Camp A Success

Last night ended another session of camp for our young people at Central. It was an exciting closing ceremony with a baptism and plenty of great singing. As one of the “old guys” in the audience, I really believe the church of tomorrow is in great hands. Our young people today really want to share the Good News about Jesus Christ. Thanks to so many that had a part in making camp a success. Keep camp in your prayers. The announcement last night about the new Tallgrass Christian Camp is very exciting. Pray for Bill Carriger and the camp board and the others that will be working to bring the camp to a reality hopefully for the summer of 2006.

My Favorite Summer

Favorite Summer Things

1. Golf Trips with My Best Friend-Debbie
2. Family Vacations
3. Ending a Fiscal Year
4. Beautiful Sunrises
5. Gardens (Fresh Vegetables)
6. Cook Outs

Favorite Summer Things Growing Up

1. Church Camp (Palomar Mountain in California)
2. Church Canoe Trips on the Illinois River in Oklahoma
3. Youth Devotionals on the Beach in San Diego
4. Mission Trips to Apple Valley, Minnesota
5. Family Vacations
6. Visiting Grandma and Grandpa

Camp

This week our young people from Central are enjoying themselves at camp. We have about 100 kids and sponsors at two sites. Some of my greatest memories as a young person center on camp when I was in junior high and high school. Friendships and my relationship with God being developed were the special times I remember about camp.

Please keep our kids and sponsors in your prayers this week as they enjoy the nice break in the summer weather.

Anniversary #24

Debbie and I celebrate 24 years of marriage today. It has gone so fast. We have enjoyed each moment together. The great times as well as those difficult situations, it has been such a fulfilling life spending it with someone who loves God more than anything else. I have learned so much from this Oklahoma girl. She will never know how blessed I am to be able to spend my life with such a beautiful and caring person.

My prayer for the Central Church today is a marriage blessing. May God give to you what he has blessed me with the past 24 years. A loving wife, who is the apple of my eye and the most beautiful woman on earth. Thank you God for giving me Debbie!

We hope to celebrate by playing golf together at our favorite course in Kansas City today. Sidenote: It sure is great to have a wife that loves golf more than I do!!

Order of Worship-Sunday, July 24

Order of Worship
Sunday, July 24, 2005


Welcome

4 To God Be the Glory (Verse 1 Only)

718 We Shall Assemble (twice)

435 Come Into His Presence

Prayer

68 Give Thanks

781 Thank You

Communion
Contribution

635 Freely, Freely

Message

Invitation: 429 Oh, to Be Like Thee

Announcements

524 I Know Who I Have Believed (Verse 1 and 4)

Closing Prayer

Thankful

Give me a church that believes the Bible is actually God speaking His mind to me, where this book is preached as the infallible Word, where worship is conducted in a dignified way, where people sing songs that actually teach and admonish (Colossians 3:16) and appeal to the heart. I am so thankful for the Central Church. May God richly bless us as we practice our ABC’s Today!

The Central ABC's Daily

I do several things daily. I get up at 5:00 a.m. and run my three miles. Then I shave, shower, eat breakfast, kiss Debbie goodbye and out the door by 6:30 to start a new day at work. Then it's work related items, a lunch at my desk, a quick dinner at home with the family then back to work, meetings or school activities until late in the evening. Bed time at 10:00 p.m.

We do so many things daily. But do we practice our ABC's daily? Do we dig into God's Word and study and reflect on what He wants us to accomplish with our lives? Do we talk to Him in prayer and communicate our struggles and our words of thanks? Do we practice being a servant? Do we practice daily worship to our Heavenly Father?

Daily is difficult but it makes us better. It makes us better followers and better children of His.

May God bless you in your daily pursuits of Him!

A Man After God's Own Heart?

The Young Professional Class has been examining the Life of David the past couple of months. WhenI dig deeper and deeper into God's Word to look at this Godly Man I sometimes think how he is so much like us today. At times life is great and at other moments David messes up big time! The following article was sent to me last week about this Hero of Faith:

There are a few things that I think make David a man after God's own heart. He was far from perfect, and one of the things I love about the Bible is that the writers refuse to gloss over his character flaws. He was deeply troubled and dysfunctional. He had eight wives, 11 concubines, rebellious children, adulterated relationships all over the place.But he only had one God.Unlike most of the other kings in Israel's history, David never bent his knee to a false god. He never went over to Baal or Asherah or Dagon. When he failed (which he did often) he took his regret and his brokenness to one source: YHWH. When he was confused or afraid, he did not seek refuge in the gods of the Philistines or Moabites. He went to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At the end of his most famous poem David wrote, "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6b). Usually, we think of this line as if it refers to heaven and eternity. I'm not sure that's what David had in mind. Maybe David was an old man when he said those words, with a long, gray beard and a wrinkled face. Maybe he remembered when he was young and handsome, and that weird old man, Samuel, poured oil over him and said the mysterious words that started it all. Maybe he remembered how on that day, so many years ago, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Maybe he remembered how he decided when he was a young man -- the way young men do -- that when he was king things would be different. He'd get things right. Sometimes he did, and sometimes he didn't. But he stayed in the house of the Lord. He did not write, "I hope I will stay there" or "Maybe I'll stay there." He said, "I'm staying in the house. I'll make a mess sometimes. I'll spill stuff on the carpet and knock over lamps and break expensive things. It will be a pain having me in the house, but you're going to have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."That may be why one reason why David is known as a man after God's own heart.

My Youth Minister Judge

There have been several individuals that have made an impact on my spiritual life during my Christian Journey.

One that I want to lift up to God in prayer today is a man named Judge Morris. Judge was my Youth Minister when I moved to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma in 1977. Judge was hired the same month that my family moved to BA from San Diego. I became close friends with Judge as he mentored and developed my leadership skills in the youth group. He encouraged me to lead singing, give talks, lead devotionals and participate in mission trips. He encouraged me to think about a full time position in ministry when I went to college. He encouraged me as a student and as a basketball player and always attended my games in high school. Judge was my mentor. He was the one that we all looked up too because he cared and loved us so very much.

Judge left Broken Arrow after several successful years and then became a pulpit minister in the Tulsa area before he found out he had cancer. Judge and his family returned to Broken Arrow several years ago where he worked in a variety of occupations. Judge has battled his cancer for so long. He has undergone some terrible times and had many ups and downs but whenever we went home to Broken Arrow, Judge was always there hugging on us, encouraging us and so proud of our accomplishments not only professionally but most of all spiritually. Judge has returned just recently to full time ministry as the pulpit minister at the Carbondale Church in Tulsa.

Judge will never know how much I appreciated having him as my youth minister. He helped me through the good times but also the difficult times growing up. Thank you Judge for being my Apostle Paul, for being my older brother who showed me the way to Jesus and to the heart of God. May God bless you in your continued health difficulties. Please keep Judge and his family in your prayers. May God richly bless this special servant!

Canada

Our young people head off today for their much anticipated Canada Mission Trip. They will be conducting a Vacation Bible School at Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Please keep our kids and sponsors in your prayers for safety as they travel and for a successful VBS. They will return on July 18.

Something To Look Forward To

I need a vacation! It has been a long year dealing with school finance issues, politicians, No Child Left Behind, state assessment scores, personnel issues, hiring new staff and budgets. In a couple of weeks the family is off on a much needed vacation. The boys have been working long hours, Debbie has projects going on around the house, we need time to revitalize ourselves so we can begin another school year in August. We are looking forward to some quality family time.

As Christians we have something to look forward to that is the ultimate dream vacation! An eternity with God. Heaven will be the ultimate 24-7 worship experience. I look forward to a time that I can praise our Heavenly Father and not get tired. I won't be hungry. I won't have any place to get to. No phone calls. No schedules or deadlines to meet. No need for a watch. No meetings! I look forward to the day when God's people can praise Him for an eternity.

The Central ABC's #3 Committed to Serving

A good friend of mine said something the other day that has stuck with me as I have reflected on the words. He said, "I don't like everyone I come in contact with but I do love God and will serve the people I really don't care much for because of the love I have for God".

Hard to admit but sometimes Headhunters are not the only ones that get fed up with people! Sometimes it is hard to serve others when we are busy with family obligations or work demands. Sometimes its difficult to serve when we just don't care for somebody that much.

But what would Jesus do? He washed feet. The King of Kings humbled himself and washed the disciples feet because he wanted to teach them the heart of serving others.

Jesus then paid the greatest price in giving His life for us. That is a toal commitment of serving others for an eternity.

So next time, when you are asked to help with a specific project or when someone needs assistance, will you give your time and effort to serve? What would Jesus do?

4th of July Blessings

The 4th of July has become a special family gathering for the Carriger Clan. We have enjoyed being the host for our get together the past several years. We enjoy golf, food, fireworks, worship and laughing at stories of the past as we reminisce about some great family experiences. My family refers to me as the Clark Griswold of the family (Christmas Vacation). I don’t know why, but I love for everything to be perfect for the special weekend we all enjoy.

Sometimes I am reminded of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. How Martha was so busy in preparation that she forgot the most important thing enjoying the company of her special guest, Jesus.

This 4th of July enjoy spending quality time with family and friends, but don’t forget wherever you travel, spend some quality time with your Heavenly Father, thanking him for the freedom that we have and the special blessings he gives us each day in this great land called America!