Notes from Sunday - 09/07/08

Sleep evaded me Saturday night. And when it was time for me to get moving Sunday morning, I was sluggish - mentally and physically. It was one of those mornings when everything was moving in slow motion. But it's nothing like getting to church to get your motor running!

Over the past several weeks, there have been quite a few first- and second-time guests in our morning worship services. There has also been a number of former members who have returned to worship with us for the last time. Cool.

Gloria E. did an excellent job leading the opening congregational singing. Praise God for her service.

I led the Lord's Supper for the last time as pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church. My mind drifted to that fact several times in both services, but I was able to stay focused with God's help.

I preached from one of my favorite verses of the Bible, Philippians 1:6: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." I labeled the messaged, "The Preservation of the Saints."

This was not the message I had planned to preach. I worked on a text from Matthew all week. And this sermon from Philippians hit me about 9 pm Saturday night. So I reviewed it some before I went to bed and then again when I woke up. I was a little thrown off. But, oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

Funniest moment of the day: Phil's Bible disappeared from the front row in the middle of the 10 AM worship service. It reappeared after church.

I announced to the church that the Church Council has agreed to present George E. Hurtt as its sole pastoral candidate in a meeting scheduled for September 29.

George Hurtt has been a member of MSMBC for about seven years. And George has worked on our staff as my pastoral assistant for about three years now. It was been a great privilege to watch his development over these years. He is a man of integrity, is committed to sound doctrine, a strong, growing preacher, a skilled leader, and he loves Mt. Sinai. God's hand is evidently on this young man's life. Although this process has gone in a direction that none of us expected, I am absolutely convinced that George would do a great job as pastor of Mt. Sinai. Over the next several weeks, please pray for George, the Church Council, and the membership of MSMBC, as they prepare to make an important decision about who God would have to lead the congregation in the next season of its ministry.

One more piece of big news: The Dallas Cowboys win!!! Cowboys 28 - Browns 10. 1-0 for the seasojavascript:void(0)n, if you're counting (and I am!).

By the way, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost their opening game of the season yesterday, 10-17, to the Tennessee Titans (who lost Vince Young during the game). But who's counting?