Friday, July 11, 2008

Morning Bible Study – 9:30 a.m.

Dr. Bruce Moyer is leading a study on the life of David each morning, looking particularly at David’s relationships with others. Friday morning’s study:

Relationship: David and Samuel
Text: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Interesting facts: 1) There are more chapters in the Bible about David than anybody except Jesus. 2) He is the only man described as a “man after God’s own heart.”

Title: “God’s Criteria for Choosing Leaders”

I. Spirituality – God looks at the heart
- Acts 13:22, he will do everything I want him to do
- Obedience is at the heart of having a heart like God’s
II. Servanthood
- David – “the nobody that nobody noticed” (Chuck Swindoll)
III. Simplicity – integrity of heart
- integrity – “having simplicity of life; complete; whole, innocent, wholesome
- Integrity is what you are when nobody’s looking.
- Show me first how you tend sheep.


Friday Morning Service – 10:45 a.m.

Billy Huddleston spoke from Mark 1:1 – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son God.”

He related this back to Genesis 1:1, the creation story and Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, and separation from God. One of his statements that touched me the most: The most beautiful picture in all of Scripture, except for Jesus hanging on the cross, is God, walking through the Garden of Eden calling out, “Adam, where are you?”

He then told how Mark just starts out his gospel the beginning of the good news, which is Jesus Christ, and how it is all about Him.

He closed with the first line Rick Warren’s best selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life, “It’s not about you.”

Friday Evening Service – 7:30 p.m.

Our youth opened the service singing, “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High.”

Alan Pike led us beautifully in singing, highlighted for me with the great hymn, “Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty,” and the reverent singing of “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” leading us to prayer. Alan sang “Daystar” as his special number.

George Holley preached from Ephesians 2:8-10. He began talking about different kinds advertising and our familiarity with advertising slogans, and told lastly of a recent commercial which says, “I hate your commercials, but I love your product!”

He used this to illustrate that in our culture there is an increasing interest in Jesus, but a decreasing interest in Christianity in the Church.

He then noted three words that Christians are called to be as “advertisements” for Christ to the world around us:

1) Workmanship – Ephesians 2:10
2) Ambassador – 2 Corinthians 5:20
3) Example – 1 Timothy 4:12
- in Word
- in Conversation
- in Love
- in Spirit
- in Faith
- in Purity