Ouch!

Not much you can say. Oklahoma won. But the seaon is not over and the possiblities still remain for an amazing year for Texas Tech.

Construction Update

The sidewalk in the front of the church was poured on Wednesday. This sidewalk runs from the east end of our facilities to the worship center and our new front entrance.



There is still more work to be done, but we are beginning to see a real change in the front of the church.




The Facility Study Committee met with Paul Sanchez, our architect who is in charge of our building project on Wednesday night. We had a good meeting and learned that everything is going according to schedule for our new buildings. As you notice this morning, the new sidewalks in the front of the church have been poured. They are also new lights surrounding the worship center to light up the front and side parking lots. We were given the following schedule for the coming days.

· They are still deciding at this time whether to put down the asphalt in the front parking lot now or at the end of the project
· Construction on the foundations of two of new buildings will start in the middle of December.
· They will move the modular building over the Christmas holidays
· They will start work on the third foundation as soon as the modular building is moved.
· Foundations should be poured during the early part of January
· Completion date for the project is the end of March

Thanksgiving

• Paul tells the church at Colassae to do two things: (1) Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart; (2) Let the word of Christ richly dwell in you. (Colossians 3:15-17).
• In these same three verses are three calls to be thankful: (1) Be thankful (v. 15); (2) singing with thanksgiving in your hearts to God (v. 16); (3) giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
• The ability to be truly thankful comes when we decide to let peace of Christ control our hearts and when we let the word of Christ richly dwell within our lives. Thanksgiving is not dependent on circumstances, people, or situations. Most people have trouble being thankful in all things because they do not trust Jesus to take care of them. They forget his words of promise because they have chosen to not let them richly dwell within their lives.
• You will know you are obedient to Christ, when thanksgiving is in your words, songs, and actions.

Construction at Village Parkway

We are slowly moving forward at the church in our construction project. This is the front of the church between the Worship Center and the Education Building. We will have a new walkway from the front parking lot to the entrance of our worship center. We will also have handicap entrance at this point also. The picture on the right is the new sidewalk that will be across the front of the entire Education Building. They are saying that we will be finished with the front in about two weeks.

Senior Adult Camp

I just got back from a week at Lost Maples Senior Adult Camp at Leakey, Texas. It was a great experience and I had the opportunity to speak four times. I taught from 2 Timothy 1 and 2. This was my second time to be camp pastor for the camp.

Economics - Simple

Economics can actually be easily understood. Here are each of the basic economic philosophies explained in simple "two-cow" terms:

Communalism: You have two cows. You keep one and give one to your neighbor.

Communism: You have two cows. The government takes them both and--from time to time--provides you with sour milk.

Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes them and sells you the milk.

Liberalism: You have two cows. The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours it down the drain.

Socialism: You have two cows. The government taxes you to the point that you must sell them both in order to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow which was a gift from your government.

Free-Market Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

Centralized, Multi-National-Corporation-Based, Government-Subsidized, Democratic Socialism: You have two cows. You sell one, force the other to produce the milk of four cows and when it dies you write off the depreciation, hire a lobbyist, and garner a government bail-out and tax-breaks in order to purchase two new cows. Repeat.

Bible Study - Galatians 3:1-9

When you read the story of Abraham you are amazed at a man who had such faith. When God speaks he responds. He is a good man who handles life very well. When you review his story you find

• God spoke to Abraham when he was 75 years old and he left Haran and when to Shechem. Lord told him, I will give your descendants this land.
• There was a famine in the land and Abraham went to Egypt. This is where he told Sarai to say that he was her sister.
• The next story is the strife between Lot’s herdsmen and Abraham’s herdsmen. It led to Lot going to Sodom and Abraham settled in Canaan.
• Then you have the story of the war of the kings, Abraham and his men have to move quickly to rescue Lot and his family.
• Then you have Abraham meeting with Melchizedek king of Salem and offered a tithe to him from the battle.

But when you come to Genesis 15 something very important takes place. Our Lord says to Abraham, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward will be very great." Abraham responds to the Lord with the statement, "I am childless". The Lord has him to go outside and look into the heavens and says to him, "so shall your descendants be."

Then you have an amazing statement in Genesis 15:6 "Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness." This verse is very critical in Paul's writing in Romans 4 and Galatians 3. James also uses it in James 2.

After all that Abraham has done, it is now by faith that he starts his walk with the Lord. Genesis 15 begins his walk of faith that leads to Genesis 22 where he offers Isaac as a sacrifice. It seems to me that Abraham conversion and walk of faith truly starts in Genesis 15:6.

Galatians 3:7 says "be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham." For us to start the walk with the Lord we have to come to the place that "we believe in the Lord" just as Abraham did that night he looked into the stars and realized that what God promised would take place.

This is where Jan and I vacationed with my brother's family this summer. This is an view of Crystal Beach. I spent many of my high school and college days on this beach. The house we stayed in this summer is no longer there. Most of the homes are now gone.

Guess Who?

Can you guess who I am?

I am not yet 45 years old but already I have taken the nation by storm.

I am known for my avid love of the outdoors.

I hunt, fish, hike, and camp whenever I possibly can.

I have made my mark in politics as an unlikely Republican reformer.

Of course, I have had to take on the Republican Party establishment.

Not that the Democrats are too fond of me either.

I have a large, happy, but rather rambunctious family.

I have been governor of my large northern state for less than two years.

Nevertheless, I was the surprise pick to be the vice presidential candidate in a crucial national election.

Have you ever heard of me?

Surely you have. I am Teddy Roosevelt.

Pray for those in Southeast Texas

I have family and many friends who live in Southeast Texas. I asked that you join me in praying for the grace of God to sustain them during these days. There is still no word this morning on conditions in Beaumont, Orange, and Port Arthur. Lord show mercy to those who live in the Golden Triangle area. My home area is Orange, Texas.

Bible Study - Psalms 119

Verse 165 – Those who love your law have great peace and nothing causes them to stumble.

When our lives are characterized by a love of God’s word there will be evidence that the love is real. The evidence that the "love of God's word" is real is we have “great peace.” There is no fear impacting our lives. We live quietly, rest quiestly and walk quiety because of the great peace. The reason for this life is that love for God’s word brings careful walking, diligence, paying close attention to the testimonies of God, and seeking God with all your heart.

There is a second blessing in our life and that is we will not stumble. In fact nothing in life will cause us to stumble. When you pay close attention to your walk, then you never have to worry about tripping in life. We will walk surefooted through life because we have confidence from God's word.

Love of God’s word means we live in peace and nothing catches us off guard. If you want that kind of life, check your attitude towards God’s Word. Remember "great peace" means you really do love God's word.

Sarah Palin - Pro Life

Sarah Palin's Personal Pro-Life Story: (from Susan B Anthonly List)
In April of this year, Sarah Palin gave birth to her fifth child, Trig, who was born premature with Down Syndrome. Recent statistics show that in the U.S., approximately 90% of Down Syndrome diagnoses end with the mother choosing abortion. Palin on her family's reaction to the diagnosis, in her own words:
"We knew through early testing he would face special challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed." (April 18, 2008, Anchorage Daily News)
"We've both [Palin and husband Todd] been very vocal about being pro-life. We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential." (May 3, 2008, Associated Press)
"I'm looking at him [Trig] right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?" (May 3, 2008, Associated Press)
It is exciting to me to see someone who truly holds the same convictions that I have about life. In our day when so many of those in politics gauged truth by polls it is a breath of fresh air to see someone who holds to the truths of God’s Word.

There are many special moments in ministry. I had such a one this summer. I had the opportunity to do a wedding for the daugther of a very close friend. We had a very beautitful setting in Cancun for the wedding. It makes life fun to share special moments with friends. These are moments that you remember for the rest of your life. I am always grateful to my Lord for special times like this.

Bible Study - Job 22

Eliphaz suddenly attacks Job with a simple statement, “Is not your wickedness great, and your iniquities without end?” (22:5) Eliphaz is a friend of Job and has known him for some years. He has seen him raise his family and has walked through life with Job. Now with Job’s children dead and his money gone, Job’s friend see him as a wicked man. What causes a friend to change?

Eliphaz accuses him of taking advantage of people, walking over them, hurting the widows and the orphans. Job is suffering now because he has hurt so many people in his life. How can a friend turn so vehemently against you?

It is a revealing of the character of Eliphaz that he suddenly spews out such hurtful words against Job. When Job had power and money, Eliphaz was a good friend and considered Job a good man. Now with it all gone, Eliphaz views Job through eyes of disdain and accuses him of all sorts of evil. The problem is Eliphaz is a fair weathered friend. They are the kind that is with you as long as you provide something for them. It could be money, prestige, or good times. But as soon as that is gone, they will be the first to attack you.

What is our response to such friends? Trust the Lord’s goodness and walk in His ways. Our lives are not to be controlled by friends such as Eliphaz, but by the good pleasure of our Lord. Job will say in 23:11-12 “My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” No matter how much it hurts, we just keeping walking with the Lord and praying for our friends!

Daily Bible Reading - Nehemiah 6

In the midst of a good work, Nehemiah has a meeting with a man by the name of Shemaiah. Shemaiah tells Nehemiah that is life is in danger and that he needs to go to the temple for his safety. Now this seems like good advice for the great man of God. His life is in danger, but the advice is evil.

In fact, Nehemiah was able to perceive that Shemaiah was a liar. Nehemiah response to this little incident was to pray (6:13). He trusted God to take care of him.

Fact of life – Evil men were trying to destroy the ministry of Nehemiah. They were trying to do it through intimidation and fear. If they could get Nehemiah to over react to the threat, they could destroy his reputation and therefore the work on the wall. It was a subtle attempt to stop the good work. It was an incident that no one would know about but Nehemiah. But if Nehemiah had responded wrong, everyone would know.

Nehemiah was wise and able to see clearly because he was a man of faith. And a man of faith never lives a life of fear, but of trust in the Lord. Nehemiah continues his good work and the people follow with him.

VBS - Having a great time

We are having a great week at Vacation Bible School. VBS is always a lot of fun and a great time to teach our children about Jesus Christ. I always am amazed at the faithfulness and time that people are willing to give in sharing the good news of our Lord. I asked that you be in prayer for us as we finish this week. Pray that the kids will understand the truth of God's Word.

Bible Study - 2 Chronicles 28

Just a thought for the day. 2 Chronicles 28:19 "For the Lord humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had brought about a lack of restraint in Judah and was very unfaithful to the Lord."

How often are we influenced by another person's lack of discipline or rebellion to give us an excuse for our lack of restraint? It is so easy to blame others for our unfaithfulness to the Lord. Trouble is - our Lord is not amused - he will humble you because your unfaithfulness - it is your fault, not the lack of discipline in someone else's life.

I just finished reading this book this week. It is a fascinating book on lessons learned from people who live in Sardinian, Okinawa, Loma Linda, California (Seventh Day Adventist), and Costa Rica. Each of these areas have a high number of people who have lived to be 100 years of age.

They studied each group and came up with a list of lifestyle choices that seemed to make life better for these people.

1. Move naturally - be active without thinking

• Balance is critical as you get older - work on strengthening your balance.
• Go easy on the knees - you will need them
• 30 minutes of exercise - five days a week
• Walk, walk, walk, walk . . .
• Plant a garden

2. Stop eating when you are 80% full

• Eat food with low caloric density (fruits and vegetables)
• Make snacking a hassle
• Eat slowly

3. Plant Slant

• Beans, whole grains, & garden vegetables
• Tofu
• Eat meat, but very small portions
• Nuts - each day, but small amounts

4. Purpose Now

• You need a personal mission statement
• You need a people to share life with each day
• Learn something new - never stop using your mind

5. Down Shift - take time to relieve stress

• Life is short, don't run so fast you miss it
• Reduce the noise (turn off electronics - TV, radio, IPod, etc.
• Be 15 minutes early to all events - less stress

6. Belong - Spiritual community

• People who are faithful to their church are happier and healthier
• Social network is critical to good life

7. Loved one First

• Family life is critical to happiness
• Smaller house makes families closer - large houses people tend to go to their own space
• Ritual in family - have a consistency to times together

These are the key points that the book makes for life to be long and good.

Pew Poll on Religion in America

Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey of 35,000 Americans. Pew released demographic data in February from the survey, conducted May through August 2007.

• The survey finds U.S. adults believe overwhelmingly (92%) in God, and 58% say they pray at least once a day. But the study's authors say there's a "stunning" lack of alignment between people's beliefs or practices and their professed faiths.
• 78% overall say there are "absolute standards of right and wrong," but only 29% rely on their religion to delineate these standards.
• The majority (52%) turn to "practical experience and common sense," with 9% relying on philosophy and reason, and 5% on scientific information.
• 74% say "there is a heaven, where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded," but far fewer (59%) say there's a "hell, where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished."
• 70%, including a majority of all major Christian and non-Christian religious groups except Mormons, say "many religions can lead to eternal life."
• 68% say "there's more than one true way to interpret the teachings of my religion."
• 44% want to preserve their religion's traditional beliefs and practices.
• But most Catholics (67%), Jews (65%), mainline Christians (56%) and Muslims (51%) say their religion should either "adjust to new circumstances" or "adopt modern beliefs and practices."
• 50% say "homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society," but the most consistently traditional religious groups say society should discourage it — 76% of Jehovah's Witnesses, 68% of Mormons, 61% of Muslims and 64% of evangelicals.
• 51% have a certain belief in a personal God, but 27% are less certain of this, 14% call God "an impersonal force," and 5% reject any kind of God.
• 14% of all surveyed, including 28% of evangelicals, say religion is the "main influence in their political thinking."

Daily Bible Readings - 2 Kings 25

When you come to the end of 2 Kings, you come to the final end of Israel and the temple. Jerusalem is about to be finally destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. The people in the city are completely without food. The seize has gone on for months, when suddenly the Babylonians break into the city. When that happens the armies of Jerusalem panic and flee the city. They slipped past the armies of Nebuchadnezzar which completely surrounded the city. A question could be raised at this point, "how did they escape?" The Lord was not yet finished with the army of Israel.

In their panic they moved by the way of Arabah. It was in Arabah that Moses preached the sermons to the people in the book of Deuteronomy. All the great truths of God were delivered to the people in Arabah.

They come to the plains of Jericho and at this point the Babylonians catch up with them and capture the king of Judah and finish off his army. The plains of Jericho is where it all started. Joshua 4:13 says, "they crossed for battle before the Lord to the desert plains of Jericho." Now it is the place where is all comes to an end. What an appropriate finish for the nation of Israel. The fall of the nation takes place at the beginning point of the nation.

Moses had said to the people, "So keep and do them (the promises of God), for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’" (Deut 4:13).

On this day, the thought is simply, "what a foolish and weak people." The nation is now destroyed and its people are now in exile. The fall happend where it started!