The title of my blog is "The House of God" because we are experiencing that reality with our church meeting in our home. The Apostle Paul stated the same in I Timothy 3:15, "...I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." The church of God is described as a house, similar to the foundation of the family that God designed in the Old Testament. In his epistles, Paul sends greetings to churches that meet in homes. For example, in Romans 16:5, he says, "Likewise greet the church that is in their (Priscilla and Aquila's) house."
We've been meeting at our home for church for some time. You may know that we minister at Tamiami RV Park from November through just after Easter. During the rest of the year we meet in our family room for worship. Our church started in 1998, and met at Gulf Coast Village for six years. In the Spring of 2004, we began this chapter of our spiritual pilgrimage and moved our services into our home. It's been a smaller group since that time. We've had families come for a time and then stop. We've had one couple come for awhile and then move away. Each time there is encouragement in new people, but at the same time, there is strength in the ones we have come consistently. For now, that's been my own family and Jim and Judy Myre. I have great appreciated their faithfulness to our ministry. They came to Living Faith while we were there, and followed us to Word of Life. That's been about 17 years! Thank the Lord for their loyalty!
So, if you are reading this blog, I invite you to join us. We are really a "house" of God. We meet on Sunday mornings at 9:30 A.M. for about an hour and a half. We listen to preaching (that's me seeking to expound God's Word), respond to it with testimonies, sing hymns together (and I mean hymns), worship the Lord by giving our tithes and offerings, and pray together. We're small, and not perfect, but desire to be a living illustration of God's household in this day. You are welcome! We'd love to have you.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Tamiami Fellowship is in full swing again
If you've found this blog, we're thankful. "Season" is upon us again. No, I'm not referring to Christmas season. That has come and gone. No, the season is "snowbird season." Each "season" here in Florida, we are blessed with part-time residents who travel down here to escape the cold up north. It is encouraging to be a part of the fellowship at Tamiami RV Park. The people there hail from all over the upper Midwest and East, including several from Canada. Just last week at church we took a survey of those who are from other states and provinces. Now that January has come, the park will be full, and we trust the attendance at church will reflect that.
We hope that you are encouraged in your faith as you worship with us. We love coming to Tamiami as a family. We have many friends, and love the attention our children receive from surrogate uncles and aunts and grandparents.
As you continue on your pilgrimage toward the celestial city (reference Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan), we hope that the preaching, worship, and fellowship we share is meaningful to you.
God bless you as you follow Him in 2010!
We hope that you are encouraged in your faith as you worship with us. We love coming to Tamiami as a family. We have many friends, and love the attention our children receive from surrogate uncles and aunts and grandparents.
As you continue on your pilgrimage toward the celestial city (reference Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan), we hope that the preaching, worship, and fellowship we share is meaningful to you.
God bless you as you follow Him in 2010!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Waiting On God
Isaiah 40:27-31
1. Sometimes it feels like God does not see or know what’s going on with me.
Jacob and Israel made two statements about this:
1. “My way is hidden from the LORD.”
2. “The justice due me escapes
the notice of my God.”
2. God answers with Several Reminders:
“Do you not know?” “Have you not heard?”
A. He reminds us of His Name
1. The Everlasting God
2. The LORD
3. The Creator of the ends of the earth
B. He reminds us of His strength
1. He does not become weary
2. He does not become tired
3. His understanding is inscrutable
**Inscrutable means not readily investigated,
interpreted, or understood: mysterious
4. He gives strength to the weary
and power to him who lacks might
C. He gives a bit of comparison
THOUGH:
1. Youths grow weary and tired
(not just older people)
2. Vigorous Young Men stumble badly
YET THOSE WHO WAIT FOR THE LORD:
3. Will gain new strength
4. Will mount up with wings like eagles
5. Will run and not get tired
6. Will walk and not become weary
3. What is the key to overcoming the uncertainty of life?
WAITING ON AND FOR GOD!!
1. Sometimes it feels like God does not see or know what’s going on with me.
Jacob and Israel made two statements about this:
1. “My way is hidden from the LORD.”
2. “The justice due me escapes
the notice of my God.”
2. God answers with Several Reminders:
“Do you not know?” “Have you not heard?”
A. He reminds us of His Name
1. The Everlasting God
2. The LORD
3. The Creator of the ends of the earth
B. He reminds us of His strength
1. He does not become weary
2. He does not become tired
3. His understanding is inscrutable
**Inscrutable means not readily investigated,
interpreted, or understood: mysterious
4. He gives strength to the weary
and power to him who lacks might
C. He gives a bit of comparison
THOUGH:
1. Youths grow weary and tired
(not just older people)
2. Vigorous Young Men stumble badly
YET THOSE WHO WAIT FOR THE LORD:
3. Will gain new strength
4. Will mount up with wings like eagles
5. Will run and not get tired
6. Will walk and not become weary
3. What is the key to overcoming the uncertainty of life?
WAITING ON AND FOR GOD!!
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Time of Renewing My Trust in God
It is a strange paradox in life for a man. In the midst of responsibility at work one has a longing for vacation. When one is out of work there is a longing to be back at it. Such is the case for me these days. It hasn’t been a long time since I’ve worked full-time (finished up at Fort Myers Christian School on June 3rd), but the lack of funds for family needs and the lack of some exciting project to do has been disheartening. It is accentuated by the fact that I left FMCS without any assurances of employment in the fall, and have few prospects for summer employment.
For the last 11 years I have served Word of Life Church and Tamiami Fellowship as a minister of the word. It has never been a full-time job, but does require weekly prayer, bulletins, sermons, confirmation class, occasional visitation, and other administrative duties. All in all, it has been a continuing joy and responsibility. That has been a constant during these years of bi-vocational ministry. Prior to that time, I served Living Faith Church in Cape Coral full-time, and had been in full-time parish ministry since graduating from seminar (1984-1997). Besides Word of Life, my other “job” has been a variety of things from teaching, construction, cable installation, umpiring, lawn care, landscaping, working in a print shop, or other odds and ends. God has been good to provide for our needs in many different ways and through numerous means of employment. I have to publicly say thanks to several friends who were willing to hire me to assist with tasks in which they needed help. That has been a blessing financially, plus I have felt the satisfaction of beginning to learn how to do more things. Since resigning from Living Faith Church in 1997, I feel like I’ve learned plenty of practical skills that probably would have been missed because I would have been too busy doing other responsibilities. One thing for sure, the building addition to our home we tackled in 2002-2003 would never have been attempted had I not been introduced to the building trade.
Back to this summer: Our family spent two or so weeks in Ohio on vacation, and we were able to help with some projects at houses up there. My father-in-law had me preach and teach the Bible Class for him the two Sundays I was there. That was nice, but these were not enough to keep us busy the whole time. Several times I felt antsy to do something, but I guess it’s all right to just “be on vacation.”
We returned from Ohio last Tuesday, and since that time we’ve gotten a few things done. There’s plenty more work, just not the kind you really like to do (like going through my old files and weeding out old, outdated stuff). A couple of other projects are on our “to do” list, but will again be postponed because of a lack of funds to underwrite it. So there’s an unexplainable uneasiness in my heart. I hope it’s not a sign of worry. I don’t want to be a worrier, but rather a warrior.
So what is God trying to teach me in all this? Surely this time of waiting is a wonderful opportunity to cry out to God and look to Him to provide for our daily needs. I must remind myself of a couple of passages of scripture:
First, Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Second, Philippians 4:6,7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
For the last 11 years I have served Word of Life Church and Tamiami Fellowship as a minister of the word. It has never been a full-time job, but does require weekly prayer, bulletins, sermons, confirmation class, occasional visitation, and other administrative duties. All in all, it has been a continuing joy and responsibility. That has been a constant during these years of bi-vocational ministry. Prior to that time, I served Living Faith Church in Cape Coral full-time, and had been in full-time parish ministry since graduating from seminar (1984-1997). Besides Word of Life, my other “job” has been a variety of things from teaching, construction, cable installation, umpiring, lawn care, landscaping, working in a print shop, or other odds and ends. God has been good to provide for our needs in many different ways and through numerous means of employment. I have to publicly say thanks to several friends who were willing to hire me to assist with tasks in which they needed help. That has been a blessing financially, plus I have felt the satisfaction of beginning to learn how to do more things. Since resigning from Living Faith Church in 1997, I feel like I’ve learned plenty of practical skills that probably would have been missed because I would have been too busy doing other responsibilities. One thing for sure, the building addition to our home we tackled in 2002-2003 would never have been attempted had I not been introduced to the building trade.
Back to this summer: Our family spent two or so weeks in Ohio on vacation, and we were able to help with some projects at houses up there. My father-in-law had me preach and teach the Bible Class for him the two Sundays I was there. That was nice, but these were not enough to keep us busy the whole time. Several times I felt antsy to do something, but I guess it’s all right to just “be on vacation.”
We returned from Ohio last Tuesday, and since that time we’ve gotten a few things done. There’s plenty more work, just not the kind you really like to do (like going through my old files and weeding out old, outdated stuff). A couple of other projects are on our “to do” list, but will again be postponed because of a lack of funds to underwrite it. So there’s an unexplainable uneasiness in my heart. I hope it’s not a sign of worry. I don’t want to be a worrier, but rather a warrior.
So what is God trying to teach me in all this? Surely this time of waiting is a wonderful opportunity to cry out to God and look to Him to provide for our daily needs. I must remind myself of a couple of passages of scripture:
First, Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Second, Philippians 4:6,7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Monday, February 16, 2009
Good times in February
We are glad to be together with the people of Tamiami Fellowship during this month. Our attendance swells, and we meet several new friends. Thank you for being a part of this fellowship.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
We Are So Glad to Start Again at Tamiami
There's an air of antici- pation in our home as we get ready to start meeting at Tamiami again. We're glad to be able to see our old friends, and make some new ones this fall and winter. Each year in the past we have started on the week FOLLOWING Thanksgiving. I'm glad we're starting before because we get to sing those Thanksgiving songs! God bless each of you that attend our services. May the LORD reveal Himself to you each day, and as we worship Him together!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EACH OF YOU!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Our Worship Services at Tamiami RV Park are coming soon
When the calendar rolls around to November, that means it's just about time. Traditionally we've started our worship service at Tamiami RV Park right around Thanksgiving. This year we plan to start on Sunday, November 23rd, the Sunday BEFORE Thanksgiving.
We hope that you can join us!
We hope that you can join us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)