Relevant

Sunday, September 12

8 AM & 9:30 AM  - Indoor Worship Services

11 AM - Picnic and Games begin

Hamburgers & Hotdogs, drinks, and table service provided.

There's a great leadership lesson about strength and courage to be learned from the life of Joshua.

Joshua had demonstrated his potential from the time he was a young man. Joshua was one of the twelve sent to spy out the land of Canaan – and one of the two who proved confident in God’s leading. Joshua had spent many years serving as Moses' aide.  Let's not underestimate the leadership development power of association with godly men!  Think of how it would affect a man to stand outside the tent of meeting where God met Moses face to face (Exodus 33:11).

Fruitful Preparation…And the Best is Yet to Come

 
Have you considered how much preparation Paul experienced before his missionary journeys?  He was a highly trained Pharisee, the “best of the best of the best,” and had dedicated his whole life to the study of the Scriptures. Let’s review his next 17 years of preparation:

Saul is converted in Damascus (Acts 9) and almost immediately begins preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:20).  Three years later (see Galatians 1:18 about this timing) Barnabas introduces him to the apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 9:27), and then…Paul is sent off to his home (Tarsus) because he stirred up deadly passion after debating with some Grecian Jews (Acts 9:30).  Shipping Saul out of town must have diffused the tension, because the next verse tells us that church enjoyed a time of peace.  Paul returns for a visit to Jerusalem fourteen years later, with Titus (Galatians 2:1-2).   Some time later, Barnabas asks Paul to join him in Antioch and help the new church there (Acts 11:25-26).  It’s after all this that the Holy Spirit begins sending Paul out on his three missionary journeys.

I recently saw a lady trying to walk her energetic puppy, who was running, rolling, sniffing, and constantly straining against the leash -- everywhere except by her.  She was pleading in frustration, and yanking hard on the leash.  The puppy was either trying to pull her along as he sprinted out front, or refused to come to her when he wanted to sniff longer around a tree.  Neither she nor the puppy looked the least bit happy.