What's good about GOOD FRIDAY?

What's good about GOOD FRIDAY? These graves with heads pointing west and feet pointing east will one day be resurrected because of Friday's crucifixion and Sunday's resurrection. These graves will one day emulate His glorious resurrection. Next - Death, a real threat of hell and the grave all destroyed as Christ resurrects all who believe.  He paid our sin debt and redeemed us from our great sin. NOW THAT WAS A GOOD FRIDAY!

Little Caesars Love Kitchen at Good News at Noon

 Good News at Noon-979 Davis Street--(send donations to PO Box 1577) Gainesville,GA 30503
We are a homeless and community ministry in Gainesville, GA located between the Melrose government housing and the chicken plants in chicken city! To serve contact pastor Fletcher Law fletcherlawgnn@gmail.com

Little Caesars Love rolled into Good News on March 4th 2015 for lunch

Come work with our volunteers like this crazy ladies group called Monica's Mafia.

Little Caesars sent their kitchen and crew from the corporate office in from Detroit, MI! 

 We serve lunch & evening meals, provide a homeless shelter & distribute clothes,  work with youth for one reason.  What Is it? To show Jesus,  #LiftJesusUp!,  to this lost and hurting world.

 Here is our Pastor Dr. Fletcher Law with our founder and Bible Teacher Mr. Beckstein or "Mr. B."
He founded Good News at Noon over 25 years ago with his late wife Margie.

Come meet Thomas Ramirwz our homeless shelter director.

Come shake hands with Mr. B before lunch at our shelter.  He will bless you!

               Come here Frank Moore Jr. sing at lunch.  He is Mr. B's son.  See the resemblance.

 Come meet Hannah Parker our Director of Youth and Children.  She can put you to work.

Come meet our director of Operations and warehouse manager "Smiling Mike" Robinson.

These ladies are 2 of hundreds of church, business and family volunteers who help us serve over 55,000 meals a year.

                         

The start of a great noon meal.  The dining hall will soon be full.

Matthew 9:37-38 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

                 Come to Good News at Noon and 

                                # Lift Jesus Up!

                 to a lost, hungry and hurting world.

Good News at Noon - 979 Davis Street - Donations PO Box 1577 - Gainesville,GA 30503

shelter phone Phone:(770) 503-1366

contact Pastor Fletcher Law fletcherlawgnn@gmail.com 

Fred Craddock, Candler School of Theology, Elvis and Graceland

        

As many who study preaching know, the renowned preacher and former Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament Emeritus for the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Fred Craddock, has passed away. He modeled a new wave of narrative preaching that was accepted and copied by many.

While taking a graduate class at another seminary in a preaching class I did a project about him using video clips.  His sermons had Baptist, Church of God and Bible Church ministers responding possitivly and with explosive laughter.  They focused in while Fred Craddock on DVD told many of his memorable stories that wove Scripture into his experience.

Dr. Craddock’s passing had me recalling my days at Candler.  Why? I never got to take any of his classes as he retired from Emory right before I attended there.  Many of his students gleefully told me of the great times and memories they had as he impacted their preaching education.

I love preaching and preachers that have a passion that brings their gifts into service to present the gospel to the lost.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

“18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

Unfortunately a few preachers flat out try to copy sermons, preaching styles, and stories as their own.  Nobodies unique gifts can be fully copied. I once heard in preacher of a prominent mega-church use Craddock’s  “once a church now BBQ  restaurant” illustration.  The preacher changed to his own personal story and experience.  Ouch.  Craddock published his stories.

It also reminded me when a heralded Candler professor shared with a class about a student of hers who told about a discussion of alcohol in the church she ministered. Our teacher relayed that her former student said to the congregation in a discussion after a sermon (supposedly) “Jesus drank wine.”  A little old church lady piped in “I would have thought a lot more of him if he didn’t.”  In class the professor had gotten misty eyed about this story's conclusion.  She thought it was tragic when in fact the story in its original was one of great humor.

I did not have the heart to tell my professor that it was amazing Jerry Clower, the famous Southern humorist, who told a similar story that was a punch line in his book

‘Life Everlaughter: The Heart and Humor of Jerry Clower’.

 

In my graduate preaching class, where as I student a presented the Craddock DVDs, my fellow students of preaching loved what we heard in Craddock's sermons. In class it was noted that his many imitators did not seem to really get it or that we all have a style of their own. Our class professor said some take it as far as having a “hermeneutic of suspicion” when approaching the Biblical text. Now a continual stream of sarcasm is in some preachers weekly message.  That means snarkiness, which is non-synonymous with the gospel.  Copying Craddock in all detail makes no more sense than preachers who used to wear Hawaiian shirts because Rick Warren used to.  Many Hawaiian shirt wearing preachers in rural North Georgia did not seem to grasp that they preached in a different environment than under evangelized southern California.  We have the same gospel to resent with the gifts of many different preachers.

Jude 1: 3 tells us “… that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”  

My regret is that I never had Fred Craddock as my preaching teacher.  At Candler I felt at times like I was at Graceland and told “Elvis has left the building” for good.  Instead at Candler the implied sentiment was “Craddock has left the building”  "He was great."  Like the old Jimmy Buffett live album title "You Should Have Been There."

I value great teachers.  We need to imitate one in preaching essence.  Our Savior put up the carpentry tools early.  He was the greatest preacher. 

In His first sermon in Mark 1:15  He said “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Lent message > Why Is He -Jesus Christ - Worthy of Worship By You?

Lent message 

Why Is He -Jesus Christ - Worthy of Worship By You?

The Holy God Hates sin and loves you the sinner.

The plan A from the Old Testament was God paying your debt with his greatest love -His son.

Isaiah 53:10 New International Version (NIV)
"10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes[a] his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand."

He took your punishment on the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
"21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

That is why you have the blessing of lent
when told from Mark 1:14-15
"Repent and believe the good news!”

‪#‎LiftJesusUp‬!

SEC power rating the last 8 years - and why recruiting is more important than coaching (and why some cheat)

Included is a list of NFL players from the SEC schools.

It also strongly compares to the ranking and success of these schools

football success considering the last 8 years.

Why is there such big coverage about recruiting each winter?

Talent wins games.   Sorry, million dollar coaches.

Saban and  Calipari are dominating with the talent rich Alabama football

and Kentucky basketball future pros.

Do you really think they would be where they financially if they

moved to Western Carolina or Missouri State?

This is why people cheat in football recruiting.

(No accusations-but it is the motivation for cheating when it happens.)

The list is from high to low listing schools with NFL player.

Listed also are some of the SEC school’s better known players.

These numbers are a strong and I think accurate correlation to the success of teams

 in the SEC the last 8 years considering their good and bad years,

 not just 2013 and 2014.

Tennessee seems high here but they weregood in the Fulmer days and these

older pros listed below played mostly then.

Missouri, Ole Miss and Texas A&M seem low but

this of course does take into account now  of future NFL players

 on their improved rosters now due to better recruiting.

Saturday Down South listed the number of NFL players from each SEC school and some of their players.

TEAM    NO. OF PLAYERS               NOTEABLES

#1 Alabama       42             Julio Jones, Eddie Lacy, Dre Kirkpatrick, C.J. Mosley

#2 LSU              42             Odell Beckham Jr., D. Bowe, Jeremy Hill, Patrick Peterson

#3 Georgia        39            M. Stafford, Geno Atkins, A.J. Green, Knowshon Moreno

#4 Florida          36             Carlos Dunlap, Joe Haden, Percy Harvey, M. Pouncey

#5 Tennesse      31           Peyton Manning, Arian Foster, Jason Witten, Jerod Mayo

#6 Auburn         27           Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, Karlos Dansby, Ronnie Brown

#7 S, Carolina   28           Alshon Jeffery, Jadeveon Clowney, John Abraham, Melvin Ingram

#8 Texas A&M 25           Johnny Manziel, Mike Evans, Ryan Tannehill, Von Miller

#9 Missouri       22           Aldon Smith, Jeremy Maclin, Ziggy Hood, Blaine Gabbert

#10 Ole Miss    19           Eli Manning, Patrick Willis, Mike Wallace, Michael Oher

#11 Arkansas    15           Peyton Hillis, Darren McFadden, Jason Peters, Jarius Wright

#12 Miss State  15           Fletcher Cox, Johnthan Banks, Darius Slay, K.J. Wright

#13 Kentucky    14           Randall Cobb, Stevie Johnson, Tim Masthay, Jacob Tamme

#14 Vanderbilt  11           Jay Cutler, Jordan Matthews, Zac Stacy

The Paradox of Coach Jim Lofton By Fletcher Law, assistant coach 1991-1993, North Hall

      Written in June 2014 and re-posted after Coach Jim Lofton's funeral.

                                  The Paradox of Coach Jim Lofton

                                       By Fletcher Law, assistant coach 1991-1993, North Hall

Coach Jim Lofton has built a well-known reputation for his football coaching and Christian character.

What is less known about him by those who did not know him in his coaching career is perhaps his equal devotion to teaching.  This was never in doubt working for him.  This is another lesson young coaches can learn from him.  As a young assistant he made a lasting impression on how a coach has a calling to teach your academic area, your sport and character by example.

A vivid memory of mine was once walking out of the North Hall field house through the washroom.

Future Clemson Tiger and NFL lineman Corey Hulsey, all 6’4 and 330 plus pounds of him and fully dressed out in pads, was sitting on the washer with his helmet by his side.  Coach Lofton was standing by him with an open book.  It was not a playbook on how to block 14 Blast.  Coach had in his hand an English Literature book helping Corey with Shakespeare.  Many people would not know that Coach had a master’s degree in English from Emory University.  I was surprised to learn that Corey was not even in Coach Lofton’s class.  Coach was delaying getting on the field for Lit for a student who also was a football player.  

As a new coach I was warned by defensive coordinator David Stephens about Coach Lofton’s intensity on the sideline on a Friday night.  Another paradox about Coach Lofton was our practices were teaching sessions.  Game days were different.  The coin had been flipped and the kick-off team I headed up was huddling up ready to start the game.  Coach Lofton grabbed my shoulder and hollered “I can’t believe that!”  “What?” was my shocked and puzzled response.  Coach said “There’s (name deleted to protect the guilty) in the stands.  I taught him freshman Health and he played here four years.  And now he is up there smoking a cigarette.”  In shock and disappointment he added “After all I taught him.”  Teaching freshman Health class was as important as Literature or running the 14 Blast or 20 trap properly.

One practice I was concerned about telling Coach that I had to leave early on the next day’s practice because the school I taught at was having a PTA meeting.  He told me sternly that it concerned him  greatly to see coaches not take teaching seriously.  He told me once at practice he was concerned about having a soft drink ad on the scoreboard.  Coach was concerned about what even his students drank and ate for snacks.  He believed in his system he had formulated by being a student.  He was always improving himself and refining his system to see why he included certain stretches and exercises and play calls.  He had a system and he was always refining it. He taught his assistant coaches his system.  We all knew what all eleven were to do on every play.  He and we knew what all eleven were to do on defense.

One of his assistants told me a clinic story.  Coach Lofton was listening to Bill Yeoman the inventor of the Houston veer offense speak.  Coach asked the big time college coach what the backside tackle was to do on the outside veer.  The “expert” coach told Coach Lofton he did not know.  This was astounding for Coach.  This is perhaps why were to be taught the idea of the “big picture”.

Coach Lofton taught and led his assistant coaches in a clear direction.  We followed him. The players were to follow us.  There was no paradox in this.  Where could he have learned how to lead, coach and teach by character in all things?  The Apostle Paul wrote- 

1 Corinthians 11:1  (NIV) “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

The Fake War On Christmas (and the war people are ignorant of)

The Fake War On Christmas (and the war people are ignorant of)

The war on Christmas is over.

In fact there never really was one.

Few really are bothered by “Santa Baby” sliding down their chimney tonight.

Certainly not non-believers in the Savior who having sung songs about “The Savior’s” birth have and made millions of on Christmas.

They do not know who “The Savior” is or what He saves from but the royalty checks cash. Maybe that is why some think there is a war on Christmas.

From the days of Bing Crosby movies like White Christmas the subject of “The Savior” has been artfully avoided.  Maybe that is why some think there is a war on Christmas.

I am all for Santa fun and the spirit of generosity taken from the history of Saint Nicholas.  Sometimes Santa stuff is stupid.

Maybe that is why some think there is a war on Christmas.

Jesus (meaning Savior) Christ (his title as the Anointed One) or Jesus of Nazareth has always been left out of society.  It is well stated that at times in English and early American history that the revelry of Christmas has at times been outlawed due to the wild partying that alarmed society.  Maybe that is why some think there is a war on Christmas.

Thousands of hours of many Christmas specials have been made without covering the topic of this salvation subject concerning the Savior's birth celebrated at Christmas.  Maybe that is why some think there is a war on Christmas.

Rare is the Savior exalting Christmas film like “It’s A Wonderful Life” in which you can hear at the climax the Charles Wesley hymn about “God and sinners reconciled.”

And yes you have some new to the secularizing of society people having a tantrum about hearing Merry Christmas and having to be escorted off a plane.  Maybe that is why people think there is a war on Christmas.

Being rude to Christians is not exactly King Herod material.  It is not a policy of genocide against male infants to kill a perceived political rival to keep Christ off the planet.

There is no war on Christmas.

I repeat - there is no war on Earth on Christmas.

2,000 years ago Herod tried to murder the baby Jesus.

The Old Testament prophecy of the coming Jewish Savior led to persecution of the Jewish people – His people.

There is no war on Christmas.

There is a war.

The war is a rebellion led by the people He came to save.

The war is waged against those who talk about our great sin and the only solution -

A SAVIOR.

There was a war against the celebrated infant.

Secular society and the evil one really like this war covered up.

No war on Christmas - just Christ and His message.

He said "it finished."

He laid down His life at the murderers feet (us).

Jesus Christ said in  Matthew 20:28

"... to give His life a ransom for many.”

The Savior was resurrected and now rules.

The Christmas Babe was slaughtered like a Lamb.

Just as John The Baptist said at seeing Jesus Christ-

"behold the lamb of God who takes wawy the sin of the world."

Why was the baby slaughtered?

Look in the mirror.  

Why was there a war?

For you and me and those who revile His name.

Jesus Christ paid our price of sin so you could be forgiven, know the love of His Father and have peace with God and eternal life.

Pray, turn from sin and to the Savior.

Go celebrate.

Tell folks the war is over.

The baby won.