Sunday Night Reflections

What a great day we had today! We had a good service this morning, as we began Holy Week. The worship was good, and the topic of today's message (The Foolishness of the Cross) was one that needs to be heard even more. We live in a period of time when many preachers are focusing their messages only on how God loves us and has a plan for us. That's completely true, but it's not the complete truth. The cross reminds us that Jesus died to pay a debt we owed, and that we must repent of our sins in order to receive the free gift of eternal life that Jesus offers us.
This evening we had a church family meeting. We talked about some practical ways to prepare for Easter, passed out the 3:16 Promise Books that we are using as invitations to the Easter Service, and spent time praying for those we are inviting to the Easter Service.
I'm really excited the new series we're starting this Sunday. It's called 3:16, and it's based on Max Lucado's new book by the same title. It's going to be a great series, especially for anyone who is has not truly understood the extent of God's love for us. Pray for God to show you who you can invite to this series.
On a personal note, today is Osi's 18th birthday. Osi is my brother Osiel's son. Osiel died when his wife was pregnant with Osi, so Osi never knew his dad. Obviously, Osi is very special to us. I hope he had a great day today.

Comments

Betty said…

I hope your "Sunday Night Reflections" will become a regular segment on your blog.

March 17, 2008

Jehu Hernandez said…

That's the plan, but sometimes "Sunday Night Reflections" becomes "Monday Night Reflections", or later!

March 18, 2008

The Day Our World Changed

November 13, 1989. 11:30 AM I had just finished my lunch in the teacher's workroom and was walking back to my classroom. I was teaching at San Jacinto Elementary in San Angelo, Texas at the time. Up until then, it had been a typical November day. As I walked past the school office, the door swung open, and a fellow teacher stepped out with a look of concern on her face. She spoke directly to me and said, “Your wife’s on the phone, and it sounds serious.” I ran into the office, took the phone, and heard my wife say, “I don’t know what happened, but your brother is on life support in a hospital in Austin.” Twelve hours later, my father and I were sharing a room in a hotel on I-35 in Austin. My sister-in-law, Sandy, and her six-year-old daughter, Araceli, were in a room across the hall. I hardly slept that night. I would doze off and suddenly wake up to my father crying and calling out my brother’s name. My brother was dead. Osiel had collapsed that morning while his high s

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As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I'd like to explore an unusual subject: finding thankfulness in the midst of suffering. This might seem odd, but Christianity has a different perspective on suffering that can astonish many. Embracing Thankfulness Traditionally, as we navigate through the month of November, we often use each day to express thankfulness for various aspects of our lives, ranging from family to health and careers. But, as Christians, we go beyond the norm and find ourselves thankful for rather unusual things—grace, for instance. We are grateful for God's grace and how it instills in us a sense of liberation from our sins. But there's another element, quite peculiar, that we appreciate—suffering. A Christian Perspective on Suffering The notion of being thankful for suffering may sound worrisome. Yet, as followers of Christ, we trust that our trials and tribulations serve a purpose. Every pain, every emotional turmoil, offers an opportunity for spiritual

Jehu Hernandez

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