Good Thursday morning! I hope everyone is well and safe. We are doing good here at the river. We have been back to church now for 4 Sundays and so far everyone is being safe. We ask you to be respectful of those who do not want to shake hands are get too close. Social distancing is still recommended. If the person you are approaching wants to shake your hand and you are okay with it we don’t mind, but please be respectful of those who are still not there yet. It is okay. I hope if you are at home or out and about this weekend that you will wear that Jesus smile and let others know where your trust is placed. Jesus brings light to any dark situation. Let Him shine through you today.
LIVE STREAMING SUNDAY MORNING AT 10:30 AM ONLY: Beginning Sunday, June 14th we will be streaming live on our website only. Facebook has closed us off and therefore we will be streaming from our website page. We did a trial run last night. The live feed showed up on the Children’s Story page. We are working to get it to show up on its on page. On Sunday morning if you are live streaming go to the website reedyriverbc.org and look for the feed. We are still working on the background sounds and hopefully will have it worked out by Sunday. If you don’t see the feed on the home page or sermon page search the other pages. We hope to be able to tell you where it is. When you pull the site up look down at the info section on the home page and I will put where you can find the feed. This stream will no longer be on Facebook.
As some of you may know, the voters registration department has begun using Reedy River as a polling site. Beginning earlier this year we were asked if the Furman prescient could use our church for voting. We graciously allowed them to use it. For the first few elections they set up in the Adult Assembly. It was a perfect place and they had plenty of room. Enter COVID-19. This past Tuesday was an election primary. As they begin to think about social distancing, they decided it would be best if they moved the voting across the street to the Family Life Center. That way they could spread out the people waiting in line and have plenty of room. Also across the street they would have one door to enter and another to exit. We graciously agreed to allow them to use the building.
At 6 am on Tuesday I opened up the Family Life Center and they moved in and began setting up for the polls to open at 7 am. They marked off the floor with tape six feet apart. They set up the screen at the table where you check it. They spread the voting places at the end of two tables so you would not be standing beside one another when you voted. The Family Life Center worked perfectly for them.
The interesting part was some of the people who came to vote. We are creatures of habit. As I watched from my breakfast table at the house at lunch and then again after I got home and sat outside on the patio, I cannot tell you how many people drove up into the main church parking lot. We had place a sign on the Adult Assembly door telling the people that voting had moved across the street. Most all day there were cars parked over at the Family Life Center. Yet people would drive up into the main church parking lot without any cars in the lot and park, get out of their car, and then go back enter their car and drive across the street. It got to be almost comical. From 6 – 7 pm it was almost like a show. As soon as one car would pull off to head across the road another car would pull up and park in the same spot. The driver would exit the car. Walk up to the door. Read the sign. Then return to their car and drive across the street. They had voted at one place the last time and even though there were no cars in the lot I guess they just figured they would vote there again. They never once looked across the street and observed that there were signs saying, “Vote Here!”
Now watching this scenario take place has got me to Just Thinking! Do we have tunnel vision? Are we observing what is taking place around us or are we so focused in on our agenda that we fail to see the world around us? As we go from place to place are we actively looking to see whom God might be putting in our way? Are we too busy with our own agenda that we fail to see someone in need or someone who needs a smile?
Maybe it is just me, but I believe if I was coming to vote and I pulled up to an empty parking lot I would look around before I just got out of my car an headed to the door. Yet this happened time after time. I wonder what we miss along life’s highway because we are so focused on our plans and agendas that we miss out on something God wants us to do? Do we leave home every day asking God to lead us to where He wants us or do we leave telling God to help us complete our task? Which is more important: Doing what we want or doing what God wants? Hear the words of the Psalmist: “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” I believe God has some amazing things for us on our journey if we would just trust Him to show us the way. I don’t want to get so wrapped up in me that I fail to see where He wants me to be and to do. What do you say we lose our focus and keep our eyes on Jesus!
Dear Lord, help me when I get too wrapped up in me. Help me to see the needs around me and the people around me. You created each and every one of us and you love each and every one of us. Help us to treat everyone we see with respect and love. Give us courage to step out of our comfort zones and just listen to you and follow. Help us to trust you in every way. We ask these things in Your Name, Amen.
Let’s read the Bible together:
Thursday – 2 Kings 15-16; 1 Corinthians 14; Proverbs 11
Friday – 2 Kings 17-18; 1 Corinthians 15; Proverbs 12
Saturday – 2 Kings 19-20; 1 Corinthians 16; Proverbs 13
Sunday – 2 Kings 21-22; 2 Corinthians 1; Proverbs 14
Monday – 2 Kings 23-25; 2 Corinthians 2; Proverbs 15
Tuesday – 1 Chronicles 1-2; 2 Corinthians 3; Proverbs 16
Wednesday – 1 Chronicles 3-4; 2 Corinthians 4; Proverbs 17
This week at the river:
This past Sunday we participated in Deacon Nomination. The deacon’s agreed this year because of the pandemic that if you were staying away from church because of the virus that you could still participate in the nomination process. You must contact David and he will get you a ballot. You have until Sunday, June 14th to cast your ballot. If you still plan on voting please call David today.
Sunday’s Information:
“The Battle is the Lord’s”
2 Chronicles 20:1-15
Pastor Josh Slatten
Sunday Evening:
“Shoes of Peace”
Ephesians 6:15
Pastor Josh Slatten
I hope everyone is doing well. If you are opening your house to visitors, Josh is interested in getting to know you each and every one better. Please call the church office and let us know if you would like a visit. We are willing to come, but want to be careful and protective of you and your home. Give us a call and we will schedule a time. God Bless you all!!
Feed My Sheep Deliveries:
Tuesday, 6/16 – Dreugh Batson & Josh Slatten
Thursday, 6/18 – Roger Davidson & David Simmons
Birthdays for the week of June 11th – June 17th:
Tammy Davidson – Saturday
Dee Dees – Sunday
Betty Garren – Wednesday
Anniversaries for the week of June 11th – June 17th:
Charles & Joanne Turner – today
Skipper & Debbie Burns – Friday
Chris & Rachel Bass – Friday
John & Faith DiNatale – Sunday
Praise & Prayer:
We are praising God for all the ways He has blessed our lives. Thanking Him for His many blessings in health and protection. Praising Him for a good CT scan after 6 months.
Please pray for the following:
Ray Batson – surgery 6/18, mass in stomach
Chris Bass – health issues
John DiNatale – nuclear stress test in a few weeks - some complications from surgery
Patricia Fisher – successful cataract surgery on Wednesday
Betty Garren – fainted at PT – home resting
Donna Gillem – hernia surgery 6/24
Donnie Henry – recovering from foot surgery
Bud Hudson – health issues – St. Francis hospital
Lauren Mayer – getting ready to deliver baby
Jonathan Philips – health, colitis
Candy Poindexter – PET scan was favorable, still taking chemo pills at home
Carol Roberts – sees doctor Friday – home resting – health issues
Scott Carpenter – health issues – Karen Batson’s son
Matt Crain – health issues, needs prayer – Chance Chapman’s cousin
Lorine Cain – procedure 6/5 – Friend of Dee Dees
Kathy Evans – health – cousin of Preston and Ann Golightly
Carlie Freeman – health issues – Bruce & Jean Freeman’s granddaughter
Landon Hartman – 8 year old with cancer
Eleanor Hoagland – lung cancer – Ken George’s sister
Jimmy Jones – home after heart surgery - Pray for healing – Rudy Jones brother
Kenny Keown – esophageal cancer, surgery 6/17 – Bill Kewon’s brother in Texas
Karen Kress – brain cancer – friend of Linda Ray
Mr. Morrison – kidney stone – Tammy Davidson’s Dad
Rachel Robertson – surgery to remove cancer in neck, 6/15 – Larry & Palma Simmons’ granddaughter
Joy Patterson – bladder cancer – Loretta Lovelace’s Mom
Judy Price – Stage 4 lung cancer – Friend of Linda Ray
Jerry Whaley – liver cancer – friend of Tommy Chandler
Justin Wheatly – burn on top of foot – Darrell & Shannon Mercer’s son
John Wooten – prostate cancer, waiting for next procedure – Tammy Davidson’s uncle
Rose Raines Family – Larry Simmons’ sister
Lin & LeeAnna Bradley & boys – Lin is finished at Fort Jackson. He and the family are going to travel to Fort Bragg and then be shipped out overseas.
All Missions and Ministries
All healthcare workers, civil servants, teachers, students, and everyone dealing with this virus in a different way.
Dear Jesus, please be with these who are in need today. Help them to know your love and grace. Give the doctors and nurses the knowledge to treat them. Help the care givers to have strength and courage to face whatever comes their way. Help us all to rely on you more and trust in your provisions. Thank you for loving and caring so much for our lives. We ask all of this in your holy name, Amen.
Have a great weekend and be safe. We love you and pray for you. God Bless!!!
Love God! Love People!!
David M. Simmons
864-293-2391
Job 13:15
Psalm 100:3
Proverbs 3:5-7
John 10:10