I LOVE OUR CHURCH!

We have been so busy with Vacation Bible School (Son Treasure Island). My wife, Gayle, goes all out in writing scripts, decorations, planning, practicing, etc. WHEW!!! We have had great fun and I couldn't be more pleased with the unity and fellowship of our church. There are men that have pastored their entire lives and have never had the opportunity to pastor such a great group of people as I do. If I were to describe the Matthews Church of God in one word it would be: 'LOVE'. The love and unity in our church is greater right now than I've ever seen it. The people genuinely love one another and look forward to fellowship. I preach to our people all the time that its not like this everywhere you go and that's why we have to work so hard to protect it. It doesn't take much to bring division and dissension into a church. There are churches that are hindered and bogged down because as few as eight people, (according to John Maxwell), have caused strife and have brought destruction. I have come to realize that if people aren't happy in a church the best thing they can do for themselves and that church is to either pray through or go somewhere else. The church is precious and I agree whole-heartedly with someone who recently signed our guestbook, "I love our church"!

We had our first softball team this year and it blessed me to see how the guys came together with a winning attitude and had such fun even though they had a losing season. We continue to see new people come into the church and the Lord has blessed us with people that have such great attitudes and talent.

The church is doing better now in every category than it ever has in its history and we give God all the praise, honor and glory!

CHANGE !!!

Erwin M. Soukup has compiled what he terms
"The Seven Steps to Stagnation":


1. We've never done it that way before.
2. We're not ready for that.
3. We are doing all right without trying that.
4. We tried it once before.
5. We don't have money for that.
6. That's not our job.
7. Something like that can't work.

Soukup admits that "there's probably an eighth step, but we've never looked it up before." (Martin E. Marty, "Context," April 15, 1985)

I've often found that resistance to change is mostly because of laziness. Change requires work, sacrifice and expense so we use one of these seven excuses to resist change.
The Bible has a lot to say about laziness:

Proverbs 18:9 (King James Version)
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

Proverbs 19:24 (King James Version)
A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

We are admonished to look at the ant and see how industrious. We are warned by our Lord to be occupied when He returns.

We need to find motivation to fulfill our dreams and to accomplish God's will in our lives. It seems that no matter how much I do, I always feel like I can do more. It is my desire to keep striving to accomplish more and never to become satisfied with the status quo. I believe that we become miserable when we lose our vision and stop dreaming.