February 27, 2007

Good Moanin' Springfieldians,

Did you miss my "moanin'" last week? I was in Kansas City with Pastor Gregg and Pastor Jay and about 5000 other Nazarenes. It was a great time of inspiration, challenge, and education. It made me appreciate our great church even more, though I did wonder why the best speaker all week was a Southern Baptist friend. Did you know the Church of the Nazarene will be celebrating its 100 birthday in October 2008? Hopefully we are not a tired, old denomination but are up to the new challenges of this 21st century as we look for new ways to reach our world for Christ.

If you didn't miss my "moanin'" last week hopefully you didn't go to our website to try to read it the week before either. I was very grateful for a telephone call I received that week asking whether I had visited our website and had clicked on the "Good Moanin' forum." I told the caller I hadn't and he said it might be a good idea if I checked it out. So, I did that very thing. (Thank you, Brian!)

Much to my/our embarrassment anyone who had clicked on the forum to read the Good Moanin' letter on Valentine's Day would have found an advertisement for a male enhancement product. The next day if someone had wanted to read the letter they would have instead seen a video of Cameron Diaz. Of course, the webmeister extraordinaire, Andy, immediately sent his fingers a flying over his keyboard, working his magic and soon and very soon the ad and the video were lost in cyber space never to be seen again, at least not on our web site. Andy did what webmeisters do to keep that from happening again and is working on a new and better website.

Andy gave me an explanation on how this could happen, but since I don't speak and understand computerese very well, I think it had something to do with robots searching, and searching, and searching websites with forums, and then finding an entry way through a side door into those forums and then posting whatever they want in those forums. Who knew a robot could be so devious? So, I think, Andy put a new lock on the side door and has posted himself as the guard.

But this happening sure opened up my eyes and impacted my thinking about some Scriptures I had read hundred of times before but I don't think I had really thought about what a practical and important principle it really is. Look at these verses that all talk about the same thing.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

"So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth." (Malachi 2:15)

"Be on guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong." (I Corinthians 16:13)

"...Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge." (I Timothy 6:20)

"Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you  guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (II Timothy 1:14)

"Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. (II Peter 3:17)

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7)

These are just a few of the time we're told we need to guard our hearts and minds. And if you read those verses in their context it's talking about our marriages and other relationships, our beliefs about God and His word. If a robot can find an entrance through a side door of a forum how much more likely is Satan able to find an entrance through a side door into our hearts and minds if we're not guarding them.

Satan is constantly trying to find entry ways into our hearts and minds to destroy our marriages, relationships, and our faith. But we are given the promise that the Holy Spirit (I think He's our webmeister) will help us stand guard and His peace will serve as the guard. Let's be sure we're relying on Him and not opening up those side doors and allowing Satan and entry into our thought life. Let's do as Paul told the Corinthians, "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

DID YOU KNOW??????????

First Saturday is a great time of worship this Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Plan on being here!

Upwards Basketball Meeting  9:00 a.m. this Saturday for all coaches, refs and all others who were involved. We'll look at ways we can improve this great ministry opportunity.

C.E. Council meeting this Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in room #101.

This Sunday will be Desserts by Donation, a fund raiser to help our teens be able to attend Nazarene Youth Conference, which happens only once every four years.

Dinner for 6-8 will be happening in March. This is a great time for the church family to get together and share a meal and meet some new friends. If you'd liker to host a dinner or be a part of a dinner gathering fill out the card and either put it in the offering plate or return it to the church office.

Ladies Brunch, Saturday March 10 at 9:30 a.m. All ladies are invited to this time of fellowship and fun. Plan on being a part of this time together. See Tricia Hofman for more details.

Daylight Savings this year begins on March 11 at 2:00 a.m.

Keep using GoodSearch.com, we're up to $17.77 as I wrote this!

ADULT MINISTRIES

Men's Ministry gets together every Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. for a Bible Study and fellowship. All men are invited to attend and bring a friend. See Jerry Stone for more info.

See George or Sue Bagley if you want to join a small group or switch to a new one. They have all; the info you need.

Mark it on your calendar, the next Coffeehouse Comedy will be March 24-25. Word has it this will be the funniest to date!

CHILDREN MINISTRIES

Wednesday, March 7th at 6:00 p.m. will be the Upward Basketball Banquet and Award Ceremony, with a special Christian sports speaker and many surprises.

Children's Easter Egg Hunt will be Wednesday March 28 from 6:15-7:15 p.m. Kids invite your friends! The Kidz Zone is in need of donations of individually wrapped candies to put in plastic Easter Eggs. Donations may be given to Gloria Sanguedolce.

Ministry Opportunities:

There is a need for more volunteers for nursery. See Patti Young or Curtis Owen if you could be a part of this important ministry.

TEEN MINISTRY

There will be MOMENTUM this Friday, March 2nd . Last week another attendance record was set with 113 students. But most importantly one of the students who first came to Momentum and then to the church has accepted Christ as his Savior.

Be sure to watch for the time and date of the upcoming training class for all Momentum volunteers. It will be important for all volunteers to attend this class.

The District Celebrate Life in Salem will be March 16-17, cost is $65 per person and the deadline to sign up is February 25th. See Pastor Jay for all the details.

PRAYER REQUESTS..........

Those listed in Sunday's bulletin

Elmer and Onea Krohe

Becky Shepherdson

Julie Maltas recovering from surgery

Joe Maltas' grandmother's funeral is Thursday

Gloria Legg is in the hospital

Tricia Barrington's father is in ther hospital

Marcella Fink

Lucille and Dale and Anne Baldridge

Char Hammitt (Jerry Stone's mom)

Tina Musick