I am so blessed!

This week has been a very lonely week. Melissa and the girls have been attending Youth Camp this week at Ridgecrest, North Carolina. I hate being by myself! However, this week has been a time for me to remember just how blessed I am. I can't imagine my life without Melissa and the girls. They certainly make my my life much more rich and exciting. God has reminded me again this week in my loneliness just how blessed I am!

Also, I have really been blessed with my church family. As you know it was quite an adjustment for our family to move here from Ohio. For a while I wasn't sure I would ever feel at home. However, I can't express my appreciation enough for all of you who have invited out to meals and who have tried to keep me entertained. So far this week I have been to PF Changs, Asian Buffet, Frisches, the Court House, the Powell's home, and Dairy Queen!!! I think I have gained 15 pounds this week alone! Thank you for watching out for me!

We have certainly been blessed. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being a part of your lives. I think God is really up to a great work at Hickory Grove and I am really looking forward to experiencing God's blessings with you.

Will

Father's Day

Today has been a wonderful Father's Day! We had a great time in worship this morning at "The Grove." Not only did we get to honor our fathers but we also got to welcome two new children into the family of God! I know our Heavenly Father was honored and blessed by these two making the decision to surrender their lives to Him. As a church we should be thankful and honored that God would allow us to be a part of their lives. So let me encourage you to pray for Celia and Bethany as they begin their walks with the Lord and pray that our church would be a blessing and an encouragement to them.

Also let's look forward to next Sunday morning's service. As you know Dr. Terry Fields will be with us sharing a simple evangelistic message. Dr. Fields is a wonderful communicator! I am so excited about each of you getting to hear him. However, I must admit that I am even more excited about our unchurched friends getting to hear the life changing message of the gospel. Let me encourage you to pray hard for the service next Sunday morning. Pray for the speaker and pray that lives would be changed! I am praying fervently that lives would be transformed and that God would be honored!

Have a great night!

Will

Absolute Truth not Absolute Preference

I was really blessed to hear a great sermon this morning by Dr. Don Wilton. Dr. Wilton is the pastor of FBC Spartanburg, South Carolina. Dr. Wilton reminded us of the struggles that churches often have because we get distracted from the truth by preferences. I was reminded in a very compelling way to remember that we need to focus on the Truth of God's Word because the world needs to hear the truth not our preferences.

I realize that we all like certain things and dislike other things. But even with our likes and dislikes we need to really be on guard and not try to elevate our preferences to the same level as truth. I have been praying this afternoon that God would help me to remember that a preference is just that "a preference." I am also praying that God will help me to remain focused on the teaching and preaching of His Word (truth). There is no greater ministry that I have than to preach God's Word. There is no greater opportunity for me to communicate truth than when I open God's Word and share truth that transforms with others.

Perhaps each of us today can pray and ask God to help us distinguish between Truth and preference. And let's ask God to help us to give Truth is rightful place!

Blessings!

PW

Southern Baptist Convention

This has been a great week! I am in Greensboro, N.C. attending the Southern Baptist Convention. It has been a busy week and I have been able to see many friends that I have not seen in a long time. It really makes you feel blessed to be a part of such a special family.

There are two things that really stick out about this week. First, has been the discussion about Calvinism. As you may know Calvinism is a theological system that teaches predestination. On Monday morning we got to witness two great theologians debate the issues of Calvinism. Both of these men demonstrated a great deal of respect for the other's position and I left feeling like both men affirmed the need for us to share our faith. Both of these wonderful men of faith helped us to focus on the Great Commission and reminded us that the Great Commission is not an option but rather a command.

Second, our convention has really focused on the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program is how Southern Baptists cooperate to do missions. Each church voluntarily chooses to give financially and the church determines the level of their giving. This year giving to the Cooperative Program was a major issue in the election of the convention president. The messengers overwhelmingly voted for the candidate who's church demonstrated the most commitment to missions giving.

The Southern Baptist Convention is not perfect but it is an amazing denomination. I feel very blessed to be a part of such a wonderful people who have a love for God, His Word and a lost world.