A Suffering People

I don't know about you, but suffering is not on my list of favorite activities. Yet the Bible mentions is several places about suffering for Christ sake. History is full of tale of individuals who suffered for what they believed in. What about you? Are you or have you ever suffered for your faith in God? What does that actually mean? Are we to walk around with long drawn faces and looking miserable? Read your lesson this week and find out what Peter is talking about. The scripture for this weeks lesson can be found in the book of 1 Peter 4:12-19.

A Holy People

This week lesson takes us to the book of 1 Peter. The passage we will be studying is 1 Peter 1:13-25. In this book Peter is addressing the subject of holiness. I read in a book one time that God cares more about our holiness than our happiness. So what does it mean to live a life that is holy? I hope you all come this week and discuss this very important topic. I will leave you with a thought from our study commentary. Being holy does not happen by receding into a life of passivity. It happens, rather, by pursuing righteousness with all the strength Jesus gives us to do so.

Sunday School Social part 2

Chris Huckins

Sandy Thompson and Kim Lipsette

Kerry Humphrey and Tonya Teter

Melissa Patterson and Chris Huckins

Children on the hay ride

Four wheeling

The annual Taylor class hay ride!!!!

Sunday School Social

I dont know why two of the same pictures posted but I cant erase one!! Allison Deaton and her dog.

Today was the Sunday School Social we all had a wonderful time of fellowship at "The Farm". Seated are Julie and Sid Larsen and Sandy and Jeff Thompson.

Melissa Patterson and Kelley Taylor

Luke Patterson and George Armstrong

Four wheeling fun!! Lucas Thompson and Joel Nance

David Teter

Dinner Time!!

A very contemplative Grant Humphrey

Eddie Kirsten and Paige Faircloth.

David Lovette and Grant

Kim and Ty Lovette




Brandi Nance and her children

There will be more picture posted later so check back!!!

Opting Out!

This weeks lesson moves us further down the journey of the gospel of Mark. Our scripture reading this week is Mark 10:17-31. I hope you get a chance to preview it before class on Sunday. In this section Jesus encounters a very wealthy man who desires to have eternal life. Well thats fair enough, I mean we all desire to have eternal life, but once again Christ response is a little startling and exposes this man's heart. It is really a sad tale of where one's priorities truly are! The Bible says in Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. I always thought it should be, Where your heart is there your treasure will be. I mean, the world teaches that if you try hard enough and work long enough then you can achieve what you desire, right? What do you think? Also, do you think its wrong to have money in light of what Christ just said to this man?

A Prayer for Relationships

Last week one of our members, Kirsten Faircloth's, grandmother passed away. Today as I was going through some papers that collect on my desk, I ran across her grandmothers memorial program. I sat down for a moment to reflect on that, and when I turned to the back page there was printed a prayer that was written by her grandfather and kept in his Bible. I was so moved by this that I wanted to share it with the class. After all our class is really a group of relationships working collectively to lead better lives for the sake of Christ. I know God placed this in my hands and I hope it will bless you as well.

A Prayer for Relationships

O God, Our Father

Grant that we shall be so closely related to Thee that our relationships with one another will be strenghtened. Let our bearing toward one another arise out of our life in Christ Jesus. Enable us to help one another carry their heavy loads and in this way fulfill Thy law.
-May parents and children experience this type of relationship.
-May husbands and wives be generous to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as Thou has forgiven us.
-May those of us who are members of the Christian fellowship--the household of faith--work for the good of all. May our love for one another be of such quality that there shall be no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance.

Wilt thou refresh our sense of need for one another and let us all re-evaluate our dependence upon Thee. Thou art our refuge and strength, our very present help.

-To Thee we owe our life and breath and all the joys we have.
-To Thee we look for salvation that is enduring.
-In Thee we discover our hope.

Thou alone canst forgive all our iniquities and redeem our lives from destruction. Already Thou has crowned us with loving kindness and tender mercies, and we beseech Thee to enable us to have among ourselves that mind which is also in Christ.

We pray in the name that is above every name, the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

D. Swan Haworth
Handwritten Prayer kept in his personal Bible

Operation In As Much

Tina Estle making something that looks like a pumpkin

Laura Johnson

Kevin and Lillian Hughes and their children enjoying lunch after doing yard work

Mike and Kathy Barbour

Okay not members of our class but they wanted their picture taken

Julie Rice and her sons

David Teter and his sons

Sid Larson

Julie helping with the bags

Chris Huckins decorating

Kerry and her daughter Karsie sewing

Grant Humphrey roofing

Our Pastor and his wife John and Gaye Cooke

Kim Lipsette painting

A very happy Heather Adams painting

Randy and our son Garrett painting

Kerry Humphrey sewing a blanket

Melissa and her daughter Lizzie working on scrapbooking

Tara Wasser doing, Im not sure but she looks like she is having fun

Thursdays Thoughts

Some of the comments have been very good and full of insight. I hope you all have read the passage and begun allowing the Holy Spirit to enlighten you. I want to leave with you all this thought for today concerning the lesson. Reread the passage again only this time know that the in the passage right before Jesus is commenting how true godly living is based on the internal side of man, not the external. The barriers of race, culture and gender are surface issues. Interesting to note that the gospels only refer to "great faith" twice. Once for this woman and the other instance in Matthew 8:5-13. Both individuals were gentiles. Hmmmm!

Wrap it up Wednesday

Last Sunday David taught from Mark chapter 5. We skip forward this week to a VERY interesting passage in chaptern 7. There are, however, some developments between 5 and 7 that I would like to discuss. First, you will find that Jesus has been very busy meeting the needs of the multitude of people that have heard about this amazing healer. Many of the people from the surrounding area are in awe of this teacher/healer, yet when Christ enters into his own region the people reject him. The word even says that Jesus marveled because of their unbelief. That is a lesson all by itself. Then Christ sends out his disciples 2 by 2 with nothing more than a staff, and while all this is going on John the Baptist is arrested and beheaded. It is also during this time that Jesus feed the five thousand with nothing more than 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. During this time Christ is busy healing, teaching, and leading. No wonder we find him in this weeks lesson seeking rest.

Begging To Get In

First I want to express my gratitude to David Teter for teaching on such short notice. Thank you so much David. I also hope that all had a good week. This weeks lesson finds us a few chapters further in the gospel of Mark. The scripture for this week is Mark 7:24 -37. If you are like me I think you will be taken back by some of the comments Jesus makes. He is approached by a Gentile women who was born in Syrian Phoenicia. Her child is possessed and she hears word of this Jewish teacher who is healing people. Read what happens on your own, then comment what you think. Later on this week I will respond to some of the comments.

Thursdays Thoughts

When life's troubles have you down,
And you feel there is no relief;
Remember, fear is the fruit,
and not the root.
At the core is your unbelief.

Wrap up Wednesdays

Each week on Wednesdays I will try to bridge the gap from last weeks lesson until this weeks lesson. Last week we studied chapter 1. This week we are in chapter 5. So what happens in between. Maybe during this week you will have a chance to dig deeper for yourself and really get into the word. Its through your own time with you and God's word will you find deeper meaning, and begin to recognize God's voice in your own life.



In the first four chapters on Mark, the author quickly establishes the fact that Jesus came in authority. Jesus demonstrates power and authority in his teachings (1:22), over diseases (1:30-34), over uncleanness (1:41-42) over sin (2:10), as overseer of the law (2:28) and over the laws of nature (4:39-41). In this weeks lesson we will again see his power over demons. Chapter four ends with Jesus calming the raging storms of the sea only to get to dry land and encounter the raging storm inside the demon possessed man. Although our very own lives may not be marked with the same torment this man dealt with we all at some time battle storms in our own lives. Look at this weeks lesson and see just how Jesus handled this tormented man.

Was Mark Wealthy

Did Mark come from a wealthy home. No one can be for sure, however, if you look up the scripture in Act 12:12-16 it makes some assumptions for that day and time.

12. When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.

So here we have two points.

1. The house was large enough for many people to gather in.
2. They had servants.

Thanks for asking these questions. If you have anything to add just leave a post.

Recognizing Jesus

I miss my sweet neighbor Miss Elli. We would spend hours together sharing our life stories over a cup of pepperment tea. Her stories were particularly interesting to me because many of her tales took place before, during and after the days of World War II, in Germany no less. One particlar story she shared with me happened some time after the war was over. Perhaps a few months after. She and her four siblings had to disperse without much notice during the closing days as the Russian army was fast approaching. Niether knew where the others were. Luckily an older sister had an apartment in the American sector and after months of traveling most joined up at this one siblings apartment. One day as a very young Miss Elli was working, a German soldier started walking towards her with purpose. She told me how this made her nervous because she was at work and what would her bosses think, besides she had no idea who this strange young soldier was. As he approached her he probably could sense her apprehension. And then he uttered the word she thought she would never hear. He said "What, don't you recognize your own brother?" Years of not knowing the fate of the only brother the war had not claimed left her elated. How he had changed. Her very own brother and she did not recognize him. Is this the way we can be in our own spiritual walk. Where first we were intimatly aware of Christ presence, but through years of no relationship or perhaps very minimal relationship we barely recognize our Lord and Savior even when he is right in front of us. As Paul would say "God forbid!" This weeks lesson takes us back to the gospel of Mark were we are again walking with Christ as he begins to minister to the sick, lame and demon possessed. Our scripture for this weeks lesson in Mark 5:1-20. Read through this entire passage this week and come prepared for some interesting discussion..

This is the very first entry of our new Blog. I hope everyone finds it to be useful and if any one has any suggestions please let me know.

Today's lesson was in the book of Mark.

Written by Mark mainly for the gentiles.

Mark is the first gospel written and also the shortest.

Cousin to Barnanbas

The gospel of Mark is a fast-moving account of Jesus's actions in his ministry. While other gospels spend a lot of time describing what Jesus said Mark focuses on what Jesus did.

Todays scripture: Mark 1:21-45