Advent Devotional December 9: Written by Bill Menger in 1991
Posted December 9, 2019 by SMBC in Advent
Herod feared the coming of the Christ Child, for it posed a threat to his own earthly power. To counter the threat, Herod ordered the massacre of children in Bethlehem.
Until 1975, I thought today's world was more civilized, but soon learned that satanic forces will use any means to combat the truth of Jesus Christ.
Advent Devotional December 8: Written by Betty Sellers in 1989
Posted December 8, 2019 by SMBC in Advent
Matthew 2:7-12
How many days ?till Christmas? Too many for the eager children, but oh-so few for the hurrying shoppers. Music programs and pageants call for long hours of rehearsal; the cards must be mailed and travel schedules planned. Meanwhile, a new generation of cooks lovingly duplicates Grandmother's cornbread dressing and treasured ornaments are unpacked with care. Anticipation…
Advent Devotional December 7: Written by Bill Kolter in 1988
Posted December 7, 2019 by SMBC in Advent
Elaine is at Camp Ozark; Mary Neil is packing to go to San Antonio for the Convention; Kenneth is measuring shelves for his most recent dwelling; I am ?on call? this weekend; and Martha is bugging me for this devotional - now about two weeks overdue. I have just written Elaine about this, and mentioned to her that I have had two or three ideas working, but that none of them has ?yelled? as yet…
Advent Devotional December 6: Written by Gene Vickrey
Posted December 6, 2019 by SMBC in Advent
I remember as a boy shaking the presents under the tree, trying to guess what was in the packages.
I remember the Christmas I got a new bicycle.
I remember the cold snowy night that I got up my courage and proposed to Alberta.
I remember the interest in reaching the goal for our World Mission offering every Christmas.
I remember the Silent Lord's Supper services…
Advent Devotional December 5: Written by Miriam Collins in 1988
Posted December 5, 2019 by SMBC in Advent
2 Corinthians 5:15 Curled up on the big iron double bed watching my mother brush her luxurious dark hair, I was nervously trying to ask the BIG QUESTION as casually as possible. (I guess I was almost six). Finally, hesitantly I asked, ?Mother, who is Santa Claus?? The troublesome question didn't seem to bother her at all and, with that Alabama drawl, she replied, ?Santa Claus is dressed-up…
Advent Devotional December 4: Written by Sharon Nickel in 1988
Posted December 4, 2019 by SMBC in Advent
Matthew 2:11
Our family loves Christmas! We love its color--from the red of Santa's suit to the green of the fir tree. We love its aromas - from the scent of the pine to the smell of cookies baking. We loves its literature from the Christmas Carol to The Other Wise Man. We love its music - from ?Jingle Bells? to ?Joy to the World.? And last, but not least, we love its gifts. There is…
Advent Devotional December 3: Written by William (Bill) Turner in 1987
Posted December 3, 2019 by SMBC in Advent
Luke 2:15A few miles may have separated these shepherds from the Event which would change the world! Wisely, they decided to travel those miles, check it out, and look into the face of history for themselves.
Advent Devotional: December 2
Posted December 2, 2019 by David and Charis Smith in Advent
Christmas is giving. Sometimes the joy is in giving a gift that is anticipated. As the space under the tree becomes filled, David starts checking packages for one that is the right size and shape. "Is it a nutcracker?" he will ask. We all look very mysterious and say, "Could be." On Christmas morning, his pleasure and ours are complete. We have both given and received that which was wanted.…
Advent Devotional: December 1
Posted December 1, 2019 by Howard Lee, Sr. in Advent
The Constitution of the United States of America guarantees to Americans the right to "pursuit of happiness." The Bible informs the Christian how to attain happiness. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave to us the Beatitudes, which are the original "Happiness is ___" series. One of the most basic characteristics that God wants His children to seek is good basic motivations. "Blessed are the…
Do We Visit Those Who Are In Prison?
Posted November 7, 2019 by Greg Funderburk in Discipleship, Missions
One of the missions that Christ gives us in the Gospel is to visit those who are in prison. Specifically in Matthew 25, Jesus, in telling the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, said that one of the ways we identify someone as of the Kingdom of God is—do we visit those who are in prison? Although South Main has no ministry outreach to prisoners, two of our church's faithful members not only do…
Houston Churches Provide an Amazing Place for People with Dementia
Posted November 5, 2019 by SMBC in Missions
As reported in the Houston Chronicle, October 24, 2019Ending the stigma of dementia is what drives Amazing Place, a nonprofit run by a consortium of churches. And the importance of this goal is only growing, executive director Tracey Brown said. Already, one out of three individuals over the age of 85 has dementia, and there are 5.7 million people living with Alzheimer's in…
MainTether
Posted October 14, 2019 by Steve Wells in Discipleship, Pastor
I was recently introduced to a new medical term, or maybe, it'd be more appropriate to call it a "quasi-medical" term. I was told about ODTAA Syndrome. "What's ODTAA Syndrome?" I asked. I've never heard of it. The person telling me this shook his head and said, you know, it's just "One Darn Thing After Another."
Operación San Andrés Mission Trip: Fall 2019
Posted October 8, 2019 by SMBC in Missions
Please continue to pray for our mission partner, Operación San Andrés (OSA), and for those on the mission trip to Collique, Peru this week. OSA is committed to combat the effects of poverty in the community in a holistic (spiritual, emotional, and physical) and sustainable manner by demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways.
It's Time to SMILE!
Posted August 29, 2019 by Jeannie Chambers in Missions
The South Main International Learning Experience (SMILE) starts in 2 weeks, and I am excited to reconnect with friends after a long, hot summer. I'm often asked how I start a conversation with new SMILE students. For many who are considering joining this wonderful ministry, that is the thing that worries them the most. It was one of my biggest fears too! SMILE volunteers are called "teachers"…
A Back-to-School Prayer
Posted August 25, 2019 by Dolores Rader in Worship, Family Ministry
The calendar says what our hearts feel—it is time for new. God of peace, settle our nerves and calm us in new classrooms and new cities. God of joy, stir us to laugh and play with new friends and old alike. God of love, help us love ourselves and our neighbor as you love us. God of hope, fill us with trust that you dwell in us in the hallways, on the playground, and at home. In these moments…
Where Did the Books Go?
Posted July 30, 2019 by Brad Jernberg in Discipleship
To read the first part of this story about the library transformation, click here.
After many hours of painstaking work from Carole and Henry Williams, we are happy to report that nearly all of the books that were in the SMBC Library have found a good home.
What follows is Carole's account of where the books have gone.
Sodzo International 2019 Mission Trip
Posted June 25, 2019 by SMBC in Missions
Desmond Tutu famously said "When you are pulling drowning people out of the river, there comes a time when you must look upstream and see why they are falling in." This is exactly the aim of Sodzo International, South Main's mission to serve the people of Kenya. This project began by focusing on the street orphans in and around Maua, Kenya, and that is still at the heart of the project.…
527 Tribe Mission Trip to Oklahoma: June 21, 2019
Posted June 24, 2019 by Lucas Tirado in Family Ministry, Missions
On the first day of being in Oklahoma, we helped a church and a school. We first cleaned out a few rooms for some remodeling, cleared out some wires, and prepped some spaces for painting. During lunch, we met and played with people who live here. After we cleaned, organized, and prepped the school. In all, today was really fun and we did a lot of work. I hope we can help more tomorrow.
527 Tribe Mission Trip to Oklahoma: June 20, 2019
Posted June 20, 2019 by Kiran Harper in Family Ministry, Missions
Today I have helped in many ways. To start off with, I helped Greg with electrical work at the church. Later I swept the church porch and pulled weeds. At the school I went across the campus picking up trash with Wyatt. Together we picked up almost 200 pieces of trash. Picking up the trash made me realize how careless we can be. Someone has to pick up the litter and, as the person picking up…
Youth Mission Trip to Peru: June 14, 2019
Posted June 14, 2019 by Allison Kolter in Family Ministry, Missions
I feel that this week of all weeks, we have a lot of worries on our minds. This includes worrying about how little Spanish we know or whether or not our classes would go well. But when we are laughing with each other we worry very little about our Spanish-speaking skills or our classes going the way we planned. It is in these moments I have spent with the youth this week that I have seen God…
