Sermons X 3

I preached three times this morning. I do love to preach. In fact, I
would rather preach than eat. That's really saying something, when
you consider how much I love to eat.

Speaking of eating, I am completely aggravated at myself. I gained
three pounds in three days. This morning I felt like a bloated cow.
Interesting. If you want to feel like a cow, eat like a pig. Huh?

I have been watching Brett Favre play football. He's the old guy who
is making an unbelievable comeback. For those of us who are a bit
more mature than others, but who think our best days are yet ahead,
Favre is our patron saint. Play on, Methuselah.

Twitter @john316marshall
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Funniest and Best

Here are my picks for the funniest and best Facebook posts I read
about Black Friday. Guarding the cart while the family shops. Home
from shopping, now I'm dropping. Out in the shopping madness, I must
be crazy. In line at Toys R Us, not to shop, but to laugh at crazy
moms.

Glorious time to be grocery shopping, I have whole aisles to myself.
It's good to have money flowing again, think of holiday shopping as
patriotism in action.

This isn't shopping, it's army maneuvers. Trying to get out of town,
but trapped by psychotic sale shoppers. Did my shopping at 1am in my
jammies at home.

My diet for today, celery and water. Lost my love of mankind. Need
sleep, too old for saving few dollars. It has been a good Black
Friday, our checkbook is still in the black.

I know of a Friday far blacker than this one.

ITunes Ruth Marshall
Twitter @john316marshall
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Wife and daughter

I am proud of my Ruthie. She has plowed her way through a
bureaucratic maze to get her piano music on iTunes.

She has always had grit aplenty to tackle new technologies. Go to
iTunes and type in "Ruth Marshall" for some excellent Christmas music
and hymns.

I am proud of Rebekah. Her scrap booking and craft blog http://www.yeebird.blogspot.com
has been turning heads.

The powers that be at KY-3 have asked her to do a couple of
demonstrations of her work on their weekend morning show at 7am this
Saturday, Nov 28. Want some crafty ideas for Christmas? Tune her in.

Twitter @john316marshall
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Tim Tebow

When my friend Gary Crawford, Pastor at Westside Baptist Church near
the University of Florida campus, lost his wife Freda, the second
telephone call he received was from Tim Tebow, possibly the best and
most famous player in college football. He was the first sophomore to
win the Heisman Trophy.

Tebow is an outstanding Christian gentleman. He is a self-proclaimed
virgin who is saving himself for marriage.

Tebow was born in the Philippines. His parents were Christian
missionaries. He and his siblings were homeschooled by their mother.

Tebow first caught my attention during a national championship game.
I saw "John 3:16" inscribed in his eye black. Evidently a lot of
other people did too. That night "John 3:16" was the most popular
search item on Google.

Tim has been blessed by Westside's ministry to college students. I'm
proud of the fact He called Gary.

Twitter @john316marshall
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1268

Operation Christmas Child experienced a record crop at Second this
year: 1268 shoeboxes. Half of these were made possible by our youth
department. Way to go, Ken Goodman, youth workers, and teenagers.

Speaking of children, I must tell you two precious things I heard at
church yesterday. I saw a 4-year-old child pat her pregnant mother on
the stomach and say, "Take good care of your tummy, Mommy."

Another girl in our church is memorizing the names of the books of the
Bible. She saw Psalms on her printed list and called it "The Book of
Possums." I love being a Pastor.

Twitter @john316marshall
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News

As we approach this final weekend for Operation Christmas Child, I
urge you to fill a shoebox or two before Sunday night. We will bring
our shoeboxes to the altar in our Sunday evening worship.

Keep bringing can goods to feed the poor through Grand Oak. I am
proud of you.

Four-year-old Ian: "Grandma, do you know why Ironman is called
Ironman?" "No, why?" "Because his clothes are ironed."

iTunes Ruth Marshall
Twitter @john316marshall
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Ruth iTunes Marshall

You read it right. Ruth is on iTunes. Go to iTunes, type in Ruth
Marshall, and boom!! There they are--her Christmas CD and her Hymns CD.

Move over, Elvis and the Beatles. Ruth is muscling her way in. I
cannot tell you how proud I am of my sweet Babe, Babe Ruth. Because
of her, cyberspace sounds prettier tonight.

Bob Roberts told me today that Grand Oak Mission says Second's food
and financial donations for November are running ahead of what we did
last year. One of our families purcased a pick-up truck load of food
and delivered it straight to Grand Oak.

Thank you, my dear people. You are the giving-est people I have ever
known.

Speaking of your generosity, Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes need
to be turned in this Sunday night, November 22.

Twitter @john316marshall
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Segars Coming

People keep asking when the Segars family will arrive. The answer is,
early January.

My daughter's blog http://www.yeebird.blogspot.com has some good
pictures and info about the Segars. She reminded us we Marshalls will
now have shared the ministry with three generations of the Segars,
dating all the way back to 1977.

When you add the fact Ruth's mom knew Bro. Van's mom, that means our
lives have shared four generations. It is good to be close to them
again.

Shane's first love in the ministry is discipleship. Janelle is a very
gifted administrator. Taylor and Ben are sports enthusiasts; they
write a weekly sports email newsletter I subscribe to. Riley is into
drama; he has a major role in a Christmas production right now. Caden
is everyone's Teddy Bear.

They have sold their house in Alabama, and have bought a house here.
Pray for closings, packing, moving, and adjusting to the Ozarks.

Twitter @john316marshall
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Gary Crawford

Gary's wife went to Heaven yesterday after many years of fighting cancer.
Gary is Pastor at Westside Baptist Church in Gainesville FL. He and I met
on mission trip to China in 1997. We two strangers spent a tough night in a
communist compound and have been close friends ever since. Gary came out of
a mission trip to Russia under gunfire, but said the night we spent in the
compound was much scarier.

I don't think about that night much. It's long ago now. Gary's loss of
Freda makes that distant memory seem like a party. To lose yourself, your
other self, your better (truly) half, is a grief I'd rather not contemplate.
I hugged Ruth extra hard this morning.

Pray for Gary and the family. Pray for Westside Baptist Church.

Follow me on Twitter @john316marshall
Read my blog at www.secondbaptist.org

Watch our Sunday services live on the internet, www.secondbaptist.org, at
8am, 9:30am, 11am, and 6pm, USA Central Time.

Duck Quack Theology

One of my favorite trivia questions just bit the dust. What is the
unique feature of a duck's quack? It won't echo. Wrong!!! I am
crushed.

My confidence began to stumble when my son-in-law challenged my thesis
by boldly saying he knew geese honking echoed because he could hear it
off the side of his brick house.

I immediately rose to the challenge. Google was my weapon of choice.
I typed in "Do duck quacks echo?" The answer: "Yes." The non-echoing
duck quack theory is a myth.

Nathan was gracious in victory, but I don't handle defeat well. I'm
shaken. I wonder how many other facts I may be wrong about. I'm
reminded. Even theologians need to be humble about their theological
beliefs. Quack.

Twitter @john316marshall
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Sleep Driving

I preached a missions sermon last night at First Baptist Church Union
MO. On the way home, about 11:45 pm, I was getting sleepy. Ruth woke
up in the back seat and said, "I've had a good nap, let me drive." I
said something in response. The back seat was silent. I looked at
Caleb and said, "Remember, this is the person who wanted to drive for
us."

Second has sole responsibility for feeding Springfield through Grand
Oak Mission throughout November. Load up your shopping carts. Fill
your car trunks. Let's share our bounty with the poor.

Tomorrow night we will host the ordination of Clay DeWoody to the
Gospel ministry. Clay grew up at Second, graduated from Southwestern
Seminary, and is the new Pastor at Unity Baptist Church in Fayette
MO. It's always an honor to ordain one of our own.

Twitter @john316marshall
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Cyberspacing

Yes, you read it right. I have created a new word, a prerogative I
like to exercise at times. Cyberspacing refers to things people do in
cyberspace.

Why create a word? Here's my story. I have kept a diary every day
since July 20, 1976, the day Viking I landed on Mars. Each day I
chronicle activities I've done. I grew weary of repeatedly writing
out emailed, texted, blogged, tweeted, and Face Booked. I decided to
lump them under one umbrella. Presto!! Cyberspacing.

I'm reminded of President Jackson's response when someone made fun of
his spelling. "It's a very narrow way of thinking to say a word can
be spelled only one way." I think it's a very narrow way of thinking
to say a noun cannot be verbized. Did I just create another new word?

Twitter @john316marshall
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Why The Yankees?

What makes a long term champion? Why are the Yankees always around?
Grandpa knew of Babe and Lou. Dad watched Joe. I was a rabid fan of
Mickey (I still try to imitate his walk). And now my grandsons know
about the Bronx Bombers.

What's the deal? Our first response is always "Infinite Money." That
certainly helps, but can't explain it all. Surely some of it has to
do with heritage and legacy, always knowing you have a huge past to
live up to. Over the entrance to the Yankees clubhouse is DiMaggio's
quote, "It's a privilege to be a Yankee."

Some of it has to do with the New York City mystique. You're just
expected to do better in the Big Apple. This hasn't helped the Mets,
though.

Okay. I give up. Maybe it is the money. I wonder if Bill Gates and
Warren Buffett would like to buy the Cardinals.

Twitter @john316marshall
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