You're Invited

I think I am similar to everyone else in our community in that I like to be invited to something special, weddings, birthdays, graduations, and celebrations of a variety of events. I think you probably like invitations as well.

Consider this your invitation. Specifically, this is your invitation to our Series of Lessons on the Family,  February 5-7. Ted Burleson will be with us and will speak on the following topics:
Friday, Feb 5 at 7:00 - - - Family Development
Saturday, Feb 6 at 7:00 - - - The Stages of Family Life
Sunday, Feb 7 at 9:00 a.m. - - - Preparing for Marriage and Dealing with Family Problems.
Sunday at 10:00 a.m. - - - How Can the Church Help the Family
Sunday after Lunch - - - The Church Leader and His Family

When you visit with us, we want you to know that you truly honor us with your presence. You will find us to be a loving, family oriented congregation of people trying to serve the Lord in our public worship and in our daily lives. As an assembled group we are trying to be the church for which our Lord Jesus Christ died – nothing more, nothing less. Toward that effort, we follow the Bible as our only rule. We consider ourselves and call our selves Christians and nothing else. We seek to teach our community, state, nation, and world the simple gospel message that is the good news of the reign of Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Our plea is that our efforts will lead you to obediently submit your life to Him.

Again, we offer you an invitation to join us during this series as well as any of our regular assembly times. If ever we can assist you or help you find Bible answers for your life, please let us know when you are here or by contacting us through our website HERE.

Three Year Old Saves Grandma

Children are amazing.  Watch the following video and read the comments below:

9-1-1 Call Video

What can we say?  This child listen to what his parents taught him, and was cool under pressure.  Verbal reports state that he even locked the dog in a room before he unlocked the door for the paramedics to come in.  He did not want the dog to get in the way.  WOW!

Children are capable of great things. Yet we sometimes downplay their importance. Consider the following suggestions:

1. Parents, be sincere in encouraging your children.  Say things to build them up.
2. Teachers, challenge children to learn and to grow intellectually.
3. Parents, help your children be better students, by supporting the school they attend and assisting the teacher by teaching at home.
4. Churches, do what you can to involve children and to use their energy. 
5. Parents, lead your children in the way of the Lord (Deut 6:4-9).

Scott

What Paul Tweeted

I read this blog about Jesus's tweets during Holy Week.  I began thinking about what other Bible characters might post as their updates.  This is what Saul of Tarsus might write:

SaulofTarsus: Held coats while others stoned that blasphemer Stephen.  He was way off.  Said he saw God's throne.
SaulofTarsus: On way to Damascus.  Plan to pull those of that New Way out and stone 'em.

SaulofTarsus: WOW,  That's a bright light!  What? Whos said that?
SaulofTarsus: Ananias just left.  I was blind, but now I see!
SaulofTarsus:  Barnabas is a great guy!  Stood up for me again!
SaulofTarsus:  Folks are calling me Paul.  Barnabas and I on a mission to herald Jesus as the Messiah.  Taking his nephew John-Mark along.
SaulofTarsus: Changing profile to @ApostleOutofSeason.  BTW John-Mark got homesick.  What part of Self-denial did his miss?
ApostleOutofSeason: Ol' Barney makes me so mad!  I refuse to take J-M back out.  Taking Silas instead.
ApostleOutofSeason: Philippian Prison has great acoustics.  When Silas and I sang, we brought down the house!
ApostleOutofSeason: For me to live is Christ.  To die would be gain!
ApostleOutofSeason: Rejoice in the Lord - ALWAYS!  Again I say REJOICE! 8-)
ApostleOutofSeason: I think, I'll write Timothy once more.  I miss that boy!

Scott

Surviving Tragedy

Saturday, January 23, 2010, hours after Haitian officials called off search and rescue efforts, volunteers found a survivor.  Eleven days after the magnitude 7 earthquake destroyed Port-au-Prince, rescuers removed Wismond Exantus from the wreckage of the hotel where he worked.  Inquired about his survival, Wismond said he lived on “Coca-Cola and tiny little things” he found in the cramped remains of the hotel grocery store where the earthquake trapped him.

Mr. Exantus remained alive 11 days.  His amazing rescue occurred only a few hours after workers were giving up hope of finding anyone else alive.  I do not know how he continued to live even, while those trapped with him apparently expired days ago.  Maybe he thought of reasons to survive. Maybe he continued to trust in the hope of rescue.  He did have family members who were looking for him, there is the possibility that he knew they would not give up.

When we read through Scripture the tragedy of mankind is not only apparent, but also expected; Job says, “Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.” (Job 14:1). The apostle penned, “. . . our outer self is wasting away . . .” (2 Cor 4:16).  There is a depressing thought in both of those verses; If we live long enough we will face tragedy.  

How do we wrestle with the sad events of life?  How do we face tragedy?

In one word: HOPE!  Paul continues, “. . . our inward self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” (2 Cor 4:16b-17).  There is our answer.  When we know Christ is waiting for our homecoming, we can survive.  When we know there is a reunion of the saved, we can survive.  When we know that we will be with him eternally, we can survive.  When the temporary tragedies of life blow as hard as they can, we can stand steadfast and sure, because our anchor of hope is deep.  We survive, because, “we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal..” (2 Cor 4:18).

Scott

Jubilee!

This past month, after 5 years and 3 months, the congregation at Parrish paid off our mortgage on our mortgage. In 2001 we located and purchased 17 acres of hill, hollow, and creek on the new road between Parrish and Oakman. In 2004 we completed construction on our current building. Then in 2007 we added a second building for fellowships. This month we paid the last payment on our mortgage. This is a year of Jubilee. This will open the door for us to do more in the way of missions and outreach. The elders planned to pay off the mortgage by 2014, but the "people had a mind to work." Below are pictures of our building, and mortgage burning last Sunday night!

Our Main Building in Parrish, Alabama

Denny Pugh, Sr. one of our elders reminds the congregation that in 2001, We began with 70 active members, and now have more than 150.

Charles Earnest who has served as Treasure for 49 years starts off the burning.

Elders, Ed Earnest and Denny Pugh watch the mortgage burn!

 Roger Minor, another of our Elders is happy to see those flames!

Scott

Parrish Gospel Meeting / Revival

This is a TV commercial -- color screen and countdown included -- for our Gospel meeting.  We will run this on two stations (Jasper TV 16 and the CW network affiliate in Birmingham (CW21).

Scott

Sunday's Sermon on Slideshare

Here is my sermon from Sunday.  This is the PowerPoint.  Maybe you can build a lesson from this snippet.

Scott

Jan 17 Am Three Great Words

View more presentations from Scott McCown.