Enjoy Memorial Day

Blessings!

I am truly thankful for this upcoming weekend. I will be glad to see this week go. The cold damp weather brought along a cold that I still can't kick. When I heard the weather forecast for the weekend and into Monday, I was filled with gladness. Sun and temperatures into the low 80's by Monday is a welcome relief to all the rain and cool temps that have crossed our area in recent weeks.

On Monday, the family has the joy of going to support my niece, McKenzie at a parade. McKenzie was crowned Little Miss Dunbar last year and this year she gets to be in the parade, waving to all the people of this wonderful little community. I am proud of McKenzie and the rest of my nieces and nephews. They're all such good kids. I am truly looking forward to the fellowship with my family and some very good friends. (McKenzie is pictured with my nephew, Braden and niece, Katie Sue.)

As we concentrate on fellowship in worship this weekend, I pray you will have an opportunity to enjoy some great Christian fellowship with your family and friends on Memorial Day and throughout the weekend.

Enjoy one another and build each other up, in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Back to Basics

Over the last two weeks, we have begun the "Back to Basics" worship series at the Asbury Alternative.

Our focus is to spend the month on Acts 2:42-47.

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Over the next four weeks, we will spend time focusing on the benefits of 1. Studying the Word 2. Fellowship 3. Prayer 4. Breaking Bread 5. Meeting in homes. A simplistic formula, but one that has worked over centuries and continues to work in other parts of the world, such as China and Africa.

Our desire is to take our new Alternative service to the next level, in faithful practice and in physical presence. Praise God, we have been reaching the community through this newly developed service, recently having slightly over 200 in worship! The vision that God has laid upon our hearts is to see our church family attending this service develop strong cell groups that can split and multiply. This will be a commitment, but one that will reap benefits for you and those you invite.

This past weekend, we worshipped focusing on the Word. Towards the end of the sermon, I gave practical insight as to how we can deepen our faith through the reading of the Word. After worship, some of my personal Bible studies were being carried out of the worship center! Some couldn't leave worship without grabbing a study! God is good!

This Sunday, we will focus on fellowship. What is fellowship? What constitutes healthy, Christian fellowship among sisters and brothers?

May the Lord bless us as we spend the next month focusing on Acts 2 and being attentive to the leading of God's Holy Spirit.