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Bible teaching
ministry of
Stephen &
Brooksyne
Weber
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Monday,
April 22, 2024
Early
yesterday
morning I sat
out on our
front porch
before heading
to church and
watched a
procession of
gray Amish
buggies pass
by heading to
their church
service being
held in our
neighbor's
home up the
street and
around the
bend.
Click on photo to
enlarge
"Life
In Our
Neighborhood"
Message
summary:
We urge our
readers to
carefully
observe your
neighborhood
and consider
the ways you
might help to
keep it clean,
attractive and
peaceful.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days" (Acts 28:7).
It's another beautiful spring morning here in rural Pennsylvania following a pleasant weekend of sunshine and blue skies. There is peace in our home and in our neighborhood, a welcome disconnect from so much of the unsettling news we read or hear about worldwide.
We
considered
this when we
began to work
outside early
Saturday
morning and
observed the
sights and
sounds of our
neighborhood.
- Three
doors up we
heard the
sounds of
construction
as our
neighbor Jeff
is building
his wife a
greenhouse.
- Next
door on one
side a couple
had come over
to voluntarily
help our
elderly
neighbors,
Doug and
Marion prune
their
overgrown
shrubbery and
spread mulch.
This was their
third visit
and Marion
told us how
they brought
along coffee
and donuts as
part of their
blessing.
- On the other side Matt worked on some landscaping improvements in his backyard.
- Marvin mowed the strip of grass between the farm field and road across from us to keep a tidy neighborhood even though it's not his property.
- An
elderly man
from way up
the street was
walking his
dog and
stopped to
fill his
already
bulging
plastic bag
with more
debris
collected
along the
roadside. We
often see him
starting his
walk with an
empty bag and
returning with
a filled
garbage bag.
In
our
neighborhood
we help each
other out and
can always
count on some
help when we
have a need
such as
borrowing a
tool or
calling a
seasoned
farmer to help
release an
animal trap
when our dog,
Roxie, got
caught in it
years ago.
We've had
neighbors
bring us their
surplus from
their gardens
such as corn,
green beans,
cucumbers,
etc. Brooksyne
often shares
goodies with
neighbors as
well as her
overflow of
plants and
ground
coverings.
I
got to
thinking about
the enjoyment
we have living
in our home
for over 22
years now and
part of that
enjoyment is
the people who
live around
us. A
neighborhood
is defined
as "one
living or
located near
another"
or "a section
lived in by
neighbors and
usually having
distinguishing
characteristics".
We realize our
readers live
in a variety
of
neighborhoods
which are
vastly
different.
Some
readers live
in cities
which are
subdivided
into
neighborhoods.
Kansas City
has nearly 240
identified
neighborhoods.*
Chicago,
although
a
much larger
city, has 178
official
neighborhoods.
I thought of
this when
hearing from
Lisa, a reader
in Chicago,
and considered
how vastly
different her
neighborhood
would be from
ours.
Other
readers live
in suburbs and
sub-divisions/developments
which, at
least from our
perspective,
is more like a
city. I grew
up in this
type of
neighborhood
in the Kansas
City area.
Then
we have those,
like us, who
live in rural
settings where
our neighbors
are scattered
out a bit. We
live on a farm
lane with an
open field in
front of us
and behind us
though we have
several
neighbors on
each side, a
row of seven
homes with
farmland on
each side.
Neighborhoods
are the most
local building
block of
society beyond
our own family
and it's such
a blessing to
live in a good
neighborhood.
It's a large
reason why we
added onto our
house rather
than moving
into a new
neighborhood
with many
unknowns about
those who
lived there.
Many of you
also live in a
neighborhood
but perhaps
you haven't
stopped to
think about it
for awhile.
Our
daily text
describes a
good
neighborhood
Paul
encountered
following a
shipwreck: "Now
in the
neighborhood
of that place
were lands
belonging to
the chief man
of the island,
named Publius,
who received
us and
entertained us
hospitably for
three days"
(Acts 28:7).
Due
to the
shipwreck Paul
and others
landed on the
island of
Malta where he
encountered "unusual
kindness and
welcome"
(Acts 28:2) in
the
neighborhood
of Publius. He
was
providentially
placed in the
neighborhood
where he was
received and
provided
hospitality
(v.7). After a
time on the
island they
were honored
greatly and
provided for,
including
whatever they
needed, for
the remainder
of the trip
(v.10).
I
don't know
what that
neighborhood
on Malta is
like today but
what an
example of a
great
neighborhood
as described
in Scripture.
We urge all
our readers to
see what you
can do to make
an ongoing
positive
contribution
to your
neighborhood.
Publius is a
good example!
Be
encouraged
today,
Hebrews
3:13
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, You
bless us daily
by Your
multitude of
provisions -
the air we
breathe, the
blue skies,
the sunshine,
the rain and
the clouds,
the grass at
our feet, our
home, our
families, our
Christian
brothers and
sisters all
over the
world, and our
neighbors
beside us,
across from us
and up the
road from us.
We thank you
for those who
make a
positive
difference in
our lives and
we pray that
we also will
make a
positive
contribution
to their
lives. For
those who are
unfriendly or
hard to get
along with we
pray for them,
that we would
not speak
badly of them
or avoid them
but show us
ways that we
might
influence them
for the good
and even be an
example to
them of what
it is to be a
good neighbor,
for You tell
us "Love your
neighbor as
yourself."
That's not a
simple
command, but
with Your help
we will carry
it out and
spread the
same kind of
love we have
for ourselves
to those
around us.
Help us to do
so we pray, in
the name of
Jesus. Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
Today
in view of not
being aware of
any Christian
songs about
neighborhood
we share the
musical
selections
from our
church service
at Calvary
Church in
Lancaster
yesterday
beginning with
an
instrumental
prelude from
the orchestra
followed by
the choir
leading
worship
Watch
on YouTube
Sunset
last night
from our front
porch
Click
on photo to
enlarge
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Weber
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Joy, PA 17552
To
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(This will
open to a page
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Stephen and
Brooksyne
Weber -
700001-237376
serving in
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chaplaincy
(Daily
Encouragement
is our
endorsed
special
chaplaincy
ministry).Thank
you,
Stephen & Brooksyne
Stephen & Brooksyne
2024
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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 and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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