Moving from July to August

Hey, this is Pastor Chuck. As we transition from one summer month to the next, we have some important activities going on. It's the kind of stuff that we hope will bless our community!

This Sunday, our sermon time will wrap up the "Gates of Hell" series. Based on Matthew 16:13-28 and drawing from some other related Scripture, particularly Ephesians 5 and 6, I hope we are letting God's word help us better understand the church's primary mission.

Last Sunday, I asked those present to spend time this week identifying where those gates are in our community, hoping to draw from some of those observations in this Sunday's sermon. We were to be looking for the opposite of our Wesleyan "means of grace." Where does Satan regularly meet and corrupt people?

Frankly, I have not heard much, except for some comments related to national politics, which tells me we're not fully grasping the very immediate, local, pressing opportunities we have to attack and overcome the gates of hell. This Sunday, I am hoping we can forget about Washington, D.C., for a little while and consider how we can go on the attack in places where we actually have direct influence.

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There is a church effort underway to do some good while simultaneously allowing us to develop relationships with people who may need to hear about Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 3, we will be equipping area children with school supplies, having some fun with them in the process. Our target audience is families with children at Yuma Elementary, but others may show up, too.

Volunteers are needed that morning!

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Remember, if you want text updates from the church, all you have to do is send "join" to (276) 378-9672. Please do that, but also please let me explain a little more about how this system works.

This is not my personal phone number. It is attached to a computer somewhere in Missouri, at a company that provides mass texting services. I use my computer to send out messages on that system.

Be aware that I cannot receive calls on the above number. If you reply to a text on this system, I am the only one who sees it, not the whole group. And for me to see it, I have to be on a computer, or looking at an app on my phone.

If you're trying to reach me directly, my cell phone number is (423) 491-0506.

Blessings on all of you!