Shopping

After the first ninety minutes in Wally World, this old guy advised the spouse that he'd be on the bench in front of checkout #17.

She nudged me gently, my eyes popped open, she said, "Watch the cart.  I'll be ready to go soon as I use the restroom."

Later in the evening she told me she hated to wake me because she was afraid someone would associate her with the silly old man who was asleep in the midst of all that traffic.

Embarrassed that someone might think I was hers?  Well!

(Someone is concerned about what the People of Walmart think of her?  Or me?)

Ha. Haha.  Ha.

Friendly or Good Friend?

The lesson is based on the account in the Gospel of Luke chapter five in which the palsied man is brought to Jesus by his friends who because of the press of the crowd lowered the afflicted man through the roof into the Healer's presence.

Am I the type of friend who brings others into a relationship with God?

To be like Jesus we need to
1) show up for the overlooked, the poor, the outcasts; people society looks down on.
2) get rid of our judgmental lenses; see people for who they are: people just like us, broken.
3) shake off people's opinions of us; if you hang out with the broken you will be looked down on.

Jesus purposefully hung out with people who would give him a bad reputation, with people who needed to be made whole.

Who are the sick we need to show up for?  If we don't share the love of God we miss the point.

Jesus was intentional in his relationships.  He wanted everyone to know God.  We need to be intentional in our relationships so that those who are weak in their own faith might "borrow" ours.

There are people in your life that God has put there for a purpose.  They are your calling.

Are you merely a friendly person, or are you really a good friend?

"Love each other." --Jesus

Christ appointed us to do the same thing He did.

Notes on the message as heard by Bob Warr.

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday morning

Name Game

You may have noticed that most churches these days are led by a person whose first name is "Pastor." His or her last name is almost always very similar to or the same as a common given name, e.g., Pastor Bob, Pastor Naomi, Pastor Brian.  Curious.  ;-)

A Vision for the Lost

The lesson is drawn from Haggai 1:5-15 and Haggai 2:19 in which the people find themselves self-involved to the neglect of God's house.  Their frenetic activity results in loss of profit to themselves.  Yet when they refocus on the house of God, blessings ensue.

Sermon notes 

The people got so busy with their own house, their own concerns, that they forgot their primary focus to be on the house of God.  Little fruit accrued to them.

Whose house are you really concerned about?

The church is not our church, our mission.  It is God's.  Our focus must be on God's work if we are to "bear fruit."  When we think of it as "our community" everything begins to revolve around us.  We exist not just to build up our own house, but to build God's house, His kingdom.

Our focus must shift from self to others.  We must trade our inward focus for an outward focus.

Do we "spend" or "invest"?

1. Time.   Are we spending our time with those closest to us, or are we investing our time in those who need us most?
2. Money.  Are we spending our resources on things that are pleasing to us, or are we investing our resources in reaching the lost for Christ?

 People need Jesus.

We must get a fresh vision for the lost.

How long since you helped lead someone to Jesus?  When did you last share your testimony?

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday morning

The Good Samaritan

Luke 10:25-37

As the priest and the Levite passed by the wounded man they were asking themselves, "If I get involved what will happen to me?"  The Samaritan saw the sufferer and asked himself, "If I don't stop what will happen to him?"

The difference lies in the focus.

As we see the suffering in the world ask, "Are we focused inward or outward?"

Harvest Time

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

 --Matthew 9:35-38

This the scripture lesson for today's message.

Harvest time conveys a sense of urgency.

The harvest is valuable, the time is short, and the workers are few.

Do you have a vital, living, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ that means enough to you that you want to share it with someone else?

*God doesn't always call the qualified; He calls the willing.

*Nothing is more exciting than seeing people come to Jesus.

We were challenged to effect church growth by seeing the needy, by ministering to them; by prayer and by bringing the people in through friendship, one by one.

No one is looking for a friendly church.  Everyone is looking for a friend.

 Dr. Mark Gorveatte

 Sunday morning

Dr. Gorveatte is Superintendent of

Central Indiana District

The Wesleyan Church

Truth in the Funnies

"It's at times like these that I really wish I had listened to what my dad told me when I was young."

"What did he tell you?"

"I don't know.  I wasn't listening."

Conversation between Earl and Nelson --Brian Crane in his "Pickles" comic strip.

What 's the differential?

The church recently named Dr. D---  Chairman of the Multiplication Division.

In addition, Dr.  D--- will integrate his division with the outreach program of the church.