Good morning on this frosty Saturday, January 19th. Last night my computer showed that it got down to about 17 below zero and the current temp is now 4 below. Every winter we usually get some of these arctic air blasts to put us in the deep freeze and remind us that winter is alive and well on planet earth. This is a great time to head down to the Mississippi river and do some eagle watching. Every year about this time the eagles arrive and settle along the river near the Arsenal Island and put on quite a show as they soar in the bright skies and dive over the water. They are beautiful, strong and magnificent birds. With their massive wings, I love to watch them lift off and soar to heavenly heights because they vividly illustrate the meaning of Isa. 40:31, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint." As you enjoy eagle watching, picture God's renewal process and learn the lesson of running without weariness and walking without fainting.
Tomorrow's sermon will be the same sermon I intended to preach last Sunday, Heavenly Living For Life On Earth. Last Sunday A.M. I was smitten with the stomach flu and never made it past my front door. So Lord willing, I'll preach the sermon tomorrow.
I am scheduled to visit my mother-in-law in Florida next week and will be gone for a couple of weeks. I will not write this blog while I'm gone but will resume posting it when I return.
I hope to see you tomorrow in church.
Pastor Mel Brown

Good morning on this 12th day of January. My blog today will focus on one of the ministries of the church, the Lay Pastor ministry. When we offered the Lay Pastor training program several years ago, we finished with eighteen Lay Pastors who completed the program and now lead various ministries in the church including numbers who organized and direct a number of brand new ministries. Because of the training, many have contributed greatly to both God's kingdom and the church. We have now started a new series of training sessions which began last Thursday. There is still time for you to participate if the Lord is leading you to do so. We're meeting the first and third Thursdays of each month and our next session will be this Thursday, January 17th at 5:00 PM. The classes will soon be closed and the opportunity to take advantage of the training will be past. Join us this Thursday.
Tomorrow's message is entitled, Heavenly Living For Life On Earth. The message title is self-explanatory.
Ron and Jamie Foster, who are candidates for our Singles ministry position, are with us this weekend. Ron will be speaking during the Sunday evening service at 6:00 PM and will be meeting with a number of groups throughout the weekend.
I hope to see you in both services.
Pastor Brown

Good morning, it is Saturday, January 5th. This morning I was reading in Hebrews and was focusing on the passages in chapter 12:1-2, Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The phrase, looking unto Jesus, means to look away from one thing so as to concentrate on another. Its tense means to continually keep on looking. Whatever we do; whatever we go through; whatever we feel, we should always keep our eyes concentrated upon Jesus Christ and His example to us of enduring and finishing our God-given course. It is when we turn our eyes away from Christ toward ourselves or our circumstances that we may get "off course." He is our example, our role model, our leader and our completer. We are literally following in His steps a race of endurance to fulfill God's purpose in our lives. When we compare our course to His, it is a great inspiration to our vision-driven living. Since He finished the course and is seated at God's right hand, He ever lives to make intercession for us and assist us as we run our race. Let's keep our eyes on Jesus looking unto Him for support, strength, help, courage, inspiration and victory.
Tomorrow's sermon is entitled, Sins, Sin and Victorious living. I'll look forward to seeing you there.
Mel Brown