Sunday Sentiments

What a way to set the bar. The brand new Youth Ministry at Harvest really set the bar high during their first Youth Weekend. Kudos to the team on a job well done.

This team of dedicated volunteers overcame some last minute changes due to weather with only minor hiccups. The sky is the limit for this group, as they strive to develop godly character in our youth. Go get ‘em. Pictures will follow soon.

Sunday Sentiments

Wow! That is a fitting description of the service this morning at Harvest Christian Fellowship. We are all grateful for God’s moving among us this morning.

It began with the praise team energetically leading us in song. Their leading quickly morphed into spontaneous singing, worship, and praise that no one wanted to see come to an end. We continued the major thought from last week regarding how we relate to one another, this week dealing specifically with laying aside the old self and putting on the new self (Ephesians 4:22-5:2).

The put the exclamation point at the end of a great service by leading six persons to join the church today, with two of those making the initial decision to give their lives to Christ. That’s why we do what we do…we are celebrating two more into the kingdom of God. It was truly a great day. Thanks to all of the great Harvest volunteers!

Stay blessed.

Sunday Sentiments

Another glorious first Sunday worship service at Harvest this morning. I want to thank all of our great volunteers who arrived early in order to ensure that everything went well.

Today’s message “What the World Needs Now” dealt with society’s need to experience authentic love, and Church’s unique equipping to fill the need. We defined love as “the consistent demonstration of consideration, concern, and care for another person.”

Ultimately, our challenge as Christians is to get out of the pews and into the lives of other folk. Let’s stop paying lip service to love, and begin to demonstrate it consistently in our homes, on our jobs, and in our communities. Its not a choice…its our calling. Harvest is on board as a community of Christ followers! Love is an action. Who are you going to love this week?

Stay blessed.

Sunday Sentiments

Wonderful worship at Harvest today. The Lord never ceases to amaze me at his ability to show up and bless all who will receive him.

Today concluded our series on God’s grace toward us in our justification and entire sanctification. Sound deep and heavy? Its not. God’s love toward us is exemplified in the extension of grace on our behalf. He wants us to have, and makes available to us, his best.

Stay blessed.

Join Us This Sunday!

We are excited about this Sunday, March 15, at Harvest. We will be celebrating the Lord’s day with Friends and Family. Please accept our invitation to come and worship with us this Sunday morning at 10 a.m. Prayer in the sanctuary will begin at 9:45 a.m.

You don’t have anything to wear to church you say. Don’t worry about that! At Harvest Christian Fellowship it doesn’t matter to us what you are wearing on the outside. Just come and be a part of what God is doing in us, so that we can be better at letting him work through us. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Wait a minute! If you need directions to our church, located at 3813 Newport Gap Pike in Wilmington, go to our website and check out the directions page. Stay blessed.

Sunday Sentiments

Thanksgiving Sunday at Harvest Christian Fellowship. That means lots of friends, family, and praise. Here are a few highlights of this morning service, for those of you who missed it.

• Our drama ministry (yet to be named) debuted this morning with a skit showing ways that our faith can influence others during this time of economic crisis. Well done to the entire team, and our “actors”. We all look forward to seeing how God will use this ministry to spread the gospel.
• I got to speak to at least one of our college freshman, home for break! Its always exciting to hear what is going on in the lives of these young adults as they study and live out the gospel on campuses across the nation. I pray that all of our college students press strong to the end of the semester, running all the way through the tape. We look forward to seeing you at Winter break.
• Preparations are now in full swing for the church’s 2nd anniversary! The team met with Pastor Doris after service this morning, and the excitement is growing. Spread the word to all that you know, to come join us in January. More details to follow.
• Bro. Duane Dillard was pumped this morning, as he led us in praise and worship. We got to see yet another glimpse into the future of our growing worship ministry. Can’t wait for what lies ahead.
• The Men’s Fellowship leaders finalized plans to have the men of Harvest hit the neighborhoods in our area with invitations to our Sunday services. Don’t want to spoil it, but I believe the men should expect a call or correspondence this week. Take some time out, and support what the men are going to be doing.
• Beginning this Wednesday, and every Wednesday in December, we will be having a prayer service in lieu of Bible Study. Come out with friends and family, as we spend time in prayer to our Lord for the balance of the year.

Make This Season About Giving To Others

We will be extending a special invitation to the people who join us for worship at Harvest this Sunday. We will be inviting them to do something that sets this giving season apart from your typical season of giving, by giving a gift that will truly keep on giving. We will make available to every person who attends this Sunday a copy of the 2008 World Vision Gift Catalog.

World Vision distributes a Gift Catalog annually, that allows charitable individuals to give gifts internationally that will keep on giving. What kinds of gifts, you ask? Well, how about 5 ducks for $30. Why would you want to give ducks? Because ducks produce eggs, which can be an essential source of dietary protein. Curious to hear more? Well, how about 1 goat and 2 chickens for $100. With this gift you are not only providing egg-producing chickens, but milk-producing goats.

The catalog offers gifts to fit any budget, with gifts ranging from $10 to over $2,000. The gifts range from seeds, to livestock, wells, to homes. What an opportunity to teach our children, or remind ourselves of,  the real meaning of this season.

So Much To Be Thankful For

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. 1 Chronicles 16:8-9

Later this week, families and friends will gather in communities all over this country to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. For many this will begin a time of reflection and thanksgiving that will last through the end of the year. There will be some, who because of the economy or other circumstances of life, will find it difficult to articulate anything for which they are thankful. Speaking to both groups, I want to list just a few of the things that I find myself thanking God for right now.

• Salvation – I thank God for the grace He showed toward me, in sending His only begotten son to die for the forgiveness of my sins.
• Family – I thank God for my immediate and extended family. There love and care for me has been my strength and joy in both high and low points this year. I am thankful for my wife and my children. I am thankful that their love for me is without condition. I am thankful for the times that we have been able to spend with each other, in our daily routines and away (as few as these times may have been this year).
• Provision – Although it would be easy for me to articulate what I am missing, or what I don’t have, I choose to thank God for what he has ensured that I do have. I thank Him for ensuring that I have a home, food, and health. I thank Him that He has provided enough that I have been able to share some with others.
• Harvest Christian Fellowship - I am thankful that God has given me a place, the caliber of Harvest, in which to serve as Senior Pastor. I am grateful for the smiles that greet each person who enters our presence on Sunday mornings. I am thankful for the willingness of the people to serve whoever, wherever, and whenever service is needed. I am thankful for the feeling of belonging that each person strives to ensure that every other person feels inside our fellowship. I am thankful for the way God has moved in the last year to bring us to the New Hope campus, merge our ministries, and give us a relationship with The Wesleyan Church. I am thankful for the excitement that I still see in the eyes of the people when we discuss or mention going into the community to serve and be in relationship with people.
• Hope for the future – I am thankful that in Jesus Christ, I always have hope for the future. Regardless of where or how I may view my life now, I know that my God makes all things work together for the good. I know that my worst day without Jesus is infinitely better than any day without Him.

I hope and pray that each of you reading this has a blessed time with friends and family on Thanksgiving Day. I pray that you take some time out on that day to reflect on the things you have to be thankful for. I believe that you may be pleasantly surprised at how numerous they are. Stay blessed.

Thank You Harvest!

I want to thank every member of Harvest Christian Fellowship who participated in this year’s Basket brigade of Delaware effort. I want to thank every member who donated canned food. I want to thank every member who got up early on a Saturday morning and gave your time. I want to thank every member who, regardless of how you may have been feeling physically, made an effort to help. I want to thank every member who, in spite of a busy schedule, sacrificed whatever time you could. I want to thank every member who endured the cold and chaos in an effort to serve. Whatever you were able to do for this effort, however great or small, I want to thank you. Thank you for being the manifest expression of Jesus Christ in the world. I truly believe that I am blessed to serve alongside the greatest group people in the kingdom of God. Service isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. You deserve an ovation.

Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ The the righteous will answer Him, “Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’   Matthew 25:34-40 NASB

Sunday Sentiments

Praise the Lord for another Sunday at Harvest! It was a great blessing for everyone to see Sis. Lauren return to worship service this morning. She is truly a living miracle, after such a bad car accident. What a way to inspire worship and praise for “this” day that the Lord has made.

We continued our ‘Be Encouraged’ series with a message touting the attributes of ‘A Conqueror’s Attitude’. What a reponse! The sermon ended with many at the altar, and everyone in the sanctuary standing as practical illustrations of what our response should be to the negative whispers of accusation of condemnation that may come our way. Practice the way you intend to play the game!

Can’t wait until next week, to see what the Lord has in store for us in worship of Him. Stay tuned. Don’t forget to do the reading in Genesis for Bible Study on Wednesday. Thanks to Bro. Ibn for standing in this past week. The reports are that he did a great job. I had no doubt.