Tonight, we will share the love of Jesus along with the fellowship of this church family with up to 300 people right here on our church campus. Thank you Children’s Team, Women’s Ministry and Men’s Ministry for all your planning and diligent work to put everything together. Like always, there will be cars decorated and loaded with treats. Children will be dressed in their Halloween outfits, maybe even some of the adults will go all out by dressing up and showing out. Our men will be parking cars and looking over the bonfire where the S’mores will be roasted. Ladies will be helping with crafts and serving hot dogs with all the trimmings. All of us will eat too much, enjoy each other’s fellowship and have great fun.
 
Children and adults will receive a little pamphlet tonight entitled, “The Best TREAT of All.” Listen to what this tract says in the first paragraph, “The Best Treat of All, what is it? Is it lots of candy in your trick-or-treat bag? That’s great, but it won’t last long! I think the best treat is having a best friend. Do you have a best friend? Do you have someone who loves you and will never give up on you no matter what? I do, and I want to tell you about him.”
 
Of course, our best friend is Jesus. The tract goes on to tell you how you can invite Jesus Christ into your life to become your Savior and your best friend. I think I am most excited about the possibility that children, young people, mothers and dads may read this pamphlet and make Jesus Christ their Savior. I am praying that people will be saved tonight because this church has shared Christ with them along with the activities and treats they will enjoy. Bring a lost person to Trunk or Treat with you. I plan to share Jesus with a lot of folks tonight.
 
This coming Wednesday, October 30th our church has been invited to participate in another Trunk or Treat event at the Texas Roadhouse on Highway 53. In fact, people from the Texas Roadhouse are going to join us here at our church tonight to promote their event and pass out coupons from their restaurant. Their mascot “Andy” the Armadillo will be here along with their employees. It is truly a special blessing to welcome them and work side-by-side with them to make everyone feel at home during the event. They have encouraged us to invite our members to decorate at least 6 cars to participate with them at their location. They have welcomed us to share our message about Jesus and information about our church. Other local businesses will be there alongside us. We are so grateful for Matthew and Brenda Knuckles for their encouragement in making this opportunity possible. Pray that God will use this to bring people who need Jesus into his eternal family.
 
Can you tell that God is at work among us?
 
Reaching new people today through our Sunday School “Bring a Friend Day” emphasis along with the Trunk or Treat events tonight and Wednesday align our ministry to the commands of Jesus, “You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

A Sunday School teacher was teaching her 3-year-old class to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Each child was doing well slowly repeating each word as the teacher led them. One bright girl wanted to say it by herself. The teacher allowed her to lead the group. She did exceptionally well until she got to the part about temptation. She prayed, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from email…”
 
The girl had it right. The word of God is better than social media. The study of God’s word together with friends within a fellowship of like-minded believers is bigger than the small conversations that usually occur online. The value of Sunday School is measured in eternity, not in the latest disposable tweet or the Instagram one liners found within the digital universe. Don’t let the smart phone community become a substitute for the treasures within God’s word that your friends talk about every week in person when they study God’s word together.
 
On Sunday, October 27th, we invite you to invite someone to attend Sunday School with you at Grace. This past Sunday, in the middle of a downpour, God led 81 people to be a part of a Sunday School class. When we all put our hearts into it and our feet moving toward it, I believe we can exceed 100 studying God’s word together for His glory. Teachers call every member of your class. We now have over 130 enrolled. We can top 100 if everyone enrolled will be determined to attend Sunday School next week.
 
What if every class had at least one new guest attend?
 
Last Sunday, the teenagers had two guests attend their class. If every class had two guests on the 27th, we would have 16 new people join us in Bible study. Add that number to last week’s attendance and we would be knocking on the door of 100 in attendance. Here’s how we will break 100 next Sunday on “Bring a Friend to Sunday School Day”:

• Everyone Pray and Ask God to give you somebody to invite – “…ask, and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
• Everyone call, text, visit, encourage a friend or someone you know to join you – “So the woman left her water pot, and went into the city and said to the men, ‘Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done…’” (John 4:28-29)
• Everyone commit to attend Bible study – “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common.” (Acts 2:44)
• Praise God for what He is going to do – “they were together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.” (Acts 2:46-47)

 
That’s what next Sunday’s “Invite a Friend to Sunday School Day” should be. We should PRAY, INVITE, COMMIT AND PRAISE GOD for the opportunity we have to invite and attend Sunday School with our friends and family next Sunday.

​Last Sunday I preached to you about the church at Philadelphia being the church of the “Open Door.” The Spirit spoke to the apostle John to convey the news that this church was about to receive the blessing of a door that “…no one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). Man! God has been opening doors this week:
 
SINGLE LADIES CARE CAR DAY – I am writing this on Friday and have no idea about how many ladies God will give us tomorrow to serve by taking care of their cars. Every lady he gives us will be one more heart that he will open to his love and grace expressed through the ministry of our men and women to them here at Grace.
 
TRUNK OR TREAT – Last year we served around 300 people through this event. God has opened a new door this year. Through the relationship that Brenda Knuckles has with Texas Roadhouse, this business has asked our church to participate in their Trunk or Treat event at their store on October 30th. In return, we have asked Texas Roadhouse to join us at our church event on October 27th and help us greet people sharing with them the Best Treat of All – Jesus. They have agreed and will be here to pass out information about themselves and give away coupons to their business. God has opened a door to our church with a local business that will in turn open doors to people in a greater way. Praise God!
 
WEST HALL HIGH SCHOOL – Through Casey Sturgill, our church has been invited to serve dinner to the West Hall Spartans football team on October 18th before the game that night. Our Men’s Ministry has agreed to provide the meal and we are asking several folks to help serve. There’s at least 50 young men who play football on this team. That’s 50 hearts open to the Lord’s ministry. That’s a new door to a local high school filled with teachers, administrators, and staff. Who knows how many doors will open because of an open door opportunity given to us through serving this one meal?
 
LIVE NATIVITY – Ronnie McFarland has volunteered to build a life-sized nativity scene in December that our young people and children will play the parts of Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, Wise Men and the Animals.  I WONDER WHO’S GOING TO BE THE DONKEY? Adults will greet the people who stop by to enjoy the scene and share food and fellowship. Christmas music will be provided by our Praise Team. There will be hot chocolate, Christmas goodies, Christmas packets to distribute and a Biblical message to proclaim. Yes, we are even talking about a CROSS on the hill where our Sunrise Service was done last year that will complete the full Christmas message. Because God opened the door in Ronnie McFarland’s heart to build a nativity scene, who knows how many hearts will be opened as a result?
 
Not only did God open the door in the church at Philadelphia, He is opening doors of grace and opportunity for our church right now. As you read this article this morning and prepare yourself for worship today, make sure the door of your heart is open to Him, “…anyone who hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). 

After a month away, 44 gallons of outside paint, 20 cylinders of latex caulk, 3 weeks, and who knows how many drops of sweat due to record setting heat, believe me it is great to be home. I have just finished writing my first sermon after our time away. It was amazingly wonderful to open my Bible and resume my study in the book of Revelation. I cannot explain to you the thrill of teaching about the letters of Paul to our Wednesday night prayer and Bible study group last night. Yes, even meeting with the Student Ministry Team last night, hearing the reports of our Student Worship held a couple of weeks ago and planning events for the young people in coming weeks was a tremendous encouragement. Both Robbie and I are glad to be back.
 
Thank you for the opportunity you gave to us to have the month of September together. Yes, we worked hard. No, we did not get to travel like we had planned. But, we were together in our special place in Tennessee and we enjoyed every minute of what God gave us to do. We learned that you do not have to do something extravagant to have fun. We learned that you do not have to travel or see new and different things to be fulfilled. We learned that you can work hard, and at the same time, find rest. I think we found the joy of just staying close together and letting God lead us each day to rejoice in the simplicity and goodness of His provision. What we discovered during our month in Tennessee was a new and refreshing peace that comes when you are at home with one another and with the Lord. The Bible calls it the Peace that Passes Understanding, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which passes understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Thank you Grace church family for giving Robbie and me this opportunity to make a fresh connection with God’s glorious peace.
 
I also thank Earl Pirkle, Trent Campbell, Edward Grant and Terry Wetherford for while I was away. I have heard nothing but compliments and gratitude for your timely messages and faithful proclamation of God’s word. I have been thrilled to hear that one Sunday we were visited by Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones through brother Earl Pirkle. It is a great blessing to receive word that our church contributed $403.00 to ministry of Gideons International for the purpose of providing Bibles to lost people throughout the world when Terry Wetherford preached. I am always encouraged by the youth and enthusiasm of Trent Campbell while at the same time strengthened through the experience and wisdom of Edward Grant. I give thanks for these godly men who have been sent to us by the Lord to lead and provide their ongoing ministries for our good.
 
I come back to you today after being away with a renewed commitment to teaching and preaching the word of God. My heart has been refreshed by the meditation and prayer afforded me through being away and recharging my energies. There is much to do in our going forward to complete the renovations to the lower building. There is an open door of opportunity before us in reaching the unchurched population in our community. We have a great future of growth and ministry ahead.
 
I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCOVERING ALL THAT GOD HAS FOR US!