Good morning on this Saturday, June 28th. The month of June is nearly gone and it is hard to believe that we are one-third of the way through the summer calendar. Because of the many schools that have gone to a year-around schedule, summer vacations from school now only run from mid or late June to early August, approximately six weeks in length. That necessitates families taking their vacations in late June or during the month of July because the kids will be back in school immediately thereafter. It also necessitates that the children's and youth summer activities of the church such as camps, trips and seminars take place primarily in July. This year AWANA Scholarship Camp is finishing today, Junior High Camp will be July 7-12 and Senior High Camp will be July 14-18. I am focusing on these camp dates because of their tremendous importance. Did you know that more young people testify to an experience at camp as a turning point in their lives than any other single event? Whether it is committing their lives to Christ, rededicating their lives to Him, making a life-changing decision of some kind or surrendering to a call for full-time Christian service, as many as three quarters of all youth and young adults have had one of these things happen as a result of going to camp. There are a number of reasons why so many are so influenced during a time at camp. These include: (1) a total immersion in a spiritual environment while away from the cares and routines of their every-day lives; (2) An exposure to the preaching and teaching of the Word on a daily basis; (3) An often close association with a spiritual counselor or leader who influences them in personal and practical ways; (4) The opportunity to fellowship with and be influenced by their peers who have had or are having life-changing experiences for Christ. If you are a parent, please make it a priority to send your children to camp this year and if you are a young person, please make it your priority to go to camp this year. The difference it can make is eternal! An added bonus is that our new youth leaders, the Stevensons, will be there.
Tomorrow the John Markums will be with us to candidate for the Single's Pastor position. You'll have the opportunity to meet them tomorrow morning and hear him preach in the evening service. Additionally they will be spending time with the singles, staff and Board of Deacons during the next several days. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome.
Tomorrow's sermon is the fifth in this year's Prophecy Update Series. I hope you will be able to be there.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, June 21. At 7:59 p.m. last night, the sun reached its highest point in the sky marking the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. It occurs each year on June 20 or 21 when the earth tilts on its axis the most toward the sun to reach its northern-most extreme, illuminating an area from the far side of the arctic circle to the near side of Antarctica. Now the days will begin getting shorter until in December with the arrival of the winter solstice, the day of the shortest day of the year, the days begin to become longer again. When I was a boy, I loved the long summer days of play, riding my bicycle, playing baseball, and running around with my friends until darkness closed in about 9:00 in the evening. Now these many years later, I still enjoy the long days of daylight and the many benefits the extra hours of daylight afford for so many activities. When I was working my way through college, I frequently had to work the midnight shift from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. which meant being up through the night and sleeping during the day when it was light. I never adjusted well to that schedule because it seemed so unnatural to be trying to sleep when my mind told me I should be awake and vice versa. Jesus is called "the light of the world" and the Bible says, "God is light." In Heaven there will be no night and no need for lamps nor sunlight because the Lord God will give us light (Rev. 22:5). If you are like me and love the light, you will love the Christian life and walk because we can "walk in the light as He (Christ) is in the light" and have fellowship with God and each other. That is a touch of Heaven because it is exactly what we will experience there. Here men love darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:19), but there no darkness will be found - only the brightness of God's light. Receiving Christ as Savior is depicted as being called out of darkness into the light (1 Peter 2:9). Some people suffer from a condition called S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is a depression caused by the lack of sunlight during the dark days of winter. The treatment is exposure to a light source for prescribed periods of time each day to alleviate the depression. We all need a certain amount of light in our lives. So enjoy these wonderful long light-filled days; it is a prelude of Heaven and living in the light of God's Word and His Son is truly a taste of Heaven in the here and now. Light does amazing things for us in body, soul and spirit. It is God's gift because it is His nature. Filling our lives with God's word and presence lights our lives in a way nothing else can. The enlightened person is full of light!
Tomorrow's sermon is part four in the prophecy updater series. I hope to see you there.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, the day before Father's Day. Tomorrow will be a special day at Edgewood as we honor our many fathers. We'll be giving a gift to some of our oldest dads, recognizing each and every father present and having a couple of video tributes for our dads. My own father has been gone for many years, but his influence on me continues every day of my life. Never underestimate the power of the example and influence of a decent dad in a child's life. Sometimes when I'm doing something around the house, I'll glance at a mirror in the room and think, "well hello Floyd" because my posture or facial expression or mannerism is so much like his. He taught me honesty, decency and morality. He unconditionally loved me, even remaining in a deeply troubled marriage for the sake of my brothers and me because we asked him not to leave us. He was generous and caring and always so proud of our good deeds. He gave me a love of knowledge and of good books and an example as a grandfather to my children which I try to faithfully emulate with grandchildren every day of my life. I am so glad that I had the privilege of giving something which so very valuable to him - a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through his acceptance of the gospel. I will never forget his sitting in the church services, praying with the family at mealtime, reading and studying his Bible, and giving a personal testimony about what the Lord had done for him in a mid-week service. I had faithfully prayed for his salvation for so many many years without results until I virtually lost hope, but God broke through in his life and one Sunday evening, he committed his life to Christ and never looked back. So if you are praying for a loved one, don't give up, God is at work even when you think not. To all of you fathers who are reading - happy Father's Day to you. May you have a wonderful Father's Day tomorrow. Carpe Diem (seize the day)
Tomorrow's message is the third in our prophecy update series. I hope to see you there. Because of Father's Day, there will be no evening service tomorrow night.
Mel Brown

Good morning, it is Saturday, June the 7th. This is a busy weekend for the Edgewood youth and their sponsors because Craig and Lindsey Stevenson, candidates for our youth pastor position, are with us for a long weekend series of meetings. They arrived Thursday, spent Friday at the church, last night at a cookout with with all of the youth workers, today being interviewed by the Edgewood staff, tonight at a pizza party with the youth and sponsors, tomorrow morning testifying in the worship services and teaching the young people during Sunday school, tomorrow night speaking to/meeting with the youth group and their parents and then being interviewed by the members of the Deacon Board. Monday will be a follow up series of meetings and final interview and Tuesday afternoon they will be heading back to Texas. In addition to all of these meetings, interviews and activities, they have been having separate meetings with each member of the Edgewood staff. They are a fine Christian couple and we are enjoying our time spent with them. I hope you will avail yourself of the opportunity to meet them during the services tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will be preaching the second sermon in our prophecy update series. I am so eager to share the latest information, I can hardly wait for tomorrow's messages. I'll also be speaking in the evening service tomorrow night at 6:00 PM. I hope to see you in all of the services throughout the day tomorrow. I think you'll be glad you were there.
Pastor Mel Brown