Good morning on this Saturday, May 26th. This is Memorial Day weekend and marks the time when we remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation - the giving of their lives. This Memorial Day many tributes will be offered for the fallen and we will all enjoy a day off from work for the national holiday. But it would be a huge mistake to think of Memorial Day as a day to honor the many hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have laid down their lives throughout the history of this great nation without realizing that each of these soldiers was a son or daughter, a sister or brother, a father or mother to loved ones who suffered  an egregious loss because of their death. Their families have endured grief, sorrow, pain, and enduring hurt over their loss which will last a life time. So Memorial Day is not only about remembering our war dead, it is about remembering to pray for their loved ones who will once again face their absence and freshly endure their loss. My heart goes out to each of them. May we all pause to remember and thank God for the fallen and may we also say a prayer for their families. Samuel's exclamation in the Old Testament is an appropriate admonition, "Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and right way" ( 1 Samuel 12:23).
Tomorrow's sermon will be the final message in Ephesians and will deal with the warfare of the believer. Next week's sermon will be a prophecy message.
I hope you will be in the services tomorrow.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, May 19th. Tomorrow is Senior Day at Edgewood. During the morning services we'll be introduced to our graduating seniors, hear about their future plans, and watch as each graduate receives a special Bible to mark this milestone in their lives. It is always an exciting time for both the graduates and our church family. Each of us should covenant to pray for them in the days ahead because they will surely need it.

For most high school graduation marks a defining moment in their lives. Many will enter a tough job market which is one of the worst in years; others will attend colleges where tuitions and expenses have reached all-time highs. Usually we have some graduates who opt for military service in one of the branches of service. These are perilous times in so many parts of the world and our servicemen and women are now frequently placed in harm's way. Although most of our graduates will decisively tell you what career they plan to pursue in their future years, most will change their mind and wind up in a totally different job. In fact the average college student changes their course of study (major) three or four times.

They will especially need our prayers for their spiritual direction because data show that between 70 and 90 percent of those graduating from high school will discontinue attending church within a few years of graduation.

But the main reason we should hold them in our prayers is because they are our own and we care about them. So will you join me in taking the list of our graduating seniors and pray for each one by name in the days ahead?

Tomorrow's sermon is The Whole Armor Of God. I hope to see you in one of our services. There will be no Elevate (teen service) because of Senior Day.
Mel Brown

 

Good day on this Friday, May, 11th. I am writing this blog on Friday instead of Saturday because of a schedule conflict. As most of you now know, last Sunday morning I announced to the congregation my intention to step down as Senior Pastor of the Edgewood Baptist Church. I would urge you to visit the church's web site, edgewoodbaptist.net and watch last Sunday's sermon to get all of the details about the process. Many of you have asked me how I feel about leaving the pastorate after being here for so many years. I knew the day would come when I would not remain as pastor of this great church and have tried to prepare myself for the eventual day when I will turn the reins over to a successor. When I was finishing my chemo treatments years ago, I feared I might have to resign because I was so weak and sick, but God restored my strength and has given me six wonderful additional years as your pastor. Although I will retire as shepherd of this flock, I will not retire from The Lord. It makes the process easier because Barb and I plan to remain in our home and make Edgewood our place of worship during our retirement. If we were leaving all of you instead of remaining as part of this body, we would have a far more difficult time of leaving our current ministry. I have said many times,and believe with all my heart, that Edgewood's people are the finest you will find under God's Heaven, and it is a great privilege to be a part of this great church family. So it is onward and upward in Christ and we are looking forward to the next chapter of our lives. Sunday is Mother's Day and communion Sunday. I hope you'll be able to attend. Mel Brown

Saturday May 5, 2012

Good morning on this Saturday, May 5th. Today's blog will be a potpourri of items of interest to our readers. Most of the items are in response to recent questions I've been asked.
(1) We will complete the current series of messages on the book of Ephesians by the end of this month.
(2) The final three messages will deal with the Christian's warfare, the armor of God, and resistance to temptation.
(3) I plan to do a prophecy update during the month of June.
(4) Yes, I do believe Israel will take out Iran's nuclear sites if a peaceful solution cannot be found in the very near future.
(5) The Men's Bible Study will again take a hiatus for the summer during the months of June, July, and August. The Bible study will resume on the 3rd Wednesday of September. 
(6) Our new youth pastor, Jeff Miller and his family will be moving to the Quad Cities during Memorial Day weekend. 
(7) Our teens will be attending LIFT Camp again this year during the month of July.
(8) Our missionary interns, Derek and Melissa Glynn, will finish their internship on October 31st and be approved as missionaries with the Baptist Bible Fellowship next May. They are planning to remain in the area pending their formal approval as they prepare for their deputation.
(9) My messages are now posted in video on the Edgewood website, edgewoodbaptist.net. The reception to their being available in video as well as audio has been excellent. We do plan to continue to offer them in video and improve their quality and presentation.
(10) The sermons will continue to be offered on audio Cd's after the services. The change in the Internet format will not affect this practice.
Tomorrow's message is entitled, The State Of The Church.
I hope you will be able to attend. 
Mel Brown