Here is “Live It!” number 2. It deals with our response to God’s warnings. Filming this was one cool experience. Just make sure you watch until the very end. To see the other “Live It!”, just go over to the right hand column of this page, and look under “Categories.” Click on “Live It! Video” and it will bring up both of them. For future reference, all the videos will be stored under that category.
* What a terrific weekend. One I will not forget.
* Dad and Mom traveled down from South Carolina on Amtrack. They loved the train ride.
* Yesterday, they watched the kids play Upward Basketball. Then Dad, the girls, and I went to see the movie ‘Avatar.’ We had a great time with them today. They are leaving in the morning . We all have had a fine weekend with them.
* It was a BIG Sunday at First Baptist of Sebring!!
* Good sized crowd at 8:30 service and a massive crowd at 11:00.
* Finished sermon series ‘The Word On Worship’ in the early service. It was entitled ‘Midnight In A Jail Cell’ out of Acts 16. Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten, and locked in the stocks in a jail cell. Yet, at midnight, they were still worshiping God out loud. They focused on their Savior instead of their circumstances…and so should we!
* Worship is not about a momentary escape from your life’s hurts; instead, it is about bringing your life’s hurts to God for comfort and help.
* I’ve greatly enjoyed preaching this sermon series on worship, and I hope it helped the church.
* Enjoyed hanging out with the young adults for a little while during the Sunday School hour.
* They had me sit in a chair in the middle of the room. Then they formed a circle and prayed over me. That meant a great deal!
* At 11:00, the church house was packed out. Biggest crowd I’ve ever seen here. Several hundred people with an electric buzz in the air.
* I gave my 2010 Pastor’s Address. Talked about the God-given vision for this church. Lasted about 45 minutes. Folks seemed to stay engaged. Lots of hugs, tears, prayers, and smiles at the end of it. I loved seeing all those people praying around the stage area at the end of the service.
* I 100 percent am sold out to carrying out GOD’S vision for this church. I am passionate about what we are doing here, and I am excited about the future.
* Revival services begin on Sunday, February 28, and run through Wednesday, March 3. Our guest speaker will be my youngest brother, Dr. Wyman Richardson. Please begin making plans now to attend all of these services. We will provide meals before the weeknight services, and we will offer a nursery for your babies.
* To help our church get ready for this, I will preach on it for 2 weeks. On February 14, I will preach on ‘A Picture Of Revival.’ On February 21, I will preach on ‘Positioning For Revival.’
* A new ‘Live It!’ video will be posted on the blog tomorrow night. It is entitled ‘Beware.’ We had an ultra-cool experience filming it.
* I love doing these videos, and I plan on doing more of them.
* Tonight, I am going to do one thing: chill out with my family. Time for me to rest.
Peace.
Pictured above is a great group of Senior Adults here at First Baptist of Sebring. Kneeling on the front row in the white coat is David Thomas, our Minister of Music and Senior Adults. I am left of him in a blue coat.
We have a large group of Seniors around here in Sebring, and I enjoy their company. They have fascinating stories and rich wisdom. Our church is a blessed by their presence and efforts.
Here are some observations I’ve made on Seniors over my 13 years in pastoral ministry:
[1] Seniors tend to be very reliable. Usually, the church can count on them to show up and lend a hand.
[2] Seniors have a valuable perspective that comes from years of experience. They have gone through things that a lot of us young adults have not. This means they can offer helpful insight.
[3] Seniors want to be valued. They appreciate people giving them time and attention. Even though some of them may not have that youthful vigor they once possessed, they still are human beings that want to be loved and appreciated like the rest of us.
[4] Seniors treasure relationships. Often times, younger folks are tempted to devote all of their time to jobs, money, and activities. Seniors seem to value loving on children, and enjoying friendly conversations with family and friends. Through their example, they teach us to slow down and care about others.
[5] Each day, all of us get one step closer to becoming Senior Adults ourselves. Perhaps we younger people would be wise to treat Seniors the same way we want to be treated when we become Seniors. We will want people to be caring and patient towards us, so shouldn’t we be that way towards them? I think so.
Thanks, Senior Adults, for all that you do! I appreciate you.
Here at First Baptist Church of Sebring, Upward Basketball is a big ministry. This year, we have over 200 kids participating. Lara and I are coaching the 4 year olds. On Saturday I saw this ministry in action for the first time, and was blown away.
Pictured below is me hanging out with our Upward Basketball Director, Robert O’Hearn. He is a great organizer and mobilizer. I’m very impressed with how he is leading this ministry.
Here are some things I really appreciate about Upward Basketball:
[1] Every kid gets introduced over the sound system, and gets to run out onto the court with cool music playing in the background. The player introductions are a blast to watch! The kids and their parents are beaming with pride.
[2] Every kid gets equal playing time.
[3] Every kid gets a word of praise and a small award in the locker room after each game, with his or her parents present to see it.
[4] Every kid hears a devotional weekly from his or her coach.
[5] Every fan hears a devotional weekly during half-times of games.
[6] People from all different walks of life come together for a great time. It is a great time to “mix and mingle” with many people.
In summary, everyone involved gets to experience fun basketball in a positive environment that is ultimately about lifting up the name of Jesus. How great is that?!
Below are just a few pictures we snapped on Saturday.
Emerson and some of his fellow teammates in the locker room before their first game:
A shot of the action on the floor. We have 2 games going at the same time. The game clock is projected onto big screens that hang from the ceiling on both ends of the floor:
Lara (my assistant coach, and ultra-lovely wife) helps the kids on the bench get ready to go back out to the court. I am in the backgroud with another one of our coaches:
Lizzie works the ball on her end of the court:
I am proud of all our coaches and all our players. Also, I appreciate the many, many other volunteers who work hard to make this ministry such a success. May God bless each of our workers for their great efforts!
If you have a gym at your church, and want to use it for ministry, look into Upward Basketball! I highly recommend it. Upward is highly organized and easy to follow. They educate the churches on how to do everything. Just find the right leader who is really passionate about it, and then cut them loose. I can guarantee you this: kids and their parents will love it, and your church will have a golden opportunity to minister to others.
To visit the Upward website, and explore for yourself, just click **HERE**.