This Weekend's Message: Where are the Other 9?

Where are the Other 9?
Luke 17:11-19

I saw a commercial the other day for new Citibank credit card that made me laugh. It involved two ladies in a grocery store. The one lady puts her hand on the stomach of the other and asks when the baby is due. The woman looks at her and says, “I’m not pregnant.” Not knowing what to say next, the woman just says, “Thank you.” With this simple reply, the offended woman forgets the insulting words that were just uttered and the two ladies embrace. Citibank then flashes their slogan across the screen that states, “It’s amazing what a simple thank you can do.”

I thought, how true! It is amazing what a simple thank you can do. How many of you have been encouraged by receiving a thank you note from someone you have helped along the way? When that happens to me it makes my day. It can change my attitude for the better in an instant. How about you?

Even though by Sunday, Thanksgiving Day will be over, it is not too late to talk about being thankful. We’re going to do that by looking at a story found in Luke. If you have the time, read it and then together we can answer the question Jesus asked, “What about the other 9?”
Gary Keith

Operation Christmas Child SUCCESS!

 
OCC Shoe Boxes get shipped around the world to kids who would otherwise receive nothing! Each box contains toys, candies, clothes... but most importantly, A kid-appropriate devotional that shares the Gospel Message.

This year, we had 40 volunteers that served the LBF OCC Center and greeted our community with a smile when they were dropping off boxes. 

In total, we collected and shipped 14,000 shoe boxes.

2011 Totals-

LBF Donated Total:                                      717
Upland Collection Center Total:                2,077
Relay Center Total:                                  11,206
Grand Total for Collection Network:        14,000  

Last Year *2010 Totals-

LBF Total:                                                    559
Upland Collection Center Total:               3,822
Relay Center Total:                                 16,038
Grand Total for Collection Network:        20,419

LBF donated boxes was up this year by 158. That's a 28% increase!

Note that our numbers were 6,419 shoeboxes less than in 2010.  There was a reorganization of Relay Centers and many of our local churches went to Relay Centers closer to them.i.e. Glendora.

As a side note, since 2006 when we first operated a Collection Center from the Overholt garage and up to and including this year, the LBF church property has facilitated the collection of 80,090 shoeboxes which is equivalent to 8 trailers full of packed cartons of shoeboxes. 

WOW! I am grateful to be part of our church where we have the logistics, the space and many willing servants to help facilitate a worldwide missions project that fulfils God's command of Matthew 28.  

Thanks from both Erik Jacobsen and I for allowing this project to proceed year after year.

Jeff and Robin Crawford 

This Weekend's Message: Bragging Rights

One of my college friends used to joke, “I may be small, but I’m also slow.” It would make us laugh because those are things that no one brags about. We brag about being strong and talented and rich and smart. We brag (whether aloud or just in our own heads) about things that will make us look impressive to other people and will make them pay attention to us.

In 2 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul decides to brag, but his bragging feels much different than ours. He leads us down a surprising path, a path that leads to the ultimate bragging rights.

Dan Franklin

This Weekend's Message: Stinks to Be You!

A stowaway on the Titanic. A groundskeeper at Woodstock. A dog wandering through Jurassic Park. What do all of these have in common? You wouldn’t want to be any of them. And let’s face it, there are certain people that you would rather not be. Maybe it is because of a financial difficulty, or a health problem, or a personality quirk. We all imagine that certain people would be better off if they were more like us. The question is, how does the gospel of Jesus drive our response to people who we would rather not be?

Dan Franklin

This Weekend's Message: Downward Mobility

When I wake up, I think about one person: Me! I think about my tired body. I think ahead to the events of my day. I think about what I will eat for my breakfast. And if I do think about other people, it is usually only in relationship to how they might effect me. Then, throughout the day, my instinct is to make every decision, small or big, on the basis of whether or not it will benefit me. I tend to place myself securely on the throne of the little Kingdom of Dan Franklin.

Humility is a major threat to this little set-up of mine. It brings up all kinds of questions: Humility?! God wants me to think that I am not all that important or impressive, and to look out for the needs of other people? Why does God so treasure a quality that is such a threat to my way of life? And, most importantly, if I really am going to walk humbly, what needs to change about my perspective?

Dan Franklin