Monday and Tuesday brought the Southern Area Ministers’ Conference back to SWU. It’s been two years since the last one and I had been anticipating it for quite some time now. This year’s conference solidified itself as one of the best.
Monday, Feb. 11 at 7:00 pm – Dan Seaborn, Winning at Home, Inc.
Dan related our trials in ministry to Goliath. David, a true teenager, asked why no one had challenged him. David relied on God’s power (and not his own, or Saul’s for that matter) to bring down the giant. It’s our time to step up and fight in the power of God with the stone of faith in our sling and take down the giant that stands against God’s people and God’s name.
Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 8:30 am – Dan Seaborn, Winning at Home, Inc.
Dan Seaborn founded Winning at Home, Inc. to aid families in keeping homes together. Married for Life is his campaign to get 1,000,000 couples to sign a contract stating that they will be married to each other for life. So far over 10,000 couples have signed and made that commitment.
Divorce is killing ministers of God’s Word, but no one just runs and jumps off the cliff of divorce. It’s a process of steps toward the edge.
7 steps that lead to the cliff of divorce:
1) Keeping secrets from a spouse
2) Finding sexual fulfillment in secret acts/pornography
3) Red flags in other relationships
4) Your mind strays and you picture yourself with another person
5) Justifying an action that in the past you said was wrong
6) Hanging out in “dangerous” places and with “dangerous” people
7) You don’t care if you say hurtful things to or about your spouse
…and don’t forget to say, “I’m sorry.”
Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 10:30 am – Dr. John Adams, Easley First Baptist Church
Americans are plagued by toxins in the body. Deep-breathing exercises are widely used in Europe to rid the body of those toxins. A deep breath in, hold…and slowly release. This allows the body to expel those toxins in the stomach. In the same way, we must deeply breathe in the Holy Spirit. As we hold the Spirit in, we allow a full work to happen. Then, when we exhale, all the toxins (anger, hate, grudges, etc…) that poison our souls are expelled.
Forgiveness is one of the ways that the Holy Spirit does its work. Dr. Adams read a quote by a person whose name I have now forgotten: “God invented forgiveness as the only way to keep his romance with the human race alive.” Without it, we would have no hope.
Ann Lamont said “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and waiting for the rat to die.” It’s time to get rid of the poison for good.
Forgiveness is…
…refusing the right to get even
…rediscovering the humanity of the person who hurt us
…wishing the person who hurt us well
Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 7:00 pm – Dr. John Adams, Easley First Baptist Church
Dr. Adams related four words that remind us that we are beloved of God:
Chosen – God saw us so long ago and had a great plan for us to be the bearers of His message.
Blessed – God has given us His blessing as minister’s of the gospel.
Broken – Until we realize that we are broken, we cannot become whole in Christ.
Given – We are handed the most important message of history and asked to give it to those who need it most.
After the message came the table. Everyone participated in communion, which is always a special time at SAMC.
Overall, it was quite amazing. Can’t wait for the next one.
Next week brings Holiness Lecture Series with the one, the only, Steve Deneff. Oh man, it’s gonna be awesome!
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