Christ Fellowship of Wise County

So many of you have been asking how Cody Roberts is doing. He had major back surgery on Wednesday and is doing well. He is still in the hospital in Carrolton but hopes to get out today (Saturday). Teresa is there with him but he is in a lot of pain as you can imagine. So, please pray and ask God with us for a complete healing and a quick recovery. 

Also, this Sunday I am proud to announce the continuation of our sermon series on what we struggle with and the topic is pride. I know none of you struggle with that, right? But maybe you know somebody that does. Seriously, Daniel chapter 4 is a great story of pride and God’s tolerance for it but also God’s grace as well. Read the third and fourth chapters of Daniel. It’s a quick and fun read. Shoot, read the first four chapters! It’s good stuff. But that way we will all be on the same page when we talk about the “Wolf-Man” when we see each other this Sunday at Christ Fellowship! I can’t wait to see you. I love you all. — Todd

You know those magazines at the grocery store checkout aisle? Not the newspaper-style that say Elvis is still alive or that Michael Jackson was actually a two-headed alien baby. Not those. I’m talking about the magazines that every month say basically the same thing. Do this to lose ten pounds by summer. This famous actress tells the secret to wiping away the lines on your face. Do this exercise to be more attractive. You know the magazines. Well, let me give you the real secret to being more attractive. You can be ugly as a mud fence but if you are kind and compassionate, you instantly are more attractive. It’s true. Try it.

In this day and age, we are surrounded by people asking for help more than ever. It’s hard to know what to give and who to give to. And you have probably done it wrong in the past and it came back to bite you, didn’t it? Well, we are going to talk about that this Sunday at Christ Fellowship. We all struggle with showing compassion. We aren’t rich. We don’t want to enable some people. How do you know when or what is appropriate and what are some ways that we can show compassion? I have lots of questions about showing compassion.

Join me this Sunday to discuss this from a wonderful passage of scripture that makes my friend David look good this time. 2 Samuel 9 is where David shows compassion to Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth! What a great name! It’ll be worth coming to church just to say that name out loud so get your rest tomorrow. Don’t overdo it. Make plans right now to be there at 10 and 6. All the attractive people are doing it! 🙂

I love you all! — Todd

Have you ever made the news? Have you ever done anything in your life that was newsworthy? I’m not asking you to tell me what it was because I know that some of you may have done something great to make the news. You invented something or you stopped a crime or you did something praiseworthy and you deserve to be on the news. But some of you may have made the news for the opposite reason. Maybe your mugshot got taken and you did a little time somewhere besides your own home. That is news too.

King David was all over the news back in his day. Pretty often there was news about him winning a battle or leading his troops to great victory and he deserved to be in the news for that. God blessed him with many victories for Israel. But then…there was that ONE time…when kings go off to war…but David didn’t go to war. Ugh! You know the story. I hate to preach on it but it’s a perfect example of what not to do when tempted by lust. David struggled with it and maybe you do too. Maybe it is for the opposite sex or maybe it is for stuff or position or what you think would be better than what you have.

Let’s talk about it Sunday morning and evening at Christ Fellowship. Read the tragic story in 2 Samuel 11 and be ready to discuss it. I love you all and can’t wait to see you! — Todd

Okay, here’s the scenario. God has a bus and He is driving around your neighborhood picking up folks who want to go to Heaven. It’s a free ride to all the eternal glories Heaven has to offer. But He just pulled up in front of your house and you have to decide right now. Do you want to go now or wait until you die? No, you can’t take anybody or anything. But all you have to do is walk out there right now and get on the bus. What do you say? Yes or no? That’s a surprisingly hard question for a lot of people. And I understand that. I really do. 

I think we are all looking forward to Heaven but…what about the kids, the dogs, the job, the friends, etc.? I completely understand whichever way you answer. And this Sunday at Christ Fellowship, we will talk more about that and what it means to stay and to go. What does it mean if we live? What does it mean if we die? Those are questions we need to think about and Paul helps us with it from Philippians chapter 1.

I can’t wait to see you! I love you all! — Todd

Have you noticed lately that everybody just seems to be mad? I used to think I might have anger issues but when I watch the news, I realize I’m pretty well adjusted compared to a lot of people. Why is everybody so angry and what can we do about it in our own lives? Let’s talk about that at Christ Fellowship this Sunday morning and evening. We will look at the great attitude that Joseph had in Genesis chapter 50 where he had every right to be mad. I so hope you can be there. I love you all and miss you when you’re gone! — Todd

Somebody once said that 90% of the things we worry about never happen…which proves that worrying works! I don’t think that’s really how it works and also the Bible tells us not to worry, that worry is a sin. But with so much bad news in the world today, how do we keep from it?

Well, we are continuing our new sermon series on what we struggle with and this week we see the struggle of Jacob and how, if anybody had reason to worry, it was him. Jacob is seeing the consequences of his own actions coming back to haunt him. Don’t you hate that when it happens?  I encourage you to be ready for the message this Sunday by reading Jacob’s story that is found in Genesis from chapters 25-35 but for our study this Sunday morning and evening at Christ Fellowship, read especially chapter 32 – especially if you struggle with worry.

I love you all and can’t wait to see you! You need the church and the church needs you!

— Todd

I forgot to mention earlier that this Sunday (9/14) we will have lunch at the church. It will be potluck and no rules as usual. Just bring what you want with enough to share. Don’t forget desserts, salad (if you’re into that kinda thing) and drinks plus bread and all the fixins. And if you forget or don’t have anything or you just can’t cook, don’t worry about it! Please stay. We always have plenty. I can’t wait. Also, there will be no evening service. Cya!

Last week’s message at Christ Fellowship was on prayer and the main passage used was Jeremiah 33:3 where God says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” God is telling us – commanding us – to call on Him, to pray to Him and when we do, He will tell us what He wants us to know. But all through the Bible we read of times when it seemed like God just wasn’t speaking. His will was not clear and so the people would add fasting to their prayers to help them hear from God.

We are coming up on a year of being in the auction house now and we are still very grateful to God and the Cantrells for providing it. Seriously, I don’t know what we would do if not for their generosity and we are very thankful. But I am and have been praying for our own place to worship, a place we can stay and call our own permanently. But this is one of those times when God has chosen not to answer those prayers like we want. He continues to say, “Wait.”

So, I’m asking you to join me in fasting just one meal this weekend and to spend that time we would be eating instead praying and communicating with God especially in this matter of a building for our church. You pick the meal and the day but sometime this weekend, let’s spend some extra time just asking for God’s undeserved blessings on His bride, the church. Ask Him to give us wisdom and insight and unity on where we should go next. And spend some time just listening as well. And I know He will tell us great and unsearchable things we do not know.

We start a new sermon series this Sunday on where we all struggle and this Sunday will be on the struggle of faith itself looking at Abram in Genesis 15. I can’t wait to see you! I love you all! — Todd

Every now and then our church building just needs a good cleaning. It’s not very big so it doesn’t take long to get dirty but since it’s not very big it doesn’t take long to clean either. So, we decided that tomorrow night, Tuesday the 9th, at about 6:30 would be the best time. We have all kinds of cleaning supplies there at the building but if you have something you really like, please bring it. With a few people to help we can get it done in less than an hour so if you can help, we would really appreciate it! Thank you, Christ Fellowship church family! I love you all! — Todd

Tomorrow, Saturday the 6th, is the memorial service for Ralph’s brother, Michael Messier, at Christ Fellowship. Start time is 11 am. It is open to all and all are welcome to attend. It will be just a brief celebration of life to honor Michael and help bring closure to the family. I know the family would appreciate your attendance.

Grief has always been a part of life. Most of you have been through at least some part of the grief process. If you haven’t, you will sooner or later. And there is nothing wrong with grieving in and of itself. It is actually part of the healing process. We grieve for any number of reasons. We may lose a loved one or a job or a pet and what may seem like a minor thing to some people is a huge loss for others. That’s part of grieving. Everybody does it differently and nobody does it right or wrong necessarily. It is ultimately a private issue but God has given us a church family to help deal with grief. And I wonder lots of times how people do it who don’t have a church family.

But the difference in Christians and non-Christians is that we have hope.  First Thessalonians 4:13–14 says, “Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” And the hope we have is through Jesus that because of His sacrifice for us, we will see our loved ones again in Heaven where there will be no more tears and no more pain. So, don’t try to escape grief. it comes for all of us. But we don’t live there now and we won’t live there in eternity. Thank you, Lord!

I’ll see you all Sunday at 10. I love you. — Todd