Sunday Mind Dump - March 11, 2012

Today the Word was faithfully preached, worship was sincerely offered, and fellowship was authentically practiced.  It was a God-honoring day.

Attendance was a little off, probably due to time change and spring break.  Kids are out of school next week.

I played bass guitar in the band.  Our regular bassist was away with his family on vacation.  I was a little rusty but really enjoyed playing.  Finally got in a groove and was able to relax.

Except for a couple of technical bumps, everything was uplifting and edifying.

Loved the old time favorite sang today for the offertory.  Nan did a really good job.  Everyone really seems to be enjoying this segment.

After service we held a farewell reception for Wade Colon who has joined the Coast Guard.  He played drums today, on his final day with us, which seemed very appropriate.  The reception was well attended.

It was great to see the front row filled with teenagers.

Today’s sermon was, well, very challenging.  Talked about submission.  The points were simple:

• Christians Should Model Their Families After the Unique Relationship that Exists between Christ and the Church (never patterning our families after the world or culture).  
• Mutual Submission is Required of Every Family Member (although we focused primarily on husbands and wives).
• Mutual Submission is Motivated by Our Reverence for Christ (that is, we do this because our Lord says so).

You should see the things I notice from the platform when I’m teaching on a sensitive or challenging subject like today.  People’s body language speaks volumes.  It’s easy to tell when some people are getting it and receiving it.  It’s also obvious when others are completely shutting down.

Your family is your first ministry.  Here's why....

Of the world’s three greatest institutions, the home, the church, and the state, the home is the oldest and the most sacred. 

The family is where our faith puts on skin.  It’s one thing to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but if I spend the lions share of my time with other people or neglect my duties as a husband or father, then my relationship with Christ is out of balance, or worse, inauthentic.  In other words, my family relationships reveal a lot about the health of my heavenly relationship.

I closed the message with a specific challenge to men.  Had a lot of fun with that.  At some point a woman called out, “preach it.”  Had a lot of fun with that too.

I think most single women would love to date a man like the one I described…. that most wives would love to have a husband like that to share life with… and that most children would love to have dads like that.

Younger men and boys are looking for heroes, and there is a sad lack of them today in the church.  There are too many girlie men, too many macho men, and not enough manly men.

I wrote about manly men two years ago here and here.  Or you can just click the “men” tab on the left sidebar if you’re interested.

Manly men are not defined by how many beer cans they can smash, how much meat they can eat, or how big their sub-woofers are.  They are defined by their legacy – the things they produce and build, like families, businesses, and ministries – and the things they leave behind, like a good reputation, an honorable name, and a memory that his children cherish.

Someone asked me today “Why don’t you have Sunday night services?”

“Simple.” I answered.  “It allows our people to have a full day of rest after worship.  Additionally, it gives our congregation more time with their family.”

Tomorrow I’ll be planting red skinned potatoes in my garden.  In the next few weeks I’ll be planting Purple Hull Field Peas and Dragon’s Tongue Beans.  I have tomatoes plants, crooked neck squash, and yellow banana peppers to plant too.

I also have twenty blueberry bushes and nine muscadine vines to plant.  I’ve already planted couple of pear trees (Ayres and Keifer) and two fig trees (Ischia). 

Seminar 201 – Essentials for Spiritual Growth takes place in a couple of weeks.  The number of people who have signed up more than doubled today.

I’ve got a bad case of spring fever.  Can’t wait for the weather to clear up, see some sunshine, get outdoors, go fishing, spend time in Blackwater Forest, and get my garden in full swing.  I’m also looking forward to having fish fry’s, outdoor cookouts, cooking on the grill, using my smoker, the long days, and twelve hours of sunlight.

Yay, daylight savings time ended today.

It’s great living in NW Florida and I plan to take full advantage of the outdoor opportunities this area offers. 

I heard on the news today that Payton Manning is being courted to come to the Denver Broncos by John Elway, which means Tim Tebow will be dropped if the deal goes through.

Now to go enjoy the extra hour of daylight!