Updates

Dear SCC & Friends, If it is possible ~Romans 12:18 Reflection #215                  Absence of conflict does not mean we have unity or love. I hate to admit it, but it has been conflict, be it unpleasant or untimely, that drove me deeper into my need and reliance on the Lord. I don’t like conflict, seek it out or wish it upon others… Even if we try to avoid conflict, it always seems to be there or just around the…

Dear SCC & Friends, Go… ~Matthew 28:19 Reflection #214                  We’ve strayed from being fishers of men to being keepers of the aquarium. ~Paul Harvey~ Our Christian life is a journey of going… Too often we think of going halfway around the world when God is simply calling for us to walk across the room. Going is not for “the other guy” but for all of us. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the…

April 3, 2024 Dear SCC & Friends, Let your light shine… ~Matthew 5:16 Reflection #213                  The issue is clear. It is between light and darkness, and everyone must choose his side. ~G.K. Chesterton~ Darkness is simply the absence of light. There can be ambiguity between light and darkness approximating spiritual twilight. In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t. ~Blaise Pascal~ …I know your deeds, that you…

  Dear SCC & Friends, …of first importance… ~1 Corinthians 15:3 Reflection #212 Death …And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last. Now when the centurion saw what had happened,…

Dear SCC & Friends, Hosanna! ~John 12:13 Reflection #211                  Palm Sunday celebrates Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is the beginning of Holy Week, and what a week it was. We will never know this side of heaven what terrible struggles took place in the spiritual world between Palm Sunday and Easter morning. ~Rodney Buchanan~ So many times Jesus had told His disciples, “My time has not yet come.” …but now His time had come… Today was the day…

  Dear SCC & Friends, The grass withers, the flower fades… ~Isaiah 40:8 Reflection #210                  It’s been said that ours is a world of expiration dates, limited shelf life and planned obsolescence. This is not a commercial, but our Maytag washing machine was like “old man river… it just kept on rolling along.” It never failed us, but after twenty-seven years and thousands of washes, it’s time had come. We had a repairman look at it and he said,…

Dear SCC & Friends, …run with endurance… ~Hebrews 12:1 Reflection #209                  The race is not always to the swift but to him who keeps on running. ~Alistair Begg~ …let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… ~Heb. 12:1 Whether we like it or not, we are all called to run… to lay hold of that for which we were created. Many years ago, I took the challenge to run in a marathon. The key to…

Dear SCC & Friends, Don’t throw away your confidence. ~Hebrews 10:35 Reflection #208                  Confidence may be defined as an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability and veracity of something or someone… If you’ve lived awhile, you’ve had your confidence shaken and in some cases even shattered. God is faithful to give us the grace to stay the course in the midst of trial and tribulation. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne…

Dear SCC & Friends, …grace upon grace… ~1 John 1:16 Reflection #207                  I would be remiss not to render tribute to a dear friend and mentor, Charles Simpson. He entered into his eternal reward on February 14, 2024. Charles was a gifted teacher and pastor, casting a large and lengthy shadow over a span of sixty-five years. He loved the old hymns, and I can still hear him belting out “Amazing Grace” at the close of a gathering. He…

Dear SCC & Friends, …never leave or forsake… ~Hebrews 13:5 Reflection #206                  You wouldn’t abandon ship in a storm just because you couldn’t control the winds. ~Thomas Moore~ …His grace is sufficient “in every high and stormy gale.” The Lord never abandons ship and calls us to stay the course. Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. ~Joshua 1:9 …He is everywhere we go and…

Dear SCC & Friends, Not to us… ~Psalm 115:1 Reflection #205                  I have often quoted the opening line from The Purpose Driven Life… “It’s not about you.” A simple statement that captures focus and purpose for our lives. It’s far too easy to lead a “me-centered life” and use our God-given gifts for self-centered reasons. The problem with “self” is that it is an endless abyss that can never be fully satisfied. The more we feed it, the more…

Dear SCC & Friends, Compassionate and gracious… ~Psalm 103:8 Reflection #204                  You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. ~John Bunyon~ Compassion is synonymous with love and mercy and demonstrates our capacity to care and focus beyond ourselves. Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. ~Gal. 6:2 Compassion begins with God and is not something we earn but something we receive from Him. We love because He first loved us and are the…