Hope Happens Here but How Does Hope Happen?
What do you think “Hope” is all about? I think “Hope” is saying, “God it is just you and me and there is no Plan B. Therefore, I am just trusting you as we do life together.” It is not just “me.” It is “we.” God and I are doing life together. That sure does give me a whole lot of confidence. There is no way when I join God in what HE is doing that I will fail. When we realize that it is not just “You,” but it is “God and You.” Then you are on the way to make “Hope Happen.”
Thanks to the Policy & Procedure Team for spending a good amount of time in this new Church document that we will discuss and eventually vote on. I feel great about the work that they have done. This document was bathed in prayer and was a joint effort. As Pastor, it helps me because it protects me from being involved in areas that I don’t need to be involved in. It allows me to minister in Word, Prayer, and Outreach. We will all be blessed with a Deacon Body who will help keep the church in unity and take care of misunderstandings.
Our Big Day is Sunday, September 18th National Back to Church Sunday. The theme is “Hope Happens Here.” I asked Travis Bryan III to be our guest speaker on that day. He was very instrumental in helping CFC get into our building. We will also have a churchwide luncheon. The week of September 11-17 will be all about outreach. I will lead out in outreach events on September 12th & 13th.
Think about one or more guest that you can invite on that Sunday.
My Hope is in God!
Pastor Charles (Colossians 1:27)
Upcoming Events
September 9th Bible Study 9:00am – multi-purpose room
September 10th Men’s Breakfast 8:00am – multi-purpose room
September 12th Pray & Go 6:30pm – church neighborhood
September 16th Bible Study 9:00am – multi-purpose room
September 18th Back to Church Hope Happens Here
Luncheon after Sunday services
PAUL HARVEY’S ‘IF I WERE THE DEVIL’ TRANSCRIPT
If I were the devil … If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee. So, I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’
“To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…’
“And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
“If I were the devil, I’d soon have families that war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
“Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil, I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle.
“If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have, and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.
Paul Harvey, “good day.”