing through us.

We talked about the first four of the beatitudes and discovered the following characteristics of these divine attitudes:

Poor in Spirit- we discover that we are nothing without Christ. We are totally dependent upon Him and His power flowing through us in order to produce "works of righteousness."

Those Who Mourn-we weep over our sin because sin so offends God. We weep over the sinner who does not know God because they are "condemned already."

The Meek-the meek will inherit the earth because they have discovered that God is in control of everything. The catch phrase is "Power under Control"(Holy Spirit's control).

Those who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness-Those who are hungry or thirsty are focused on satisfying their hunger or thirst. They will DO certain things to be sure that they are fed. For a child of God we should hunger and thirst for His Word which means that we will Make time every day to feed on the Word of God. God promises us that we will be fed.

Next week we will look at the remaining 5 beatitudes which should reflect the nature of God in the life of His children.

Please do not miss this exciting time in Matthew.

See you Sunday.

randy

Highlights

2007-09-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

If you were not in class last week, you missed a great lesson. Here are some of the highlights. Read Matthew 4.

Jesus made preparation before he was tempted.
Satan always comes when we are weak.
He will tempt us through lust of the flesh/lust of the eyes/boastful pride.
We must memorize scripture. Ask God to identify weakness & give scripture to battle that tempation.
MEMORIZE 2 Cor. 10:4-5
To avoid tempation: pray, fast, read, meditate, memorize, ingraft, strategize.
Have someone to hold you accountable
Listen to Praise music.
Read the book Hedges by Jerry Jenkins

Hope you can follow my random thoughts. It's really late! Randy, anything you want to add? Hope you guys have a great week!
Julie

Welcome Home Curtis!

2007-09-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

After many long months in Afghanistan, Curtis, we are glad you are HOME! Hooray! Here are a few pics from his party.

God is Sovereign and Merciful

2007-08-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Class,

We finished our study of Jonah last Sunday and discovered that the book of Jonah is so much more than the story of Jonah and a big fish.

We learned that God wants to reveal himself to us through his word so that we can better relate to him through his attributes.

We did an in-class work study on the attributes of God as revealed through Jonah and came up with the following tally of all four chapters:

10-20 references to God's Sovereignty
10-14 references to God's Mercy
3-7 references to God's Holiness
5-9 references to God's Patience
1 reference to God's Justice

Overall the book of Jonah is a study of God's sovereignty and mercy.

How do these attributes of God relate to your life?

Here is the story from Swindoll's "Getting Through the Tough Stuff" that I promised you some weeks ago.

"When I was an undergraduate at the University of Colorado in 1951, I spent a couple of hours a week reading to a fellow student. His name was John, and he was blind.
One day I asked him how he lost his sight. He told me of an accident that happened when he was a teenager and how, at that point, he had simply given up on life. "When the accident happened and I knew that I would never see again, I felt that life had ended, as far as I was concerned. I was bitter and angry with God for letting it happen, and I took my anger out on everyone around me. I felt that since I had no future, I wouldn't lift a finger on my own behalf. Let others wait on me. I shut my bedroom door and refused to come out except for meals."
The man I knew was an eager learner and an earnest student, so I had to ask what had changed his attitude. He told me this story. "One day, in exasperation, my father came into my room and started giving me a lecture. He said he was tired of my feeling sorry for myself. He said that winter was coming, and it was my job to put up the storm windows. "You get those windows up by suppertime tonight, or else!", he shouted, slamming the door on his way out.
"Well," said John, "that made me so angry that I resolved to do it! Muttering and cursing to myself, I groped my way out to the garage, found the windows, a stepladder, all the necessary tools, and I went to work. They'll be sorry when I fall off the ladder and break my neck, I thought, but little by little, groping my way around the house, I got the job done."
Then he stopped , and his sightless eyes misted up as he told me, "I later discovered that at no time during the day had my father ever been more than four or five feet from my side."
The first assumption is that God is present- not more than an arm's length away-whether we're aware of it or not.

This is a great story of the love of God for his children. Even though you may not see Him, He is always close to us, especially so when we are going through the tough stuff of life.

Next Sunday Tim Meeks will be teaching our lesson from the book of Nahum. I hope that you will be reading ahead so that you can discover what God is trying to teach you.

We will see you Sunday week if God wills,

randy & faye

Jonah

2007-08-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

Last week we studied the third chapter of Jonah and we discovered some interesting facts from this popular book.

1) God will not likely give you new direction in your life until you have been obedient to his last command v1
2) God is a god of 2nd chances v1
3) Jonah's 5 word sermon reminds us that God can use our simple words in a powerful way. v4
4) The most unlikely people (Nineveh) may respond to the gospel v5
5) God's revival always begins with people humbling themselves, repenting, and crying out to Him v5-9
6) God is "moved" by a truly repentant people. v10

God willing we will complete our study in Jonah next Sunday.

Look forward to seeing you all there.
Randy

Pizza FUN!

2007-07-29T16:51:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at the Girls Night Out this month! If you missed it this time around....we'll get together again soon. We made pizzas at Julie's house. It was a cooking demonstration...appetizer pizza, shrimp & crab pizza, bbq chicken pizza, another yummy one with brocolli and peppers, and 2 dessert pizzas! We were stuffed! Good food and fellowship. It was Maggie's first girls night out so I had to throw in a few pics of her!

Julie and her cheese.

Kim, Faye, Tracy

Julie and Amy

Pam and Renee

Lisa and Maggie

Mama Faye and Maggie

Jonah

2007-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

We began our study of Jonah last Sunday and discovered that the book of Jonah is more about the nature of God than it is about a whale.

The following are some of the things that we discovered in the first 5 verses of the first chapter:

1) God initiates or pursues his children to carry out His purposes v1
2) God is more concerned about evil than we will ever be v1
3) Wickedness affects God and prompts His action to warn, forgive, or bring judgment depending upon how we respond to His warning
4) God's offer of mercy today is not hindered by His knowledge of how we might respond in the future.
5) God has given "man" the unique right among all of his creation to choose to disobey God's commands v3-4
6) God will go to great lengths to get His disobedient children to turn back to Him v4
7) Our acts of rebellion will always have consequences that affect not only us but those around us as well v5

We will continue our study of Jonah with the 5th verse of chapter 1 next Sunday.

Our homework is to discover the "theme" of the book of Jonah.

Also I am taking requests for our study of the next minor prophet after we complete Jonah. Let me know if there is one of minor prophets that you would like to study.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

randy

2 Peter

2007-07-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

We covered chapter 2 of 2nd Peter about False Teachers. Peter paints a very good description of how to recognize false prophets:

1) greedy v3
2) worldly v10
3) bold, arrogant, slanderers v10-11
4) blasphemers, brute beasts v12
5) Blots and blemishes v13
6) adulterers v14
7) they have left the straight way v15
8) hollow promises v19

A current scholar has added the following lists that may be helpful in identifying false prophets/teachers:

They deny:
1) inspiration of Scripture
2) sinfulness of man
3) salvation by faith alone
4) deity of Christ
5) judgment of God

Have NOTHING to do with such as these.
Do not give them your money, time, nor attention.

The best way to recognize false prophets/teachers is to know the Bible thoroughly enough that you can recognize error when it is stated.

We will complete our study of 2 Peter next Sunday with some warnings about the "last days."

Look forward to seeing you all Sunday
Randy

Sharing in Suffering/Hall

2007-06-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hello all. A couple of weeks ago I shared some thoughts and lessons i've learned over the years about suffering. Annette and I have had many times of pain and intense moments. Many of these were coupled with uncertainty and potential loss of things we valued. Through it all, however, God faithfulness and reassuring comfort always brought through it. One way or another. Some know, as i shared, how we came to Colonial Heights on the heels of a church split. I had been a part of this church since it's inception and was one of the pastors there. Surprise! Many of you didn't know I was a pastor in another life. Anyway, I was and after 15 years and many relationships, the church split. We were the first to officially leave and many members didn't agree with us. Later they all left after seeing the impossibility of going on with a ministry that was flawed theologically, financially, and organizationally. It was devastating. A lot of the financial burden was shouldered by me for a long time.
It was excruiating for Annette and I and in the middle of that, my sister was shot and left for dead by her husband. There were endless long nights associated with that and many days of driving back and forth the Meridian MS to see her although she laid in a coma for nearly 4 months. In the midst of that our personal real estate business colapsed and left us in financial ruins. On top of that we found out we were pregnant with our third child, who was, let's just say "unexpected and unplanned." The word overwhelmed came to mind. The great hero "Job" came to mind. Chaos was all around. Many friends left our side during this time. Our faith was assaulted. How did we keep going? We recognized that 1. "the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...." my response is to say "blessed be the name of the Lord." 2. After losing everything and seeing that you have nothing left but your family, you realize "that's all you need." They were and are the most important things/people to me. Everything else has to line up after their needs are met. 3. You embrace the challenge. James 1 says, "My brothren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations KNOWING THIS (what do you know Fred?) that the trying of your faith WORKS PATIENCE! then let patience have it's perfect work (don't rush the process of perfection in your life. it takes time to form you and mold you into the image of the Son) that you might be full, complete, WANTING/LACKING NOTHING" (no parts of me are missing if I allow the Spirit to complete his work in me.) I remember reading in Corinthians which says "...this light and momentary affliction is WORKING a greater weight in glory for you..." We had to keep reminding ourselves that its working. It hurts, but its working. I don't understand, but its working. I want to quit, but its working. I didn't agree to this, but its working. I'm mad at God but when I finally get my act together i'm going to see that's its working (for my good because I love the Lord and am called acccording to his purpose). Our hope was delayed know that one day, hopefully sooner than later, we'll say like Moses "I'm going to stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord..."
All that to say we're certainly qualified to speak on pain and suffering. But my lesson and my gift to all who read this is "let it have it's perfect work so that you may be full, complete, and lacking nothing." In the words of the old hymn "Nothing in my hands I bring but simply to the cross I cling..." You realize that anything I have or am is God and God alone.
Grace and Peace,
Fred Hall

Sharing in Suffering/Wicks

2007-06-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Randy has asked us to share some of our experience with you. Some of you may already know some of this. About 4 years ago, Elliott's ex-wife decided that she wanted their daughter, Emily, to come back to live with her. At that point she had been living with us for about 3 years. During those 3 years, I was the one responsible for raising Emily and making sure she had the things she needed. If the school called Judy, she would tell them to call me. She rarely came to any school functions such as open house or plays. When she learned that I was pregnant with Sara, she decided that I no longer had any say in how Emily was raised, just the responsibility of taking care of her. She would see Emily about every 6 weeks at her convenience, even though she only lived 1 mile from us. We would see her more in the grocery store than she would on her weekends. As a result of the legal battle, there have been enormous attorney and court fees that we have had to pay. There have been times when we literally did not know how we would be able to buy groceries. It has never been that we did not want to do what is right for Emily, but that we did not have the same budget as her mother. As for what Fred said last Sunday about his wife not signing on for some of the things they went through at their previous church, a lot of people have said the same thing about me. Yes, I could just walk away from all of this, but it would only get rid of one problem. I would then have to deal with Sara living in a one-parent home and everything that goes along with that. I have been in that situation before with my ex-husband and it is not something I want to do again. A lot of people do not realize just how far reaching mistakes from your past can be. Because of the legal issues we are going through with Judy, I am no longer able to teach, which I love to do. God has blessed me with a wonderful new job with a Christian boss. I am very thankful for all of this, but I have to make peace with the fact that a mistake from Elliott's past will have an effect on the rest of our lives. I have to ask God everyday for patience and peace to know that he will work everything out to His glory even if it is not what I think I want that outcome to be. This has been a large obstacle for us to deal with in the past 4 years and probably will be for years to come. I covet your prayers for God to grant me the peace and patience that I need to be a testament to God's faith in my abilities through Him and that I am an example to not only my girls, but to Emily and Judy as well.
-Tonya Wicks

Sharing in Suffering/Peterson

2007-06-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

I am responding to Randy's request to share about how God has delt with us through difficult times. Neil and I have been married almost 8 years and up until about 2 years ago we always lived around lots of family and friends and a very "comfortable" environment in AL. We both became christians at a very young age and have always been very active in the church, and absolutely loved our last church home in AL.

When we (Me, Neil, Hayden-11 and Landon 10 mo.'s old) moved to MS for Neil's promotion in Oct. of 2005 my Mom and Dad helped us moved up here. Dad had been diagnosed with cancer (lymphoma) about a yr before that, and after they helped us they were headed to TX for further treatment and to stay close to my sisters. By March 2006 and 5 trips to TX to see my Dad, he was never able to return to AL. There was nothing else the doctors could do. It was Dad's time at 60 yrs old. During this difficult time I searched within myself and came closer to the Lord, I thought.

By March Neil and I struggled with the transition to MS and the time he had to spend away from home, but we thought considering the circumstances, we were doing ok.
By the summer of 06 I had began reading the word "more" (which is not saying much) and how I could be a better wife and things would get better, all the time I felt as if something just wasn't right. Neil and I faced a major trial in our marriage by the end of the summer. Many things were revealed and we needed help. I wanted to run away and put the blame somewhere on Neil, but God put a huge mirror in front of me and made me deal with all the baggage, strongholds, unmet expectations, basically sin in my life that was keeping me from a deep relationship with Jesus and definitely not being very affective for His kingdom!

Basically, we had never truly put God first in our lives and we were trying to find "comfort and happiness" in our marriage, relationships, and"things." Believe me I thought I was an A - #1 christian, but God let me know differently and that the struggle had just begun in this life so I better get serious about reading the word and finding "meaning and comfort" in Him and His word! Neil and I did go to marital christian counseling at that time and it was one of the best things we could have done. I would have never gotten through that time if God had not revealed himself to me and making the decision to ultimately in all circumstances lean on him. Since Sept of 06 Neil left the company he had been with for 5 yrs (and promotion) that brought us to MS (b/c God said so!). And we went without a job for a couple of weeks and God gave him a job at Integrity Online in Jackson, which was temporary until this past March. At that time we went without a job for 4 wks. After a lot of prayer, struggling, faith, and depleting most of our resources Neil was offered a job in Medical Sales, which was his goal, in VA. Right now we have not sold the house yet , but we now know Who is in control and we will get through this time with "prayer, humility ,and expectancy!"

Thank you for this oppurtunity to share what God has done for us!!

Tricia Peterson

Sunday, June 3

2007-06-04T14:58:00.001-07:00

So we wrapped up 1 Peter yesterday (mostly) and will begin 2 Peter on Sunday.

Humility - it is not thinking less of yourself...it is not thinking of yourself at all. Christ displayed humility perfectly when he washed the disciples feet. He even washed Judas feet knowing that he would betray him. So many times I find myself picking and choosing who I would like to serve. What about you?

For homework read Exodus 10:3, 2 Chronicles 7:14, and Matthew 18:4

If you are a parent and were not in the service yesterday, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you get the CD or DVD. It was something we all need to hear (I know I did!).

-No Wednesday activities b/c of VBS this week.
-George Elementary Good News Club will meet every Monday for 2 hours. If you are interested in helping, call the missions office. (Bible study, recreation, music, hot dog lunch each week)
-If you are a veteran or active service personnel, contact church ofc.

Shout It Out!

2007-05-21T22:06:00.001-07:00

My "shout out" is how Jeff not only cleans the kitchen every night, but also gives Ryan his bath and makes sure he brushes his teeth. Then reads to him every night and puts him to bed. Since this is a daily occurrence I have to make great effort not to take it for granted and find ways to let him know how truly appreciated he is. Did I forget to mention he gets up in the middle of the night if Ryan wakes up, he has done this since Ryan was born. Just so I could get a full night sleep. What a great guy!
Yvette

Thought to ponder...

2007-05-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Ever seen this? I wonder if it is true... kinda cool.
Dawn

"The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important? You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"
HE "IS" COMING BACK..."

Shout Out for McAlisters

2007-05-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Every week we are treated to free sweet tea and coffee (or hot tea or hot water or ice water) with a smile! Just wanted to say THANKS to McAlisters for partnering with CHBC and our lifegroups to give us a convenient and fun meeting place on Sunday mornings. Kevin (right, pictured above) is the manager and our very own Rick Knuth (left) is our class contact. Thanks, guys, for all that you do. Class, when you see them...be sure to pass your gratitude along! Also, be sure to give them your money! When looking for a place to eat, CHOOSE MCALISTERS!!

How to Divorce Proof Your Marriage

2007-05-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

The rest of the list....

Grant Her Honor “as the weaker vessel”
a) Give her quality one on one time (full attention)
b) Balance your work (don’t be lazy or a work-a-holic)
c) Listen to her when she talks to you or asks a question (listen with your eyes as well as your ears)
d) Observe her and help her when she needs you or maybe even when she does not
e) Learn when to give her some “space” and let her have some alone time (not a week at a time)
f) Encourage “girl time” with her friends. You keep the kids.
g) Be honoring when you address her in private or public but especially in public settings
h) Develop and practice courteous behavior toward your wife such as opening doors for her, seating her in a restaurant, introducing her to your friends when you meet in public, etc (some of you guys you may need to check out a book on this subject)
i) Surprise her with a gift, flowers, or a note for no special occasion (I assume that you do this on her special days already)
j) Do not forget to remember her on her birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day.
k) Ask her advice about _______________ (really anything. It does not matter if you think that she knows anything about it or not)
l) Pray with her regularly
m) Be careful what YOU watch on TV, internet, magazines, or books. Make a covenant not to allow any impure thing to come into your house or mind.
n) Keep your self pure
o) Develop and maintain a good moral reputation
p) Defend her always even with the kids.
q) Never go to bed angry.
r) Never cut off communication to get back at her
s) Never cut off money to get back at her

1 Peter ch3 v7

2007-05-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

Husbands
How To Affair Proof/Divorce Proof Your Marriage

Dwell Together “be at home with”
a) Create together time. You must be intentional
b) show interest in what she does
c) help her with “her work” occasionally without being asked
d) look for and make home repairs without complaining
e) “observe” your wife and look for ways to assist her
f) look for evidence of stress in your wife (find out what really bothers her)
g) pray together
h) study a book together on Christian Living or Marriage Building
i) marriage unity and harmony is primarily the husband’s responsibility

Know Your Wife “according to knowledge”
a) Requires a keen observation and communication of unique aspects of your relationship
b) Fears/phobias what really stresses her? What does she worry about? What is the one thing that she would change about herself if she could? What is her greatest disappointment?
c) Dreams & Goals What are her secret dreams? What is her passion? Does she have some goal or dream that was sidelined by the kids or your career?
d) Spiritual Knowledge Do you know all of the details of her salvation experience? Who led her to the Lord? Where is she now in her spiritual growth? What is her chief weakness and what are you doing to help her overcome it? What is her chief strength and what are you doing to encourage it?

In what ways have you honored your wife in the past. I think it's a great time to share a few ideas (remember, mother's day is Sunday). Post a comment with your info!

Randy

5/6/07 announcements

2007-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

Guys, if you were not in class yesterday....make a point to come next week! Great lesson, Randy. Girls, it's for us too. One thing I took away from yesterday is that we make time for what is important to us. So, I'm off to see the Braves play tonight with my boys. The laundry can wait another day! :) Speaking of Braves...buy your tickets for the May 18th game this week at the church office. It will be a great time of fellowship with our church family!

Welcome to the world baby Sam Morris! If you are available to help with meals for Laura and Prentiss, let Dawn Shadow know (dmshadow@bellsouth.net). We are coordinating with the choir/AVL team.

THIS TUESDAY is our outreach night. Please make an effort to be there at 6pm. Childcare is provided.

VBS workers are needed. Please help if you are available at all during the week...we will take what we can get!

VBS Blitz will be May 20 & 27 4:30-5:30. If you were not in class yesterday to sign up and are available to pass out door hangers, let me know! It will take about 20-30 minutes per map. On these 2 days childcare and ice cream will be provided. But, if those dates aren't good for you and you still would like to help, you can take a map and do it on your own time. It won't take long and it may mean the attendance/salvation for just one child.

Have a good week!
Julie

1 Peter 3

2007-05-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Wives,

Last week's lesson from 1 Peter Chapter 3 was for you!! Actually if you do everything that Peter talks about then really your husbands would be the beneficiary.

Any way we began our lesson talking about his first piece of advice to wives, "Analyze Your Actions".

Verses 1 and 2 suggest that if you learn to submit to your husband like a slave to her master then you will allow God to use your action of submission to change your husband into the man that God wants him to be.

The next area of concern may fit under the heading of "Watch Your Adornment".

Peter talked about how important it is for a wife to have balance in her physical appearance.
If a women becomes preoccupied with how she looks she will become insecure and will be constantly looking for reaffirmations that her "beauty" has not faded.

On the other hand if a woman does not take proper care of her physical appearance she is sending a message to her husband that she does not value herself or that she takes her husband for granted.

The key to this thought is proper balance before God.

The third area of advice is, "Check Your Attitude".

Verse 4 introduces the thought of godly "beauty". Peter talks about a "gentle quiet spirit" which is of great value in God's sight. You notice that physical beauty is never mentioned by God as something that a wife should seek and the good news is that while physical beauty fades with age the inner beauty that Peter talks about never fades but is imperishable.

The final piece of advice found in verses 5 & 6 is, "Evaluate Your Attention".

Putting on this inner beauty takes a good deal of thought and is largely achieved by submission. If a wife will learn the lesson of submission then she will discover this gentle quiet spirit as a byproduct of her devotion to God.

We closed our discussion with the conclusion that attaining the character of a gentle quiet spirit is the most attractive "beauty treatment" that a wife can "put on".

Wives, if you were not able to attend last Sunday then call and talk to one of your female classmates and they can fill in the blanks on all that we talked about.

Your homework wives is to post a helpful piece of advice on our blog. Make it something practical that you have learned from your marriage experience. It may be a "don't do this" type of experience or it may be a "this is what I learned that helped our relationship".

Husbands, next week we start our study on what Peter has to tell us about our part in our marriage relationship. God used verse 7 of Chapter 3 to dramatically transform my attitude about my relationship to my wife. There is a truth contained in this verse that is very damning if we fail to apply it to our marriage.

Bonus Question

How do we know that Peter had a wife?

Look forward to seeing you all Sunday.
randy

Homework

2007-04-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ok girls, Randy has asked us to comment and share one practical tip that helps us in our relationship with our spouse. Here's mine...my hubby is a neat freak and I'm not...so I try to have the house straight when he gets home so that he can sit down and relax for a few minutes. If the house is chaotic, he feels like he needs to straighten it up. So, out of my love for him (not because I enjoy it) I try my best to have some sort of order in the house when he gets home. It takes him 30 minutes to get home from work, so when he calls me to tell me he's on his way...I kick it into high gear! It's your turn to share. Be sure and check back and read comments to see what everyone else is saying....
Julie

1 Peter 2:18 - 3:1

2007-04-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Last week we answered the question, "what do slaves, masters,husbands, wives, followers of Christ, and Christ have in common and what do these similarities teach us about our husband/wife relationship?"

In the section about slaves (chapter 2 v 18-20) Peter tells slaves to submit to their masters whether they are "good" masters or not.

Slaves during Peter's day had the following characteristics:
they were property
they had value (someone paid for them)
they surrendered their will to their masters
they depended upon their masters for all their needs
they depended upon their masters for protection
they were obligated to do the bidding of their masters

Normally the above description would be distasteful to any of us, especially those of us in this country who value freedom so much.

But look at each of these descriptions of "slaves" in light of our relationship to Christ.

We were purchased by Christ so he must see a great deal of value in us.
We say that we have surrendered our will to Him (Jesus is LORD).
We depend upon Him to supply all of our needs.
We depend upon Him to protect us and in fact deliver us from "all evil".
We have obligated ourselves to do His bidding (Jesus is LORD).

This type of "slavery" is not only non offensive but it is a joy and a delight.

In submitting to Christ we are following in his steps (2:21). He submitted to His Father and endured more humiliation, pain, and rejection than any of us will ever know.

Peter then starts chapter 3 with "in the same way" wives. "In the same way" husbands.....

If we learn to submit to Christ as a slave does to his master then we will have discovered the central truth to all that he is going to say about the husband/wife relationship.

When we "put on Christ" we lose our old identity. We can no longer be "boss". We can no longer exercise our will in exclusion of His will. Gal 3:28

In chapter 3 Peter gives four pieces of advise to wives.

1) Analize your actions (why should I be submissive)
We did not get very far into this part of our study but we learned a very valuable truth in verse one about the power that a wife has with her husband. The verse says, "....that they (the husband) may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,...".

Wives, your behavior (respect, support, gentle spirit) has more power (affect) on your husbands conduct than your words will ever have.

We will take up here next week with a description of this life of purity and reverence that Peter speaks of.

Look forward to seeing you Sunday.
randy

Just a thought...

2007-04-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

I use Aussie 3 minute miracle for conditioner for my hair. On the bottle it reads: "Hair therapy in 3 minutes. What you do with the other 1,437 minutes of the day is up to you." What are we doing with those minutes? How are we using them to impact the kingdom? Are we using time wisely and bringing glory to the One who gives us the minutes? Just a thought....
Julie

4/22/07

2007-04-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

-If you haven't already, please bring diapers or wipes to Faye. Laura Morris will be having that baby soon!
-Outdoor dinner & worship service is next Sunday night. Starts at 4:30 and service at 6:00. Bring covered dish. Childcare for babies - 3's will open at 5:45.
-Discover Your Church - for all new members and guests to learn more about CHBC. May 6 at 4:30
-Growthgroups are coming to a close for this semester. The pastor would like all of us to join him for the summer in the PRAYERlife service on Wednesday nights at 6pm.
- 2007 National Day of Prayer is May 3. Join other believers at the Ridgeland City Hall or on the South Steps of the MS State Capitol Building from noon until 1pm.
- May 8 will be our class night for outreach. Go ahead and put on your calendar. We need you!

Game Night

2007-04-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a fun night of crazy cards last weekend. Thanks to the Sims for having us at your house! Kim even won the golden goose trophy by having the most points (Trae was THRILLED as you can see in the picture!). We even got to see Daniel's competitive side....read 'em and weep!!

4/15/07

2007-04-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Announcements from today:
-LIFEgroup game night (adults only) THIS SATURDAY 4/21 at the Sims house 6:00.
-We have collected $286 for camp scholarships! AWESOME! I will continue to pass the envelope so there will still be opportunities to give if you haven't had the chance or are not done.
-TEAMS rally is next Sunday 4/22 at 4:45 in D200
-Church-wide fellowship & outdoor worship service, April 29
-Discover your church will be held May 6 at 4:30 in D200

1 Peter

2007-04-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

For the next couple of weeks we will be studying 1 Peter chapter 2 and 3.

We will be looking at the subject of marriage and what the Bible says about this very critical relationship.

Chapter 2:11 through 3:22 are some of the most important passages in all of scripture that deal with this topic and you will not want to miss a single session.

Last week we looked at an overview of Peter's intentions in writing this important section of Scripture. The following are highlights of our study:

-Peter sets the stage for chapter 3 by speaking in chapter 2 verses 11 and following of our responsibility to "show the world" what following Christ really involves.
-The world cares far more about what they SEE in the lives of Christians than what they hear us say.
-Chapter 3 begins with the phrase "in the same way"and then describes the proper marriage relationship for wives and husbands. We must look at the previous verses to see what "the same way" means.
-Chapter 2 verse 13 begins the discussion of submission in all of our relationships and then shows what submission "looks like."
-His point is that if we have not learned how to submit to authority before we enter the marriage relationship then we will have problems in our marriage
-There is no greater way to demonstrate the power of Christ in our lives that to "SHOW" Him in our marriage.

We ended with chapter 2 verse 17 and next week we will be looking at the next section which deals with slaves or servants submitting to their masters. This should prove to be very interesting to see what God can teach us about our marriage through this study on how servants relate to their masters.

PLEASE do not miss any of the next several weeks. This understanding is critical to a healthy marriage.

See you Sunday.
randy

Fun for the whole Family

2007-03-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the bonfire fellowship. It was warm in March for a fire...but the dogs and the smores were worth the heat! Some of the kiddos even caught some fish. Most of the boys had fun just playing with the bait.

Jerry had the smores assembly line going.

Elliot and Kevin roasting the dogs and bearing the heat!

Hall / Welch LIFEgroup

October Epistle

August Epistle

June Epistle

May Epistle

April Epistle

March Epistle

Survey

Changing of the guards

Fireproof

It's almost September!

Acts 2

Acts 2

Happy Father's Day

Recommended Reading...

Decision Making...

Seeking God's Direction

LIFEgroup news

Need to watch!

James

The Zone

The Life God Rewards

Possessions

It's been a while!!

Matthew 6

Fall Festival

Matthew 6

LIFEgroup News

Matthew 5

Matthew

Highlights

Welcome Home Curtis!

God is Sovereign and Merciful

Jonah

Pizza FUN!

Jonah

2 Peter

Sharing in Suffering/Hall

Sharing in Suffering/Wicks

Sharing in Suffering/Peterson

Sunday, June 3

Shout It Out!

Thought to ponder...

Shout Out for McAlisters

How to Divorce Proof Your Marriage

1 Peter ch3 v7

5/6/07 announcements

1 Peter 3

Homework

1 Peter 2:18 - 3:1

Just a thought...

4/22/07

Game Night

4/15/07

1 Peter

Fun for the whole Family