Ordination Service

I am honored to have been asked to preach Bro. Pee Wee (Gerald) Beckham's ordination service Saturday at noon at Arp FBC (that is if the presbytery okays it!!!). While the ordination service is a wonderful time to encourage Pee Wee and his wife Lisa, it also has been a time where I have (re)evaluated how and why I do what I do. It encourages me to see Paul's writing to young (young of course is relative) Timothy. What wonderful words Paul pens in II Timothy 4. They are words that I pray will stick with me as I charge Pee Wee to fulfill his God-given call. And it's not like I have fallen away from my task, but I do believe it is good to go back and look at the basics again.

Well, without blabbing too much more, pray for me as I preach the ordination sermon. Pray for Pee Wee as he enters a new phase of his life. Pray for the church at Jasper where Pee Wee will serve (you know they are going to need it!!! Hahahaha!!!). But most of all, pray for God to be glorified.

Feel The Love!

Yes, it’s that time of year again when most of the ladies get excited about chocolate, flowers, and maybe jewelry, while us men hope we do not forget about Valentine’s Day! But did you know the following? There are more than 192 million Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion. (This total excludes packaged kids valentines for classroom exchanges.) (Source: Hallmark). Nearly 60% of all Valentine’s Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the observance, making Valentine’s Day a procrastinator’s delight. (Source: Hallmark ).
Valentine’s Day is fun because it is a time when you can tell your loved ones how much they mean to you (although we should do this more than once a year!). Yet, did you know that God has given us a valentine? It is given to us in John 3:16. Fortunately, God does not take only one day a year to tell us how much He loves us! In fact, God gave us more than a card to show us how much He loves us. He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in the place of you and me. What love that is! What a wonderful heavenly Father we have. He truly loves us and desires for us to respond to that love.
So, the question is, “Do you love God?” Be careful how you answer because if you say you love God, then you need to read John 14:15. (If you love me, you will keep my commandments.) Why not give God a great Valentine’s gift this year and commit to loving Him each and every day by being an obedient servant? This is truly how we show God that we do love Him. So, don’t just tell Him, show Him! Happy Valentine's Day!

For God so loVed the world,

that He gAve

His onLy

begottEn

SoN

That whosoever

believeth In Him

should Not perish,

but have Everlasting life.

John 3:16