Dear Friends,
I know I’m showing my age here, but I still spend a little time on Sundays reading the newspaper. I know it’s hard for some people to imagine, but there was a day when spending time reading the Sunday newspaper was a big deal. The paper arrived on your doorstep stuffed with advertising circulars, comics in color (the Sunday Funnies) and the weekly Parade magazine. We agreed not to open the paper until after church (because of course we did). But the newspaper and Sunday afternoons went together like Hi and Lois (the old timers will know what I’m talking about. IYKYK. Everyone else can Google it.).
These days, I open my iPad to read the paper. I spend much less time with the paper than I used to. I know which sections I will scan and where I will linger. I may or may not take time to read what Wally Hall or John Brummett have to say. Occasionally I’ll read Philip Martin’s contribution to the Style section, although he often strikes me as smug and pretentious. Maybe that’s me.
I almost always take the time to read the article that appears each week on page 3D called Right Time Right Place. It’s reporter Kimberly Dishongh’s weekly account of a local married couple, telling how they met, courted, fell in love and were married. Who doesn’t like a real-life love story.
This week, the Right Time Right Place feature profiled Raymond and Colea Long who will celebrate two years of marriage in June. At the end of the article, Dishongh always asks the couples whose story she’s telling for their best marriage advice. Here’s What Raymond and Colea said:
I smiled when I read that last line. What Raymond said about learning at a marriage conference about how couples are always either “moving toward oneness or drifting toward isolation” is something I remember learning the first time Mary Ann and I attended a Weekend To Remember marriage getaway more than 30 years ago. And for more than 25 years, starting back in 1993 when I was invited to start speaking at Weekend To Remember getaways, I shared that same wisdom over and over again with thousands of couples.
In my mind, it’s a profound observation. Marriages are never stagnant. Couples are always getting closer or moving away from each other. To pursue oneness in marriage (and that’s the goal, by the way) takes work. Effort. Intentionality. Drifting apart? That’s easy. Just do nothing to draw closer and the tide will carry you out into an ocean of isolation, farther and farther away from one another.
In 10 days, we’re holding our Spring Date Night for couples. We’re planning a special meal. We’ll have some fun surprises and competition. And I’ll be sharing about the Four Best Practices that happily married couples focus on in their marriage.
Of course we want the evening to be a great time of fun and fellowship. But more than that, we want it to be an investment in your relationship. We’re praying this will be something God will use to move you toward oneness and help prevent the drift toward isolation.
We have space left for about 20 couples. Child care is provided, so baby-sitting is covered. We’ll start at 6:15 and be done well before 9:00. The cost is $40 per couple. And if you invite a couple from outside the church to come with you, the cost for them is only $20 per couple.
We’re ordering the food on Monday, so if you’re not signed up yet, now is the time. Click here to register (https://redeemerlr.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2221452) for an evening of intentional marriage building fun.
The Eclipse countdown has begun. The forecast for Monday is for partly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 81 degrees (although I’m told the temperature during a solar eclipse can drop as much as ten degrees!).
We have a few extra eclipse sunglasses available if you haven’t made plans yet and want to join us out by the playground on Monday at 12:45. We’re cooking hot dogs, we’ll have chips and water and cookies. The eclipse will begin at 12:30 (you’re welcome to arrive before it starts if you’d like). The peak eclipse time in Little Rock will be 1:51 pm and will last for 2 ½ minutes.
We’d love to have you join us!
Here’s an update for student and parents about the April Game Night.
Also related to our Roots students, here’s an important note from Pastor Cole:
Next month, on May 19, we’ll be recognizing and celebrating the achievements of our graduating High School Seniors. This year, we will giving these seniors something special to highlight their accomplishment. You remember when you signed people’s yearbooks back in High School? Well, we have purchased an ESV Journaling Bible for each of our graduates. These Bibles are formatted to provide ample space in the margins of each page for journaling as you read through scripture.
We’ll be placing these Bibles in the church family room from April 7th – May 18th. And we’d like to ask you to add a personal note in each of the Bibles. Think of 2-3 passages of Scripture that are meaningful to you. Then in the margin in the Bible, write a brief encouraging note adjacent to the passage you’ve selected.
For example, if you selected Romans 8:1, you would underline There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus in the Bible. Then in the margin, you could write something like “Praying that you will experience God’s amazing grace throughout your life.” And be sure to sign your name after each note you put in the margin.
If you know the graduating senior, you can choose a passage of scripture that you know will encourage them as they transition into their next season of life. If you don’t know them personally, pick one or more passages that are your favorites.
We would love to see each senior’s Bible filed with encouragement from everyone in our church. On May 19th, I will personally present each Senior with his or her Bible. Your notes will be a great encouragement to them as they tangibly experience the support of their church as they take the next step in their journey.
- Pastor Cole
_______________________________________________________
Registration is officially underway for the Women’s Weekend Stay-treat!
It will be a great time of fellowship, food, and feasting on God's Word, as the ladies study and discuss Titus 2.
Dinner will be served. The cost to cover food and materials for the Stay-treat is $40. Register now by clicking here (https://redeemerlr.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2218853).
Here’s an update on our finances as a church. Keep in mind that in the first quarter of each year, we release funds designated for the missionaries and local outreach ministries we support. These support funds amount to about $75,000. That’s the reason our year to date expense numbers are as high as they are.
March Giving: $40,517
March Expenses: $52,909*
Year to Date Giving: $98,076
Year to Date Expenses: $184,705
Balance on Hand on 2/29/24 $153,115
* This number includes roughly $16,000 given in March annually to support international outreaches and ministry
Also, I wanted you to know that to date, $6100 has been given to help cover the cost of the preliminary architectural work we’re hoping to have done as we prayerfully consider future expansion and parking needs. On Easter, we had a full parking lot with 17 cars parked along David O Dodd.
As I shared with you, we are hoping to raise $15,000 before April 15 to cover this project. If you’d like to give toward this effort, click here (https://redeemerlr.churchcenter.com/giving) to make an online gift. Use the pull down menu to indicate you’d like your money to go to the building project. Or better yet, you can write a personal check and put it in the giving box on Sunday. Just add the word “building” in the memo line.
The church in Laodicea is famously identified by Jesus as a “lukewarm” church – and it’s because of their lukewarmness, Jesus says, that He will spit them out of his mouth. That graphic description has been highlighted in many sermons through the years to challenge Christians not to be complacent about our faith. But as we’ll see this Sunday, spiritual “lukewarmness” was not Jesus’ primary concern when He addressed the church in Laodicea.
Below is the passage we’ll be studying this week. See if you can spot the bigger issue Jesus has in mind as He sends this letter to this particular church.
See you in church.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
Revelation 3:14–22
To the Church in Laodicea
[14] “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
[15] “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. [18] I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. [21] The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Resource Info
