Nobody likes getting a parking ticket, right? It’s not just the money involved, I think part of our chagrin is based on the fact that you almost never see the officer who gave it to you. You just come out of the store and there’s that slip of paper under the windshield. You’re hoping it’s an advertisement for a youth car wash, but “Nooooo!!!”

Recently, we have been doing some remodeling at church. As anyone who has been in on such a project knows, before you can “make nice”, you have to tear down. We either underestimated the amount of rubble we were going to produce that afternoon or overestimated the size of the dumpster and quickly filled it up.

There’s another dumpster on the property, though. It is labeled, however, “Yard Waste Only.” Still we reasoned that if we called the city and let them know, they would let us get away with it this time.

“Ha-Ha!! What ignorant rubes!” you’re thinking.

What is the deal with all of these celebrities who are releasing their own scent? I saw a commercial just this morning showing Fergie—the lead singer for the “Black-Eyed Peas” (the band, not the restaurant or the food)—in one of her usual skimpy costumes and advertising her new perfume.

9.26.10 – Jeremiah 29:11
I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. (GNB)

On this Sunday, we’re drawing attention to “Compassion International”, a wonderful Christian organization that gives a hope and a future to children all over the world.

It’s an uphill task, but think about what’s going on. Today, approximately 30,000 children will die in poverty across the world. That means that more than 700 have passed away just since we’ve been sitting here.

9.19.10 – Most of us like getting gifts. And there are different categories of gifts. Expensive or inexpensive. Fancy or plain.

Some gifts are useful and some gifts are not. The usefulness of a gift may say nothing about the value—either in cost or appreciation. An expensive tool might be a lousy gift if the person you’re giving it to never has a use for it. A cheap tool might be a great gift if the person you’re giving it to is going to use it a lot.

9.12.10 – I look around this room and I see 30-40 people. Different people. We prefer different foods and we root for different teams and we like different music and on and on. We’re different.

Yet, we gather here on Sundays and Wednesdays to worship together. Is it the building that brings us together, or is it something bigger? Something way bigger? Something bigger than us!!

Ephesians 4:1-6

9.5.10 – [Opening illustration. One of our members, Peggy, comes up and shows us a beautiful work of crocheting she has done. I ask her if it’s finished. She says there’s one more thing that needs to be done and then promptly unravels half of the project.]

Ephesians 3:14-19

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