Teague Bible Church

ZEITGEIST AND BASKETBALL
You hear the German word, “Zeitgeist” a lot in political news today. It means ,”The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.” I just call it the “Spirit of the age.” It seems some believe that if you can gain a consensus on an idea, then that idea can come true.
There is this thing, however, called reality, that pulls all such foolishness to the ground. As one of my professors said of a particular Zeitgeist of the 70’s, ” It was a beautiful theory but it was destroyed by a gang of ugly facts!”
So if you are avoiding the truth you will need to recruit distractions to sell your idea. If doing it via a movie, you would have moving music in the background. You would manipulate the pictures to give a certain impression. You give only one side of all philosophical arguments. Check out this verse.
“,,,If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” II Corinthians 4:3-4. I did not see this truth of the gospel till the Lord saw fit to reveal it to me at the right time. That time was when I was held up to see the truth from the Zeitgeist, and then helped to accept the truth. I had to chose also.
I was into mindless activity and fun. As long as I kept the noise going I was content in the “spirit of the age.” Very few consequences had come my way at 19 years old. They were coming, but I did not sense them because I choose to stay blind. John 3: 16-21.
I played basketball in school. My only resource? Speed! I was sent in to do the “fast break.” A little fast guy gets the ball and outruns the others and scores a layup. One problem: the Zeitgeist of the other team. They knew how to deal with someone like me. Even if they could not catch me they could intimidate me by stooping their feet and yelling loudly right behind me as I went up for the shot. I missed that shot a lot because you have to slow down the last two steps and gently lay it into the backboard or you missed.
The facts were that nothing was hindering me from hitting that shot. However, the Zeitgeist seemed more real to me many times that the reality. The reality was the points were mine if I could deliver under the noise and pressure. My coach did this one thing that helped me during those fast breaks. He would cup his hands by his mouth and say, ” Slow down.” Those two words I could distinguish from all other voices.
How has the Zeitgeist affected you? What fear is trying to run your life right now? I have certain verses that help me, ” deliver to the basket” each day. I hope they help you escape the spirit of the age so you can continue toward the upward call of God in your life. Let us continue to pray for each other.

“But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:3-5 (Matthew 6: 32-33/ John 16:33/ I John 4: 4b) JWP

Please join us in today’s word. And let us know what you think….either in our comment section or in person at our next service. Join us every Sunday at our worship times–9:00am for Worship Service and at 10:30am for Sunday School. We’d love to see you here!

Please bring cases of bottled water to church on Sunday, 8/27/17. We will forward them to the victims on Monday and beyond. We will stack them in the foyer and the office. Will keep you informed on the relief effort. Thank you. JWP

Rollie Free
This man set the world speed record for motorcycles in 1940. If you really want to get a laugh, download the picture. I love motorcycles, and have his picture above my desk. Here he is on a rare 1000cc Vincent HRD “Black Lightening.” But that is not the funny part. He is stripped down to a bathing suit, shower cap, and slippers, at 150.313 M.P.H.
He dressed like that to reduce drag, but I keep it in front of me because if you did not know the background, and say the picture for the first time, it just looks like a guy that was hanging on for dear life against his will!
Life does feel that way at times; a high-speed ride. A ride in which if we step away, and give up on, would surely result in disaster! It looks as if the windy ride stripped every non-essential thing away from him, and you think he must really be scared!
The real story is he is having the time of his life. So let’s gets down to you and me. Everybody needs deep rest, not only of the body, but of our eternal souls as well, as we fly through this life. The same Lord who saved us also provides everything we need to be “more than conquerors in Christ.” Romans 8:37.
It all gets down to how well we are “equipped” for this life. When natural talents fail, (and they will,) you have all these resources in Christ. It would be ashamed to not know we have them, or not know how to use them to fulfill our destiny in Christ. Can we really be at peace and sense the power of Christ in our lives while flying through this life? The answer is a resounding, “Yes.” Read all of Romans 8 today. Choose to read it over all the other things you feel pressured to do. Ask the Lord to help you realize the resources you have. JWP

• Cleaning: Week of Aug. 13/20—Ponders (two-week cycle).
• Nursery: August 27—Linda P.
• CHURCH VOTE: During 08/27 service. Suggested time change for services (Sunday School: 9:30-10:25am, Fellowship: 10:25-10:45am, Service: 10:45-11:45am) to start on Sunday, Sept. 3^rd. Also discussing Worship Leader and Outreach. Next Church Council meeting Sept. 10^th after services.
• YOUTH GROUP: Wednesday, Aug. 23^rd @ 3:15pm.
• Hooks, Sticks, and Needles (Women’s Crafting Group): Thursday 5:00pm. Quilts, Crochet, Knitting, Etc.
• MEN’S SATURDAY LUNCH: Aug. 26 @ 1pm. Send Jason suggestions for your restaurant pick.
• POTLUCK DINNER: Last Sunday of each month after service. AUGUST 27.  THEME: FINGER FOODS.  Sign-up list forthcoming.
• E-mail photos to kerrfamily3162@sbcglobal.net
• Follow us on Facebook or at teaguebiblechurch.org

YOU ARE HERE,,,,
I guess you heard the joke about a man who stopped dating a girl because she was too dumb to date? He took her to Six-Flags Over Texas. He stopped to refer to the park map which had the “you are here” emblem to help you locate your position. His date looked at him with shock and wonder and said, “how did they know?”
Without staying in the Word of God we are lost in this world. We cannot navigate through it based on short-sightedness. The “perpetually exhausted” swim in the arena of short-sightedness.
Imagine, however, if the girl had seen the “you are here” sign, but engraved in stone with it was her name! Not so dumb now, right? If it gave more details about her life, and her part in the larger scheme of things, she would know something special was taking place.
Sunday we deal with the question of, “is this the last hour?”
(I John 2: 18-24 is the passage this Sunday, 9:00 A.M. August 20, 2017.) How can anyone not see that something of great significance is taking place in our world right now?
The question is this; do you know where you are standing in the flow of these events and what your part is in it? We need clarity in these days; to such an extent that each one of us can say, ” I am here, and I am prepared, and I am empowered by the Lord to carry out my part!”
The “urgent things” seem to drain away time from the “important things.” I expect unbelievers to get lost in the next set of circumstances, and run out of meaning in the process. I know that for believers it does not have to be this way. Life for a believer is not a mindless string of activities.
We have an “anointing” that can separate us from such regret. In fact the whole passage Sunday is a play on the word, “anoint.” The word Christ means, “Anointed One.” Our life in deeply connected to His life and His victory. Much more to this than can be covered here. See you Sunday! JWP

Church Council meeting after Sunday School on August 20th.

1John 2 15-17 A 1John 2 15-17 B

Please join us in today’s word. And let us know what you think….either in our comment section or in person at our next service. Join us every Sunday at our new worship times–9:00am for Worship Service and at 10:30am for Sunday School. We’d love to see you here!

Please join us in today’s word. And let us know what you think….either in our comment section or in person at our next service. Join us every Sunday at our new worship times–9:00am for Worship Service and at 10:30am for Sunday School. We’d love to see you here!