Christ Fellowship of Wise County

So, I did some research – I Googled it – to find out what the geniuses on the interwebs thought about the decline of church attendance in America. Here is a sample of what they said. “Reasons behind church attendance decline are varied and multi-layered, but a few main culprits include shifting cultural values, busier schedules, generational changes, lack of engagement, and scandal-plagued institutions.” Sounds to me like people are more easily offended and just don’t care like they used to.

I really believe it has more to do with a misunderstanding of the purpose of church. Let’s talk about that this coming Sunday morning and evening at Christ Fellowship. And hopefully you will understand better why I always say that you need the church and the church needs you! I love you all! — Todd

In Matthew 28:19, we see the Great Commission where Jesus tells us to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” As we continue our in-depth study of what it means to be sanctified, the first place we start is to be baptized. That is the first thing we do to separate ourselves from the world. I assume most people reading this have at one time been baptized. But do you know where it started and what it means? Should we be baptized more than once? Is it part of what we do to get to Heaven? Why was Jesus baptized? Is it the same as sprinkling? Why does “baptism” have an “s” but “baptize” has a “z”? 🙂 What other questions do you have about baptism? We will study this further this Sunday at Christ Fellowship. I sure hope you can be there. You will be missed if you aren’t!

Also, this is auction weekend at our building so that means that after the auction is over Saturday afternoon, some of us have to put all of our stuff back into the building. If you would be available to help with that, would you please let me know? It is difficult for just 2-3 guys to do it and even a little more help would be great! 

I love you all! — Todd

Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” How many of you would say you are ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Probably none of us would say that. But I want you to think back to the last time you told someone the Gospel. Think back to the last time you presented the way to Heaven to somebody. What scriptures did you use? Or maybe you just gave your testimony about what your life was like before you met Jesus, how you met Jesus, and what your life has been like since. Has it been a while? Have you ever done it?

We will end our sermon series on witnessing and sharing the Gospel this Sunday with one more method, the invitational method. It comes from the woman at the well in John 4 whose method of evangelism was simply to say, “Hey, y’all come see Jesus!” (That’s from the New Texas Version, btw.) That and her one sentence testimony is really about all she said and the scripture says that, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed…”

Don’t you wish that could be said of your town? Do you want it bad enough to tell somebody else the Good News of what Jesus has done in your life? Let’s talk more about it Sunday morning and Sunday night at Christ Fellowship.

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

Yes, it’s Friday but I have better news than that. As I write this, Melinda Messier is headed to the hospital to get her other knee replaced. She had one done a couple of months ago and recovered nicely. Now, with this one done her doctor says she should be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. I think she will be happy with less pain when she walks. But please remember her and Ralph in your prayers especially this morning but also as she recovers.

Good news #2 is that Heather Montoya (Macie’s mama 🙂 ) has decided she is ready to get baptized and wants to do it right away. I talked with Heather some time ago about her salvation experience and what scripture says about baptism and she understands and wants to be obedient to God in this as soon as possible. So, this Sunday morning after church, all of us at Christ Fellowship will go to Wise County Park and do exactly what Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 28 where He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

So, please make plans to join us at the park this Sunday. It won’t take long and I know Heather would appreciate your support in this. Thank you, Lord, for working in our church!

I love you all! — Todd

This Sunday at Christ Fellowship, we are continuing our sermon series on how to share the Gospel using the talents, gifts and personalities that God has given us. And this week, we come to one of our favorite men in scripture, the man born blind. John chapter 9 is a fun chapter to read to me. Jesus heals a blind man and then the man gives his brief testimony. There is a lot to learn from just that. And we will be encouraged to be able to give our testimonies that are brief and point to Jesus, not glorify ourselves.

So, here’s an idea. I get letters from guys in jail all the time asking me why nobody else writes them. And I don’t know how to answer that question. We say we are the church that ministers to the poor, the addicted and the incarcerated. Maybe you just don’t know what to say. So, just tell them your testimony. Tell them very briefly what your life was like before you met Jesus, how you came to meet Jesus and then what your life has been like since. It doesn’t have to be long. It shouldn’t be long. Just hit the high points. Maybe 5-6 sentences. The blind man told his testimony in just 2 or 3. (verse 25) You can do that!

So I have attached a copy of our list of inmates to this email. Of course you don’t have to write them all. Just pick one or two. Write them and tell them your quick story or even just your favorite Bible verse. A letter from you will absolutely make their day and more! Please write! And I’ll see you Sunday at Christ Fellowship. I love you all! — Todd

We have had a request here at Christ Fellowship to help a lady in Bridgeport move her things from one apartment to another in the same building. I believe years ago we helped this same lady get moved in. Now she just needs some muscles to help her move 8-10 pieces of furniture and some boxes to another part of the building. Her name is Amelia and her address is (Call Todd for the address). She is moving from apartment 10 to 2. We will meet at 9 am tomorrow morning (Saturday) and she will be very grateful for your help!

In telling people the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus, the Holy Spirit uses our personalities and God-given talents to share with people like only we can to people that only we can. One of the ways He uses us is the intellectual method. When we need to talk to people who are very smart, we need to understand that smart people want to be smarter. They want to learn something. And they want to have hope. Let’s learn from Paul how to use this approach from Acts 17 this Sunday.

I’m praying for you. I love you and I can’t wait to see you Sunday morning and evening! — Todd

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

I don’t know about you but when I see the Middle East literally blowing up with Israel bombing Iran and the rioting in cities all over our country and the general state of unrest in politics and life in general, I think about the end days. I think “the Day” is approaching and approaching fast. As always, to keep an eye on what is happening and how it pertains to the last days, keep an eye on Israel, especially Jerusalem. And pray for the peace of Jerusalem as it says in Psalm 122:6.

I love my Christ Fellowship family and can’t wait to see you Sunday unless “the Day” is today and then that will be even better! — Todd

Don’t forget! This Sunday at Christ Fellowship, we will be having dinner on the grounds and this time it will be hamburgers and hot dogs. I believe we have everything we need for the burgers and dogs but if you want to bring some kind of side dish or dessert, that would be great. Maybe drinks if you want something special but there will be tea and water provided. But you absolutely don’t have to bring anything. We will have plenty. We will eat right after morning worship and there is no evening worship planned.

We will finish up our Hall of Shame sermon series with that “horrible loser”, Saul, who became Paul. If you have ever thought your life was so messed up and wrong that nothing good could ever come of it, read Acts chapter 9 to see the start of a new beginning for someone who realized his whole life and vocation and passion was for the wrong thing. And see (through almost all the rest of the New Testament) how God used that passion for the good of the Kingdom of God.

I can’t wait to see you Sunday at 10. I love you all. — Todd

Just a head’s up, our Christ Fellowship potluck meal for June 8th was scheduled to be more of a Mexican food theme. But not everybody likes it or can eat it so we will have a charcoal grill at the church and will cook hamburgers and hotdogs as well. So, we need help with supplying some of those ingredients as well. Buns, dogs, meat, cheese, veggies, chips, etc. will be needed. Thanks y’all! — Todd

For years now, Christ Fellowship has been my go-to place when I need almost anything. When I need encouragement, physical help, wise advice, fellowship, sympathy, or prayer partners, I turn to our church. Where else would I go? No church is perfect but y’all are my family and I love you.

I know a lot of people on this email list have moved over the years but for some of you, I wonder where you go when you need some of that kind of thing. So, if you are getting this email or if you see this online somewhere else, I want you to know that when I say that the church needs you and you need the church, it’s not some old slogan. If you have gotten out of the habit of making church a priority, I can say with certainty that your life is not better now. Your peace and joy are lacking and your God-given desire for worship that we all have is not being fulfilled.

This would be a great Sunday to come back and worship with your family. We are in the middle of a sermon series entitled “Hall of Shame” where we study different biblical characters who have messed up big time. It’s something I can relate to and hopefully we can all be encouraged by this. This Sunday is Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5. 

Also, this coming Sunday, we will have a short business meeting right after church just to let everybody know where we stand financially. And June 8th we will have a potluck meal at the church after the service! Yay! 

Again, I love you and can’t wait to see you! If you need anything, please let me know. See ya Sunday! — Todd