November 8 – “Keep it simple and don’t take offense.”

Nathan joined Ned and I to set the pews back up at church the other night.  Seaside was used as a site for voting, so the pews had been stacked and moved out of the way.  It was great to have some young muscles.  We came to the conclusion that it just might be time to seriously look at replacing the old pews with some more flexible chairs for the worship center.  Sounds like a great idea to me.  It adds to our list of possible ministry uses of the money we are anticipating from the sale of a small strip of the Galveston property we own.  So far our list includes the new high tech sign that we can use to communicate with the community (and offer for community use), a new computer to replace the one we use for worship, some renovations that are sorely needed in the worship center, and now the new chairs.  Add to that the percentage we will use for local and global missions, and it looks like all will be directed to some great causes. 

Our life group last night did something a bit different.  We still had our time of singing, but instead of returning to our study of Exodus right away, we listened to what was billed as Billy Graham’s last sermon on TV.  He is 95 years old now.  The one thing that stood out to everyone was that over all the years he was in ministry, his message was never all that different.  Always so simple.  You have a problem with sin.  Jesus took care of it.  Commit your life to Jesus and you will have eternal life.  Didn’t matter who he was talking to, whether it was the pope or a president or hundreds of thousands of people.  Didn’t matter where he was, whether at a church or a huge arena here in America or outdoors in a field somewhere overseas.  Always the same message.  That’s what makes him so inspirational, I think, and so capable of transcending the radical culture changes over the decades.  That’s always been my goal, my life purpose, in fact.  “Keep it simple and don’t take offense.”

Matthew 6:33-34 says “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Ephesians 4:2-3 says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

Father, I’m once again asking for your help.  I’m doing my best in the “Keep it simple” department.  I can always use some help in the “Don’t take offense” sector.  Amen.