Monday, April 21, 2008

The Lord's Provision

As Liz and I look back over the past few months, we cannot help but thank the Lord for His provisions. In January, we spent a great 3 days with Faith Bible Church in Naples, FL. They were very kind and hospitable toward us during the missions conference and sent us away with a significant love offering which enabled us to purchase a Dell Inspiron 1720 to replace our aging laptop. The Dell has already proven to be much better at displaying our mission presentation.

The Lord has also used family members to help us along the way. Chuck and Alice Mann (Liz's parents) donated a 1997 Chevy Lumina with low mileage for us to use on deputation. We have enjoyed the reliability and the comfort of this car on several trips to different churches already.

Another blessing was the gift of a printer/copier/scanner by Rick and Brenda Cole (Michael's parents). This machine produces better quality prints than our old printer at a much more rapid rate.

We cannot adequately express our thanks to the Lord and His people for their generous care for us. Our desire for posting this information is that many will give thanks to God for the gifts He has provided through other Christians.

Monday, April 14, 2008

April 13 at Toxaway Baptist

Liz and I had a great time with the people of Toxaway Baptist church (Westminster, S.C.) this past weekend. I met their pastor, Chris Connally, at a "BAD DOG" meeting this past February. I should explain that "BADDOG" means "Brothers always discussing doctrines of grace," referring to three pastors who meet together regularly for fellowship and encouragement.
Liz and I found that the Westminster area is beautiful. When we arrived, we found an attractive building with a beautiful group of brothers and sisters. In the photo below, the smaller, detached, white building behind the sanctuary is the original building which was built in the latter half of the 1800s.


In spite of a slight delay because of a road detour not noted on Map Quest, Liz and I arrived only a few minutes before SS began. Liz gave her testimony in the SS right before I told the church about our mission. The people were very attentive and asked good questions following the presentation. Chris also allowed me to preach in the morning and evening services. In the AM service I preached from Matthew 11:28ff on the essence of the gospel. That night I preached on how Christians should carry out their evangelistic mission in a hostile culture in light of the letter to Titus. I found that this group of believers was easy to preach to because they desired to hear what God says.





The people at Toxaway treated us like royalty. They were friendly and welcoming to us. Chris and his family took us out to eat for lunch and then allowed us to stay in the church's fellowship hall. He and his wife had stocked the hall with snacks and drinks and told us to make ourselves at home. We are very grateful for their hospitality and thank God for the generosity of his people. Below is a photo of Liz talking with a new found friend. Liz and the ladies really hit it off. (I liked the men as well!) The last photo is of Brother Chris and his family. Again, Liz and I extend a big thank you to the Connallys and the people of Toxaway Baptist Church.












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Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Stamp Creek Baptist Church

This past weekend, April 5, I led a Bible study on the role of men in the home for the men of Stamp Creek Baptist Church in Salem, S.C. Approximately 12 men gathered early on a rainy Saturday morning and enjoyed a good time of fellowship around good food and the Bible. The men responded well to the teaching and we enjoyed time together following the study. Shawn Bateman (pastor) and I then went to pay a visit to a Christian man in the hospital.





Liz, Viviane, and I had previously visited Stamp Creek on March 2. I work with the pastor, Shawn Bateman, at UPS. He graciously invited us to present our work in France to his church. Liz and I gave our testimonies in the SS hour, and I preached from 2 Corinthians 5 in the morning service. Following the morning service, we enjoyed a delicious meal with the church in their fellowship hall.








This provided us opportunities to meet with the church members in a more relaxed setting. We truly enjoyed getting to know these folks. Following the meal I presented our mission to France and preached from Romans 1:5 on the ultimate goal and motivation for foreign missions: Christ's glory.

Liz and I enjoyed our Sunday meeting with Stamp Creek and I enjoyed the Bible study and breakfast this past Saturday. We look forward to a continued relationship with this nice group of brothers and sisters, and trust that God will bless their efforts in the Salem area.

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