Entropy

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,

And attend to your herds; For riches are not forever,

Nor does a crown endure to all generations. 

(Proverbs 27:23–24 NKJV)

We shared this during prayer meeting Wednesday night:

For many years, Max Depree was the CEO of an innovative Fortune 500 company called Herman Miller. Depree has written classic books on leadership and anchored the board of trustees at Fuller Seminary for 40 years. Max is asked to speak a lot about leadership, and at one session somebody asked him what the most difficult thing was that he personally had to work on. This was Max's response: "It's the interception of entropy."

Entropy is a term from physics that has something to do with the second law of thermodynamics and the availability of energy. It speaks to the fact that the universe is winding down. It's the idea that everything that is left to itself has a tendency to deteriorate.

Entropy. It's not only one of the great enemies of the universe; it's one of the great enemies of the human spirit. A person becomes apathetic or complacent or settles for the path of least resistance in some area of life. Dreams die and hopes fade. A terrible thing happens: a person learns they can live with mediocrity.

Entropy is a great enemy of the human spirit, so the writers of the Book of Proverbs have a lot to say about it. One thing they say is that the wise person is always on the lookout for early signs that entropy is setting in. Proverbs 27:23-24 shows us the picture of someone who has livestock and how they need to monitor its condition. Though the words speak of livestock, they are true in any area of life: "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations." Everyday you have to be on the lookout for entropy. Though things might have been okay yesterday, that doesn't mean they stay okay forever. Put any important area of your life on autopilot, and risk entropy that is both subtle and destructive.

Let us not coast into the New Year.  Let us power the engines! Full speed ahead for Jesus!

Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards

Always worth reading this time of year:

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/the-resolutions-of-jonathan-edwards

With the Lord

Pray for the family and loved ones of our oldest member, Ann Boggess, who went home to be with her Savior this afternoon.  Ann was 98 years old.

Christmas - His Day

Once every five or six years, we have the opportunity at Christmas to worship the newborn King on His birthday.  With the exception of those times where leap year intrudes and messes up the math, Christmas falls on a Sunday about once every five or six years, including this year - 2011.

We will hold our worship service on Christmas, as it would be sad to say we keep Christ in Christmas and then cancel worship of the Christ of Christmas!  But because of the many family obligations of the day, our services will be abbreviated.

No Sunday School hour.
Shortened worship begins at 10:30.

Prayer Request

Church family - please keep our oldest member, Ann Boggess, in prayer tonight. She fell earlier today and is recuperating with a cracked vertebra in her neck. Ann is 98 years old.

Candles and Carols

Candlelight Service

Christmas Eve - December 24th - 7:00 PM

Help Us Help?

First, the Christmas baskets for the needy will be assembled. 6:00 PM Friday evening in Fellowship Hall.

Second, they will be delivered. 1:30 PM Saturday.

Deacons and deaconesses - please help if you can. And anybody else who is able to share a few minutes of your time, join this effort!

Sing We Now Of Christmas

It's that time.  It's a wonderful time.

It's Christmas Caroling time!

Sunday, December 18th - 5:30 PM

Dress warm and meet at the church.

Our God And Savior Came

Down from His glory,

Ever living story,

Our God and Savior came,

And Jesus was His name...

Join us this Saturday evening at 7PM for the Christmas Cantata.  The choir has been laboring for weeks, and we are looking forward to a wonderful time of worship and praise.

Come early to ensure a seat!

From John MacArthur's Alone With God:

The greatest illustration of (Christ's) intensity in prayer took place in the garden prior to His death. Luke writes, “He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done.’ … And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground” (22:41–42, 44). In Matthew’s version of this same event, we find that Jesus petitioned God three times (26:36–46). That was one fervent, prolonged prayer experience, so much so that during it the disciples fell asleep several times.

Our Lord performed many mighty works when He was on earth, yet in none of them is there any apparent expenditure of energy. Although the Scripture says virtue went out of Him, there is no record that would indicate He had to exert any effort to perform His miracles. Only when He prayed do we see Him agonize and toil over His petitions, even to the point of sweating great drops of blood.

May God help us to learn such intensity... Such fervency... Such passion in prayer.

Midweek prayer meeting is a great place to learn and practice! Wednesday evening at 6:30!

Should Santa be part of a Christian Christmas?

Noel Piper's insights on Santa in a Christian home http://t.co/VhlRP1HO

What a Book!

Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21)

The Bible is the writing of the living God. Each letter was penned with an almighty finger. Each word in it dropped from the everlasting lips. Each sentence was dictated by the Holy Spirit. Albeit that Moses was employed to write his histories with his fiery pen, God guided that pen. It may be that David touched his harp, and let sweet psalms of melody drop from his fingers; but God moved his hands over the living strings of his golden harp. Solomon sang canticles of love and gave forth words of consummate wisdom; but God directed his lips, and made the preacher eloquent. If I follow the thundering Nahum, when his horses plough the waters; or Habakkuk, when he sees the tents of Cushan in affliction; if I read Malachi, when the earth is burning like an oven; if I turn to the smooth page of John, who tells of love; or the rugged chapters of Peter, who speaks of fire devouring God’s enemies; if I turn aside to Jude, who launches forth anathemas upon the foes of God everywhere I find God speaking; it is God’s voice, not man’s; the words are God’s words; the words of the Eternal, the Invisible, the Almighty, the Jehovah of ages. This Bible is God’s Bible; and when I see it, I seem to hear a voice springing up from it, saying, “I am the Book of God. Man, read me. I am God’s writing. Study my page, for I was penned by God. Love me, for He is my Author, and you will see Him visible and manifest everywhere.” (Spurgeon)

Read the Bible, my brothers and sisters!