Devotion for June 15, 2009: “Try the Lord!”
Psalm 34:8
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. “
One of my enjoyable moments in life is when my wife Leslie asks me to taste something she is cooking. It lets me know that something good is on the way.
The Psalmist said to taste and see that the Lord is good. If we simply are willing to take a little of the Lord in, we will want more. The Psalmist was so certain that God is good that he added, “Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
How do we “taste and see”? That is what the 90 days of Catch the Wave is all about. It is to help you find a new, meaningful relationship with the Lord.
The story is told of the woman who wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand. When asked why, she explained that she loved dessert. When dining with friends in their homes she was delighted when asked her to keep her fork – because she knew the best was yet to come. She wanted a fork in her hand to say to all who viewed her body that she believed the best was yet to come.
Get ready. We will start with a taste, but by the grace of God we will get to the best of God in these days ahead. Get ready! We’re going to catch a wave!
QUESTIONS:
1. How would you describe the way you approach God?
___ I “taste.”
___ I “hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
2. Do you want a holy passion for God and His ways? Explain:
Meet “Bro. Ray”
A Little About Me
I am seldom referred to as Dr. England, but I am better known as “Bro. Ray.” I was born and raised in the small Kentucky town of Campbellsville. I graduated from both Campbellsville University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville where I earned both the master’s degree and a Ph.D. in New Testament Greek. I have been married to Leslie (Lalosh) for over 30 years. We have three daughters: Mary Beth (Mrs. Dale Potts), Jennifer (Mrs. Todd Elkins), and Stoya (soon to be Mrs. Dustin Hastings). Recently Mary Beth and Dale presented us with our first grandchild – Wesley.
In over 30 years of ministry, I have been a staff minister, taught in college and seminary settings, served on the foreign mission field, but mostly have served as pastor of churches in Kentucky.
It is my blessing to be the senior pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Greenville, Kentucky since December 1999. Second Baptist has been a joy to pastor with wonderful men and women of God working together in ministry to accomplish God’s purposes. I love the church I pastor and the people both in our church and in the community.
I enjoy competitive sports, having played basketball and run cross-country in high school. For many years (when I was younger and slimmer) I enjoyed weight lifting. I am now back in the gym and loving lifting weights on a smaller scale.
It has been a joy sharing my wife Leslie’s passion for the theater. I have served with her on the Board of Directors of our community theater group MCTI. In 2007 I had my first stage role, the supporting role of “Teddy” in the local production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Leslie has directed several MCTI production, recently Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. She works with our Minister of Worship on the annual Easter Pageant.
Other than the Lord, the greatest joys in my life are my wife Leslie and our three daughters and their husbands, and now Wesley. They are a blessing to me.
God has graced me many times more than I deserve. God is good — all the time!
Road Trip 2010
The theme for sermons and activities for the 2010 Summer
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