myrtle beach

Valentine's Day is past for this year, along with all the sweet expressions of love found on cards and other places. If I were to ask you what three little words were most often found on greeting cards, whether it is for Valentine's Day or for some other special occasion, what would those three little words be? You got it! 'I love you." There are three other words which early Christians used quite often to show their faith in Jesus Christ.

Rather than telling you these words now, stay with us and let's uncover them together. These words are the title of today's sermon.

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Everybody knows that we are all here on this earth for only a limited time; we are not here to stay. We will all eventually die, unless the Lord comes back first. Well, suppose you knew that your time would be up in about one week. What message would you want to leave behind for your loved ones? This is exactly what Jesus faced, and today we are going to look at what He left as some of His parting words. They are certainly worth considering. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

The sermon this morning begins with some well-known words from the poet, Edgar Guest:

"I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one any day ..."

Surely we all would agree with those sentiments, even the greatest preacher would have to say "Amen" to that also. But where do we go to SEE a sermon? Is this talking about a sermon on TV, or does it refer to something else? In the Bible, we have the record of what both Jesus and the Apostle Paul had to say about this. So the question for us is found in the title of today's sermon: "Profession or Practice?" Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Today we are blessed again to have a guest minister to bring the sermon. He is Rev. Rich McLawhorn, who, along with his wife, Jody, are regular attenders at our worship services each week here at Ocean Lakes. Last Sunday Rev. McLawhorn clarified many false ideas being discussed in our decaying culture about what is called "love." Today he will follow up on this subject by discussing an example of genuine love, as illustrated in the actions of Jesus. We look forward now to hearing God's word from Rev. McLawhorn, as he brings the message, which is entitled, "What Is 'Love?' Thank you for worshiping with us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Today we have a special treat in store for us. We are blessed to have a guest minister to bring the sermon this morning. He is Rev. Rich McLawhorn, who, along with his wife, Jody, are regular attenders at our worship services each week. Rev. McLawhorn has been very active throughout his pastoral ministry, serving in various capacities, not only as pastor of churches, but also in many other places of Christian service. We look forward now to hearing God's word from Rev. McLawhorn, as he brings the message, which is entitled, "Two Pictures and One Message." Thank you for worshiping with us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

For the past several Sundays we have been thinking together on some of the basics of our Christian faith. We have explored the meaning of that big word, "Regeneration," or as Jesus told Nicodemus, "You must be born from above" - a new kind of birth. Then we asked the question, "How Can I Be Sure I Am a Christian?" Last Sunday we dealt with the probing issue of whether or not what we profess carries over from Sunday to Monday. Today the scriptural basis for the sermon is Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9, which makes very plain how we are made right with God. Join us again as we look at this very important matter. Are YOU right with God? Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Have you ever known a person who, to all outward appearances, was a fine, upstanding, wonderful Christian, as you observed that person in church on Sundays? All is well when you see how loving, kind, and active that one is, but when you have some dealings with that person during the week, you would think that you have an entirely different person. What is done on Sundays is not at all like what happens on Monday through Saturday.

Our sermon today is entitled, "Monday Morning Christianity." This should be a subject of interest to us all, so let's jump right in and explore what is meant by "Monday Morning Christianity."

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

If you were to walk down the street and ask the average person, "Do you think you'll go to heaven when you die?" you might get a variety of answers. But suppose you were in a church somewhere and you asked someone, "How can you be sure you are a Christian? You might get an equal mixture of answers. Is it presuming on God to say, "Yes, I am a Christian?" Is the person who affirms, "I know I am a Christian" lacking in proper humility? What about you? Our subject today is "How Can I Be Sure I Am a Christian?" The way we answer that will be a good index, not only to our eternal destiny, but also to our happiness here on earth. Let's look at this question together this morning. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

The title of today's message is "Regeneration." You may be quick to ask, "What could be more boring, less interesting, than a subject like that?" This word is one that preachers sometimes throw around in sermons, and it sounds very intelligent, scholarly, and very theological - - but what does it mean, and how can this be something that I need to be concerned about? Well, stay with us for a few minutes, and I think we will see that this subject is of extreme importance to every one of us. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

As we think about the subject for today, looking back at this past Christmas, I want ask two questions: What did you GET for Christmas? The second question is "What did you GIVE someone for Christmas?" We often think of gifts we have received, but what about what we have given? Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and so as we look back now for a few days, we are thinking this morning about Christmas gifts. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

We welcome you to our worship service today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C. On this final Sunday in the year 2023, we look backward over the events of the Christmas celebration and take one look at two groups of people who are important for us before we close this chapter. These are the Wise Men and the shepherds. They each have something to teach us and where we go from here. As today we turn the page from another calendar year, we pray that God's richest presence and blessings will be with you in 2024. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Can we believe that Christmas for another year has already arrived?

Tomorrow is that special day when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Are we ready for this? That's the subject of today's message, and the implication is that being ready means much more than is ordinarily thought of. All of us here at Ocean Lakes wish and pray that all our listeners who join us by podcast will have a blessed and meaningful Christmas day

tomorrow. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

For the past two Sundays, we have been thinking about two people who were very important parts of the Christmas story: Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph, the earthly father. Today our subject is "The Holy Child of Bethlehem" and this is the central person in the entire story. Our scriptural basis for today is Luke, chapter 2. Let's look at the background of some of the people mentioned at the first of this chapter and see how God worked to bring to pass, not only the miraculous birth, but also how God can work a miracle of "new birth" in our lives. Truly, "It is no secret what God can do."

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Last Sunday we centered our thoughts on "The Forgotten Man at Christmas." Today we turn our thoughts to another person in the Christmas drama, but this person is far from forgotten. No, once again, we're not thinking about Jesus, but rather at the other earthly parent of our Lord. It is Mary, the mother of Jesus. What was it like to give birth to the One who would be the Savior of mankind? A popular Christmas song is "Mary, Did You Know?" and today we will look at the one God chose for this special honor. Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Have you ever had the terrible experience of realizing all too late that you had forgotten to send someone a Christmas card, or even forgotten to get that person a gift, when all the while you had fully intended to do so? Christmas is a time when we realize that we may have forgotten some very important things or people in our lives. The sermon today is about "The Forgotten Man at Christmas." You might assume that we'll be thinking about Jesus, who truly is sometimes forgotten amidst all the festivities of the season. But that's not the man who is our subject today. Then just who is it? Stay with us, and we'll find out.

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

We welcome you to our worship service today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Are you ready for Christmas? Well, that's a bit early to be asking that question, isn't it? What will "getting ready for Christmas" mean for you? It surely should be more than just getting all the gifts bought, wrapped, and put under the tree. More than planning all the meals for the season. More than making travel plans to go visit family. More than all of these. But if we are going to get ready for the real observance of the birth of Jesus, what will that involve? That's our subject for today. Prayerfully, these next few minutes might help us all to get ready.

Can you believe that Thanksgiving Day is only a few days away? This day has been a tradition in America for quite a few years now. This morning we will look at a few of our origins of this day and then turn our attention to the real reason for the day, which is not only "giving thanks" but also "living thanks." If we do both of these -- giving and living thanks - - what will it look like in our lives? There are three things I think it will be: intelligent, positive, and active. Let's think about these for a few minutes.

Have you ever heard the expression, “We’re living in quite a day! The world has gone to the dogs.” That sounds very pessimistic, but that observation is not new at all. Hundreds of years ago a man named Peter preached a sermon in which he called for people to “save yourselves from this crooked world.” His sermon is recorded in the Book of Acts in the New Testament. Today we’re going to be looking at what some people call our day, “The Age of Paradox.”

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Have you ever thought what it would be like to die? Well, that's not a very pleasant question, is it? Do we just float away into nothingness? Do we see a bright light at the end of the tunnel? Is this life on earth all that there is? There are many different opinions as to what happens to us when we die. Christians say that there is life after death, and that a home in heaven is reserved for all who know Jesus as their Savior. Is that just fanciful thinking, or is it really true? How can we believe in life after death? This is our subject for today. It can be a very happy thought. That's where we are going to end this morning, so stay with us until the BETTER end.

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

A popular opinion among many people today, including many people who have their names on the role of some church, is that the organized church has seen its day. It is now time to discard the church as we know it. While many might not be so bold as to say this, the actions of millions of people in America, as well as elsewhere, would indicate that the church is a "sinking ship." There is much reliable research to support that view. But are we all ready to "throw in the towel" and abandon the church which has been a part of the heritage of many of us? Our subject today is "How Can We Believe in the Church?" Unless your mind is already totally closed on this matter, let's look at this question together.

Thank you for joining us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.