Kristin became a conflict coach because she wanted to help people not only resolve conflict but also to mend relationship. Her relationships have drastically changed over the last 8 years and she wants nothing more than to help others have the same experience.
Some quirky things about Kristin is that she is a sucker for a good overcoming story, and gets her fill from watching shows like: Survivor, Talent Shows, and Undercover Boss. She loves watching animals and sitting at the beach. When she is not coaching or learning, you can find her playing games with the family, on the yoga mat, or talking stupid to her dog, Jack.
Down-to-earth and approachable
"Kristin speaks from the heart, opening up about her personal experiences as a wife, a mother and a Christian. Her reflections about her own life gave me the opportunity to face my own mirror and see the areas where my relationships can improve.
Kristin's down-to-earth approach to living a life aligned with biblical teaching breaks down the barriers between biblical living and the world we live in today -
Changed my life
After working with Kristin, God helped me to have compassion and see things from His view instead of my own. Before working with her, I focused on what I wanted and my heart was hard.
The tools she gives are practical and can be used for a lifetime. Since the workshop, people have noticed a difference in me; and my relationship with God, my son, and myself also got stronger.
© 2016 Kristin Lawrence Coaching|


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Homilies By Email provides busy pastors with quality ideas and resources for enchancing their ministries. It is one of the first preaching resources offered online, going back to the 1999. Over that time, it has been used by many ministers and laypersons all over the world. Quality, helpful ideas and materials are available on just about any topic or subject to help stimulate your own creativity. No other resource offers such diverse and unique materials.
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Complete Biography and Net Worth of Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and one of the world’s top Bible teachers. She is also the president of Joyce Meyer Ministries worldwide. Apart from being a New York Times bestselling author, she is one whose books have helped millions find hope and restoration in and through Jesus Christ. She also has her own television and radio program called “Enjoying Everyday Life” and a magazine also titled “Enjoying Everyday Life”.
Childhood and Early Life
Joyce was born as Pauline Joyce Hutchison on the 4th of June 1943 in South St. Louis. She was initially taken care of by her mother as her father (who was in the army) was off to fight in World War II, soon after she was born.
According to her, he (her father) began abusing her when he returned (sexually, emotionally, mentally, and verbally).
His all-around exploitation left her with a belittling view of self and she had soon become a victim of multiple personality disorders. She continued with school but concentration was difficult.
At such a young age, Joyce developed and was filled with a sense of self-pity. She became manipulative, controlling, and harsh. She was enveloped with guilt, insecurity, and suspicion.Despite being a victim of assault, Joyce did not abandon her studies. She completed her education and graduated from O’Fallon Technical High School in St Louis.
Marital and Personal Life
She married a part-time car salesman shortly after her senior year of high school. The marriage was short-lived as it lasted five years. After her divorce, Meyer frequently visited local bars before meeting Dave Meyer, who was an engineering draftsman. They got married on the 7th of January, 1967 and they currently have four children who are all involved in some facets of the ministry. They (Joyce and Dave) made their home in St. Louis, Missouri.
Joyce earned a Ph.D. in theology from Life Christian University in Tampa, Florida. She has an honorary doctorate in Divinity from Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma. She also holds an honorary doctorate in Sacred Theology from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.
After briefly being a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in St. Louis, a congregation of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, she began leading an early-morning Bible class at a local cafeteria in 1976. She became active in Life Christian Center, a charismatic church in Fenton. She was later made an associate pastor in the Church in 1980.
Her popularity as a Bible teacher caused the church to become one of the leading charismatic churches in the area. In 1985, Joyce resigned as associate pastor and began her own ministry, originally called “Life in the Word.” She started airing her radio show on six other stations from Chicago to Kansas City.
In 1993, Dave (her husband) suggested that they start a television ministry. Her program, initially airing on superstation WGN-TV in Chicago and Black Entertainment Television (BET), is now called Enjoying Everyday Life and is still on the air today.
By 2003, her ministry grew tremendously as she soon was teaching citywide, statewide, countrywide, and now worldwide using Joyce Meyer Ministries as a medium. Her television, radio, and magazine titles were changed to “Enjoying Everyday Life” where she teaches on different subjects based on experience and her Bible application to every aspect of her life.
Her ministry’s headquarters is near the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.
Over the years, she has written a little under 100 books, which have been translated into more than 100 languages and have tended to about 12 million readers.
Apart from hosting a television ministry and writing books, Joyce organizes several domestic and international conferences every year that inspire people to start enjoying their everyday life. Her annual women’s conference has been quite huge, gathering more than 200,000 women from across the globe per year.
A few of her note-worthy quotes include;
You can suffer the path of change or suffer remaining the way you are.
Courage is fear that has said its prayers and decided to go forward anyway.
Her Net Worth
Joyce Meyer has an estimate of $8 million net worth and was also mentioned as one of the richest pastors in America.


Author: Shelia E. Bell Lipsey
Publisher: Urban Books
Series: My Son's Wife #2
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
"My Son's Ex-Wife" by Shelia E. Bell Lipsey
Continuing on from this author's series ...My Son's Wife...and this one...'My Son's Ex-Wife was another good read. Again with some realistic characters that are well developed, defined and oh so believable...all giving the reader another good read of redemption and forgiveness by this author.I thought a lots of that scripture...'I can do all things through Christ Jesus. Anyway moving on I found this author really has a way with her writing that will keep you turning the pages to see what going to happen next as you will see when tragedy strikes and with this seeing the Graham family will once again need to hold on to their faith. Will there be some changes for all to see like in Rena, Francesca and maybe a few others? I loved this second story of 'forgiveness, repentance, faith and restoration' from this series. This story was so very well presented by this author. Now, I am looking forward to continuing on to the next series...'My Son's Next Wife.'


THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES.
Presbyterian Church of New Providence.
To honor the original name of our town when settled 300 years ago, the Committee is planning a catered turkey dinner to be held at the Presbyterian Church which gave our town its name. We will be taking reservations for this event as there is limited seating. Seating will be on a first come first served basis. Please email us at firstname.lastname@example.org for more info.


Last week, Paige was baptized. It was such a great day and we were so happy to have so many family members join in our special day with us. Paige was very excited leading up to her baptism which made it all the more enjoyable!And here she is looking beautiful and happy as the newest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Today, her class celebrated her un-birthday (since she's a summer baby) and she is the Star Student of the week. Here she is explaining the pictures on her poster:
And here she is introducing her classmates to "Hermity" the Hermit Crab. (My kids are all naming impaired.)


Read Under Cover (EZ Lesson Plan) by John Bevere Free Online
Book Title: Under Cover (EZ Lesson Plan)|
The author of the book: John Bevere
Date of issue: November 13th 2001
ISBN 13: 9781400200054
Format files: PDF
The size of the: 6.69 MB
Edition: Thomas Nelson
Read full description of the books Under Cover (EZ Lesson Plan):Are you struggling to submit to leaders at home, work, church or government?
This book will help you understand through scriptures why and how we should submit to authority as God commands.
When reading or listening to John Bevere one cannot go away unchallenged. It is not because he himself challenges us but it is because he presents God’s word as the pure and irrefutable truth.
As Bevere describes in the first section of his book, the purpose of the message conveyed in it is “to reveal to us the importance of submission to God’s authority…and to create a love and passion for obedience to it”.
The central theme of this book revolves around the truth that God is our only authority and as such He has placed authority on earth which we are commanded to submit to if we are to be under His covering of protection and provision.
This book has challenged me in many ways. First it has opened up my eyes to see that even a hint of insubordination and disobedience is still regarded as sin. 99.9 % willingness and obedience will not do it. We need to continue to seek God and have first hand revelation from the Holy Spirit about His word so that we can obey Him with our heart and not out of prescribed truth.
Read information about the authorMarked by boldness and passion, John Bevere delivers uncompromising truth through his award-winning curriculums and bestselling books, now in more than 60 languages, including "The Bait of Satan," "Drawing Near" and "Driven by Eternity." He is an international speaker and co-host of "The Messenger" TV program broadcast worldwide.
John enjoys living in Colorado Springs with his wife, Lisa, also a best-selling author and speaker, and their four sons.
Add a comment to Under Cover (EZ Lesson Plan)
Read EBOOK Under Cover (EZ Lesson Plan) by John Bevere Online free


Posted by Staff on 7/8/2020 to News
A priest sent us this wonderful bit of patristic nectar and we thought we would pass it on:
Prayer is not a natural property of fallen man. This is why we have a commandment to pray. We are commanded by God to do, not natural but supernatural things. We do not have a commandment to sleep, to drink, to eat, because these are natural activities, but we do have a commandment to pray, because prayer is a supernatural activity.
-Archimandrite Zacharias of the Holy Mountain
We pray that God leads all of us to prayer, especially during these difficult times.


Adult Choir and Orchestra rehearse on Wednesdays nights from 6:30 pm to 8:15 pm September through May as part of our Wednesday Family Night Ministry. The choir presents special music most Sundays during the school year and both choir & orchestra enhance corporate worship each Sunday. Both choir and orchestra also present special concerts throughout the year, including The Christmas Experience annually in December. Choir and orchestra members must be high school age or older, and instrumentalists should be able to play at a high school level or higher. Contact Pastor Steve Nichols if you are interested in joining!


OCEANSIDE — A downtown eight-story building with 115 studio apartments topped by 64 hotel rooms received the go-ahead this week from the Oceanside City Council,
To honor Jesus Christ through real estate
To leverage our unique gifts to develop, design, build, and manage real estate for the advancement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.
“Hearses don’t have trailer hitches, so labor for eternal things.”
The nonsensical giving of our time, treasure, and talents.
1 Timothy 6:18-19
Caring deeply about one another and sharing in each other’s wins and losses.
Living out love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
We are accountable, first to God, then to each other.
“My favorite thing about The Prime Company is the collaborative environment that allows for constant idea sharing and debate.”
Aaron Hunt – GM Prime Place Lincoln
“I really value our commitment to healthy family life. That is a really unique perspective that is hard to find in this industry. Our company truly cares about their employees and their families.”
We truly value Family
1 Timothy 5:8
Persistent. Diligent. Enthusiastic.
Challenge the status quo.
So important that it gets its own core value.
We are always looking for great people.


Spiritual Life Learning
Too often, Jesus' call for us to follow him is interpreted as an invitation to be a spectator at some religious gathering, rather than real life action that has power to transform and enrich our daily lives.
The Spiritual Life Learning series is intended to give you actual practices by which you can engage God's spirit within you, enabling you to experience for yourself God's very presence with and within you.
Examples of spiritual practices that we will explore include various forms of prayer, charitable works, study and silence.
SLL promises to be an exciting journey into the spiritual life!


- This event has passed.
Bay Area Christian Singles – Speed Dating
June 3 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Bay Area Christian Connection invites you to a Christian Speed Dating Event in Richmond, CA! Come meet your match or make a new friend!
- Who: Bay Area Christian Connection
- What: Bay Area residents interested in seeking a Christian partner (ages 27-39)
- When: Saturday, June 3rd from 5:00PM-6:30PM
- Why: Bay Area Christian Connection wants to create a space for local Christians to meet in a more personal setting
- Please arrive 15-20 minutes earlier if you wish to purchase discounted drinks (tea, coffee, flavored water, beer, and/or wine). Pastry and water will be provided free of charge.


Hearts in Faith, NFP is for single moms, or as we affectionately call you, Sweet Hearts. Hearts in Faith was created for Sweet Hearts by a Sweet Heart with the hopes of creating a community of support based on love and faith. We focus on empowering and strengthening Sweet Hearts in knowing that they are not alone on this journey called life and single mommy hood.
We are a faith-based nonprofit organization serving the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair.
Current programs specifically support:
- Sweet Hearts : Single moms (those who are unmarried, divorced, or widowed) ages 18+
- Heart Beats : A Violence Prevention Program for youth ages 12-17 who have been a witness, victim, and/or perpetrators of violence.
- Heart to Heart: A teen mom empowerment group for youth ages 13-19.
With support, we believe that women and youth can be transformed and strengthened by the power of Christ.
It is our hope and prayer that you know you are not alone on this journey. We are here to pray with you and for you. No matter what happens on your journey always remember to keep your Heart in Faith!


I am Youth for Christ, and that is so awesome.
Being youth for Christ is one the best things that has ever happened to my life. Sobrang daming nagbago sa buhay ko at sa pamumuhay ko simula ng ng naging YFC ako. It’s like I am meant to serve Him this way. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam, dahil bata pa lang ako pinakita na ni God yung daan na dapat kong puntahan. May God be praised!
I am Youth For Christ, and that is so awesome!
Good night! Stay Blessed :)
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.” (1 John 5:4, NASB)
Fear always presents itself much bigger than it really is. It’s always the worst-case scenario. It always tries to get you worried, anxious, uptight and panicked. Fear’s goal is to separate you from God by trying to get you to doubt His Word. But when the spirit of fear comes, recognize that it has no power unless you give it power. Don’t give it power by speaking what fear speaks. Don’t give it power by meditating on it. Instead, let the power of the Word of God rise up within you. Declare what God says; declare that God has given you all authority in heaven and earth. Declare that no weapon formed against you shall prosper.
Remember, no matter how big fear presents itself, it’s no match for the power of Almighty God. When you yield yourself to Him, you tap into His power. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. God is bigger than your problems and bigger than fear. Let faith rise up in your heart because faith is the victory that overcomes the world.


Charles Darwin, in 1859 wrote, "The affinities of all the beings of the same class have sometimes been represented by a great tree... As buds give rise by growth to fresh buds, and these if vigorous, branch out and over top on all sides many a feebler branch, so by generation I believe it has been with the great Tree of Life, which fills with its dead and broken branches the crust of the earth, and covers the surface with its ever branching and beautiful ramifications."
"The Tree of Life" is first found in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2.9, "And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil."
|Traditional Area of Garden of Eden
Note that in the Garden of Eden there were two trees mentioned, the "Tree of Life" and the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." This second tree was the one that was forbidden of Adam and Eve by God and eventually was the cause of the Fall and the ejection of Adam and Eve from the Garden. Disobeying God and eating from the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" turned into shame for the first humans as they realized that they were naked and tried to cover themselves from the sight of God with leaves. Note that this benevolent God, even at this time of great disruption, still clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins to keep them warm and maintain their dignity in God's sight.
|Flag of Tree of Life
Maybe this has given you some pause for thought. I hope so. That's what I think anyway,


There has been a lot of controversy lately over the new Netflix show, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. As a society, we have been pretty permissive about what we expose ourselves and our families to. Thankfully, this does not include all of us, but much of the population has been desensitized. We know this because shows like this one are still airing and more are being produced all the time. The questions is: at what point will we draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough?
This show is wrong on many levels. It is hard to really know where to even begin looking at it. True Crime is a pretty big trend right now, though there has always been some fascination with it. In 1987, there was a television show called Unsolved Mysteries that aired for nine seasons. It was a mystery documentary, but it really centered on unsolved crimes. In 2003, Cold Case hit the air and ran until 2010. While this show didn’t depict true crime, it did center on crime that could be true—along with many other dramas that focus on crime related events. Some other examples are all the Law and Orders, CSIs and NCISes.
The list could go on and on. So, what makes this show different? Why all the uproar?
Society is glorifying the evil and violent acts of a serial killer. Netflix is exploiting these heinous acts. Real people are having the trauma of their experiences relived for the sake of a buck. The deaths that occurred still matter. They SHOULD matter. The loved ones that were left behind in the aftermath of this violence are being re-victimized and re-traumatized while the media is benefiting from it.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Netflix has gone down this road, either. Time Magazine posted an article in 2020 about a similar incident. The family of one victim begged Netflix not to move forward, and yet the plea fell on deaf ears. I Am a Killer just aired its 3rd season without regard to how it affects families or how they might feel about such actions.
As a Christian, I believe strongly in the spiritual realm, in spiritual warfare as it’s laid out in the historical text of the Bible—I can not fathom why anyone who has a relationship with Jesus would subject themselves to such atrocities. I’m not talking about ignoring what happened or turning our backs on anything. Knowledge can be powerful, but context is everything. The exploitation of people’s trauma is evil. The banality of evil is letting evil happen and doing nothing about it.
Taking this a step further, what is our responsibility as disciples of Christ? Let’s take a look in the book of Matthew 25:31-46, which is labeled Judgment of the nations. Within this passage, I want to single in on verse 45, “… I assure you that when you haven’t done it for the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.” Friends, the least of these refers to anyone who is vulnerable, disadvantaged, and standing alone.
I feel strongly about this, but also want to reiterate that you do not have to be a Christian in order for this message to apply to you. Religion aside, what do you gain from watching a series that highlights the cruel actions of an evil man? Where is the humane community that we all need and desire? Place yourselves in the shoes of others. Would you want something that pains you to be exploited for all the world to see?
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, I declare we need to take back the media. We live in a world where we have become consumers. No longer are we referred to as people. We need to transform our mindsets and look at the bigger picture. We need to look to the future and the legacy that we want to leave behind. Be a producer as well as a consumer. The enemy is alive. It is up to us to walk in the authority given to us by the King.
Take Back All Forms of Media
I encourage you to investigate how you can make a difference in the world. How can you support the concept of making the world a better place in the media? Is it by exploiting the memories of the victims taken by the evil? Is it by minimizing the trauma that the victims faced? Or worse, is it allowing the enemy to control the media? Of course not! We live in an age of technology. Rather than boycott it, intentionally work to transform hearts and minds, be the salt and the light. When we think of Christian Liberty, look to 1st Corinthians 10:22-24, “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up. No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.” Let’s move past the idea that if it doesn’t directly affect us, then we don’t need to intervene. Eventually, it will affect us. When it is our time, will we honestly be able to say that we stood against the injustices of the world?
The School of Kingdom Writers is taking tremendous leaps toward a better tomorrow for our media outlets. It is not about making everything “Christian,” or putting everything into little boxes, avoiding actual issues and hard things. It’s about looking at everything from the perspective of Jesus. Jesus didn’t shy away from hard things. But He didn’t glorify them either.
SOKW aims to take back the media that the enemy has been exploiting, providing direction and teaching for Christians with a desire to share the Christian worldview with Christian and secular audiences alike. If this has tugged at your heart any at all, I pray you will dive deeper and seek ways you can make a difference in the Kingdom of God. If you have gifts and talents that might benefit the school in any capacity, I encourage you to explore that as well.
As a recent graduate of their on-line program, I highly recommend it. To hear from others check out this interview on the schools podcast. The school has students from all over the world who are being trained up to make a difference. You can also find the podcast and more of my thoughts on my own experience in this post.
Don’t forget to share how you are choosing to make a difference either on social media or in the comments. How will you leave a legacy for future generations?


The Integrity of the Word Vol. 1 Part 1 (Video)
The most powerful force in the universe is the force of words. A clear understanding that the word of God is absolutely dependable and able to cause circumstances to align with God’s perfect will for you is what you require to live the authentic Christian life. As you watch this special message; ‘The Integrity of the word’ let your faith come alive and start producing results as you learn and apply the practical principles of believing and declaring God’s word.


Looking for a new Bible study for your Youth Group?
Does your college Bible study need some new material?
Have you got a group of young adults looking to study God’s Word?
What Now? is the perfect Bible study for your group. Not sure how to lead a group through this Bible study? No problem!
The What Now? Leader Guide will walk you step-by-step as you lead your Bible study group through this journey of finding God’s will.
This FREE Leader Guide is equipped with games, icebreakers, discussion questions, teaching tips, and study methods!
Download the FREE PDF What Now Leader Guide here!


Thursday, July 2, 2009
Creation vs. Evolution
Hi everyone! I just wanted to clear up a few things about creation and evolution. I've gotten a lot of questions about this on my Youtube Channel. So anyway . . here it is . . . Biblical Creationism is Creation Science that views the Bible as the ultimate authority. - meaning if science and the bible seem to clash, a biblical creationist will not look to change what the word of God says . . . but will have faith that God's Word, the Bible, is always true . . . . and therefore, what it says must be true . . so it is our job is to find the answer in science to upholds this truth, not becuase we are questioning God's truth, but for the benefit of others, and as always for the Glory of God. A Biblical Creationist will, of course, know that the scientific answer will be found to agree with the Bible because . . the Bible is true . .. and that includes EVERYTHING in it. If the Word of God says that the earth was created in six days . . then HE CREATED THE EARTH in six days. . . now . . . I don't have a problem with people who believe that God created the earth in longer than six 24 hour days . . even though, yes I do disagree . . . and I believe it is more reasonable to say that it was 6 24 hour days, however . . . . I DO have a problem with Theistic Evolutionists! sorry but true . . seriously, I just believe that this is a cop out on a theists part who doesn't want to deal with the issue at hand . . I'm just saying this becuase there was a time when it would have been so easy for me to cop out as well . . . but it's not all the theistic evolutionists' fault . . it's really us . . . the Christians, the theists . . or anyone who believes in God and knows that evolution is ridiculous . . . yet is to afraid so say . . "The Emperor has NO CLOTHES!" . . . . you know what I mean? Well anyway . . . . . there's no way for us to say that unless we have all the facts first . . which is pretty hard to do . . considering the leftist side of the government, ant he media doesn't teach us both sides in school, anymore . . . . . . and even bans anything, BUT EVOLUTION to be taught in schools. What can I say? . . This was supposed to be a nice sweet understanding-of-all-opinions article . . but my blood is boiling way too hot for that right now. In Luke 17:1b&2 (HCSBible), Jesus said "Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble." And this is where I get to the problem with evolution. It has 2 major problems for people today. First, and foremost, evolution stems into a philosophy that people automatically and cannot help but adopt called social darwinism, and whether knowingly or not . . they have accepted this philosophical way or life or even religion after they accept the seeemingly scientific theory of evolution as the explanation for how things work in this world and universe . . . - and especially in ourselves, human beings coming from animals, from stardust, from randomness, from nature, from no design . . .(utterly appaulling if you ask me). Secondly and thankfully for us, evolution is scientifically innacurate. The fact is that Darwin created a theory that slowly began to become accepted early on, and now it has taken such controll over society that people will not listen to any other way of thought on the subject. The theory would not have caught on so quickly if it was something a regular scientific theory is usually about such as how objects ARE attracted to one another, how salmon DO go upstream to breed or how stars DO emmit radiation . .. HOWEVER, EVOLUTION is an origins theory, plain and simple. It pretends to be a scientific explanation for how things DO work in the here and now . . . BUT . . it is in fact not a regularly scientifically analyzed theory, but rather a speculation on a possible scenario explaining how life could have emerged without God. It is mere speculation. It is as if God has been put on trial . . and the world has asked Him to prove that without a doubt, He is real and He is the Creator of the Universe . . and that His Word is Real which says He created the World in the Beginning . . not slowly over time. At a trial, here in The United States, anyway,a person is innocent untill proven guilty. In the minds of the people of this world . . . they don't want to be proven guilty . . becuase, let's face it . . . ALL HAVE SINNED . . every singel one of us. . . . And if we can cast a shadow of dount about whether there really is a God who we are snubbing by not accepting Him and acknowledging that He is our God, then we cannot be proven guilty of rejecting Him. In our minds . . when we accept evolution . . . we can be supposedly free of judgment from God. One thing that I have found in practically all evolutionists that I have met is the constant lingering doubt about whether Hell is real. I believe, somewhere deep inside . . they know that Hell is real, but they just don't want to face the reality of it. So, instead they decided to make a silly rule that only knowledge about what can be quantitavely analyzed can be considered knowledge in this world . . and anything besides that will be considered foolish. Corinthians 1:27 (HSCBible) Instead, God has chosedn the world's foolishi things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world's weak things to shame the strong." And of course . . . God can in no way be quantitively analyzed . . becuase we humans can only quantitively analyze things that are completely within our comprehention .. and do you know why that is? . . . because God created the world for us to analyze and to observe and figure out . . not to say to the world . . . "Oh now I think that the people back in the day of worthiping carvings of trees were weird and religioulsy superstitious . . but now . . I'm going to worship the earth and say "Thank you Earth! You created me out of Star Dust . . . and Thank you Stars, you created the planets, thank you Big Bang! it is You who created the Universe and everything in it IN THE BEGINNING . . PSHA not GOD . . HE obviously cannot be quanitively analyzed so . . He can't be in our little club . . That's right . . We made a clubhouse that says . . "NO GOD ALLOWED" . . and if God wants in . . . He'll have to prove it to us with our rules! . . oh . . yah . . and since we are the epitomy of creation, Not God and not people the obviously LESS EVOLVED people before us . . like hmm . . people who wore sandals . . like Jesus . . or people who lived in huts . . or like any people group that we don't like . . which we will call a race of people . . "yah- real loving -OK stop right there . . . Seriously . . I don's want to get into your club . . however, I do want to pull you out of it . . so while I come over to your little "NO-GOD-ALLOWED" treehouse . . you make fun of me and say that I'm judging you . . Seriously . . . umm . . . You judge me and more . . ALL THE TIME! . . but do I have a right swear back at you?- no becuase I know the truth . . . It is always a defensive person who is disconntented with him-or-herself that lashed out at other people, is it not? . . So let me get back to the topic . . The reality is that evolution has never been observed in nature . . never . . NEVER EVER EVER, NEVER EVEN ONCE BY ANYONE AT ALL. Yes . . ADAPTATION is OBSERVED . . and NATURAL SELECTION is observed . . and MUTATIONS are observed . . but they simply don't combin to created evolution. It's like a person with a cake recipie who says "I have eggs sugar and milk . . these things are what people bake with . . so if I put them in a bowl they should bake something ". .. sorry . . WRONG . . that recipie is going to turn into a slimy oozy drippy mess . . .This is WHY SCIENCE MUST BE OBSERVED . . evolution never has . . and we still have three ingredients sitting on the counter . . . waiting .. . . and . . . .. waiting . . . hmm . . maybe it is millions of billions of years that it is supposed to take to actually prove evolution or observe it . . actually that's not far off . . since that's always the excuse that evolutionists give . . when their theory has been shown to never have been actually observed. And some people go so far as to call this fumbling theory/religion a FACT! .. Give me a break! So anyway . . Creation is like ingredients to a recipie that God gives is the instructions to . . In His Word . . and AMAZINGLY . . . . What do you know? I guess God DOES know a thing or too . . hee hee. His instructions about how nature works . . they actually make sense and when put together . . you realize . . this is actually a recipie that WORKS! . .
But the evolutionists are like, "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT RECIPIE? . . . IF YOU GOT IT FROM GOD, IT DOESN'T COUNT!"
And we . . the Creationists say . .. "Okay . . that doesn't make any sense . . but . . . . if you are struggling so hard . . we'll meet you halfway a little bit and actually show you WHY God's recipie works . . . . so the yeast makes the dough rise . . and the sugar and salt add flavor and the flour does so and so . . and so on . .
And then the Evolutiionists get all up in our faces and say . . " Well . . You didn't prove without a doubt that say . . . yeast rises or that say . . salt actually tastes good! And by that time we are constanly explaining the different aspects of the recipie . . . while the evolutionists have their own recipie that of course doesn't work, but everyone is so caught up in bashing the creationists to dare to think that they actually have a recipie directly from God . . . how uppity are we? When seriously, it is the evolutionists who are uppity and prideful for rejecting God's gift to us . . . a recipie for life everlasting!
WHY EVOLUTION DOESN'T WORK
Anyway . . there was a French Scientist who studied mutations in butterflies for about seven years . . after which he concluded that the a mutation is NEVER good . . always bad . . a third eye . . a third leg . . bigger wings, smaller wings . . whatever . . it was concluded that any deviation away from a regular butterfly DNA effects the butterfly's structure negatively! This was an enourmous find! . . and there have been several other studies of the same sort. Now . . Evolution is the theory that nature itself . . with or without outside deivine intervention, depending of if you are a theist or an atheist, that nature has created all life forms from amino acids and then from simple once-celled organisms and then to various simple species . . and then of course to the plethora of species that we see today. Theists believe that this does not dontradict the Bible becuase they say "couldn't have God created the world through evolution?
Wouldn't that be nice, huh? . . Then we could all just get along, right? -wrong? . .. First and foremost . . we have tried to get along with atheists on a scientific basis . . it is they who have rejected the idea of God . . and not we who have rejected the idea of scienctific analysis . . . However . . their idea of science is a bit different than ours . . didn't use to be though . . Science is supposed to be analysis of the world and universe around us and analysis of that environment including observation, testing and proving what we can . . while what we don't know about . . we could reasonably guess . . or hypothesise . . . and then test our hypothesis to see if it works in real life. However . . the NEW scientific approach is to just explain how things happen with whatever new fad in scientific theory that comes along . . the only stipulation . .. no God . . Okay . . . How did our once reasonable scientific method turn to . . anything goes . . except for anything to do with God?!!!!! I mean . . do you see the discrimination here?????? Come on . . I think it is very ironic that once God is taken out of science . . . the scientific method has also been taken out . . and observation and proof is no longer something that has to happen for theories . . . it's just like . . okay . . . . now we can just use whatever seems to be the best explanation for something at the time . . and yah .. that'll be fine . . people don't know the difference . . . No wonder people are saying that science is always changing . . What is going on with secular scientists who are evolutionists . . whatever it is . . it is not science . . Yes it is a little fun club that the go to where God is not allowed and thy pat eachother on the back and say the mantra several times a day to themselves "Evolution is Fact" "Evolution is Fact"
"Evolution is Fact" over and over again until no matter how much evidence to the contrary is pushed down their throats . . they will not waver on their faith in social Darwinism and their worship of the elements that formed them. But . . it is not science that they create . . . because if it were . .. they would take a second look at their theories before being all cocky and publishing them in fancy scientific journals . . not knowing for sure if they are right, if it was science they would have some sort of integrity about making sure they have considered all the possiblities . before they say . . oh yah . . Global Warming is real . .. or Australian Aboriginees are less evolved than us . . uumm . . they should be careful and they should not be quick to publish what they are not sure about .. . . Why else to you think they are so angry????? and so intent on everyone believing or agreeing with evolution???? Why would it matter so much to them that everyone is on their side, huh? . . If they knew that there was no other explanation that could possibly be, then they would know that everyone eventually come to realize that they are right . . But instead . . come accusations of falsified evidence to anyone who has a different theory . . Heaven forbid . . dinosaurs and humans walked together . . becuase . . that would go along with what the Bible says about all creatures being created in the Garden of Eden and walking around with Adam and Eve . . . And so . .. when these ancient drawings are found of dinosaurs or dinosaurs and people .. Evolutions decide the most unreasonable explanation would be true . .. that these people somehow . . put the bones together and drew these dead animals as if they were real and even drew them as if they were walking next to or riding on them or attacking them for meat . . ok . . so I could see . . if like ONE tribal group did that . . MAYBE . . . . . . but seriously . . EVERY AGE and EVERY PART OF THE WORLD?????!!!!!! Come on . . What are we . . we're supposed to be scientist here! . . Come ON .. Evolutionists . . and the same is true with human tools found in supposedly cretaceous layers of rock when humans were supposedly not evolved yet . . and the the TREES that go through several layers of coal . . which was supposedly made slowly over a long period of time . . when creationist have been able to created coal under pressure within mere hours . . that's right! . . It's the CREATIONISTS! . . the ones who's science is supposedly a joke . . yah . . it's those CREATIONISTS who are actually doing what people used to actually do before the days that evolution had such a horrible grip on our society . . . they are the ones who are actually testing things out, gathering data, going to the source of the dissagreement . . and testing it out . . . hmm . . it's our old friend the scientific method . . It's really hillarious to think that the majority of people in America actually follow the people around who make rediculous claims that they can't back up . . . and don't even bother to test the opposite side of their theory because they don't want to give the other side credit .. but when the other side does show them up to be wrong about something . . it doesn't shake them at all . . and it doesn't send off any warning signals in people's heads . . they just ignore it and go on . . like it never happened . . and according to scientific america and all that . . it never did . .actually . . because they NEVER print an apology or retraction when it comes to the evolutionary theory. . NEVER . . but when it comes to Creationists . . look out . .here comes the mocking hating ignorant messages toward us once again. It really makes me sick . . I'm sorry but it should make anyone sick who realizes what's going on . . and anyone who doesn't realize what's going needs to wake up and realize it and then join our side . . an the fight for freedom of science . . . maybe that should have been one of our rights provided in the constitution . . but who would've guessed that monkeys (oh right . . a ANCESTOR of monkeys) would be running things in the scientific world? didn't see that one coming,huh? . . . Who wouldn've guessed?
So anyway . . mutations do not produce good things . . they produce bad concequences . . . I'll explain more about the other various aspects of evolution when I have the time . . but for now . . I hope this has cleared a few things up about my point of view.
God Bless You All,
- Creation Chick


I like both of them. I did not like this book. Mar 19, Sean Higgins rated it did not like it. I love and live for the gospel. I like Starbucks a lot.
But this book was bad, totally man-centered, encouraging emergents to create and market church "experiences" like someone would buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Feb 23, Deborah-Ruth rated it liked it. I am not a coffee drinker by any stretch of the imagination, but we all have to admit that there is something extra special about Starbucks coffee. There is a reason why Starbucks serves more overpriced coffee than any other chain, why having two Starbucks across the street from each other actually increases sales rather than decreases it, and why Starbucks is growing at an exponentially faster rather than its competitors.
The secret lies in their business marketing strategy. Using Starbucks as I am not a coffee drinker by any stretch of the imagination, but we all have to admit that there is something extra special about Starbucks coffee. Using Starbucks as a prime example for "evangelism" and even stating that Starbucks itself has adopted a lot of church language as business language, Leonard Sweet makes the cases that churches likewise need to be invested into personal relationships with their congregants, provide a positive "third place" for people to meet outside of their homes or work , and ultimately need to produce an EPIC Experiential, Participatory, Image-Rich, Connective life.
Although I found the backdrop and the idea behind the book highly creative, I can't say that I actually got much out of reading Sweet's book.
- Leonardo da Vinci The Complete Works.
- The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion - Leonard Sweet - Google Books.
- Neurobiology of Dementia.
I appreciate his sense of passion, but I think the allegory was a bit too over stated and too tightly knit together and thus became more about coffee than about Christ. Still, an interesting read if we want to think about church growth or the intricate dynamics behind the life of a church. Oct 15, Rick rated it it was amazing. Sweet makes a pretty good argument for the passion that should be part of the church and part of the Christian life.
Using the business model of Starbucks Sweet attempts to show the reader how Starbucks doesn't just offer you coffee, but an immersive experience; sight, sound, taste, texture, a community vibe and more and then he makes suggestions about how the church could take a cue from Starbucks. May 23, Amy rated it did not like it Shelves: nonfiction , religion. I grew weary of this and had to abandon ship. I see I'm not alone.
Download e-book The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion
I am unlikely to read any more of Sweet's works. He began to annoy me after a few chapters, and this did not improve. Especially the bit about preaching while someone was surfing the internet for images to accompany the sermon. Okee dokee. Aug 14, Robbie Pruitt rated it really liked it. Sweet makes the point that the church is supposed to be E.
The E. Jesus taught experientially, called His followers to participate in His kingdom work, and used parables and other imagery in His teaching. Jesus also called the church to deep community as we see throughout the gospels and the book of Acts. Many denominations are not offering the E. However, some denominations are, and this is what our North American culture is hungry for.
Jesus and His disciples were E. Sweet is right, we should enter into worship as participators, not as spectators. We are called by God into great community, see Acts Everything we do in our worship should be full of imagery with deep meaning. The Gospel of Christ bids us come and die, to give of ourselves fully, as Christ gave himself for us and died for our sins. We are to offer ourselves up as living sacrifices and to fully participate in worship Romans This book and this idea of E. We cannot follow and teach the gospel and live the gospel without E. Jun 23, Patty rated it it was amazing.
Has your walk with God has become rather commonplace? If not, brew yourself a strong cup of coffee and settle in to experience The Gospel According to Starbucks. It is the same with the Church—too many Christians line up to follow God out of a sense Has your walk with God has become rather commonplace?
It is the same with the Church—too many Christians line up to follow God out of a sense of obligation or even guilt, and consequently miss out on the warmth, richness and depth of an abiding relationship with God. If Christians hope to live with grande passion, according to Sweet, we need to incorporate three passions of the life of faith: provenance, beauty and rarity. I regret that limited space does not permit me to fully expound on the ways this book has stretched me and challenged me.
For a full cup, I recommend buying your own copy. May 20, Brenda Register rated it it was amazing. This book rocked my narrow mind and set me free. Read it, you won't want to put it down. It kicks out any idea of being religious so you can have the liberty Jesus came to give us. We were born to be creative. The ability to be creative, not get stuck in man's traditions and the non-thinking status-quo, links us to others in revealing the important puzzle piece we are.
It was no accident that I picked it up. Like picking up a Geode in the desert, a This book rocked my narrow mind and set me free. Like picking up a Geode in the desert, and cracking it open to find colorful treasure inside. I went back for more copies when I realized what I had, and they were all gone. I love the church, but the religious mindsets of man have to go, to make way for a higher life of liberty, getting rid of the idea that man can qualify man.
On the contrary, God qualifies those He calls, and man or women was never given dominion over another man or women. I am a lover and devourer of the Word of God, and this man of God, Leonard Sweet, has blessed us with a tool to remember it was for freedom, that Christ came, setting the captives free. Churches don't create captives, people have forgotten who they are. They have forgotten to be creative, and lead, instead of follow. This book helps pave a way to the possibilities, using a modern day analogy of the Starbucks cafe's.
It is very creative, and a way to give a word picture you will remember. Sweet brought me right into the cafe, with my hands around a hot grande vanilla latte, smelling the robust coffee grounds in the air and sitting on the edge of my seat, listening with my whole person. I totally enjoyed it. I would read it again and I highly recommend it. Great Christmas gift of small price, and a priceless result.
Dec 02, Robert Woodman rated it really liked it Recommends it for: all Christians. What can Starbucks teach Christians about presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world? Sweet, founder and president of SpiritVenture Ministries, and a coffee addict okay, let's be clear: a STARBUCKS addict compared the way that Starbucks presents the coffee experience to the way most churches present "the Christian message", and he finds the church lacking.
First, presenting the message without an ex What can Starbucks teach Christians about presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world? First, presenting the message without an experiential context will fail with most people under age 30, Sweet argues. Second, the experience that is presented, to the extent that a Christian experience is presented at all, fails to compel, fails to motivate, fails to change lives, minds, or hearts.
Sweet then carefully shows how Starbucks presents the coffee experience, and he draws careful lessons on how the Christian church could and, he argues, should retool its presentation to make it accessible for modern sensibilities. One misunderstanding here needs to be cleared up. Sweet is not arguing that the Christian message needs to be changed.
The Gospel According to Starbucks (This book has not been authorized by Starbucks Coffee Company)
His point is that the Christian experience , the packaging of the message, needs to be changed to make it appealing to a modern audience with a frame of reference that is foreign to most traditional Christians. Verdict: I really liked it. Aug 07, Stephanie rated it liked it. This book proposes a revolutionary idea: that the church become more like Starbucks. The church, on the other hand, is doctrine-based and not relationship-based. The example that resonated with me was the freedom that came in being allowed to take coffee and donuts into the sanctuary, even at the risk of staining the carpet.
In every other church, the ministry existed for the carpet. Whatever else happened, the carpet had to be kept clean. Here was a church where the most important thing was relationships. Feb 25, Rich rated it liked it. Sweet takes this Starbucks idea, which would have made a great sermon or short series, and stretches it into a book. In my opinion, he takes the analogy too far. At points in the book it seems like he strays from the focus of the book in order to talk more about Starbucks. At times Sweet comes across as someone who wants you to know that he is smarter than you are.
It's as if he has all of the answers to the problems of the church, if only the church would listen to him. However, with that said, t Sweet takes this Starbucks idea, which would have made a great sermon or short series, and stretches it into a book. However, with that said, there are some good points made in the book about the current state of the church and society. I did wonder, however, how the current struggle Starbucks is having fending off one-dollar cups of coffee at McDonalds would change Sweet's analogy.. It is a quick read and worth the evening invested.
Mar 03, Alaina rated it liked it. Picking this up in the airport, it seemed like a really awesome book to read. And in the first chapter, Sweet convinced me it would be. But what started out as extremely thought provoking ended up being stretched a little too far for me. I thought he had some really awesome points my favorite was the E and C of EPIC [experiential and connected:] , but otherwise, I think he takes what could be a riveting series of Bible classes or sermon series and tries to make it into something it's not quite Picking this up in the airport, it seemed like a really awesome book to read.
I thought he had some really awesome points my favorite was the E and C of EPIC [experiential and connected:] , but otherwise, I think he takes what could be a riveting series of Bible classes or sermon series and tries to make it into something it's not quite cut out to be--a book. I will definitely keep this in my library for future reference there were some wonderful quotes from great Christians of the past , but overall, I wouldn't reccomend it to someone. Really interesting idea, not executed well. Very interesting. I was, at first, a bit irritated by the constant references to Starbucks, a coffee shop which I find over-rated, and vastly over-priced.
It seems to me to bear little relationship to the Gospel message. However, the author argues persuasively that the aims of Starbucks, and its purpose, do reflect some of what the Christian life should be, although sadly the 'modernist' church of today has veered far from the friendly, active, participatory community of the first century. But t Very interesting. But the writing is good, there are some thought-provoking questions and comments, and the later chapters are well worth reading.
The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion
Useful notes in the back, too. Nov 18, Julyan rated it did not like it. Am not sure if I ever would want to even spend the time to finish up this book. The references and analogies offered by Sweet is witty and entertaining. Might be considered a pretty decent read for someone who isn't religious. From a religious perspective, the book lacks solid content to render a serious read.
- Shop with confidence.
- Twelve Tomorrows: Visionary Stories of the Near Future Inspired by Todays Technologies.
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Amusing but doesn't give you enough to really wanna think any deeper or further. The comparisons get too much and frequent, the result, not really something I'd spend the time on. Jun 25, Lisa rated it it was ok Shelves: nonfiction-faith. I read it this past summer after I read two Starbucks themed books the year before.
This turned out being the weakest one. It took me a long time to get through; even though the research was good and the connections were there, the writing just wasn't interesting enough for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't already read a book about Starbucks and who is beginning to seek Christianity. Oct 22, Adrian rated it really liked it. Sweet makes the point that as a church, denomination, or even follower of Christ we have missed the mark when it comes to understanding the Gospel.
Ultimately, the Gospel is not about separation but rather connection with all. This basic premise although the not new I think is one of the most misunderstood roles as a Christian. Jesus lived a life for all. We must get back to that and allow it to transform our spiritual lives with a grande passion. Apr 07, Elyse Hill rated it liked it. The underlying theme of this book was great. It present a model for creating an active, engaging environment in church. However, it did a better job of convincing me that Starbucks has a great business model than it did convincing me of a better way of doing church.
As someone who loves the idea of coffee Churches I had high hopes for this book. That, in a very few words, captures the contextual intelligence that Christians can gain from studying the Starbucks way of doing business. Sweet uses his semiotic study of Starbucks to push the Church beyond a bland, lukewarm approach to ministry.
If a gospel is gauged by the practice of those who believe it, the baristas at Academy Road in Winnipeg, Manitoba, show the gospel according to Starbucks is alive and well. Take Georgia Barker, for example—her evangelistic fervor is remarkable, even inspiring. She and her twentysomething colleagues can smell a sell-job a mile away. Barker has embraced the Starbucks experience because Starbucks gives her the opportunity to participate.
The difference is more than semantics. So, Barker is a stockholder as is every barista. Barker is also a recruiter. There are no exams, per se. You earn your black apron by broadening and deepening your Starbucks experience. The passion and knowledge of a coffee master is contagious: stores with black-apron baristas typically see a 10 percent increase in sales. What inspires the baristas at Academy Road to participate in the Starbucks experience? These awards reinforce the images and encourage ongoing participation. The Starbucks experience becomes a way of life. Barker refers to it as a culture.
More important than commendations and awards, however, are the connections this kind of culture creates. She decided to be involved by supporting a local elementary school whose classrooms were grossly undersupplied with reading material. McCarthy went to work collecting books. She put up signs and set up a book-collection basket at the Starbucks store. She organized and invited customers to a celebration event, where every customer who donated a book received a free Starbucks beverage.


4 3 papers
1. When faced with a decision or choice, the thinker automatically focuses on facts, and applies logic to the situation.
2. He or she subconsciously notices tasks and work that needs to be done.
3. Thinkers find it easy to provide an objective analysis of any situation. They’re guided by rational reasoning.
4. They view conflict as a natural and normal part of relationships. It doesn’t always mean that something is wrong, or relationships are going to fall apart.
1. When faced with a decision or choice, feelers are guided by their gut reactions, and listen to their feelings and immediate response. They’re especially concerned about hurting other people, or making life more difficult or painful for them.
2. They intuitively pick up on people’s feelings and reactions – and they notice body language and non-verbal cues.
3. In reaching decisions, they want to hear others’ opinions, and they seek a consensus, or a fair compromise.
4. They are distressed by conflict, and dislike when people argue. Their ultimate goal is peace and harmony.
Beyond Expectations...: There is God.. there is always God -
Every Saturday day morning I run a creative movement/dance workshop for refugee children. Last week a 12 year old Iraqi girl joined my ballet workshop. And let me tell ya.. this girl can dance. During class, she asked if she could share about the Iraqi cultural dance. She demonstrated certain…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
People say I love you all the time - when they say, ‘take an umbrella, it’s raining,’ or ‘hurry back,’ or even ‘watch out, you’ll break your neck.’ There are hundreds of ways of wording it - you just have to listen for it, my dear. — The Curious Savage (John Patrick)
(Source: quotesilyke, via jeannehou)
How to start your day off right :)
(Don’t mind the fact that I skipped my morning class…. >.<;;)
while planning out my week and worrying about when to prep for Bible study… I realized that according to the schedule there is no Bible study for freshmen this week… what a relief and blessing. That gives me extra time to both study and pray :)


statement of faith
- We believe the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God (literal God-breathed), inerrant, verbally inspired and infallible in its original state; divinely preserved in reliability throughout the ages in all essential doctrine declarations, quotations, and intentions.
- We believe there is one true God, manifested eternally in three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, Who possesses all the divine attributes and in coequal, coexistent, co-eternal, and one in nature with the Father. We believe in Christ’s virgin birth and that He was God incarnate (both God and man) for the purpose of revealing the Father, redeeming men, and ruling over God’s kingdom. Jesus accomplished man’s redemption by the vicarious and atoning death through his shed blood and sacrificial death on the cross. By His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and His ascension to the right hand of the Father, the sinner is justified. We believe Jesus to be the mediator between God and man Who will return in Glory to judge all mankind.
- We believe the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity possessing all the divine attributes with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ at the moment of conversion. The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, and empowers all believers for spiritual service.
- We believe everything in the created universe is a revelation of God’s infinity, God’s diversity, God’s individuality. God created distinct individualities and at once, maintains the identity and purpose of each, while He relates all into a purposeful whole; God created man in the image of Himself.
- We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, Who administers spiritual gifts to each believer for the purpose of equipping the saints and for the building of the body of Christ.
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the saved to eternal life, the lost to everlasting punishment.
- We believe that all who put their faith in Jesus Christ are placed by the Holy Spirit into the spiritual body of the believer known as “the church,” with Christ established as the head. The purpose of the church is to glorify God by the teaching and instruction of the Scripture, by providing fellowship, and by fulfilling the great commission to reach the world for Jesus Christ.
- We believe that the man, in his natural state, is a sinner and that the penalty for sin is eternal separation from the Father. We believe that eternal life is a free gift of grace bestowed upon each repentant sinner who responds in faith to the provision of salvation from Jesus Christ. Regeneration is instantaneous and is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. Genuine regeneration will manifest itself by righteous attitudes, edifying conduct, and good works, to the extent that each believer submits himself to the control of the Holy Spirit.
The parents and staff of The Community School avoid highly debatable topics that tend to divide evangelical believers. Such topics would include mode of baptism, communion, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the end times. Students are referred to their parents if a debatable topic of theological nature arises on school campus days.


Our parish is a welcoming and family oriented community. We are centrally located near downtown Houma, LA in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. We are blessed to be made up of faith-filled parishioners who are willing to help out in whatever way they can. We welcome all to join us in our Eucharistic Celebrations.
Fr. Alexis Lazarra, Pastor
Ordained June 5, 2010
Weekend Mass Times
Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
Sunday: 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM
Daily Mass Times
Tuesday: 5:30 PM (First Tuesdays, Holy Hour at 4:30 PM)
Wednesday: 8:30 AM
Thursday: 8:30 AM
School Mass Times
Friday: 8:30 AM
Saturday: 3:30 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM
Tuesday: Following 5:30 PM Mass, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Novena
Monday-Thursday: 8:00-3:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Office Phone 985-876-2047
Rectory Phone 985-873-7770
St. Gregory School Office 985-876-2038
If you are interested in becoming a member of St. Gregory Parish please fill out the parish registration/census form which can be found on the forms page of our website. You may also click here to access the form.
In response to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux is offering an Outreach Line (formerly known as the Child Protection Contact Line). The Outreach Line is an effort to continue the diocesan commitment to support healing for people who have been hurt or sexually abused recently or in the past by clergy, religious or other employees of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line operates from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A trained mental health professional responds to the line. Individuals are offered additional assistance if requested.
The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Outreach Line phone number is (985) 873-0026 or (985) 850-3172.
The Mission of St. Gregory Barbarigo is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. We serve the teaching and worshiping needs of the Church through education, vibrant liturgies, para-liturgical celebrations, youth ministry, vocation awareness and evangelization. We are a welcoming community of disciples that serves the needs of the marginalized and home bound parishioners. We are many faces but one family.


Who are your lockdown companions?
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
This is an often heard quote, along with “show me your friends and I will show you your future” and you better believe this saying is the truth! Unfortunately research shows the veracity of this goes quite a bit further than just the five friends you surround yourself with. Much like dropping a stone in the pond, the ripple effect extends to friends of friends too.
You are the average of the FIVE people you surround yourself with and it’s actually much bigger than that. So take a look around and make sure you’re in the right surroundings. David Burkas
During lockdown I have been confronted with a wide range of emotions and the above saying has been going around and around in my head. What or who are the five friends I have been surrounding myself with? They have been resignation, frustration, condemnation, isolation and anger. These pals brought along sadness, claustrophobia and at times insomnia. Do you see my point? My better half on the other hand has other friends and thank goodness for that.
He has been fortunate enough to continue with his work and his life has some semblance or normalcy, but still, he has chosen his friends wisely. He is confronted by major decisions that could possibly affect hundreds of people and has to combat many challenges on a daily basis. He wakes up early every morning, whilst the rest of the household take full advantage of sleeping in. He studies his bible, sends out an encouraging message to our church’s men’s group (not because he has to) and from there heads off to work.
At work he starts off the business day with prayer and a word for his staff and he ends off his day with communion and prayer when we finish supper. You see, he decided to surround himself with biblical lockdown friends called faith, hope, scripture, prayer and joy. He isn’t living in ignorance but he just refuses to entertain anythings other than those five friends.
May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. James 1:2
The difference between my husband and I is that the pressures of the trials he is facing caused him to break ties with his friends that were having a bad influence on him and I continued to entertain mine. But God! He intervenes, He guides and He always provides a way for us to keep walking out our faith in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
But God! He intervenes, He guides and provides a good way for us to walk.
God’s grace abounds in these times, with or without us consciously being aware of it. If you haven’t realised it, God is extending to you and I a period of time that allows us to be so acutely aware of His presence and to become connected again to His goodness. For us to reassess what we are entertaining in the secret places of our minds.
I am not saying you need to take up a new hobby or learn a new skill during lockdown, but please, use this time to become aware of what God is wanting you to surround yourself with, during lockdown and beyond.


The Bible is an amazing piece of literature, and if we haven’t already shown our hand, we think its the best to ever be assembled. That said, we admittedly know people get lost and overwhelmed with the sheer depth of it. To read it all the way through in one piece? Wow, that is a daunting task to say the least. For these reasons and so many more, we partnered with the Read Scripture Organization to help break the Bible into 16 chapters that walk you through the entire biblical narrative in a little less than a year.
Learn more about our community and its gatherings by signing up...
Wherever there’s darkness and dangerous terrain, let us build lighthouses that sustain the storms!
Orlando, Florida, United States
Monday: Weekly @ 6:30pm
Sunday: Monthly @ 6:30pm


Ed Culpepper was born at Atmore, Alabama, in 1952. Shortly thereafter, his family moved to Mobile, where he spent most of his years through high school. When he was 12 years old, his mother died of post-operative complications. When he was 13 years old, his father remarried, adding three sisters to the one brother from his biological family.
At the age of 6, he made his profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and was baptized in State Line Baptist Church, State Line, Mississippi. His family was active in church life, providing him opportunities to grow as a Christian through missions education, camps, youth choirs and ensembles, and youth leadership positions. In college, he was active in Baptist Student Union and church ministries.
Dr. Culpepper was an active student, playing football, serving as student body president, and becoming a National Merit Scholar at Shaw High School, Mobile, Alabama. He graduated with honors from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Public Administration and a minor in Personnel Management. He was a member of the Alabama Intercollegiate Debate team and a student government executive officer.
Following his Junior year in college, Dr. Culpepper became sure of God’s call to ministry as his vocation. He attended The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, earning the Master of Divinity, Master of Theology in Christian Preaching, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Philosophy degrees. While pursuing graduate studies, he served in church ministry positions and on the staff of the Seminary as Assistant Director of Placement.
Dr. Culpepper has served churches in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Indiana in a variety of roles, including Pastor. He came to Huntsville in 1986 as Pastor of Mountain View Baptist Church, where he served until 1994.
In 1991, following a series of unsuccessful surgical procedures to combat diabetic retinopathy, Dr. Culpepper lost his eyesight. With the assistance of his family, his church, and Christian friends around the world, he continued to serve as Pastor for several years. At an appropriate time in the life of the church and in his life, he left his church position to serve as interim and supply minister in churches in the Huntsville area. In 1996, Dr. Culpepper was asked to serve First Baptist Church, Huntsville, as Interim Ministries Coordinator, following the relocation of a First Baptist staff member. In August, 1997, he was called to the staff of First Baptist as Administrative Pastor. He served as Associate Pastor for Faith Development until October, 2005.
Dr. Culpepper has served on the boards of numerous community agencies. He has served two terms as Moderator of Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
Ed is married to a Huntsville native, the former Sherron Prestage. They have 2 sons. Tom (born 1979), is an intensive care nurse. Dan (born 1983) is mechanical engineer. He and his wife have 3 daughters and have applied to adopt another child.
Dr. Culpepper’s hobbies include water skiing, cooking, computing, reading, and writing.


|Welcome to A Place of Healing||| Print ||
his website is dedicated to all who, hearing the call of a loving God, set about to make every home a place of healing and every house of prayer; a place of loving care for those who are sick or hurting—to our families, our friends, our neighbors and, yes, our enemies too!
We live in a special time in history in which we are reaping the results of thousands of years of selfish disregard for the laws governing our universe; laws of love given by a loving God to sustain His creation. We are all well acquainted with these results as seen in natural disasters, wars, devastating epidemics, widespread violence, etc.
God’s love is for all people all through history—reaching down into the hearts and minds of people of all faiths or no faiths at all—His plan, too, is all inclusive—not just in paradise, but in life here and now. While we come in all colors, speak many diverse languages, have various concepts about God and experience many different cultural practices; there is within each one of us a longing after God, a need for help from one another, and a need to serve one another.
Unfortunately, most people do not know how to utilize the things at hand and available, whereby to care for one another in time of illness or injury—either in body, mind or spirit. At this website we offer materials designed to enable every willing person to become an instrument of healing—for one’s own needs, and those of one’s neighbors.
People are hurting. All around this world, there is pain, crying, sickness and premature death. Many are looking for answers—answers that make sense! Answers that really work! Answers that heal our wounded bodies and satisfy our broken hearts!
We think you will find those answers right here at A Place of Healing!
This is a website under construction. Please be patient as we put it all together.


Articles of the Day: Here comes the Mule!
Just about everyday something pops up on this issue. Keep am eye on it.
Hype, fluff, fake. The Saudis are trying to get the US, Israel or someone to attack Iran. I highly doubt they will do anything and if they do something it probably won’t be successful. If they get a nuke from Pakistan, and they use it then maybe but their proximity makes that unlikely. The Saudis have always wanted other people to do the dirty work for them. Really quite pathetic. I don’t expect anything from them and in the end will likely become allies with Iran in the end.
Well see. Military plans don’t usually survive the first combat. Lots of ‘hope and change’ from the IDF, but one thing they can do well is adapt to the circumstances. I don’t think Hizbullah can do this as well as IDF.
Cool new tech from Israel. Remember the images if Israeli tanks evacuating wounded in tanks during the 2006 Lebanon war? If this baby could take over that job this could be a force multiplier for the Israelis.
These are lost people. Only God can save them but their hearts have rejected God. Sad to say not much hope for them.
Q. In Ezekiel 36:26-27 the Lord Said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes.” When I was a new Christian I heard this word of the Lord and understood that this is what takes place in a Christians’ life at the time of salvation and continues throughout our sanctification and I was deeply blessed. My question is: Exactly when does this take place for the house of Israel?
A. Ezekiel 36:26-27 is essentially a promise to Israel that they would one day be “born again”. The process will begin following the Battle of Ezekiel 38-39. God promised that after they see what He does to bring them victory they will know that He is the Lord their God from that day on (Ezekiel 39:22). At that time they will restore their Old Covenant relationship with Him.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 will have it’s complete fulfillment toward the end of the Great Tribulation, as foretold in Zechariah 12:10, when their eyes are opened to Jesus their Messiah in preparation for the Kingdom Age to follow. God also made this promise to Israel in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which is where He coined the phrase “New Covenant.”
Been a while since we had some Jack Kelly Wisdom.


Review of the Novel The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge
The following is a book review on The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land.
The book was written by an author named Thomas Asbridge. Asbridge divided the book into an introduction, conclusion, and three parts. We are expected to pick one of the three parts and explain what we think Asbridge’s argument is. The first part of the book was about Christianity called the coming of the crusades, the second part about Islam called the response of Islam, and the third with a little mix of both called the trial of champions. I choose
the first part of the book because I grew up in a Christian family. Even though the first part was the longer of the three I felt that it would be the most interesting. Asbridge argues that the Crusades were held up as proof of the folly of religious faith and the base savagery of human nature, or promoted as glorious expressions of Christian chivalry and civilizing colonialism. Asbridge provides support to back up his argument by providing background information of what went on at the time of the Crusades. I do think that Asbridge’s argument and the supporting materials are convincing and believable. Asbridge gets his information to back up his point from written evidence from the Middle Ages: the likes of chronicles, letters and legal documents,
poems and songs; recorded in languages as diverse as Latin, Old French Arabic, Hebrew, Armenian, Syriac and Greek. Beyond these texts the study of material remains from imposing castles to delicate manuscript art and minuscule coins. I agree with Asbridge and believe that the Crusades were promoted as expressions of Christian chivalry and colonialism.
The first part begins with Pope Urban II giving a sermon that transformed the history of Europe. His words changed the entire crowd gathered at Clermont. Pope Urban called upon Latin Europe to rise up against the savage called ‘soldiers of Christ’ that reclaim the Holy Land and will release the eastern Christians. Pope Urban II calls Jerusalem the most hallowed site in the Christian cosmos. This just goes to show of how important of a city Jerusalem was at that time. Asbridge argues that Pope Urban II’s dehumanization of the Muslim world served as a vital catalyst to the ‘crusading’ cause and enabled him to argue that fighting against an ‘alien’ other was preferable to war between Christians and within Europe. I think that this clearly shows that this was a catalyst to how the Crusades began. Asbridge states that between 60,000 and 100,000 Latin Christians set off on the First Crusade. This is just a sign of how many people set off the First Crusade and can show how many people were involved. The first prince that committed to the crusade was Count Raymond of Toulouse, who was the most powerful secular lord. According to Asbridge there were five princes that were responsible for reclaiming Jerusalem.
The princes were Raymond of Toulouse, Bohemond of Taranto, Godfrey of Bouillon, Tancred of Hauteville and Baldwin of Boulogne. These princes and other leaders proved that the most powerful of weapons was a shared sense of purpose and indestructible spiritual resolution. This just shows of how times have changed and how leaders back then reacted to certain situations. The high point of Greco-Frankish cooperation was during the First Crusade when they captured Nicaea. The next task they had to achieve was siege Antioch. There was more than ten months of a delay and disillusionment, but the First Crusade began its final advance on the Holy City of Jerusalem.
According to Asbridge the city of Jerusalem was considered to be a Christian paradise. This is just one of the many times that goes to show of how important the city was during that time period. The crusaders assault on Jerusalem began on 14 July 1099. Raymond of Toulouse and his remaining supporters were positioned and ready to go while on Mount Zion. Raymond of Toulouse created a fixed payment of a penny for every three stones thrown into a ditch as infill, ensuring the rapid neutralization of this obstacle. Asbridge implies that construction located around his tower could play a key role. The Fatimids made a huge final attempt to stem the assault by employing their own ‘secret’ weapon. The Fatimids had a huge wooden spar that was
soaked in a combustible material, akin to Greek fire, which couldn’t even be extinguished by water. Asbridge describes how the Fatimids were trying to be tricky and thought they would of fooled their opponents. But Godfrey luckily stocked the tower with a supply of vinegar-filled wineskins which were used to take down the fire. Asbridge describes how the four major settlements of the decade were Jerusalem, Antioch, Edessa and Tripoli. During the First Crusade it was the Latin Christendom who had control of three out of the four ‘crusader states’.
Edessa’s downfall force the Latin world to launch a military expedition that would start the Second Crusade. According to Asbridge The Quantum praedecessores shaped the Second Crusade which helped to ensure a greater degree of uniformity in preaching and going some considerable way to create the notion by the pope. Asbridge argues that the document was the most important element to the crusade history because of its afterlife. Even though the encyclical was an important part to the Crusades the most unclear issue was the goal of the Second Crusade. One part to the encyclical that had an important message in clerical preaching was the promise of spiritual rewards; the suffering of eastern Christendom; fighting in the service and imitation of Christ. This goes to show how Christian would fight for their country and would do whatever it would take. Asbridge contends that the Second Crusade was an expression of the papacy’s ability to expand and direct the crusading movement. Asbridge illustrates a lasting impression by saying the question now was whether their greatly weakened forces could hope to achieve anything of substance and rekindle the crusading flame.
In conclusion I agree with Asbridge by saying the Crusades were promoted as expressions of Christian chivalry and colonialism. I think that even though the book was almost repeating at some points that you could tell were Asbridge was coming from. I believe that Asbridge showed what the main settlements of the time were with the main one being Jerusalem. I also feel that Asbridge put a lot of emphasis on the Quantum praedecessores to show of how important it was at the time and how it played a key role in the Crusades. I feel that the evidence Asbridge gave throughout the book shows that he sustains his argument and makes a very logical one.


Astronomy in the Bible, The Watchers and Giants
Is there a connection between the star gazers of the Nephilim, the Bible and the Earthworks in the Ohio Valley? We may never have a definitive answer to the question, but given that a giant race once inhabited the Ohio Valley whose origins point to the Biblical Levant, we can not dismiss the fact that the the mound builder's astrology was nearly identical.
Though dismissed by the church, astrology has left an indelible imprint on the scriptures of the Bible. Isaiah 14:13 “I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.” This is a references to the North Star from which all other stars revolve in the night sky. The origin of the word “El” is from the Sumerian word “Ool” that means “to turn.” It is the mighty power of God who turns the fabric of the heavens.
The Bible also teaches that God arranged the stars into recognizable groups that we call constellations. Genesis 1:14 “And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years.” Sacred times? Should we all be celebrating these astrological events?
Early Hebrew mystics organized the constellations into Archangels who were also described as Watchers known as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Auriel. In the Books of Enoch, the Watchers were sent to Earth to teach law and justice to humankind. The Watchers were also interpreted as the Fallen Angels which magicians call forth in ceremonial magic.
In the Book of Enoch, he is taught by angels the names of the of the constellations, "I beheld the celestial stars come forth. I numbered them as they proceeded out of the gate, and wrote them all down, as they came out one by one according to their number. I wrote down their names altogether, their times and their seasons, as the angel Uriel, who was with me, pointed them out to me. He showed them all to me and wrote down an account of them. He also wrote down for me their names, their regulations and their operations."(Enoch 32:2-3).
The Amorites, (who were the accounted giants in the Bible) from Babylon followed an astronomy cult where there were four “Royal Stars” which were also called the Watchers. Each one of these stars "ruled" over one of the four cardinal points. The star Aldebaran, marked the Vernal Equinox, held the position of Watcher of the East. Regulus, marking the Summer Solstice, was Watcher of the South. Antares, marking the Autumn Equinox, was Watcher of the West. Fomalhaut, marking the Winter Solstice, was Watcher of the North. The Watchers were venerated as gods who guarded the Heavens and Earth.
Theorizing that the giant race in the Ohio Valley have their origins with the Amorites or Nephilim from the Levant, can we draw astrological parallels with the alignments of the earthworks in the Ohio Valley? Were these alignments part of the ceremonial magic performed by the mound builders magicians?


Israel Houghton (pronounced, hoh’-tin) (born May 19, 1971) is an American Christian singer and worship leader, mostly known for his cross-cultural style of Christian music that fuses elements from gospel, jazz and rock. Houghton is usually credited as Israel & New Breed and currently signed to Integrity Music. Houghton is a worship leader at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.
I went all the way to Jakarta to see him in concert but he came to KL finally after so many years. It was a tour together with Planetshakers team from Australia. Well here are some pics :


On a day when Israel was delivered from the power of her enemies, Samuel set up a
memorial stone and named it Ebenezer; for he said,
“Thus far the Lord has helped us.” (1 Sam.7:12)
On this anniversary Sunday, we too say,
“Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
We celebrate the faithfulness of those gone before us;
we rededicate ourselves to God’s service;
we look forward in faith.
We will sing of God’s steadfast love;
we will proclaim God’s faithfulness to all generations. (from Ps. 89: 1)
OPENING HYMNS VU 559 “Come, O Fount of Every Blessing”
SG 134 “Sweet Hour of Prayer”
With gratitude for the gift of this place and these people,
we come before you, God.
Send your life-giving Spirit upon us
that we may be the living body of Christ,
loving what he loved,
seeking to do what he would do,
giving ourselves away,
trusting that you will never fail us or forsake us.
God, hear our prayer. Amen.
Minute for Mission November 19, 2017:
UCW Works to End Child Poverty
Our gifts for Mission & Service support the United Church Women Child Well-Being
Initiative. Let us hear a story of the ways the Prince Edward Island UCW are working
to end child poverty.
What important message could a colourful cloth doll give? A powerful one! Just ask
the members of the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly, who each recently received
a handmade doll from the PEI UCW Presbyterial Child Poverty Committee with a message
reminding them that all PEI children deserve to have their basic needs met.
The members were genuinely interested in the dolls and commented on the uniqueness
of each one, some with personal comments such as “I have a sweater just like my doll!”
But better yet, the UCW committee was assured that politicians understood the intent
of the dolls—to be a concrete reminder that over 22 percent of children in that province
live with poverty every day and that the responsibility of government is to do all
it can to eradicate poverty.
This is only a beginning, as the UCW works continually to monitor progress in this
area and hold government to account until child poverty has been eradicated in Prince
Edward Island. This initiative is part ofa nation-wide UCW strategy to address child
poverty. Across Canada, United Church Women continue to be huge supporters of the
Mission & Service of The United Church of Canada.
We sing thanksgiving for UCW’s work to end child poverty.
If Mission & Service is already a regular part of your giving, thank you so much!
If you have not given for Mission & Service, please join me in making Mission & Service
a regular part of your life of faith. In all our Mission & Service giving, with a
willing heart, we sing thanksgiving to God!
THE GIFT OF MUSIC: “In This Room” AUC Choir
TIME WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH
THE GIFT OF MUSIC: “Let This Be the Time”
“Just a Closer Walk With Thee”
Chris Palmer & Gina Potvin
WE RECEIVE GOD’S WORD
GOSPEL: St. Matthew 25:14-30 – Barb Pinsent
This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Glory be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
THE GIFT OF MUSIC: “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”
“I’ll Fly Away”
Wanda Butt Beaudoin
SERMON: A Gift Is Not for Burying
HYMN VU 575 “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me”
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
THE GIFT OF MUSIC: Vanessa Moncrieffe
OFFERTORY HYMN MV 142 “Oh, a Song Must Rise”
Oh a song must rise for the spirit to descend
Oh a song must rise once again
Singing out God’s praises and glory,
the faithful voices blend,
Oh a song must rise for the spirit to descend.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION:
Receive our gifts, O God;
may they sustain this church in its work;
may the work of this church shine
with the light of Christ’s glory and grace. Amen.
THE GIFT OF MUSIC: “Because He Lives”
Wanda Butt Beaudoin
PRAYERS Of THE PEOPLE
HYMN VU 337 “Blessed Assurance”
SENDING FORTH AND BENEDICTION
DISMISSAL HYMN MV 156 “Dance With the Spirit”
Dance with the Spirit early in the mornin’
walk with the Spirit throughout the long day.
Work and hope for the new life a-bornin’,
listen to the Spirit to show you the way.
The Bulletins today are dedicated
in loving memory of daughter Sandra, and many loved ones,
by Eleanor and Frank Fillmore.
The gifts of this world will not last past our lifetimes,
but God’s gifts to us – and our gifts to God –
will last through this life and beyond.
ANNOUNCEMENTS – November 19, 2017
Rev. John Moses, Minister of Worship, Education and Pastoral Care
Church Office Hours: Tuesday - Friday 8:30-12:00
Rev. Moses’ email: email@example.com
The Elder greeting you today is Hazel Franey
The Ushers today are Hazel and Jim Franey
The Elder November 26 will be Christa Trombley
The Ushers November 26 will be Byron and Marilyn Butt
The UCW invites the ladies of the Church to a Christmas dinner at 5:30 pm., on Tues.,
Dec. 12th, at Angie's Restaurant in Middleton. The menu is a choice of turkey, haddock,
or roast beef dinner, at $14.99 (including dessert, tea or coffee). As we need to
know numbers, a sign-up sheet is on the table in the foyer. Please let us know by
the end of November. Come enjoy good food and good fun .... all ladies are welcome.
“SCROOGE’S TALE” will be performed by members of Aylesford and Kington United Churches
at 7:00pm on Friday Dec 8 and Saturday Dec 9. Admission to these performances is
by free-will donation, and doors will open at 6:45. This play is written by Rev.
John Moses, with music by William Treadgold and is promising to be a great evening’s
entertainment. Proceeds to the Kingston and Berwick Food Banks. *Seating for the
Saturday show will be limited, as the “Dinner and a Show” has sold out and those
attending will be seated before the door opens to the public. In order to avoid
disappointment, you may wish to attend Friday evening.
Budget 2018 – all committees are asked to submit budget items to Church Treasurer
Sue Skinner by January 1, 2018.
ORGAN – our “new to us” organ will be installed before Christmas and the old organ
will be disposed of before the end of the month. If you wish to take it, the cost
Thursday, Nov 30 – Committee of Stewards Meeting, 7:00pm
Scrooge’s Tale – Dec 8 & 9 Aylesford United Church, 7:00pm
Tuesday, Dec 12 – UCW Dinner Party – all ladies invited to sign up!


With this post we’ll focus attention to an aspect of interpretation which is critical to exercise when one is looking into God’s Word for deeper understanding, and particularly, the study of Abraham. The Scriptures are inspired by God. These words were designed by God to communicate from the Almighty God to mankind (Spirit to fleshly beings). There is more in the Scriptures than meets the eye at first glance.
I Corinthians (9:8-10) I am not speaking these thing s according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.
We read the Apostle Paul explaining a primary rule for understanding the Word of God. Interpretation is a discipline that takes diligence, pondering, and then returning to compare your observation against the balance of God’s Word to test for consistency and agreement. Look for the clues. In the passage above, one comes to a wrong understanding if it is read purely literally. Pay attention to the subtle words that indicate or suggest there is more truth in the story, symbolism, event, or elements. Let me recommend a word study of when these words are found in the Scriptures.
Figure / Figuratively
Hidden / Hide
See / Show
Similes ‘Like or as’
Symbol – symbolism
Galatians 4:22-26 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This is allegorically speaking: for these women are two covenants, one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
Here, Paul shows us one of the ways he has reconciled his past view of God’s covenant with Abraham as a Pharisee, to his redeemed view post-Damascus road conversion. In all his epistle’s, and especially Romans and Galatians, Paul dissects and explains many elements of the story about Abraham in Genesis, paying special attention to symbolism or figures of speech. In this way, Paul sees that his previous perspective focused so dramatically on the blood or DNA descendants of Abraham and eventually is driven to become the evangelist to the Gentiles.
For me, over forty years ago, I was confused reading the writings of Paul, because I didn’t understand:
1. God’s Covenant with Abraham,
2. the implications for the nation of Israel,
3. Paul’s struggle to understand what his errant views were and how to explain his revised understanding, and,
4. how this all related to the Messiah, Jesus Christ and how this all ties together.
These questions, the prayers they inspired, and the answers to those prayers form the foundation of this blog. I will refer back to the deeper look into the imagery and symbolism frequently in the majority of the posts I’m intending to publish.
In my next post(s), I will furnish some rules or guidelines for this search for deeper truth. These will be found in various ways to compare Scripture with Scripture. Then the next post, we will evaluate where we find the most significant truths in the Word of God.


At Open Table UCC, we say that we are "theologically progressive, Pottstown focused, with Jesus at the center". We understand that those are loaded phrases which are bursting with meaning, stories, questions, and convictions, so we are endeavoring to take the next 9 weeks to unravel each of those statements as we explore what it means to be followers of Jesus in the 21st century.
Today, we are asking what it means to be a Jesus-Centered church and Jesus-centered Christians? What does it mean to have Christ at the head of the Church? Are we talking about the teachings of Jesus, the revelations of the living Christ, the historical Jesus, or some combination? Are we guilty of creating Jesus in our own image? Let's talk about it!
Join us for Sunday worship services at the Steel River Playhouse (245 E High St, Pottstown, PA 19464) at 10am or online at https://www.opentablepottstown.com/live.