Pastor’s Blog, July 2007
2007:
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2008: January February March
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July
Progress digitizing Faith Assembly recorded sermons: March 8, 1995
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
I Corinthians 11
9:45 a.m.
I am happy if I get around to blogging once a week now. I assure you, if
something comes up that you need to hear about in between, I will blog more
often. The present information I want to share is that we will be having a
church camp-out on the weekend of August 10 at Chain-O’-Lakes State Park, here
in northern Indiana. Anyone who is interested is welcome to come. If you would
like to come, email me and I can send you information about exactly where we
will be camping, so you can reserve your site close to where the rest of us will
be located.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
I Corinthians 4
10:15 a.m.
Well, I want to share some things that have developed out of the reconciliation
that God brought to pass recently. God has opened the way for teaching New
Testament Greek here at Faith Assembly. It sounds like there is quite a group
that wants to take the course. As presently planned, there will be 36 class
sessions, running basically through the school year. Offhand, I am estimating
somewhere between 15 and 20 students — although I really do not know for sure,
and, without knowing how many will be taking the class, I don’t know how many
copies to order of the textbook and the Greek New Testament. The Greek Textus
Receptus is still available for only $9.60 a copy new, so I may just order
enough for everyone, once I do know the number, so I can be sure of everyone
having exactly the same Greek text. The course textbook is New Testament
Greek for Beginners, by J. Gresham Machen. I can buy this book new for about
$60.00 a copy, but I really would like to save the students having to pay that
amount of money. So — just an idea — if anyone reading this blog has a copy of
the Machen textbook just gathering dust on your bookshelf, I wonder if you would
consider either loaning, or selling, or giving it to us, to make available for
the students of the class. A number of the prospective students are young men
who recognize that God has called them into a teaching or other leadership
ministry. I want to emphasize, I am not begging for donations. I am willing to
buy the books — used or new — if I need to do that. But I also know there are
many copies of the Machen textbook out there just gathering dust, and this is a
way they could be put to good use.
I have always believed that Faith Assembly’s special
place is to provide materials and to be a support and help to those who are
serious about preparing for ministry, whether in leadership positions or as
every Christian is called to be a minister. This planned course is very much an
encouraging development, and I pray that it will be a tremendous blessing to all
those who participate.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Romans 16
12:25 p.m.
I apologize about not keeping up this blog on a daily basis, but I have had
other priorities. While it may be gratifying, in a selfish sort of way, to wax
eloquent here about various subjects, I know that my understanding and opinions
are of limited value. I am not so vain as to think the world turns on whether
Pastor Joe has blogged today, or not!
I should say, we enjoyed a very nice evening with the Neely
family last night. It just makes my heart ache that we have missed practically
13 years we could have been enjoying their friendship — I guess both sides were
partly to blame — but I am all the more grateful that God has brought us
together, and we look forward to what God may have for us in the future.
I have posted a few pictures of some of the pretty sights we
saw on vacation. Click HERE to see
them.