David Richardson

Seeing that I could not be at First Baptist Sebring yesterday, I teamed up with Matt Church to put together a short video greeting for the church family.  This was shown during the Sunday morning worship services on our big screens.

*  Greetings to you and yours on this Memorial Day!

*  Thank you, Veterans of the United States Military, for defending freedom around the world.

*  To all the families who have lost loved ones in the Military:  May you feel God’s comfort and peace today.

*  Lara, the kids, and I will enjoy a nice day together today.

*  As for yesterday at First Baptist Sebring, it was another solid Sunday.

*  Due to it being Memorial Day Weekend, the crowds were smaller, but that didn’t damper the mood and spirit of those who were there.

*  For a few weeks, I had planned on preaching out of Psalm 108 for yesterday’s morning message.  And then things changed drastically over the weekend.  I felt led to preach something entirely different.  So, I did.

*  I preached on “The Three Keys.”  The points were as follows:  [1]  Be Full Of God. Allow God’s Holy Spirit to fill you.  [2]  Be Faithful To God. Regardless of whether others approve or not, walk in His will.  [3]  Be Focused On God. Love God more than you love anything or anyone else.

*  The music at 8:30 and 11:00 was worshipful and well done.  Personally, I enjoyed both morning services.  2 good times of worship.

*  3 people responded during the invitation of the 11:00 service.  I prayed with two ladies.  One of them rededicated her life to God.  That was thrilling!!

*  As for the 6:00 evening service, it also went well.  Again the crowd was small, but the service was a good one.

*  We had about 20 minutes of singing the favorite hymns of those who were there.

*  I preached on avoiding the appearance of evil.

*  Yes, whether we like it or not, perception is reality.

*  A couple of people told me that it is a message that needs to be preached on a Sunday morning…and I agree with them.

*  This will be a busy week with a funeral and a few meetings.  But that’s ok.  I’ve been able to get a lot of rest lately, and I’m feeling well.  I’ll be just fine for what needs to be done this week.

*  Summer Vacation is almost here.  The kids are ready.  So are Lara and I.

Peace to you and yours.

*  Yesterday was a fine Sunday at First Baptist Sebring.

*  We wrapped up our sermon series on “The Resurrected Life,” which was a study through Colossians 3.  The sermon was “A Resurrected Work Ethic.”

*  Yes, God does indeed care about how we work during the week.

*  Our work ethic does say something about our Christianity.

*  Ultimately, we work for GOD, whatever our job may be.

*  Personally, I enjoyed both morning worship services.

*  The 8:30 service had a stripped down “coffee house” style of worship music.  It had an easy-going, intimate feel.  A neat setting for praising God.

*  Also, at 8:30, we had a funny skit.  It had a gameshow format, and it promoted Vacation Bible School.  It added a good touch.

*  The 11:00 service had powerful worship music too, that included one of the coolest versions of “In Christ Alone” that I’ve ever heard anywhere.

*  The evening service was also a special time.

*  We elected five new Deacons.  I think each of these guys will be fine additions to our group of Deacons here at First Baptist.

*  Our new Deacons are David Annett, Mark Cox, Rick Kogelschatz, Dale McMindes, and Charlie Taylor.

*  Also, in the 6:00 pm service, we had some worship music and Bible study.

*  I shared a few more thoughts on the Christian work ethic.

*  Congratulations to my brother, Condy, and his family.  God gave them a new addition last week.  Their baby girl was born on Friday in South Carolina.  Very happy for them.  Below is a picture of Condy with his newborn daughter:

*  Speaking of kids, I had to share this picture with you.  Tim Tebow, former Heisman Tropy winner, recently struck a pose with a kid instead of a football.  It’s pretty cool.  I’ll bet the parents will never forget this.  Check it out:

*  This is going to be a special week for me.  Very excited about it.  I’ll tell you why in just a few days.

*  I know I say this all the time, but it’s just the plain truth:  I love it here in Sebring.  Love the church and the town!

*  Hope you and yours have a great week.

Let His peace rule in your heart…

*  Yesterday was a fantastic Sunday in Sebring!

*  I am blessed to have some Deacons who come by my office every Sunday morning before the 8:30 am worship service for prayer.  That means a great deal to me.

*  Yesterday, another Deacon also stopped by my office for prayer right before the 11:00 am worship service.  Really appreciated that.

*  We had a good sized crowd during the 11:00 am service, and a small crowd at 8:30 am.  That is typical for us.  But I like the idea that God welcomes our worship, regardless of the attendance statistics.

*  We honored the mothers during both services.

*  Instead of handing out flowers, we had them stand and we prayed over them.

*  During the 11:00 am worship service, three sets of parents dedicated their children to the Lord, and pledged to raise their children in Christian homes.

*  I continued our sermon series entitled “The Resurrected Life” out of Colossians 3.  Today focused on verses 18-21.

*  We dealt with:  #1 Resurrected Marriage, and #2 Resurrected Parenthood.

*  I do believe that who we REALLY are is found in how we live at home.  Our home-life speaks volumes about our hearts.

*  We have a God who can resurrect our marriages and our relationships with our children.  If He is powerful enough to raise His dead Son from the grave, then I think it’s safe to assume He is also powerful enough to raise our family relationships out of sinking sand…if we let Him.

*  A lady joined the church at the conclusion of the 11:00 worship service.

*  After church, we hung out with a few friends for a cookout and a swim party.

*  Then we came home, and stayed lazy the rest of the day.

*  I had an awesome nap on the couch…with the tv going and the kids playing.  I don’t think a freight train would have woken me up!

*  This week, I’m going to check on some hurting church members.

*  We are making plans now for our summer fun.  Of course, we’ll be around Sebring a good bit; however, we’ll also travel a little outside the state.

*  Like every week, I’m taking my Monday off.  Then I’ll be back in the thick of First Baptist Sebring action Tuesday through Friday.

*  We are getting very close to unveiling our brand new “Live It!” video.  It is called “Beyond.”  And it’s about a serious matter.  I’m more excited about this one than any of the others we have done.  Any day now, it’ll be posted here on the blog…

*  Here are a couple of links to things I’ve enjoyed watching lately:

[1]  My brother, Wyman, has posted a hilarious video on his blog, and it’s about contemporary worship.  Don’t worry, it’s all in good fun.  But it makes Wyman and me both laugh out loud!  To see it, just click here.

[2]  On Saturday night, I watched one of the coolest and most relaxing songs I’ve seen performed in a long, long time.  I loved it!  After a 90 second introduction, it starts.  If you want to see the video clip of it for yourself, just click here.

*  Peace to you and yours.