By Brad Campbell –

Happy Independence Day! (As I type this, tomorrow is July the 4th)  For 28 years in a row, both sides of our family have celebrated the 4th with a cookout at our house, and we love it.  We also love visiting Washington, D.C., and were there just a week or so ago again.

I took this photo of parts of Arlington Cemetery from the airplane as we were preparing to land at Reagan National Airport.  For us, nothing has been more sacred in any of our D.C. trips than our visits to Arlington Cemetery to watch the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier.  And you also see in the photo what is known as Arlington House, the former residence of General Robert E. Lee, upon whose land the cemetery was begun and has remained.

That house, sitting high on that hill, can be seen for miles around, and it stands as a testimony and a reminder of times past, as do the graves of former President John F. Kennedy and his wife and two children whose graves are very near the house, lit by an “eternal flame”.

I think it’s a very neat thing that this simple but astounding place reminds us Christians not just of times past, but of glorious times to come.  You see, I’m looking forward to my mansion on the hilltop!  The Lord is preparing a place in Heaven for all of His saved ones.  And yet, on the other hand, an eternal flame awaits those who have refused to place their trust in Him.

As you celebrate this week, thank Him for the freedoms we have in this country, the freedoms we enjoy in His family, and the ultimate freedom we look forward to one day!

By Brad Campbell –

Hi all.  Just a thought to help start your week.

I don’t think I’ve ever shared with you a picture of the whole group of us – my wife, our three daughters, the eldest’s beau, and then there’s me.  I’d like to share a little something different and a little more lengthy with you this week – a couple of days later in the week than normal, for a good reason.

The majority of folks don’t realize that the Lord dealt with me for many years before I accepted His call to pastor.  My Dad has been a pastor all of my life, and growing up as a P.K. (preacher’s kid), you are given a different perspective on things.  And I had that perspective — seeing the world from inside the preacher’s family.  Two many details to mention here will limit my wording to say that I promised myself I would never do a job like that.  And yet…  Doesn’t God have a grand sense of humor?!

Fast forward almost twelve years now, and the Lord has blessed our family in ways that leave us in awe sometimes.  And that brings me to my point in sharing this picture.  The youngest has finished school, and she and the middle one will now be in college at the same time.  The eldest is on her own with a brand new house, and her great “friend-boy”, as I call him, has been a wonderful addition to our family.  You see, the only way I would introduce those kids to the “preacher’s” family was by first going to them and asking their permission for this role I’ve taken on.

God first, then family, then the job.  The trouble is, some pastors get that first one and the last one sandwiched together and leave out their family.  My family is my life.  My family is my reason to go on every day.  And this email is late this week, because my family (everyone you see here) just spent a week rambling the streets of beautiful Washington, D.C.

You see, even our great nation was founded on the belief in and worship of God Himself.  What better place to take the best bunch of preacher’s kids that ever was?  I know you are blessed by your family.  You can share that with us sometime.  But for now, understand that my family is a blessing, and I am forever grateful.  Love your kids this week – no matter how old or young, no matter if they’re your blood children or not.  Love your spouse this week.  Show God He is most important by taking care of the most important treasures you have – your family.

By Ryan Kelly –

In 1982, the rock band Whitesnake produced a record that is now a classic called “Here I Go Again.”  Most know the lyrics, but have you ever considered the pain and petition made in the lyrics?

“Tho’ I keep searching for an answer, I never seem to find what I’m looking for.  Oh Lord, I pray You give me strength to carry on, cause I know what it means.  To walk along the lonely street of dreams.”

Do you feel the longing of the singer for something more?  Seeking for strength. Seeking for resolution to promises. 

Another lyric says, “I’m standing on the promises, and the songs of yesterday.”  

In 1916, Russel Kelso Carter wrote the classic hymn “Standing on the promises of Christ my King.”  Although I doubt the Whitesnake song is intended to mean the hymns of yesterday, they were indeed correct that we can stand on the words penned before us by believers who worshiped Jesus and were used by Him for inspiring us today. 

The hymn sings in Verse 4, “Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord. Overcomimg daily with the Spirit’s sword, standing on the promises of God.”

God has promised us salvation through Jesus and that He will guide our paths straight through His Word. Stand on those promises. 

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Do you ever have those days when you feel a little slower than other days?  You just take a little longer to get going, longer to catch up, and some days longer to simply catch on to what’s going on.  Sometimes the world needs to be very plain for us.  This sign is one example – “Rocks”.

More than likely, one could tell from the surroundings that there are plenty of rocks around.  We might even see that there is a danger of falling rocks.  Maybe there’s a large rock on which we can pose for that ever-annoying “selfie”.  But for some reason, the road department felt it was necessary to erect a sign pointing out the obvious.

The Bible is God’s sign to us.  And, it points out the obvious.  We are sinners in need of His saving grace and salvation.  Our sign would say “Grace”, because the grace of God is all that keeps us here and keeps us going.  It should be obvious to all of us, and yet some need a posted sign in order to take notice.

Watch for the signs this week.  Signs that the world is sinful.  Signs that He will return one day soon.  Signs of the times.  Just remember that the One labeled “Rock” loves every one of us who wear the label “Grace”.  Yes some days I need a sign.  I’m just thankful He continues to point out the obvious.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

Fathers’ Day is a day where we celebrate our dads and what they have done for us. For those of us that are fathers ourselves, it’s a day or joy where our wives and children show their love for us. But, Fathers’ Day can have a greater meaning. 

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Matthew 5:48

Regardless of the status of our Earthly father, we all have a Heavenly Father. God the Father created each of us in His perfect will and made you perfect through the blood of Jesus. 

We therefore, have a privilege and responsibility to grow in our relationship with God.  By growing our relationship with  God, we better understand the sin in our life and we better understand how to eliminate this sin. We grow closer to  God, and therefore closer to perfection. 
Let’s be like your Heavenly Father and use that as the example for the entire world to follow. 

By Brad Campbell –

Hi all.  Just a thought to help start your week.

I had the feeling I was being watched.  I was walking along a narrow pathway earlier this morning.  The sun was still rising, birds were chirping, and I was all alone.  At least that’s what I thought.

I hadn’t been out there long.  I had stopped at the beautiful river-side park to stretch my legs for a bit, and it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes before I sensed that I wasn’t alone after all.  It was daylight, and no person lurked anywhere that I saw. Nothing obstructed my view, and the pathway was clear.  And then I heard it — the little clicking sound.  It was almost as if someone was enjoying a snack in the very near vicinity, and yet there was no one around.  I’m not paranoid, and I wasn’t scared or even startled.  But I was curious.

Then as I turned my head slightly to the left, I saw the beady little eyes that you see in this picture.  The critter, just finishing what must have been an extra-delicious acorn, was now watching me ever so closely, first from one side of the tree and then from the other, as if to say, “Good morning human!  What a glorious day God has blessed us with today!  Enjoy the quiet as I do, and be prepared for whomever you might meet on today’s path.  You are being watched, you know.”

As so I was — being watched, that is.  I actually turned and walked off before the squirrel did.  But whatever critter God puts in your midst this week, be aware that you as God’s child are being watched — not menacingly, not threateningly, but with just enough curiosity to incite wonder.  Whether it’s the squirrel on the tree this morning, or the snake curled up on the carport last night, God’s creatures are always near.  As so is He!

Wherever your path leads this week, may it be quiet and peaceful, may you never be alone, and may you share the love of His creation with others.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

In preparing this week’s newsletter, I have discovered something abundantly apparent.   There has never been a greater war against our faith than there is today.  Here’s what I mean.

Simply type into Google News, “Christianity” America, and see what you find.  You will see a slew of anti-Christian articles which spew hatred for our faith, misrepresentation of Scripture, and an assumption that all Christians are fascist, hating monsters with intent on world domination by any means necessary.  You can’t even find a positive news story about Christianity without plowing through a minefield of negative or hateful press about our faith.

These articles will cite versus like John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the father but through me,” and they will say Christians are wrong because Jesus would not want us to claim anyone’s religion as being false.  Then, it will go on to deny the validity of the very Scripture that they quote.  Other articles will condemn any mention of sexual sin, and simply laugh at the possibility of creationism.

How exactly is this news?  And, how is it fair?

Thus is the problem, it is neither news or fair.  It is a direct assault on a peaceful religion that follows the teachings of Jesus Christ for the very fact that we follow those teachings.

At this moment, even self-proclaimed Christians will tout individual Bible verses and claim to know Christ, but will deny and actively oppose the very essence of the Bible and what God has done to save the world.  They will claim that Jesus is good, but other religions are good too.  They will claim that because Christianity statistically is in decline, it’s evidence that something is wrong with the church and that we need to be more tolerant and inclusive.

I’ll tell you now, if there is anything wrong with the church it’s that we are TOO tolerant and TOO inclusive.  We as followers of Christ must stand up for God’s word despite what the world says.  We must love absolutely, actively outreach and care for those around us, and tolerate absolutely no sin in our lives or those around us.   We love by showing and sharing the love given to us – the love of our God who came to this world, lived perfectly, and died for everyone who believes and trusts in Him.

Love is showing others how to save their lives through Jesus.

We must raise the bar of morality in our own lives and help others to do the same.  We must never compromise our integrity or believe the lies that are spewing from the world that there is something wrong with our faith.  The Bible has never changes, and we must not either.

There is a war going on, and the sooner we wake up to realize that there is, the sooner we can begin to fight back the evil that is prevailing in our world.  We are the reflection of the radiance of Jesus.  Follow His teachings and stand firm.  This world needs every single one of us now as much as ever.

By Ryan Kelly –

One important and distinct characteristic of  a genuine Christian is that we do not sin habitually. 

Habitual sin is when someone continues to do something that they know goes against what God wants from you, but you do it voluntarily anyway. 

1 John 3:9 says, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

It is essential that we evaluate ourselves, discern Scripture, and apply it to our lives. We must reject sin at every opportunity and follow close to God. And this is not because there is anything that we can do to save ourselves from sin, but rather we do it because we love Jesus and put our faith and trust in Him. 

Evaluate if there is anything in your life that counts as habitual sin. Don’t listen to the world, listen to God. If you feel Him telling you to stop doing something…don’t wait. 

There is nothing better than growing close to God, but sin will place a barrier between you and your Father that prevents this from occurring. Remove that barrier by rejecting sin.  It’s very hard at first, but you’ll be so glad that you did!

By Ryan Kelly –

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭

Does the world see you as a follower of Jesus who is a reflection of His radiance, or do you reflect the world?  If we do not look vastly different than the world, something is wrong. 

Look at yourself and examine your heart. See what others see in you and continue to allow the Holy Spirit to transform you into a Godly man or woman. 

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Summertime vacation season is upon us, and many folks are taking to the highways and waterways in search of some great get-away.  There, much fun is had, lots of activities take up the day, and every day itself is full.

Do you ever come home from a vacation thinking that you need a vacation to get over the vacation?!  Rest is important, too.  Middle daughter and cat are resting here in my picture.  I’m not sure whether either of them has had an abnormally busy day, but it’s nap time, nevertheless.

Slow down before you miss the life that is flying right past your face.  Take a deep breath and realize that every day still contains twenty-four hours and not a minute less.  Look for ways to honor God with your busy-ness but also with your no-so-busy-ness.  In our down times, we can hear His voice more clearly, study and meditate more easily, and simply take a break from our self-imposed must-do life-or-death schedule of activities.

Shhhhh……  Listen closely.  He is here.  Take comfort.  Need a hammock to stretch out in? The cat probably won’t mind.  Come on over!