Community of Joy

Honoring God

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:29:12 +0000

God takes the initiative in establishing and sustaining a relationship with His people – that’s His pattern throughout Scripture. God promises and His people believe and respond in faith and obedience. It follows then, that since God is faithful to … Continue reading →

Missing the Mountaintop?

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:16:21 +0000

How many times have you heard of the high school quarterback or homecoming queen living in the past, not able to move past their glory days? We pity them, but that’s precisely what we do with our spiritual lives. When … Continue reading →

The Church as a Community

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 05:15:32 +0000

Recently I came across the following quotes: “I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy.” — United States Army Ranger Oath “There are three things to remember about being a starship captain: keep … Continue reading →

Free At Last!

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:35:47 +0000

On New Year’s day, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves to be free, but it wasn’t until December 18, 1865, following the conclusion of the Civil War and Lincoln’s death, that the Constitution of the … Continue reading →

Called to be a Caregiver

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:52:08 +0000

In Galatians 4:19, Paul refers to the Galatians as those for whom he is again “in the pains of childbirth.” I don’t know what it feels like to give birth, but I have been on hand for the birth of … Continue reading →

Members of God’s Family

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:51:46 +0000

As a boy I remember leafing through a book on the life of President John F. Kennedy and being struck by a picture of the President conducting the affairs of state while young “John-John” hid in the opening under the … Continue reading →

The Greatness of Christ

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:22:35 +0000

On June 16th, with the eyes of the world on South Africa as the scene of the FIFA World Cup Soccer Tournament, the 34th Annual Youth Day was celebrated. On that day in 1976, approximately 15,000 South African youth from … Continue reading →

Guard the Gospel

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:54:38 +0000

Whose approval matters most in your life? For some it’s their parents. For others it’s a spouse or potential spouse. It might be an employer, a coach, or a wealthy benefactor. However, keep in mind that the benefits of this … Continue reading →

Pentecost: What Does This Mean?

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:53:22 +0000

It seems we can handle almost anything in life if we know why it happened, or what it means. For example, undiagnosed physical symptoms are far more difficult to handle than a physical problem for which we can find a … Continue reading →

Extending Grace to Others

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Sun, 09 May 2010 17:05:07 +0000

The story of Nelson Mandela of South Africa inspires me like few others. These are the facts: Born in 1918, Mandela became involved in politics in 1948. He emerged as a key leader in the movement against apartheid, a system … Continue reading →

Confirmation at Community of Joy

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Sun, 02 May 2010 22:15:14 +0000

Confirmation exercises at Community of Joy took place during the worship service on Sunday, May 2nd, with the class of four students receiving certificates of Christian Knowledge, crosses provided by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and an NIV Student Bible given … Continue reading →

Resolving Conflict

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 22:59:26 +0000

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, who served from 1913-1921 and only reluctantly led the nation into World War I, winning the Nobel Peace prize in 1919, once said these wise words: “If we differ from one … Continue reading →

The Heart of a Leader

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:15:48 +0000

Several years ago, Tom Brokaw wrote a book called “The Greatest Generation,” in which he described the achievements of the “builder generation,” those old enough to have fought in World War II, who by their determination, ingenuity, and sacrifice, made … Continue reading →

Escaping Your Wilderness

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:04:55 +0000

The Old Testament character, Moses, woke up one day and found himself in a dead-end job. This one-time prince of Egypt was now someone who tended smelly old sheep for a living – and they weren’t even his. He was … Continue reading →

His Amazing Love

billy@cojlbc.org (Community of Joy Church) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:42:11 +0000

The Easter message on April 4th was a recap of an historical fictional drama written and directed by Marissa Eastling, our Director of Children’s Ministry here at Community of Joy, called “A Tale of Two Sinners.” One character was Mary … Continue reading →