Tag: Ministry

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 16TH 2026, 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.

Volume 9, Number 25, Edition 425
“20 Years Of Salvation – Part 1”

Last #SundayScripture I shared the YouTube video of the entire service of my home church from the week before (2 weeks ago). I led Communion, and I shared the start of my salvation story with my brothers and sisters of my church family.

But wait. As legendary radio commentator Paul Harvey famously said – let me share with you “the rest of the story”. I’ve shared it countless times before online and offline, and its worth sharing infinitely.

As those 5 months went by – August into September into October into November into December of 2006, and I was learning all about God from the radio and from Yahoo and Google – I realized that I could only go so far on this fantastic journey by myself. I was an orphan on this journey. God wanted me to be part of a family of believers. He wanted me to have brothers and sisters of a church family.

So – He used the radio again. Starting in December of 2006 – that radio station that I was listening to – day and night – they began promoting their upcoming birthday party concert at a local church in Homestead (where I lived). It was a rock concert inside a church ! I was thinking “What on Earth ? ! A rock concert ? Inside a church ? Is that even allowed ?” (I had never envisioned such a concept.)

I had been to countless rock concerts at big arenas all around South Florida in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, but inside a church ? I had to check that one out. So – I made plans to attend that rock concert at that church. As I recall – it was a pay at the door concert. By the way – Manic Drive was the headliner of that concert. Anyone heard of Manic Drive ? They were quite big 20 years ago during the mid-2000s. I think they’re still together and active today.

So that date of that rock concert – inside that church – was Saturday January 20TH 2007. I’ll remember that date forever. It was exactly 5 months to the date of the start of my salvation. I had the guts to walk in to that church all by myself on that night after dark. Actually – God gave me the courage to do that. I didn’t know a single person there.

That rock concert was totally awesome. I could not believe that I could have so much fun singing and dancing and hands in the air like you just don’t care inside a church, and it was all about God, and it was all for God. But I noticed something interesting. I was perhaps the oldest person there. Everyone else looked like they were in their 20s or teens. I didn’t even see any parents there. I think the parents dropped off their kids at the front door of the church and then drove off somewhere peaceful and quiet.

Towards the end of the concert the host – who turned out to be a Youth Director – he was in his 20s – he thanked everyone for coming to the show, and he announced that the church building that we were in was not where Sunday morning service occurred. Sunday morning service was actually held a couple of miles away inside the new movie theatre. WHAT ? !

(I’ll continue this story – next #SundayScripture.)

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 09TH 2026, 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.

Volume 9, Number 24, Edition 424
“Communion”

Last Sunday morning I led Communion at my home church, as I do every first Sunday of the month. You can watch it – as part of our entire service – on YouTube here. (I appear just before the 23-minute mark.)

At Highlands Community Church we observe and celebrate Communion monthly after 4 songs of Praise + Worship and before our Senior Pastor Tim preaches his message.

This is the 3RD church over the past 17 years where I’ve led Communion. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to do so 3 different ways at each of the 3 churches, and at all of them – I wrote my own Communions from start to finish. I still have most of them on my computer.

Thank You Lord for blessing me with Your guidance, Your direction, and Your wisdom in this ministry at my home church through the years. I will always look to You prior to, during, and after writing each new Communion message ensuring that it always glorifies You and reminds me and my brothers and sisters of who You are, what You did for us, what you are doing for us, and what you will do for us until we reach Your Glory eternally. I trust in Your promises. In Your powerful name I pray – AMEN !

BOILERPLATE

#SundayScripture is published online every Sunday at 0300 U.S. East Coast time. It was created in its current form in February 2018. I share my testimony here each week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord – and get closer to Him with each new day. If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned, for the best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and I pray that the LORD will bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you, and may He be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you, and may He give you peace. I pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN and AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 02ND 2026, 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.

Volume 9, Number 23, Edition 423
“Bible App”

I’ve been asked how I feel about Bible apps on smart phones and tablets. I love them. I actually only use one app in particular, and it’s the most popular Bible app in the world – YouVersion. Late last year they celebrated one billion downloads / installs since its debut in July 2008. They celebrated with a nice special on TBN.

Call me old-fashioned, and maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I’m actually not a fan of using these apps during active church services. I find them distracting from both the pulpit and the congregation. If you’re using the Bible app on your phone then you’re probably being distracted by everything else that’s on your phone. During active church services I’m a huge fan of traditional printed Bibles with pages. I love to see my brothers and sisters arriving to and departing from the church building carrying their Bibles. Some of them are worn and tethered. A worn and tethered Bible is usually held by someone who is very close to God – constantly seeking His Word.

But I do love the YouVersion Bible app. It’s used worldwide – in every single country on every single continent – including Antarctica. It’s available in over 300 languages with thousands of different Scripture translations. I mostly use a few translations – NLT (which I’ve used since salvation started), NASB (which my current Pastor uses), and NIV (which my former Pastor uses). When I write sermons I study more translations of the Scripture I’m studying, and I occasionally incorporate some of them into my sermons.

But the best part of the YouVersion Bible app ? – you can be with it 24/7 – in everything you do – and everywhere you go – since our phones are never too far away from us. That means we have access to God’s Word at all times. It’s as easy as tapping an icon on a screen, and there it is.

As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News !” (Romans 10:15b NIV)

BOILERPLATE

#SundayScripture is published online every Sunday at 0300 U.S. East Coast time. It was created in its current form in February 2018. I share my testimony here each week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord – and get closer to Him with each new day. If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned, for the best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and I pray that the LORD will bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you, and may He be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you, and may He give you peace. I pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN and AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday July 26TH 2026, 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.

Volume 9, Number 22, Edition 422
“Friends”

When I was still living and working down south in Homestead Florida – you could say that I was sort of a recluse. It was particularly evident during my final decade there. As I was planning and preparing for my future retirement life – starting with a physical move away from Homestead – I decided that I would not be the same person to the north that I was to the south. I would get out and be physically and socially active – starting in my own neighborhood – and with a local non-profit organization – and definitely with my future home church.

In my former neighborhood of nearly 30 years I knew none of my neighbors, and none of them knew me. Some of them saw me drive to work early in the morning, and then return home from work early in the afternoon. They didn’t know where I went. They didn’t know what I did. I was the mysterious guy who didn’t look like much of the neighborhood or speak their language. Maybe I was an undercover detective – or a Federal agent – or a spy.

In my current neighborhood I’m part of the 30% that lives here year-round. (70% of the residents of my neighborhood are what we call “snowbirds”. They live up north during the Spring, Summer, and Autumn.) I’m also part of the 30% that is physically and socially active with activities, events, and meetings. (I’m actually the Treasurer of our Activities Committee.) I’m known by most of my neighbors on a first-name basis. I easily stand out, as I’m one of the youngest residents of my 55+ neighborhood. I know a little bit about most of my neighbors. I’m able to pray for my neighbors by name.

Exactly 2 years before I bought my home in my current neighborhood I discovered and committed to serving with the Sebring Historical Society in downtown Sebring. It was not on my radar. I didn’t plan it out. It just happened one day, and I’ve written about it numerous times here on #CountUp on my #TravelThursday blog. Looking back it was truly a “God Wink Moment”. God knew exactly what He was doing when I was suddenly diverted from Avon Park to Sebring on that chilly and dreary February morning in 2021. And now I get to chat, laugh, serve, and eat with my museum friends every week.

Back in Homestead when I was sitting at home during non-work hours I didn’t socialize with anyone (other than on Sunday mornings at church – and lunch after church with my second church family). I did a lot of Bible Study on my own, and I wrote Sermons and Communions at my computer. But something was missing. Fellowship was missing. Friendships were missing.

As the Bible says – “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Now that I have friends inside and outside of the church – I can preach the Gospel at all times – here online – and also out there in the world. Oh – and I can use words when necessary. In other words – I can walk my talk – whether anyone is watching or not.

BOILERPLATE

#SundayScripture is published online every Sunday at 0300 U.S. East Coast time. It was created in its current form in February 2018. I share my testimony here each week. Hopefully it encourages you and inspires you to seek the Lord – and get closer to Him with each new day. If you wish to learn more about the God I know – then stay tuned, for the best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and I pray that the LORD will bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you, and may He be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you, and may He give you peace. I pray this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN and AMEN.

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp