Brian does a great job of holding his choir members spiritually accountable.   First, he  has us fill out a card stating the number of days we have read the Bible.   After averaging the results he than ask another question, "What have you learned from your Bible reading."  Wow!  That stung.  I do my devotions everyday. I begin with The Daily Bread and its associated Scripture, Next is  Joe Stowell and his Scriptural references.  This is followed by Oscar Chambers and his devotional, "My Utmost for His Highest." This is  followed by reviewing memory verses, and prayer.  This I do as a  minimum. I often write sermons and Sunday School lessons even though I am not preaching at the moment.  The problem arises from the fact that I have studied the Bible all of my adult life, preached and taught well over two thousand messages.  But the question that Brian suggest is what have I learned that is new and fresh? Wow!  This troubled me.

Then I remembered a great electronics teacher who had this belief.  He believed that you should learn something new everyday.  It didn't matter whether it was in his class, some other class, or somewhere entirely elsewhere.  But you had to write down that something new you learned that day  before leaving his class.

Thinking about that and being fully committed that Scripture takes on the infinite nature of its Creator,  I prayed that God would show me something new and wonderful.  Not surprisingly God delivered.  Now I've begun a brand new diary.  What have I learned?  Among other things: The emphasis of Luke 15's Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son, is the great rejoicing when the lost item is returned.  The Bible is speaking about  "partying" type rejoicing - the real stuff.   I also learned that while praying - casting out our prayers and supplications on our Heavenly Father, with thanksgiving, again result in rejoicing.  Wow!  I really do rejoice when a few men meet each Saturday morning to pray.  And I know the joy of seeing someone come to Christ, perhaps as a result of G.R.O.W.  (God Rewards Our Work) or I see repentance taking shape during the invitation following Pastor Ron's morning sermon.   

If you don't attend church I invite you to join us.  Come and See for yourself that there is real reason to rejoice because at New Prospect Baptist Church God is working through His people to give us great reasons to rejoice.  Perhaps Palm Sunday and Easter would be a good start.

                                                                                            Dick Keller

Dr. Ron Gaddy, Pastor

9321 Highway 9.  Inman, SC

Phone: 864-592-1378