Church Blog (Page 3)

For the past two Sundays, we’ve talked about serving. What does it mean to serve? What does it mean for us to follow in the footsteps of the greatest servant, Jesus? This past Sunday, we had the privilege of honoring two members of our church for their great service to Poplar Springs—two with great character, but different gifts, talents, and callings. Hugh Bess faithfully served our congregation and community as our church host for 20 years. I’m guessing here, but…

Two weeks ago, Hurricane Debby made its way onto and up the east coast. Thursday of that week brought a lot of rain and some gusts of wind for our area. We were having a staff meeting that morning and heard Clyde Buckner in the hallway talking on the phone. All we heard was “yeah, there’s water in the sanctuary.” Fortunately, it was a small leak. Even better, a new roof was already on its way thanks to the good…

This past week was hard by most any measure. For most in our church and in our community, there was a great deal of shock, sadness, and questions without answers. And then Sunday came…what a perfect time for our Summer Recap Sunday. If you were not able to attend church or watch online, let me encourage you to go back on our website or Facebook site and watch the service from Sunday. I needed to be in church on Sunday.…

In a conversation with friends this past weekend, I realized there are two types of people when they get home from a vacation: I’m not here to tell you one is right, and one is wrong. I think it boils down to the fact that we are all wired a little differently. This plays out in the simplest of tasks…like when we choose to unpack a suitcase. For some, a suitcase on the floor would be a nagging reminder that…

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “I just need some room to breathe.” The implication is that there is so much going on in life right now, I just need a little space. It’s the life equivalent of being at the dinner table and realizing you ate too much. You just need to loosen the belt and get a little more “room to breathe.” Having been at the beach with my family last week, vacation is always a great chance to…

Summer is the vacation season. Whether you prefer the beach or the mountains, Dollywood or Disney World, many in our church and most of our community will take time this summer to “vacate” their homes to enjoy a different scene. According to the US Travel Association, the travel industry supports 15 million jobs and accounts for an economic footprint of $2.8 trillion. I couldn’t count that high if I tried, and while I know not all travel is vacation related…I…

Happy Independence Day Poplar Springs! This Sunday, we talked about freedom. It will be a word that is repeated a lot this week as our country celebrates July 4th. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” – From the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of…

In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there is an interesting story called “The Transfiguration.” Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a high mountain to pray and be alone. Luke 9:29-30, says, “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.” In 1st century Judaism and in the New Testament, there was the belief…