With God’s help, we were able to give out 150 Thanksgiving meals this morning at the Goodwill parking lot on New Shackle Rd.  I loved seeing the team work, as everyone worked together to create a great environment.

To see the prayer happening in the tent was so touching. Our prayer partners were filled with God’s love and compassion. I was particularly encouraged by the service of our children and teenagers (pictured above).  Everyone was participating in service, and God was glorified.

I’m so thankful for the leadership of Gala Johnson.  She volunteered many hours to lead this outreach, and her leadership was impactful in our church and community.

Know His love, Share His love!

On this 50th Anniversary of JFK’s assassination, I want to recognize some positive qualities in this fallen president.  With Dallas County as the place of my birth and rearing, the Kennedy assassination has always been a part of my life.

1. A true war hero. His service to our country and courageous acts in WWII should make him revered as a soldier.
2. His courage to not take the advice of his military advisers during the Cuban Missile Crisis, which adverted a likely nuclear war.
3. Instead of a “New Deal”-style spending plan to spur on the economy that his party base expected and encouraged, Kennedy chose tax cuts to spur on growth.
4. He was a true intellectual.  He cared about issues, and formed clearly thought out plans.
5. He demonstrated the balance of leading a majority Protestant nation as a practicing member of the Roman Catholic minority.  By recognizing the appropriate intent of the separation of church and state concept, Kennedy modeled how religious liberty can be respected by a president without imposing their personal faith.
6. He showed signs in his personal writings and conversations of the pending trouble in Vietnam.  If he would have lived, the war may not have been escalated to its costly level.

Wouldn’t it be great if every American had quality health insurance? Sure. I would love for everyone to have access to the health care they need.
This is one of the reasons our church supports monthly the Salvus Center, which is an example of how Christians can be involved in the health care deficiency in our nation.

However, since the Affordable Care Act / “Obama Care” became the law 3 1/2 years ago, smart people have warned us that this new law was going to be a logistical and financial disaster.  Our president and supporters of this law blindly married this legislation, without proper preparation or a willingness to communicate all the risk (or reading the content of the law before voting on it).  Naivety and a lack of understanding of the free market has produced a national mess.   Plus, our nation is going broke, so the government simply cannot supplement health insurance for the country.  Regardless of how noble the goal of national health insurance is, it will not work until the future of social security is secured and federal spending is reduced.   For the last 3 1/2 years we have braced ourselves waiting for the impact of this law.  The impact has started, and Americans are finally concerned.

You can donate to disaster relief in the Philippines in two ways:

1.  Donate directly to our partner ministry Convoy of Hope.

2.  Give to The Church at Indian Lake on-line or through the offering bucket on Sunday.  One hundred percent of what is designated to “Philippines” or “Typhoon Relief” will be passed on to Convoy of Hope, and your donation record will be provided by CIL.

To donate to Philippines Disaster Relief through CIL click here.

There will be a business meeting for covenant partners / members of CIL on Wednesday, November 20 at 7:40 p.m. in the Living Room. At this time the body will ratify the candidates that the Leadership Board has approved as new Leadership Board members.

Here is the outline from my sermon today (November 10), accompanied by the picture that didn’t show up very well on our projector. The picture was taken in the summer of 1993 when I was 18.  I showed the picture to illustrate that you can not live on the mountain top, because above the “tree line” there is no fruit.

Here is the outline of the sermon:

Mountain Climbing with Jesus
Mark 9:2-9 (HCSB)

What is your mountain?

Jesus transforms on the mountain
Mark 9:2-3

Jesus is revealed on the mountain
Mark 9:4-7

Jesus doesn’t let us stay on the mountain
Mark 9:8-9