Rev Bill

This girl has a wonderful voice — and amazing testimony. Born 9/15/02, she lost her mother to ovarian cancer on November 8, 2008. Her faith and talent speaks volumes to God’s love and grace!

Rhema Marvanne – ‘Amazing Grace’ REVISED 6/11 from Black Olive Media.com on Vimeo.

I have posted today’s sermon on my sermon blog. Based on Hosea 11:1-11, it is entitled: “Choices”.

Here’s a portion of it:

God chooses to offer you a new way to live and new things to love and want and have a desire for – things that don’t separate you from Him and others.
God choose to offer you a way to live without saying things that hurt people.
God chooses to offer you a way to live without flying off the handle and getting mad at others.
God chooses to offer you a way to live the life God wants you to live.
God choose to offer you a way to use the material things in your life – be it your television or your computer or your cell phone or your home or you car – or whatever it might be – a way that does not harm your relationship with Him and others but can help it.
God chooses to offer you a way to be use your feelings – the things you want and desire in the world – the things that give you pleasure – in ways that do not separate you from Him and others and are not sinful.
God makes a loving choice to save you – even though you have gone against Him
You can choose to repent and be saved.
You can choose to live in God’s ways.
You can choose to be active in the Church and the community – doing God’s will – taking part in God’s work and worshipping, fellowshipping, learning, and serving with God’s people – doing the things God wants you to do – and finding the new life God wants to give you – or you can choose not to do these things and go on worshipping yourself and not doing God’s will – coming to Church when you feel like it instead of when God calls you – and – in the end – risking not being the person God has called you to be.

You can read the sermon here.

I have posted today’s sermon on my sermon blog. It’s based on Luke 11:1-13 and entitled “Keep Praying”!

Here’s a portion of it:

Several years ago a friend of mine and I went to a weekend Blue Grass Concert in North Wilkesboro, NC. After the Friday night festivities we stopped at a Mexican restaurant on the way back to the cabin we were staying in and noticed that — at a table nearby — there was a woman and a man holding hands across the table, talking quietly, gazing into each other’s eyes. They were obviously in love. My friend and I noticed what was going on at that table – and both of us reached for our cell phones at the same time and said: “Excuse me. I have to call my wife.” I’ll never forget thinking about what was motivating the calls. It was that picture of a deep, satisfying, relating conversation. It made us think: That’s what I want to participate in with my wife. I want to talk to her. I want to call home.
Jesus’ followers might have seen something in the way Jesus related to his Father, and said: “Teach us to pray like that.”

You can read the entire sermon here.

One of my favorite songs performed by a pair of brave sisters with cystic fibrosis.

Yes — America does have talent!

The aftermath of this year’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) finds us again at a point where the Presbyteries in our denomination are going to have to vote on several issues that have divided us in the past, and I am certain will do so again.

Once again (the 5th time in 14 years) the issue of ordination of those in same – sex partnerships will be debated in our Presbyteries as a new amendment to our Book of Order is now proposed. It reads that officers (ministers,elders, and deacons) submit “joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ” in all aspects of life, but removes the requirement that they live a life of “fidelity within marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness” that is in the Book of Order now.

The Assembly sent out for study by the denomination a majority and minority report on same – sex marriages and took no action on calls to allow Presbyterian ministers to perform same – sex marriages in states where they are legal.

I pray that these upcoming debates will not bring a split in the denomination I love — but more than that I pray that we can come to a consensus of a Biblical view that marriage is to be between a man and a woman. Please join me in praying for our denomination as we enter another time of debate and discussion on this issue, and praying for God’s will to be done.