Tag: Reverend

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 16TH 2024, 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.

It’s been an incredible past 2 years of my life here on God’s fantastic journey for me. It was 2 years ago earlier this month that I entered and toured (with the help of my Real Estate Agent) my new 55+ gated neighborhood in Highlands County Florida – just a couple of days after turning 55. On that morning in June of 2022 – I confirmed what I already knew – that I did indeed want to purchase my retirement / forever home in that neighborhood during the following Presidents’ Day Weekend in February of 2023. And so – I did what I said I would do – with the Lord’s guidance and direction (and a lot of praying). I selected my new home on the Thursday leading-in to that Presidents’ Day Weekend, and I closed and moved-in to it exactly 4 weeks later in March of 2023.

I’ve been living in my new home for exactly 15 months, and I still love it as much as I did when I first selected it. I’ve taken a fully furnished (nicest furniture I’ve ever owned) 3/2 home, and I’ve made it my own. It is truly my dream home in my dream neighborhood in my dream part of the Heartland of Florida !

This past Leap Day – the 29TH of February – right on schedule – I ended my nearly 39-year career with the USAF, and I entered retirement with full pay and benefits.

Sebring / Avon Park is my hometown now, and I’m physically and socially active all around the area – from the stores and restaurants to the museums and church to my own neighborhood. It’s a total lifestyle change for me from my 36+ years of living and working in South Florida.

I had no idea what all of this would “look like” back when I was dreaming about it all before June of 2022. I did a lot of praying back then, and I could not be more thankful for how everything worked out for me.

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)

A couple of Sunday mornings ago I was honored and privileged to preach what turned out to be a 45-minute sermon that I had prepared and enhanced off-and-on over the better part of the past year. It was all about the founder of Sebring Florida – George Eugene Sebring Jr. – and his best friend and next-door neighbor – Charles Frederick Weigle. Mr. Sebring intentionally built a new city with a solid foundation of Jesus Christ as Lord + Savior. It was a city of worship. He gave free land to anyone who built a church on it. He invited his best friend – Evangelist and Songwriter Dr. Weigle – to build a house and move next door to him. He invited retiring Christian workers from all over to move to Sebring – to rest and enjoy the good life in their later years. Mr. Sebring would die unexpectedly in January of 1927 at the age of almost 68. Dr. Weigle was devastated at his sudden passing. He vowed to continue the good work that Mr. Sebring had started, and so he did just that through the early-1950s.

Later this year I’ll present the full transcription of my “Sebring & Weigle” sermon in multiple parts here on #SundayScripture. I want the whole world to know how this beautiful city got its holy start.

Since the start of April and for the next couple of months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Links are provided for Parts 1 to 8 of “Jude & Judgment” over on my SERMONS page. (It’s Sermon 56.) I’ll present Part 3 of “Jude & Jury” – next #SundayScripture.

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past 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 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) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 09TH 2024, 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.

Last Sunday morning in Homestead Florida I had the honor and privilege of singing 4 Praise & Worship songs with a brother and 2 sisters of my longtime church family, and I opened the service after the first song, and I preached about a 45-minute sermon. I then watched as a sister led us in Communion. (I led Communion for 7½ years, and she took over for me.)

I got the unexpected call to preach on the Thursday night prior. As a Pastor I must always be ready to preach God’s Good News – with no notice, with short notice, or scheduled well in advance.

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)

I spent most of that Friday finalizing my 60TH sermon since 2016 – the sermon that I’d been working on for the better part of the past year on the creation of the city that I now live near – Sebring Florida. I preached on Charles Frederick Weigle and his good friend and next-door neighbor George Eugene Sebring, Jr. The sermon ended with an “anywhere call”. (That’s my version of an altar call featuring the sinners’ prayer.)

It’s on to my 61ST sermon now, and it’s titled “Music & Lyrics”. It will serve as a sort-of follow-up to “Sebring & Weigle” on how God used music to rescue and save me on an August morning 18 summers ago.

Since the start of April and for the next couple of months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Links are now provided for Parts 1 to 8 of “Jude & Judgment” over on my SERMONS page. (It’s Sermon 56.) Here’s Part 2 of “Jude & Jury”:

[CONTINUE SERMON]

Moving on, and Jude is writing about all of the false teachers who have – in his words – wormed their way into your churches. These false teachers tell their followers that because of God’s marvelous grace – you are free to do whatever you feel like doing. You are free to live immoral lives.

You know just because a building looks like a church from the outside, and just because the word “church” appears on a sign in front of the building or on the physical building itself, and just because the leader or leaders of the church call themselves Pastors, or Preachers, or Ministers, or Evangelists – if they are not teaching what’s in the Bible – God’s Word – the only Truth – then they are false teachers. If they are teaching the ways of the world around us – then they are false teachers. These false teachers are teaching about their god (lower-case) – the devil.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past 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 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) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday June 02ND 2024, 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 waking-up in my former hometown of Homestead Florida. I’m here visiting longtime friends and celebrating my upcoming 57TH birthday with them. Today I’ll praise and worship our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ with my brothers and sisters of my church family here, and then we’ll enjoy fellowship and food at Texas Roadhouse.

I’m also today’s special guest Pastor. I’ll be preaching my sermon on “Sebring & Weigle” to my church family !

Since the start of April and for the next couple of months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Links are now provided for Parts 1 to 8 of “Jude & Judgment” over on my SERMONS page. (It’s Sermon 56.) Here’s Part 1 of “Jude & Jury”:

[BEGIN SERMON]

Well Good Morning again church family. Thank You for being here with me on this Sunday morning. Thank You for supporting me with my ministry. Thank You for taking church seriously – by not coming to church – but by being the church – and bringing the church in everything you do and everywhere you go. We – You and I – are the living and breathing church body.

It is the 1ST Sunday of Advent. The 1ST candle on the Advent wreath (or crown) represents God’s Hope. (Everyone say “hope”.) We are led to anticipate the birth of Christ in this start of a new season. We are reminded of all of the promises that God gave us in the Old Testament. They are fulfilled in the New Testament by the birth of Jesus.

One of my favorite Benedictions at the close of our services is from Romans 15:13. You know this one. You’ve heard it many times from me:

May the God of (what ?) hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with (what ?) hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. AMEN

Last Sunday I preached on the first 11 verses of Jude’s letter near the end of the New Testament – just before Revelation. Today I’m preaching on the remaining 14 verses of Jude’s letter.

Now if you weren’t here last Sunday morning, or if you just need a refresher – here are 7 key points from my sermon last week:

• God’s Word is not an ‘either-or’ book. It is an ‘all-or-nothing’ book. It is not a dingy all-you-can-eat buffet (or “boo/fay” as I like to say) where you can pick and choose what you wish to believe. It is a glorious full-course meal. It all comes down to whether or not we are willing to consume it all.
• People all over the world know of Jesus, but they don’t really know Him, or understand Him, or even believe in Him as God. Oh – and that includes a lot of self-proclaimed Christians too. They don’t really know Him.
• We need God’s mercy. We can’t live without God’s mercy. It comes with His grace.
• God’s grace is power that He has given to each of us believers as a gift, and that power allows us to overcome every sin – should we choose to accept His gift.
• Sin must not have dominion over us. We can’t use God’s grace to justify our sin.
• We know that sin is what separates you from Christ. If you continue to live in your sins – then you will die in your sins. You are headed straight to a fiery forever in hell without God.
• And finally – there is Heaven – and there is hell. Those people that we know that don’t believe and follow our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ – and never do so before they pass on – they are headed for a fire and brimstone future. Their punishment from God’s judgment will last forever.

So that’s your refresher – 7 key points – from my sermon last week.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past 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 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) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday May 26TH 2024, 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.

I got to host / entertain my little brother (age 49) for 7 days recently, and one of those days was a Sunday – last Sunday. He attended our service at my home church here in Sebring. It was the first time ever that he attended a non-Catholic service with me, and it may have been his first-ever non-Catholic service. My dream remains. I want him to see and hear me preach a sermon in-person either in Sebring or Homestead or elsewhere.

For the next several months – I’m presenting the full transcription of my recent Jude message series consisting of two sermons – “Jude & Judgment” (Verses 1-11), and “Jude & Jury” (Verses 12-25). I preached them to my Homestead Florida church family on November 26TH 2023 and December 03RD 2023 respectively. Here’s Part 8:

[CONTINUE SERMON]

Back to Jude’s letter – and Verses 8 to 11:

In the same way – these people – who claim authority from their dreams – live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. But even Michael – one of the mightiest of the angels – did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, “The Lord rebuke you !” (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses’ body.) But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals – they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. What sorrow awaits them ! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain – who killed his brother. Like Balaam – they deceive people for money. And like Korah – they perish in their rebellion.

OK. Let’s talk about Michael – the mightiest of the angels – and this will wrap-up the first sermon of my Jude message series that continues next Sunday morning.

So Michael is an archangel. That’s the highest rank of angel. That’s like General in the Military. At the start of my message today I told you that Jude’s letter was second-to-last in the Bible – right before the Book of Revelation. Well – the only place in the New Testament that Michael the archangel is mentioned – is Revelation.

As the Bible says – Then there was war in Heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon – the ancient serpent called the devil – or Satan – the one deceiving the whole world – was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. (Revelation 12:7-9 NLT)

Satan is defeated. God does not have to engage in the battle Himself.

So Michael the archangel is in Jude, and Revelation, and also one more place in the Bible – the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He’s in the Scripture on Israel’s rescue from destruction. God was over Israel, and Michael was Israel’s spirit prince. He was Israel’s patron angel. He was the great prince. He stood guard over the nation of Israel.

Today – in these last days – God is over Israel – and as believers and followers of Jesus Christ our Lord + Savior – we stand with Israel.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

My testimony is featured each week here on #SundayScripture – whether it’s part of a sermon, or just me writing about the events of the past 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 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) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp