Thursday, December 27, 2007
Happy Holidays! How has your Christmas been so far? We got home from California early yesterday, and here is a run down of our holidays:
On the first day of Christmas... We almost missed our plane to California.
On the second day of Christmas... Reann was VERY sick!
On the third day of Christmas... Christmas packages were lost and Lenora had to buy it all again.
On the fourth day of Christmas... Family pictures... NEED I SAY MORE???
On the fifth day of Christmas... I got Reann's stomach flu.
On the sixth day of Christmas... My mom was so sick she couldn't stay up to watch all the grandkids open all their presents.
On the seventh day of Christmas... Turkey & Dressing!
On the eighth day of Christmas... Arriving in Nashville at 11:30 pm on Christmas Day!
It isn't quite as catchy as the original song, but it was quite an adventure. In spite of all the craziness, we all had a wonderful time with my family in California.
Have a super day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, December 17, 2007
This is my first deer in about 3 years and only my second whitetail ever. I got it last Friday evening at about 4:00 pm. Seth and I shot the last one in Texas when he was 4. It feels good to be "back in the saddle" again.
The congregational Christmas dinner was last night after the PM service and went really well. I think everyone had a great time. Thanks to everyone who helped... especially Joey Krieger who really made it happen.
Tomorrow we leave for Christmas in California with my family, so I won't be blogging for about a week.
Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, December 13, 2007
A good friend in Texas emailed me some Christian cartoons today and this one really grabbed me.
It caused me to reflect on how difficult it can be to look at life through the lens of faith. I always find it so easy to rely upon my human vision rather than to allow my believe to actually have an impact on how I see things. Why is that? Why do we have so much trouble "trusting" God?
If you have the answer, please let me know!
Have a blessed day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Last night the elders and staff of Sherrod Avenue had our annual Christmas bash at the Kriegers. It was really fun. What a joy it is to work with such good people. It made me think about how easy it is to overlook the little blessings of life that we too often take for granted.
I was teaching my class at Mars Hill last week on the parables of Luke 15- the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son. How strange is it that Jesus would use such objects to represent the lostness of man? A sheep is the dumbest animal alive and is only wandering around in fear because of his own neglectful ignorance. A coin is oblivious to its surroundings and has no idea if it is lost or not. The lost son is wallowing in sin and anguish because of his own willful pride. Do these not describe lost people? Do they not describe who all of us once were before we met Jesus?
Which one were you? Everyone who has been saved from their sins used to be one of the three. The choices aren't too flattering: stupid, oblivious, or stubborn.
I was the lost son. I grew up knowing what was good and pure and left it with my eyes wide open. THANK BE TO GOD that He was waiting for me 17 years ago as I walked that long and lonely road of repentance!
Have a great day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
I've been TAGGED!!! My friend Coy Thorp sent me this email which challenges people to think about and list what books have impacted them. My other friend Jim Gardner put his list on his blog, so I figure that since I've been "tagged" I had just as well be a "copycat" too. Here is my list:
1. A Book That Changed My Life- "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge. It is a masterpiece of spiritual masculinity.
2. A Book I've Read More Than Once- "Re-Baptism" by Jimmy Allen. It's just a lot to absorb. I've probably read it three to five times.
3. A Book You Would Want on a Deserted Island- Do I really need to answer this one? ("The Bible" is the mandatory answer for all preachers... HA) Seriously... is there any other reasonable answer???
4. A Book That Made You Laugh- "The Misenchanted Sword" by Lawrence Watt-Evans. I read this little fantasy novel in high-school and have always remembered its strange plot.
5. A Book That Made You Cry- "Raising a Modern-Day Knight" by Robert Lewis. As I reflected on my boy and the man I hope for him to become, I was often brought to tears.
6. A Book You Wish You Had Written- "Seeing the Unseen" by Joe Beam. The book is a pioneer work on the important subject of spiritual warfare.
7. A Book You Wish Had Never Been Written- "The Jesus Proposal" by Rubel Shelly and John York. Please DON'T read it to find out why.
8. A Book You Are Currently Reading- "Character Counts" by Os Guinness. This book examines the great leadership qualities of George Washington, William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn.
9. A Book You Are Meaning to Read- "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. Can you believe I've never fully read that!
With the list compiled, I'm supposed to "tag" five other people to do the same. The problem is that most of the blog people I read have already been tagged. Therefore, I "tag" all of you who read this blog. Choose one of the questions above and email me your answer. I'll include all of the responses in a future blog.
Have a great Day!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
This week I have been working frantically on my new class for Wednesday nights about our changing American culture and how it will affect us as Christians. I am reading widely, but keep coming across information about a new children's movie opening this Christmas season called "The Golden Compass."
The books upon which the movie is based were written by a self-proclaimed British atheist and are said to have an anti-God agenda. My brother, Jarrod Williams (who is a fantasy/sci-fi expert), read the first of the books and posted this response on his blog:
...I thought the book was pretty good and I hadn't seen anything like that in it up to that point. True, I had noticed some negative comments about a Catholic-esk religion in the book, but had taken that as a comment on Catholicism, and, being a person who has some very big problems with Catholicism, hadn't thought it was a big deal.
The truth is I'm not one to judge a book by it's cover. I'm just not. So, I wasn't ready to believe hearsay just yet. I think Christians, by nature, are skeptics. We're always wary of anything the world says until we're able to match it up with truth and Scripture. I wanted to do that here, so I did some research.
Now, normally I'm a very deductive person. I like to reason my way through to a solution or answer instead of giving the answer first and then telling you why. Well, I'm not going to do that here.
To make a long story short, The Golden Compass and the series His Dark Materials are both blasphemous and heretical. I left the book in Vancouver.
I know, I'm bummed too. That movie looks good.
But looks can be deceiving. Look, I won't give away the whole ending for those of you who are reading it, but by the end of the third book, you find out who the real bad guy, the antagonist, really is: God.
Jarrod goes on to show that the author's aim is to convince kid's that there is no God and that religion is evil. How shockingly sad!
But should it really surprise us?
Have a great day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, November 29, 2007
We had a great trip to Ohio and ate far more than we should have. My little sis is really a great cook!
Tomorrow I plan to go deer hunting for the first time in Alabama. I used to love hunting but have fallen out of practice through the years. Isn't it funny how we get so busy that we can't even find time to do the things we really like?
Time has been on my mind a lot lately. I was reflecting on the kids and thought about Seth's 8th birthday coming up. He's our baby. He came unexpectedly and it seems that he was just a baby yesterday. But he's growing up, and in just 10 short years they will all be out of the house forever (at least we hope so for his sake).
I am trying to cherish each day with the kids while I have them at home. I hope you are too!
May God bless you all.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
What are your plans for this holiday week? Spending time with family? Eating way more than you should? What a coincidence... ME TOO!
We are leaving later today and heading for Ohio and my sisters house. They have only recently moved there so this will be our first visit to see them. I am so excited!
We had a really good day at Sherrod on Sunday. After pm service we had our annual thanksgiving feast and invited our neighbors. It went really well and about 300 people ate together. Some of the men deep fried the turkeys and they were delicious.
We all go through "valleys" in life. Do you remember what it's like when you first start to ascend out of the drudgery into the "light?" It's wonderful, isn't it? That is how I am feeling today. There have been some things heavy on my heart lately, but now the light is shining and I can see new heights on the horizon. It is on days like today that God's promises shout so loudly. His goodness and provision are so easy to see. If only I could see them ALL the time!
Have a great holiday. I be blogging back at you on Monday.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, November 12, 2007
My parents left on Saturday and we had a really great visit with them. They flew from Nashville to Troy, Ohio to see my sister and her family.
Yesterday I received a very encouraging note from a brother who has himself been a preacher. The note was frank and direct, and spoke to some things I needed to hear at that moment. It struck me how God can providentially use a kind word from someone at exactly the right moment. It is so tempting to let those little things pass as coincidence without recognizing the guiding hand of God in our daily living. Perhaps we don't want to trivialize God by reducing Him to being involved in the day to day routines of life. But He is involved in them! As a parent, He cares about every detail of our lives. The only question is, will I let Him be involved and thank Him when He is?
Have a great Monday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, November 5, 2007
What a fabulous Friend's Day! Thank you for all helping to make yesterday a great success. The food was great and the building was full of smiling faces. We had an in-house attendance of 467 and a total morning attendance (with MH) of 515! It was truly a great day.
Today is an exciting day at our house. My parents, Stan and Sherrie Williams, arrive in Nashville tonight from California to spend a few days with us (The picture to the left is my dad and my sister Melanie Overstreet). Because of my mom's failing health, it has been almost a year since they have been out and our kids are bouncing off the walls in anticipation. Dad will be preaching at the 5:30 pm Worship this Wednesday evening (Nov. 7th), so come and hear him if you have the chance.
Have a good day.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, November 1, 2007
This morning I was thinking about time and how it speeds up as we grow older. I remember older people saying to me that the years go by faster as you age, and thinking how absurd that was. Now I'm beginning to see what they mean. Years seem shorter now. I know the amount of days, hours, and minutes are all the same... but something is different. My kids are growing up too fast. It is a strange phenomenon indeed!
Perhaps this perception is because, with more wisdom, we appreciate life more. I seem to have stopped dreaming about what might come tomorrow and shifted into 
cherishing what I have today. It really makes that overused Latin Phrase, Carpe Deim ("Seize the Day") come to life in a new way.
Ok. Enough musing for today.
Have all of you Sherrod Avenue folks been inviting your friends and family to worship with us this Sunday? Please ask them TODAY! Also, plan to bring plenty of food... I'm sure we'll have some hungry visitors.
I'll see you all on Sunday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
On Monday my parents are coming to town for the week and I am very excited. Because of my mom's chronic illnesses (she suffers from a myriad of problems as a result of pancreatitas) they don't get to come very often. The kids will no doubt cherish their visit and I know we'll all have a great time.
My dad, Stan Williams, is a preacher like me, and the greatest factor in my decision to choose this life. I always wanted to be like him (although I feel like a "cheap copy" most of the time). Even though I knew his weaknesses as only family can, my dad was always the man at home that he appeared to be at Church. There was no hypocrisy in him. What you saw was what you got, and what you saw was a man who had an incredible capacity for love. That is who my day is and always has been: love for God, love for his wife, love for his kids, love for the lost, love for the church... on and on.
I just hope Reann, Reagan, and Seth see half the man in me that I was privileged to see every day in him!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Isn't it interesting that the most simple of concepts can also be very complex?
I was discussing the Gospel plan recently with some folks, and I realized that, although the details of the Gospel are simple (Christ died for our sins), many of the concepts necessary to understanding the "plan of salvation are not. For instance:
1. Why is it all necessary? Yes, man sinned so he is destined to hell without the death of Jesus... but why? If God loves us, why doesn't He just overlook our sin? Why not just act like it never happened? WHY???
BECAUSE HE CAN'T!!! God is just, and His holy nature will not allow Him to tolerate sin in His presence. Therefore:
2. Jesus is our "substitute." He lived a life of perfection (sinlessness) which EARNED eternal life, so that God could exchange His reward (life) for that which we have earned through our sin- DEATH (Rom. 6:23). That is why Jesus had to die. He had to take our place in condemnation, so we could take His place in salvation (2 Cor. 5:21).
Simply... yes! Complex... UNDOUBTABLY! That is probably why Paul called it "a mystery."
Have a good one.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, October 29, 2007
Good morning. I hope you are all looking forward to a great week. I am trying to be optimistic as I am "bacheloring" this week. Lenora and Reann are in Williamsburg, VA. for the Mars Hill 8th grade trip, so it is just Reagan, Seth, and me until Friday.
Pray for us!
Saturday proved to be one of the most fun and exciting days here at Sherrod Avenue since we've been here. The Fall Festival we had was a fabulous success. We had an attendance that was FAR beyond what we expected, and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. There were a lot of neighborhood kids here as well, which was our primary aim. All in all, we can assuredly say that the Lord blessed the effort.
Please don't forget our Friends and Family day this coming Sunday, November 4th.
Invite... invite... invite.
Have a blessed day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wow... what a group! As many of you experienced during Renewal 2007, Joey Krieger (our Worship Minister) organized a fabulous singing group called the "Sherrod Singers." A few weeks ago they sang for one of our sister congregations here in Florence and that performance was recorded. You can listen to them by clicking here. I am sorry for the low quality of the recording, but it is a necessary evil of the compression process.
Please don't forget our FALL FESTIVAL tomorrow from 3:00-6:00 pm. We will have great games, food, candy, and fun for the whole family!
Also remember our FRIENDS & FAMILY DAY on Sunday, November 4th. Start inviting people today!
Have a great weekend.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Aaarrrgh... I just wrote this great blog on "Peace of Mind" and, before I could hit the save button, I touched the keyboard and it jumped to "Yahoo search." You guessed it... the profound (so I like to think) thoughts were lost in cyberspace!
So I'll condense: BE thankful for the peace of mind we have in Christ. There are billions who don't have it and live their lives without assurance.
Have a great Thursday.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
It has started again... Mars Hill Basketball. We attended both a girls and boys middle school game at Cloverdale last night, and wow, did we ever start strong. The girls scored... I stopped looking at 50+ points, and felt so bad for the Cloverdale girls who scored 4 (perhaps 5). The boys won by almost the same margin, scoring over 50 themselves to Cloverdale's 22. Good start guys!!!
As most of you know, we are going through a transition here at Sherrod Avenue. Our youth minister, Wess Howell, is moving on, and we will begin searching soon for new leadership for our youth. Wess has "shoes" that will be impossible to "fill." His depth of spirituality and sincere love for people are rare qualities that have blessed our youth immeasurably. Therefore, finding someone to fill the role will be particularly difficult.
As we embark upon this process, what do you feel is the most important think that we should be concerned about for our youth? I have posted a poll in the left margin of this page and would appreciate your responses.
Have a great day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sometimes I think too much.
Perhaps it's a natural thing for preachers? I'll occasionally get lost in a concept and not be able to "shake" it until I've worked it through. Some might call it "daydreaming," but I choose to call it "meditation."
In spite of this personal trait, be it vice or virtue, I DO believe that we need MORE thinking today. It seems that logic has often taken a vacation in our culture. People are so quick to adopt certain views and just as quick to dismiss others without any real consideration. We just don't "think things through" anymore, and emotions seem to dictate our positions more than reason.
This reality produces some interesting ironies. For instance, it is popular today to be an "individual" and to not be like "the crowd." But, if the "crowd" is saying that a person must be a non-conformist, aren't they themselves conforming???
Just some thoughts to chew on. Have a great day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, October 15, 2007
Hello everybody!
Today I feel good to restart my blog on a Monday with the whole week ahead. Hopefully this will be the beginning of getting "back in the swing of things."
SACOC People:
Please be marking our upcoming events on your calendars. In the near future we have:
1. Fall Festival on October 27th. This will be an awesome family time. There will be fun and games for the whole family. As a wholesome alternative to the fright-day activities, we will have games, "jumpy-houses", snacks, and trunk-or-treat for both our kids and those of our neighborhood. We need help and support from all ages so come and have a GREAT TIME with us!
2. Friends and Family Day on November 4th. Yes... November 4th... NOT OCTOBER (inside joke for SA)! We will soon have invitations for you to give to your family, friends, and co-workers. Please be inviting people and praying for our success in the effort. A Potluck lunch will follow in the Life Center.
Isn't it a blessing to be a part of such a great church family? I am certainly grateful.
Have a super day.
----------------------------------------------------------------
The truth is I'm not one to judge a book by it's cover. I'm just not. So, I wasn't ready to believe hearsay just yet. I think Christians, by nature, are skeptics. We're always wary of anything the world says until we're able to match it up with truth and Scripture. I wanted to do that here, so I did some research.
Now, normally I'm a very deductive person. I like to reason my way through to a solution or answer instead of giving the answer first and then telling you why. Well, I'm not going to do that here.
To make a long story short, The Golden Compass and the series His Dark Materials are both blasphemous and heretical. I left the book in Vancouver.
I know, I'm bummed too. That movie looks good.
But looks can be deceiving. Look, I won't give away the whole ending for those of you who are reading it, but by the end of the third book, you find out who the real bad guy, the antagonist, really is: God.
Jarrod goes on to show how the author actually wrote the book to influence kids NOT to believe in God! How tragic! How very sad indeed.
But it really shouldn't surprise us.
Have a great day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please Pray for Our Troops and Missionaries Around the World.
