Category: Church

Southwest Florida Road-Trip

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 23, 2020

This past U.S. holiday weekend I enjoyed a 3-day / 3-county / 360-mile Florida road-trip to and from Fort Myers. It was my first visit to the region since last July. I always enjoy visiting Southwest Florida (Collier and Lee County). Usually I venture over there to see a concert at the Hertz Arena, and this trip was no exception.

My first stop though after crossing the Everglades via the Tamiami Trail was the flagship branch of the multi-site Collier County Museum in East Naples. It was my first visit since June 2012. Back then I thought it was my first visit ever – until I saw some of the exhibits outside – and then I realized that I had been there years earlier.

At the end of my 90-minute visit I picked-up a brochure for a nearby place that I never knew existed – the Naples Museum Of Military History – at the main terminal of the Naples Airport. So I went there, and I immersed myself in all of the awesome displays there. They were overflowing at the seams in the two rooms that they occupy there. They need more space, and hopefully they get it.

After that I took a ride out to the country and into the woods for another first-time visit ever – the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. What a wonderful and beautiful place this was – especially on a sunny and coolish day. I’m sure that it would be a miserable place to be during our 9-month bug season and especially our 5-month rainy season, but that was truly a great day to be outdoors strolling the 2.25-mile elevated boardwalk absorbing nature’s beauty – created by my Almighty God.

By the way all of the above was Day 1 of my road-trip ! Day 2 started in Fort Myers at probably their # 1 tourist attraction – the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. It was my first visit since April 2011. I love this place. I could work and have fun at this place after I retire from my military / civil service career. I took the 1-hour and 15-minute guided tour which was a lot of fun (even though I had done it before). I’d do it again !

On Sunday night I went to the Hertz Arena to see Franklin Graham conclude his recent tour of Florida. He led us in prayer for our nation and our leaders, and then he preached a classic Billy Graham Crusade sermon on Repentance & Salvation. That’s a topic that I’m quite familiar with, as many of my sermons are about the same. Jeremy Camp opened and closed for Franklin, as he performed 7 of his greatest hits. I’ll be seeing Jeremy Camp perform again at this very same arena in 6 weeks, as he opens for MercyMe.

Day 3 of 3 started back in East Naples at the Naples Botanical Garden – yet another first-time visit. I walked well over 3 miles for 2 hours at this fun place on a chilly and overcast morning.

I’ve got over 80 photos of this fun road-trip to and from Southwest Florida – also known as Florida’s Paradise Coast. At least 60 of those 80 photos will probably be uploaded and captioned on my Flickr site over the next few weeks. But I’ll close this blog post with a sneak-peek. It’s a photo of the chalkboard at the start of the boardwalk at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary where visitors can write-down what they’ve seen along their walk on the boardwalk. A little less than 90 minutes later – there were more sightings documented on the chalkboard.

Tags Estero, Florida, Fort Myers, Naples

Bible Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 19, 2020

I recently completed my sermon titled “Church & State” which I hope to preach to my church body in a few weeks. I’ve also started writing my next sermon on the prophet Malachi.

Here’s an excerpt from my sermon on “Church & State”:

… You know I keep saying the word “church”, and when I say “church” – I’m generally not referring to the building. I’m speaking of the people who are meeting corporately to learn more about our God – to get closer to Him.

You see no matter where church is done – we must always remember that church is not the building that we’re in. Church is the body of current and future (remember that – future) believers and followers of Christ. We are the church. You and I. We are the church – in here. We are the church – out there. We are the church – at the grocery stores. We are the church – in the restaurants. We are the church – in our homes. We are the church in everything we do – and in everywhere we go. When we are the church – we honor our God. This is His church. You and I. We belong to God.

I’m not a fan of the phrase “go to church” – because – if you “go to church” – then that means that you’re apparently coming from somewhere else – which physically you are, but spiritually – you are too. What I’m saying – is that you’re not being the church in everything you do – and in everywhere you go. If you “go to church” on Sunday mornings at 10 or 10:30 – then you’re not the church before that. You’re the world before that.

When we are the church – we are learning more about our God, and we are getting closer to Him – in here – and out there – on all days – at all times – not just for 90 minutes in here on Sunday mornings.

So we must always be the church, and on Sunday mornings we must bring the church in here – because this is where we meet. Each and every one of us represents God’s church – in and out of our homes. So we must bring God’s church with us on Sunday mornings …

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another – especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Bible Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 12, 2020

Today we had another near full house with my Living Waters church body, as we came together corporately to praise, worship, and celebrate our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

Our Lead Pastor Bob continued his message series titled “The Days Of Noah Have Come” – based mostly on Scripture from Genesis 6, 7, and 8. He continued his ongoing theme on types and shadows as well – a theme that our Worship Pastor Ben introduced to us in a sermon last June (which I continued in a few of my sermons since then).

I never heard of types and shadows before last June, and now I’ve been studying them almost nonstop since then.

The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
(Genesis 8:3-4 NIV)

So Noah is a type of Jesus Christ. The ark is a type of church. The single door of the ark is a type of Jesus Christ (“I am the door.”). The 17TH day of the 7TH month (Nisan) is a type of a Glorious day ! (It’s also the day that Christ is risen.)

Yesterday (my day of rest) I spent much of the day in God’s Word sitting in front of my desktop computer finishing the manuscript of my next sermon that I hope to preach titled “Church & State”. It’s all about the importance of being a part of – and playing an active role in – a church body. I’ll share a portion of my sermon on my next “Sunday Scripture”.

Bible Christian Church God Ministry Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date January 5, 2020

On this 1ST Sunday of the new year, the new decade, and the new season our Living Waters church body came together corporately to praise, worship, and celebrate our living Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. It was one of our biggest attended services in recent memory, and 2020 looks like a brighter year for the expansion of God’s Kingdom in Homestead Florida.

Our Lead Pastor Bob kicked-off a new message series today about Noah, the ark, the raven, the dove, and the olive tree. We are descendants of Noah, the ark represents the church, the raven represents death, destruction, and Satan, the dove represents life, love, and God, and the olive tree represents peace. Pastor Bob said that we’ll explore the story of Noah from mostly Genesis 7 and 8 over the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to it. I loved today’s clear and concise introductory message. It’s actually inspired a few future sermons of my own.

After another forty days – Noah opened the window he had made in the boat, and released a raven. The bird flew back and forth until the floodwaters on the earth had dried up. He also released a dove to see if the water had receded, and it could find dry ground. But the dove could find no place to land because the water still covered the ground. So it returned to the boat, and Noah held out his hand and drew the dove back inside. After waiting another seven days – Noah released the dove again. This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone. He waited another seven days and then released the dove again. This time it did not come back. (Genesis 8:6-12 NLT)