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| the weekly eWell | 16 january 2008 / issue 30 |
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In this issue: • latest news • community groups • well said • more info • classifieds
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"Dale Murphy Fans Unite" Scott Simmons The 80s were a great decade… Nintendo, MTV, Achy Breaky Heart… I’ve gotta say, many of you missed out. One of the best memories I have growing up in the panhandle during this era was going to Atlanta Braves games. I can’t remember more excitement than hearing Dale Murphy’s name called out over the loud speaker as he came up to bat. It was as if the announcer knew my life-long dream (which I definitely knew at 7 years old) - to play baseball just like Dale – and he was reminding me to watch every detail of every swing. Yes, there was nothing better than being a young Brave in Fulton County Stadium on game day. Now, you might ask what is so special about the Braves during the 80’s era. The answer is: absolutely nothing. In fact, the 80’s was the worst stretch of losing the team had experienced in quite awhile. In 1988, the team won 54 games and lost 106. As for my favorite slugger? He batted .226 in one of the worst years, which, for the non-baseball buffs, that’s basically one hit out of 5 times at bat, 2 out of 10, or 23 out of 100. For a while there, being a fan of the Braves and mighty Dale Murphy was anything but popular. The slumping Braves lost support, lost fans, and lost their edge. They could do nothing right and were told so by every sports writer in the east. All had given up…. except the faithful. There’s a growing trend in Christianity today to bad mouth the church for all of its faults. Oftentimes it seems both easier and “cooler” for some to throw fancy words at the issues therein and just start from the beginning, molding church into the way they feel it should be. As new epistemological fronts arise with every “new” wave of better ideas, our response to this trend should always be one of honesty, reality, and truth. Honesty: The church is NOT perfect. Well congratulations… and duh. People make mistakes. I made a few today. It’s humorous to me that anyone could see or call that a news flash. When I look at the ways that I fall into sin daily, I’m practically amazed to some degree that Christianity still is talked about today. I would have dropped the torch for sure, or at least hidden the Light at times. Rather, I would love for the church to appreciate where we have come from. One of the reasons I chose to put together a Hymns album was to bring to light generations of believers that have voiced similar outcries to the God of the Ages. The opposite response though is gaining momentum. See, it’s easy to say “that was wrong” or “I would have done it differently” without remembering how many people have given their lives to further the Gospel. Blood has been shed. Families have been divided over the recognition of His Name. Many who speak loudly today against where the church has come from should consider this before jumping on the bash bandwagon. The Gospel was anything but foolishness to them; it was their power. (1 Cor. 1:18) Reality: The church is NOT dead. However, I have been in many churches where it was hard to tell if that was not the case. For a long time, as some have experienced, the church has stood back and let the world set the standard for just about everything. Good music? Not in the church. Culturally engaging? Too risky. Feed the poor, love the outcast, stand up for what’s true and right according to the Word of God? Not a chance. Yes, we must admit the ways we have failed, repent, and ask the Lord to heal our land. I simply suggest that before we start pointing fingers and calling names at those who mess up, we start with a look in the mirror. Let the Lord break your heart over the perishing and hurting souls around us, and much of the transformation the church needs will be jumpstarted without fail. (I had a read hard time with this paragraph. Feel free to veto) Truth: The church is NOT irrelevant. An organized army of faithful brothers and sisters that come together to agree in God and worship Him, to then be sent out as his ambassadors to all nations… this is still the most effective way to move the Gospel forward. It’s not a mistake that the majority of the apostle Paul’s letters are to the churches as a whole. Most of his instruction is directed to the “saints” or the “faithful” as indicated at the beginning of his writings. In other words, he didn’t write often to one or two leaders of the church, telling them that if the others don’t get it right that they should abandoned ship. Conversely, he strengthened the entire body and encouraged them all, in one accord, to work together. In Acts 2, when the church shared everything in common all the needs of the people were met and the Lord added to the number of people being saved DAILY. Friends, salvation’s mighty roar will erupt when His people work together for His glory. As time and time before, I do believe the church is once again at a crossroads. Like the fans in Atlanta, we are faced with many new challenges, and the true nature of our convictions will come forth as we handle each one. Unfortunately, the glory days of my Atlanta team came in the 90’s and has now left again. But once again, I have the choice – be one of the nay-sayers or remain faithful. I choose to be brave. |
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The Well's "Come On Home" intro video is now on the web! Check it out here. LIMELIGHT Check out The Well's very own Heather Stuyverson this Thursday night at 10:30 p.m. at Cafe Cabernet. BABY NEWS Congratulations to Aaron and Amy Clements. The Well's newest baby, and Caleb's new little sister, Savanah Clements, was born last week. SERMON PREVIEW This Sunday, Dean's sermon is titled "See Each Other".
Sunday Service is held at Godby High School. Join us in the auditorium each week at 6:00 p.m. WELL EVENTS Looking for something to do? Check out wellevents.nomorethirst.org for the latest info. Contact kaitlyn@nomorehtirst.org for more information. Event Updates: College Dinners. COLLEGE DINNERS College Students: Join us twice a month for a home cooked meal. The next College Dinner is Monday, January 28th at 7:00 p.m. at The Inserra's (Tom & Marcia). Upcoming College Dinners are being held at the Grimsley's, the Naitove's, the Parsons', the Folsom's, Dr. Robinson's, and the Simmons'. For more info and to RSVP contact Kaitlyn Ary: kaitlyn@nomorethirst.org. The Well WEBCASTS Dean's sermons are now available online at nomorethirst.org. Save them to your IPod, burn them on a cd, or listen to them over the internet. Sermons will be added each Sunday night following the service. PRAYER POINT Tiffany Singleton, in Africa to serve for nine months. eGIVING eGiving is here! Log on to egiving.nomorethirst.org to set up your eTithe. |
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Visit www.nomorethirst.org for more info! |
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| Dean Inserra, Pastor Scott Simmons, Worship Leader dean@nomorethirst.org scott@nomorethirst.org | |
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| Copyright 2008 © The Well Sunday Nights, 6:00 p.m. @ the Godby High School Auditorium | |
