ECF

Super!! this Sunday at ECF

Leigh — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:38:06 +0000

When I was a kid, there was Super Man! Since then the movies have created super everything: Super Woman, Super Boy …there’s even been Super Dog! But all of those have just been the figment of someone’s imagination.

The Bible is full of super stuff …real stuff! You can find super love and super evil …super power and super failure …super bad people turned into super good! I love how God does that …and that’s what we’re looking at this week as we continue Super Women!

Rahab didn’t wear a cape and leap over tall buildings in a single bound …but she did find super power and was used in some super ways. She got off to a bad start in life …in fact she was a prostitute. But something happened that changed her life. In the process she became a highly respected heroine and is even mentioned in the lineage of Jesus (see Joshua 2 / Matt 1:5).

God wants us to learn from this Super Woman. The message is called: Lessons From A Woman On The Road Of Life. I hope to see you at church Sunday morning.

It begins at 9:30 with super fellowship, coffee and donuts. The band begins worship at 10:00.

Blessings!

Richard

Super!! Begins this Sunday!

Leigh — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:49:14 +0000

It’s going to be a super summer at ECF! And actually, we kick it off a couple of weeks early this Sunday on Mother’s Day!

Super Women - May 13 and 20

Super Mike - Mike Knowles – May 27

Super Men - June 3, 10 and 17 (Father’s Day)

Super Worship - June 24 (the band will lead us)

Super Patriot - July 1 – Called To Fall (praying for America)

Super Marriage - July 15, 22 and 29

Our Youth are going to have a super summer …their leaders along with Taylor Fitch have great stuff lined up for the next few months.

Be sure and keep up with all the events. Check out the ECF Facebook page and website. There’s going to be lots of special events for everybody throughout the summer. Cookouts, fellowships, prayer groups, trips, Bible School….the list goes on.

Also, we’ve finally finished our new lights and we’ll be using them this week in worship. Thanks to all who helped make this possible. Also …in a few weeks, you’ll see the new sign up in front of our building. It’s going to be a real help advertising our church. It’s lighted so it will be seen day and night by thousands who drive by our building each day.

Sunday is Mother’s Day, so bring your mom for this special service as we honor all the moms and begin Super Women! The message this week is about a mother who was desperate (1 Kings 17). I’m going to show you seven steps to grow your faith.

It begins at 9:30 with super fellowship, coffee and donuts. The band begins worship at 10:00. Bring mom …and a friend.

Blessings!

Richard

Choice this Sunday at ECF

Leigh — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:10:28 +0000

Hey ECF!

We make choices about lots of things! Some of them don’t really matter much like

…do I need black running shoes or white? …do I put mustard and pickles on that sandwich? …do I buy the more expensive bathroom tissue? We can reason away about these choices, listen to commercials that seek to convince us they’re important …but at the end of life those kind of choices just don’t really matter. On the other hand, there are choices that do matter …really big ones that radically affect our lives and others! We need to make good choices! How?

For those of us who have Jesus and His word in our hearts, we know that the devil doesn’t want us to make good choices! He’s been the enemy of good choices since the very beginning. Two things he continues to use against us arediscouragement and fear. We’re all susceptible! Even some of the greatest people of faith have made terrible choices that began with discouragement and/or fear.

Sunday, we continue in the series Choices!

This week is part 4: Help!! I’m discouraged and afraid! I’m going to show you four things from scripture (1 Kings 19) that will help you when discouragement and fear come knocking at your door.

It begins at 9:30 with great fellowship, good coffee and donuts. The band begins worship at 10:00. Bring a friend.

Blessings!

Richard

Ladies’ Brunch

Leigh — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:25:37 +0000

Join us at Panera Bread on Saturday, May 12 for a sweet time of fellowship and encouragement with other ECF women. The following Monday, May 14, we will begin a Facebook accountability group called Good Morning Girls.

‘Good Morning Girls’ is a group of Christian women who use email, facebook, twitter, or text messaging to keep each other accountable for their quiet times.

Over the next three months, we will be studying the life of the Proverbs 31 woman and using Women Living Well’s FREE ebook “Proverbs 31: One Virtue at a Time”.

Whether you’re young, old, single or married, this group is for any woman who wants to pursue walking with Jesus.

Visit www.goodmorninggirls.org for more information and to download the Proverbs 31 reading materials.

We all make choices!

Leigh — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:33:23 +0000

It was more than fifty years ago, but oh how well I still remember my Dad saying,when school lets out today, you come home and start on your homework! You are not to watch TV or go out to play until you’ve finished! When I get home, I’m going to check your work. What did I do, you ask? I got home, threw my books down and headed off down the street to play with some of my buddies! And oh yes, that was a bad decision!

I knew what I was supposed to do. I knew Dad would check. I knew their would be consequences. But I chose to do the wrong thing! There wasn’t anybody else to blame but myself. I chose!

God made you and me different from all of the rest of creation …we’re made in His image. Part of how we’re different is we make choices. Animals really can’t do that. We make choices about lots of things: food, fun, friends, finances, family. We also make moral and spiritual choices …like do I believe in God …willI obey Him and lots more. Last week we started a new series calledChoices and we heard some great testimonies. This week in part two, you’re going to hear another choice testimony. Then we’ll continue with the four choices you and I need to make that will make us Godly men and women. I hope you’ll be there.

It begins at 9:30 with great fellowship, good coffee and donuts. The band begins worship at 10:00. Bring a friend.

Blessings!

Richard

Taking a Stand this Sunday at ECF

Leigh — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:08:40 +0000

Two days ago, I saw an incredibly amazing and comical thing happen on Concord Rd. There were three wild turkeys standing in the middle of the road. Not wanting to run over them, I slowed down and actually had to stop. These Gobblers were ready to fight! Pumped up on turkey adrenaline (it’s that time of the year) they were standing their ground against a two ton car! I watched in amazement as one of them actually attacked the front grille of the oncoming SUV. Not to be outdone, one of the other birds faced off with yet another car, daring it to come any further. I finally got by and drove on down the road laughing as I watched in the mirror as these three turkeys continued to stop traffic.

They were determined to stand their ground and they didn’t care how big the foe was …not even if it was 100 times their size. Now that’s taking a stand!

What would Anderson be like if all Christians here would take that kind of stand for Christ!?! What would SC be like if the family of God stood up to be counted even in the face of threatening opposition? What would our country be like if we, the church stood for Christ, in humble holiness? Living a life of Godly valor means we must take a stand!

We’ve been talking about living a life of Godly valor for the past several weeks. Valor is defined as: strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness and personal bravery. This Sunday, we’re looking at one of the greatest examples of valor in the Bible: Stephen (Acts 6-7). The message is called Living A Life Of Valor! part 5 – Standing!

Join in the fellowship Sunday morning over a cup of coffee and a donut at 9:30. Worship begins at 10:00. Invite a friend!

Also, let me encourage you to plan ahead to Easter Sunday. It’s going to be a great day of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Plan to come with your family. Invite others to come. And prepare to give to the special Easter offering.

ECF is at war, and we’re training for it this Sunday!

Leigh — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:20:16 +0000

Growing up, my very favorite thing to do was play Army. I could play it with friends or by myself. Excitement was around every corner, every bush, in every house as I gallantly fought with the enemy in my neighborhood. But that was all play. The enemy was make-believe. I had no idea that one day I truly would be in the army and it would be for real! I’m talking about Supernatural battles.

You see, we really are at war. Eph. 6:12 tells us about the battle: For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

We’re in a series on Spiritual Warfare. You and I are in a supernatural war! Last week was awesome! The fellowship, the attendance, the worship and the power of God’s word as we began by looking at theAdversary and the Ally.

This Sunday, in part 2 we look at The Anatomy of sin and the Antidote. I’m going to show you through the scriptures how the adversary wants to Ambushyou. But take heart, the Army of God wins!

I hope you’ll be there as we continue in this 5 part series called: Spiritual Warfare, The Supernatural Battles. Coffee, donuts and fellowship start at 9:30, worship at 10:00.

Richard

PS: Online giving is a secure way of supporting ECF ministries.
Online Giving: http://ecfwired.org/onlinegiving

ECF Christmas Eve Service

Leigh — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:53:28 +0000

For the past few weeks, we’ve been learning from the first chapter of Luke, asking the question: Are you ready for Christmas? So often Luke 1, gets skipped. We like to start with chapter 2. But the first chapter is part of the Christmas story too! The first chapter is so important because it’s there we learn how to be ready: Believe! Worship! Tell! You see, when we believe the Christmas story …when we worship the Christ of Christmas …when we’re telling …then we’re really ready for chapter two …we’re a people ready for the Lord!

Saturday is Christmas Eve. I hope you will be with us for this special candlelight communion service at 8:00. Enjoy being with your family at home around the tree and with the family of God around the cross.

We’re going to read through the Christmas story (Luke 2), hear lots of Christmas music and worship through the service of the Lord’s supper. We’re going to be reminded of why the Baby Jesus came. And like the three kings, we are going to bow and worship and bring an offering to the Savior. This is what being ready for Christmas is all about!

I love you and wish for you and yours a blessed and merry Christmas!!

Blessings!
Richard

Are You Ready for Christmas? Part 2

Leigh — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:13:03 +0000

Are you ready for Christmas? Everybody seems to be in a hurry these days. I heard about a woman who was in a hurry to get Christmas cards mailed out. She found a nice looking card, and without reading it, bought a box of fifty …signed and addressed all of them but one and got them in the mail. A couple of days later she looked at the one card left over and nearly passed out when she read it! On the inside it said: This card is just to say …a little gift is on the way!

With all the hustle that’s a part of our holiday, if we’re not careful, we will not be ready for Christmas because we’ll miss the most important part of the celebration: Jesus. So, with that in mind, I hope you will join us this Sunday as we continue the series How To Get Ready For Christmas! We’re in the first chapter of Luke that teaches us three things needed to really be ready this Christmas. Then on Christmas eve, plan to come to the special candlelight communion service at 8:00. Enjoy being with your family at home around the tree and with the family of God around the cross.

We’ve already heard some great testimonies and there’s more to come. It’s going to be a great time together. See you this Sunday for fellowship, coffee and donuts starting at 9:30. The band begins worship at 10:00.

Are you ready for Christmas?

Leigh — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:49:15 +0000

Are you ready for Christmas? Can you believe it’s here!?! Christmas is a big deal with millions of people all over the world. Folks are shopping, writing cards, planing dinner menus, parties, scheduling travel and special programs …I could go on and on. You know the routine. We go to a lot of trouble to get ready for Christmas.

We all need to get ready for Christmas. I’m one of the world’s worst. I used to joke that I was waiting for Christmas eve so I could start my shopping. Too many times I just wasn’t ready for Christmas.

With all the hustle that’s a part of our holiday, if we’re not careful, we will truly not be ready for Christmas and we’ll miss the most important part of the celebration. So, with that in mind, I hope you will join us the next three Sundays for How To Get Ready For Christmas! We’ll be looking at the first chapter of Luke and discover three things needed to really be ready this Christmas. Then on Christmas eve, plan to come to the special candlelight communion service at 8:00. Enjoy being with your family at home around the tree and with the family of God around the cross.

During December, we’re going to hear some special testimonies you don’t want to miss.

It’s going to be a great time together. See you this Sunday for fellowship, coffee and donuts starting at 9:30. The band begins worship at 10:00.