I poured water on the carpet during my sermon yesterday. That’s right – in the middle of the message, I turned my bottled water over and intentionally poured some of it on the stage. I got some interesting looks. If you were present, you know I was preaching about anger and how to deal with it…how to talk when you’re mad. After pouring the water, I asked everyone to read these words of Jesus as they appeared on the screens: “the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matthew 12:34). I poured water because that was what I had in the bottle. When we talk – especially when we’re angry – what is inside of us will come out. We’ve been learning that how we talk tells us a lot about who we really are. So it is important we allow God to continue changing us into the image of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Part of that change needs to include how we talk. Another lesson we considered was this: just like the water could not be put back in the bottle after I poured it out, angry outbursts cannot be taken back either. So understanding the true source of our anger – how much of it is about someone else and how much of it is really about something inside of us – is important if we’re going to learn how to deal with anger in a way that is not destructive. It is essential that we learn how to talk in a way that blesses other people instead of tearing them down. If you didn’t get to hear the message, you can listen to our website or the FBC App.

During the invitation at 10:30 two women burdened by events of life were praying at the altar. They were not alone, because the Holy Spirit prompted two other women to kneel beside them and pray with them. The church is Jesus’ body and it always touches me when I witness members of the body caring for one another. That moment was my top highlight at church yesterday.

After lunch, I visited Susie Ferguson and her family. Her husband, Jack, went home to be with the Lord Saturday morning. He was a kind and faithful man who loved Jesus, his family, and Duke basketball. After 87 years on earth, he is now enjoying eternity in heaven.

I ended my day by watching the 9:00 pm TV broadcast of our services from the previous week. The broadcast began and ended with 10 new believers being baptized. Some were young and several were adults. I smiled, chuckled, and felt thankful. It was a good way to end a good day.

Pastor Steve Hogg