Sermon Notes and Bogey Putts

JFBC Clay Smith sermon notes: every human being is made in the image of God.

Ephesians 3:1-3 what would you ask Paul if you had the chance? Why did you do the things you did? He was a Hebrew among Hebrews. Always had two names.

Not sure if Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin. If so that meant he had been married. Paul severely persecuted Christians. Violently. Was headed to persecute more when he ran into the resurrected Christ. Of all people Jesus picked Paul, basically a terrorist, to grow the church, to explain the mystery of the Christ. Meant that the Gentiles were fellow heirs with the Jews. Look at all the ground Paul covered preaching the Gospel. His goal was to get to Spain, which was the end of the earth at that time. Paul's life was hard, after earlier living the life of luxury.

2 Cor 11:18-28 life was hard: flogged 5 times, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned. Not just physical hardship but mental, emotional, and spiritual.

v 8 considered himself the least of the saints. Enlighten all people about the riches of Christ.

v 10 is mind-boggling. Heavenly beings in the spirit world. God is multi-faceted. His imprisonment was for the people's glory. He didn't have to do all this - he GOT to. It was a privilege for him.

We have the same privileges...

1. We get to tell people about Jesus. We get to walk the walk.

2. We get to pray. That there would be workers for the harvest. That doors would be opened

3. We get to give.

4. We get to care, which is radical these days.

5. We get to go. JFBC wants to send 35 to go out.

A. Partnering to build mission churches in NYC for the next ten years

B. North Africa

Tuesday early AM golf: teed off a little before 7 AM. Had the course to myself.

1. Hit driver off the senior tee. Sliced right but playable. Decent distance. Second shot with my hybrid. Pretty good. Hit a Mulligan and it wound up in the exact same place. My chip was a worm burner, but it rolled up the hill onto the green. Two putt for bogey.

2. Hit my hybrid off the tee. It flew straight. Decent length but nothing to write home about. First chip stopped near the edge of the green (mulligan rolled past the green). Two putt for the second bogey in a row.

3. Six iron down hill. Long lag putt rolled close, then sank my par putt. Cooking with gas.  

4. I didn't see where my 3 wood went, so I hit a second - a worm burner straight down the fairway I chipped it on the green. Found my first ball over on the right fringe. Another long lag putt, and sank the putt for another par.  

5. Hit two 3 woods, both in the fairway. The second one went further, almost to the fringe. Long lag putt, then two putt for bogey. Three over after five holes was a record for me.

6. Hit driver off the senior tee. The first ball faded right, but playable. Second shot was another wormburner. Got a good roll, as far as my first shot, but straighter. My second shot was a good long hybrid. Middle of the fairway. My third shot was another hybrid to the fringe. I was putting for par on the longest hole on the course. That's where it all fell apart. Four putt.  

7. My first tee shot with the driver was another wormburner that got a good roll halfway up the hill. Mulligan sliced right but went just as far. My second shot, a hybrid, sailed up the hill to the plateau (my mulligan went the same place). Third shot was another good hybrid to the fringe. Putting for par on another long hole. I two putted for a rare bogey on hole seven.  

8. Hit three wood off the tee. It faded right but bounced back toward the center of the fairway. A greenskeeper stopped down near the hole. I promptly flubbed my approach. Poked a five iron down the hill. My chip sailed left. Three putts.  

9. Decent three wood up hill, giving me the same shot I'd the previous Saturday - when I poked my chip all the way to the first tee box. This time I flubbed chip after chip. After chipping well the whole round, I had finally given out. Knocked one across the fairway into the left rough, where I actually putted out of the fringe, across the fairway and up the hill onto the green. My first try rolled to the back of the green. I tried again and knocked it close. Of course I missed the putt. Finished up at 8:20 and headed off to work, making work calls on the way.

BOOTS POFFENBERGER  [SABR Bio] Ta former Tigers' pitcher, his image was used on a recruiting poster for the U.S. Marines during World War II. Click here for poster. He did serve in the Marines during the war. In his first start in the majors, he defeated Lefty Grove and the Red Sox, on 11-Jun-1937. The subtitle of his biography is "Hurler, Hero, Hell-Raiser". Book was written by Austin Gisriel.