The Beautiful Mind, a Beautiful Day, Medical Matters

One of my all-time favorite movies is the 2001 semi-fictional biographical thriller A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe as John Naah, the Novel laureate (Nash really won that award) for economics who went through a serious protracted trial with his schizophrenia.  His"friend"of many years, a hallucination, was Charles Herman, played on screen by Paul Bettany.  The way the film portrays this character...one moment he's invisible and the next he's right up in your face...made a formidable impression on me.  If something like this happened to me, I would be very upset about what was going on in my mind...especially if there were a pattern of repetition to the phenomenon. How could I bring this experience up in conversation, possibly risking in the process being called crazy? In the Bible, following the resurrection of Jesus, his disciples were walking around, largely despondent and discouraged. Suddenly the risen Lord would appear to them out of thin air,  this being the part of the text that threw me back a bit.  I will need to be careful about what I observe in life and how to process and react to it.  I do know that, as far as I can discern, my home is relatively secure with any intruders unlikely to make an unwelcome appearance. So the only feasible alternative is...

Today I went with Melissa to consult with her physician's assistant dealing with the oncology following her 2024 cancer treatment and what the future plans are regarding appointments and procedures.  Also, we went to UF Health at the Oaks Mall where I had a lab blood draw and provided a urine sample.  We're dealing with this cancer ordeal arm in arm, loving and supporting each other through it all. I'm praying for complete healing, acknowledging the Lord's supremacy in everything.  Right now it's April 20th, 2026...let's see where the calendar takes us...

Quote of the Week...from Nick Saban

If you want to talk s___ to the other team, join the g-- d---- debate team.       ---Nick Saban

You can fill in the appropriate blanks to get what Alabama head football coach Nick Saban really said in a comment about some of his players to an Alabama website to get the full impact of his barely-repressed anger about competitive athletes...especially those under his authority...who are completely into trash talking their opponents, rivals, and critics.  In the age of Twitter and Facebook, a player no longer needs to wait for an interview in order to make his or her views known, and often on a very immature and insult-laden level.  When I heard of Saban's comment this morning on my MSN newsfeed, I was immediately reminded of how last Saturday our own University of Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks, already in his junior year, couldn't resist turning around on his sideline bench and shouting down some Miami fans.  Franks has a problem about perceiving disrespect, and it seems to pervade every aspect of his game...he's been known to verbally go at it with officials when a call goes against him.  But when players conduct themselves with dignity and focus on what the chain of command on their team is communicating to them instead of distractions from the outside, then they will automatically engender not only a greater sense of personal dignity but also resistance to worrying about being "dissed".  It's a vicious cycle, demanding that others respect you while you retaliate against perceived sleights...real or imagined...by going after others.  It's the complete reversal of the Biblical "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" mantra...unfortunately, our president seems to be suffering from the same problem and is only encouraging others to emulate him through his poor example. Then again, Saban himself could probably benefit by pausing and reflecting on his own sometimes bellicose and undignified behavior toward his perceived adversaries...

11/25 Sermon on Wisdom, Part 5

Last Sunday here at The Family Church in Gainesville Pastor Sean Taylor, who is our praise and worship music leader, delivered the final message in the ongoing series on Wisdom, based on the Old Testament book of Proverbs.  The sermon's title was Path to Wisdom and the scripture of focus was Proverbs 9:10: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding...

Pastor Sean structured his sermon around the following points: the path to wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, which is about reverence and awe as well as fear...and that fear should result in trembling at his word and hating evil. We will understand this spiritually healthy fear when we welcome the words of Godly wisdom, store up his commands within us, train our ears to hear wisdom and gain understanding, and cry out for insight and understanding. Sean concluded by pointing out that fearing the Lord will lead us to knowledge of the Holy One, who is Jesus, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and understanding, and who extends his invitation to us.

You can view this thought-provoking sermon, which contains so much good material beyond my perfunctory summary, by clicking on the church's YouTube video website: [TFC Videos]. The Family Church, located at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30, featuring praise and worship music lead by Pastor Sean, the weekly message, and opportunities for prayer, fellowship and joining small groups and discipleship classes help at other times on Sunday and during the week.  There is also a hospitality room adjoining the entranceway where you can get some free coffee and meet and chat with some very friendly people.  Senior Pastor Philip Griffin will be returning next Sunday for a new series...

11/18 Sermon on Wisdom, Part 4

Last Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin continued his ongoing series about wisdom, focusing on the book of Proverbs.  This message, titled Handling Money God's Way, examined how people can get sidetracked with their attitudes toward money and how God intends for us to manage it.  The scripture references, which you can read through Bible Gateway are Proverbs 3:9-10, 11:25, 11:28,  21:5, 21:20, 22:7, and 23:4-5...yes, there are an awful lot of passages about money in this book of wisdom...

So how does one handle money God's way?  Pastor Philip structured his answer around six points: live by a spending plan, save for the future, avoid the debt, put God first in my finances, trust in God, not money, and don't expect money to make me happy.  Philip started out by noting that even those of us in the United States who have a relatively low income would be considered very wealthy measured on a worldwide scale...I'd only qualify that claim by noting that in other places the costs of living are often also much lower.  Regarding spending plans, many are encouraged in our consumer society to buy on impulse...but as our pastor noted, this will lead to poverty.  Better to be more careful and systematic about where we put our money.  Statistically Americans, as Pastor Philip continued, compared with other countries, save very little or nothing...most are only two paychecks away from being homeless.  But God wants us to gather money and set it aside little by little.  With debt, the borrow is a slave to the lender...it also stands as an obstacle to giving as well as being a major stressor in relationships.  And with giving, Philip noted, God does not need our money, but rather it is us who, by our giving, rightfully put him above everything else.  Trusting in anything more than God is making that thing our god...and with many, money is their god.  And happiness is not a goal, but rather a natural by-product of trusting in God's provision and living to glorify him...seeking happiness in itself is a fruitless venture...

You can watch Pastor Philip's message through the church's YouTube video website...just click on the following link: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church meets each Sunday morning at 9 and 10:30 and is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street.  Each service features the sermon, praise and worship music, and prayer and fellowship.  I'm looking forward to this Sunday...

11/11 Sermon on Wisdom, Part 3

Last Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin delivered the third installment of his Wisdom message series, focusing on the Old Testament book of Proverbs.  The topic was about raising children...unfortunately I was unable to attend, and the usual link to a video recording of the message wasn't available on YouTube.  Instead, I viewed a recording of the live broadcast, which did not feature the sermon notes.  Consequently, this summary will be a little less formal...

Proverbs 15:6 reads as follows: The house of the righteous contains great treasure, but the income of the wicked brings ruin. Pastor Philip chose the first part of this verse to focus on, and he applied it to how children need to be brought up. Many parents want their children to be happy...don't we all...but the main aim in their development should be to raise them to be Godly, not necessarily happy.  And that means not trying to avoid the inevitable unpleasant conflict scenarios that can happen whenever discipline and correction are necessary. So how do parents accomplish this? By demonstrating through their own example their faith in the Lord and displaying the Godly behavior and speech that they want to impart to their own...after all, as our pastor continued, the children are always watching their parents and will find themselves adopting their behaviors later on in their adult lives, even without intending to do so.  In other words, example is stronger than admonition, and admonition if not accompanied by a constructive, discerning discipline will not work since children in general are masters of noting what is not enforced.  And since they often play one parent off against the other, a united front is also needed regarding the rules and consequences for violating them.  Throughout his sermon Pastor Philip kept going back to that Proverbs verse and the treasure of the house of the righteous: our children need that treasure that only a Godly home will provide them.  And, he added, we cannot outsource the spiritual upbringing of our children as we would with karate or piano lessons: church is not an adequate substitute for the home as mothers and fathers carry much more influence over them than even pastors...

The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holding its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30.  There is the weekly message, wonderful praise and worship music, prayer, lots of friendly folks, and a hospitality room featuring free coffee before and between services. You can join small groups and discipleship classes that take place other times on Sunday and during the week.  And in connection with this particular message about children and parents, I'd like to add that our church has some foster families who shared their outlooks and experiences, encouraging others to follow suit...our pastor considers this to be a kind of home-community missions work that doesn't necessarily require travel abroad...

11/4 Sermon on Wisdom, Part 2

At The Family Church here in Gainesville, our senior pastor, Philip Griffin, continued his sermon series about wisdom as the Bible presents it...primarily through the Old Testament book of Proverbs. The topic for last Sunday was anger, a subject that has many scriptural references.  The opening, core verse that began this message was Proverbs 29:8: Mockers stir up a city, but the wise turn away anger. Pastor Philip examined anger's destructiveness, the difficulty it causes, and how to defuse it, noting that while the current climate in our country seems to one of anger, it is also present in our homes and lives...

In discussing the destructive nature of anger, Philip brought up three aspects: it destroys one's  relationships, damages the body, and dominates life.  When we hold on the anger, it starts to holds onto us. Anger always has a target...often it is someone close by and not the original reason. Stored anger can lead to eruptions of disproportionate rage.  There are many ailments aggravated by buried anger.  It can distort our own judgment as we try to justify it. Anger's difficulty consists of the fact that it can neither be vented, buried, nor held on to...venting doesn't reduce anger but rather only feeds the flame. Burying anger is like holding on to a live bomb when we really need to get rid of it as quickly as possible. But there is good news at the end: this insidious emotion, which can become a bad habit to the point where it is an obsession, can be defused. How? Well, as our pastor concluded, by depending on God's grace and power we can choose to overlook offenses, submit to the Holy Spirit's control, and extend to others what Christ has given us. The memories and experiences of different offenses we'll still continue to note, but we can decide not to dwell on them.  Anger grieves the Holy Spirit and prevents him from working in our lives.  And we readily and liberally forgive others their offences as Christ, who first loved us and forgave us ours.  All of these points Pastor Philip brought up in a very powerful, thought-provoking message...

You can watch this sermon through the church's YouTube video link...just click on it: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30.  They open with praise and worship music, then proceed to the weekly message and opportunities for prayer.  Discipleship courses are available through the week as well as small groups where the previous message is discussed.  Free coffee is there as well, before and between services in the hospitality room the right of the entrance.  And there's lots of very friendly people...

Quote of the Week...from Mark Twain

Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. 
                                                                      ---Mark Twain.

This quote indirectly came to me from a friend's post on Facebook as he related his workplace experience arguing some points with someone...somebody else showed him a paraphrase of Twain's above quote. Actually, the great American author may have derived his own saying from a Proverbs verse...more on that and its interesting accompanying verse later.  First of all, I don't think anyone is completely a fool...each of us has areas in our lives in which we behave foolishly or entertain foolish thoughts. But the quote pertains when someone we encounter is in the midst of their particular foolishness...the temptation to react and correct them can be overwhelming.  But if their beliefs are irrationally and/or emotionally based and, after a bit of back-and-forth exchange with them, it is obvious that nothing positive is coming out of the discussion, it is better to politely step back out of it without trying to hammer your own points onto the other.  Else, as Twain said, onlookers may not be able to discern who is the greater fool...

As to the verses found in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, we look in Chapter 26, first at Verse 4: Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.  Good, that seems to reflect the sentiment of this article, doesn't it?  But wait...read on what it says in Verse 5: Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.  So the Bible seems to be giving us a choice: which is more important, not looking like a fool to others or convincing another of his own error?  I say it's okay to express my disagreement with someone by expressing my case as being my own sentiments, not making it all sound like some kind of immutable universal law that must be obeyed and believed, and then change the subject or walk away. That way, I've at least planted a seed in his or her mind as well as those of any onlookers.  By the way, graciously letting the "fool" have the last word is a good idea as well, although for a lot of us that may be pretty difficult...

10/28 Sermon on Wisdom, Part 1

At The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin began a new message series about wisdom, drawing from the Old Testament book of Proverbs as well as other books in scripture.  Last Sunday's sermon was titled Three Stages of Marriage and the core Biblical verse of focus was Proverbs 24:3...click on the passage to read it through Bible Gateway...

Marriages can be broken down into three stages: the Honeymoon stage, the Chaos stage, and the Enduring Love stage.  Pastor Philip listed some words that describe each one:

Honeymoon: intensity, idealism, infatuation, ignorance.
Chaos: disagreements, defensiveness, disapproval, disappointment.
Enduring Love: commitment, consideration, communication, confidence.

One of the problems, Philip pointed out, with going through these stages...and all marriages either go through them or end in divorce...is that when that middle "chaos" stage begins, one or both of the partners may long for that "honeymoon" stage and seek it with others outside the marriage.  And you often see people who will marry, then move into chaos, divorce, remarry, move again into chaos, divorce again...and the chain continues through multiple marriages. 

Couples who are undergoing the Chaos stage should take solace in that it is universal.  Keeping our eyes on God, we can receive his love and grace and turn our attentions not to our own selfish interests as if marriage were a consumer relationship, but rather elevate our spouse's over our own in a truly covenant relationship.  This growth parallels the covenant relationship between Jesus, the groom, and his bride, the church.  As believers we also see these three stages of Honeymoon, Chaos, and Enduring Love in a spiritual sense, the last reflected in our maturity in the faith...

You can watch this sermon through the church's YouTube video website...just click on this link: [TFC Videos]. The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street and holds its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30.  There's the weekly sermon as well as inspiring praise and worship music, prayer, and opportunities to engage in small groups and discipleship throughout the week.  Free coffee is also available before and between services in the hospitality room on the right side of the entranceway.  Looking forward to more wisdom this Sunday...

10/21 Sermon on Miracles, Part 7

Last Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin closed out his series on seven important miracles, or signs, of Jesus as related in the New Testament's Gospel of John. This message was about the seventh miracle...that of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead...and the scripture of focus was John 11:21-12:3...click on the passage to read it via Bible Gateway...

In discussing the miracle about Lazarus, Pastor Philip concentrated more on the differing beliefs and behavior that sisters Martha and Mary displayed to Jesus while he was a guest at their home.  In reference to Martha, Philip pointed out that spending time with Jesus is more important than our "to-do" lists...Martha was driven in task mode, by the tyranny of the "urgent".  She was also prone to accusing others ("I'm doing all this work, why aren't you?").  But, as Philip continued, we have to each lay boundaries for ourselves so that our priorities don't get overturned...Mary had hers straight...

Pastor Philip structured the passage in three terms: sitting at Jesus's feet, falling at Jesus's feet, and worshipping at Jesus's feet.  Mary made the right decision to be with Jesus and sit at his feet, learning from him.  When Lazarus, brother of Martha and Mary, feel ill, they implored Jesus to go visit him for healing...but the Lord tarried, and Lazarus died.  Both sisters expressed their disappointment to Jesus, but they differed in that Martha did not perceive Jesus's true nature as Lord while Mary, who had spent time with him, fell at his feet in grief.  Jesus, moved by her actions, wept with her, sharing in her mourning...he can provide solace to us in our grief, too, without the need to resort to chemicals, busywork, or others.  Finally, as Jesus approached the tomb of Lazarus, Martha tried to stop him from entering, claiming there would be a bad odor...but in essence trying to block any miracle since she did not know him for who he was.  Likewise, we may find ourselves skeptical of what the Lord can do with ourselves if we had not spent time sitting and falling at his feet.  Worshipping Jesus at his feet, which Mary practiced, happened because she first sought out his presence and then relied on him during her time of trouble.  Pastor Philip concluded by listing four aspects of worship: (1) worship means to value something above all...God does not need our worship: we do, (2) worship is sacrificial...like the expensive perfume Mary poured on Jesus's feet, (3) worship flows from gratitude, and (4) worship...like that perfume...is like a sweet aroma for others, inspiring them to follow in the same way...

You can watch this sermon by clicking on the church's YouTube link: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street and meets each Sunday morning at 9 and 10;30 for services, which include praise and worship music, the weekly message, and prayer.  There are numerous small group and discipleship sessions interspersed through the week that you can participate in as well.  Before and between the services, free coffee is available in the hospitality room next to the entranceway.  And there are lots of friendly folks around who want to meet and get to know you....

10/14 Sermon on Miracles, Part 6

As Gainesville's Family Church continued its Sunday morning sermon series about miracles that Jesus produced as revealed in the Gospel of John, Colin Griffin, our senior pastor Philip Griffin's son and a committed international missions worker, stood up as guest speaker.  He presented the story of Jesus healing the blind man as related in John 9...click on the passage to read it through Bible Gateway...

Colin laid out the stages in the blind man's physical and spiritual healing: first he hears Christ, then he sees him...and then ultimately he knows him and his true nature.  It's important to recognize, Colin continued, that the blind man responds in obedience to Jesus: God listens to people who do his will. The blind man stands up for Jesus against the criticisms of the surrounding religious leaders, who want to persecute him for healing on the Sabbath...eventually resulting in his being thrown out of the temple. He is not only physically healed, but also comes to a deeper understanding of Christ: first Jesus is a man to him, then a prophet...finally, the Lord, his Lord.  Colin concluded by emphasizing that knowing Jesus necessarily means coming to him and involves stepping out, often if not usually, into very uncomfortable situations. It consequently demands total commitment. And, he added, those who understand their own spiritual blindness can receive Jesus, but not those who deny theirs... 

You can watch Colin's sermon through the church's YouTube video website...just click on the following link: [TFC Videos]. I very much appreciate this talented and inspired speaker and enthusiastically look forward to a future day when he will once again bless us with another message. The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holding its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30.  After being welcomed by the friendly greeters at the door, you can chat with any number of folks before the service while drinking complimentary coffee offered in the hospitality room.  Then the service commences, starting with beautiful and moving praise and worship music, then the weekly message, and finally opportunities for prayer.  The church also offers a number of small groups and courses that meet during the week at different times.  This Sunday: Miracle Number Seven...

10/7 Sermon on Miracles, Part 5

This past Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin discussed the fifth of seven signs, or miracles, performed by Jesus as revealed in the New Testament Gospel of John.  This miracle, in which Jesus revealed himself as "Lord of the Storm" when he walked on water and calmed that storm, is described in John 6: 16-21...click on the passage to read it via Bible Gateway.  In introducing this message, Pastor Philip reminded us that these miracles served the purpose of pointing to who Jesus is and what he does...

The severe and dire storm that the disciples endured on their boat in the Sea of Galilee connects with the storms that we experience nowadays in our lives: Jesus is instrumental in both.  For storms, as Pastor Philip related, are unavoidable, Jesus comes to us in our storms, and he wants us to trust him to get us through them.  Not only weren't the disciples spared from their storm, but Jesus had in fact sent them into it. Pastor Philip speculated that the disciples, during their long ordeal fighting the storm, may have grumbled "this isn't fair" or "why did Jesus lead us here", but at the darkest hour of the night he came to meet them. Jesus likewise comes the closest to us in our own darkest hours. Philip noted that when Jesus reached where the boat was, he began to pass them by...why? Jesus wanted them to call out to him and invite him into their boat and into their situation...this way letting him be Lord of the Storm for them.  God's greatest desire is for us to depend on him and trust in him.  A lot of us are mad at Jesus and are unwilling to ask him into our boat for different reasons...here are four that our pastor mentioned: "I don't believe he can do anything about the storm", "I'm mad at Jesus for allowing the storm", "I'm proud, so I won't ask for help, and "I think Jesus has given up on me". But on that night on the Sea of Galilee, as Pastor Philip concluded, Jesus changed everything, calming both the storm and his disciples...his presence calms us as well in our storms...

You can watch this week's sermon by clicking on the following link to the church's YouTube video website: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church meets each Sunday morning for the weekly message, praise and worship music, prayer, and fellowship.  The people are friendly and there's free coffee offered in the hospitality room before and between services.  The series on miracles continues this Sunday...

9/30 Sermon on Miracles, Part 4

At The Family Church here in Gainesville, Florida, senior pastor Philip Griffin continued his examination of seven signs, or miracles, that Jesus performed and which are related in the New Testament's Gospel of John.  The specific sign for this day was the feeding of the thousands, described in John 6:1-14, 30-35: click on the passage to read the entire chapter via Bible Gateway. The overriding theme, as Pastor Griffin stated, is that Jesus is the Bread of Life, satisfying the hunger of our souls...

Pastor Griffin broke his message down into four parts: Jesus leads us into a life of compassion, trust, satisfaction, and evangelism.  When Jesus was ministering throughout the land, he was exhausted, hungry, and discouraged...he sought solitude to seek and receive solace and strength from his heavenly father.  But the crowds, many of whom saw in Jesus a political figure who could overthrow the Romans and reestablish an independent Jewish kingdom, pursued him and his disciples.  Jesus's reaction to them was counterintuitive, but in line with God's love for us: he felt and demonstrated compassion toward them, in so doing pointing to us the role that compassion has in ministry and that it is a sign that we are truly following him.  With trust, Jesus tested Philip, one of his disciples, to point him to trusting in him and not his own knowledge.  No, the numbers did not add up: they had five pieces of bread and two fish, and to feed the five thousand men (and many more women and children who were there) the financial cost would be staggering.  But while it is good to be responsible with one's resources, the ultimate authority over them all is God.  Our pastor continued, noting that if we put what little we have in God's hands, he will provide abundantly for us: God's provision will never run out and his love will never run dry.  But the people wanted a political solution to their physical problems...but as Pastor Philip said, this sign pointed not only to a physical level of hunger, but also a spiritual one.  And with evangelism, Philip related a definition that he had heard from a Sri Lankan evangelist: "it is one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread"...in the end we're all beggars and the bread is the Bread of Life: Jesus Christ...

You can watch this message on the church's YouTube video website through the following link: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its weekly services on Sunday morning at 9 and 10:30. Along with the sermon is praise and worship music, prayer, fellowship, and opportunities for learning and discipleship.  Free coffee is available in the hospitality room...the series continues this Sunday...

9/23 Sermon on Miracles, Part 3

At The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin continued his series on the seven signs, or miracles, that Jesus gave in the Bible's New Testament book of John.  The passage of focus, concerning the healing at the pool, is John 5:1-18...click on it to read it via Bible Gateway.  Pastor Philip's message contained two important areas: how we can get ourselves "unstuck" and healed physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually...and the true meaning of the Sabbath.  To this effect he posed three questions: do I want to get well, am I receiving everything God wants to give me, and do I find in God my true Sabbath rest?  Philip noted that the man at the pool had identified himself with his illness and the sick people at the pool.  He had a misplaced hope that an angel would stir up the healing waters for him and, instead of trusting in Jesus as his Lord, gave him instructions to help him into the pool.  None of these false notions helped this man...only through the love and power of Jesus did he get physically healed.  Yet the man did not allow himself spiritual healing, for he and others turned on Jesus for this healing on a Sabbath day...our pastor wondered how people could be so legalistic to concentrate on that point after someone stricken for nearly forty years was suddenly, wonderfully healed of his affliction.  But the true Sabbath, as Pastor Philip concluded, is based on God's work in the creation...he did not rest on the seventh day because he was tired or the "rules" mandated it, but rather because his work was done.  It's because, he said, of Jesus's work that we can rest from our work.  We find our Sabbath rest in Jesus, not in ourselves. At the end of this message, Philip read James 5:14-16, which is about prayer within the church body, and invited anyone from the congregation with a need for healing to come forward for prayer with church elders and pastors...

This sermon is available for you to watch through the church's YouTube video website...click to the following link: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street and holds its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30.  There's the weekly message, praise and worship music, prayer, great fellowship, and all sorts of group and learning activities to participate in.  And the hospitality room features free coffee and treats before and between services, always a destination for me when I arrive.  Looking forward to this Sunday at the church...

9/16 Sermon on Miracles, Part 2

At The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin continued his series discussing seven miracles of Jesus as described in the Bible's New Testament book of John with the second miracle: the healing of the official's son, found in John 4:43-54...click on the passage to read it through Bible Gateway.  With this message comes an examination of faith, both by the official in the narrative and how our faith develops...a faith, as Pastor Philip stated, that makes its way into every aspect of our lives.  And, he continued, it's not the amount of faith we have that matters, but rather the object of our faith: Jesus...

Philip laid out three stages in the development of faith among believers: first, crisis-based faith, then needs-based faith...and, finally, life-giving faith.  Our pastor added to this the four types of healing: physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual...there is a kind of rough correspondence between these and the development of faith.  Finally, Pastor Philip brought up the story of a daredevil tightrope walker who would span the falls to the applause of the awestruck spectators.  One day he brought out a wheelbarrow and asked the crowd if they believed he could push someone in it on the tightrope across the falls.  Everyone yelled that they believed...but then he asked for volunteers!  There's a big difference between noncommittal faith on the sidelines and committed faith in the trenches...we need to "get in the wheelbarrow" and trust in Jesus to protect and carry us...

You can watch this sermon on the church's YouTube video website...just click on this link: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church is located at 2022 SW 122nd Street and holds its weekly services Sunday morning at 9 and 10:30, featuring praise and worship music, prayer, fellowship...and, of course, the message.  Part three of the ongoing series on miracles is slated for this Sunday...

9/9 Sermon on Miracles, Part 1

Last Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville our senior pastor, Philip Griffin, began a new sermon series about seven miracles of Jesus as they appeared in the Bible's New Testament book of John.  The first of these miracles was at the wedding feast, which you can read from John 2:1-11 by clicking on the passage (through Bible Gateway)…

The miracle at the wedding feast in which Jesus turned water into wine, Pastor Philip began, was a sign of revelation, which can be broken down into three parts: his mission, his power, and his glory.  In traditional Jewish weddings of that time, the parents of the families involved negotiated a contract through which costs would be paid. Jesus was considering the costs of his own spiritual wedding with his bride, which is the church with his mission entailing dying on a cross, when he was told that they had run out of wine.  The atoning power of Jesus, Philip continued, which was represented by the wine, symbolically replaced the water of purification that had preceded it. The incredible amount of wine produced was a demonstration of the abundance of his love and power.  This miracle glorified God: it was something magnificent and praiseworthy that draws us into worship and belief.  Our pastor concluded by reminding us that there is an eternal void in our hearts that longs for the glory of God and a deep relationship with him...

You can watch this sermon through the church's YouTube video website...click on the following link: [TFC Videos]. The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its weekly services on Sunday morning at 9 and 10:30.  Along with the excellent and thought-provoking message is wonderful praise and worship music, prayer, and opportunities to join small groups for discipleship and fellowship.  There are plenty of friendly people here to get to know, as well as a hospitality room providing free coffee before and between services.  The miracles continue this Sunday...

8/26 Sermon on "Theology for Dummies", Pt. 4

At The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin continued his series discussing the basics of the Christian faith, humorously titled Theology for Dummies with a message about the Holy Spirit. His scripture reference of focus was John 14:15-26, which you can click on to read via Bible Gateway...

Pastor Philip brought up three questions: who is the Holy Spirit, what does He do in my life, and how do I receive Him? The Holy Spirit is one of the Trinity, i.e. the three persons that God manifests himself through, the Father and Son being the others. Philip added that He is personal and can both help us to fulfill God's plan for us and be grieved when we turn our backs on Him.  The Holy Spirit makes his home in me, a believer, and is my advocate/comforter/counselor, one who comes alongside and declares truth.  And, as our pastor stressed, he also empowers me to do His will. In answer to that final question...how do I receive the Holy Spirit...Pastor Philip listed three steps: trusting my life to Jesus, surrendering it to him so that the Holy Spirit will fill me, and remaining in Him so that He will produce fruit in me...

You can view this sermon, in which Pastor Philip greatly expands on my paltry summary and adds a lot of other interesting material, by clicking on the following link to the church's YouTube video website: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church is at 2022 SW 122nd Street and holds its Sunday morning services, consisting of praise and worship music, the weekly message, and prayer, at 9 and 10:30.  There are numerous programs for discipleship and learning offered, as well as weekly small group meetings at different times.  Looking forward to the next message... 

8/11 Sermon on "Theology for Dummies", Part 2

Continuing at The Family Church here in Gainesville with his series Theology for Dummies that seeks to more clearly explain the basic principles of Christianity, senior pastor Philip Griffin presented a discussion this past Sunday titled The Attributes of God.  Using various passages scattered throughout the Bible, he described the Lord in ways that mean the most for us as we worship him...

Pastor Philip listed God's main attributes: always there, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-righteous.  Furthermore, in regard to the above, God never changes.  Philip pointed out that God that doesn't only reside at church but is everywhere...even in places that we may find ourselves "hiding" from him. His omnipotence is demonstrated by his having created the universe.  His knowledge extends to what is in our hearts, even before we express it through our words or actions.  God is not vengeful or angry, our pastor stressed, but his love is powerful and personal and overcomes evil...which points to his righteousness and fairness in seeing people without distinguishing among whatever demographic groups they happen to belong to.  And, Pastor Philip added, God's non-changing nature is demonstrated in four areas: his Word, character, love for us, and purpose for our lives...all directed to us both collectively and as individuals.  His Word never fails to have application in our lives, and we need to do what is right, be honest, and be faithful: God is always these things.  And Philip reminded us that while human love wears out, God's doesn't: when we know that God always loves us, we don't need another human being to define love for us.  And finally, as our pastor concluded, God takes even our mistakes and misdeeds for his own purposes, to glorify him. Turn control over to God, whose plan for salvation is through Jesus: the way, the road, the path...

You can watch this message on the church's YouTube video website...just click on the following link: [TFC Video].  The Family Church, located at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30.  Along with the weekly message is praise and worship music, prayer, and further opportunities for learning and discipleship.  Lots of friendly folks are there to chat with before, between, after services, and there is a hospitality center with coffee and treats as well.  Let's see what Pastor Philip has to say next week...

And here's a list of the Bible passages Pastor Philip used in this message...in the order he presented it. I recommend you use the Bible Gateway website to read them if don't have a Bible handy...

Psalm 90:2, 139:7-10
Jeremiah 32:17
Hebrews 4:13
1 John 4:8
Psalm 89:14
Malachi 3:6
Hebrews 13:8
Isaiah 40:8
Matthew 24:35
Deuteronomy 32:4
Hebrews 6:18
Psalm 145:13
Romans 8:39
James 1:17
Romans 8:28
Psalm 125:1

8/5 Sermon on Theology for Dummies, Part 1

Last week at The Family Church here in Gainesville, senior pastor Philip Griffin began a new sermon series that he humorously titles Theology for Dummies...not that we're all dummies, you see, but that sometimes a potentially cumbersome topic like theology needs to be broken down and simplified to its more basic elements so that all can understand.  In this message, Destructive Beliefs & Life-Changing Truths, Pastor Philip discussed the importance of using Biblical scripture as the authority guiding our lives.  Using 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 14-17 as his scriptural focus (click on the passage to read that whole chapter via Bible Gateway), he broke his message down into two sections: destructive beliefs and life-changing truths...

Pastor Philip provided three of the more pervasive destructive belief systems people face today: individualism ("I call the shots"), hedonism ("I do what feels good"), and relativism ("I decide what is right and true").  He pointed out that with individualism, it is okay and admirable for one take a personal responsibility for his or her own behavior as long as they don't make this philosophy the authority in their lives.  Hedonism in itself leads to moral numbness as well as a progressive lust for more while the fulfillment becomes progressively diminished, as our pastor pointed out.  And relativism may be the most insidious of the three as people may deceive themselves into believing they are living upright, moral lives in accordance with God's designs but refuse to accept any absolute standards...

As for life-changing truths, which supplant those negative beliefs, the overriding theme is the authority of scripture.  Philip stressed that the Bible is our authority, reliable, necessary and sufficient.  While the Old Testament stands as the original Jewish scripture, the New Testament was composed by those who lived during the "eyewitness" period of history when many around them had personally experienced Jesus's presence on Earth.  Philip added that scripture's authority cannot save...only God can do that...but it can give wisdom that leads to faith.  And he concluded that the Bible thoroughly equips us for every good work...

You can watch this message by clicking on the following link to the church's YouTube video website: [TFC Videos].  The Family Church, located at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30 am with praise and worship music, prayer, discipleship and learning opportunities...and of course the weekly message.  There's coffee in the hospitality room before and between services, too.  Let's see how Pastor Philip breaks down theology in simpler terms for us next week...

7/29 Sermon on Upward Habits, Part 7

Last Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville the sermon series Upward Habits continued, with the discussion centered on prayer.  Presenting the message was Gbola Adesogan, an elder at our church and a powerful and persuasive speaker...I was unable to attend due to travel at the time, and the sermon wasn't available on YouTube because of licensing issues.  But I was able to get hold of the sermon notes and, although I would have greatly preferred to hear Gbola's talk directly, they will have to do for this article.  The scripture of focus, which you can read through Bible Gateway by clicking on it, was John 5:2-9...

For his message about praying consistently and tactically, Gbola brought up four foundational points: prayer is urgently necessary as God commands it, there is a strategy to effectively pray, those praying show certain attitudes and postures, and prayer should be intentional.  Since it is, after all, the foundation of Christ's ministry and it helps us experience God, prayer is clearly necessary...Gbola added that it protects us, shapes plans and events, and is the key to all problems and challenges. With strategy, he stressed the importance of recognizing and targeting the true enemy while exalting God and not one's own problems...and also provided the acronym ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) to help as a memory device for the elements of prayer.  Attitudes and posture of those praying? Gbola listed many: surrendering sin and grudges, awe for God, focus, attentiveness, connection to God by faith, passion, humility, and in the end giving God...and not oneself...the credit for answered prayer.  As for intentionality, preparing for prayer requires...as our speaker continued...setting aside a time and place, fasting if necessary, and being willing to pray with others...including one's spouse... or in a group setting.  Of course, this very rough summary of Gbola's message reflects his notes and not his actual presentation...I'm sure that I would have included some of his spoken comments had I been able to hear them.  Oh well, the notes were pretty good, and there may be a chance I'll eventually get to watch the sermon if those issues get resolved.  The main thing is that prayer is important and should be approached seriously, intentionally, reverently, and with humility...

The Family Church, located at 2022 SW 122nd Street, holds its Sunday morning services at 9 and 10:30 with the weekly sermon, praise and worship, prayer, discipleship and learning opportunities, and many friendly folks eager to welcome you.  There's a hospitality room where you can get coffee and treats before and between services...I usually make a beeline for it when I first arrive.  Looking forward to this Sunday's service...

7/22 Sermon on Upward Habits, Part 6

At The Family Church here in Gainesville last Sunday, senior pastor Philip Griffin delivered the sixth installment in the ongoing Upward Habits sermon series with the message Relationships of Accountability.  As always, the Bible served as the focus: this day it was Mark 2:1-5, which you can read via Bible Gateway by clicking on it.  The text refers to the time in the ministry of Jesus when he was speaking to many people crowded within a house...a paralyzed man's four friends, faithful about the Lord's healing power but unable to reach him through the crowd, carried their crippled friend to the roof, made a hole, and lowered him through the ceiling.  Jesus was moved and forgave the paralytic of his sins...because of his friends' faith.  The question Pastor Philip posed is "Who do we have to carry us through life?"

So why do we need accountability?  Philip structured his answer around four reasons: because we all need to be loved, carried, strengthened by the faith of others, and healed.  With being loved, we need it even when...no, especially when we are acting in "high-maintenance" mode and are not all that lovable.  Only through God's grace can we change ourselves...that environment of grace enables the kind of Godly fellowship we need.  With the need to be carried, most of us are not physically paralyzed, but our emotional and/or spiritual paralysis cries out for help...we need others to pick us up, as Philip pointed out.  And yes, the faith of others strengthens us...Pastor Philip emphasized...that as we bring others to Jesus we need enough faith to know that he is good and able to heal them.  Finally, we all need healing: our pastor noted that the "easy" healing Jesus performed was the physical one...the spiritual healing through the forgiveness of the paralytic's sins was his more profound healing.  Philip concluded his message by referring to the accountability questions of John Wesley that believers can use as they develop Godly accountability relationships with others...they vary from website to website, but here is one link that most closely imitates the list we were provided: [Wesley Questions]…

The Family Church, at 2022 SW 122nd Street, meets each Sunday morning at 9 and 10:30 for its weekly services.  There is the message, praise and worship music, prayer and discipleship opportunities, a hospitality room with coffee and treats, and a lot of very friendly people.  If you'd like to watch Pastor Philip's message about accountability in its entirety, just click on the following link to the church's YouTube video website: [TFC Videos]...