The year was 1957, I was a farm kid growing up in the little town of Kinston, North Carolina. Instead of the hundreds of television stations, we only had three: ABC, CBS and NBC. Each Sunday morning we watched a man whose address was simply Tulsa 2, Oklahoma, that man was Evangelist Oral Roberts.
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Tags: 1957, North Carolina, Oral Roberts
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November 11th, 2009 by mwaters
Over the past decades, I have officiated at or coordinated dozens of funerals or memorial services. Family members have to deal with the financial aspects of the service while dealing with their grief. In some cases, I have seen family members have to literally pass the hat in order to pay for the service. In other cases, I have seen people opt for cremation of a loved-one instead of a traditional funeral. What can be done to prevent this from happening to yourself or someone you love?
You can establish a pre-needs account with a funeral home of your choice before death. In 1970, the average price of a funeral ranged between $1,500-2,500; today that price is between $5,000-7,000. I recently did a funeral for a man who paid $1,500 for a prel-needs account in 1970 and received a funeral worth $7,000 at his time of death. With prices increasing in virtually every area of life, I highly encourage our parrishioners to check with area funeral homes and get an account started. Because this will help dimish grief at the time of death, I believe, an act of love!
Please give me a call at 265-3114, if you would like to further discuss this process.
Tags: funeral, memorial services, pre-needs, price
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January 12th, 2009 by mwaters
I like the story I heard about the late Greenbay Packers Coach, Vince Lombardi. Many years ago, the packers lost to a lesser team. The next morning, Coach Lombardi assembled his team and began practice by saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football…” He went on to give these seasoned veterans a lecture on the fundamentals of throwing, catching, running and tackling. Sometimes, I give a variation of his speech by saying, “Brother, this is a Bible…”
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January 1st, 2009 by mwaters
Hello, 2009
I pray all will be fine
As we go about our lives
‘Abiding in the vine…’
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December 26th, 2008 by mwaters
Words are like hammers, they can build or destroy. I am often saddened when I hear parents speaking unkind words to one another or to a child. They may not think it will do any harm but little do they know the power of their words. Words can build the person’s esteem or kill any hope they may have of success.
Why do people speak unkind words?
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December 4th, 2008 by mwaters
At staff meeting today, we were asked to go around the table and tell about our most memorable Christmas event. One of the pastors told of how his mom and dad got through a tough Christmas at their new parsonage. Another pastor told about how they would exchange gifts and then go the beach.
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Tags: Christmas encouragement sharing stories
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December 2nd, 2008 by mwaters
Let your light so shine... Matthew 5:16
Someone once said, “only when it’s dark enough outside, can you see the stars.” In these bleak times, there is ample room for the Saints to shine. As a nation, we have enjoyed material blessings approaching opulence. Until the recent economic setback, many people felt no need for God because of their IRAs and Keoghs. However, when times get tough, all roads lead back to the cross. Remember how prayer meetings were breaking out all over the place after 9-11? With that in mind, what can we do to ‘show forth the excellence of God’ in a world in turmoil?
We still have the good news or the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4). The world is still looking for some good news. They are not getting it from the networks but they should see it and be able to hear it from us. In tough times, many return to tried and true methods of living. Our best days are ahead. Be ready to share the good news.
Secondly, we can give or show forth our Integrity (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12). Be honest in your dealings with people. If you are in business, don’t promise what you cannot deliver or allow others to try to squeeze you into the world’s mold. It’s better to give honest bad news than to sugar coat a lie. Sadly, one of the reasons we are in this economic mess is due to dishonesty by some in business.
Thirdly, we can be people of Virtue (Philippians 4:8; Titus 2:3; 2 Peter 1:3;
2 Peter 1:5) in every situation. This word is akin to integrity and reinforces the moral soundness of the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit. In a ‘dog eat dog’ culture, we need to lead the way in goodness and kindness. Many have been won to Christ just because someone was nice to them.
Lastly, we need to be people of Encouragement (2 Timothy 4:2; Hebrews 3:13). One word can make a difference when spoken in faith and hope. These tough economic times will not last. However, no one has ever overcome anything of substance minus encouragement of one kind of another. As Christians, we are empowered to encourage others even in the midst of tough times.
I wrote these words after recently visiting a man in a local hospital. He’d been diagnosed with cancer (brain, liver and lung). As we started talking, I felt sorry for him. However, this Spirit-filled powerhouse began to minister to me and I was the richer for having met him. How much more do we have to give to those in our sphere of influence? Even in our pain, God wants to speak through us because we have much to G-I-V-E.
Saints, we can shine during these dark times because the True Light shines through us…Selah
Tags: inspiration encouragement doctrine, inspiration encouragement love evangelism gospel
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December 2nd, 2008 by mwaters
T’was the week before Christmas
and all through the group
Not a member was suffering
nor feeling out of the loop
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Tags: small-groups fun encouragement
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