July 2007 - Posts

• From My Heart July 22, 2007

  From My Heart                             July 22, 2007                You will probably notice that my family and I are not here today.  If you have not noticed by the end of today, you may need to stay a little more alert during the services.  My wife (who everybody knows looks so much younger than me) turns 40 this Thursday.  A number of months ago I told her to decide where the family could go for both vacation and celebration.  We have always enjoyed the Northeast, so that's where she decided to go.  We are just a few miles from the Canadian border just relaxing and enjoying sweet time as a family.  Pray for us this week.  We will return later this week. Next Sunday begins Vacation Bible School for 2007.  I will be handling the children's rally each night with our theme being "The Amazing Grace Race."  For many weeks I have been praying that God would give us a great week.   Please bring your children, grandchildren, neighbors and friends to this great event.  Invite every child and teen you know to be with us.  Each year we see a great harvest of children receiving Jesus as their Saviour.  We will have our regular services in the auditorium both Sunday and Wednesday evening. I still marvel at God's goodness to each of us.  God has been so good to me with such a great salvation, a loving family and a dedicated church family.  Recently while in California, I had three different pastors come up to me and say that they are hearing all over the country the great things God is doing in Bradenton at Bible Baptist Church.  Each time I responded, "God has been so good to us."  Thank you for all you do for the glory of God.   For Him,   Pastor   Posted Jul 19 2007, 09:29 AM by sgray128 with no comments

• From My Heart July 15, 2007

  This is "No TV Week" at Bible Baptist Church.  Yes, it is time;  I am asking our people to just turn the TV off from today through Saturday.  Consider these TV facts from A.C. Nielson Co.:   Average American watches 4 hours a day. In 65 years of life, 9 years are spent watching TV. 99% of all houses in US have at least one TV. Americans watch 250 billion hours of TV yearly. 2/3 of all homes in American have 3 or more TVs. 6 million videos are rented each day in America. Average TV is on 6 hours and 47 minutes every day. 8000 murders have been viewed on TV by each child before end of elementary school. Each child sees 20,000 - 30 second commercials in one year. Average child spends 900 hours in school each year. Average child watches 1,500 hours of TV each year.   Staggering statistics!  Maybe now you and I see how this is a great idea for our church.  Here are a few alternatives:   1. Read 2. Exercise 3. Prayer and Bible study 4. Talk to your spouse/family 5. Play a game 6. Write letters and cards to friends and family 7. Help around the church.  (See Charles)   This is going to be a great week.  You never know, you may see that you can still enjoy life without having Hollywood feed you all the time.    Have a great week!!!!!   For Him,     Posted Jul 17 2007, 03:57 PM by sgray128 with no comments

• From My Heart, July 8, 2007

  This afternoon about 20 of our teens and leaders will leave to spend this week ministering in various churches in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.  Pray for them as they sing, testify and preach.  This is all part of allowing them to minister to others.  I know they will have a great week and next Sunday night we will give you a report of how the trip went. Remember that from March 31st - April 9, 2008, my wife and I will be hosting a trip to the Holy Land.  We will tour as a group with our own motorcoach bus, wonderful accommodations, and touring a place like no other on earth.  This is the land where Jesus walked.  We will visit Caesarea, Golan Heights, Nazareth, Valley of Megiddo, Mt. of Beatitudes, ride a boat on the Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea, Masada, Bethlehem, Calvary, the Empty Tomb, etc.  We already have over 20 signed up for this trip of a lifetime.   Please get the information from me and ask any questions.  How thrilling it is to see the Bible come into color as we view these places together.  There still is an available discount for registering early. I consider it a honor to pastor Bible Baptist Church.  Our church family is making an impact both here and around the world.  Everywhere I go I tell people the great things which God is doing through our church.  Let's keep up the work.  Let's see God do even more in the last half of this year.  To God be the glory great things He has done and will do.   For Him,   Pastor   Posted Jul 07 2007, 11:07 AM by sgray128 with no comments