Highest Place
“Highest Place” is one of my favorite worship songs: We place You On the highest place For You Are the great High Priest. We place You High above all else And we come to You And worship at Your feet (Scripture in Song, Ramon Pink, 1983). The lyrics are based on the NIV’s translation of Philippians 2:9-11: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of…
Emptied Himself
I think the greatest motivation for living how we ought to live is contained in these three verses. Read them slowly, carefully, reflectively, perhaps repeatedly. . . . Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to…
His mind
Two Sundays ago on this page I encouraged you to do what Paul says here: “in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). How’d you do? If you’re like me, you did really well right up until the point that you got out of bed. It’s just hard . . . really hard. Sometimes it goes against everything within you, and it seems to require superhuman effort to make it through a few hours. If we can’t make…
Welcome!
Some of you are visiting our church family today after having brought your kids to our Vacation Bible School over the past few days. And others might be visiting because you’re new to the Hoover area and are looking for a church home. Regardless, we’re so glad you’re here! During VBS we’ve been learning about the awesome story of God as revealed in the Bible. He created an incredible world that was perfect in every way, and He put Adam…
Others
Almost any time you get a group of people together for any length of time you’ll have problems. Take your family, for example. All of you may be trying your best to live right, but I know families well enough to know that you have a few problems. Dad gets grumpy. Mom loses her patience. Little Susie slaps her brother, and little brother doesn’t exactly turn the other cheek. A Christian family doesn’t always act Christian. What about your job?…
Citizens
There’s a lot of talk about politics right now . . . Well, it seems like there’s always a lot of talk about politics in America. Nearly everyone has a (strongly held and loudly vocalized) opinion. So perhaps this is a good time to think about this: Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing…
Ready to go
A few years back I read a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Christian who lived during the Third Reich’s reign of terror. He refused to bow to the Nazis’ demands of the church, and ultimately they imprisoned and executed him. He faced his death with remarkable confidence, fully trusting that being executed for his convictions was far preferable to compromise. Death did not frighten him. That kind of attitude has always fascinated me, and the apostle Paul certainly had…
From Tanzania to our Hoover church family
I’m writing this on Thursday night Tanzania time, and this is the point in the week when we’re all pretty much both exhausted and exhilarated. We’re tired because of long days of walking and teaching, and we’re excited because of what God is doing in and through the Tanzanian people. And, of course, we’re a little homesick as well, even though things here are going well. Here’s a quick update: This week we’ve focused primarily on three goals: The majority…
Christ’s Happy Childhaven
Christ’s Happy Childhaven Download/print What an exciting time to be on the ACH/CHC campus. While we were there we could walk over the land that was in the process of being purchased. This additional 15.5 acres will allow the space for the greatly needed expansion of Christ’s Happy Childhaven. The space will allow for the construction of two additional children’s homes. The added space will allow double the capacity to care for the precious children who have lost their parents.…
May 2018 Philippines Mission Work Newsletter
Philippines Trip April 12-23, 2018 Download/print On April 12, 2018, a team of four, consisting of Lanice White from the Guin Church of Christ, Kathleen Eiring, Anita Williams and Bill Rayburn from the Hoover Church of Christ traveled from Birmingham, AL to the ACU campus to conduct a full week of activities. The three ladies in the group conducted a two-day Teachers’ Training Workshop to help the children’s teachers in Pangasinan to equip them with tools that will help them…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on May 30, 2018
Sermon Title: Dead Bones that Live Text: Hebrews Ezekiel 37:1-14(ESV) Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s printable study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) Judah was in a truly desperate situation—exiled in Babylon with no hope of ever getting home (from a human perspective, at least). To illustrate their situation, God took Ezekiel and by the Spirit put him in a valley of dry bones. There was no sign of life in…
Resources for Discussion Class Hour on May 23, 2018
Sermon Title: From Calm to Chaos Text: Hebrews 2:14-18 (ESV) Click here to listen to or watch the sermon Download tonight’s printable study guide Brief summary (what’s the point of this text/sermon?) What should we do when life goes from calm to chaos in an instant? The answer and point of the lesson is this: In our darkest hour we can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence knowing that we will be received not with judgment, but with sympathy and…