What a great Winter Bible Conference we had this past week!  Dr. Barber delivered some truly powerful, Bible packed sermons to help us grow in the Lord.  Thank you for being here and being so supportive each night.  The Barbers continuously remarked about the spirit and the friendliness of the church.  Truly the Lord stirred our hearts and made us more like Christ.
 Rev. Frederick Douglas is well-known in United States history.  Douglas lived in the 1800’s and was born a slave in Maryland.  Douglas educated himself and later educated other slaves by teaching them to read the New Testament.  Douglas escaped to freedom in 1838 and became well-known for his leading in the anti-slavery movement.  I want to share with you some words from Douglas I find so powerful:  “I have one great political idea...That idea is an old one.  It is widely and generally assented to; nevertheless, it is very generally trampled upon and disregarded.  The best expressions of it, I have found in the Bible.  It is in substance, “Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”  (Proverbs 14:34)  This constitutes my politics—the negative and positive of my politics, and the whole of my politics….I feel it my duty to do all in my power to infuse this idea into the public mind.”
 Tonight we will have a special patriotic service with Andrew Phipps.  This will be a special time I do not want you to miss.  May God bless you today.