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Monday, April 15, 2013
Saturday morning we passed this perfectly manicured farm near Rothsville, PA
(Click here for a larger photo)
Listen to this message on your
audio player.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).
This Monday morning some twenty-five thousand runners are gathering in Hopkinton,
MA for the start of the
Boston Marathon.
What a place of excitement mixed with a bit of suspense as to who will
win, who will place, who will finish and who will drop out!
We have a lot of starts in life. Our first start was at our conception and of course our birth. We started walking and we started kindergarten. The many different types of starts in life are far too numerous to mention but you get the overall idea. This weekend we witnessed a contrast in starts.
On Friday night Brooksyne came alongside a friend as they witnessed the love of her life slip into eternity. For many years she devoted her life to caring for his medical and emotional needs, but she now starts a new chapter as she continues life without him.
On Saturday we attended a wedding and saw a young couple start a new chapter in their life; the start of their lives together as a married couple. What an honor to witness their solemn exchange of vows. We'll share several photos and some reflections of this joyous occasion below our message.
On
Sunday we saw Bethany Lynn, who started coming to church for the first
time since her birth on April 2 (though Bethany attended church
faithfully as a preborn infant and the youngest on the praise team). In several weeks her parents
will
stand with her before the congregation at her dedication. Her parents
faithfully fulfilled their duties as the scheduled greeters yesterday
greeting us and handing us a bulletin each at an entrance. Those
arriving through the front entrance saw Ken holding Bethany as he
distributed the bulletins!
Starts can be joyful or grievous. Some we look forward to with joyous anticipation, others with sorrow, coupled with fear of the new start. Many of these "starts" become a defining moment on our timeline. So many are good, but others like he or she "started using cocaine", "started a prison term" are certainly not desirable!
But God is with us in all the starts of life, both planned and unplanned, desirable and even the undesirable.
A start which we can all share is our start as a new believer in Christ. John Newton described this start in his hymn, Amazing Grace, as "the hour I first believed". Some of us can pinpoint our salvation experience to a precise hour. In my experience I had rejected the notion of following Christ when my older brother first shared the gospel with me in May of 1971. That Summer I was persuaded to attend an evangelistic meeting and on Sunday evening, August 22, I believed and accepted the Lord about 9:00 PM.
But many are unable to pinpoint the precise time they started their Christian life, especially those who came to Christ as children. Of course their experience is no less legitimate though I have spoken to believers who are bothered at their inability to pinpoint a precise starting point in their Christian walk.
Today's Bible text is among my many favorites. In fact it was the first text I preached from as a Bible School student. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).
It speaks of the most important race in our life; our spiritual race that starts when we come to Christ, the surrendering of that which might cause us to drop out of the race, and the perseverance to stay the course till we are called home to be with the Lord. Have you started and are you faithfully running this race?
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father,
Your grace has no measure and it was graciously extended to me the hour
I first believed and started my spiritual race. You not only prepared
the way but You also run alongside me and enable me to throw off those
things
that hinder or weigh me down. You've given me an enduring spirit
to stay on course during the desirable and undesirable starts of new
chapters in my life. It's not the one who runs the swiftest, nor the
one who runs for a day, but it's the one who endures to the end that
will be saved. I want to be among that number, and by Your grace, I
will receive the eternal rewards that come to those who finish well.
And then I start the next chapter that never has an ending; that of
living in heaven and praising You for all eternity. I can hardly wait.
Amen.
This Saturday we were blessed to attend the wedding of Justin and Ashley Eberly, a young couple living their lives for Christ. Ashley attended the small country church we served in Mastersonville, PA and became very special to us.
Kerry Martin, the pastor of the church Justin and Ashley now attend, conducted the ceremony and I preached the message. He did a great job and I learned it was his first wedding to officiate. Since my credentialing in 1976 I have conducted many weddings and it is a blessed aspect of ministerial service.
After the service we gathered with Justin and Ashley for a family photo.
A member of the church who owns a used car lot let Justin pick his choice of car for the getaway. They roared off from the church to the reception hall in this Mustang! As you can see in the background the church is in a beautiful country setting.
At the reception Ashley, who is a graphic artist, prepared this informative "About You" welcome poster for the guests. (Click here
to enlarge). Among other guest info were the ages of those in attendance
ranging from -2 months (pre-born) to 89 years; the guests'
association with Justin and Ashley; those who traveled farthest and so
forth. We thought this to be a great idea.
Jesse and Wilma were the oldest couple in attendance with Jesse being the 89 year old on the welcome poster. During an open mic time of sharing at the reception it warmed out hearts to see him slowly, with the aid of a cane, make his way to the front and speak words of commendation and blessing on the newly married couple. Jesse and Wilma recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary.
On a lighter note: Several
weeks ago we received a request from our Amish friends that we help
them find a good, safe and affordable trampoline. The children had
saved up money from doing chores and were going in together to make the
big purchase. We had studied it out online and while walking through a
BJ's store saw one that we thought would suit them. I called them from
the store and Anna put the younger children on the speakerphone as I
described it. They were so excited! Friday evening we drove over to
their farm and dropped it off. Eli James was the first to meet us
before the others came out. The two older children paid me in fifty
dollar bills. I expect the next time we are over that way we will see
the trampoline all set up! More work for a hard working farmer dad.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"When I Say I Do" Video Matthew West The best man and one of the groomsmen sang this song during the time Justin and Ashley lit the unity candle and shared private communion together. This song represents the start of a marital union.
Here are two interesting perspectives in song for those who now start the journey of life without their loved one:
"Don't Cry, I Am Home" Audio Unseen This moving song caught Stephen's and my attention as it played on the radio. It's the first time we heard it and we both were deeply touched by its message. It will touch your heart as well, especially those enduring fresh grief.
"Don't Cry For Me" Video Not specified
"Till The Storm Passes By" Video Ben Speer and Homecoming singers We have some very special people on our hearts who experienced a double loss this last week and we prayerfully dedicate this song to them.
On a lighter note: We gathered last night for some old-time gospel music by a men's group, quartet and duet. Curt, a friend of ours, along singing in a quartet shared a song that he said was his grandpa's favorite. Brooksyne reminisced that it was also among her dad's favorite songs and was sung often in her southern gospel upbringing. Video
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily
Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this
daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all
over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and
podcast listeners. See here
for more information on
supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.
Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
<Previous Message Next Message>
Monday, April 15, 2013
Saturday morning we passed this perfectly manicured farm near Rothsville, PA
(Click here for a larger photo)
Listen to this message on your
audio player."A Lesson On Starts"
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).
This Monday morning some twenty-five thousand runners are gathering in Hopkinton,
MA for the start of the
Boston Marathon.
What a place of excitement mixed with a bit of suspense as to who will
win, who will place, who will finish and who will drop out!We have a lot of starts in life. Our first start was at our conception and of course our birth. We started walking and we started kindergarten. The many different types of starts in life are far too numerous to mention but you get the overall idea. This weekend we witnessed a contrast in starts.
On Friday night Brooksyne came alongside a friend as they witnessed the love of her life slip into eternity. For many years she devoted her life to caring for his medical and emotional needs, but she now starts a new chapter as she continues life without him.
On Saturday we attended a wedding and saw a young couple start a new chapter in their life; the start of their lives together as a married couple. What an honor to witness their solemn exchange of vows. We'll share several photos and some reflections of this joyous occasion below our message.
On
Sunday we saw Bethany Lynn, who started coming to church for the first
time since her birth on April 2 (though Bethany attended church
faithfully as a preborn infant and the youngest on the praise team). In several weeks her parents
will
stand with her before the congregation at her dedication. Her parents
faithfully fulfilled their duties as the scheduled greeters yesterday
greeting us and handing us a bulletin each at an entrance. Those
arriving through the front entrance saw Ken holding Bethany as he
distributed the bulletins!Starts can be joyful or grievous. Some we look forward to with joyous anticipation, others with sorrow, coupled with fear of the new start. Many of these "starts" become a defining moment on our timeline. So many are good, but others like he or she "started using cocaine", "started a prison term" are certainly not desirable!
But God is with us in all the starts of life, both planned and unplanned, desirable and even the undesirable.
A start which we can all share is our start as a new believer in Christ. John Newton described this start in his hymn, Amazing Grace, as "the hour I first believed". Some of us can pinpoint our salvation experience to a precise hour. In my experience I had rejected the notion of following Christ when my older brother first shared the gospel with me in May of 1971. That Summer I was persuaded to attend an evangelistic meeting and on Sunday evening, August 22, I believed and accepted the Lord about 9:00 PM.
But many are unable to pinpoint the precise time they started their Christian life, especially those who came to Christ as children. Of course their experience is no less legitimate though I have spoken to believers who are bothered at their inability to pinpoint a precise starting point in their Christian walk.
Today's Bible text is among my many favorites. In fact it was the first text I preached from as a Bible School student. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).
It speaks of the most important race in our life; our spiritual race that starts when we come to Christ, the surrendering of that which might cause us to drop out of the race, and the perseverance to stay the course till we are called home to be with the Lord. Have you started and are you faithfully running this race?
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father,
Your grace has no measure and it was graciously extended to me the hour
I first believed and started my spiritual race. You not only prepared
the way but You also run alongside me and enable me to throw off those
things
that hinder or weigh me down. You've given me an enduring spirit
to stay on course during the desirable and undesirable starts of new
chapters in my life. It's not the one who runs the swiftest, nor the
one who runs for a day, but it's the one who endures to the end that
will be saved. I want to be among that number, and by Your grace, I
will receive the eternal rewards that come to those who finish well.
And then I start the next chapter that never has an ending; that of
living in heaven and praising You for all eternity. I can hardly wait.
Amen.This Saturday we were blessed to attend the wedding of Justin and Ashley Eberly, a young couple living their lives for Christ. Ashley attended the small country church we served in Mastersonville, PA and became very special to us.
Kerry Martin, the pastor of the church Justin and Ashley now attend, conducted the ceremony and I preached the message. He did a great job and I learned it was his first wedding to officiate. Since my credentialing in 1976 I have conducted many weddings and it is a blessed aspect of ministerial service.
After the service we gathered with Justin and Ashley for a family photo.
A member of the church who owns a used car lot let Justin pick his choice of car for the getaway. They roared off from the church to the reception hall in this Mustang! As you can see in the background the church is in a beautiful country setting.
At the reception Ashley, who is a graphic artist, prepared this informative "About You" welcome poster for the guests. (Click here
to enlarge). Among other guest info were the ages of those in attendance
ranging from -2 months (pre-born) to 89 years; the guests'
association with Justin and Ashley; those who traveled farthest and so
forth. We thought this to be a great idea.Jesse and Wilma were the oldest couple in attendance with Jesse being the 89 year old on the welcome poster. During an open mic time of sharing at the reception it warmed out hearts to see him slowly, with the aid of a cane, make his way to the front and speak words of commendation and blessing on the newly married couple. Jesse and Wilma recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary.
On a lighter note: Several
weeks ago we received a request from our Amish friends that we help
them find a good, safe and affordable trampoline. The children had
saved up money from doing chores and were going in together to make the
big purchase. We had studied it out online and while walking through a
BJ's store saw one that we thought would suit them. I called them from
the store and Anna put the younger children on the speakerphone as I
described it. They were so excited! Friday evening we drove over to
their farm and dropped it off. Eli James was the first to meet us
before the others came out. The two older children paid me in fifty
dollar bills. I expect the next time we are over that way we will see
the trampoline all set up! More work for a hard working farmer dad.Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"When I Say I Do" Video Matthew West The best man and one of the groomsmen sang this song during the time Justin and Ashley lit the unity candle and shared private communion together. This song represents the start of a marital union.
Here are two interesting perspectives in song for those who now start the journey of life without their loved one:
"Don't Cry, I Am Home" Audio Unseen This moving song caught Stephen's and my attention as it played on the radio. It's the first time we heard it and we both were deeply touched by its message. It will touch your heart as well, especially those enduring fresh grief.
"Don't Cry For Me" Video Not specified
"Till The Storm Passes By" Video Ben Speer and Homecoming singers We have some very special people on our hearts who experienced a double loss this last week and we prayerfully dedicate this song to them.
On a lighter note: We gathered last night for some old-time gospel music by a men's group, quartet and duet. Curt, a friend of ours, along singing in a quartet shared a song that he said was his grandpa's favorite. Brooksyne reminisced that it was also among her dad's favorite songs and was sung often in her southern gospel upbringing. Video
Send
a message
to Stephen &
Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily
Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this
daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all
over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and
podcast listeners. See here
for more information on
supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA