Sleepiness and Headaches, Probably Medically Induced, Cloud My Day

After attending church with Melissa this morning, we went to a nearby, very noisy Newberry restaurant for breakfast.  The French toast meal was delicious, but with my headaches and drowsiness I found myself in a state of wanting to curl up into a ball and sleep off the next few hours.  The church service itself, although conducted in good taste, was itself an ordeal to get through...I just wanted to sit back in my cushioned chair and close my eyes.  I think tomorrow, along with willing myself into doing some exercise, I'll make a visit to a local coffee shop for some study and, perhaps, writing.  And I'll make a point of studiously avoiding the propaganda TV channels designed to manipulate my feelings according to their biases.  Just keep brewing some coffee and sit at the table...and try to ignore the rain pouring down outside...

Quote of the Week...from Keanu Reeves

It's easy to become very self-critical when you're an actor.  Then you get critiqued by the critics.  Whether you agree with them or not, people are passing judgment on you.

                   ---Keanu Reeves

Although he's been the star of many successful movies by now, I strongly identify Keanu Reeves by his role of Neo, aka "Mister Anderson", in the outstanding and profound Matrix science fiction trilogy. I think he fit that role superbly...I probably should check out other flicks of his.  Not being an actor myself, I won't speak to that specific profession, but rather in a more general sense.  As a simple human being grinding out my own life on this planet at this time and place, I feel that I am continuously under the judgmental gaze of others.  It's disconcerting when I go to a simple men's breakfast at my church and all everyone wants to do is play pecking order games about their respective careers and accomplishments...guess who gets to be at the bottom of the social status totem pole with my steady union job (and what does any of this have to do with Jesus)? But then again, I...and most probably you as well...have had times in my life when I was considered at the top of whatever it was that I was involved with.  During those occasions I discovered that while most people didn't treat me any differently during those periods, there were also those who exaggerated whatever success I had experienced while others would explain it all with comments that I had some kind of unfair advantage. I believe that too many people create prisons for themselves by imagining judgment coming down on them from others if they don't dress, look or speak a certain way or have the "correct" associations.  Like Keanu, I recognize nearly universal judgment going on around me while at the same time deprecating its importance in the grand scheme of things. In truth, that judgment is vastly dwarfed by another social syndrome: being generally ignored and eventually forgotten. And that, I'm afraid, is something which is so much worse that few want to face it head on, although even with all of our social media and instant communication it is the sign of our times...   

Happy Thanksgiving Day to All

In the midst of a stormy time such as this, with the coronavirus pandemic causing so much death, suffering, worry and disruption among us here in America and in the world at large, as well as the seemingly polarized political divisions within our nation, it might seem a little unrealistic to take this day to express our gratitude for the blessings we have.  But it's precisely in such times of turmoil and despair that such an act is most needed to keep us grounded in our faith and values and to be able to continue walking down the straight and narrow path that will lead us through all the difficulties.  I am blessed and thankful for my wonderful wife Melissa as well as our two grown children Will and Rebecca, my sister Anita and her family, my extended relatives, my fantastic job with my amazing coworkers past and present, my church with its compassionate and caring congregation and leadership, my neighbors, and my old school classmates...what a blessing to see so many of them still around and enjoying the best of life!  With my gratitude for the good things in my life I extend it to a sense of hope that the future will contain many more things for which I can give thanks...including the multiple effective vaccines that have been recently developed to eliminate this pestilence from humanity.  So with gratitude comes hope, and a confidence that a much greater hand than we possess is shaping our destinies according to his purposes...

Just Finished Reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Gilead, a 2004 novel by Marilynne Robinson that won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year, came to my attention after Melissa was assigned to read it for her current class.  The title refers to the fictional small Iowa town of Gilead where John Ames, a third-generation Congregationalist pastor, is in his late seventies and, realizing that his remaining time on Earth is running out due to a recently-diagnosed heart ailment, is writing the narrative as a letter to his seven-year-old son.  In it he reminisces about both his father and grandfather, vastly different personalities with diverging views on what it means to be a Christian.  Grandfather Ames is a fiery warrior who takes up arms supporting abolitionist John Brown in Kansas before the Civil War and then serves the Union cause during that conflict, losing one of his eyes in the process.  John's father, on the other hand, has a serious falling out with the grandfather and turns into a staunchly anti-war pastor during World War I, even tempted once to deliver a sermon describing the raging and deadly flu epidemic of the time that was killing so many young men as a blessing from God that would prevent them from going overseas and committing murder as soldiers.  The author also described how life was in this part of the country during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  His older brother Edward, whom he has always looked up to, becomes an atheist and their relationship tests both his own faith as well as that of his father...John Ames is continually examining his own beliefs as to their veracity instead of blindly adhering to a doctrine etched in stone. The narrative continues as John describes his own tragic first marriage when his wife Louisa dies giving birth to his daughter Rachel...who also dies soon thereafter.  Many years later he remarries, to Lila who is much younger than him and who bears their son in 1949...this narrative letter is set in the year 1956.  That's the general background for the story, but the ultimate focus is his relationship with the "black sheep" prodigal son figure of John "Jack" Ames Boughton, son of his longtime friend and Gilead's Presbyterian pastor who had honored him by giving his newborn son his name.  He is suspicious of Jack's motives for hanging around his family and befriending his son and wife...both men know of Jack's past waywardness on many levels and John feels very uncomfortable and defensive around him.  The relationship takes a turn for the worse when Jack begins to intensely question the pastor's Calvinist theology, especially with regard to the concept of predestination...he can come up with no satisfactory response.  I think, with all the text's postulating on different concepts, that it helps the reader to better understand Gilead if he or she has studied theology, been brought up in a religious family, or served in a pastoral capacity in a church...I struggled a lot with it.  But the historical references, along with the issues of conscience, belief, sacrificial love, and grace emphasized in the story made it worthwhile and it merits my recommendation to others.  Still, that theology stuff...do they really have to make it that complicated?

Just Finished Reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

After reading Mark Twain's 1889 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, I thought I'd go back and read some of his other famous works...I just finished reading his 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a book I had begun reading before but never got around to completing.  I vaguely remember watching one of the movie adaptations when I was a kid and knew that the climax has something to do with a cave, but couldn't recall anything else other than the famous con job Tom did on his friends at the beginning to get them to whitewash the fence for him.  Orphaned with his little tattletale brother Sid, Aunt Polly has the task of caring for him...and quite a task it is as Tom is virtually uncontrollable, constantly getting himself in all sorts of trouble.  Read for yourself all the adventures he has with his friends Joe Harper, Huckleberry Finn, and Becky Thatcher, and get a sense of what life was like in early-to-mid-nineteenth century Missouri, then still a slave state with plenty of racial prejudice.  Twain used that "n" word from time to time here in the boys' dialogs...but I believe he was faithfully describing how people spoke back then, not promoting any agenda of his own.  Instead I'd like to touch upon an observation I made while reading this story...

I don't know where the expressions "finders keepers" and "possession is nine tenths of the law" come from, but it is clear in Tom Sawyer that the people in his society were respectful of the notion of property, much more than in today's world.  An example: Tom's church gives out tickets for Bible verse memorization...collect enough of them and they hand you a brand-new Bible.  Now Tom never studied his verses and knows next-to-nothing about the goings-on in the Bible, but he still has his mind set on winning one for his own.  So he goes around to all his friends and trades things for their tickets...one day in church he stands up and turns in enough tickets to get a Bible, to the congregation's astonishment.  Standing in front of everyone, Tom proudly receives his new Bible and is asked to tell them who Jesus's first disciples were.  Hesitating for a moment, he blurts out "David and Goliath!"  Tom's fraud in procuring the tickets having been exposed didn't matter...he possessed them and got the Bible, property rights respected.  Another incident happens at the story's end that affirms this strongly held respect for people's rights of possession, but you can discover that for yourself if you choose to read the book.  The sad, sad twist to all this is that the exaltation of property rights extended even to that of possessing other people...

Well, that's the second book I've read from Mark Twain in the last week or so...think I'm finished?  Not a chance!  I'm about to embark on what's generally considered his masterpiece: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn...

As the New Year Begins

I'd like to wish everyone a happy New Year...the number 2019 doesn't sound anywhere nearly as significant as the next one, 2020, but maybe historical or personal events will make it profoundly important, who knows.  As Neil deGrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist-turned-science popularizer, pointed out this morning, January 1 carries with it no special scientific importance...it's just another day on the calendar, that's all.  But since we're social creatures and collectively view the start of a new year as a beginning...or maybe just a reset...I like to speculate as to how I can change for the better, i.e. to take my life up to a higher level.  So, as do many of you, I listed some things that I feel I can improve upon and will help both me and others around me in the year to come...I'll just keep that list to myself for the time being.  As for what will happen in the news, almost all of it is beyond my control except for how I can adjust in reaction to it.  I can't individually change the political landscape either here in America or the world at large, although I can do my miniscule part by simply expressing my opinions here from time to time and voting when the opportunity presents itself.  Speaking of this blog, I plan to continue writing on a daily basis, although I've recently changed a couple of previously regular items...Tuesdays I used to write about different lists I composed or found and Thursdays I would recap the previous Sunday's sermon at the church I attend.  I've stopped both of these, the lists because the process is too time-consuming and the sermon summaries because one, they were essentially only restatements of someone else's work and not my own creative writing and two, because I was not getting the anticipated feedback and interaction (only 8 people responded from 112 sermon summaries over more than two years).  I still like lists and from time to time will present some, and I still attend and listen to the weekly sermons, which are available through YouTube for anyone to watch in their entirety.  So doing this opens up a couple more days each week...either I'll come up with another weekly theme or I'll just write each day whatever comes to mind...

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...

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