Notes from Sunday - 07/06/08

Yesterday was a great day of worship and fellowship at MSMBC.

Communion Sunday is always a special time in the life of our congregation. Yesterday was no exception.

The attendance was good yesterday, even though it was a holiday weekend.

Some of our summer small-groups and Sunday school classes kicked-off yesterday. There are four or five groups that will meet at different places around the campus during our two worship services.

My assistant, George Hurtt, made it home safely from his short-term missions trip to Haiti this past week. Praise the Lord for blessing his labors and bringing him safely too us.

I met a guest who is in town from Chicago for the next month. Her pastor, my friend Romell Williams, recommended that she attend our church while she is in Los Angeles. Cool.

I guess it was throw-back Sunday at MSMBC and nobody told me. One of the selections the choir sung is, "We've Come to Praise Him." When I was a boy, choirs used to march in on this song. Do you remember when choirs used to march in?

I finished our little "mini-series" on the beatitudes of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12.

I preached on the final beatitude, recorded in Matthew 5:10-12. I labeled the message, "The Joy of Persecution."

It was interesting to hear several people comment on how different my message was between the two services. I thought that they were pretty much the same, except for the introduction and the conclusion. Come to think of it, maybe they were right.

I hope the message was as radical as the beatitude itself, in which Jesus connects two realities we typically separate: blessedness and persecution.

This week's score: Microphones - 2; HBC2 - 0. I thought we fixed the problems with the audio system, specifically my monitors. But something went wrong again. I am determined to fix the problem this week.

My throat was so sore during the 10 AM service, I wondered how I would be able to preach. I had to specially ask the church to pray for me before I began my message. The Lord answered prayer again and gave me strength to preach. Praise the Lord!

By the way, the Los Angeles weather was absolutely beautiful yesterday. It was a great day to be outside.

I am happy that Venus Williams and Raphael Nadal won at Wimbledon this weekend.

The E.K. Bailey Expository Preaching Conference is meeting this week in Dallas. ray God blessings on this great meeting that was began by one of my preaching heroes.

Rev. Timothy Wright, the famous Gospel singer and pastor, was in a serious car accident over the weekend. His wife and grandson died in the accident. And Rev. Wright is in serious condition, from the last report that I heard. Please cover this family with believing prayer.

My family is headed to Florida today. Please remember us your prayers.