Its cute to look out the back door of the church and see a big pile of boulders on the play ground.  People are probably driving by thinking, “man, those must be some tough kids”.  I hope all of you are planning to be here Saturday at 8:00 am for church work day.  I think those boulder are really going to make that ditch look good.

Last post I was requesting help for admissions day at the Henryville High School.  Well, I just got word back from the principal that we can’t do this.  He said that someone would definitely be offended if we did that.  However, he said that I could get a hold of Tim Kyser and we could set up an FCA booth.  But I’ve been unable to get in touch with him for a couple days.

Be in prayer about the first 4 Sunday nights in August as we try to reach out to the children in our community.  I talked to Allen yesterday and He said he has all the positions filled, but would find a place for anyone else who wanted to help.  I also want everyone to understand that we will still be having our Sunday night preaching.  I’m still praying about whether I should continue the sermon series on Philippians or do a 4 sermon series on something else while we are doing this out reach.  Just be praying for God to guide me in this decision.

Invite someone to church this Sunday.  We are going to have one last sermon on the 1st chapter of the gospel of John before moving on to chapter 2.  What I’m gonna do is look at all the different names that John uses in his description of Jesus.  John calls Jesus the Word, the Light, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, Rabbi, Messiah, King, Son of Man.  Please come asking God to speak to you.

I told all of you that if you didn’t come to the spaghetti fund raiser that I would have someone in the parking lot to break your legs.  As you know, I was just kidding around.  However, yesterday at the church softball game I was playing third base.  The ball was hit to the outfield where Tyler Holt fielded the ball and threw it to me at third. The guy running the bases tried to get through me, but I got him out and broke his leg.  After listening to all of the expletives that flew from his mouth, I said you should have came to the spaghetti fundraiser.  Not really!  I didn’t tell him he should have been at the spaghetti fund raiser, but unfortunately, the fireman who assisted the paramedics said it broke his ankle.  So please pray that God would be with him and use this in his life to draw him to Christ.

I want to thank everyone for making the spaghetti fundraiser such a success.  We made 380 dollars towards our trip to India.  Please be in prayer as we continue to do fundraisers to raise the money for India.

Also be in prayer about our evangelistic efforts we will be doing at the school.  I really need some volunteers for August 4-9.  We will set up a booth at registration and will be handing out information about the back to school bash and lots of other things about Christ and His church in Henryville. Also be in prayer about Eric Ramsey coming to speak in the School in September.  We are really excited about what God is going to do through this evangelistic effort.

It is so good to see what God is doing in the lives of His people in Henryville.  In His presence is fullness of joy.  At His right hand are pleasures evermore.  I am so thankful that He is my King.

In Christ,

Toby

I told

I hope all of you are doing well.  It’s been so busy the last couple weeks that I’ve not been able visit many families, but I’m planning to get back out in the community this week.  I visited a lot of you, but there are still some church members who I haven’t made it to yet.  Just know that I’m on my way.  My plans are to make it to see everyone before schools starts back.

Our Lord, before ascending into heaven gave us one last instruction on what He wanted us to do.  Read here what He said in Matthew 28:18-19  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  (19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:.

Jesus gave instruction that we are to take the gospel into every nation, and as your pastor I want to lead you to be obedient to this command.  The way I plan to do this is by offering two trips a year.  One trip will be a foreign trip, and the other will be a local trip.

This coming year we will be taking a trip to South East India.  I am really excited that we have 7 people from our church who are going on this trip.  I was apporached by many who wanted to go but could not because of the dates of the trip.  So next year I’m gonna plan a trip durning the summer or spring break so more peope will be able to go.  I’m thinking that we will go to Peru instead of India so that will also make the price a little cheaper as well.

For a home mission trip this year we went to Jelly stone and had a great turn out.  We are still looking at what we will do for home missions next year.  We may go to Eastern Kentucky or West Virginia.  We are in the process of working out when and where that trip will be.

So be praying about being involved and where God wants you to go.  I realize that because of circumstances, health, scheduling, or money that not everyone can physicaly go on these trips, but I want to encourage you to be a part of the trip in some way.  You can pray, give, and encourage those who are going.  I want all of us to be a part of this mission trip.  We are not going as a small group.  We are going as a church.  I can’t wait to see what God does with us.  He is so good to us.

July 19, 2009 Sermon on John 1:29-34

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We had a blast on the trip to Jelly Stone Park.  This was a great trip in many ways.  One is that we had a wonderful time fellow-shipping with each other.  There is something about roughing it that brings people together.  We had a couple storms while sleeping in the tents.  We had a couple tents flood, but never once did anyone complain.  The rain didn’t dampen anyone’s spirit.  We played games, handed out Bibles and tracts.  It was amazing to see how God worked through us during this trip.  Everyone has a story to tell about how God worked in and through them during their stay in Jelly Stone.

We had service twice a day where we did skits, worship the Lord through singing, presented the gospel through preaching the Word, and showed the love of Christ by making crafts with the children.  At first the attendance of people in the park was few, but there were people walking all around the park that could hear us singing and preaching the Word.  As the week progressed though, we began to have larger crowds.  Yesterday there were 15 guest at the morning service. To GOD be the Glory!!!!

However, I must give thanks to Rhonda for all the hard work she put into this trip.  She literally planned and put together the whole trip.  I also want to thank Carol for putting together all of the crafts that we did with the children in the park.  And I want to thank the church for all the donations and prayers that made this trip possible.  It was really a great trip.

It was awesome seeing the young people hand out Bibles and go up to campers inviting them to the services.  We really have a great group of young people.  Matt & Melanie are doing a great job teaching and leading the youth to live for Christ.  Their tent flooded one night soaking all their clothes.  Melanie picked up her makeup bag and poured 2 cups of water out, but neither one of them were upset about it.   They made jokes and laughed about it.  A great example to everyone.  Thanks Matt and Melanie for all you do.

I put a new page on the website titled “pictures”.  Just let your mouse hover over the picture tab and camping trip will appear.  Just click on camping trip and you will see some of the pictures of our camping trip.  I want to thank Sonia who worked a couple hours figuring out how, and then uploading the pictures on the website.

1Co 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

In Christ,

Toby

July 12, 2009 Sermon on John 1:15-28

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It is so awesome to see God moving in the lives of His people.  The last two weeks, though very busy, have been the most incredible so far.  We have seen Todd, and  Victoria come to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  I’m so looking forward to baptizing both of them this Sunday.  It is always awesome to see the Baptismal waters stirred.  That public announcement to the world that Jesus Christ is now the King of your life is an amazing time in the life of the believer.  I hope to see all of you here Sunday to support our new brother and sister in Christ as they follow their Lord in believers baptism.  WOW!!!  It’s so exciting.

Also this is only the second day of VBS and the crowd is big.  It’s really going good.  The gym looks awesome!  Everyone is doing an incredible job.  Be praying that God continues to move in the lives of these young people.  Be checking the VBS page for pictures.  We will be uploading pictures very soon.  Big THANKS to all those who are helping with VBS.  THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!!!

Another great thing happened today as well.  I went to see the principal at Henryville High School and talked to him about bringing in Eric Ramsey as a motivational speaker this year.  It went great!  He said that he would love to have us bring Eric and that he would support us in anyway that he could.  I’m really excited about this, and I  want to thank God for opening the doors and giving me favor with the principal.  I would also like to say that I really like principal, Troy Albert, and I’m looking forward to my children going to the Henryville School.

God is so good!!  His mercy endures forever.  His grace is new every morning.  His faithfulness is never ending.  How amazing that He continues to love us even though we are so unfaithful to Him.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus sweetest name I know.

Pastor,

Toby

If you have prayer requests for your brothers and sisters in Christ to lift before the Lord during July, please leave them below in a comment.  Click on Prayer Requests for July 2009 above.

Just make your pointer hover over the sermon audio page and the sermon series will pop up below the page.  Click on the sermon series that you desire to hear a sermon from.  Right now the only sermon series that will appear is the gospel of John, but once I preach on Sunday night and Wednesday night there will be a Philippian sermon series and Psalms.  So go to sermon audio and check it out.