To the faithful blog checkers--Many apologies. July was super fun, amazingly challenging and the hands on the clock seemed to move fast enough to be a fan to cool my weary brow. This is the best I can do in begging forgiveness for not posting the sermons. This will be a encapsulation of some of my life, also known as JULY 2008.
July kicked off with the Golf cart parade. We always love being a part of such a patriotic and special day. Campers decorate the carts in Red, white and blue, and drive throughout the park. One of the best ones that I saw this year had a rocket on top with dry ice shooting smoke from underneath. Several church volunteers assisted with face painting and balloon animal sculpting. I learned to do one--a snake. You blow the balloon up and it just lays there. No tying needed. We served cookies and drinks and had an amazing day!
I will talk about Day Camps next week. The sermon will be my annual recap of all things Summer Camp related.
Worship went well in July. Attendance was up, people were happy to be praising God while overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Many hurting and broken people came seeking a word of hope, peace, healing and redemption. Our prayer is that by the Spirit, they found what they came seeking.
Brief Synopsis of the four July sermons are:
June 29- Inside/Outside
This sermon focused on the passage 2 Corinthians 4:5-9
You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
Thesis-It is amazing that fragile vessels, such as us, are commissioned to be the jars if clay that house the great treasure of Jesus.
July 6-Classic Freedom
On July 4th weekend, I wanted to focus on the freedoms given to us by God. The focal text was the story of the Lost Son in Luke 15:11-32.
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
I am rarely a 3 point preacher, but this week I was rare.
Thesis- God Gives us freedoms:
1-Freedom to leave home.
2- Freedom to fail.
3- Freedom to return to him.
He waits and runs to meet us, as we return.
July 13-Now/Later
Scriptural Focus was Joel 2:12
The Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
Thesis- In this world of high speed Internet, fast food, fast cars, and instant gratification--why do we always postpone the one thing that really matters--repentance.
July 20--The Photograph
Focus Text-Matthew 16:13-16
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Thesis--Who do we say that Jesus is? Do we have a bad photographic image in our mind? He is far more than our limited minds can grasp.
July 27--Kingdom of Priests
Focal Passage-1 Peter 2:4-10
You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced. Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
Thesis: We are all priests to each other; called and equipped to minister and offer his grace to others.
Stephanie, summer staffer from Wyoming, assisted us with worship. She did not understand my humor, but still had to listen to all my sermons. Oh, and she liked Sarah more than she liked me.
Cherie, a former staffer, hung out on our sofa for a few days and ate all our food. Cherie is one of my favorite people in the entire Easley/Pickens/Clemson area.
Deadly Putt-Putt player and awesome singer, Kelli beat me by 4 strokes on 36 holes. This is rare and we were trying to get in a rematch. She prayed to God and a booming thunderstorm came out of nowhere.Sometimes, I wish God would ignore some prayers. Great match Kelli, and I am amazed at the skills!
