FELLOWSHIP / BEYOND FRIENDSHIP!

Abide in the Lord (the vine) love one another.

Y'all-ianity--a community of believers. Folks who love one another "in Christ" 

Southern speak of sorts, created by Pastor Buddy. 

Y'all-ianity that rolls off the tongue and flows from the heart..

Fellowship beyond friendship!

BOLSTERING FAITH!

Life is full of challenges. Ups and DOWNS. Highs and LOWS, 

Life is full of difficulties. 

Struggles strengthen.

Some brought on by ourselves....others by loved ones.

All can be used to bolster one's faith.

Our reactions to these difficulties can also bolster the faith of others.

Respond today in His strength. Allow Him to bolster faith in your life for others to see. They might need a faith boost as well.

THANKFUL THURSDAY!

Chins-up!

It's my friend's way of saying, "I'm with you" so let's laugh together. 

And the focus is changed with a verse of gratitude.

Every good and perfect gift is from above. (James 1:17)

Even if it takes us awhile to see God at work for "good," remember, "in everything give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and "wait expectantly to see what's going to happen.

To wait can be active...an eager anticipation of what God in His with-ness is going to do with me...allowing me to see His tangible goodness in my life in His timing.

GOD'S GRACE

Grace notes continue......

God's grace saves.....stays......and transforms. (Buddy Liles, Allen Bible Church 1/23/22)

Grace is God's mercy with blessings. (Jen Pierce, Heart to Heart 1/26/22)

May my life reflect grace-driven living. (OB HOG prayer card #6)

Pithy with a punch to help us remember God's Grace.....and share it with others. (1 Peter 4:10)

.....Author Unknown--Source, Brother Buddy

BEHOLDING WONDER!

Christmas Eve journaling.....

Hark (Behold) Pay attention.

Dr. Luke invites us to behold the birth of Jesus. Behold God's mercy in the manger.

Christmas Eve Service @ Allen Bible Church

Unwrap Jesus in His humanity.

Unwrap Jesus at the cross. 

At the cross, He was wrapped in our sins, to give us His righteousness.

Come let us adore Him.

Changing gloom to gladness.

"The essence of the Christian message is not Behave! but Behold!" (Jared Wilson)

Beholding changed to wonder is where life begins!

generosi-TEA

It's December.

Christmas is just around the corner.....a great time of year to sip a cuppa generosity-TEA, sweetened with a heaping spoon of God's grace. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Allen Bible Church 12/5/2021.

• All is God's, we just give back.
• Generosity is rooted in the grace of God.
• Generous people change the world.
• Generosity is about our Spirit, not our resources.
• God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Thanks be to God for HIs inexpressible gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15)

50 YEARS AGO TODAY

Time has moved so-so-soooo quickly, it almost qualifies for a time warp in my mind. 

It seems like just yesterday when I awakened Larry in the wee hours because my water had broken. He was so befuddled he slipped his billfold in his undies before he slipped on his pants. We quickly headed down Union Avenue toward Baptist Memorial in downtown Memphis as the sun was just coming up---3 weeks ahead of my scheduled due date!

Our first child. Our first son---though gender was not identified until 12:26pm. A beginning of the blessings of motherhood.

Today our Buddy is 50 & I continue to pray from Proverbs 22 for him---praising the Lord for many answers to those prayers!

50 years of blessings began 6/22/1970. How grateful I am!

DEFINING THE CROSS

Words from last weeks Good Friday message have me mulling from the Latin to Greek to present day usage, Isn't that the meditative approach for all wordsmith's. Words can go beyond simple definitions--even when there are several parts of speech. Context helps define the usage,

The "cross" mentioned in Good Friday's messages around the world is a good example.

That "cross of Calvary. That cross constructed of cruel Roman timbers.

That cross has affected lives and language throughout centuries.

Excruciating is a word that has its base in the cross. A word used then and now during these coronavirus times as unbearable, physical and mental pain to the point of anguish.

Crux from the Latin means cross as well. Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias, says in our times crux is a critical juncture or point in time. Crux is a key idea or event that effects all others--everything hinges on it. 

Together resurrection and cross of Christ are the crux of history of the Christian faith.

Crucial. When something is crucial we cannot ignore it. One must pay attention to it and respond. Mark 10:45 states "For even the Son of Man came not to serve but to be served, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Mark's words are the good news message which defines the cross---an excruciating death, which is the crux of faith and requires a response. A crucial response which determines the crossroad of your life from this juncture.

To hear 5 minutes of clarity on this topic, please listen to Allen Bible Church pastor, Buddy, with his overview on my YouTube b/c it wouldn't load from my video.

YouTube Buddy Liles

FOOD FOR THOUGHT TO STEEP THIS FRIDAY

Feeling punky on this Friday and heading to the doctor, I'm borrowing words of wisdom from my favorite preacher! Certainly words of wisdom for this hot tea aficionado and the preacher's mom.

DON'T BOB IT.....LET IT STEEP!

DON'T BOB IT...LET IT STEEP! My mom's hot tea wisdom warned me that much is missed by rushing tea before its time.  Steeping is the only way to a cup of tea you will savor! Bobbing may get you a fast cup of a hot beverage, but a flavor-rich cup of tea comes only with patience and proper steeping!  The aim in steeping is to infuse the boiled water with tea, transforming it into rich flavor notes that permeate the entire cup. What's true of British breakfast beverages is also true when it comes to following Jesus and our appetite and approach to His Word. This past Sunday in our message Fool Proof, we encountered Scriptural Warnings against the Ways and Walk of Fools.  When it comes to God's Word, a Fool LACKS APPETITE [Prov. 1:7 fools despise wisdom and instruction] and LACKS ACTION with what he hears.  Jesus in Matthew 7 warns, Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.  It's almost as if Jesus is saying a Fool only allows God's Word to BOB in and out, but he does NOT LET IT STEEP in his mind and step into action with it.  That foolish approach leaves us chasing down fool's errands and headed for catastrophic ruin. WITH GOD'S WORD...ARE YOU BOBBING OR LETTING IT STEEP IN YOU? How will you develop an appetite for God's Word and how will you move beyond Bobbing to His Word Steeping in you this year?  It won't happen quickly and it won't happen by accident. To help us set our course to walk wisely in 2018, we have put together a churchwide reading plan and several Steeping Opportunities below for you to steep in God's Word with others. May God grow us as a people with a growing distaste for bobbing & a growing taste for lingering in His Word and living it out everyday. Let Christ and His Word Steep in you, so the aroma of Christ will be fragrant in your life and so others may taste and see that the Lord is good! Steeping with you, Buddy Liles Lead Pastor

CHOOSE MVPs

Most of us have "many valuable people" in our lives. But.....do we tell them? Do we thank God for them? Do we encourage them?

TX son received an MVP award of sorts at the Allen Sport's Association banquet last Friday night. He was recognized as "Coach of the Year" at this non-profit's youth sport's association's 40th year celebration.

As "the" mom, I knew it was very deserving. Other spoken and written accolades confirmed this as well.

His boys, all 5 of them,  know first hand what a sports coach and life coach he has been---(Proverbs 22:6) How fitting a verse, as I have prayed it for him for 40+ years.

This worthy recipient, coached 61 teams in 4 different sports in 10 years!!!

Just ask those boys of his as he has coached them all! Most Valuable Papa indeed!

Happy Easter 2015

He is risen! He is risen indeed!!

Words worth hearing---all about "Seeing!"

http://www.allenbible.org/media.php?pageID=5

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: CELEBRATION OF FAITH

11/24/13 Dallas Bible Church celebrated 25 years of ministry today, It was son Buddy's church during his Dallas Theological Seminary days and beyond. He served in several areas of ministry; Young Adults pastor; preaching team; mission trips leader, as well as being ordained into the ministry by Dallas Bible. Ten years later, DBC sent Buddy and a team to launch Allen Bible Church with him as the lead pastor.

Today, as part of the continuing celebration, Buddy preached on "Looking Back to Move Forward." Couldn't begin to list all my notes from 2 Timothy 2:1-2. Just know that this "proud mom" sitting with the congregation "puddled"----especially as the songs chosen (by said son, I later found out) "Come Thou Fount" (my fave hymn) and "10,000 Reasons" (my fave praise song) were song. I was a mess.

A few "pithy with a punch" asides stayed with me: 

• Paces and faces of a church might change but NOT it's mission.
• A call to lead begins with a call to serve. (John 17: 4, 6) 
• In this world there are those who bring donuts and those who don't bring donuts but complain if there aren't any. Be a bring the donut kind of guy. 
• "You can impress people from a distance but you can only impact them up close (Howard Hendricks, DTS) 
• Legacy in the spiritual realm = you can only leave what you live

Good singing. Good sermon. Great celebration!

"In-between times"

11/28/10 That phrase sort of reminds me of the dash on a tombstone---the time between birth and death. During this time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I want to make the most of the time given without wiping out my good intentions with self-induced stress. Certainly my plate is full---I actually just leave my suitcase open in the hallway for easy repacking between trips. Yet, as Jesus Calling entries have reminded me everyday for a week, the key to making the most of “in-between” times is:

• Thank me. (11/21).
  
• Thankful attitude. (11/22)
  
• Thankful stance. (11/23)
  
• Thankfulness removes the sting of adversity. (11/24)
  
• Thank me in every situation. (11/25)
  
• Walk….the high road of thanksgiving. (11/26)
• Let thankfulness rule in your heart. (11/27)
  
• …life steeped in thankfulness. (11/28)

I was affirmed in my “in-between” musings as I just opened and read my son’s newsletter to Allen Bible Church & friends. Pithy with a punch---he says it much better than I could. (Bold print = my emphasis.)

A friend of mine once said, "There are three words every human being should learn to say: “Hello,” “Goodbye,” and in between, “Thank You." Recently, as a church family, we have said goodbye with tears of grief to loved ones and hello with tears of joy to new little ones. And the Lord is teaching us the brevity of life and the blessings of family and each other. In this season and our study of Philippians, He's reminding us that our citizenship is in heaven and we're "in between," and that each day "in between" is the time to learn to say, "Thank You."
I pray that you will truly take in this Thanksgiving as a gift from Him to be with your family, even the ones who bring to mind words other than "thank You." Scripture seems to indicate that life "in between" is best lived and at its richest when we give thanks because He is good. He is good. Whether your meal is a sandwich or a smorgasboard, I pray you and I marvel and thank Him for His goodness in giving us families, "best buds" but even taste buds, so we can savor the textures and flavors of this season and "taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Buddy Liles)

Thankfulness is the language of love for these "in between times."

Musing, not amusing, Monday

5/17/10
I was reminded by son Buddy’s church newsletter last week of how many of us today are abdicating our God-given roles. God has called some of us to be mothers, fathers, teachers, etc. But, he has called all of us to love. Love requires putting others before self. Love requires relationship. Relationship requires time as we intentionally engage in the lives of others.

“The majority of us have quit engaging in the life Christ has called us to and have pathetically resigned ourselves to simply "amusing ourselves to death"-DVRing and gaming our way through life. The word amusing when you break it down means: a, meaning "not" and musing meaning "thinking"...disengaged mentally and passive when it comes to being all-in on anything i.e. "checked-out." (B. Liles)

We’re just not thinking---at least, not about others. Who do you need to think about today? Ask God to put someone on your heart or in your path so that you can think about someone else’s needs and “engage” in their life in a meaningful way.

Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. (2 John 1:5) (NASB)

Muse on that awhile, ladies. (and gents)