Sister to Sister

Project ADAM Gift Bags

2011-11-11T11:30:00.002-05:00

Ladies, don't forget that we are collecting items for Project ADAM gift bags this Chirstmas. Be sure to bring in your items by November 27. We will be putting the bags together at our annual Ladies Christmas Luncheon on December 3.

2011 Women's Seminar: Beauty for Ashes

2011-03-24T16:08:00.002-04:00

This year's women's seminar will be held on August 19-20. Our theme this year is Beauty for Ashes. God is already moving in our ladies and we are excited to see all that He will do through this year's seminar. Registration forms will be available soon. Make plans now to join us!! If you would like to be a part of the planning and organization join us for our next meeting on Wednesday, April 13 at 6PM in Room 108.

Women's Mission Trip

2011-03-24T16:05:00.003-04:00

We are gearing up for our first Women's Mission Trip! We have about 24 ladies who are traveling up to Williamsburg, Kentucky on April 3 to minister with Friends of Families Ministries. We will be hosting a mini VBS, a Ladies Banquet, taking food to those in need, ministering at the Homeless Shelter, and helping wash clothes for those without a washer and dryer. Please pray for our ladies (and the two men who are going with us) as we minister to those in one of our nation's poorest regions. If you can donate food or school supplies, we would appreciate it. Contact the church office at 770-867-8888.

It's Been Too Long....

2011-03-24T16:01:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been over four months since I have updated our blog. So much is going on in our Women's Ministry right now. We have four Bible studies going on - Breaking Free; Here and Now, There and Then; Believing God, and Love and Respect. We have been overwhelmed at the women's response to get into a weekly Bible study and dig into the Word of God. Since January, different ladies have been stepping up on Sunday mornings to teach on a name of God during our LIFE School hour. I have been so blessed by each woman's teaching and God has given me so many nuggets from His Word. If you are not currently involved in LIFE School, please make plans to join our Sister to Sister class. We meet in the church fellowship hall on Sunday mornings at 9:30AM.

The Faith of Martha

2010-11-08T14:03:00.005-05:00

For the last two weeks I have been teaching out of John 11 - Lazarus' resurrection. Each time I read this chapter, I get something new out of this timeless, miraculous story. From Jesus' deliberate delay to Martha's extraordinary faith, there is so much to learn about our God and how He works in our lives. Often times, we pray and pray and we don't get the answer we prayed for. What do we do then? Do we give up on God? Do we decide He is not trustworthy or do we continue to hold on to Him even though life has gone suddenly awry. Martha and Mary faced the same crossroad in their relationship with Jesus. Jesus was their friend. They knew Him well. They had listened to Him teach. They had eaten with Him. They had sent for Him when their brother got sick, but Jesus, their good friend, didn't come right away. He deliberately waited until Lazarus had been dead for four days before going to Bethany. Did his delay mean he didn't really love Lazarus, Martha, and Mary? No, Scripture is quick to point out to us in John 11:5 that Jesus loved them all. Surely Martha and Mary were upset that Jesus didn't come to their rescue immediately. They watched their brother die without ever seeing Jesus. They buried him and still Jesus did not arrive. Four days after Lazarus' burial Jesus shows up. Martha goes running to meet him declaring, "if you had been here my brother would not have died." What I love about Martha is she doesn't stop there, she goes on to say, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Wow, talk about faith. I don't know if Martha even in her wildest dreams expected Jesus to call Lazarus back to life, but she believed in her friend Jesus. She knew He was "the Christ, the Son of God" (v.27) and just because life hadn't gone as she hoped, she still believed. We could all learn from Martha's example. When you know Jesus, really know him, you will be able to trust Him even when hard times come. Circumstances cannot change who He is. Bad things happen - yes, even to good people, but Jesus is always our ever present help in time of trouble. Take a lesson from Martha - when life goes awry, run to Jesus!

Are you a Faithful Bride?

2010-10-15T11:10:00.002-04:00

For the last two weeks, we have been discussing the importance of faithfulness in our relationship with Christ. There is no denying that our bridegroom is faithful to us. Morning by morning, He shows us His faithful ways. Too often, however, we are not faithful to Him. We choose sin over obedience. We choose laziness over discipline. We choose complaning over praise. Every time we choose anything other than Christ, we are being an unfaithful bride. I encourage you to take some time in the Word of God. Read Hebrews 10 and 11 and ask God to give you the courage to be a faithful bride!!
Ladies, the CD of last week's lesson is available. See Stacy Pennington if you would like a copy.

Pour My Love on You

2010-09-28T14:08:00.002-04:00

I don't know how to say exactly how I feel
And I can't begin to tell you what your love has meant
I'm lost for words
Is there a way to show the passion in my heart
Can I express how truly great I think you are
My dearest friend
Lord this is my desire to pour my love on you
Like oil upon your feet
Like wine for you to drink
Life water from my heart
I pour my love on you
With praises like perfume
I lavish mine on you
Till every drop is gone
I pour my love on you
Is there a way to show the passion in my heart
Can I express how truly great I think you are,
My dearest friend
Lord this is my desire to pour my love on you
Like oil upon your feet
Like wine for you to drink
Life water from my heart
I pour my love on you
With praises like perfume
I lavish mine on you
Till every drop is gone
I pour my love on you
(Phillips, Craig, & Dean)

May these words become the cry of our hearts!!

Passionate for your Bridegroom

2010-09-21T13:33:00.002-04:00

How passionate are you for Jesus, your bridegroom? We must passionately pursue Christ. He is longing for His bride to seek Him. He wants to be our focus, and He should be our goal. We, as the bride of Christ, must seek Him with all our heart. When we become passionate about seeking Him, then He becomes our all in all. We often hear that there is a place in our heart meant only for God; however, the reverse is also true, there is a place in God’s heart meant only for you. He (God) longs to be loved by YOU. A.W. Tozer puts it this way, “God waits to be wanted.” Can you picture that? The God of the universe is waiting to be wanted by you. So, how does he know that you want Him? For those who are married, how does your husband know that you love him? Mom, how do your children know that you love them? You show them. It’s not just saying the words. It’s following those words with actions that back them up. It’s easy to say "I love Jesus", but how do I show Him that he really is my everything? I show him, by passionately pursuing Him, by seeking His will above my own, by spending time with Him in prayer and reading His Word. Those are just a few practical ways I can show Him that I love him. Part of passionately pursuing Christ is to give yourself to prayer and the Word daily. Just like the bride–to-be relishes spending time talking with her fiancé, so we should relish spending time talking with our fiancé, Jesus. We all know that for any relationship to be meaningful, there must be communication. As a mom, a wife, a woman, your role is too important to not spend time in prayer. Make time for it. With prayer, make time to read your lover’s letter to you. Get in his Word; it is his love letter to you. He wants to speak to you - will you be willing to listen? He wants to show you new insights in his word - will you take time to study? Are you willing to tarry with Him? Will you walk through the valley with Him? Will you endure the fire with Him?
I Peter 1:3-7 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade – kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” Ladies, the bride of Christ must learn perseverence! Life is not a bed of roses, was it for Christ? Was it for Peter? Was it for Paul? I think the modern church is sadly lacking in the ability to simply persevere. The New Testament is full of Scriptures exhorting us to develop perseverance. Romans 5:3-4; Hebrews 12:1; James 1:3 -4 are just a few. In ministry, I see evidence of this lack of perseverance often -- a woman is really pushing into Christ with passion and fervor. Then something happens - be it tragic or just sad and immediately she is off track. She stops pushing into God, and becomes lazy, apathetic, and discouraged. At the first sign of trouble, what do you do? Please don't become lazy! Now is not the time for laziness. The Bible mentions nothing about Christ coming back for a lazy bride. (See the parable of the ten virgins if you need confirmation - five were ready and five were lazy - the lazy ones didn't make it to the ceremony.) Twice in Revelation, John is instructed to praise the church for its perseverance – the church in Ephesus (Rev. 2:2) and the church in Thyatira (Rev. 2:19). Perseverance is obviously something that God highly prizes. He has even attached a crown to it according to James 1:12.
So what will fuel our passion and our ability to persevere? Our sincere, deep, intimate love for our bridegroom. When we truly love our Lord with ALL that is within us then we will want to pursue Him, and we will be willing to persevere through life's circumstances no matter what. Maybe we just need to fall in love with Christ all over again. If you find your passion for Him is waning and your ability to persevere is lacking, ask God to stir up the flames of love that once burned hot in your life. Dear sisters, be passionate for Him because I promise you He is definitely passionate for you!

Becoming a Holy Bride

2010-09-16T10:00:00.002-04:00

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (I Peter 1:13-16)
Holiness - it's a pretty tall order isn't it? Living a life of holiness is not about following a list of dos and don'ts. It's allowing the HOLY Spirit free reign in your life. In the original Greek the word be means to begin to be; to come into existence. As we begin to walk in holiness, the Holy Spirit will come alongside us and aid us in our quest. Holiness is a natural outcome of the life fully surrendered to the Spirit. You won't have to strive for it - the Spirit will produce it in you. I Peter 2:4 says, "As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Those are some powerful words written by Peter under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God. As I read those verses I thought of the movie Field of Dreams and it's famous line: "If you build it, they will come." God says to us just the opposite: "If you come, I will build you." Wow! If we will come to Jesus, He will build us into "a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.." How do we come to Jesus? We spend time in His word. We spend time in prayer. We obey what He has told us to do. We rid ourselves of things that are standing in the way of our pursuit of holiness.
I Peter 2:1 gives us a list of five things to get rid of in our lives. They are malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. When we read those words, we may not fully understand all that they imply. In the original language, those words carry much more punch. Malice means wickedness as an evil habit of the mind - not only doing evil but being evil. Deceit or Guile (KJV) means to bait; fraud; craftiness; manipulation. Hypocrisy is defined as to pretend, a sin which glories in misleading another by smooth flatteries; averts holiness. Envy means jealousy; pain felt and malignity conceived at the sight of excellence or happiness; bursts of envy. The New Testament dictionary went on to say that this word envy is incapable of good and is always used with an evil meaning. Slander means blasphemy, defamation, condemnation, accusation, blame, indictment. If the bride of Christ would pursue holiness just in these five areas how different would the church look? How about if we just took one thing - hypocrisy - and pursued holiness in this one area? I believe revival would start as a result. No more gossip, no more backbiting, no more pretending, no more flattery, no more masks - can you imagine? As the bride of Christ we must begin to pursue holiness with all our heart. As we come to Him - our bridegroom - He will build us into His beautiful, holy bride. Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Don't let the MOTH eat your gown!

2010-08-17T13:41:00.002-04:00

Our study of righteousness as it relates to the Bride of Christ has shown us that we should wear righteousness daily. God uses the word righteousness many times in Scripture and relates it to a piece of clothing. Check out these references if you want to learn more on that topic - Job 29:14, Psalms 132:9, Isaiah 11:5, Isaiah 51:8, Isaiah 59:17, Isaiah 61:10, Ephesians 4:24, Ephesians 6:14. Isaiah 51:8 says, "For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my RIGHTEOUSNESS will last forever, my salvaion through all generations." As I studied this verse I thought of the very literal work of moths...what do they do? They eat holes in our clothes! If righteousness is our spiritual clothing, then what sort of spiritual moths might we need to guard against? I have a little acrostic of the word MOTH that I hope will help you evaluate the presence of any moths in your spiritual life.
First, we have the Me, Me, Me Mentality. Selfishness is a killer in our spiritual life. Becoming so wrapped up in ourselves that we fail to even see God working in our lives is a dangerous trap and one that I fear many Christians find themselves. Scripture has tons to say about denying self - Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, and Luke 9:23, all record the same command from Jesus. "If anyone (man or woman) would come after me, s/he must deny her/himself and take up her/his cross and follow me. Three times that command is recorded in the gospels - from the mouth of Christ. Selfish ambition is described in Galatians 5:20 as an act of the sinful nature. Philippians 2:3 warns us to "do nothing out of selfish ambition..." James 3:16 says, "For where you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." Wow, those are pretty strong words! Evaluate yourself and those in your life. Do you have friends who only talk about themselves, their lives, their children, their job, etc? Are they interested in listening to you or is it all about them? Are you a friend like that? Proverbs 18:1 says, "An unfriendly (wo)man pursues selfish ends." How much of your day is wrapped up in Me, Me, Me?
Second, the O in MOTH is an Overly Sensitive Ego. How easily do your feelings get hurt? How paranoid are you? Prayerfully evaluate yourself and see if you are suffering from an overly sensitive ego. We are not to live by our feelings and yet somehow we let them gain the upper hand in our lives. An overly senstive person constantly has to be stroked and pampered. In our spiritual walk, this exemplifies itself in isolation, jealousy, envy, gossip, and paranoia. The overly sensitive ego is very aware of how it is being treated and also who (in its perception) is being treated better. If your circle of friends is prone to gossip, beware - you may have fallen in with a bunch of women who suffer from OSE! If you think everyone is talking about you, I hate to break it to you, but they probably aren't. To see where an overly sensitive ego will lead you, check out King Saul in the Old Testament. Isaiah 26:3 is the answer to OSE. "You keep him/her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you...." When our mind is set on Christ our ego will take a backseat.
Our third letter is "T" and it stands for Trial Immunity. Now you may ask, what is that? It is believing that we are immune to trials! Unfortunately, many Christians believe that when they get saved it's easy sailing. They believe salvation is an innoculation against trials and tests, so when hard times come they are baffled. We are not immune to trials!! I Thessalonians 3:3 says it so clearly, "..so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well we were destined for them." The last time a trial came your way, what was your response? Paul reminds us to not be surprised because trials are our destiny. James 1:2 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers (and sisters) whenever you face trials of many kinds," I Peter 1:6-7 says, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kind of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." What is the role of the bride of Christ right now? We are to be making ourselves ready. Peter tells us plainly that these trials are coming so that we can be ready to be presented to Christ as genuine and faithful. The bride is not immune to trials. It is by those very trials that we are being made perfect for our bridegroom. Don't resist the trials in your life. Rejoice and thank God that He loves you enough to make you more like Him.
Now for the final part of our "moth" acrostic. The "H" stands for a Haughty Attitude. Nothing kills our witness quicker than a haughty attitude. A haughty attitude is one that is filled with pride, arrogance, and disdain. Scripture records many times that a haughty spirit goes before a fall. Haughty eyes are listed as the very first item in Proverbs 6 of the things God hates. In Zephaniah 3:11 God has a very strong word for those who rejoice in their pride "..never again will you be haughty on my holy hill." A haughty attitude does not display Christ to a lost and dying world. A haughty bride is a poor reflection of her bridegroom. Remember that our righteousness is as filthy rags and that it is only through Christ's righteousness that we are made His bride. It's all about Him! I hope you will do some work this week "moth-proofing" your life. It's easy to let the moths in and we must be as aware and intentional with our spiritual clothing as we are our physical clothing. Remember we are not our own. We have been bought with a price and our purpose is to honor God. (I Corinthians 6:19b-20)

The Bridal Gown

2010-08-12T13:06:00.002-04:00

In our study of the bride of Christ we have taken an in-depth look at the role of true worship in the life of the bride. This week we turn our attention to the bridal gown. Revelation 19:7-8 describes the fine linen given to the bride. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." (KJV) Our bridal gown is righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 says, "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." God, is in his great love and mercy, sent his son to earth. Jesus, the Righteous One, died so that we might be made righteous according to 2 Corinthians 5:21, "God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." As we put on righteousness as a bridal gown we reflect Jesus to a lost world. But how many of us believe that we are righteous? When I posed this question to my Sunday School class, I got very few raised hands. Our enemy has so brainwashed us that we believe we are not righteous and that we are not even worthy to be the bride of Christ. We have forgotten that our righteousness comes from Christ and it has nothing to do with how we feel about ourselves. Romans 10:4 says, "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Because of Christ's redemptive work, we can be made right with God. The original Hebrew word for righteousness has both a masculine and feminine form and is used multiple times in the Old Testament. The masculine form of the word is sedeq and it means "justice; right relation to an ethical or legal standard". The feminine form is sedaqah. This word means "justice; right actions and right attitudes as expected from both God and the people. It describes the attitude and actions God had and expected His people to maintain. We are to sow in righteousness and our lives are to reflect righteousness and integrity". Scripture tells us very clearly that our righteousness is as filthy rags, but don't lose heart - it's not about our righteousness. Hosea 2:19 says, "I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion." God chose you to be His bride. When you accepted Jesus you became his betrothed and he clothed you in His righteoueness. Your filthy rags were replaced with fine linen, a beautiful robe, and precious jewels. Clothed in his righteousness you are a radiant bride. Reflect HIS righteousness today!

Results of True Worship

2010-08-10T13:46:00.003-04:00

We followed up our lesson on what true worship looks like by discovering the wonderful effect that true worship will have in our life.
True Worship results in --
Wholeness
Open eyes to see God in a clearer way
Right Relationships with God and others
Sincerity and transparency in our motives, actions, and attitudes
Healing
Intimacy
Purpose
You will find that as you truly worship God each of these things will begin to take place in your life. It is a cycle that leads to even more truth in our worship.
For example, as I begin to worship God in spirit and in truth He will open my eyes to see things about Him I didn't see before. Then, as I see these new facets of God, I will enter into an even newer level of true worship. Each result leads back to true worship. What a mighty God we serve. He knows that when we worship Him - truly worship Him - He will fill us with Himself and that's where we will find satisfaction, peace, and purpose. I challenge you to become a true worshipper of God and I promise that He will transform your life.

True W-O-R-S-H-I-P

2010-07-27T15:27:00.002-04:00

A couple of Sundays ago we started looking at the different facets of true worship. I came up with an acrostic to help us get to the heart of the matter. Now, this is by no means an exhaustive list of what worship is all about - in fact, it's just a starting point. I believe that we can use the acrostic to help us evaluate our worship.
I become a true worshipper when I:
W - Want Jesus more than anything else in my life (Matthew 6:33)
O - Offer myself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)
R - Renew my mind with the Word of God (Romans 12:2)
S - Seek God's will above my own (Luke 22:42)
H - Hear God's songs of love over me (Zephaniah 3:17)
I - Increase my ability to see Christ (Isaiah 6:1 & Psalms 27:8)
P - Praise God even when I don't feel like it (Acts 16:16-34)
True worship is not just a "feel good" moment in church. It is choosing to tithe even when it looks like the money isn't there. It is moving out of my comfort zone when all I want to do is stay put. It is making the decision to turn off the "noise" of this world and get in the Word of God. It is fulfilling my responsibilities even though I am weary and feel overlooked and underappreciated. It is so many more things than this, but, I promise it is so worth it. Adopting a lifestyle of true worship will garner the attention of heaven. Remember, worship is not a means of manipulating God into doing what we want done - God forbid that we adopt that philosophy. Worship is about becoming more like Christ. Living in the center of His will, we will find everything we could ever want or need. Next week, we will look at the results of true worship in our lives....you don't want to miss that! Until then, become a true worshipper.
"Worship changes the worshipper into the image of the One worshipped." (Jack Hayford)

True Worship -- What is it?

2010-07-16T10:01:00.003-04:00

Worship has been on my mind a lot lately. I have been away from my home church for a little while and as I go to other places and worship with other believers it really makes me ponder this "worship" thing. Different denominations worship in different ways during their church services, but is that really all worship is? I think not. Worship is a lifestyle and not something we do on Sunday mornings and maybe one other night a week. It is time for a spirit of worship to invade every part of our Christian life. Our individual worship should be so rich and so passionate that when we get together corporately the presence of God falls in a mighty way. Isn't that what happened in 2 Chronicles? When the people began to worship in true unity, the presence of the Lord filled the place with a cloud of glory. We will begin a look at the worshipping bride this Sunday. The bride that Christ is returning for is one that worships HIM with all her heart! Want to learn more? Check out our Sister to Sister class this Sunday morning. See you there!

Opportunities for Bible Study this Fall!

2010-07-15T11:02:00.005-04:00

We are excited to be able to offer several evening Bible studies starting in August. Check back soon for official start dates and times, but look over the studies listed and prayerfully seek God about which one you should participate in at this time. You will be blessed beyond measure as you seek to draw closer to the Lord through the study of His word. On Monday nights, we will offer Beth Moore's updated Breaking Free. Facilitated by Sabrina Wales, this is an eleven-week course and is a great foundational course for those seeking to let go of the chains of the past. On Sunday afternoon, we will offer Love and Respect a study for married couples and facilitated by Bill and Cassandra King. We are not sure about which nights we will offer our last two studies but they are both by Beth Moore. Nancy Pennington will be facilitating When Godly People do Ungodly Things. This study is only seven weeks and is very timely for the days in which we live. We will also offer Beth Moore's Here & Now, There & Then. It is a study of the book of Revelation and will be facilitated by Lora Branam. You can find information about all of these studies by doing a Google search or going to www.lifeway.com.

For Such a Time as This

2010-04-08T14:38:00.004-04:00

Our 2010 Women's Seminar will be May 14 & 15. Join us for a great time of fellowship with women from all walks and denominations. Call the church office at 770-867-8888 to learn more. E-mail us at churchwinder@windstream.net to get a registration form.

Repairing the Chasms

2010-01-05T13:43:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday we began a new study in God's Word dealing with repairing the chasms. A chasm is defined as "a break, fissure, breach, opening, rupture, division, separation, rift." Spiritually, chasms develop as a result of sin. The inspiration for this study is found in Amos 4:3 where God tells his people that because they did not return to him they will "each go straight out through breaks in the wall". Those chasms are our breaks in the wall and as we allow them to go unchecked in our lives they become the very places where our enemy will take us out. God desires for each of his daughters to live whole, healed, and abundant lives and that is the goal of this study. Over the next few weeks, we will look at chasms that develop around generational fault lines, chasms caused by actions done to us, and chasms created from our own sinful choices. Please make plans to join us on Sunday mornings at 9:30AM in our fellowship hall as we break open God's Word and find healing and wholeness.
See you Sunday,
Stacy Pennington

New Bible studies start in February!

2010-01-05T13:36:00.003-05:00

We are excited to offer our ladies two opportunities for small group Bible study. On Sunday nights we will offer The Patriarchs by Beth Moore from 4 - 6PM. This study will start on Sunday, February 7 and will last for eleven weeks. Nancy Pennington will serve as facilitator. On Monday nights we will offer Beloved Disciple also by Beth Moore from 6 - 8PM. This eleven-week study will start on Monday, February 8 and will be facilitated by Stacy Pennington. To register for either of these studies, call the church office at 770-867-8888 or e-mail us at churchwinder@windstream.net. Deadline to register is Sunday, January 31.

The Love Chapter - Christmas Style

2009-12-16T10:41:00.004-05:00

I got this poem in my daily e-mail devotional, and I just had to share it with all of you. Enjoy!!

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style

©By Sharon Jaynes

If I decorate my house perfectly with lovely plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls, but do not show love to my family - I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family - I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family - it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of your way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break; pearl necklaces will be lost; golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

AMEN!

To learn more about Sharon Jaynes and her ministry "Girlfriends in God", go to www.girlfriendsingod.com.

The Wonder of Christmas

2009-12-07T11:01:00.003-05:00

I hope you are enjoying this wonderful Christmas season with your family and friends. I want to share a poem that I wrote several years ago and remind you to that this season is about the greatest gift of all - JESUS.

Can you see the angels singing as their praise lights up the sky
Rousing shepherds from their keeping of the silent flock by night?
Glory in the highest, shepherds gazing up in awe,
Oh the beauty, oh the splendor, oh the wonder of it all.

Can you hear the wise men's footsteps trodding on toward Bethlehem?
Bringing gifts of greatest value to a baby's lowly bed -
A star their only compass, knowing not what might befall
Oh, the beauty, oh the glory, oh the wonder of it all.

Can you see the mother weeping as in her arms she holds
The One for whom all prophets and the angels have foretold?
Knowing that all God's glory rested in one so very small
Oh the beauty, oh the mystery, oh the wonder of it all.

Can you hear the voice that whispers, "Here's my great redemption plan.
I have sent my Son to earth to restore the souls of man.
Each December as you hurry, take the time to recall
The beauty, and the splendor, and the wonder of it all."

Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Jesus! Party

2009-12-03T15:51:00.002-05:00

Join us this Sunday, December 6 for our annual Happy Birthday Jesus! Party. Breakfast will be served starting at 8:30AM in our fellowship hall. To celebrate the birth of our Savior, we ask that each person bring one baby item for our new mom baskets which we will donate to Come Alive Minstries. After breakfast, we will have a time of testimonies and music in the sanctuary prior to the morning service. All LIFE School classes will be participating!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

2009-12-03T15:25:00.002-05:00

Sorry, I missed posting last week. I pray that everyone had a very blessed Thanksgiving and took some time to reflect on all that God has brought you through in the past year. We had a very blessed thanksgiving in our family and even though there were some rough patches, we know that God is still in control. How many of you ate thanksgiving leftovers for days? If your family is like ours - you eat on them for several days. We turn the turkey into turkey salad, add some vegetables where needed, cook some fresh bread and feast again. Thanksgiving food is some of my very favorite, and I enjoy every morsel, so much so that I can't wait to heat it up and enjoy it all over again. As I ate my thanksgiving leftovers I thought about the wonderful feast I have enjoyed this year in God's Word. Personally, this was a year where God deepened my love for His Holy Word. I can't wait to open it up each day and see what God will say to me. Sometimes I find myself spending several days reflecting on one verse or one passage and like my thanksgiving leftovers - I come back to it again and again, looking at it from different perspectives, adding some different study tools, and asking God for new insight. Each time he doesn't disappoint. I get something new and fresh each time I open His Word. I enjoy it as much as I do my physical food. I feel full and satisfied when I spend time with God reading His word and feasting on His promises. I am grateful that God has chosen to speak to us through His word and that He never forsakes or deserts us. As we close out our study of the Counterfeit Armor I am truly thankful that God does not leave us defenseless against our enemy, but He has provided all that we need to live victoriously in this present world. Sometimes we forget that our enemy is predictable - sneaky, yes - but still predictable. His tactics have not changed in thousands of years and he continues to use deception, pride, fear, preoccupation, religion, and our own words to keep us ineffective and weak in our daily walk. Don't let him win! Now that you know his counterfeit armor, be bold and courageous and pick up God's armor to slay him. He cannot stand against the word of God for greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. Feast daily on God's word. Meditate on it. Then, put on your armor and be ready always to fight the good fight of faith.

The Sword of the Spirit

2009-11-16T10:42:00.004-05:00

The final piece of armor that Paul admonishes us to use in Ephesians 6 is the "sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God". The sword is the only offensive weapon in our arsenal, so what is Satan's counterfeit sword? A sword of the flesh - or to be more specific - cutting, biting words that do not proceed from the mouth of God. Scripture warns us many times that the tongue is a powerful weapon. It is described as a fire, a deadly arrow, a world of evil, untameable, and full of deadly poison. It is my belief that we can do the greatest good or the greatest damage to the body of Christ with the words that we say. Remember the counterfeit armor is also the default armor - it is all about human nature. The armor of God, on the other hand, is all about the divine nature. Speaking out of line, complaining, grumbling, blaming - it all comes easy to the natural, sinful man. Choosing to guard our mouth and our words is choosing the divine nature over human nature. Our words can encourage or discourage, diffuse trouble or stir it up, promote kindness or promote gossip, bring life or bring death. Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Satan knows that our words have power - they can bring life to those who hear them or death. How did Jesus always answer the enemy during the temptation? With the word of God. He knew that the only offensive weapon he had to defeat his enemy was every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. Jesus did not use his words to agree with Satan, to debate him, or to try to outwit him. He simply answered every temptation with Scripture. We are told in James that the tongue cannot be tamed, but don't lose heart, we can make progress in this area! We cannot tame our own tongue, we must let God and His Spirit do it in us and through us. When we surrender our mouth to God and His leading, we will probably find that we will speak less. Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 17:28, and James 1:19 all speak to this issue. I encourage you to spend some time meditating on what these Scriptures teach us. It is time to become women of the WORD and not women of the world. The only sword we should brandish is the word of God - not the cutting words of our own mouth. It is time to build up and encourage others with our words and not mince them into tiny pieces. As Christians we must stop riding the fence on this issue. We cannot talk "spiritual" on Sunday and Wednesday and then talk like the world the rest of the week. In I Timothy Paul warns Timothy to turn away from godless chatter. In our world today, we hear a lot of godless chatter. Profanity, gossip, sarcasm, flattery are just a few examples. As Christians, we should be set apart and the words that come out of our mouths should sound and be different from the world. Our own biting words will come back to bite us - of that you can be sure. It's why your enemy wants to keep you speaking words of death, discouragement, and deception to yourself and those around you because He knows you will eat the fruit of your own words. Be careful what you say to others, about others, and around others. People are watching, your enemy is prowling, and never forget, God is listening. May your heart's cry be the cry of the Psalmist in Psalms 19:14, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

The Eyes of Pride

2009-11-09T10:41:00.002-05:00

We have been talking for a couple of weeks about pride and how it is the counterfeit helmet. Today, we want to look at a specific body part - the eyes and how pride displays itself in the eyes of individuals. Scripture has a name for this type of pride - haughtiness. Haughtiness is pride at its maximum potential. The dictionary defines it as "disdainfully proud and scornfully arrogant". Those are strong words and they illicit a strong response from a holy God. In Proverbs 6, we are given a list of things that God hates. Do you know what tops the list? Haughty Eyes. The King James Version calls it a proud look. We have already said that pride is the root of all sin; it is the ultimate anti-God state of mind. Pride shows itself through our actions but also through our eyes. Haughty eyes look down on others. Haughty eyes rejoice in others failures. Haughty eyes laugh at other's weakness. Haughty eyes don't see their own faults, but zero in on the faults of others. Haughty eyes consider themselves above certain sins. They are spiritually blind, and yet they seek to be spiritually superior. Our eyes are intricate, complex organs. The pupil of the eye can actually reflect your like or dislike for something or someone. The pupil will enlarge when you see something desirable. On the other hand, it will shrink when you see something that disgusts you. Our responses and reactions can often be seen in our eyes. Matthew 6 says that the eye is the lamp of the body. If the eye is full of light then the whole body is also full of light. However, if the eye is dark, then the whole body is full of darkness. Whenever we choose to cooperate with darkness our eyes reflect that darkness, BUT, praise God that when we choose to cooperate with the LIGHT (Jesus) our eyes reflect that light. There is an old saying that says the eyes are the mirror of the soul. There is much truth in that quote. What are your eyes reflecting? Can others see Jesus when they look into your eyes or do they see skepticism, judgment, and blame? Every time that we choose our will above God's will we are reflecting the kingdom of darkness and we are putting on the counterfeit helmet of pride. The eyes of pride focus on self while the eyes of humility focus on Christ. It really does all come down to where we fix our focus. When we fix our focus on Christ, we are choosing to put on a helmet of salvation and we are free to fight the good fight of faith without hindrance. When we fix our focus on ourselves, we are blind to what God wants to do in and through our lives. If you need some help fixing your focus, then read & meditate on the following Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 4:18, Hebrews 3:1, Hebrews 12:2. The cure for haughty eyes can be found in God's Holy Word.

The Humble Heart of a Servant

2009-11-03T14:38:00.007-05:00

Jesus the humble servant has so much to teach us and I don't know about you but I have so much to learn. I just want to share with you today this passage from Scripture and remind you that the King of all creation left His throne in heaven so that He might serve. How quickly we forget that it's not all about us. How often we have to be reminded that it's all about Him.
It was just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the FULL EXTENT OF HIS LOVE. The evening meal was being served and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel arond his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:1-5)
Can you even imagine? Jesus, the Lord of Lords, the very Son of God down on his hands and knees washing the dusty, dirty feet of those who would run away, betray, and deny Him. Such humility is beyond my comprehension. What an example we have been left from One who wasn't afraid to show the full extent of his love. Those words just pierce my heart. I would think that he showed the full extent of his love on the cross and He most certainly did, but Scripture makes a point to put that phrase in this Scripture passage. Out of the deepest well of love imaginable Jesus dipped fresh water to wash the feet of those closest to Him. I believe that they never forgot that moment - the moment Jesus knelt before them and quietly washed and tenderly dried their feet. Later in that same passage, Jesus says, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done." Jesus may not tell you to literally wash the feet of those around you (however, if he does please obey), but you can figuratively wash other's feet by praying for them or just listening to them. Ask God today to help you develop that kind of humility. Humility like that cannot be manufactured on your own, it is found in the heart of a servant - it's the heart of THE servant, Jesus, and it is a heart that will love without limits. Isn't that what our world is dying to find? Someone who will love in spite of betrayal, denial, and rejection. Someone who will follow the example of Jesus and truly love not in word only but in deed. That kind of love has no pride. That kind of love will humble itself and serve no matter the consequences. I encourage you to follow Jesus' example today. Find someone and wash her feet with kindness, gentleness, meekness, I think you get the picture. Not only will you bless others, but you will be blessed. It's a promise. Jesus himself says so. At the end of this very portion of Scripture Jesus says, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:17) AMEN.

The Counterfeit Helmet - PRIDE

2009-10-28T15:09:00.002-04:00

This week we will look at the counterfeit helmet. In Ephesians 6 we are instructed to put on our head a helmet of salvation. Ephesians 2:9 reminds us that our salvation is not because of works lest any man should boast or be proud. Our salvation is a free gift because of God's grace. So, what does Satan want us to wear on our head? You guessed it, a helmet of pride. It just fits doesn't it? Unfortunately it does. I believe this piece of counterfeit armor is Satan's crowning glory and it is no accident that it is worn right on top of our head. Why is pride so dangerous? Because it is a heart condition that molds a mindset. Pride will affect the way you think, the way you make decisions, and the way you feel. Think about it. What gets the biggest emotional response from you? What makes you the angriest? the most annoyed? hot under the collar? What motivates you to gossip? What embarasses you? intimidates you? humiliates you? I believe if you will search your heart on these issues you will find some pride lurking. When someone speaks against your family how do you respond? When a juicy piece of gossip lands in your lap, what do you do with it? Anger, jealousy, gossip, bitterness, revenge, self-pity, conceit, vanity, slander, self-justification, defensiveness - all of these things grow on the tree of pride. The fruit of pride is poison - that's why Satan revels in it. Here is how C.S. Lewis put it, "The essential vice, the utmost evil is pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison. It was through pride that the devil became the devil. Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind." That is why pride is such a huge issue with God. It goes completely against everything that He represents. Every sin can find its root in evil pride. Every sinner who refuses to confess and repent chooses to do so out of pride. Usually pride is hardest to see in ourselves - it is every person's blind spot. What we can see so easily in someone else, we are somehow blind to in our own life. It is time to do some serious soul searching for ourselves and stop trying to "fix" everyone else. I heard a TV preacher put it this way. "The problem is not out the window, it's in the mirror." Pride in our heart leads to pride in our mind, which leads to pride in the way we talk and walk this Christian life. Philippians 2 reminds us "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he HUMBLED Himself...." The cure for pride is humility, and humility is found on our knees. While pride stands tall, humility knows to fall. Proverbs 11:2 tells us, "When pride comes then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." If there was ever a time when God's people needed wisdom it is now, but Ezekiel 28 tells us that pride corrupts wisdom. Pride is that molded piece of fruit that sits in the fruit basket and slowly but surely contaminates and rots everything else. God's Word has so much to say on this issue, and I encourage you to do some searching and reading. Get God's perspective on selfish pride and let His word begin to renew your mind so that the proud mindset can be overcome by the mindset of Christ. I encourage you to read Philippians 2:1-15 everyday and then be a doer of the word not a hearer only. Then and only then will you be able to put off the helmet of pride and put on a helmet of salvation!

The Counterfeit Shield

2009-10-19T10:45:00.004-04:00

In addition to all this, take up the sheild of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16
We have looked at Satan's counterfeit belt, breastplate, and shoes and now we are at another important piece of armor - the shield of faith. So what is Satan's counterfeit shield? A shield of fear. I believe that Satan would rather us cower under a shield of fear than stand firm with a shield of faith. Specifically Satan wants us to focus on self-preservation rather than faith. Self-preservation is defined as "preservation of oneself from danger, injury, or death, the urge to preserve oneself, regarded as an instinct." Self-preservation is instinctual. When we encounter things to be afraid of our first instinct is to protect ourselves. In the spiritual sense, self-preservation can keep us from stepping out into our destiny. In Beth Moore's study of Esther, she says this, "We can protect ourselves right out of our calling." Isn't that what Satan wants? YES! To accomplish that goal, he will tempt us to take up a shield of self-preservation rather than a shield of faith. Does Scripture back this up? Absolutely. You don't have to look any further than Numbers 13 & 14. The children of Israel have been delivered out of slavery. God has performed miracles in order to bring them into the land He promised to give them. Camping right at the edge of Canaan, Moses sent in twelve spies to scout out the land. Ten of those spies came back with the report that while the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey it was also filled with powerful people, fortified walls, and strong cities. Because of their evil report, the people were afraid to go forward and enter the Promised Land even though God had promised it to them. In Numbers 14:33 God tells them, "Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert." An entire nation of people protected themselves right out of their calling because they feared their enemy more than they believed their God. They never got to experience all that God had for them because they chose self-preservation over faith. Are you doing the same thing? Do you look around and see so much to fear that you step back, cower down, and doubt? Is self-preservation more important to you than your God-ordained destiny? Is protecting your image, your ego, and your feelings worth missing out on your calling? God forbid. Self-preservation leads to isolation, discouragement, and depression.
2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that "we live by faith not by sight." Fear says, "we live by sight, not by faith." The enemy is cunning and he knows that all your attempts at self-preservation are in vain. When the battle rages the shield of fear is easily penetrated. I Peter 5:9 says, "Resist him (the devil) steadfast in the faith." Your first line of defense against the flaming arrows of the evil one is your faith. Don't just read God's Word, believe God's Word. When the enemy comes in like a flood with his arrows of doubt, fear, worry, and deafeat, you can raise up the shield of faith and extinguish each and every one. Isaiah 7:9 says, "...if you do not stand firm in the faith, you will not stand at all." Your calling is waiting - don't back down in fear, but stand firm in faith and be all that God has ordained you to be.

Shoes of Peace

2009-10-16T09:46:00.004-04:00

Last week we talked about putting on the shoes of peace and how Satan's counterfeit shoes are preoccupation. (See earlier post if you missed it.) Today, I want to give you some Scriptural encouragement to help you keep your peace in the midst of a world of troubles and trials.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you: not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
1 Peter 1:2

I just have to share this devotion by Oswald Chambers from My Utmost for His Highest because he says it so beautifully. Enjoy!!
"Are you painfully disturbed just now, distracted by the waves and billows of God's providential permission, and having, as it were, turned over the boulders of your belief, are you still finding no well of peace or joy or comfort; is all barren? Then look up and receive the undisturbedness of the Lord Jesus. Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. If you allow anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you, you are either disturbed or you have a false security. Are you looking unto Jesus now, in the immediate matter that is pressing and receiving from Him peace? If so, He will be a gracious benediction of peace in and through you. But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get. We get disturbed because we have not been considering Him. When one confers with Jesus Christ the perplexity goes, because he has no perplexity, and our only concern is to abide in Him. Lay it all out before Him, and in the face of difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow, hear Him say, "Let not your heart be troubled."

The Counterfeit Armor - Part III

2009-10-08T09:12:00.003-04:00

The third piece of armor that Paul instructs us to put on is shoes of peace. Why do we put on shoes? Because we are going somewhere. As Christians we must walk our faith out everyday, so Satan will try to keep us from walking the path of peace by occupying our time with other things. That's Satan's counterfeit shoes - preoccupation. When I looked up the word preoccupation in the dictionary here is what I found, "completely engrossed in thought; absorbed; previously occupied; taken; filled." The enemy wants to keep you engrossed in thought and absorbed in things other than the will of the Father. He wants to fill your day, your thoughts, your attitude with his thoughts and attitudes. Think about that definition, "previously occupied" he wants to get you distracted with the routine and the mundane before you fill up with the word of God. If he can start you on the path of preoccupation at the beginning of your day, he knows he is well on his way to stealing your peace before the day is over. Psalms 119:165 says, "Great peace have they who love your law and nothing can make them stumble." I just love that verse. It gives me hope that if I keep myself immersed in the word of God and OBEY it then nothing can make me stumble. If we love the word of God then we will want to obey it and when we obey it we will have great peace. I am convinced that most Christians have Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. For some reason we cannot keep our focus fixed on Christ. We tend to burn hot or cold according to our circumstances and feelings. That is not the path to peace. Scripture tells us that a double-minded (wo)man is unstable in all her ways, so it stands to reason that we won't be able to walk the path of peace with regularity when we are constantly diverting our attention away from Christ. Many things can set us on a path of preoccupation - our job, our family, our struggles, our finances, our circumstances, but ONE thing will keep us on the path of peace - fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Ephesians 2:14 says, "for He (Jesus) Himself is our peace." Peace is attainable in this crazy world! It's attainable through a person - Jesus. As He increases in your life so will your peace. The cure for spiritual ADD is the word of God. Remember Psalms 119:165. It's the key to not just peace but great peace. Could you use some great peace today? Then spend some time with the Prince of Peace reading his Word to you.

The Counterfeit Armor - Part 2

2009-09-21T14:47:00.003-04:00

Sorry I missed last week, but I am getting back on track this week. We will look at the second piece of Satan's counterfeit armor today - the breastplate. Ephesians 6 tells us to put on a breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate covers the chest area and more importantly it is the protective piece that covers our heart, so you can know that Satan will offer a counterfeit to deceive our hearts. His counterfeit breastplate is religion. Rather than wearing a breastplate of righteousness he wants you and I to put on a breastplate of religion. Righteousness reminds me that without Christ I am nothing. Religion tells me that on my own I am pretty good. Righteousness focuses on Christ. Religion focuses on me. Righteousness is based on Christ's redemptive work on the cross. Religion is based on my own good works. How sneaky Satan is that he would offer us something that looks so good on the outside but in reality has little to do with Christ or the cross. When Jesus walked the earth over 2000 years ago, who gave him the most trouble? The religious leaders. They had their own ideas of how the Messiah would act and Jesus did not fit into their particular religious box. Religion still tries to put Jesus into a neat little box today. Religion tells you if you do this, say this, act like this, then you are acceptable. Scripture tells us that our righteousness is not based on our good works but on the blood of Christ. There is a story in Scripture of a woman who was caught in adultery. The religious leaders dragged her before Jesus in hopes that Jesus would judge and condemn her. If you have read her story, you know that Jesus' response was, "He who is without sin, let him first cast a stone." Religion is ever in the business of pointing out others' faults. When religion confronted Jesus that day, it dropped its stones, but instead of repenting it just walked away. Religion does not want to be confronted with its own sin, so it focuses instead on "fixing" others. When the piercing words of Jesus are spoken, the religious heart will cover its ears and walk away. Religion manifests itself in many ways - ways that often seem very spiritual, but are ultimately deadly. II Samuel 16:7 says that man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. Religion keeps you and I from the heart of the matter - our relationship with Jesus. It is relationship not religion that God wants from us. If Satan can convince us to wear a breastplate of religion, he will keep our heart from the truth of God's Holy Word that "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in HIM we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I want to end with this analogy that I used in class and it seemed to hit home with everyone. Isaiah 61:10 says, "I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." As women we may not understand all about military armor, but we certainly understand the significance of being a bride. As little girls most of us dream of the day when we will meet our prince and we will become his bride. So consider what God is saying in Isaiah when he compares a robe of righteousness to a bride adorning herself for her wedding day. Maybe it would help if every morning you mentally dressed yourself in a bridal gown of righteousness. No bride wants a wedding gown that is torn, stained, or imperfect. When we wear a breastplate of religion it is the same as putting on a tattered and torn wedding gown. When we put on a breastplate of righteousness, however, we are adorning ourselves in the most beautiful wedding dress we could ever imagine. As a result, like a bride, we will only have eyes for our Bridegroom and pleasing Him will be our only consideration.

The Counterfeit Armor - Part 1

2009-09-08T09:29:00.006-04:00

Ephesians 5:13 - 16 says, Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Over the next few weeks we will explore the armor of God and Satan's counterfeit armor. Be on guard - Satan has counterfeit armor and he wants you to wear it.
The first piece of armor mentioned in Ephesians 6 is the belt of truth. So, what is Satan's counterfeit? A belt of deception. Satan seeks to deceive us, and he will tinge whatever he tries to sell us with some measure of truth in the hopes that his deception will lead us to believe him and his lies. It is no accident that the belt is the first piece of armor mentioned. In battle, the soldier would use his belt to hold his other pieces of armor, so in a way, all the other pieces hang on this one - we must embrace truth - true truth - the truth of God's Word. By the same manner, Satan will start with a belt of deception and then the other pieces of counterfeit armor will follow. I know of many ways that we can be deceived by our enemy, but here are just a few. Deception says that we should live by our feelings not by faith. Deception says that prayer and studying God's word are not all that important. Deception says that life is all about the here and now and not about the hereafter. Deception says that God's love is conditional. Deception says that control is the answer. Deception will keep you isolated and prevent you from joining in Bible Study with other Christians.
None of us are immune to Satan and his deceptive ways, but I know One who is - Jesus. So it stands to reason that the more of Jesus I have, the more immune I will be to the lies of the devil and his deceptive practices. In John 14:6, Jesus makes this statement, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." At least 81 times in the four gospel accounts of Jesus' life he says these words - "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH." Jesus and Satan stand in complete opposition to each other. One tells you the truth, the other lies. It is time to expose Satan for the liar that he is. Here is what Jesus has to say on this subject - "You belong to your father the devil and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me." (John 8:44-45)
Friends, we are living in the last days. Jesus warned us that in the last days deception would run rampant, and I believe that even God's own people walk in deception much more often than we think. In fact, another name I have given for the counterfeit armor is the default armor. Because of our sinful human nature, I believe that if we are not consciously and deliberately putting on God's armor then we are wearing counterfeit armor by default. We must evaluate our motives as well as our actions and see how they line up with the truth of God's Word. Anytime we allow ourselves to be decieved by our enemy then we are wearing his counterfeit armor. It is time to embrace truth and stop being deceived by lies. We must become so intimate with truth that anytime Satan tries to deceive us we will either run away from the lie like Joseph (Genesis 39) or refute the lie like Jesus (Matthew 4). Just saying the armor by rote is not enough. In Ephesians 6 we are told to put on the armor. The word "put" means to bind around onself, to enter, to sink, to go in or under. We must let the truth sink into the deepest places of our heart (see Psalms 51:6), then and only then will we be ready to combat the deception of the enemy. Trust me, Satan knows your weak point, that place where you can easily be deceived and he is just waiting to exploit it. Any place where you are not allowing truth to reign in you is a place ripe for taking by the enemy of your soul. Are you consciously putting on the belt of truth everyday or is it just part of the words that you say and when situations arise you evaluate what will serve you best and then act accordingly? I would encourage you to pinpoint one area of your life where you think the enemy might be trying to deceive you. Find Scripture that will give you truth about that struggle. Begin to meditate on those scriptures everyday. Write them down, let them begin to take root and keep a little journal of positive results you begin to see as you meditate on the truth. Finally, remember these words from our Savior, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32) Put on the belt of truth daily, study the truth in the word of God, give the Holy Spirit who is the spirit of truth control in your life, and don't let yourself be deceived by the one who seeks to destroy you.

Esther by Beth Moore

2009-09-01T13:52:00.005-04:00

We will begin Beth Moore's newest ten-week study on the book of Esther on September 13. We are offering a Sunday evening and Monday evening option. Call the church office or contact us via e-mail if you would like to participate.
Sunday classes will be from 4-6PM in our fellowship hall and will be facilitated by Nancy Pennington and Cassandra King.
Monday classes will be from 6-8PM in our fellowship hall and will be facilitated by Stacy Pennington.
Workbooks will be $10.00 each.

Trust His Heart

2009-09-01T13:45:00.004-04:00

Our church family has been reeling this month from the death of so many who were dear to us. In the last week, we lost two dear men who were faithful members of our church - Cecil Hodge and Loy Lawrence. I don't always understand God's ways, but the more I walk with Him, the more I know that I can trust Him. The song, Trust His Heart has been playing in my mind lately. Let me share the words with you ~

All things work for our good
though sometimes we can't see how they could
struggles that break our hearts in two
sometimes blind us to the truth

Our Father knows what's best for us
His ways are not our own
So when your pathway grows dim, and you just can't see Him
Remember you're never alone

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart

He sees the master plan
And He holds our future in His hands
So don't live as those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him

We see the present clearly
But He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry He's weaving you and me to someday be just like Him

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart

He alone is faithful and true
He alone knows what is best for you
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand trust His heart

May the words to this song bring comfort to those who are mourning and remind all of us that we have a loving Father who is always working on our behalf. May God wrap you up in His arms of love today and everyday.

Sister to Sister LIFE School

2009-09-01T13:40:00.003-04:00

Our Sister to Sister class meets on Sunday mornings at 9:30AM in the church fellowship hall. Last week we enjoyed a great breakfast together. Thanks to everyone who came to be a part of our class. We enjoyed seeing so many new faces. We finished up the series Loved by God this past week and will begin a new study this Sunday, September 6. I am excited to be teaching a study on The Counterfeit Armor. God has shown me many truths from His Word as I have prepared & written this study and I am excited to share all that I have learned. Please take some time this week to read Ephesians 6 as you prepare your heart for our lesson. If you are not connected in a small group class, please make plans to join us. I know that you will receive the blessing of friendship and a deeper love for God and His Word. See you Sunday!

Precious to the Lord

2009-08-25T13:09:00.003-04:00

Scripture tells us that "Precious to the Lord is the death of one of his saints." Our church family has lost one of our dearest friends with the passing of Cecil Hodge. I have known Cecil for almost all of my life and he has always been a larger than life figure to me. Over the last months as his body has undergone treatments and therapy, I have continued to pray that God would heal him and restore him to good health. God, whose ways are not mine, has chosen to do that by taking him to heaven where he has traded mortality for immortality. Now, as those who are left behind mourn his death - we don't mourn for Cecil because we know he is in a better place, but we do mourn with his family as they grieve the loss of one so dear and precious. Please lift up Cecil's family and pray that God will continue to give strength, grace, and peace to his wife, Gwynne and all his children, grandchildren, and family members. We love you, Cecil!! Enjoy your heavenly celebration!

SHHH, It's a Secret!

2009-08-19T16:02:00.001-04:00

Our Secret Pals Ministry is starting back up under the leadership of Lora Branam. If you would like to participate, please call the church office or stop by the church foyer and pick up a questionnaire. Completed forms are due back to the church ASAP.

His Grace is Sufficient

2009-08-17T15:58:00.003-04:00

My dad has been preaching on the Holy Spirit for the past several weeks and one thing he has taught is that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Grace. There is so much contained in that little word. Have you ever taken the time to reflect on how much grace God has given you? I have really meditated on that for the past several days and I am overwhelmed with the grace of God. There are many definitions of grace but I guess the one that I love the most is this, "Grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God on a life." When I deserved justice, I was given grace. When I deserved punishment, I was given grace. When I deserved death, I was given grace. Grace gives me power and ability to live the Christ-like life. It is by grace that we are saved. What an awesome gift of God! Whatever you may be facing in your life, be assured that there is grace waiting for you. Sometimes God will allow trials and even suffering so that we might learn with Paul that His grace is sufficent. Remember Paul's words, inspired by the Holy Spirit of Grace, in 2 Corinthians 12: 7-9, To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. How comforting to know that His grace is sufficient everyday and in every situation. There is a little chorus that I heard a while back and it has been playing in my mind lately to remind me that no matter what I am going through, I can trust the grace of God. When it seems like your world is falling apart, remember that His grace is enough to see you through. What amazing grace!
Lord, I am broken
My life is in pieces
But your strength is perfect
In all of my weakness.

Surrender Your Plans!

2009-08-10T09:44:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love it when you make a plan? Well, maybe your personality is different from mine. I am one of those organized, plan makers. I like to have everything spelled out and all the possible scenarios covered. I can make a good plan, but sometimes God just comes in and changes everything on me. Anyone know what I am talking about? It seems that God is a master of taking our plans and turning them inside out for Him. There is a comedian who says when she wants to hear God laugh she tells Him her plan....boy, I know how that feels. Have you ever felt a little of what Job felt when he wrote, "My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart." (Job 17:11) I've been there. I haven't faced what Job faced, but I know the feeling of seeing all my best laid plans go up in smoke. At a time in my life when I didn't see how I would ever get my life back on track, God stepped in and showed me that my plans were not necessarily His plans. During that time a good friend of mine gave me a Scripture that I have kept close to my heart ever since. It is found in Proverbs 19:21, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." God has shown me that He doesn't thwart my plans just because He can, but rather because He has a purpose that is beyond my comprehension. When we commit our plan to His loving and capable hands, He can use them for His glory and our good. Proverbs 16:3 is another favorite of mine, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." If you are plan maker like me, this verse is a beauty. We could call it - a 100% guaranteed way to successful plan making. Commit your life (all of it) to the Lord, seek His wisdom and direction, and then trust Him to accomplish His plan through you. It's time for a little plan transplant -- exchange your plan for your life for God's plan for your life. You'll be amazed at what He will do in you and through you. After all, He is just looking for surrendered plan makers.

Loved by God by Liz Curtis Higgs

2009-08-07T11:56:00.003-04:00

Our Sister to Sister LIFE School class is in the middle of Liz Curtis Higg's series Loved by God. It is an in-depth look at the life of Jacob, Esau, Rachel, and Leah. Liz's unique and humorous approach to Bible study is refreshing and uplifting. She is definitely one of a kind. It's not too late to come be a part of this inspiring study. See you Sunday!

Jesus - what a Savior!

2009-08-04T16:13:00.007-04:00

I know, it's been an entire month since I last posted. The month of July was packed with so many things that it all seems a blur to me now. One thing that stands out to me is my trip to Branson, Missouri with Annette Herndon. We went to Branson to be a part of the first ever Branson Gospel Music Convention. I have to admit that I wasn't looking forward to the long hours in the car and the long hours standing behind a convention table, but boy, am I glad I went. I had the awesome privilege of being a part of a devotional time to encourage ladies in ministry and I met some wonderfully talented musicians. I was overwhelmed by the beautiful Spirit that permeated our week. I got to pray with women whom I did not know (and may never see again this side of heaven), and I made some new friends who I look forward to getting to know better. I just love it when God ordains that your path will cross with someone else and God did that so many times during the Branson trip that I began to look for it everyday. I believe that God wants us to do that - anticipate the moment when our lives will intersect with someone else's at just the right time. One night at the convention three guys were singing and their voices blended so beautifully that I just had to stop and listen. Then the lead singer began to tell his story of how God had brought him from the ashes of divorce and drug abuse to the beauty of singing His praise. I began to cry as I recalled once again how God had brought beauty from ashes in my life. Then he began to sing a song and the chorus ended with these words: - That's how much I need a Savior - and what a Savior Jesus is to me. The words just hit me right in the heart. It was a divine moment for me - when God just stopped me in my tracks to love on me and to remind me that HE is my Savior. I don't want to ever forget that on my own I am nothing, but with Jesus I have all I need. Take a moment today to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus for being such a wonderful Savior. By the way, the name of that group was Beyond the Ashes. Look them up - they are truly anointed. Be blessed!!

Happy 4th!

2009-07-03T11:35:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone has a safe and happy fourth of July. As we celebrate our nation's independence, may we also take time to ask God's mercy on our land. This Sunday, we will participate in a national Call 2 Fall. Churches from all over this nation will be calling out to God and falling on our knees to ask God to forgive us and heal our land. I am confident that God will hear our collective petition, and that a revival will spread across our country that will draw the hearts of all people back to the one, true Lord. It is time to declare our dependence on our Heavenly Father and recognize our need for Him in every aspect of our lives. As you celebrate our nation's independence, I pray that you will take a moment to renew your personal dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Secret Place

2009-06-22T10:16:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love it when God tries to get your attention? I know I do. I can always tell when God is trying to direct me to a particular destination becuase it seems every road sign in my life will point in that direction. This past week it has been about spending more time in the secret place communing with him. First, I was asked to teach a Sunday School lesson on prayer so I began evaluating my own prayer life. Second, I have just wrapped up the study Can We Talk? by Priscilla Shirer. (I strongly recommend this study to anyone who is looking to dig deeper into God's Word.) Priscilla ended our last teaching session by quoting from Matthew 6:6, "But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." The whole week everything I read, studied, or heard was about prayer. The signs were clear. The directive had been issued. The only question was whether I would heed the call. I don't know about you, but I let the busyness and noise of life crowd into my life and take me from my secret place with Him. I can tell almost immediately when that happens. My prayers become cold and quick, and instead of desiring to spend time with Him, prayer becomes one more thing on my to-do list. Scripture directs us to "pray without ceasing." To me, that means to maintain an attitude of prayer throughout my day, but to enter into the secret place requires that I actually take time out of my busy day and sit alone - just me and my Father. Then the secret place becomes a sacred place - a place where perfect holiness meets imperfect man - a place where sinners are met with grace and forgiveness - a place where unrighteous becomes righteous - a place where a hungry soul is filled. What an awesome privilege we have to meet in the secret place with a heavenly Father who loves us and longs for us. Don't let a day go by without making time to meet with your bridegroom in the secret place. I am making it my prayer that the secret place becomes my favorite place to be. How about you?

Overcoming by the Word of our Testimony

2009-06-16T09:35:00.002-04:00

For the last several weeks in our Sunday School class, different women have shared their testimony. It has been an awesome time of transparency. Isn't that what it is all about? Hearing of how God has worked in the others lives and seeing how they have claimed victory from defeat encourages me that God is at work in our world and He is ever in the business of transformation. Scripture tells us in Revelation that we "overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony." The first part to overcoming does not depend on us. The blood of Jesus was shed so that you and I could be free and could be overcomers. All we have to do is accept that the atoning blood of Jesus covers my sin and sets me free and we are halfway to overcoming. However, the second part to overcoming depends entirely on our willingness to step out in faith and share the word of our testimony with others. The dictionary defines testimony as witness, evidence, proof of fact, a declaration or profession of faith. Our testimony is witness to the proof that Christ has changed us from the inside out. It is our declaration of faith and it must be spoken aloud. There is power in the spoken word (see one of our earlier entries entitled The Power of our Words) and when we speak the word of our testimony aloud, that power is loosed to work not only in our life but in the lives of others. Never underestimate the effect your faith journey can have on others. Growing up I always struggled with sharing my testimony. I remember being asked as a senior in high school to share my testimony while we were in Europe, and I was terrified. I didn't think I had much to share and I always struggled in that area. I always wanted one of those dynamic testimonies that I had heard from other people. Well, be careful what you ask for - the testimony God has given me is not one I necessarily wanted, but I have been blessed to see that every time I have been given the opportunity to share my story, God has used it to encourage and set others free. You may not have one of those "flashy" testimonies you see on television, but praise God you have a story to share of how God brought you from darkness into light. Now, be an overcomer and share it!

Walking in Freedom

2009-06-09T14:00:00.003-04:00

Galatians 5:1 says It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. The word slavery in that verse means bondage. Bondage is anything that keeps us from enjoying the freedom that Christ has given us. Paul implies that we can accept God's free gift of salvation and still live under bondage. Salvation opens the prison door for us, but we must choose to walk outside of the prison walls and LIVE in freedom. Why did Christ set us free according to Galatians 5:1? For freedom. Christ does not want us living under the burden of bondage in our life. It all begins with a choice. We must choose to surrender whatever it is we are holding on to (or that is holding on to us) and walk in the freedom that Christ purchased for us. After surrender comes submission. We must submit to God's will for our lives. Where do we start? By studying His word. Psalms 119:45 says, I walk about in freedom for I have sought out your precepts. In John 8:31-32, Jesus says, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." The Word of God is 100% true and it is the way to our freedom. The more we allow God's truth to penetrate our heart and soul, the more freedom we will experience in our lives. I encourage you to dig into the Word of God. Let it take root in your life and remember that it is for freedom that Christ has set you free so stand firm and don't let yourself be burdened by the yoke of slavery. Be blessed to know that freedom is within your grasp.

A Tribute to Johnny

2009-06-02T13:59:00.005-04:00

It's been several weeks since I posted anything new. Life has been a little busy lately. I have just returned home from Colorado where I spent two weeks with my family celebrating my oldest nephew's graduation from high school. High School graduations are always inspiring but I don't think I have ever attended one as uplifting and gratifying as this one. You see my nephew, Johnny, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in February of this year. With the diagnosis came the realization that his goal of obtaining first place in the state track meet was probably going to go unrealized. He has trained relentlessly for two years improving his technique and his time with the goal of winning state his senior year of high school. Needless to say, once chemotherapy started his strength and his energy deteriorated to the point where he could not even practice with the team. He had to sit back and watch his younger brother continue to train and ultimately take fifth place in the Colorado state track meet. I don't think Jacob had a bigger fan than his older brother. Johnny encouraged his brother and was truly excited for him and his success. Even though his senior year did not end the way he had anticipated, I could not be prouder of him. On the night of his graduation, he stepped up to the podium and gave a eloquent speech thanking his family, his teachers, his friends and challenging us all to never give up and to always trust God. Of course, we were all in tears. What God has done in his life in eighteen short years is truly amazing and I am excited about what is still to come for him. His chemotherapy treatments are done and his cancer is gone. He still has radiation treatments ahead of him, but I am confident that God will complete His perfect work in Johnny's life - just as He will in all our lives. God has blessed me with a nephew who is a beautiful reminder to me that we have a God who loves us and who will see us through even the worst of circumstances. I pray that you will rest in the truth of God's word that "blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence." Jeremiah 17:7. Amen.

With Gratitude

2009-05-05T13:07:00.004-04:00

We have just finished our seventh Women's Seminar at The Church at Winder, and I am still basking in the glory of God's love, provision, and care for His people. God truly met with us this weekend and I could never begin to name all the people who were such a huge part of this ministry outreach. I am truly humbled and honored to serve alongside all of you and I am blessed that God has placed you in my life. At this time, we have reached a fork in the road and are seeking God's wisdom about how to proceed. I have felt God's clear leading that this year was my last as director, but I am very excited about what God will do next. We know that God will continue to guide our women's seminars and use them to bring glory to His holy name. Join with me in praying for future fulfillment of this vision. I am grateful for each person God has brought into my life as a result of our seminar, but I am most grateful for the facets of my Lord that He has shown me as I worked diligently to honor Him through these weekends. As women, we must constantly remind ourselves that we are beautiful in His eyes. It is my prayer that our seminars have reinforced the truth of God's love to each woman who attended. I know that His word is true and that as you and I delight ourselves in Him, he will indeed give us the desires of our heart. Thank you to everyone who worked, attended, taught, sang, danced, and served, but most importantly, I am grateful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who made it all possible - falling in love with Him is the best thing I have ever done.

Trust in the Lord

2009-04-28T16:09:00.003-04:00

We have all read, heard, and memorized Proverbs 3:5-6, but have we really let it sink in deep inside our heart. Have we personalized it? It is easy to tell others to trust in the Lord, but when it comes to our own lives, have we truly decided to trust in the Lord with ALL our heart? God has taught me a powerful lesson in trust over the past few weeks. Just when I think I have it figured out, a test comes, and guess what? I fail. Praise the Lord that He does not throw me away when I fail to trust Him. No, he gently shows me where I am leaning on my own understanding. Then, he mercifully leads me to the path of trust once again. Many of you know what I am talking about. God gives us a promise, and we trust Him to fulfill it. But when it doesn't come in our timing or in our way, we start to lean to our own understanding and we try to make the promise come true on our own. Reminds me of a lady named Sarah who was promised a child and when it didn't happen in her timeframe, she figured out a "better" way. We know now that her "better" way was a disaster - a disaster that is stil bearing fruit in our world today. I pray that we will learn from Sarah's choices that trusting in God is always the best way. Personalize Proverbs 3:5-6, write it out, and post it in a place where you can see it everyday. TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL MY HEART. LEAN NOT TO MY OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL MY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE WILL DIRECT MY PATHS. Keep trusting in Him and I promise He will direct your path, and His direction is always best.

The Power of our Words

2009-04-21T15:02:00.003-04:00

I am in the middle of a new Bible study by Priscilla Shirer entitled,
Can We Talk? The first week was on the power of tongue. Oh, no, I thought, why do we have to start there? We all know that great fires are started from small sparks and yet when it comes to our words, we forget the powerful impact they have in our lives. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Nineteen words that pack a powerful punch. We can choose to speak death or we can choose to speak life - it's within the power of our tongue. Think about all the words you speak in the course of one day. How many bring life and how many bring death? I know from experience that I can tell immediately when my words have encouraged someone. On the other hand (and to my regret), I can also tell immediately when my words have brought discouragement to someone. How many times I have longed to take back words spoken in haste, but once the spark is lit, the fire is hard to contain. One thing that we can always count on to encourage and bring life is the word of God. Speaking God's word aloud is a powerful tool that is always at our disposal. Try it sometime. Open the Bible to your favorite verse or passage of Scripture and begin reading it aloud. There is tremendous power in the spoken Word. The Word of God brings life and speaking it out loud over your children, your spouse, your family and yourself has more value than you may realize. According to Proverbs 18 we will eat the fruit of our words. I don't know about you, but I would prefer that fruit be pleasant and sweet not bitter and sour. Keeping our tongue tame is not easy (see James 3), but with God's help we can begin to be more constructive with our words and less destructive. Fill your mouth with words of life, words of praise, and words of encouragement, and you will have less room for words of death, defeat, and discouragement. Like Priscilla says, "The praises of God cannot fit in a mouth that is already filled with other things." May our words be few but life-giving.

God of the Details

2009-04-13T11:44:00.004-04:00

What a wonderful Easter celebration we had. I pray that each of you celebrated Easter with a heart full of gratitude to our Wonderful Savior. As I pored over the gospels in preparation for Easter, I was reminded that our God is a God of the details. Each and every prophecy that had been proclaimed about the death and resurrection of Jesus was fulfilled - to the smallest detail. Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial, the beating, the mocking, the gambling, the crown of thorns, the crucifixion, the death, the resurrection, everything happened just as God had said -down to the tiniest detail. Let's just look at one detail - the sign posted on the cross. Seems kind of insignificant, doesn't it? John's gospel tells us that Pilate had a sign made that read "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." He asked that it be written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek and hung on the cross with Jesus. When the religious leaders asked Pilate to change the wording of the sign, he dismissed them. This was the same Pilate who gave in to their plan to crucify Jesus, but on this issue, he stood firm. So, the sign was posted for all to see and all to read. Why? Because our God is into the details. In His perfect plan, God knew that this sign was one more way He would confirm to the world the authenticity of His Son. It was no accident that it was written in three different languages. Aramaic was the language of the Jews. Latin was the official language of Rome. Greek was the common language of the people in the Roman empire. Thus, everyone who gathered in Jerusalem that day would be able to understand what was written on that sign. What an awesomely deliberate God we serve! What He has said, He will do and He will do it completely. You don't have to worry that God has forgotten you or that He is leaving you hanging. No, be encouraged to know that what He has started in your life, He will finish (Phillippians 1:6) because that's the kind of God He is. He leaves nothing to chance. When He makes a plan, you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He will work that plan to fruition. He even makes sure that the smallest details are accomplished according to His will. Praise God that He is a God of the details!

The Passion Week

2009-04-06T11:36:00.004-04:00

This week is commemorated around the world as the week of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His last supper with his disciples, His prayer of surrender in the garden, and His beating, crucifixion, and death. May we never lose sight of all that Christ endured so that we could be free. Many times, we come to these special seasons without taking the time to properly remember them. The beauty and significance of Christ's final week becomes lost in the shuffle of Easter egg hunts, shopping for new outfits, preparing lunch for family, and the list goes on. This year may we purpose to take time out of our busy schedules and just be still in His presence. Take some time to read each of the four gospel accounts of Jesus' final week on earth. Ask God to show you something new about our Savior as you read. The Easter story is so rich and significant and it should never become just another day or event that we celebrate. It is the fulfillment of God's great redemption plan. Jesus Christ was the lamb who was slain to take away the sins of the world. When Christ began His journey to Jerusalem that final week, he sent Peter and John ahead to prepare the place for the Passover Meal. Preparing for the Passover was a huge undertaking and I often wonder if Peter and John understood that this was not just another annual celebration, no, this was THE Passover Lamb sitting down at the table with them. The Jewish celebration of Passover has such rich meaning and I challenge you to research it yourself if you haven't already. Imagine Christ in the father role re-telling the story of the exodus from Egypt, dipping his finger into the cup of deliverance and recounting the 10 plagues that befell Egypt. Can you imagine his emotions as he recounted that tenth plague when the death angel passed over every house covered by the blood of the lamb? When the meal was over and it was time to drink from the third cup - the cup of redemption, Christ instituted a new practice. It is the cup of redemption that is the new covenant in His blood. In Exodus 6, God told Moses that He would redeem Israel with an outstretched arm. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we see Christ fulfill that promise to the uttermost. With an outstretched arm against a wooden cross, he offers full redemption to anyone who will believe. Celebrate Christ this Easter - our great Redeemer.

The Christ of God

2009-04-02T10:04:00.004-04:00

This week, let's take a close look at Luke 9:28-36 - the transfiguration of Christ. How can we apply this phenomenal event to our own relationship of Christ? While we may not understand nor can we fully grasp all that took place on that mountain that day, I believe that one of the main things God is saying through this event is that He wants to readjust our vision of Him. To see Christ transfigured before us requires that we be willing to receive all that God wants to reveal. The more we are willing to receive the more He will reveal to us. Colossians 2:2-3 says,"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." You can know that your spiritual vision is being properly adjusted when you come to see Christ alone. Once Peter, James, and John were fully awake, Elijah and Moses disappeared and they saw Jesus alone. In our busy world full of responsibilities, schedules, and distractions, it is easy to let our vision of Christ become obscured, so we must make a conscious effort each and every day to keep our focus on Christ first and foremost. To me, one of the most important parts of the transfiguration was the voice of God. Luke 9:35 says, "A voice came from the cloud, saying, 'This is my Son, whom I have chosen, LISTEN TO HIM.'" I added the capital letters because I believe that God spoke those words with extra volume. When our spiritual vision is being readjusted our hearing is as vital as our sight. As we keep our ears and eyes open to the voice and vision of Christ, we will see Him transfigured in our own lives. May God shatter your present perspective and reveal Himself to you as bigger, greater, and more powerful than anything you could imagine.

Ladies Night Out

2009-03-25T14:09:00.004-04:00

For April, our Ladies Night Out will be a special time of ministry by Angela Thomas. We will leave the church at 5:30PM, pick up a quick bite to eat on the way, and travel to Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula. Angela is a gifted speaker and teacher. If you have never heard her before, don't miss this exciting opportunity. Call the church office at 770-867-8888 if you would like to go. Deadline to sign up is
April 20th.

The With Us God

2009-03-23T14:52:00.005-04:00

This week in our class, we began a four-part series on Jesus, the One and Only based on the Bible study by Beth Moore. On Sunday, we focused on Jesus' birth and childhood. We have all read the nativity story and sometimes it becomes routine and mundane and we miss the beauty and mystery of God becoming "flesh and dwelling among us." Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies that had been told for years about the coming Messiah. We won't recount them all but one bears repeating. Matthew 1:22-23 says, "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel' which means God with us." The Greek word Emmanuel is translated from the Hebrew Immanu'el. El means God. The rest of the word means with us. Literally, the terms means the with us God. Amazing how a little word reversal can bring such a big impact. He is a with us God. Think about it. Wherever you may be in your life - whatever season you may currently be walking through - Jesus is with you. He is the "with" of God. AMEN. Be blessed in knowing that whatever need you have, Jesus has the answer. He is Emmanuel, the with us God.

Close to His Heart

2009-03-18T14:57:00.004-04:00

Every lady is invited to attend our seventh annual Women's Seminar. This year's theme is Close to His Heart and will feature three dynamic topics ~ His Heart: A place of Satisfaction, His Heart: A place of Safety, and His Heart: A place of Strength. Call the church office at 770-867-8888 to register or learn more.

Entangling Relationships

2009-02-24T11:40:00.004-05:00

This week in our Beth Moore study When Godly People do Ungodly Things we talked about entangling relationships. I think it really hits home - especially in today's society. Unhealthy relationships are rampant. We are wise to ask God if we are in an entangling relationship with anyone. Entangling relationships can be costly. When we are desperate for someone else's approval, we are in an entangling relationship. When we are looking to someone else to fill needs in our life that only Christ can meet, we are in an entangling relationship. To untangle unhealthy relationships is hard work, but it is not without benefits. As we begin to untangle our relationships, we will find freedom and peace. We must do our part to make sure all our relationships are balanced and healthy. Even if the other person in the relationship never changes, we can change. Remember that the most important relationship we have is horizontal - the relationship between us and Christ. Once that relationship is right, the vertical relationships in our life will begin to work correctly.

Thank You!

2009-01-06T13:59:00.003-05:00

Dear Ladies,

I am still overwhelmed by your kindness and generosity to me at Christmas! I am blessed by each of you all year long, not just at Christmas. I love my new Bible! I have already started making it mine. The pages are so fresh and new that it made writing in it a little hard, but I got over it. I will treasure this Bible forever because it came from you. I can’t wait to use the manicure/pedicure certificate and the Hallmark card. You really went over the top, and I am very grateful.
The generous soul will be made rich, and she who waters will also herself be watered. Proverbs 11:25
I look forward to serving God with you this year. My prayer for our ladies comes from Ephesians 1:15 – 19 which says,
“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

You are greatly loved,
Nancy

The Abandoned Life is a Fruitful Life

2008-12-16T11:40:00.002-05:00

So, my brothers (and sisters), you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. Romans 7:14
Paul says it so well. When we abandon our lives to God, then they no longer belong to us. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But do our lives really belong to God or are we holding on to parts of it? Every area of my life where I am putting my will above His is like a branch that bears no fruit. Jesus says in John 15 that if we will remain in Him and allow Him to remain in us then we will bear fruit. Remaining in Him is the goal of the abandoned life - surrendering myself to Him. Jesus goes on to say in John 15 that every tree that bears fruit, He will prune so that it will bear more fruit. You may find yourself in a pruning season right now. God may be doing some cutting, but it is all for your good and His glory. He wants to produce much fruit in our lives and He can only do that when we allow Him to prune us. Now, I'm not much of a gardener, but I have talked to women who are and they shared some very important purposes of pruning. One purpose of pruning is to make the tree fuller. Another purpose is to make the tree grow in a certain direction. Still another purpose is to make the tree stronger. If we apply all of those reasons to our lives on a spiritual level, can you see what God hopes to accomplish when He prunes us? His purposes are the same - to keep us growing in the right direction, to make us stronger, and to make our tree bear more fruit. I know we are right in the middle of the Christmas season, but I encourage to take some time during this busy season to do some soul inventory. Are you producing much fruit for Him? Are there areas where your will is still dominating? Jesus gave everything He had to follow the will of His father. Are we willing to do the same. If so, then we will be like a tree planted by rivers of water and our leaf shall never wither and everything we do will prosper. (Psalms 1 paraphrased)

The Abandoned Life IV - The Faith Factor

2008-12-02T11:46:00.005-05:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I took a little break myself and that's why I didn't update last week. I pray that our study of The Abandoned Life is speaking to your heart. The last time we met together, we talked about how faith plays an important part in our Christian walk and how it is a key weapon in our fight against fear. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith requires that I believe even when I don't see the answer. Isn't that where our worries and fears overtake us? When we can't see the path clearly in front of us, we begin to worry about what might happen. If we are not really trusting and believing God in an area of our life, no matter how many Scriptures we quote or how much praying we do, nothing will change. Ultimately, we will not abandon our lives to God if we don't fully believe that He knows best and that He can be trusted. Unbelief then becomes the battleground. Every place where we allow unbelief to reign is a place ripe for taking by the enemy of our souls. Oswald Chambers says it like this, "Have you ever noticed what Jesus said would choke the Word He puts in us? Is it the devil? No, it is the cares of this world (Matthew 13:22). It is always our little worries. We say, 'I will not trust when I cannot see' - and that is where unbelief begins. The only cure for unbelief is obedience to the Spirit. The greatest word of Jesus to His disciples is abandon." When we truly follow Christ with our WHOLE HEART, we will be free to trust Him and obey Him in all circumstances. We will no longer be ruled by fear, but we will be ruled by love (I John 4:18). How do I know if I have truly placed my faith in God? Well, here's a short little test.
F - Am I FOLLOWING God wholeheartedly?
A - Am I AWARE of God's purpose for me?
I - Am I INVESTING in God's Kingdom?
T- Am I THANKFUL in all circumstances?
H - Am I HONORING God with my actions, thoughts, and attitudes?
I encourage you to take some time and answer these questions honestly. A life that is 100% abandoned to God is a life lived by faith, and a life lived by faith is a life God rewards (Hebrews 11:6).

The Abandoned Life III - Putting off Fear

2008-11-17T13:38:00.003-05:00

As we continue to look at what it means to abandon our lives to God, we have found that there are certain things of the flesh we must give up in our goal of total surrender to the Spirit of God. One thing that must go is fear. Now, I'm not talking about fear of God. Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The original language calls this type of fear eulabeia and it means having the utmost respect for someone or something. That's healthy fear that recognizes the holiness of God and His awesome power. There is another kind of fear, and it is unhealthy in every way. Webster's defines fear as an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. It is this type of fear that Satan uses to keep us paralyzed and ineffective in our Christian walk. God's Word is very clear in Psalms 27:1 when it says, The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? In Romans 8:15 we read, For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Satan wants to keep us in bondage to our fears while God wants us to walk in freedom - freedom from fear. We live in uncertain times and it would be easy to give in to all kinds of fear, but God has called us to walk in truth not fear. The truth is that God has given us armor to help us in our fight with the enemy of this world - the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, shoes of peace, a breastplate of righteousness and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. One of the most powerful tools we have as Christians to combat fear is God's Word. When we quote Scripture we are taking the sword of the Spirit and slaying the spirit of fear. I encourage you to take some time this week to research the word fear in Scripture. Write down the verses that speak to you and keep them with you as a constant reminder. Remember Satan would like nothing better than to paralyze you with fear and keep you from fulfilling God's purpose in your life. Don't let fear have the last word. Keep your eyes on Jesus and reject the spirit of fear!

Putting off the Spirit of Fear

2008-11-13T10:29:00.004-05:00

Well, the week is almost over and I am just getting to our weekly devotional. I wasn't in Sunday School on Sunday, but I heard it was a great lesson on hospitality. Thank you to Cassandra King for teaching the class and blessing the ladies. This week, we will pick back up with our series on The Abandoned Life. Here's a thought as we prepare for Sunday's lesson. Do we have more faith in our fear than we have faith in our God? I had to reflect on that myself when I first read it. When I entertain fear in my life I am actually putting my faith in the thing I fear. Fear is a crippling, paralyzing emotion. It can keep us so entangled that we cannot move forward with God. If we are going to fulfill the purpose and plan God has for us, we must put off the spirit of fear. Our God is bigger than our fear and when we put our complete and total faith in Him, fear begins to lose its grip on us. We are going to look at the spirit of fear more in-depth on Sunday. Until then, meditate on this verse and note the personalization, "God has not given ME a spirit of fear but of peace, and of love, and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7

The Abandoned Life II - Embracing Forgiveness

2008-11-03T15:44:00.004-05:00

As we continue to learn about abandoning our lives to God, we come to realize that there are certain things we will have to abandon in our pursuit of Him. Hebrews 12:1 reminds us that we must “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” One of the most entangling sins I know of is unforgiveness. It can literally grab hold of a heart and wrap it up tight with bitterness and resentment. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” God’s Word is clear that to forgive is to walk in obedience to Him and to harbor unforgiveness is to walk in disobedience to Him. If we are to reach our goal of 100% surrender to Christ, we must choose to obey His Word in all areas. While it seems almost impossible at times to forgive others for cruel and careless behavior, forgiveness is always God’s perfect plan for us. Choosing to forgive is the only way to free ourselves from bitterness, resentment, and hatred. Christ gave us the ultimate example when he asked the Lord to forgive those who crucified Him, for “they know not what they do.” How can we do any less? No matter how deeply we have been hurt, we must choose forgiveness. Choosing to forgive does not absolve another for their wrongdoing, not at all; however, it does allow me to leave the consequences with the Lord. I no longer have to be judge and jury in another’s life because I am free to let God do His work in the situation. If the body of Christ is ever going to reach its maximum potential, we must begin to let go of old (or new) grievances and begin to reach out to each other with love and forgiveness. Remember we don’t forgive for the sake of someone else, we forgive for the sake of Christ. When we come to the place where we are truly willing to let Him forgive others through us, then we are moving in the right direction on this path to living an abandoned life.

The Abandoned Life - Fixing our Focus

2008-10-30T09:43:00.004-04:00

Starting this week, I will try to post a weekly devotional that will incorporate our Life School lesson. I hope that it will encourage you in the faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Living a life that is recklessly abandoned to God requires us to fix our focus - not on problems or people, but on one person - Jesus Christ. If we use the analogy that was given to us in Hebrews,our life is a race. What kind of race is it? Certainly not a 100 meter dash, no, it is a cross country trek. It is a race to be run with patience, perseverance, and endurance. We often find ourselves hurrying through life and wonder where the time went. No doubt, you have many demands on your time, but remember what Jesus told Martha, "only one thing is needed." If we fix our focus on Him, then all the other things that try to distract us will not seem quite so important and demanding. As we run this race, we must view our family, our friends, our jobs, our churches, everything through the eyes of Jesus. Can you think of a more focusd person? From his birth to his death, he remained single-minded. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross despising the shame. What was the joy set before him? YOU WERE! He wanted free, uninterrupted, unbroken fellowship with you and he knew his death & resurrection was the only way to secure it. That's focus! Nothing mattered more than obeying the will of his father. As we begin to live our lives in the same way with single-minded determination to obey the will of our Heavenly Father, we will be free to give our lives over in complete surrender to him. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we can live a life of reckless abandon - a life that can say with the apostle Paul , "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ." Philippians 3:8. Amen!

New Addition to our Site

2008-10-17T11:40:00.003-04:00

We have added a Dates to Remember section on the right side of our blog. We hope that it will help keep you informed about upcoming events, so that you can plan accordingly. As always, if you have any questions, please contact Stacy at 770-867-8888 or churchwinder@windstream.net.

Life School Update

2008-10-16T11:35:00.003-04:00

We will be finishing up Kay Arthur's Teach me to Pray this Sunday. It has been an awesome study! Over the next few weeks, we will be learning about The Abandoned Life. No workbooks, no videos. We will have some guest speakers and we will also take time to wrap gifts for our Yargo friends, participate in the Happy Birthday Jesus! party, and share testimonies. On January 4th, we will start a new video-driven study called Can We Talk? by Priscilla Shirer. Join us on Sunday mornings at 9:30AM in the Fellowship Hall. Hope to see you there!

September's Ladies Night Out

2008-09-11T13:56:00.008-04:00

Our September Ladies Night Out will be Tuesday, September 30. We will meet at the church at 6:30PM to go to the Savannah Room at the University of Georgia. All ladies are invited to attend.

Sunday Life School

2008-09-11T13:33:00.004-04:00

Lord, Teach me to Pray started on August 31 and we are excited with our new setup, our new name (Life School), and our large attendance. If you have not joined us yet, we would love to have you. This Sunday, September 14, we will meet in the sanctuary at 9:30AM to hear from Murray Tilles, the director of Light of Messiah Ministries. We will meet back in the Fellowship Hall on September 21 at 9:30AM to continue our prayer series.

Record Attendance in Sunday School

2008-08-18T15:49:00.002-04:00

We had a huge turnout for our Ladies Sunday School this past Sunday. What an awesome sight to see so many ladies show up to preview our fall Bible Study line-up. As one lady pointed out, having food didn't hurt our turn-out at all!! We are excited to be offering three different studies that will start this September. Our facilitators did a wonderful job of previewing our selections and now it's your turn to sign up. Sign-up sheets have been placed in the church foyer and will be available until the end of August. Our Sunday night study will be Elizabeth George's A Woman after God's Own Heart. It will meet from 6:00-8:00PM Sunday evenings starting September 21. Cindy Clark will serve as facilitator. On Monday nights starting September 8 we will have two studies running from 6:30-8:30PM. You can join either Staci Eldredge's Captivating or Beth Moore's Stepping Up. Cassandra King will facilitate the Captivating study and Gloria Stancil will facilitate Stepping Up. Call the church office at 770-867-8888 if you would like more information.

Dinner at Dominick's

2008-08-11T11:57:00.004-04:00

Our Ladies Night Out for August will be Tuesday, August 26. Meet at the church at 6:30PM. We will enjoy dinner together at Dominick's in Lawrenceville.

Sunday, August 31

2008-08-11T11:38:00.005-04:00

Our Ladies Sunday School class will begin the study, Lord, Teach me to Pray by Kay Arthur on Sunday, August 31. This is a dynamic five week study that you will not want to miss. Our Ladies Sunday School class begins at 9:30AM each week in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday, August 17

2008-08-08T09:39:00.002-04:00

All ladies are encouraged to join us during the Sunday School hour on August 17 as introduce our new fall Bible study offerings for women. We are excited to to offer several different evening studies this fall. Our facilitators will be sharing a little about each study and dates and times will be given. Light breakfast will be served. Sunday School starts at 9:30AM.

G.E.M.S.

2008-06-24T11:10:00.003-04:00

Gracefully Encouraging & Mentoring Sisters
God's Word tells us that we are to teach and encourage women younger than us. What a need there is for this, but God knew that and provided for us. However, God's plan included our cooperation. He instructs us to do this for each other. We each have something to offer someone else, and we each need something that only a sister in Christ can give. With this as her vision, Gina Libbin has put together a mentoring program for our ladies. Please prayerfully consider being a mentor to someone. You can make such a big difference in the life of another woman. If you are in a season in your life where you could benefit from this, please allow someone the blessing of helping you. To learn more about the G.E.M.S. program and/or to sign-up, contact Gina Libbin at 770-868-5739.

Summer 2008

2008-06-24T10:45:00.003-04:00

This summer in our Sunday School class we will be learning from Beth Moore as we watch her Wednesdays with Beth DVD. We started last week with "When Life Has You Paralyzed". We will finish that DVD teaching up this week and then begin "Filled to the Measure", another 2-part series. We will also be hearing from members of our class as Tiffany Bradley and Pam Casper will be sharing their testimonies in July. On August 3 we will begin a new study in Sunday School. As we finalize the plans for that study, I will post that information.

Father's Day Breakfast

2008-06-11T15:27:00.002-04:00

The youth are hosting a Father's Day Breakfast on Sunday, June 15. They will begin serving at 8:00PM in the Fellowship Hall. Even if your dad is no longer here, come and enjoy this time together. All funds raised will go towards the youth summer camp at Indian Springs. After breakfast, we will laugh with Chonda Pierce as we finish watching her latest video.

Ladies Breakfast

2008-05-23T16:04:00.003-04:00

As we kick-off our summer Sunday School program, we will have a special breakfast on Sunday, June 1 beginning at 9:00AM in the Fellowship Hall. After breakfast, we will view Chonda Pierce's latest DVD release. All women are invited to join us for this time of good food and refreshing laughter.

Extraordinary Women Conference

2008-05-23T15:59:00.004-04:00

August 8-9 Griffin First Assembly in Griffin, GA
Friday ~ 7:00 - 10:00PM
Saturday ~ 8:30AM - 5:00PM
Speakers will include Thelma Wells, Carol Kent, Angela Thomas, Lisa Whelchel, and Karen Kingsbury
Cost is $39.00 per person if we register 10 or more ladies before June 20th. Call the church office or see Stacy Pennington if you are interested in attending.

Ladies Night Out for May

2008-05-09T12:08:00.001-04:00

We will meet at the church at 6:30PM on Thursday, May 29 for our Ladies Night Out. Hope to see you there!

Thank You!

2008-05-09T12:06:00.002-04:00

Thank you to everyone who attended our 2008 Women's Seminar. I am excited to tell you that we had participation from over 30 different churches and one decision for Christ not to mention many who recommitted their lives to God. I am overwhelmed by God's continued faithfulness to this ministry. Thank you to everyone who worked behind the scenes and all those who helped in the preparations. God bless you!

2008 Women's Seminar

2008-04-10T13:20:00.003-04:00

Our Sixth Annual Women's Seminar will be held on May 2 & 3. Registration is $35.00 and includes Friday night dinner, Saturday lunch, and tote bag. Call the church office to register or find out more information.

Ladies Night Out

2008-04-10T13:17:00.002-04:00

Join us each month as we get together to eat, talk, and most of all laugh!
This month we will meet on Tuesday, April 29 in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30PM to eat and help with preparations for the upcoming Women's Seminar. Hope to see you there!

Deeper Still Conference

2008-04-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

The Deeper Still Conference featuring Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer is coming to Atlanta on June 27-28. The cost for the conference is $75.00 plus hotel and food. We have reserved 20 tickets and six hotel rooms for this weekend. If you would like to attend, please call the church office at 770-867-8888 or see Nancy Pennington. Deadline to reserve a ticket is May 27.

Sunday School

2008-04-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

We invite you to join us in Sunday School at 9:30AM. We meet in the Fellowship Hall and are currently studying Walking by Faith by Jennifer Rothschild. To learn more about Jennifer's story and ministry check her out on the web at http://www.jenniferrothschild.com/.