This Sunday, November 4

During the 11:15 a.m. worship

Three Ways to Confuse a Christian

Great article by Brooks Hanes (and not too long either). Just click on the link below.

http://www.theooze.com/articles/article.cfm?id=1890

Worship

You have all heard the phrase, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." In other words, if you don’t risk anything, you won’t gain anything.

To truly live life, you have to take risks. The first step, however, in the process is to define your passion.

Join us, Sunday, as we begin our new series, Life=Risk.

Poll: Atheists Less Likely to "Do Good"

www.crosswalk.com

Is it necessary to believe in God in order to have solid personal values? A new survey seems to answer that question with a "yes."

According to Baptist Press, the survey by a pollster at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, found that adults who profess a belief in God are significantly more likely than atheists to say that forgiveness, patience, generosity and a concern for others are "very important." In fact, the poll found that on 11 of 12 values, there was a double-digit gap between theists and atheists, with theists more likely to label each value "very important."

The survey by sociologist and pollster Reginald Bibby examined the beliefs of 1,600 Canadians, 82 percent who said they believed in "God or a higher power" and 18 percent who said they did not.

Worship

The heavens are telling the glory of God, and their expanse declares the work of His hands. Night after night they remind us of just how small we are, and how huge God is.

Looking out into the far reaches of the universe, we find a seemingly infinite expanse of mystery and wonder, intricately fashioned by a God of unfathomable size and power. Just a glimpse of one of the billions of visible galaxies He has formed resizes us, shrinking us, and the world we call home, to seeming insignificance in an instant.

However, as tiny as we may seem, the God who knows every star by name also knows yours, and mine. And in the most stunning rescue imaginable, God sent His Son to this spinning planet we call home--the Creator reconnecting us to Himself with life that never ends.

Join us, Sunday, on an image-rich journey through the cosmos...allowing us to peer into God's universe to discover the amazing magnitude of His greatness and grace.

Thorn vs. Cross

"Some well-meaning Christians confuse the thorn and the cross. The thorn, to me, is something God puts in our lives that keeps us conscious of our dependence on him. Paul had the thorn; Jacob had the limp. The thorn is a constant reminder, but each day I must make the conscious decision to shoulder the cross and go forward."

~Fred Smith, consulting editor, Leadership magazine

Staying Fresh Against the Weariness of Life

Pat Morley

Weekly Briefing - Man In the Mirror
Volume 236
June 25, 2007

Recently a friend expressed feeling the early stages of being burned out. I can feel his pain, can’t you? I feel like I am always pushing a large boulder up a hill. Budging the boulder forward a few inches consumes enormous effort, but then it easily rolls back a few feet. Why is that?

You believe God called you to your task. You strain and strive with every mental muscle and bodily sinew to answer the call and be faithful. It’s working, but not smoothly. It’s coming, but not quickly. You can’t help but wonder, “Did I misunderstand God’s call? Was it really God speaking to me?” Or, like Solomon, we cry out, “Meaningless, meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” That’s not true just because he said it, of course, but it is hard to stay positive when we have to manage our lives against the Fall. After a while it just wears you down.

How can we stay fresh against the weariness of life?

Read on at: http://www.maninthemirror.org/weeklybriefing/wb0236.htm