A few years ago I wrote the following article.

     “This Sunday is graduation day in our Sunday School. We will have a time of giving certificates to those in the preschool, children, and youth departments during our Sunday School hour. A big congratulation to each of those who have reached another milestone in their life.

     Speaking of Sunday School, we recently have a wonderful evening of food, fellowship, and challenge as the teachers and officers with spouses met at our church. It was great to share with one another and to learn about the new materials coming our ways to help us in the Sunday School. Bill and June Smith (Bill is our Potomac Association Director of Missions),gave us an excellent challenge for our Sunday School. Let me share the major thrust.

     First, we need to define our purpose for Sunday School. Certainly, we need to have Bible study, but what is our purpose? Each of us will have to define the answer to that question. Let me give you the purpose that the majority of us see. Our purpose is to reach people. Sunday School is the evangelism arm of the church.

     Second, we need to teach the Bible is small groups, adapting the material to our needs and the age groups we teach. Preschoolers are different from adults. We need to share as teachers and officers to encourage one another.

     Third, we need to apply the Bible to life. As we meet together, our fellowship should provide a place for us to share is a meaningful manner with one another. In so doing we can find the practical side of the Bible lesson so we can profit in our lives.

     Fourth, we need to evaluate. Classes change. Methods change. Needs change. We should take time to look at these and other items from time to time. Perhaps a new class needs to be started. We are in a large mission field. We need not go far away to find thousands who do not know Christ. They are right next door. Let us find ways to enroll them.

     I challenge each of us to be a regular attender in Sunday School. Our new annex provides excellent space for classes to expand and grow. If you’re not in a class now, come this Sunday and be a part of this vital ministry.

In Him, Dave”

     Fast forward to today. We still have Sunday School. How we call it Bible Study for those out of Middle School. Our classes are combined, meaning English and Hispanic for those Young People and below. All adult classes are taught in the separate languages.

     We need two things:

          Firstly, a Director. Shanna James had done a great job, but now she wants to devote her time to Youth and a Women’s Conference.

          Secondly, We need students. Traditionally, the Bible study classes have been the evangelization for the church. People enter into a small group and become involved in the church.

     Think about these things and I hope you will come Sunday and join a class. At this time, classes begin at 9:00 AM. We have a Women’s class taught by Maureen Holt, A Young Peoples Class taught by Larry Jimenez, and a mixed adult by Preston Barber.

 

How Great is Our God

I came across this he other day. It is wonderful food for thought. I believe the more I study and reflect, God's intelligent design is seen everywhere.

      How great our God

 Our Creator and Redeemer . . . and do we THINK about it? God's accuracy may be
 observed in the hatching of eggs, for example: the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;
 those of the canary in 14 days;
 those of the barnyard hen in 21 days;
 The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;
 those of the mallard in 35 days;
 The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.(Notice, they are all divisible by seven, the

  number of days in a week!)

 God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant.
 The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made.    God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

 The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first. How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation!

 God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains.

 -Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind.
 -Each orange has an even number of segments.
 -Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.
 -Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.
 -Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number.

 -The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather.

 All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred fold all even numbers.

 God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day. Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed!

 The lives of each of you may be ordered by the Lord in a beautiful way for His glory, if you will only entrust Him with your life. If you try to regulate your own life, it will only be a mess and a failure. Only the One Who made the brain and the heart can successfully guide them to a profitable end..

 The Bible
 When you carry "the Bible", Satan has a headache, when you open it, he collapses,
 when he sees you reading it, he loses his strength, and when you stand on the Word of God, Satan can't hurt you! And did you also know...

a little child shall lead them! Blessings to all. Dave

I have been reading much lately. It is interesting to me that I return to those who have lived before for guidance in many spiritual things because they are more in tune with the scriptures and the Lord. Today, I re post an article from a sermon service a use. It is timely and relevant. Take time to read and apply.

3 Spiritual Lessons from Jonathan Edwards

Kyle Strobel

If they were important to Jonathan Edwards, they should be important to you!

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is considered by many to be one of the smartest philosophers and theologians in American history. But more than that, Edwards is one of the great spiritual thinkers as well. Edwards helped the churches in New England navigate the work of the Spirit in the “Great Awakening,” and he continues to help pastors walk through these issues through his great work, Religious Affections (one of the most beloved spiritual classics of the Protestant church).
How can we learn from the spiritual practices of Edwards? Here are three lessons that are as important today as they were in Edwards' time:

1. Spiritual Practices Are God-Focused.

When engaging in a spiritual practice, whether reading the Bible devotionally, praising God in church or even listening to a sermon, it can be incredibly easy to start focusing on side-issues. Maybe our lips are moving while singing a praise song, but our minds are thinking about everything else we have to do. Maybe we are reading the Bible for something to say that will sound smart and informed rather than hearing from God.
Whatever the case, Edwards would encourage us to have a God-focused understanding of practices. In other words, when we engage in spiritual practices, like those mentioned above or practices like fasting, prayer or solitude, the purpose is to be with God, rather than merely trying to get a task done. Once we forget that, we very quickly focus on making sure we are doing the act right.
In other words, rather than learning to be with God, the goal becomes perfecting the technique of a spiritual practice. This digresses rapidly to a self-focused form of spiritual practice, which is nothing short of idolatry.

2. Spiritual Practices Are Relational.

In light of the God-focused nature of spiritual practices, Edwards would remind us that spiritual practices are always relational. This can be hard to remember. Whenever we are learning a new practice, even if it is something like reading the Bible, we have to devote a good deal of energy and brain power on figuring out how to do it. The mechanics are not irrelevant, but as was just noted, they must not overtake the purpose of being with God.
Therefore, in the midst of our spiritual practices—all our spiritual practices—God is calling us to himself. Whether we are reading Scripture, singing praise songs, practicing silence and solitude or fasting, we are called to be with God and to know him in relationship. Spiritual practices are a means of grace, Edwards tells us, and grace is always relational.
We do not come to know a distant god, or an infinite power; we come to know God as Father in his Son Jesus Christ. In Christ we are able to call God Father and to know ourselves as His children. Therefore, our spiritual practices should always lead us in relationship and should always be built upon that relationship. Once we start trying to do spiritual practices to establish our relationship with God, even if we do so subconsciously, we fail to embrace the free gift of God in Christ.

3. Spiritual Practices Should Lead to Affectionate Knowledge of God.

Lastly, it is true that we can often feel overwhelmed when we engage in spiritual practices, frustrated that we fell asleep again in prayer, drifted off again during the sermon or found our time in the Word dry and heartless. Nonetheless, Edwards would remind us, God has called us to have more than just a working knowledge of Himself. God wants us to know Him affectionately.
To paraphrase Edwards, God does get your mind off of fleshly things by beating you up, but by showing you something better. The something better He shows you is Himself! Jesus is God’s self-revelation to the world, and that revelation should break open hard and lifeless hearts to His life of love. Therefore, just as our spiritual practices should be God-centered and relational, they should lead us in affection. But what if they don’t? If your heart isn’t moved by God, then we pray “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) and “Without you I can do nothing” (John 15:5).
God is the one who must give us eyes to see His beauty, but we are called to open our hearts to Him in love. Spiritual practices are the means by which we do so. But there are many temptations when practicing any kind of spiritual practices. At the top of the list are the opposites of our three points here.
We will always be tempted to make practices self-centered, becoming proud at our discipline; we will be tempted to make practices mechanical, thinking the “right method” will solve our problems; and we will always be tempted to use practices to cover our guilt and shame rather than using them to turn to God in affection.
Edwards highlights these pitfalls for us and shows us a better way. Focusing on the Christian life as a journey of love that is God-centered, relational and affectionate reminds us who our God is. By embracing the love of our God we can come to walk with Him in all that we do. Edwards is a great guide to show us how we can do this in every aspect of our lives.

So I hope this was helpful Keep your eyes open for beauty. It is everywhere. The hibiscus at the top of the page was growing in an neglected bush near my dentist office. I used my trusty Droid Razor Max and some Nik software, and there you have it. God bless. Dave

John Piper wrote a book, "Desiring God". He has a whole website devoted to it.

I will preach on Hedonism  during the first Sunday of August. It is a difficult subject because I suffer from it as well as many Americans. One of the views I will discuss is called,"theohedonia", or Christian hedonism. Piper concludes Chapter Five with these words: (shades of Blaise Pascal)

"Christian Hedonism is a philosophy of life built on the following five convictions:

1. The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful
2. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead, we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction.
3. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God. Not from God, but in God.
4. The happiness we find in God reaches its consummation when it is shared with others in the manifold ways of love.
5. To the extent that we try to abandon the pursuit of our own pleasure, we fail to honor God and love people. Or, to put it positively: The pursuit of pleasure is a necessary part of all worship and virtue. That is:

The chief end of man is to glorify God

by

enjoying Him forever.

You might want to check out the book in preparation for the service. Read Luke 12:13-21. Dave

How is Your Summer?

I cannot believe that today in June 20, 2013. Where has the time gone. Two years ago, I posted  my wife's medical problems. They have worsened. So have mine. But, our interest in life is heightened. Each  dawn is a new gift from God. We both cherish each moment and enjoy the wonderful panoply of things provided for us to enjoy His creation. I have taken over 1200 photos and will post some now and then. Birds and flowers are my favorites. Be sure you enjoy each day.

 Me on the way to the doctor.

 Roses at church.

 Hosta at Walter Reed Bethesda

 Lily at Walter Reed Bethesda

Thelma mastering the mobile cart at Walmart!

God Bless. Pastor Dave

Illness

As many of you know, my wife Thelma has experienced many medical problems since her Traumatic Brain Injury in October 2007. Within the past few months, she has been in the hospital three times (seven weeks). They know she has COPD but cannot find what causes her to have violent attacks which land her in the hospital. Her numbers and tests are good.

I am the caregiver and have been. You would say chief cook, bottle washer, and nurse. That is OK. We are nearing our 56th anniverary and that is great. I was never prepared for this. My relatives lived without telling me all the bad things and trials we all would have.

Maybe that was very wise. What would I have done differently? I would have married the love of my life and done exactly what we did.

We never complained when things where great! Why now? No complaints. Jesus did not complain and taught us to continue. Palm Sunday is close. We are to rise up and praise our God.

So how are you doing this Friday? I remember a sermon, "Today is Friday, but Sunday's coming". One more week and the Sunday is coming. Continue to prepare yourself for the Ressurrection Sunday.

Here is the latest great-grandson, Landon Norfolk. He was born December 31, 2008. The little guy weighed in at 8 pound, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long. He was anticipated, desired, and caused bells and whistles to go off. As of this date, mother and Landon are doing well, just as we hoped and prayed.

Life is a gift from God. As I think of this life, I think of some of the things it takes to raise child. Of course the main things are obvious: food, clothes, shelter, careful watching, nurturing, etc. But, I am reminded that one thing missing from many young kids is community support.

It has been said that is takes a community to raise a child. That means everyone. When I was young and playing stick ball on the streets of Philadelphia, I learned to give and take it. But one of the amazing things was the way my Mom knew so much of what I was into. How? The families on the street watched out for all the kids and were not shy to inform on digressions of any kid.

Consider. I had great-grandparents, grand-parents and parents. Each set contributed to my growing and nurturing. I had a gallery of rooters.

Consider today. Multiple parent sets for a child, grand parents who often are not a part of any grand kids life.

We are supposedly free from the inhibitions of the past and liberated to a greater degree of hedonism. Sex with anyone, anytime. What's in it for me. Marriage is for the birds. Me commit?

Now we watch the TV, read the papers, and hear the stories of family tragedies, painful stories of kids on drugs, alcohol and AIDS. But, what kind of role models exist?

TV depicts the glamor of premartial sex and of course, it is a natural thing to do. But, perhaps you should use protection if you have time. If not we can abort. But we cannot abort HIV.

I served on a National Panel for Fatherhood. We identified many problems, many causes, and pursued many solutions. It boiled down to active, involved parenthood. Each kid needs a mother and a father.

I look around and wonder what the world will be like. My mother and father worked. My wife's mother and father worked. Yet, I had active involvement of both because they were committed.

All the loss of restrictions and liberalization has not made us a better people, a better community, nor a better Nation. We are not held in high esteem around the world.

Where do we start? OK. Bailout banks, auto industries, housing and whatever else. Give more money to schools, social programs and the like. I submit. That has not worked in the past and it won't in the future. I learned in schools considered to be unfit for kids by today's standards. I learned from teachers, many who lacked college degrees. Shall I continue? At the end of high school, I could read extremely well, write lucidly, and had a a well-rounded appreciation for the arts as well as science. By the way, I also lettered in sports. I'm not bragging. I am making a point that I and so many of our generation did similarly going to schools now deemed inferior, taught by non-enlightened teachers, and lacking the benefits of the latest innovations from NEA.

Our little Landon has a rough road ahead. He will learn that greed makes the world go around. Profit is all that matters. Have fun now. Don't worry about tomorrow: the government will take care of you: and many other such things. But, as the recent crash indicates, all is not well. Our Nation has a wake-up call. We can change. It we don't, his world can be even worse. His father said to me: Pop, you and I need to do something to start a positive change for all of us.

Yep. We can do it. Will you be one to make a difference in the life of our families, communities, and our Nation?