In behalf of the entire Edgewood Baptist Staff, We hope that you are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Pastor Brown's blog will resume next week.

Because of the Crown Money Map Seminar being held all day at church on Saturday, I am writing my blog on Friday evening this week. There is an often repeated truism that we will be the same people in the future as we are now except for the people we meet, the books we read, the things we hear, and the experiences we have. In other words the things most likely to influence and change us are the four things mentioned above. Each of these things proves true when it comes to our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our encounters with the Lord and fellowship/accountability with other believers, sermons and lessons we hear, influences of reading the Bible and inspirational books, and the life-changing experiences we go through, all can produce powerful changes in us. I have found one of the most potent change agents in my life is reading the biographies of great men and women. Their personal experiences, examples, and life instruction move me toward greater faith, devotion, boldness, character, and faithfulness. For example consider the testimonies of these great saints of God in their experiences of personal revival in their lives. D.L. Moody was wholeheartedly seeking God when God's presence so overwhelmed him while walking down the street one day, he fled to a private place to fully experience the presence of the Lord as it flooded his life. John Wesley was praying in an all-night prayer meeting with 60 others when God filled his heart and life with revival. When George Whitfield knelt before the altar during his ordination and bishop Benson laid his hands in dedication and prayer upon him, he experienced the fullness of God's presence and overwhelming revival in his life. Savonarola sat in his pulpit for five hours as the mighty presence of God swept upon him and he was revived through and through. Similar personal revival was experienced by Billy Sunday, Charles G. Finney, Johnathan Edwards and scores of others recorded in their biographies and autobiographies. Try reading as many of the testimonies of the great saints of God as you can. You will never be the same if you do.
Sunday's sermon is another in the series on Revival. I hope you will not miss this message.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, November 13th. Next Saturday, November 20th will mark an important day for the Edgewood Baptist congregation. Crown Financial Ministries will be presenting their Money Map Seminar from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the church Multipurpose center. This seminar is the product of two years worth of planning and promises to be one of the most beneficial programs we have ever conducted for our people. Larry Burkett was a Christian financial expert, advisor, and prolific author extraordinaire. When he launched Crown Financial Ministries he was the dean of financial management with expertise in every area of financial matters. After writing some 40 books dealing with every aspect of money issues, God called him home, but his expertise lives on through his writings and the Crown Financial Ministries including the Money Map Seminar. Regardless of your station in life and the nature of your financial situation, you will profit from attending this seminar. The cost is only $15.00 including lunch. If you decide to attend, it will probably be the wisest fifteen dollar investment you have ever made. Since tomorrow will be the final registration day, please complete the registration form included in your Sunday bulletin and drop it in the large box on the round table in the main foyer tomorrow. You will be glad you did.
Tomorrow's sermon is another in the Revival series. I hope you'll not miss this challenging message.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, November 6th. Last night Edgewood celebrated the ninth anniversary of our Celebrate Recovery ministry. We enjoyed a time of good food and fellowship, lively worship and praise, and meaningful communion and celebration. But the highlight of the evening for me was the message which I had the opportunity to preach to the celebrants. The theme of the sermon was "Can God? God Can!" It asked and answered the questions of what God would do in our lives if we were willing to yield the control of our lives to Him and allow Him to work in power and practice in every area of our lives. Since We are preaching a series of sermons on Sunday mornings about Revival, the Friday night emphasis perfectly coincided with that theme. There can be no revival in our lives without surrendering our will, our all totally to the Lord. The more of our lives we yield to His control, the greater the revival in our lives. John the Baptist summed it up perfectly when he said, "He must increase; I must decrease." The more we yield to the power, control, and possession of Jesus Christ, the more of the fullness of His presence we experience in every area of our lives. In the light of this great truth, is it any wonder that the apostle Paul urged, "I beg you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice to God" (Romans 12:1a). Less of self leads to more of God. When we decrease, He increases. That is the Divine method - a timeless formula which always works and always will.
As I alluded to earlier, tomorrow's message will again focus on Revival.
I trust you'll be able to be there.
Mel Brown