The first Sunday in the New Year 2007 was a good one for us here at St. Andrews Road!  We had 167   for Bible Study and 220  present for worship.  Our offering to God was just $13.00 away from $5000.00.  It was good to have many of our family members back from all the holiday activities.  We also had several guests in our midst.  We are always honored to have guests with us.  Let’s make greeting and welcoming our guests an “every Sunday routine” in this New Year. While sitting on my deck one evening I was thinking: How blessed we are as members of the Lord’s church at SAR!  Our elders have given us a great opportunity, a reachable goal in the coming year.   Our new weekly budget is $4680.00, an increase of just over 9% from last year. In 2006 we were able fulfill our goals by exceeding our budget of $4288.00 by $1655.00.  Now think with me!  If every family at St. Andrews Road would commit themselves to increasing their current weekly offering by just 10%, we would exceed our budget in this new year.  What does this mean?  Well, if last year your weekly offering was, let’s say, $20.00.  This year, give $22.00.  If your offering was $50.00, your gift this year would be $55.00.  If your gift was $100.00, then this year your weekly offering would be $110.00.  If your weekly offering last year was $500.00, then this year your gift would be $550.00.  When you think about it, I believe that you will agree that this is something that we all can do.  We did it last Sunday!   Remember that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. Every Wednesday night we meet for Bible study at 7:00 pm.  We have Bible classes for all ages, young and older and beginning this week our Bible Bowl teams will be meeting to prepare for the upcoming annual Bible Bowl held here at SAR on Saturday, March 3rd.  What a great opportunity for us to dig deeper into the Scriptures to deepen our faith in God!  Our children, teens, and college-age are studying The Living Way series entitled “Those We Honor.”  Our adults are involved in a Survey of the Book of Acts in the auditorium.  I have the privilege of teaching this series directly from the Bible.  Our lives are so very busy with work, school, after-school activities, and many other things that occupy much of our time.  Dedicate an hour on Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 8:00 to God and to your fellow Christian brothers and sisters for worship and fellowship.  You’ll be so very glad that you did! Our lesson on Sunday morning is entitled “Saying and Doing.”  We will use Luke 6:46 as the foundation for this lesson from God’s word.  Jesus said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say.”  We will note how some follow Jesus all the way to the Jordan River and then turn away.  Some say, “Lord, Lord” and then refuse to be generous stewards toward God.  Some say, “Lord, Lord” and then proceed to live on their own terms.  Jesus tells us that a foolish man hears and does not.  A wise person is the one who not only hears but does the will of God (Matthew 7:24-29).  On Sunday evening we will study from John 9:25; “This One Thing I Know.” Lord willing, on Sunday morning, January 21st I will present a lesson that will be very difficult for us to hear.  That week marks the 34th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 1973 Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion.  How many unborn children have been destroyed over those years?  How many mother’s and daddy’s live today in guilt and turmoil because of their sinful choices?  How many grandparents have been robbed of the joy that could have been theirs?  God is full of grace and mercy and will abundantly pardon us. . . only in Christ Jesus.