Away From Home

I had to borrow the Hillers' computer to post this. We spent the night at their house last night. Yesterday, a bunch of people from chuch showed up to help clean up our house. It now has a fresh paint job and new shingles. The grass and the trees could look better, but you can't make out the words that Ben sprayed on them anymore. Dad's truck still needs to be repainted. Anyway, after we got done, we all went to eat together. We were gone for a couple of hours and when we got back we walked in the front door and there was this horrible smell in the house. We found what was causing it in my room. There was a huge pile of cow manure on my bed. It wasn't the nice dry stuff that comes in a bag either. It was the black gooy stuff the you find in th pasture. We are pretty sure that Ben and Tina did this. Dad says he is going to spread it on the yard.

Bro. Wayne came over to help us clean it up and then offered to let us stay at their house until we can get rid of the smell. Mom is worried, but I think it is just proof that I'm finally getting to Ben. So the verse of the day (week?) is Acts 5:41, "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name."

You Should See the House

I told people that I would post pictures of what Ben did last night, but Bro. Wayne says he doesn't think they are appropriate for a church blog. I decided to post one non-offensive image. The rest of our yard, the house and Dad's truck have a other words spraypainted on them too.

Bro. Wayne thinks I'm crazy, but I think its a sign that I'm getting to Ben. I think he is under conviction or he wouldn't have done this.

What if we all did what was right?

Just imagine if people all did what is right. One of the big problems with the movie, recording, publishing and software industries is that people copy things without permission. When this happens, the creative people who produce the entertainment we enjoy do not receive payment for their work. To counteract this problem, restrictions are built into the digital media that is used for transmitting these products to paying customers. Imagine if a person could simply tell people the rules concerning his work and people would abide by those rules.

Think about it. A musician could offer his music freely on his website with the statement that anyone who wants it must pay him for it. Perhaps he could tell them that they may listen to any of his work once, but if they want to listen to it more than that then they will have to pay him. There would be no more thirty-second preview, but rather people could listen to the whole song before making a decision. Stock photo sites would not need to add a watermark to their pictures. If someone used the photo then they would simply pay for it.

Is that a world that you would like to see? Would you like to be able to examine intellectual property before you decide to buy? Would you like to examine a book online before making a purchase? We may never see that world, but we can move in that direction. Do you abide by the rules set by the content creators? If you do not then you are adding to the problem. Are you cheating people out of the money they deserve for their efforts? You cannot control what other people do, but you can control your own actions. If may be that you do not think that the content is worth the amount of money the owner is requesting. Perhaps it is not, but that does not give you the right to copy it without paying. If you don’t like the price then don’t use it. The choice is up to you, no one else.

Bumble Bee's a Grand Mother

Talk about a big shock! I went to church this morning and thought it was going to be as boring as usual, but when I got to class we had a visitor. I didn't even know that Bumble Bee had any children.

Prayer Boring? I Don't Think So.

Rachel Hauck says that she most often hears people describe prayer as boring. Well I never do and I have never heard anyone describe it that way. I have to wonder what kind of person would think that prayer is boring. Prayer isn’t boring. You try waking up with a train on top of you after praying and see if you think prayer is boring.

So maybe most people don’t end up in a train wreck, but I still don’t see how prayer can be boring. I’ve heard some boring prayers. I once heard a guy pray for ten minutes. That was boring, but when I pray it isn’t boring. What can be boring about talking to God? That’s all prayer is. Does it bore you when spend time talking to your friends? I know that I am never bored with talking my friends. If I get bored with a subject I change the subject. If you are talking to God and it is boring you then change the subject, it is probably boring him too.

God is our heavenly father. He cares for us. He wants to know what is important to us. If we are bored with what we are telling him or what we are asking of him then it probably isn’t important to us. Instead of talking about stuff that isn’t important, talk about the things that are.

Under His Wings, Behind His Shield

I want to talk about Psalm 91:4 for a moment. It says, "He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." Isn't it such a wonderful picture? It is the picture of a hen calling to her chicks and shielding them under her wings. But why must a chick hide under his mother's wing? Chicks don't like to hide under their mother's wing. They want to be out running around, eating bugs and learning new things, but when there is danger, she calls to them and they run to safety. The song says, "under his wings I am safely abiding." As much as I love the old song, I don't think we are intended to stay under his wings. His wings are a place of refuge when the dangers are more than we can handle. But he verse continues and says, "His truth shall be thy shield and buckler." A shield is a big heavy thing that is intended to protect against things like arrows, stones, or dead animals flying through the air. The buckler was used more in hand to hand combat. It was much smaller, held in the hand and was used to deflect the blow of a sword. I was also used as a second weapon.

The verse implies that we will do more than hide within his protection, we are called to go out and fight. As we go, we have something to protect us. What is it? The truth of the Lord. As we go out into the world, we are going to be facing the enemy. It won't be arrows or a sword that will be coming at us. The fight we face is one of words and ideas. People have many ideas that they believe to be true. They will be throwing them out there, trying to convince us that they are correct. They may become angry and accuse us when we disagree. If we do not have protection then we may be sucked into their lies. The truth is what will protect us. It will shield us from evil. There are many religious beliefs out there and many of them seem very logical. If we go on logic alone, we will lose the fight, but when we compare the beliefs of the world with the truth of God then we will not be taken in.

Where do you find God's truth? In the Bible. Look to the Bible for guidance. Study it and use it to help you determine whether a preacher is telling the truth or lying. Be like the people of Berea who we see in Acts 17:10, 11 "received the Word with allreadiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so." Don't take mine or anyone else's word for it, search the scriptures and see if what we say is correct.

Something Died

When we got to church this morning, there was this awful smell in the foyer. Something died in there and I'm pretty sure that it was the rat that Bro. Wayne was trying to catch. When we covered up all of the holes, it probably got trapped in the wall and died. Some of the smell was in the auditorium, but it wasn't so bad up front.

Are They Gone?

Tonight, at church, I told Bro. Wayne that the rats would proably eat the candy that the kids were dropping everywhere. He said he hasn't seen any more droppings and there are no new holes. He said that he would put the trapps out at least one more time just in case.

A Long Day

I don't have anything to say about the youth. I just got back from a day of working at church helping Bro. Wayne patch holes. We were trying to keep the rats from getting in.

Youth gathering rescheduled

Bro. Wayne says that he wants the youth group to meet Sunday afternoon at 2:00 instead of after the evening service. He has been putting out traps to catch the rat and he doesn't want to be at church too late doing it. I told him that he should just leave them out, but he said a kid might get hurt if he did.

Something I Wish I Could Have Seen

Some people have all the fun. Yesterday, at church, Kim Fraiser was telling about something that happened last week. She said that she was sitting in her office and when she saw a rat run in. She really hates rats, so she ran out. She said she nearly ran into Bro. Wayne. He had a big book in his hands and was trying to kill the rat with it. She said he knocked over a bunch of stuff trying to get to it, but the rat ran back out of her office. Bro. Wayne chased it down the hall. Kim and the rest of the staff ran after him. She said that he rat ran under that door of the women's restroom. Bro. Wayne yelled, "I'm coming in!" before he barged through the door. He didn't find the rat. I wish I could have been there to see him running after the rat, trying to kill it.

23 People

We had 23 people from our church attend the youth meeting last night. It was more than any other church and we got to bring home the high attendence banner, but I was disappointed. I thought we would have at least fifty. There were several people who said that they would be there and they didn't show up. Well, just for that, I'm not going to tell them why we drew funny faces on plastic bags and put sunglasses on them. (Actually, it was kind of corny, but I'm not going to tell you anyway.)

It will be our turn to have the meeting in two months. We need to come up with a better program than that.

Youth Meeting

Don't forget about the associational youth meeting at the Lemon Tree Lane Baptist Church tomorrow. It begins at 7:30 PM. We missed last months meeting. My excuse for that is that I am new on the job and I didn't know about it. I don't have that excuse this month. The church is just on the other side of town, but if you need a ride let me know. Also, remember to bring sunglasses and a plastic sack. I don't know what they are for, but the church has something planned. It sounds like fun.

Demons Among Us

Without naming any names, let me just say that I had quite an experience last night. My family and I went to visit a young man in his home. We got there and his mother was about a drink short of being inebriated. She went and called the young man out of his room. I heard her tell him to put is clothes on and he came out with only his jeans on. His girlfriend came out a few minutes later.

We talked to him about salvation, but he wasn't interested. I can't really say that they are demons, but I can't imagine that having the parents he does and the girlfriend that he does is helping this young man. It is almost like Satan is sending his demons out to keep this young man in his fold.

Some of you will guess who this young man is. If you do, please lift him up in your prayers.

May the Lord bless you richly,
Bro. Wayne

We're Not Buying a Microwave

I would like to say that there are no plans to set up a youth only kitchen as some people seem to think. I taught the High School Sunday School class this morning and I used a microwave for part of the lesson. The microwave I used is one that came from home and it's now back on the counter. Bro. Wayne didn't spend any money for it. I just wanted to demonstrate what a grain of sand can do.

We Have a Blog

Neal has just informed me that we have a blog and encouraged me to post here from time to time. It sounds like a great idea to me, so I will try to do that.

I want to say that we have a great group of kids at First Baptist. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of kids. I'm still trying to learn all the names, but I'm getting there.

I want to thank Neal for teaching for me last Sunday. Since I ended up preaching both services, it was a great help and he did an excellent job. I'll have to ask him again some time.

Some of you know that I plan on having some kind of youth function at least once a month. Next month, at Neal's suggestion, we are going to the science center in Saint Louis. If you have suggestions about other things that we can do together, I would love to hear them.

Youth Pizza Party!!!

Bro. Hiller called Mom a few minutes ago. He says that he needs pizzas for Sunday night. That means that I'll be working Sunday afternoon. That takes part of the fun out of it, but at least Neal can stop worrying. Bro. Hiller said that he wants the youth to get together at least once a month.

Way to go Neal!

This is my first post. Neal asked several of us to post to this blog. I said I would, but it isn’t as easy as he said it would be. I’m using one of the computers at church, since Mom pawned the one at home again. I wouldn’t be posting at all but I’m afraid that Neal write another boring post about what he did tonight.

We had a business meeting. You know how they go. It was pretty much normal until Bro. James asked for new business. Neal stood up and waved both arms. “I have got something,” he said. “I want to make a motion that we ask Bro. Hiller to take on the responsibilities of the youth ministry.”

Bro. James looked kind of surprised and said, “I guess we could do that. Do we have a second?”

No one said anything and then Neal’s Dad said, “I’ll second it.”

It seemed like a simple enough thing, but people had to discuss it. It seemed like there were a lot of people against it. They couldn’t decide if Bro. Hiller would be willing to do it or how much they would pay him. They didn’t know if they should pay him a full-time youth minister’s salary or a full-time associate pastor’s salary.

They finally decided that they would have to pay him twice what they had planned to pay him as a half-time associate pastor. Then after all that discussion, the motion passed unanimously. It seems like a waste of time to get there, but it looks like we are going to have a youth minister again.

There, Neal, I’ve posted something. You can quit bugging me about it now.

Ben Hartline

Most of you have heard me mention this before. Some of you are tired of hearing about it, but I'm going to mention it anyway. Ben Hartline needs your prayers. I know he isn't saved and he doesn't want anything to do with salvation. I saw Lawrence come home a few minutes ago. He ran over the trash bin when he pulled in the driveway. The trash truck hasn't run yet, so there trash all over the street. Lawrence is out there trying to chase it all down, but he is too drunk to catch much of it. He is starting to get angry, so things probably won't be very good when he goes inside.

New Associate Pastor

Dad just got back from a meeting at church. He said that Wayne Hiller has agreed to come and be our associate pastor. He won't be here until the last part of August. I still haven't heard anything about what they are planning on doing with the youth group.

I think we should have get together of some kind. Does anyone have any ideas?

Another Resignation

We are officially without a youth minister again. For those of you who weren't there, our youth minister resigned tonight. I think he got a job in Saint Louis. No one else seemed to be all that upset about it. I think it is a rotten deal. He didn't give us any warning. He didn't consider that we might need time to find a replacement. He just got up after the sermon and said that he was resigning. It wasn't even in our regular business meeting. We had to go into a special called meeting to accept his resignation. Someone made a motion that we accept is. I don't think Bro. James expected discussion, but I got up and asked what would happen with our youth group. I asked if they thought it would take another six months to find a youth minister who won't stay more than a year. No one else said anything. I thought about voting against the motion, but I wasn't really against the motion. I'm just afraid of what will happen to our youth group. We've already lost some people because we never do anything.