A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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Monday, April 15, 2013
 Saturday morning we passed this perfectly manicured farm near Rothsville, PA (Click here for a larger photo)  Listen to this message on your audio player.
"A Lesson On Starts"
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).  This Monday morning some twenty-five thousand runners are gathering in Hopkinton, MA for the start of the Boston Marathon. What a place of excitement mixed with a bit of suspense as to who will win, who will place, who will finish and who will drop out!We have a lot of starts in life. Our first start was at our conception and of course our birth. We started walking and we started kindergarten. The many different types of starts in life are far too numerous to mention but you get the overall idea. This weekend we witnessed a contrast in starts. On Friday night Brooksyne came alongside a friend as they witnessed the love of her life slip into eternity. For many years she devoted her life to caring for his medical and emotional needs, but she now starts a new chapter as she continues life without him. On Saturday we attended a wedding and saw a young couple start a new chapter in their life; the start of their lives together as a married couple. What an honor to witness their solemn exchange of vows. We'll share several photos and some reflections of this joyous occasion below our message.  On Sunday we saw Bethany Lynn, who started coming to church for the first time since her birth on April 2 (though Bethany attended church faithfully as a preborn infant and the youngest on the praise team). In several weeks her parents will stand with her before the congregation at her dedication. Her parents faithfully fulfilled their duties as the scheduled greeters yesterday greeting us and handing us a bulletin each at an entrance. Those arriving through the front entrance saw Ken holding Bethany as he distributed the bulletins!Starts can be joyful or grievous. Some we look forward to with joyous anticipation, others with sorrow, coupled with fear of the new start. Many of these "starts" become a defining moment on our timeline. So many are good, but others like he or she "started using cocaine", "started a prison term" are certainly not desirable! But God is with us in all the starts of life, both planned and unplanned, desirable and even the undesirable. A start which we can all share is our start as a new believer in Christ. John Newton described this start in his hymn, Amazing Grace, as "the hour I first believed". Some of us can pinpoint our salvation experience to a precise hour. In my experience I had rejected the notion of following Christ when my older brother first shared the gospel with me in May of 1971. That Summer I was persuaded to attend an evangelistic meeting and on Sunday evening, August 22, I believed and accepted the Lord about 9:00 PM. But many are unable to pinpoint the precise time they started their Christian life, especially those who came to Christ as children. Of course their experience is no less legitimate though I have spoken to believers who are bothered at their inability to pinpoint a precise starting point in their Christian walk. Today's Bible text is among my many favorites. In fact it was the first text I preached from as a Bible School student. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1). It speaks of the most important race in our life; our spiritual race that starts when we come to Christ, the surrendering of that which might cause us to drop out of the race, and the perseverance to stay the course till we are called home to be with the Lord. Have you started and are you faithfully running this race? Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, Your grace has no measure and it was graciously extended to me the hour I first believed and started my spiritual race. You not only prepared the way but You also run alongside me and enable me to throw off those things that hinder or weigh me down. You've given me an enduring spirit to stay on course during the desirable and undesirable starts of new chapters in my life. It's not the one who runs the swiftest, nor the one who runs for a day, but it's the one who endures to the end that will be saved. I want to be among that number, and by Your grace, I will receive the eternal rewards that come to those who finish well. And then I start the next chapter that never has an ending; that of living in heaven and praising You for all eternity. I can hardly wait. Amen.This Saturday we were blessed to attend the wedding of Justin and Ashley Eberly, a young couple living their lives for Christ. Ashley attended the small country church we served in Mastersonville, PA and became very special to us.  Kerry Martin, the pastor of the church Justin and Ashley now attend, conducted the ceremony and I preached the message. He did a great job and I learned it was his first wedding to officiate. Since my credentialing in 1976 I have conducted many weddings and it is a blessed aspect of ministerial service.  After the service we gathered with Justin and Ashley for a family photo.  A member of the church who owns a used car lot let Justin pick his choice of car for the getaway. They roared off from the church to the reception hall in this Mustang! As you can see in the background the church is in a beautiful country setting.  At the reception Ashley, who is a graphic artist, prepared this informative "About You" welcome poster for the guests. Among other guest info were the ages of those in attendance ranging from -2 months (pre-born) to 89 years; the guests' association with Justin and Ashley; those who traveled farthest and so forth. We thought this to be a great idea. (Click here to enlarge). Jesse and Wilma were the oldest couple in attendance with Jesse being the 89 year old on the welcome poster. During an open mic time of sharing at the reception it warmed out hearts to see him slowly, with the aid of a cane, make his way to the front and speak words of commendation and blessing on the newly married couple. Jesse and Wilma recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary.  On a lighter note: Several weeks ago we received a request from our Amish friends that we help them find a good, safe and affordable trampoline. The children had saved up money from doing chores and were going in together to make the big purchase. We had studied it out online and while walking through a BJ's store saw one that we thought would suit them. I called them from the store and Anna put the younger children on the speakerphone as I described it. They were so excited! Friday evening we drove over to their farm and dropped it off. Eli James was the first to meet us before the others came out. The two older children paid me in fifty dollar bills. I expect the next time we are over that way we will see the trampoline all set up! More work for a hard working farmer dad.Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "When I Say I Do" Video Matthew West The best man and one of the groomsmen sang this song during the time Justin and Ashley lit the unity candle and shared private communion together. This song represents the start of a marital union. Here are two interesting perspectives in song for those who now start the journey of life without their loved one: "Don't Cry, I Am Home" Audio Unseen This moving song caught Stephen's and my attention as it played on the radio. It's the first time we heard it and we both were deeply touched by its message. It will touch your heart as well, especially those enduring fresh grief. "Don't Cry For Me" Video Not specified "Till The Storm Passes By" Video Ben Speer and Homecoming singers We have some very special people on our hearts who experienced a double loss this last week and we prayerfully dedicate this song to them. On a lighter note: We gathered last night for some old-time gospel music by a men's group, quartet and duet. Curt, a friend of ours, along singing in a quartet shared a song that he said was his grandpa's favorite. Brooksyne reminisced that it was also among her dad's favorite songs and was sung often in her southern gospel upbringing. Video |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 12/31/12)  Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider an offering to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. Click here to donate online.2013 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 4/14/13: $5,690.00. We express thanks to all who support our ministry! SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR it was forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or as an email subscription through Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter: The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. Please feel free to pass these messages on! Our other blogs: "A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) (Note: This material is satire!) "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.
Personal Mission Statement
"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."  How to become a child of God Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. Other versions are also occasionally used.
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
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