Hope (Dec 9th)

Some have indicated they really wanted to hear some of the content from Dec. 9th, so you'll find the link to the audio below, including the homily Hope Heals, Toni's testimony, and the Children Dedication.

2012dec09 - Hope

The text for the little homily was Jeremiah 33:14-16.

Enjoy Your Last Sunday Ever

I know there were a few who were interested in the message that was planned for yesterday, but didn't get to hear it due to my illness.  Since, it was only going to be a 5-minute devotion I offer this short, written version of that message that never was.

Enjoy Your Last Sunday Ever

Please reply or email or text me with comments or questions.  And, enjoy your last...week...ever!

SERMON AUDIO: They Like Jesus But Not the Church

If you missed a message from the last series, They Like Jesus But Not the Church, or you just wanted to hear something again, you'll find the audio files in this folder.

Aug 19 - part 1 (We won't be too political or judgmental.)

Aug 26 - part 2 (We won't be sexist or homophobic.)

Sept 2 - part 3 (We won't be arrogant or fundamentalist.)

Also, if you are interested in either of the two books from which quotes were taken, you can click on the pics below for their respective links.

    

Daniel Sermons Are Uploaded

Below is the link to listen to the sermons from the last 4 weeks.  These sermons loosely correlated with the kids' summer program, Babylon: Daniel's Courage in Captivity.  The series included:

June 17th: (Daniel 1)

My World is Changing 

June 24th: (Daniel 3)

My Life is a Challenge 

July 1st: (Daniel 6)

Part 1--My Faith is Risky & Part 2--My Faith is Peaceful 

July 8th: (Daniel 9)

My Prayer is Mercy 

 

Click here for the downloadable audio files.

Please let me know if you run into any glitches.

We Have a Functional Tree...Fort

It is now able to be played on without falling off.

As of Saturday, June 23rd.

Quarter Auction for Habitat for Humanity

 We'll be starting construction in Alton later this summer!  

Will you help us help our family 

build a decent, affordable home?

Like us (Alton Area HfH) on Facebook.

Until Friday

This is what she'll look like until at least Friday.

 The deck just needs a dozen or so more railings and a completed step in between the trunks and it'll be functional by the 4th of July.

And we checked the steering wheel out.  We were able to park the pirate ship before going back inside this evening.

Pictorial Update of the Tree Fort

My week of vacation last week helped get the tree fort closer to the finish line.  Here's the latest pix:

 As of June 4th.

As of June 13th, we have most of a deck...and a trap door!

 Here's a wide view, as of June 13th.

One of my helpers tried to draw up new plans for me.

 Here's another helper putting primer on one of the walls.

 Currently, it looks like this...

 

...and like this from the other side...

...and like this from the top of the slide.

(Thanks to Chris Orban, too, for his help getting the deck and trap door finished this past week!)

Umph (6-3-2012 sermon audio)

The audio from last Sunday's sermon, Umph, is now up.  It's based on Psalm 29.

You may want to view a minute or two of each of the three videos we watched, too...

The 2011 Japanese Tsunami:

The 2007 Hurricane Katrina:

The 2011 Tuscaloosa Tornado:

You might also be interested in the closing song, Everlasting God.

Tuscaloosa Trip Info

We're set! Tuscaloosa, here we come!

Who wants to join us?

UABC is organizing a group to travel to Tuscaloosa in early August to work with Habitat for Humanity and help the city rebuild after the mile-and-a-half tornado ripped right through the city in the spring of 2011.  If you're interested or know someone else who might be, check out the Trip Information document.

The Commitment Form is here and is due by Monday, June 18th.

If you're thinking, "Hey, I thought they were going to Joplin," here's an explanation for the change.  While many organizations in Joplin are still needing volunteers, the Habitat projects have been filled by contractor-level workers, which means they aren't scheduling groups except for a day here or there.  We (UABC) have grown fond of working with Habitat, so we found that Tuscaloosa, which was also hit hard by storms in the spring of 2011, is eager to host and use volunteer groups.  So, while it's a different location and bit farther, it's the same idea.

What shall we call this thing?

I intended to log the tree fort's progress, and I've been taking pics, but hadn't posted anything yet.  So this is the quick catch-up...

Here's a sketch of what we're aiming for...just imagine a maple tree in the middle.

April 9th: Ground has been broken and construction has begun.

April 12th: The first three poles are in the ground with footings poured.

Ack!--the hole ate my assistant!

April 21st: All poles are in the ground and all 4 outer joists are secure.

April 29th: Yes, a swing was functional for his birthday on the 27th.

April 29th: All 4 top railings are secure and the swing header mounted.

May 12th: We have the beginning of a deck...and a slide!

May 16th: Vertical rails have started to appear.

May 28th: A climbing wall!--now there's a way to get to the top of the slide!

(Thanks to those who've helped so far with tools, ideas, & muscles!)

At this slow-n-steady rate, 

she'll be ready in time for...

Dealing with Biblical Contradictions

Sermon audio from May 27th:
Smash-Up: Bright Lights v/s Clueless Hands

Synopsis: Jesus said, "...let them see your good deeds...," and then said, "...don't even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing..."  So, which is it?  Is our faith supposed to be private or public?  What's the deal?

The biblical texts are Matthew 5:14-16 & Matthew 6:1-4.

Is God Sexy or Sex Godly?

Several were interested in hearing this sermon but couldn't be there.  So, here is the audio:  Is God Sexy or Sex Godly?  

(Yes, it begins with the Beatles.  The full video of what you here can be seen here.)

(Here's a link to the New Living Translation of the text, Song of Songs 2:4-7.)

(And, you can try to follow along in the prezi if you'd like.)

"My," The Evil Word

I went for a hike yesterday in the woods behind our house for the first time since they logged the "mature-growth" trees out and deer season this past fall. I was certainly overdue for a time of solitude in the woods.

What I saw as I trekked down the hill behind our house and back up into the wilderness was that my sanctuary had been raped!
The loggers obliterated most any recognizable paths and landmarks with wide, tractor-wheel packed roads back and forth through the woods. That is not to mention all of the tree stumps and toothpicks and splinters of trees that were left behind as evidence of the mutilation. Given that I walking through this man-made mess in mid-January, I felt like I was wondering aimlessly in some deciduous graveyard.
I kept hiking, deciding to move on deeper into what-used-to-be woods, hoping to find an end to the destruction, which I did as the topography rolled into a descent towards a creek. I crossed what I figured was the spray-painted boundary line for the loggers, and found unadulterated solace again.

Somewhere in this little 2+ hour journey, I realized that these were not MY woods. It was not MY sanctuary. Although I feel robbed of some personal access to a corner of natural beauty, I do believe in property rights, and I cannot fault the actual owner of the land on which those harvested trees grew for turning those timbers into some [needed?] cash.

Besides, Our God, the real owner of anything in Creation, has some more woods a bit beyond the deciduous graveyard, which I can still borrow from time to time for a personal, momentary sanctuary.