July 16, 2006
"God uses broken things: broken soil and broken clouds to produce grain; broken grain to produce bread; broken bread to feed our bodies. He wants our stubbornness broken into humble obedience." —Vance Havner
Answers to Prayer
"O God,
If I backslide,
let me like Peter weep bitterly and return to him.
If I am tempted, and have no wit,,
give me strength enough to trust in him;
If I am weak,
may I faint upon his bosom of eternal love."
What is God like? Look at Luke 15 and you will find Him seeking after sinners. What is man like? Look at Job 4 and you will find them believing everything but God.
The Korean Bible Conference is completed. We rejoice that God was merciful in saving some. Pastor Yoon will soon be traveling to Korea for the Bible conference there.
You hold in your hands an answer to prayer! The toner arrived on Monday, making it possible to print and mail this week's bulletin. Can you believe how much occurs in two weeks?
Requests for Prayer
"Innocent" people all around are hurting—from the wild fires in California to the bombings in Beirut (Lebanon) and Haifa (Israel), Iran and North Korea are threatening. China and Russia disdain "international law." The wheels of democracy turn slowly in Iraq. When you pray, remember these who serve us:
- Marvin Funkhouser
- Coleen (Blalocks)
- Bryan Miller (Cosgroves)
- Jonathan Kirkwood (Ken and Jean's son)
- Chris Shelton (Cosgroves)
- Jeremy Mullens (Cosgroves)
- David Edwards (Bill and Juleen's son)
- Sam Im (Korean congregation)
- Ryan Davey (Stella Rogers' grandson)
- Russell Perry (Cosgrove)
- Steven Henning (Cosgrove)
- Sara Parmenter
- Tony Loving
- James Farmer
Donna Rigsby and her mother, Mrs. Duncan, will finish their whirlwind trip to Kentucky and Tennessee this week. The Lord has blessed them both.
Jonathan Cowan and his fiancé, Jessica, will be married this Saturday, July 22 in Thousand Oaks. Pray for them as they begin their life together.
Diana Hurtado asks prayer for a former coworker, Virginia Marentes, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Surgery is scheduled for July 24th. Diana also asks prayer that she can speak boldly and freely about Jesus Christ to her friend.
Mildred Watson asks prayer that her back would be strengthened and legs made strong as she continues to share Jesus Christ with others at her home.
May we rejoice or pray with you? Others will intercede with you on your behalf before the throne of grace.
Happy Birthday!
July 10, Lillian Draggoo
July 12, Sonny Covington
July 12, Gabriel Frees
July 13, Laura Palmer
July 14, Alice Covington
July 15, Elizabeth Lopez
July 18, Adam Rigsby
July 25, Grace Jarman
Study the Scriptures Systematically
The books of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon are being explored this quarter. The notes have been suspended. The pastor who graciously writed these each week had surgery and expects a six week recovery. A substitute was not found to take his place. Pray for Dr. Sam Tullock (Wylie, TX) as recovers and again resumes his writing ministry.
Hear God's Word Expositionally
Listen to (or download for later) these audio sermons preached by Pastor Rigsby:
“Eliphaz tries to help,†Job 4:1-21.
“Lost and Found,†Luke 15:1-7.
Read the Bible Carefully
Today, Sunday, July 16, is Day 49 in our reading through the Old Testament between Memorial Day and Labor Day. A printed half-sheet of the complete outline is available in the Entry. Whether you follow this plan or another is not what is important. What is important? That we "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Here is the suggested Bible reading for June, July, and August. Download the schedule here.
Use the Internet Constructively
The Dog that Yelped
Most boys of my generation did it. It was frowned upon then too, even if not as much as today. But, I confess, we did it. These days, dogs are confined to the yard. But when we were young the dogs ran the neighborhoods of suburban Peoria, IL. We knew every neighbor's dog by name, and we knew which ones to pet and which ones to avoid. Every now and then the neighborhood's "mean" dogs would run together in packs. And sometimes a pack of dogs would seem threatening, at least to a young boy. And that's when we were likely to throw the rock. We were bound to hit one of them.…" [read more].
"An idol of the mind is as offensive to God as an idol of the hand."
