Be Careful What You Ask For

It has been a scary week in the financial world. Some of the nations largest bank are having problems and even some have gone under. What has brought the country to it's knees was the easy access the credit. Loans were granted to people who could not afford the monthly payments. As a banker this concerns me greatly.

This week we will learn that the people of Israel have ask for a king. This was not God's plan, He wanted to be their only King but He granted this pray. We will see that this prayer was not in the best interest of the people.

We need to be careful what we ask for. God may just answer our prayers.

See you in church.

Serving the Lord Faithfully

"Iron-Man" Stan, "Flash" Forrester, myself along with others participated in the 5K Cotton Picking Race that began and ended from our church parking lot on Saturday. Although it was hot, it was fun. There even were some babies who rolled across the finish line in their strollers. Each runner, walker, and roller finished the race.

As I studied this week's lesson I was reminded of this race. Serving the Lord is a race. Some of us run, some of us walk and even some of us are pushed. Samuel begins a race to serve the Lord. God called him to the starting line and said Ready, Set, Go.

How do we prepare for the race in service to God ?

How can we improve ourselves for this race ?

This should be a good study.

P.S. My race name was "Slug" and my job was to show the other runners where the church bathrooms were located.
See you in class.

God's Grace

As I write this blog Tropical Storm Hanna began a rain-swept march up the U.S. Atlantic coast. Little to no damage has been reported. The word Hanna mean "God's Grace". What started as a menacing storm just blessed an area of the country with much needed rain.

In today's lesson we see God's grace towards another Hanna. She could not have a child. After many tears and much prayer "God's Grace" blessed this Hanna with a child.


What is grace ?


Why is grace important ?

This should be a very interesting lesson. FYI The next storm is named "Ike" which means "God's Strength". Makes you think.

Dealing With Limitations

We deal with limitations each day. I cannot type very fast. In fact it will take it about one hour to type this short blog page. My job requires me to type a great deal, so my day is full of hunting and pecking.

When it comes to sharing your faith do you have limitations ? I have many. This week we will see some limitations that Paul had to endure. Paul overcame this limitations with God's help.

What are your limitations ?

How do we overcome these limitations ?

How can we help others with their limitations ?

See you in class.

When The Whole World Is Against You

Have you ever felt that the only friend you have in the world is your dog ? You go to work and someone there has just made you fell six inches tall or a group of your co-workers will not speak to you. At the same time, there may not be harmony in your family. Sometimes you feel alone and you are not sure what you did to deserve this treatment.

This week the world is against Paul. He went to share the Word and for this he gained many enemies. They hated Paul for sharing the truth.

How do we deal with a world that is so evil ?

How do we deal with a person that hates us ?

How do we deal with a friend that dislikes us ?

We have all been there. Lets talk about it.

How To Handle Criticism

"Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." Aristotle. There is much truth to that quote. Sometimes it is hard for us to handle criticism the right way. We get our feeling hurt. I know it is hard for me because I want everyone to like me. The reality is, we need criticism. When done correctly it makes us better.

This week Paul is criticized by the people of Jerusalem. We will see how he handles this criticism.

What are some basic reasons that unbelievers criticize those who follow Christ ?

What are some basic reasons that our fellow church members criticize each other ?

What can be done to counter unfair criticism ?

Lord, we can't see each wrong we do,
So send us help from Christians who
Will notice faults we do not see
And tell us of them tactfully. —Branon

Bring your thinking caps to class.

Dealing With The Critics