The Hale Creek Old Regular Baptist Church Meeting.  Pilgrims Knob, Virginia 6.28.09

I attended a church service connected with my family reunion in Virginia last sunday. As you can see it was held in a little covered area in the cemetary where some of my extended family are buried.  It is considered a "Decoration" service where people come to pay respects to those who have passed.  This is an annual event.  I was so impressed by this little service.  Not only was it great to get to see my relatives, some of which I grew up with, but it was great to worship in a different culture and format.  The genuineness and the love I felt was awesome.  The Spirit of God was there as the people sang and as the preachers preached.  It was a reminder to me that how we worship isn't near as important as we like to make it.  This was back country, old school church with Godly people and I was moved by the Spirit sunday.  I was sitting there thinking I wish the folks at WBC could be here and experience this.  Sometimes we get into a rut and routine in worship.  May it never be!  Our God is too great and mighty for us to take worship for granted. 

I was blessed to be able to be in the mountains on Sunday.  My prayer is that people will say the same when they come to Williamstown Baptist Church!

I returned last night from the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY.  This is the first annual meeting I have attended and I was pleasantly surprised.

Much was talked about, preached about and discussed.  I think this week the SBC made positive steps toward a new focus and evaluation of the convention.  We have some great leaders and I am proud to be Southern Baptist.  We do need to do some work and need to increase our intentionality in evangelism and missions.  This includes structure, finances, and remembering our mission.  I am encouraged and motivated after a great week.

I was able to seem many friends and reconnect with them. God is good!

I have some new heroes to tell you about!  VBS workers! 

Today began a new year of VBS and all the hard work that goes into it.  Susan Lawrence is the director and she has put together a great team.  The people who volunteer their time in VBS are my heroes because of their love and dedication to the children.  I am so impressed by their desire to tell others about Jesus and their patience and care.  You all are awesome! 

Keep up the good work!                        

  This Sunday I am preaching on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit.The Holy Spirit is an often overlooked topic in the church.  The Holy Spirit seems so foriegn to us and yet he is such a part of who we are as believers.  Do you realize that God is described as a triune God? Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  We do a disservice to ourselves and each other if we neglect the teaching of the Holy Spirit.  We see the power of the Holy Spirit in the early church in a way we only long to see today.  Did the presence of the Holy Spirit only offer power and change way back then?  I long to be in prayer meetings where the room is shaken. Stephen stood in front of those who would kill him and he stood firm ready to die.  The presence of God allowed him to face certain death with faith and victory.  What if we allowed the Holy Spirit to have full reign in our lives and in our church?  The power and the result would overwhelm us.... maybe that is the reason we dont like to talk about the Holy Spirit?  Come Holy Spirit, Come! Overwhelm us with your power and move Suddenly in our hearts to create a passion and desire for you!