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  Dear SCC & Friends, …of first importance… ~1 Corinthians 15:3 Reflection #212 Death …And it was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.” And having said this, He breathed His last. Now when the centurion saw what had happened,…

Dear SCC & Friends, Hosanna! ~John 12:13 Reflection #211                  Palm Sunday celebrates Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is the beginning of Holy Week, and what a week it was. We will never know this side of heaven what terrible struggles took place in the spiritual world between Palm Sunday and Easter morning. ~Rodney Buchanan~ So many times Jesus had told His disciples, “My time has not yet come.” …but now His time had come… Today was the day…

  Dear SCC & Friends, The grass withers, the flower fades… ~Isaiah 40:8 Reflection #210                  It’s been said that ours is a world of expiration dates, limited shelf life and planned obsolescence. This is not a commercial, but our Maytag washing machine was like “old man river… it just kept on rolling along.” It never failed us, but after twenty-seven years and thousands of washes, it’s time had come. We had a repairman look at it and he said,…

Dear SCC & Friends, …run with endurance… ~Hebrews 12:1 Reflection #209                  The race is not always to the swift but to him who keeps on running. ~Alistair Begg~ …let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… ~Heb. 12:1 Whether we like it or not, we are all called to run… to lay hold of that for which we were created. Many years ago, I took the challenge to run in a marathon. The key to…

Dear SCC & Friends, Don’t throw away your confidence. ~Hebrews 10:35 Reflection #208                  Confidence may be defined as an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability and veracity of something or someone… If you’ve lived awhile, you’ve had your confidence shaken and in some cases even shattered. God is faithful to give us the grace to stay the course in the midst of trial and tribulation. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne…

Dear SCC & Friends, …grace upon grace… ~1 John 1:16 Reflection #207                  I would be remiss not to render tribute to a dear friend and mentor, Charles Simpson. He entered into his eternal reward on February 14, 2024. Charles was a gifted teacher and pastor, casting a large and lengthy shadow over a span of sixty-five years. He loved the old hymns, and I can still hear him belting out “Amazing Grace” at the close of a gathering. He…

Dear SCC & Friends, …never leave or forsake… ~Hebrews 13:5 Reflection #206                  You wouldn’t abandon ship in a storm just because you couldn’t control the winds. ~Thomas Moore~ …His grace is sufficient “in every high and stormy gale.” The Lord never abandons ship and calls us to stay the course. Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. ~Joshua 1:9 …He is everywhere we go and…

Dear SCC & Friends, Not to us… ~Psalm 115:1 Reflection #205                  I have often quoted the opening line from The Purpose Driven Life… “It’s not about you.” A simple statement that captures focus and purpose for our lives. It’s far too easy to lead a “me-centered life” and use our God-given gifts for self-centered reasons. The problem with “self” is that it is an endless abyss that can never be fully satisfied. The more we feed it, the more…

Dear SCC & Friends, Compassionate and gracious… ~Psalm 103:8 Reflection #204                  You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. ~John Bunyon~ Compassion is synonymous with love and mercy and demonstrates our capacity to care and focus beyond ourselves. Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. ~Gal. 6:2 Compassion begins with God and is not something we earn but something we receive from Him. We love because He first loved us and are the…

Dear SCC & Friends, He first loved us… ~1 John 4:19 Reflection #203                  When our children were young, I made the rounds each night tucking them in. Sometimes I would read to them or tell a “war story,” and loved to see their eyes light up when I told them how I got into trouble as a kid. One of our meaningful interactions became routine… “Why do I love you so much?” They’d roll their eyes because they already knew the…

January 17, 2024 Dear SCC & Friends, The secret of the Lord… ~Psalm 25:14 Reflection #202                  The year was 1972. We were “blissful” newlyweds living in Virginia. It was a small apartment, and our upstairs neighbor heard us arguing about how to put up the Christmas tree. What he heard I do not know, but he came down to help and brought a few Christmas lights for our use. Mr. Kosine was 95 years old, still driving and crystal…

Dear SCC & Friends, Honor all men… ~1 Peter 2:17 Reflection #201                  On the whole, it is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them. ~Mark Twain~ If we’re honest, we might admit that there are some that make it very hard to honor. Simply put, how do we honor those that rub us the wrong way? They talk too much or don’t talk at all… and nearly every conversation is…