In the worship services lately, we've been looking at problematic passages in the Bible. For example, the New Testament says: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."(Matt 5:38-39)...and..."You have heard that ...
Keep ReadingSermon note for this week: This week wewill be examining the commands in Deuteronomy 7:1-2 and talking through "How can a loving God command His people to wipe out a nation, including men, women, and childrenand then in the New Testament tells us to "turnthe other cheek"? ______________*Don't forget that this week is time changeSunday -FALL BACK* ______________Have you e...
Keep ReadingWhat image comes to mind when you think of grace?-Asuper-duper paper towel that can clean all the dirt off of you?-An eraser that has erasedall your sin?-Tweezers that can pluck the tiny imperfections out of you?How can we best picture whatGod has done for us in Jesus?I heard this story a while back and took the time to find itso I could quote it exactly:"An old Indian, af...
Keep ReadingI feel sorry for my kids' teachers today. Last night, Nikki and I stayed up to watch the Rockies/Cubs Wild Card game (and postgame) until after midnight. My kids will be exhausted all day because she was a bad parent and allowed themto stay up until midnight to watch with us, despite my protests to send them to bed at a reasonable hour. (At least that is how I remember ...
Keep ReadingOn a scale of 1 to 10, how well do you"stop and smell the roses"? Our days are generally filled with what we need todo,aren't they?Putout the next fire.Schedulethe next meeting.Gothrough my checklist to see what I have forgotten to do today.Go.Go.Go.We live in a time when there is always more we could be doing. We look around us and the person next to us is going pretty h...
Keep ReadingApologies to all of you who grew up in church for what follows: Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, JerichoJoshua fought the battle of JerichoAnd the walls came a-tumbling downYou may talk about your men of GideonYou may talk about the men of SaulBut there's none like good old JoshuaAt the battle of Jericho.Guess what will be stuck in your head now all day?You a...
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Keep ReadingGod is alive, active, and transforming lives, and we want to celebrate those who have put their faith in Him as they give a public expression of that faith through baptism. (From our doctrinal statement)AtRockland, as established by the authority of the Holy Scriptures, we hold Baptism to be an act of initiation into the Christian Fellowship of one who, by public declarat...
Keep ReadingSuppose you have hired someone to comeover to mow your lawn. You are quite excited because you want to win yard-of-the-month and this young man may be just the answer you need to earn that coveted prize that will make you the envy of everyone in the neighborhood. Fame, fortune, and status will at lastbe yours! You tell him to really take his time, to trim the corners, and...
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