Tag: Minister

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday March 19TH 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

That day finally happened. I got the long-anticipated news last Monday at around lunchtime. Final walkthrough of my new home would occur on Wednesday afternoon, and final closing would occur the next day. I would be handed the keys to my new home by the sellers (husband and wife) on that Wednesday afternoon, and informal turnover would occur right then and there. In other words – I could start moving-in, live, and sleep in my new home on that very first night prior to final closing. And so – I did just that. I shall remember that date forever – March 15TH 2023 – my first night in my retirement / forever home !

Fun Fact: My first night in my longtime Homestead home was June 13TH 1995, and it was 2 days prior to my official move-in date.

For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. (Hebrews 3:4 NLT)

I got to settle-in to my new home over the next 3 days. This morning I’m doing what I plan to do for most Sunday mornings for the rest of this year, and that is to drive southward from my new home to my old home. It’s 183 miles to my Sunday morning home – my church family of the past 8 years and 1 week.

You know I’ve told my church family this often during sermons and at other times. My “prayer room” is my car. I do my most effective praying while driving – especially long distances. I pray for my family in Texas. I pray for my church family in Homestead. I pray for my coworkers in Homestead. I pray for everyone driving around me along U.S. 27 and S.R. 997. I pray for the whole world. I pray silently. I pray out loud. And as I pray – the scenery along both sides of the highway plays out in living color before my eyes. That’s God’s scenery. It’s His beauty. There’s an abundance of it along that mostly rural “countryside” 183-mile drive from new home to Sunday morning home. I’ll be ready to celebrate my Lord + Savior Jesus Christ with my church family after that 3-hour and 20-minute drive.

Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance. (Isaiah 33:17 NLT)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday March 12TH 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

This morning I observe and celebrate my 8TH anniversary with my current church family. I arrived for the first time on this 2ND Sunday of March (Daylight Saving Time Sunday) of 2015 during a particular valley along my fantastic journey. I’ve heard it said that within the first 10 minutes of walking into a church building for the very first time – most people have decided if it’s their first of many visits, or if it’s their first and final visit. I decided that it was my first of many visits when I arrived at Living Waters Full Gospel Church (my current church family).

It’s the start of my 9TH and final year with my brothers and sisters at Living Waters. I’ll begin relocating 186 miles away in the next week, and my attendance at Living Waters will slowly diminish through the end of this year.

I’ve begun actively searching for a church in my new local area. (There are dozens to choose from.) I’ve started watching Sunday morning services online to see if I want to take that next step and physically attend a service. There’s one (so far) that I want to visit in-person.

Back in late-2006 I searched for my very first church online, and I physically went there not knowing a single person beforehand. That worked out pretty well for me. I was with my first church family for 8 years and a month.

I did little to no research before visiting my 2ND (current) church for the first time, but I knew one person that was part of that church family at the time – a former coworker and friend of 27 years. Now I’ve known her for 35 years !

When I visit my 3RD church up in Sebring – I will know nobody there. I will keep a low profile – revealing little to nothing about my ministry – online or offline. I will be there to absorb God’s Good News. I plan to be a regular-attender and then a member, but I plan to not be in leadership. Of course – my plans are not necessarily God’s plans. I didn’t plan to preach 50+ sermons over the past 6½ years, but that’s where God led me.

I think God is leading me in a different direction with my ministry, and I’m starting to see the dawn of God’s light for that. I can’t share them with you at this time, but there are a couple of exciting opportunities coming up for me where Pastor Chris (that’s me) takes my ministry to places and groups that may have been seeking someone to lead them to God. I’m excited for the future.

“For I know the plans I have for you” – says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster – to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)

I will continue to write new sermons and freshen old sermons within my collection. #SundayScripture will continue moving forth as my ministry expands in a new direction and a new environment.

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday March 05TH 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

On this Sunday morning I’m preaching again for the 2ND week in a row. Last week I preached an unrehearsed and spontaneous sermon titled “Sebring & Beyond” – all about the promised land that God has setup for me 186 miles to the north of where I am now. When I had my eyes fixed on the southwest coast of Florida – my God had plans for me in the Heartland of Florida. And then He revealed it to me about 7 years ago. He has opened some doors for me up in Sebring, and I’m walking through those entryways as I approach the next part of my life – retirement.

This morning I’ll be preaching a traditional sermon for me – one that is totally rehearsed and fully written. It’s a sermon about the Apostle Paul and his disciple Titus on the island of Crete that I wrote in about 7 days back in late-October. It’s been sitting “on-the-shelf” since then. Sometimes the time is not right for a particular sermon. Sometimes God guides His church leaders in other directions. Sometimes He leads us to preach on the Gospel that the church body needs to hear right now. I will always listen to God. I will always be totally dependent on Him and His Way.

Preach the word of God. Be prepared – whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2 NLT)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday February 26TH 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

This morning I’m back at my home church here in Homestead Florida for the first (and last) time this month. On February 05TH I was part of the large church family that meets at the downtown city park in Naples Florida. On February 12TH I stayed home as I recovered from an unusual cold that came and went in about a day-and-a-half. On February 19TH I was part of a church family that meets in Lake Placid Florida. They were very nice and friendly towards me. My longtime friend (formerly from Homestead) introduced me to everyone. I attended their Sunday School for adults, and regular church service. They even did baptisms at the end of the service. It was a great experience there, and I’ll visit again in the future. It’s about 19 miles from my new home, and I’m looking for a new home church within about 3 to 5 miles. (There are many to choose from.)

This morning at my home church I’ll be filling-in for my Pastor (currently on vacation), and I’ll be preaching. My sermon today will be non-traditional for me. It will be spontaneous and unrehearsed. Titled “Sebring & Beyond” I’ll be preaching about God’s plans for me in Sebring Florida. I bought my new retirement home there 10 days ago, and I’ll begin moving there in a couple of weeks.

Don’t worry about anything. Instead – pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace – which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

The LORD bless you, and keep you.
The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp