GROW: The Lady With The Christian Fish

-submitted by Travis Flora

A man is being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy
boulevard.  Suddenly, the light turns yellow, just in front of him.
He does the honest thing, and stops at the crosswalk, even
though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating
through the intersection.

The tailgating woman hits the roof, and the horn, screaming
in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the
intersection with him.  As she is still in mid-rant, she hears a
tap on her window and looks up into the face of a very
serious police officer.  The officer orders her to exit her car
with her hands up.  He takes her to the police station where
she is searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in
a cell.

After a couple of hours, a police officer approaches the cell
and opens the door.  She is escorted back to the booking
desk where the arresting officer is waiting with her personal
effects.

He says, “I’m very sorry for this mistake.  You see, I pulled up
behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping
the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him.

I noticed the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder,
the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker,
the ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper sticker, and the
chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.”

“Naturally, I had to assume you had stolen the car.”

Thanks to Ernie Casey for sharing that email. It’s a great reminder that when we put on Christ and claim Him as our Lord and Master, we need to act like it. The world is watching.

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Grow:  In 2 Peter 1:5-8, the Apostle Peter illustrates that just being “in Christ” is not enough, we need to grow. Opportunities for growing in our relationship with Christ abound at Holly Hill. These blogs will highlight these opportunities, or may just illustrate, teach or inspire us as we grow in knowledge, faith and love of God.

GROW: A November to Remember

I hope everyone is planning on being involved with our gospel meeting next week! It’s going to be a great few days as we look more closely at God’s Word together. Our guest speaker is going to be Ralph Gilmore. Ralph has been a professor at Freed-Hardeman for many years, and has also preached at a number of congregations. Brother Gilmore was, without question, one of the best professors I had throughout my time in college. His class on Contemporary Ethics was superb!

Something else you might find interesting about Ralph, is that he conducts the “Open Forum” each year at Freed-Hardeman’s lectureship. To give you an idea of what that is, brother Gilmore will answer any and every biblical question that is brought up by anyone that wishes to approach the microphone, and ask. It’s every day of the Lectureships for about an hour each day. It’s attended by thousands of preachers, elders, wives and students every day. Just think what that might be like. You’re asked a tough Biblical question, and you have to answer it in front of so many people of various ages and many who have been studying the Word for decades. I know how intimidated I would be!

But, year after year, brother Gilmore does a fantastic job of answering with solid, balanced Biblical answers. And, every year it impresses me even more just how much Bible this man knows off the top of his head. Be sure two take advantage of this opportunity to GROW next week, as we seek to know the Lord more fully. Sunday Bible class is at 10, with worship services at 11 & 6, and our services on Monday and Tuesday nights will be at 7:00. I look forward to seeing you there!

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Grow:  In 2 Peter 1:5-8, the Apostle Peter illustrates that just being “in Christ” is not enough, we need to grow. Opportunities for growing in our relationship with Christ abound at Holly Hill. These blogs will highlight these opportunities, or may just illustrate, teach or inspire us as we grow in knowledge, faith and love of God.

GROW: Planning Session Is Tomorrow!

-submitted by Travis Flora

Ever feel like your thoughts and suggestions don’t count? One thing I’ve learned since my family and I moved to Holly Hill about a year and a half ago is that’s not the case here! That’s why I hope everyone can come out at least for a while and take part in the Planning Session scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. tomorrow (November 5) and go through around noon. Not every congregation offers this opportunity to its members. I know you have lots of ideas on ways we can either improve on what we’re already doing, or maybe suggest a new way to better serve our community and, in the process, serve Christ.

We’re going to start the morning with a light breakfast and prayer, then divide up into teams to evaluate all the programs and service areas at Holly Hill. You’ll get to work with the deacons in charge of their assigned areas, as well as interact with the elders and each other. All the data from tomorrow’s Planning Session will be collected and summarized and given to the congregation.

It’s not too late to get involved! Even if you haven’t signed up yet, you can still take part. Just show up at the building at 8 a.m. and be ready to spend time with your brothers and sisters in Christ as we strive to find better ways to serve God.

Hope to see everyone there!

In case you’re wondering, here is a list of the various areas and the deacons/elders that will be leading the discussion:

Special Projects/Communcation/Community Events:  Lee Wise, Ray Bowman, Travis Flora
Helping Hands:  Todd Best and Kenneth Drake
Youth:  David Rogers
Evangelism/Visitation:  Bryan Dill and Gregg Stratton
Missions/ Benevolence:  Greg Pauley
Finance and Building and Grounds:  Rob Catron, Lonnie Trent, Phil Wilkins

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Grow:  In 2 Peter 1:5-8, the Apostle Peter illustrates that just being “in Christ” is not enough, we need to grow. Opportunities for growing in our relationship with Christ abound at Holly Hill. These blogs will highlight these opportunities, or may just illustrate, teach or inspire us as we grow in knowledge, faith and love of God.

GROW: Men’s Retreat

by Tom Owens

From the time we get in our vehicles to go to the retreat until we get back to Frankfort, you have a chance to grow. I got to know Joue Maglemot better riding to and from the retreat. A lot of the men know each other before the trip but when you spend a weekend with them, like it or not, you know them better when you leave.

 

We studied God’s word together, ate together and played together. The more Christians are together the more you bond and become one in Christ. Our lessons were on being the Salt and Light to our families, church and communities. We were taught by someone that none of us see on a daily basis so we get a different view of the subject, therefore we grow in knowledge.

 

We also played games as teams so we learned to work together to an end. In doing this we learn to help each other in our Christian lives to an end, Heaven.

 

The experience of the Men’s Retreat is a growing experience. Everything from the wooded camp, learning sessions, team playing and even playing four square with guys from 14 to 57 years old is a growing experience.

 

If you’re not taking advantage of this opportunity to be with men of Holly Hill C of C, you need to sign up to go next year and see for yourself. You won’t regret it.

 

GROW: Retreat Growth

by Janis Friend

I just spent a wonderful weekend in Pigeon Forge with 22 other sisters-in-Christ.  If you have never been to the Annual Holly Hill Ladies Retreat, you are missing a wonderful opportunity for fellowship and growth.  Our theme for this year’s retreat was “This World Is Not My Home” and our devotionals for the weekend focused on this theme as we looked at our lives here on earth and the hope that we have of a home in heaven that will surpass anything we could ever imagine. Probably one of the closest things to heaven on earth is sitting in a room with a group of like-minded women,singing, laughing, sharing thoughts and feelings and just relaxing in the comfort and joy of one another.  Each day begins and ends with a devotional and in between, we partake of some of the more worldly activities available to us such as food and shopping. From our arrival on Friday evening to our departure on Sunday morning, we are bound together by shared experience and become closer as the weekend moves on. Although we see one another weekly, not at worship or even at Life Groups can we ever feel as close to one another as when living together for those 36 hrs. (literally and figuratively)  From that time on, you truly become family.  I look forward to the Retreat from one year to the next…I hope to see  you there in 2012.

GROW: Is Prayer Too Easy?

– by Bryan Dill

Have you ever been completely and totally surprised?  Maybe someone threw you a surprise birthday party that you had no idea was coming.  Or, maybe you’ve been watching a movie and there was a surprise twist that left you with your jaw dropped.  Usually, we like those kinds of surprises.  They’re the unexpected joys of this life.

Sometimes, however, a surprise takes us in the other direction.  We’re displeased, or indignant, or angry that we were tricked in such a way.  One of the Old Testament events that we had to skip over this year in our study at Holly Hill is when Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, came to the prophet Elisha in order to be healed of his leprosy.  To Naaman’s surprise, the prophet didn’t even come out to see him.  And, to his utter disgust, Elisha sent word to Naaman that all he had to do was go dip himself in the Jordan river seven times.

What kind of ridiculous requirement is that??  This was not a pleasant surprise for Naaman.  And, he stormed off, regretting he had wasted his time seeking Elisha out.  But, his servant pointed out that a more complicated requirement would have had Naaman’s full attention – so why not try the prophet’s remedy?  So, Naaman did – and it worked!

I think it was the simplicity of the solution that surprised Naaman, and made him incredulous.  I also think that we’re often caught in the same trap.  Prayer is so simple – it doesn’t require any complicated memorization, no formalities, no ritualistic dancing, no lengthy preparation.

We simply turn our attention to God, and begin talking.

Perhaps the simplicity of prayer has caused us to react in a similar (albeit less dramatic) way to Naaman.  It seems too easy, too mundane, to actually work.  How can something that seems so insignificant have an actual, meaningful impact on my life?  And we turn in our haste to try and find another solution – one that will be more dramatic, or will rely more on our abilities and talents.

If only each of us had someone in our lives as wise as Naaman’s servant.  Someone who could smack us back into reality.  “Just try it!” the servant pleaded.  Which is exactly what we need to hear when we’re struggling with sin, when we’re fighting depression, when the stress of life is getting to us . . . just try it.  Prayer can have amazing effects on our lives.  It’s so simple – but, the results will be life-changing.

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Grow:  In 2 Peter 1:5-8, the Apostle Peter illustrates that just being “in Christ” is not enough, we need to grow. Opportunities for growing in our relationship with Christ abound at Holly Hill. These blogs will highlight these opportunities, or may just illustrate, teach or inspire us as we grow in knowledge, faith and love of God.

GROW: Recommended Reading

-submitted by Bryan Dill

“Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives” by Charles R. Swindoll

Charles Swindoll’s writing is one of the easiest I have ever found to read.  Even if you’re a slow reader (like me), you’ll find that reading this book by Swindoll comes much easier than others.  Swindoll is a fantastic story-teller, and that’s what he does with the lives of the people he writes about.  This book is one that goes through the lives of 13 different Bible characters, and digs a little deeper into what made them so “fascinating.”

Some of the people Swindoll writes about are people you may barely remember from Scripture (like Gehazi or Rehoboam).  Others are well-known men and women that Swindoll is able to present in an entirely new light (like Esau and Abraham).  He brings to life their circumstances, and shows us the good and the bad of their character without holding anything back.  There are some excellent lessons for all of us, as we read his account of these lives.

Here’s a quote from the chapter on Naaman:

“the Lord has a surprise in store for anyone coming to Him. . . . The Lord delights to surprise us with His goodness, if only we will unlock the door of obedience with the key of faith . . . and then push it open and walk through.”

Take advantage of this excellent offering from our library.  You won’t regret it!

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Grow:  In 2 Peter 1:5-8, the Apostle Peter illustrates that just being “in Christ” is not enough, we need to grow. Opportunities for growing in our relationship with Christ abound at Holly Hill. These blogs will highlight these opportunities, or may just illustrate, teach or inspire us as we grow in knowledge, faith and love of God.

GROW: by David Rogers

The idea of growth is, of course, Biblical in nature. You’ll remember in John 15 Jesus using the imagery of a vine and pruning and producing fruit. Stretching all the way back to your childhood you may remember the very popular parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. I remember from my first mission trip a repeated reading of 1 Corinthians 3:6 “ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” As much as we find references to it in Scriptures (there are plenty more besides the three listed above) we can be certain that growth clearly matters to God.

Does it matter as much to us? Physical growth certainly does. If you’ve had kids, I’ll bet there’s some wall or doorway with little growth marks climbing up the sides over the years. If you go to the gym or exercise regularly, it matters when you improve your time or can lift more weight, more easily. We mark milestones of progress in our education, our anniversaries, our jobs, and just about anything else we can find to show growth. Growth is moving forward and we certainly emphasize that  aspect of our lives.

A Christian understands that this is only one aspect of life. Even more important is the spiritual side of our existence. It would be sad if a dusty, Baptism certificate was the only mark of growth we have in that arena. Growth takes effort and a decided direction. It takes involvement that runs deeper than the appearance of religious behavior. It takes devotion.  It requires us to value very deeply our progress in our relationship with God. Even as this physical body begins to wither with age and break down, I hope our spiritual growth continues to strengthen and be strong. I hope we value growth as much as God does.

GROW: A Growing Church is Messy!

-by Nick Gill

“People come in here and they’re sick and dying and bleeding, and they need our help. Helping them is more important than how we feel.” – Dr. Mark Greene, ER

Nobody wants to go to the emergency room. Nobody wants to be sick. Nobody wants to be in a car wreck, or to have an injured child.

So if nobody wants any of this stuff, why is there an emergency room?

Because there are emergencies. Because, despite our obsessive efforts to create a world of safety and security, we make mistakes. People sin. People put others’ lives in danger. Evil stalks the world, looking for people to devour.

God made the church to be His spiritual emergency room – a place where people are rescued from the brink of death. A place where people confront the spiritual diseases ravaging their souls. A place where the poor can go and know they’ll be cared for, regardless of the cost. A place where the weak can go and know they’ll be protected – that someone will stand between them and their oppressor and say, “Not anymore.”

Some people expect the church to be more like the hospital gift shop. They play soft, serene music. Everything is sweet and cute and neat, and you can find just what you want and then get out. Others want it to be like the billing office, where everyone is quiet and neat and busy at the work of reminding others of how much they owe.

But that’s not what the New Testament churches looked like. That’s not what the church looked like in Jerusalem, or Rome, or Corinth. They were MESSY – precisely because they were emergency rooms – places where desperate people needing radical healing came together. A spiritually growing church can be an uncomfortable place, but Christians aren’t called to be comfortable. We’re called to serve, not to be served. “Helping [others] is more important than how we feel.”

“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” -Abigail Van Buren

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Grow:  In 2 Peter 1:5-8, the Apostle Peter illustrates that just being “in Christ” is not enough, we need to grow. Opportunities for growing in our relationship with Christ abound at Holly Hill. These blogs will highlight these opportunities, or may just illustrate, teach or inspire us as we grow in knowledge, faith and love of God.

GROW: Book Review

One of the great things about the new library is the fact that it affords us new opportunities to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God’s will for us.  So, one of the things we’re going to do on occasion with the “Grow” section of this blog is review a book that’s in our library that you hopefully will have a chance to check out some time.

Today’s book:  “Who Is My Brother?” by F. Lagard Smith

While this isn’t the newest book in our library (1997), I still contend that it is the most thorough and helpful look at the discussion of fellowship in the church.  Smith digs into the discussion of the importance of baptism to our salvation, and makes it very clear that “Paul based his plea for unity upon their commonly-experienced act of being baptized into the one body of Christ.”

From here, Smith proceeds to discuss what he calls “Five-Fold Fellowship,” which looks into different levels of fellowship.  Not only is Smith thorough in his coverage of this issue, but he explains it in such a way that makes it clear and easy to understand for anyone.  The issue of unity and fellowship is one that continues to be one that is attacked by some, and ignored by others.  I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity you have to read more about it.  – Bryan Dill