During a Monday Night Football game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the commentators observed that Walter Payton, the Bear’s running back and the NFL’s leading rusher at the time, had accumulated over nine miles – almost 16,000 yards – in career rushing yardage.   The other announcer remarked, “Yeah, and that’s with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!” We all get knocked down in life.  We all have our losses.   We all have our disappointments.  The key to success in both life and football is getting up again after you have been knocked down by the opposition. A story is told that Andrew Jackson’s boyhood friends just couldn’t understand how he became a famous general and then the President of the United States.   They knew of others who had greater talent but who never succeeded.   One of Jackson’s friends commented, “Why, Jim Brown, who lived right down the pike from Jackson, was not only smarter but he could throw Andy three times out of four in a wrestling match. But look where Andy is now.” Another friend responded, “How did there happen to be a fourth time? Didn’t they usually say three times and out?”   “Sure, they were supposed to, but not Andy. He would never admit he was beat — he would never stay ‘throwed.’ Jim Brown would get tired, and on the fourth try Andy Jackson would throw him and be the winner.” When life knocks you down, will you stay “throwed” or will you rise again asking God to give you the endurance to win the fight?   James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who endures under the load of trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” August  has been a good month with 360 in Bible Study.  Our Back to School Splash on August 4^th was a great time for Pre-K through fifth grade.    That night we also had a good crowd for the Lamar County Schools Prayer Walk.     Our  Missions Fest has become an annual celebration that encourages a missions mindset.     The Canopy, our community women’s worship event, takes place this coming Thursday.    And our Student/Young Adult Building Fund  ended the month of July at  $688,653.41! September has some very special emphases:

As I recently preached on Hannah, the wife who prayed for a son and miraculously gave birth to a boy who would become the great Old Testament Prophet Samuel, I ran across an illustration I had never heard before.  E.V. (Ed) Hill, who pastored Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles for 42 years, tells the story of how the love and prayers of his adopted “Mama” changed his life. Mama believed in two things: Prayer and Ed.  She saw to it that he graduated from high school and even insisted that he go to college.  As he boarded the bus to leave for college, Mama said to him, “Remember, Mama is praying for you.” When he arrived at Prairie View College in his native Texas, he stood in the registration line and soon learned that the $1.90 he had left from his bus trip would not pay for his tuition, room and board. He started to get out of line, but then remembered his Mama’s words. She was praying for him. As it came his turn to register, Dr. J.M. Drew approached him and asked if he was Ed Hill from Sweet Home, Texas. Ed told him he was, then Dr. Drew said, “We have a four-year scholarship that will pay your room and board, your tuition, and give you thirty dollars a month to spend.” And Ed says he heard his Mama say, “I will be praying for you!” Indeed, there is great power in a mama’s prayers! July has been a good month with 314 in Bible Study.  I am so proud of you for meeting and exceeding our Annie Armstrong North American Missions Offering goal of $15,000 with a total of $15,4412.26. We also did well in the month of June and had, at month’s end, a total of $653,175.62 toward our new Student/Young Adult Building! As I write this, Vacation Bible School is taking place. Thanks to our Director, Rene Hubbard, and all who worked with her and Maria Brannen to make this one of the best V.B.S.’s we have ever had! We also look forward to our Youth Choir Dinner Theater on the evenings of July 27^th and 28^th.   August has some very special emphases:

August is going to be a great month!   COME EXPECTANTLY!