Beyond Sunday Morning

A Quarterback and a Missionary

2008-08-26T01:15:00.000-04:00

Florida's Heisman trophy winning quarterback spent his off season working on something other than football. Tim Tebow went on mission trips, worked with underprivleged youth, and visited hospitals and prisons. He even helped perform a few circumcisions in a poor village during spring break. No spring break parties for this future millionaire. If Tim continues to excell in football, he will be a sure bet to become a multi-millionaire when he goes to the National Football League.

In March, many teammates wanted him to go on spring break with them. He choose to go the the Philippines to help his father with the orphanage he runs.

He even inspired his coach to take his family on a mission trip this year.

Tim says it best in his own words...

"Going and speaking in a prison is more important for me. Going to speak to a organization is more important to me than winning or playing a game."What about beating a rival such as Tennessee, Georgia or Florida State?"It doesn't come close to having the ability to put a smile on a kid's face or go to a hospital and see a girl who is about to die, see her smile because you're there to see her," he said. "I mean, you can't put a price on it, on what that does for me."

To learn more about this amazing young man click here

Jamaica Churches Praise God for Olympic Success

2008-08-25T23:12:00.002-04:00

We tend to think of the United States as the main Christian nation. But what about other countries? Click here to read an article about how Jamaica celebrated their Olympic wins.

Christian Album debuts at #6 on Billboard Charts

2008-08-20T01:00:00.001-04:00

This news appeared on the Christianity Today website.

Third Day's Revelation skyrocketed to the No. 6 slot of the Billboard 200 to become the best debut of the week. At more than 75,000 units sold, the benchmark represented a career best for the band—a feat aided in part by a flurry of media activity that included an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the day of the album's release. Not surprisingly, the album was also the No. 1 Christian release in the nation.

Click here to go to a site with sample songs from the album.

Movie-Henry Poole is Here

2008-08-19T01:00:00.001-04:00

Henry Poole is done with life. Dealt one blow too many, he lives in solitude, drowning his sorrows in vodka and Krispy Kremes, waiting for death to come. But the caring characters around him—with names like Hope and Dawn and Patience—keep crashing his pity party. So does a stain on his house, a stain that looks a lot like the face of Jesus.

Based on comments by the filmmaker, this is a spiritual movie not a religious movie. It looks very interesting.

To read the interview with the film maker, click here.

Click here to see the trailer.

Christians in the Olympics

2008-08-18T01:26:00.000-04:00

If you want to learn more about Christians in the Olympics, follow this link to an excellent summary on the Christianity Today website.

Christians to Watch

Did you hear about...the Olympic Athlete?

2008-08-14T22:14:00.004-04:00

Bryan Clay won a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics in the decathalon. Most Olympians talk about their workout has to be the top priority in their lives if they want to win a medal. Bryan lists his priorities as keeping God first, family second, and track third. When he remembers to keep his priorities straight, God takes care of the rest. If you see shots of him working out on TV, Bryan is listening to worship music.

Click on the link below to learn more about Bryan.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/august/23.17.html

Pastor's Corner

2008-08-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

How do you deal with frustration? We all will have to admit that frustration is a part of all of our lives. And yes, it would seem that some of us are a lot more frustrated than others.

I too will admit that there are those things that frustrate me. Most of them are with other drivers – trying to pass a semi but there is someone in front of me pacing the semi in the left lane (it’s called the passing lane!); drivers who turn from the left lane rather than the center lane on the strip around Burger King; out of state drivers who just get in the left lane and drive as slow as they want. But I digress…

Just having celebrated Mothers’ and Fathers’ Days recently, I get frustrated with parents who give their children what they want, rather than what they need. It is frustrating because so many parents are solely concerned with the immediate wants of their children, rather than willing to put the work in to accomplish long-range goals.

Another frustration that has been on my radar screen is trying to get a new Food Pantry warehouse built so that we can move everything out of our church and have a place where we can minister to the needs of folks much more efficiently and cost-effectively.
It has been several years since this dream – this vision – has been pulling at my soul. After some 25 years of hosting the Food Pantry, we simply need to get a safer and more “ministry-friendly” facility. For more than a year we have looked at a number of local buildings that may be possible to use. But all were deemed unacceptable for one reason or another.

Praise be to God that we are now taking the first steps, so that hopefully by year’s end, we will be in our new building. Land has been generously donated for the Pantry building (our new incorporated name is Bedford Food Outreach), and we will make every effort to create an attractive building, and one that will not be an imposition on the neighborhood. We have designed the building so that traffic will not inconvenience any of our neighbors, and we are working with engineers to in fact improve drainage in that area.

There are many frustrating steps that will no doubt arise, but at least we can say that we are advancing. You may ask why this is necessary. The simple reason is because we have close to 500 families that are registered and eligible to receive food in the immediate area around Bedford. That is a staggering number. This is a ministry – reaching out to all these folks with the love of Christ.

So that is some of my frustrations – how about yours? How do you deal with frustrations? Just the simple realization that all of us share frustrating times – even the preacher! – should be a comfort.
Patiently waiting is a strong theme in Scripture – it would seem that most every major character in the Bible is frustrated with simply waiting patiently for God’s will to be done. Jesus expresses His frustration with the people – “how long must I be with you?”; and even the saints in Heaven are impatient – “how long, O Lord, before you will bring all these things to pass?” Yes, we are in good company with our frustrations.

One secret I have learned is to take those frustrations and view them through the lens of “creative waiting”. God is obviously delaying the particular blessing for some reason – we need to get creative and determine what God wants us to learn in the waiting period. Remember what it was like as a child to wait for Christmas? When it finally came, the wait was worth it!

The simple truth of the matter is that when we wait for God’s time, it is always good. There are those situations that are simply beyond our control and cause us frustrations. All the more reason we need to pray to God and ask for His wisdom. Frustrations should lead us to accept the fact that God’s timing is much better than ours. We may want it today, but God says we have to wait. So we as the faithful simply need to wait patiently – creatively – and continue to trust that in God’s good time, all will be revealed and the blessings will come.

Patiently Yours In Christ,
Jeff

Pastor's Corner

2008-02-18T09:51:00.001-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I am anticipating the beginning of another Confirmation class, I am reminded of the need we all have to ground ourselves in the essentials of the Christian faith. My philosophy of Confirmation is simply to give the students the essentials of the Christian faith over the course of 13 weeks, and with that foundation established, my hope is that they will desire to continue learning and growing in the faith throughout their lives.

You know the basics – don’t you? Things such as a clear understanding of our God as Father and Creator, of His Son Jesus who offers salvation to us, and the power of the Holy Spirit available to all who will accept it. Are you aware that we are called to be servants – to love and serve others in Christ’s name? Is prayer an integral part of your life? Do you know the vital importance of worship in our lives?

We will study topics such as these along with some other key essentials. In our study, I will save one key element for last – one word that the students will need to hear at the end in the hopes that it will be a word they remember. That word is- HOPE. In just 4 letters we have contained the essence of the Christian faith. If anyone ever asks you to describe the Christian faith in one word – try hope. It says more about the faith than any other single word

Hope is such a consistent theme in Scripture because God wants us to be grounded in hope. He wants us to have a hope that no matter what happens in this world – even when it seems the world is falling apart – we need to have hope in the simple fact that God has the last word, AND that God has control of our eternal souls.

True stories can be so tragic. I am reminded of a U.S. soldier who lost hope. He was flying in his jet faster than the speed of sound over enemy territory when an enemy missile hit his plane. As he was parachuting to earth, he heard a lot of gunfire, and as soon as he touched down, he released himself from the harness and looked for a safe hiding place. But the gunfire kept moving closer and closer. He must have felt alone and isolated. This scared pilot then pulled out his pistol and shot himself. He did not wait to see that it was in fact allied forces that were doing the shooting to clear the enemy away, and that they had come to rescue him. The pilot did not realize that he actually landed in a very safe place.

He had lost hope. And I have the concern these days that many persons are losing hope. Listening to the news can really make you question whether we can still have hope. And yet that is precisely the purpose of the Christian faith and our emphasis on hope. You won’t have to look hard to find a story of some great Biblical character that realized that even though the odds were against him or her, when they maintained hope in God, they received a wonderful blessing.
You want a good passage to “hang your hat” on? Try this passage – Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Now that’s a hopeful passage!

Yes, it has been quite a few weeks since Advent, but I hearken back to what we are reminded of every year – Emmanuel – God with us. No matter what happens, God is with us. Is that not enough? Sure, the Christmas decorations are back in the closet, but Emmanuel remains – not just for December, but every moment of every day. All it takes is a little memory on our part – God is with me, I need to remain hopeful. God has the last word, and our lives should reflect that simple truth.

Hopefully Yours,

A movie about God?

2007-12-16T00:20:00.000-05:00

I Am Legend is already being listed as one of the "big" movies of the year. Based on the review posted at Planet Wisdom, one of the main themes is where is the hand of God in the midst of a disaster? This is a subject that has been discussed in recent years after the attacks on 9/11 and the flooding of New Orleans. It is interesting to see big budget movies that feature God and our place in His plans.

Warning: the film is rated PG-13 due to the battles between Will Smith and the vampire/zombies.

Prince Caspian

2007-12-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

The second Narnia movie(Prince Caspian) will be in theaters on May 16, 2008. NarniaWeb has released a preview. Click here to watch it. Looks like one to add to your "must see" list for next year.

The Pastor's Page

2007-12-15T23:44:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Getting ready for Christmas? Of course you are. For some time now, Jan has been baking up a storm in preparation for the Open House (12/15). Jesse and I are already (mid-November) preparing the Christmas eve services. Yes, it is hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner.

Indeed, Christmas will come whether we are ready or not. A big part of getting ready is buying gifts for all the special people in our lives. Do you have your list ready? Have you started shopping yet?

I have come to discover that often the best gifts are NOT the most expensive or beautiful. Oftentimes the best gifts are practical and functional. I am sure there are times when a young mother would appreciate some diapers more than a diamond! Sure, we all like gifts that are fun and perhaps even frivolous, but in this “season of giving”, we need to ask ourselves what gifts can we give that will make someone’s life easier.

Is it possible to give “regular” gifts AND gifts that are even more meaningful – spiritual gifts? These “gifts” that are recorded in the Bible as ways we are to treat each other will bless the other person, but we receive a blessing as well!

The Bible says that prayer is a gift you can give someone. Especially for a person you know going through a difficult time, simply calling the other person and saying “I have been praying for you” might well make his/her day.

You might take it a step further and offer yourself as a listener – you are not there to solve the problem for the other person, just offer that person a chance to speak out loud what is troubling him/her. You would be amazed at how “therapeutic” listening is.

Or how about helping someone to become a better disciple of Christ our Lord. We often refer to this as “mentoring” – taking someone under your wing and helping to guide that person. A mature Christian could really be a blessing to a “babe in Christ” by spending time together.

Even if you think these are just too complex for you, how about trying to just help someone? At a former church, we offered a “car repair ministry” – we worked on church members’ cars and often they stayed to just chat with us. They had a need, and we offered some help. It is really is no more difficult than that. But it does require of us that we be aware of the people around us, and a degree of empathy that we can recognize those needs.

All of this is to say that I am absoltively, posilutely (ha) convinced that our Christian giving cannot just end on December 25th. Perhaps that is why we have a tendency to stop gift-giving for the rest of the year – we about kill ourselves in the few weeks before Christmas and then we are too exhausted to do it again for another year.

Where would we be if God had this understanding of giving? Jesus is given to us and Scripture declares that He is Emmanuel , which means, “God with us”. Not God with us only for the month of December, but all year. Every moment of every day. God keeps giving goodness to us, and if we claim to be Christian – which means, “Christ-like”, then we are required to continue in our giving throughout the year. If God is doing it, then we need to model that same behavior.

I am asking that you consider the possibility that the guy you were going to buy that ugly tie for would be much more appreciative of your spending some time with him, or at least praying for him. Jesus is the “gift that keeps giving”, and you and I need to continue to share Jesus all year long. Give them Christ – and they will thank you in this life, and for all eternity. God has shared with us, so let’s celebrate a joyous Christmas together in the Lord…

With Christ’s Peace,

Pastor Jeff

Did you hear about...Carrie Underwood?

2007-12-02T22:40:00.001-05:00

Carrie Underwood graduated from Northwestern State University with honors while trying out for American Idol, winning the competition, and recording her first album?

But did you know that she continues to sing in the church choir at First Freewill Baptist Church? This is a reminder to all of us, being busy with school or work is no reason to let church take a back seat.

Science Confirms Bible(again)

2007-12-02T22:17:00.000-05:00

Once again, the more scientists learn the more the Bible is right. Now archeologists have uncovered evidence of the wall Nehemiah built in Jerusalem. Click here for an interesting article about the find on the Planet Wisdom blog.

I agree with the blogger from Planet Wisdom. We don't need these kind of discoveries to prove our faith but it doesn't hurt to have this information to show to people who are not believers.

Are you helping?

2007-11-27T23:29:00.000-05:00

This cartoon really makes you stop and think. When God asks what you have done to help prevent pain and suffering in your world(whether that is school or work), what is your answer going to be? How many times do we question God's actions when we could be doing something to help the situation?

How many times do you walk past someone in pain? Do you take the time to help them? Like Pastor Jeff said in Bible study this week, some people go all week thinking that nobody cares about them. Do something to show that Jesus cares about them. Give them a smile, a friendly face, or a sympathetic shoulder. You might not see immediate results but you will be planting a seed. At some point they will look back and try to figure out why you treated them differently. Maybe your single act of kindness will start them on the path that will lead them to Christ. I think this is something that we all need to work on.

Jesus went out of his way to help the ones who were suffering. Are we expected to do any less?

Release Date for Pillar's New Album

2007-11-26T00:02:00.000-05:00

Fans of Christian rock, mark your calendars.

"For the Love of the Game", Pillar's fifth studio album, is now scheduled to release on February 26, 2008. ESPN used the title track on Baseball Tonight during the World Series.

Follow this link to an article at Title Track for more information and an interview.

Midnight Clear

2007-11-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

Coming to DVD on December 4 from Jenkins Entertainment is the movie Midnight Clear staring Stephen Baldwin.

The following synopsis is from the Jenkins Entertainment website...

'Twas the night before Christmas in the Southwest, and for five strangers spread out across town, it's the most depressing time of the year. A middle aged man, jobless and evicted, and an old woman estranged from her family, contemplate suicide; a church youth pastor takes his teens for a night of bad caroling to shut-ins; a young mother and her son visit her brain-damaged husband on the anniversay of the car accident; and on the outskirts of town, a gas station owner spends the slow day bored and depressed.

But as the day progresses, they randomly cross paths, and in unique and subtle ways, change each other's lives forever. In the tradition of films like "Magnolia" and "The Station Agent," and featuring incredible and heartbreaking performances by veteran actors such as Stephen Baldwin (Usual Suspects), K Callan (Lois & Clark), and Kirk B.R. Woller (Flags of our Fathers), Midnight Clear is a quiet tapestry of lonely people trying to connect in the midst of pain. Shot in a raw, naturalistic style, the film still finds hope in the midst of a Christmas that is anything but white.

Based on the award-winning short film and the short story by bestselling author of the blockbuster Left Behind series (63 million copies sold) Jerry B. Jenkins, Midnight Clear also features newcomers Mary Thornton and Mitchell Jarvis, and surprising guest performances from Victoria Jackson ("SNL"), Richard Fancy ("Seinfeld"), and Richard Riehle (Office Space).

Best Christian Albums of 2007

2007-11-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

Looking for some new CDs for Christmas presents? This list might help you.

Every year Christianity Today publishes the Best Christian Albums list. How can they have this out already? They look at albums released from the first of December(in this case 2006) through the end of November(2007). It is always an interesting list because they look at big name Christian groups/singers and at independent artists.

The new year, the judges selected 12 albums. I was surprised to see the new Amberlin CD missed the best of list. Something to keep in mind with this list is the way the CDs are judged. One of the criteria is the Christian message in the lyrics.

Check it out at Best Christian Albums of 2007 then come back here and leave a list of your favorite new albums of 2007.

The Pastor's Page

2007-11-17T20:57:00.000-05:00

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Comedian Bob Hope once reported that a freak snowstorm hit Palm Springs, California. Hope called the storm “God’s way of reminding the rich that He is more powerful than they are.” We too have witnessed the fury of nature, and we too need to be reminded that God is more powerful than we are.

God is, you know – more powerful than we are. More powerful than all of us put together. Just consider the sun – massive cosmic forces are at work to bring the warm sunshine into my office as I type this. These forces are much beyond the control of any human. The whole movement of the earth and the sun puts into perspective our utter reliance upon our gracious God. He knows what is best for us.

The seasons come and go, all according to God’s plan. We often think how nice it would be to control the weather – it is rare that the weather is really the way we would like it. The weather is most always too hot, too cold, too muggy, too much rain or snow. Through it all, I have learned to trust God in the changing seasons and the unpredictable weather.

I have become more convinced of my need to trust in God since we have begun our Bible Study on Genesis. If you really want to know the mind and heart of God, study Genesis. To realize that this all-powerful God (omnipotent) – the God who created the universe in its incomprehensible vastness, is the same God that cares about me and you. He loves us so much and knows us so well He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. He created earth to move in perfect harmony with the sun and rest of the solar system. He created our bodies to work in perfect harmony as well. Have you even considered how many red blood cells you have coursing through your arteries and veins every second of the day? God created us so that we do not even have to think about breathing – we just do it!

All this is to say that by faith, I firmly believe God is still in control of His creation. It is by faith that I believe because I admit I just don’t know the answers to many questions. Really, how can you create the universe out of nothing? How can God not be bound by space and time? We even believe that God has always been – pick any day in the past and God was there the day before!

Wow! There are lots of Biblical issues that I am perfectly content to admit that I just do not know. And that is a good thing – because if I knew everything, I would not need God. I would be God myself. I would be guilty of the what Adam and Eve did in the original sin – desiring to be like God. No, that’s just fine – we have God, and He created us to worship Him and serve Him and His creation. That sounds like a good relationship to me.

As we prepare ourselves for another season change (all according to God’s plan), we need to realize that God has a plan for us as well. God wants us to be redeemed – saved from our sin that keeps us away from Him. We should already be preparing ourselves for Christmas (no, don’t start shopping yet!). We should be ready to receive God’s most wonderful gift – God with us, Emmanuel. We should be jubilant even today in knowing that this great God of the universe, loves us so much that He included us in His great plan of salvation. And you know what? It came just at the right time, just like the changing seasons. So let’s walk together in this journey of faith – always toward the Light and Love of God, Christ our Lord.

With His Love,

Pastor Jeff

e-mail: pastorjw@bedfordumc.org

November, 2007