Challenges for a growing congregation by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/challeng.htm

Life is full of challenges; why should the church be different? ... Gary

Stupidity: The sorry stepchild of invention.

Sounds like something similar to a warp field generator or perhaps a multi-phase transponder for a quadratic field inducer, doesn't it?  Believe that and I'll tell you about the multi-dimensional transverse gravitonometer and the flux capacitor.  Whoops, you probably already know about the flux capacitor.  Then again, reality comes back and I am forced to actually make sense.  Human beings have the capacity to rearrange their environment; create new inventions, postulate ideas to conceived problems.  We are too smart for our own good!  Think of just one area: food.  Look at all the additives, preservatives and "extra" things we do with our sustenance!  The result is a whole host of man-made diseases.  Yet, how futile this all is...

WEB: Ecclesiastes 9:10. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, where you are going.

Solomon was the wisest man that ever lived!  But, for all his wisdom he was seduced by his "strange wives" to follow after other gods.  But, he was right in this verse because we should try with our utmost to do all that we can do in this world.  Solomon was limited in his knowledge of the afterlife, because there will be more for us in heaven than he could have possibly imagined.  I know from the New Testament that we will have a "work" to do in heaven; namely praising God, but I wonder... will there be a flux capacitor there?  Will have to ask at the gate...

The Celebration of Easter by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/easter.htm

Should the church do this? ... Gary

Remember; don't forget!!!

America is aging; the baby boomers are older now and the effect on society is significant!!!  I saw this picture and remembered yesterday; when I found myself in a room and didn't have the slightest idea why I was in there.  No big deal!  I was a bit surprised and that was it; period.  An hour later I remembered what I was going to do and by that time I had thought up something to add to my task, so things turned out much better than they would have in the first place.  Some things can be forgotten easily at any age, but when remembered can really make a difference in your life.  Check out what the apostle Peter says about this...

WEB: II Peter Chapter 3

[1] This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you; [2] that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior: [3] knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts, [4] and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” [5] For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water, by the word of God; [6] by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. [7] But the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. [8] But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

The other day I watched the movie Armageddon again.  The opening scene in which you see a picture of the Earth and Charlton Heston says something like... it has happened before and it will happen again.  He was referring to the Earth being hit by a six mile meteorite which nearly destroyed the planet.  His words resonated with me because we humans tend to forget things; and in times of prosperity... God.  Today, more than ever, we need to remember the past; that apostasy has happened before, just as it has become prevalent in this culture.  But, God is patient with us and in his own good time will sort everything out and make all right.  Don't forget... remember who HE is and what HE will do and some day (perhaps even today) you will be eternally glad you did.  Surprise!  God will bless you; only don't forget HIM!!!

The Celebration of Christmas by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/xmas.htm

What about the tradition? ... Gary

Free at what cost?

Who wouldn't want these things?  You can't buy them and you can't REALLY LIVE WITHOUT THEM.  Are they REALLY free?  Good question!  I don't think they really are.  There is a cost associated with them.  It takes a lot of work to hold a family together, or in reality any relationship for that matter.  All these things are indicative of a good life and that takes effort.  Its so easy to let the world get you down, to think negatively and spiral into unhappiness.  One easy (and at times, not so easy) way to avoid this is to think about what we do and more importantly, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO!!  Living right (or perhaps more accurately, righteously) means living a life that eliminates sinful activity.  Living wrong (sinfully) leads to unhappiness.  The apostle Paul puts it this way...

World English Bible: Romans Chapter 6

[1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? [3] Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; [6] knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. [7] For he who has died has been freed from sin. [8] But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; [9] knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him! [10] For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. [11] Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[12] Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. [13] Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. [14] For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace. [15] What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! [16] Don’t you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? [17] But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered. [18] Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.

[19] I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. [20] For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. [21] What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. [22] But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christians are bound to Christ; to live as he would have us to live.  And that life is NOT FREE; it cost Jesus his LIFE.  To us it is free, but it still has the cost of our obedience.  Consider all the things that you get when you obey and the cost is really NO BIG DEAL.  The cost of disobedience is much higher as the lives of adulterers, drug addicts, liars, murderers, thieves and all sorts of sinful activities will testify to.  So, as cute as the picture may be, I really don't agree with it, because if fact nothing is free; somewhere, somehow, someone is doing something to make these things happen.  And I am GLAD THEY ARE!  GIVE ME MORE, PLEASE!!!!!!

Managing Anger by Mark Copeland

http://executableoutlines.com/top/anger.htm

Learning this can avoid a lot of trouble in life... Gary