Sunday Service

If you selling in your bulletin, I've been thinking about gifts this week and fell as I'd like to I like to give you a little advice about this last week and see Christmas is a week from this coming Wednesday is all right. So that means a week from this coming Tuesday you guys you start shopping for your wives.

Is one in every crowd.

7 years ago

Readers Digest article in and that was based on some research that they did and it's really about that the title of it was what not to buy your wife.

First of all, don't buy anything that plugs in. I'll require or requires electricity. That's just too practical second thing. They said was don't buy clothing that involve sizes.

Chances are 1 in 7,000 that you will buy the right size. And the other 6999 time she'll be upset. Houston You may hurt hear things. Like do I look like a 16? Or it may be. Do you know how long it's been since I wore date? So don't buy stuff with with sizes avoid anything that's used for practical. The new silver polish advertise on the on the TV shopping networks takes hours and hours. Don't buy that who uses silver. Anyway, don't buy anything that involves weight loss for self improvement.

You might think and I've made this mistake you might think jewelry so nice safe. but the jewelry your wife once you came for

and what you can afford she probably don't want.

And don't guys don't fall into that. traditional kind of idea of buying or fancy lingerie

your idea that the kind she would like and the reality of what she wants are two different things. So don't attempt at

finally don't spend too much or too little if you spend too much you'll get What makes you think we can afford that? If you spend too little should never say it, but she's thinking boys. I don't he thinks I'm worth.

So This Is Christmas to you Who's the Black Tower? This is what's the most of mine field fellows. So you had to be you had to be real careful American Express did a survey several years ago as well. Christmas gifts and the warm gift that showed up as the least likely gift that anybody would want.

fruit cake

. Fruit trays at 31% of the votes for the gifts. They don't want it even scored higher on the gifts. People don't want that dough gift at all. So this is the this is dangerous ground. And now you have to be careful about that another part of their Christmas gifts. All right for American Express was what do you do with gifts that you don't really care for? You know that fruitcake. What are you doing? That was a big percentage said they would we give them.

All right. Does long people that's a weird man?

There's a lot of people think that there is only one fruit cake. And it's been passed from person to person all over the world for all these years. I will I do to a funeral Thursday and this particular funeral home business with that when people don't have a pastor whatever I think they called me and then they told me so we put a gift out of the car for when I was leaving in. it's a big ten box, you know, and I thought

after I want to know if you freaking in the first thing that occurred to me was who can I give this to?

Please turn on Winford cake. There was a Danish butter cookies or something and there's 240 of them in this can so freaking bad gifts. And we sometimes struggle with buying the right gift given the right gift in and I think most of us know this time of year. We we doing with the right Spirit, but there's a there's a talent to giving gifts and we don't do that as well as some people some of us don't do it as well as others, but to what God does God gives good gifts. Keep you safe by Swann to go real quickly to Matthew chapter 7. It's going to read three short verses beginning and verse 9 of Matthew 7. Jesus says what man, is there a bug you if your son ask for bread will give him a stone or if he asked for fish wouldn't give him a serpent. If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your your father who is in heaven give good gifts. Cuz I was going to ask you. James chapter 1 verse 7 says that every good gift and every good and perfect gift is from the father above and and I think that's something we need to remember this time of year. We were young. Yeah, we have wishes and wants a we make Mountain Dew or spouses or children or whatever went on our son were well back when he was a little guy. He's thirty-something now, but Windows toy catalogs came, we just passed him right on him and then he'd Circle stuff headed back of his brothers that page and so still the same way, but now we have four grandsons.

Trying to testify for them, but he trained his boys and they send me links to the stuff they want. Produce lilies are there three hundreds of miles away. But I've been thinking about gifts this weekend and want two things. I thought about from that scripture. You know, Jesus is saying you or send when you know it, but you can give good gifts to your children and those in need how much better can our heavenly father do and what do you and I do the spray her father in Oregon this week come tonight. I pray that you would.

Justice with hearing ears and an feeling Hearts, there will come to an understanding of a reminder to very least of all the gifts that you have given us. Lord as we go through this we know there may well be someone here that doesn't know the free gift of God of forgiveness and salvation.

In Jesus, and we just pray that Lord. I pray that you used me to touch someone's heart. I pray Lord that you would annoy me that I could preach at with Clarity with conviction with certain amount of humility Lord. I I Turn to You and I ask that you would help me. I'm not saying that stupid or confusing or out of place. We appreciate this time of year the most of all appreciate you these things. We ask in Jesus name and everybody said amen Center. First of all, Physical gifts that God has given us 2nd Corinthians. 4:7 says it we have this treasure in Earthen vessels that

The experience of the power may be in God and not in US.

Bible tells us in Genesis 2:7 and God formed man from the dust of the Earth. Where made were formed from West. Little girl had come home from Sunday school and set a reminder. She said mom is it true that were made from dust. That's what Sun School teacher said. Mom said, yes, it is, The dust we're going to return is that true little girls are in. Mom said, yeah. I was just in your room and I looked up under the bed and somebody is either,

Mike Holmes from dust. So I guess my point in that is don't get too caught up in who you are. We all have different amounts of of gifts and abilities and and things are we can sometimes choose not to use forgot to talk to you because you're just a pile of dust. You just might be it not for the grace of God and his breathing life into us the Holy Spirit come to the living us when we accepted Jesus as our Lord and savior. You're just an empty shell. So as we go through this Christmas season and these last ten days or so and you know, there's just all kind of gifts being bought and stuff to sell someone once said that I've Christmas hand evolve to the capitalistic Enterprise that it is. We would have had to invent it in order to keep the merchants in business. But I think it's more than that. Play why we give gifts.

What does gifts because of all of God all the gifts out of respect for all the gifts? God has given us think about that baby in the manger baby in the bar.

Why is man we called her by the way at the ER or traditional David the tivity scenes? You got Mary and Joseph and some sheep and a donkey and what have you and then you got three kings and their camels that Jesus was almost 2 years old. Before they got there at night, but they brought him gifts and those really have lots of kids and you try to put that in a budget. You can just tell him three is all weekend was good enough for lord is good enough for you. He gold frankincense. And myrrh. Raise the timer. That's what we try to do with our kids. We try to buy something something. They need something to read and something they want. That's what we do we get three and that's that's all I get is one of them used to tell us you get what you get and don't throw a fit.

And he's the biggest fifth row or that we have. Psalm 139 verse 14 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made can read that and then go back and rationalize that this unborn child is not a person we are fearfully and wonderfully made those of you that are involved in the medical field the more you learn about medicine and about the human body and how it it. It it operates and does if it's mind-blowing and the think that Dad accidentally evolve from some swamp gas. I'm sorry. I'm not buying that. God has created us in his own image and likeness the Bible says There in Genesis 2 he goes on to say that they were made that God created them. It is only two lines. He created them male and female. Amana all of this has developed over the years and that's just not have more faith. to believe and in the end in that fairy that you tend to believe that God created. The heavens and the Earth and God created us from Faith to believe Darwin's theory of evolution that it does the believe in the beginning and that's a gift that God gave us this gift of life and the older I get the more I appreciate it. Most everything still works. It just takes a little longer. But I appreciate. What God has done and for not only me but all of you but whatever Tennessee to take that for granted specially when we were younger We Were Ten Feet Tall and bulletproof. Let me find out we're not like we're Superman and the guy we just smarted off to find out his cologne is Kryptonite. Those are the things that have we appreciate who you are and what opportunities we have. Because I've got all mine because he's office. Ali and wonderfully made Proverbs 18 and 22 says he who finds a wife. Finds favor with the Lord. That's a gift London. I met when we were in junior high school. We got married two years out of high school in this past April celebrate 50 years of marriage. 210 when I married her.

Forgot that sews things for us and then he's giving us all of those things. what little girl had been in Sunday school and they asked her about the what she learned in Sunday school about the creation and she said well first of all God created Adam she said then and she he looked at him and he thought Like if I try again, I can do better. Danny created Eve But anyway, you look at it. This human body is a pretty incredible thing. It's an Incredible Gift how many years have have the Geniuses around the world trying to create computers in an artificial intelligence how many years have they been doing that and their computer still can't match the human system you sing us another one of those gifts that God has given us. God has blessed us in many and various ways. With physical gifts and we all have different ones. We need to be Grateful for that we need to appreciate the things God has given us Proverbs 17:6 before I leave here. I want to mention it says that the crown and price talks about the crown in the pride of family and you know what this time of year. There's a lot of people most of us are going to gather with family sometime in the next week or ten days, but there's some folks out there doing with my fam. Are some out there that for whatever reason, you know, maybe they're their elderly and the funeral is 97 years old. I live most of his friends. I move to his family but pimple like that sometimes about it. If you have a neighbor like I have somebody like that, you know, you will never You never really understand how much it means them for you to just now if I knew doing today. I just thought I'd stop by. Say hi to see how you are. Wish you a Merry Christmas. girls with the gifts Did God has given us and we need to give them back a little bit? Second best physical gift second thing I want to talk about is material gifts. Genesis beginning Genesis chapter 2 verse 9 and going on for several verses talks about all the the fraud in the trees and all the wonderful food that God provided. He provided everything. They needed that have Chick-fil-A. They didn't have a a Burger King or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Anybody that and we have to sign a bond and some food? In this country in the end of other Western countries were not the only one but won't throw away enough food to feed the population of a small nation. You know and it's an ambulance ever worked in the restaurant business. You see the amount of food that we throw away part of it is ice weak. We don't think we're full until we're so far work in early May. And so they've got their where the portions are bigger and so on so forth. When did we waste turn off? I'm just throwing that out to think about all the blessings that God has given us. I just finished reading a book about state of Texas and buy from Texas and I have relatives that live in, Texas. Directions are native Texans. They are different people.

They are paid the most members that are native Texans. They believe that all of the United States. It's a suburb of Dallas. And that's true what they think Adnan and they think that they have all the answers. I worked at a company in and we had a guy that called on us periodically and he come out once every couple of months and it's great big tall Texas guys about 6 for a couple hundred pounds and he come in in the office and he's okay. He's alright Bubba's here. who founded that's who I texted are the history of Texas you find out why just the way they they they bet that that natural what happened out of Texas to their will they just refuse to be dominated or to lose if you will to the land of the nature not on not to mention the comanch isn't all the other stuff, but they are really unusual people. But God has gifted all of us, but certain things and God has given us a lot of material blessings. talked about the store did God created You go to Psalm 23. I think I preached on Psalm 23 or $12 won Thursday night Psalm 23 in the English is 118 words. 17 of them our first personal pronounce. I'm a remind. The Lord is my shepherd. He leads me beside Still Waters. David reflecting back on his life is a shepherd. And then he he he made the connection between what he had to do for his sheep and what God does for him us if you will and so because of that he that's how he wrote that I don't believe you was an old man. I believe he was a experienced man. I believe he was a man of experience. I believe that it was sometime maybe during his when he was still can and he thought back on his life. Go to 23rd song and look at all the things that God does for you leads me beside the Still Waters. Lesbian the shipper so dumb. They can't even find her own pastureland. Don't stay in the same place and the idiot and even needed to run and then die cuz they can't find anymore. It's kind of an insult when God calls out Drake. from a moving stream

Social Security go long as you'll get some relaxing and tree trunks whatever damn up a little bit of the strain so that she can come and eat and davis-bacon that parallel the best Hussein coming to that. That's who we got treats us. God gives us all those he got cares about us. He cares we got water he cares if we got food. Matthew 6 verse 25 I called this portion scripture this stuff cuz it said don't worry about what you need. What you been where we're going to live all these things a father knows that you have needed. Don't worry about that stuff. He says seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all this stuff will be taken care of a lot of stuff in America. You know you drive down I 129 you see all those big houses or after Westchester and all of that stuff Liberty Township and how I do it doesn't always mean if there's big play the basement and all this time. I've been there awhile been there 4 5 6 7 8 10 years it up in the backyard.

dreads how to Commercial and it's Cheryl she shed caught on fire. Where did you know where were you while we have some s***? Cuz we got so much stuff. You won't flipagrams in the basement anymore. So we go get a shed and put more stuff in it when I kiss for don't go down somewhere and we're almost 8 by 10 or 10 by 12 or whatever. We can afford, you know, a little concrete block building with a garage door and a lock on my floor for stuff. We got Steelers. And then you got to know you got all those places filled up right now, so don't worry. I got all this stuff, right? 1 people coming by your stuff and take it to their house when I get tired of it being in more stuff from over the yard sale and sell it back to you.

I got stuff man. And God has blessed us with America. But those of us who were on the lower rungs in America our way up here on the upper arms on a world scale. And then sometimes we forget that and we forget that God has blessed us and all the stuff that we have. Are you still being morning? Ohio you could have been born in Ethiopia or some emerging Nation. Tell me about the grace of God that we're here by the grace of God that we were allowed to be born and what all Blues greatest nation in the history of the world. Everything the political scientists look at and right they say you can I have a Democratic Republic with a capitalist. system trampoline Walmart

but what is it two hundred plus years Americans worked and Sprite all the find a nice word.

In spite of all the idiocy that's going on in Washington DC America Will Survive America Will Survive.

Buck's outboard same thing about Kim Russo Church I believe that this is of God. I believe is ordained of God God planted that I did. Chris is spirit and Chris is held. Hundred and held true truth and God's got big plans for us.

I believe we're going to be a successful Church having successful Ministry in and around the city of Hammond will be for 5,000 a don't know and I don't really care a successful church can be a hundred. I can be 200. It can be 50 but a successful church is the church is focused on God focused on his word following his word and tried to reach out to him.

And that's what we're going to do not believe that's what God has called us to do.

John chapter 6 is the story of feeding the 5000. Jesus Took fishes and Loaves a boy's lunch and turn that into enough to feed 5,000 people. That's amazing.

How God can do anything kolander stood that Tulsa and Philippians 4:19, but my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.

How large do stand stand fast on that promise? God will take care of us while we consider difficult times in other parts of the world Brandy upper class. I will get through that stuff. We hold on the Road God told us. I read about the I read about a guy that took his wife to

the court to divorce court because of her.

Spending habits. I spend most of it on clothes. her wardrobe included 106 blouses 92 pair of slacks 87 necklaces 81 pairs of shoes. I understand that.

62 pant suit pant suits MoonFish with Hillary Clinton

Total War evening dresses 60 purses 23 robes 23 nightgowns 55 body shirts 47 slip over 39 sweaters 36 bracelets 37-25 halter tops and 10 watches. That's a lot of stuff. My point is have you looked in your closet lately?

my wife gets on me cuz I'm I buy shoes.

I have the number of pairs of gym shoes and I have other shoes and several years ago. I started collecting these troubles every snake.

We we found out that. shopping for grandsons temperatures big deal with them temperatures about as expensive as because our brood status and they had that would render can one we're looking one person is one of our boys like and Selena went online to see if we can find cheaper. We we we we had them on sale 59.99. We wanted to find something more reasonable went online and found the exact same to you. Who was $170?

That's what I said. There are so I can almost buy a pair of cowboy boots for that was just for a fifth grader write for 5th grade on sale 59.99 we bought them in a hurry.

God has blessed us with these. wonderful material gifts I heard you two to look in your closet when you get home, then go to the kitchen and look in the pantry. Too much in there.

Comparatively to other parts of the world. It's a bunch. So I guess his physical gifts. He's given his material gifts last of all and certainly not least. He gives us has given us spiritual gifts. He's giving us the Bible Psalm 119, which is the longest single chapter in the Bible. The writer says that word Lord. Have I hidden in my heart in order that I might not sin against you. God gave us this Bible.

consists of 66 books 1189 chapters is written by 40 different authors over the course of hundreds of years. These authors came from all different walks of life and yet all of that is written without air or contradiction. what an amazing gift now, I know we've got different versions of the Bible when we have of the King James Bible, which is Good As It Gets we don't speak in The King's English anymore like Black people who do that and we've got Chris was he a SP? That's what the Young Folks. I I personally use the new King James I do that for a lot of reasons. I like the scholarship that went into it and what they did for me versus the King James Bible is the day I did away with a disease in the thousand words. We don't use anymore and then they they contemporized a the punctuation where we were, that's where they have a common out. If you're reading the writings of Paul, there's two there's there's some verses that are 9 10 12 vs long and it's one sentence. If you don't have commas and stuff, it's hard to keep track and everything. They did that. I like cuz my little pea brain works better this way. If if inverse one it says Jesus and 11 verses later. It says he Is that he refers to Jesus? It's capitalized and makes it easier for me to keep track in the fall alone. But God gave us this work and through all the centuries since it's been written for over 2000 years. People try to deny it people have tried to be Little People tried to change it people try to Market and yet it has the beating of every heretical heretical Hammer. That's ever coming is I gave us the Bible Psalm 119 verse 105. Your word Lord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my wife Psalm 119 longest chapter in the Bible is all about the importance of God's work cuz of his word it cause it to three other things but it is about the Bible. John 17 verse 17 is what we call the high Priestly prayer of Jesus. And it is the place where Jesus is praying for his disciples and a man who will leave as a result of their Ministry. That is me and you and he says their father is asking him to bless all of those down that line from the current Apostles forward and he says Lord father your word is truth. I don't understand people today. It don't want that. They don't have any. directional guide for their lives that means I can lift his anywhere they want Why they can't see the Jesus in his book why I can't see God in this book. I don't get it. But he says this is truth and by that he made this is what is exactly right and fair and just and true.

This is how you should live your life. If this book, you know, what that's how I got to be Southern Baptist back in 2000 when it came out with the Baptist faith and message 2000 Century. They said that we are going to be people of the book it the book says to do this. We're going to try our best to do it. The book says that this is wrong. Try our best to avoid we're going to be people of the book.

I want to be a person of the book. This is where we find truth. This is where we find encouragement. So I gave us the Bible and he also gave us.

One another the brother and there is the Bible by the way 2nd Timothy 3:16 says that it's all given. Play inspiration of God and it is suitable. for Doctrine for reproof for correction Unto righteousness that the man of God might be thoroughly equipped unto every good work. God gave us this book and it gave us one another. 527 tells us that the church. Is God's bride and he wants us to be prepared and to be without spot or wrinkle Matthew. 16:18 is where Jesus? Pretty much revealed that he was going to establish his church scripture starts and it says that they just came out of another area and and Jesus said to his disciples a guys. Some people say that I am. And I said well something is John the Baptist and some say you're one of the prophets Jeremiah or somebody or one of the prophets. And I can say that I'm walking along the road having this discussion and in Jesus stop and look at them. He's but who do you say that? I?

And then we know what happened over here. Always first one to speak up sometimes, you know, he did his mouth run for his brain completely in gear. Marty said the Christ the son of the Living God. And Jesus said wow, he said beer. You didn't figure that out on yourself all by yourself. God has given you that my father in Heaven has implanted and then he went on to say that thou art Peter which is it has a derivative of the word Petros, which means of pebble a small little tiny Rock Rocky that were the pillow but Upon This Rock and went out and that second Rock. He uses the word Petra which means a limestone Foundation or huge piece of rock. He said down little Pebble for the promise foundation on rock of faith. I would build my church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against

Jesus said it I believe it. I don't know what Jesus said it. I believe it or not. It's over cuz he said it and it is true.

What's our church would be glorious without spot and wrinkle ax2, which is really need Scripture.

A verse 46 that talks about being in one Accord now, we're going to have differences of opinion about some things. but the critical things who Jesus was And what he did?

we're not divided on those important things and we can't let little insignificant secondary issue divided us happens all the time. In fact, I would almost say that that's been the Baptist way of playing.

Some people get mad and leave starting out there. I just where it happens and that's not what God wants us to do.

I read a story about it. Preacher that was kind of a traveling preacher and he he went to a couple of different churches on a circuit and his car broke down and walked on up the road new finally found a little in and went in there and talk to a guy there and he survival said they send somebody out to look at your car. anime saguaro cactus have a sandwich and and wait till I get here and took us by one's going over his notes and stuff and guy sitting close to him over another table. He said what you some kind of preacher son. He said, well you have as a matter fact. I am I a preacher every so often at Caruso Baptist. And he said yeah, he should remember that church. And he said that you know, I've been I've been preaching there once a month for about the last year-and-a-half and I don't recall ever seeing you there. And he said while I said, I was a member I didn't say I was a fanatic.

Important is a church has a divine blessing from God. You know to deal with our world today, you really can't do it on your own. You know you cheer you need one another if you need to you need Church.

And that's where you are. We getting ready to close here. Isaiah 65 says It shall come to pass that before they call. I will answer and while they are still speaking. I won't hear. That's an amazing piece of scripture. I came across this story. Total years ago and I've kept it in my file, but it said that I was young man who was preparing for Christian service and can he really was?

alimony It is prayer time. I asked the Lord to help him and if I owned a he got a large check in the mail that enabled him to continue his studies. Turn course he was happy about that. 30 happened to look at the date. Honor the check and the postmark on the leather. Has it been written and mailed? Days before his prayer. He was shocked.

3000 years earlier Isaiah wrote

It shall come to pass that before they call. I will answer and while they are still speaking. I will hear. It says God's Amazing Grace.

from an amazing God the plus Is Us. and often before we even realize

everything you need to be grateful for you be grateful for you sound like I have been. And will be eternally grateful.

For guy that I met in February of 1972. For the next eight years two or three times a week you invite me to church. I teaching evangelism class. He didn't know anything about evangelism early the invite to the Lord for what he knew was if he could get me to his church. He knew his Pastor would preach the gospel and I would have an opportunity to get saved.

on Sunday night in February of 1980 8 years later, I went to the old and gave my heart and life to Christ. All I will always be grateful to him. Exposing me that I need to go away. Sometimes we work together other times he was on one side of town. I was on the other hand. He call me to three times a week.

Invite me to church. finally went and it took a couple 3 months before I came to an understanding. The Salvation was nothing in there was nothing I could do. I've grown up like Chris sin in Catholicism, and it was all about, you know, the routine the system the church and I never knew I knew all about Jesus. I did. I know all the history on dubawnt. I knew about Good Friday and Resurrection Sandhu all my stuff, but I never knew that I could and secondly that I needed to know Jesus as my personal savior.

And what?

What do you like metabolize?

We need to be grateful for that and this time of year is a good time to be great. Cuz you you think about all the stuff. Go where you go home and I look at that phone. Close it and look at your pantry. I know I have talked to people from different parts of the world. They come here in one of the things I almost always they say they just can't believe when they go in the grocery store and how much stop

how many how many different kinds of bread can you buy?

It's all about the same time difference between his breath. How many different kinds of cookies can you buy? Why was caretaker sweets. Cool different kinds of ice cream are there.

America and I've had people that for in their fifties lived in other parts of the world just

choke We're lullaby on stew. Why are you giving gifts? Think about the gift. God has already given you. He's giving you physical gifts material gifts and spiritual gifts. If you have not taking advantage of his spiritual gifts. It's really easy. Jesus said come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am making love. He said come unto me every time I hear that song. I can see you then. Come on.

If you've never made a personal profession of faith in Christ, he's giving you all the gifts that are necessary to bring that about. How about tonight? You accept this gift. Kevin, it's an invitation.

We appreciate you and I know there's people here Lord that.

You need to draw closer to you. Uber or who have never given a hard life to you We pray this my fidget time. Love him Lord hug kiss hug their neck and hand drawn to you. in Jesus name I pray amen if God is speaking to you if you

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