Anyone who wants to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus needs to study his teachings often. Jesus is our savior. That means he is the one who knows how to save us from going down the wrong paths in life, the paths that lead to failure and misery. A savior is a teacher, because knowledge about how to live saves us. Our Teacher gives us the truth about who God is and what God expects of us.
The parables of Jesus are his attempts to bring the truth to us when we resist seeing the truth. His model was the way Nathan approached David with a parable in order to break through his defenses and force him to face up to the truth about his sins against Uriah and Bathsheba. Parables are stories or comparisons that sneak the truth past our defenses. I look forward to preaching a series of sermons on the parables and pray that God will open our eyes to the truth we most need to see.
Here is the schedule.
February 1 The Return of the Prodigal: Two Sides of the Father’s Love Luke 15:11-31
February 8 The Midnight Request: Prayer Luke 11:5-13
February 15 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Humbling Yourself Luke 18:9-14
February 22 The Good Samaritan: Who Is Our Neighbor?
Luke 10: 25-37
March 1 The Rich Fool: On Being Rich Toward God Luke 12: 16-21
March 8 The Talents: Use or Lose Matthew 25:14-30
March 15 The Sulky Children: Being Open to the Truth Matt. 11:16-19
March 22 The Great Banquet: Responding to God’s Generosity
Luke 14: 15-24
March 29 The Sheep and the Goats: The Final Judgment Matt. 25:31-46
I hope you will be in worship each Sunday and invite friends to come and join us in seeking the truth through the parables of Jesus.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Evangelist to the Middle East: Chaouki Boulos
On Wednesday evening, January 21, we had a visit from Chaouki Boulos of Lebanon. He is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionary. What he told us was encouraging and downright amazing. Historically Muslim countries like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Bahrain are beginning to develop religious freedom. He showed us some photos of a Christian worship service being held outdoors in Beruit with the largest mosque in Lebanon in the background. On his video was a Muslim imam welcoming a Christian group from the US as they were preparing a “Jesus Festival” in his neighborhood. As CBF of Florida Coordinator Ray Johnson said to us as he introduced Chaouki, “God is doing some incredible things in the Middle East.”
Your response to our missionary guest was wonderful to see. We gave him our usual honorarium for a speaker of $100. And when I asked us to give him a love offering for the Christian retreat center that is being built in Lebonan, we placed another $200 in his hands. Thank you for giving in a way that shows a heart for harvesting the souls that are responding to the good news about Jesus in the Middle East.
I thought of how faithful our giving has been lately at New Hope as I read these words from Henri Nouwen in a devotional book: “Community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own (see Philippians 2:4). The question therefore is not ‘How can we make community,’ but ‘How can we develop and nuture giving hearts?’”
I am happy and proud to be the pastor of New Hope Baptist Church.
Your response to our missionary guest was wonderful to see. We gave him our usual honorarium for a speaker of $100. And when I asked us to give him a love offering for the Christian retreat center that is being built in Lebonan, we placed another $200 in his hands. Thank you for giving in a way that shows a heart for harvesting the souls that are responding to the good news about Jesus in the Middle East.
I thought of how faithful our giving has been lately at New Hope as I read these words from Henri Nouwen in a devotional book: “Community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own (see Philippians 2:4). The question therefore is not ‘How can we make community,’ but ‘How can we develop and nuture giving hearts?’”
I am happy and proud to be the pastor of New Hope Baptist Church.
"Pilot," A Simple Song about a Hero
For more than 26 years I have listened almost every week to Garrison Keillor’s “News from Lake Wobegon.” I discovered Keillor’s radio program while driving back home to Columbia, SC after Fleda, our son John Marc, and I (before Lydia was born) had been visiting family in Easley. This amazing storyteller hosts “A Prairie Home Companion” every Saturday from 6 to 8 pm on National Public Radio (90.7FM in our area). He is a national treasure. As a service to you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, I have transcribed the words of a song Garrison Keillor recently sang to his radio audience about “the little piece of amazing heroism you’ve been hearing about over and over again on the TV.” You won't see this anywhere else.
His name was Chesley B. Sullenberger III, Which for a pilot is somewhat absurd. A pilots name should be Buzz, Bill, or Chuck, But a name like Chesley may mean good luck. He was flying an airbus out of New York, when at 3000 feet, the engine lost torque. His voice was calm as he sent out the word: Chesley B. Sullenberger The Third. No time to maneuver or head for New Jersey. The force of gravity shows us no mercy. There was the river stretching for miles, so he said to his copilot, Jeffery Skiles, “We’ll put it down here. Don’t look at those maps. Bring landing gear up and extend the flaps.” And the flight attendants prepared themselves: Donna Dent, Sheila Dale, and Doreen Wells. The city spread out below their feet, and he landed at the foot of 48th Street. On the Hudson River he landed that bird, Chesley B. Sullenberger the Third. The plane did not sink. It lay on the river, and all aboard were safely delivered. It could have been tragic, but no deaths occurred Thanks to Chesley B. Sulleberger the Third. The next time you fly look in the cockpit where the captain and first officer sit, Ready to take you up and onward Like Chesley B. Sullenberger the Third. Take you across the country for miles with officers like Jeffery Skiles And attendants who, in a crisis won’t fail: Donna Dent, Doreen Wells, and Sheila Dale.
His name was Chesley B. Sullenberger III, Which for a pilot is somewhat absurd. A pilots name should be Buzz, Bill, or Chuck, But a name like Chesley may mean good luck. He was flying an airbus out of New York, when at 3000 feet, the engine lost torque. His voice was calm as he sent out the word: Chesley B. Sullenberger The Third. No time to maneuver or head for New Jersey. The force of gravity shows us no mercy. There was the river stretching for miles, so he said to his copilot, Jeffery Skiles, “We’ll put it down here. Don’t look at those maps. Bring landing gear up and extend the flaps.” And the flight attendants prepared themselves: Donna Dent, Sheila Dale, and Doreen Wells. The city spread out below their feet, and he landed at the foot of 48th Street. On the Hudson River he landed that bird, Chesley B. Sullenberger the Third. The plane did not sink. It lay on the river, and all aboard were safely delivered. It could have been tragic, but no deaths occurred Thanks to Chesley B. Sulleberger the Third. The next time you fly look in the cockpit where the captain and first officer sit, Ready to take you up and onward Like Chesley B. Sullenberger the Third. Take you across the country for miles with officers like Jeffery Skiles And attendants who, in a crisis won’t fail: Donna Dent, Doreen Wells, and Sheila Dale.
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