Church and Airport

It started as a typical Sunday for us.  After working 3rd shift from 11pm Saturday til 8:15 Sunday I got off of work and headed to pick up friends and family for church.  R.J. joined us for church this week.  I took my little brother to church first to help with the sound check crew.  Then I headed to Joyce ("Ma's") house and picked up her, one of her 3 kids and 3 of her 4 grandkids and off to church we were.

In Sunday school we had a fabulous speaker, Missionary to Paraguay, Tom Stout.  I wish Sunday school was that attention drawing every week.  I certainly was able to pay better attention and get more out of the lesson.  He taught us as he would teach his church in Paraguay by storying..
It is basically giving an accurate but not a super specific precise telling of (the) bible stories.  It is much more informal than the way most our churches in the US teach.  To me it was on an easier to learn on that level.  There was no real need for all the bigger words and lingo and minor details to understand the scripture the importance of what is being taught and relate it to our lives and walk in Christ.  I think this would be most effective HERE in the US., not just Paraguay.
Do you realize how many times a preacher has spoke over our heads?  Especially as I have been bringing Joyce with me who has been mostly unchurched it made me realize how much easier this way of preaching would be to newer Christians.  This way of teaching doesn't require any special level of education to understand what is going on.  I feel like most teaching in the US is so in depth it DOES require at least a familiarity of the bible to totally get a lesson.  Often times bigger words are used or many biblical words that unchurched/new church goers/ non-college educated people are clueless what is being said.  If I had lessons in storying I would be more interested in the lesson.  It does great at keeping your attention and to me still make the points of a more thorough detailed lesson except you'll likely actually remember what is taught beyond just Sunday.
Tom, his wife Kelly and three children are  SIM missionaries.  Tom and Kelly have been there for about 20 years now.  Their furlough ends August 8th after almost a year here in Lynchburg as their oldest son started Liberty.  They have been both entertaining and educational friends in our Sunday School Class and I can't wait to see what God has in store for them.

Pastor Jonathan Falwell concluded the series, Blue Prints for a bigger vision.  He gave steps to Start your vision now and start doing the right thing today.
1.  Be a person of prayer
2.  Read his word
3.  Get close to God, you can never be close enough and you can never get too close, you can always get closer
4.  Be obedient to what God says to do
5.  Step outside of your comfort zone
6.  Don't be afraid to fail and if you do fail, try again.  It is when you allow failing to control your life you become a failure, therefore always try again.
7.  Have faith: Believe He who began a work in you will finish what he started.

After church and taking everyone home, I grabbed a brief nap from 2-5.  Then I got up and helped Marko pack and get ready for his business trip.  Marko is headed to Dallas for a conference on Link I think it is called.  This is his first time on a big plane!  He takes off from the Lynchburg Regional Airport, to Charlotte and then to Dallas Fort Worth.  I am jealous.  It is on my bucket list to ride in a big plane!  His plan was delayed twice so it looks like he will spend the night in Charlotte instead of Dallas tonight.