So here we go, taking another step and pursuing God's will for our lives...
My sermon is prepared along with a couple other devotionals if I am called on to give some extra lessons. The "This Is Your Life" slideshow is put together and I forced myself to limit the photos of Evan and Andrew. The lawn is mowed and weed whipped and the garden and berry patches are picked until we return. We are packing clothes for the wedding in Chicago and the weekend with Oglesby Union Church and tomorrow we will put together our food cooler.
I am a researcher so here are some photos I dug up on the internet of the church long ago. I think this first picture is from 1904.
This next one shows the addition added on and a little more decor, maybe in the 30's...
This last one is how it looks today with the spire moved and a new sanctuary added to the front of the existing building in the 50's...with a brick facade now.
Here is a more recent picture of the front entrance to the newer sanctuary.
It is very interesting to see how the structure and facade have changed over the years.
We would ask for your prayers as we travel. We are thankful for our vehicle, that 2003 Saturn Vue which now shows 266,000 miles, but we don't take it for granted. Along with regular maintenance, it also gets regular prayer, especially on a trips like this.
1 Peter 4:4 jumped out at me in my study this week for next Sunday's sermon in Gaylord. It says, "In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;..." So true to life. There is to be a dramatic change when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. You keep running but you are running in a different direction (toward God and not away from Him) and therefore it puts you running with a different crowd (the ones running toward God). The old crowd is surprised and doesn't understand and sometimes will categorize you or put you in the holy box but it should not be a surprise to us. Scripture again tells us ahead of time of what happens in real life. Those old friends will never get closer to God if you keep running with them and doing the things they do, maybe trying to be a "just a little better version" than them. They have a better chance if you start running toward God and they observe a genuine love that you have for God and for others. It may take awhile, maybe your whole life, but sometimes God allows us to see others that we used to run with start running with us toward God.
Adam
I am a researcher so here are some photos I dug up on the internet of the church long ago. I think this first picture is from 1904.
This next one shows the addition added on and a little more decor, maybe in the 30's...
This last one is how it looks today with the spire moved and a new sanctuary added to the front of the existing building in the 50's...with a brick facade now.
Here is a more recent picture of the front entrance to the newer sanctuary.
It is very interesting to see how the structure and facade have changed over the years.
We would ask for your prayers as we travel. We are thankful for our vehicle, that 2003 Saturn Vue which now shows 266,000 miles, but we don't take it for granted. Along with regular maintenance, it also gets regular prayer, especially on a trips like this.
1 Peter 4:4 jumped out at me in my study this week for next Sunday's sermon in Gaylord. It says, "In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;..." So true to life. There is to be a dramatic change when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. You keep running but you are running in a different direction (toward God and not away from Him) and therefore it puts you running with a different crowd (the ones running toward God). The old crowd is surprised and doesn't understand and sometimes will categorize you or put you in the holy box but it should not be a surprise to us. Scripture again tells us ahead of time of what happens in real life. Those old friends will never get closer to God if you keep running with them and doing the things they do, maybe trying to be a "just a little better version" than them. They have a better chance if you start running toward God and they observe a genuine love that you have for God and for others. It may take awhile, maybe your whole life, but sometimes God allows us to see others that we used to run with start running with us toward God.
Adam
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