Our family just returned from a last minute camping trip into the Scottish borders. God gave us just the right weather window and time to get in some camping before school starts back up. The kids enjoyed playing in the river. "You know your kids grew up in Scotland when they play in a river with water temperatures in the 40's with weather in the mid 50's and raining. And they enjoyed doing it."

Two of the boys and myself also enjoyed some fly fishing for native brown trout. Those of you who knew me back when we were in the States know that I love to fish. Fishing has been one of the hardest culture shocks for me. I'm very thankful that God has helped us to learn fly fishing. He's also put a trout stream near our home. :)

Our church viewed a property tonight that would make a good church property.... if the building is structurally good and if God saw fit to provide the finances/ financing. I don't know that we are prepared to buy. But, we are praying and are prepared to pursue God's will at God's leading. Please pray with us about this building which is in the heart of Loanhead. 

Also, God gave me two divine appointments tonight as I was out running. I stopped my run and witnessed to a young man on canabis. Please pray that God will awaken his heart. He was kind and shook my hand. He needs God's help.

The second man I witnessed to was at the end of my run. He is really thinking about spiritual things. I gave him a John and Romans. His football team practices accross from my home on Thursday night. He is going to try to stop by our midweek service on the way to his football practice. It would be really encouraging if he would come.

It was a blessing to have several visitors today. We had a woman visiting from Florida. We have another young lady with us this week from the States. We also have an older couple visiting our church for the next 6 months. Their daughters family attends our church and her parents are with them for the next six months. I'm looking forward to having  an older believing couple in our services.

God gave us a good morning. I preached this morning on why it feels like the Gospel isn't working (although the Gospel has not lost it's power) and why we must continue in Gospel work. We were in Luke 12:35-50.

This is our busy Sunday as we have our assisted living facility ministry this afternoon. Thank you for praying for our day.

We're very thankful for God's grace for our HBC. We had 20 kids in total and they had a really good spirit about the week. The children did a great job listening and seemed very tender to the truth that was presented. We didn't have any unexpected kids. That means, these are all either church kids or related to someone in our church. Please pray for God's continued work in their lives.

Thanks for praying for HBC. We've had a wonderful start. Monday we had 15 children and we had 14 today. The only difference today was one child couldn't come back. So, the kids are being faithful in their attendance. The program has gone very well and God's hand has been evident. 

It's fun to see our teens taking more responsabilities each year. This year they help with games, crafts, puppets and object lessons. Thank you for praying for this week. We'll keep you posted.

Well, here we go. I would say, "Ready or not" but by God's grace we are ready. Katie has worked very hard assembling crafts, writing puppet scripts, planning the missionary story, etc. I've been able to get three of my Bible stories ready and trust I'll have time to do the other two during the week. We've had some people say they are going to bring children for their first time. Please continue to pray as we get ready for this wonderful week. We'll set up during our PM church service after a singspiration and prayer time.

The Lord gave us a good morning with stronger attendance which was a wonderful blessing. The youth choir sang and they did a wonderful job proclaiming God's righteousness. I preached a message on, "Money Dangers" from the words of Jesus in Luke 12. God gave us a good service. Thank you for praying.

Katie and I and two kids knocked on some doors this afternoon recruiting for our Holiday Bible Club next week. One contact seemed very promising. Please pray for God to give us new contacts within the community. We also had a couple opportunities to share Christ. One was with a young lady who used to attend our Sunday School, but is now hard in unbelief. In that group of 4 teens/twenty year olds, two knew me. Please pray for God to awaken hearts in Loanhead.

We are busy making preparations for HBC and everything is coming together nicely. Thank you for praying for what God is going to do.

God blessed us with several sweet days in Germany. "Great Trip" does not mean easy trip. But, God blessed us and kept us safe and it was great (incredible) to travel accross England, Germany, France, Belgium.... We had 4 full days of driving in a car in the last 7 days and God kept us safe every step of the way.

We had low attendance this morning. But, that being said, God gave us a good SS hour and morning service. I preached on, "The Oil of God's Spirit" from 2 Kings 4:1-7. We need an outpouring of God's Spirit just as the widow woman recieved an outpouring of oil.

We had a one week window now to get ready for our holiday Bible club which runs the first full week of August. Thank you for praying with us for God to do a great work that week.

God gave us a good morning at church. I preached a message this morning from Micah 7:1-9, Our Day. We enjoyed a fellowship time after the morning service and then had a shorter afternoon service. Please pray for the many who are traveling to BWM camp in Germany. We're excited about what God is going to do this coming week. Thank you for your prayers.

God blessed us with several good opportunities to share the Gospel as we knocked on doors this morning. Please pray for the three ladies and the one man who engaged in a Gospel conversation. 

Please also pray for an article being published this week in our county newspaper. I am asked to write an article for the religious section (views from the pews) about twice a year. I'm only given 350 words and I usually use them all. I'll put the text from my article below.

A Wonderful New You

Many today are struggling to find their identity and are dissatisfied with who they are. Some think that embracing their identity is the way to deal with this struggle. God's Word however says that we are not to embrace our original identity, but to seek a new identity in Jesus.

You may wonder what characterises our identity outside of Jesus, and the answer is "sin." The Bible says in Romans 3:10 "There is none righteous, no not one." and in Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God."

When Jesus died, it was to pay the price for our sin, allowing God to offer us forgiveness, cleansing, and eternal life. Romans 5:8 "That while we were yet sinners (our original identity) Christ died for us."

When God's Word speaks about someone who has found a new identity in Jesus, their life which was characterized by sin is changed into a life characterized by the cleansing of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Heaven)? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

Notice that statement, "Such were some of you." Praise God, a glorious change took place! They are not the same. Ephesians 4:24 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

A Gospel preaching church isn't made up of people who are better than anyone else. It's made up of people who humbly trusted in Jesus Christ. God changed them and gave them a new identity in Jesus. By faith in Jesus' death and resurrection, God can make a wonderful new you with an eternal identity.

Listen in at www.freebaptistchurch.org or on facebook.

Don and I put out flyers in Edinburgh about two miles from our church location. God allowed us to get a good bit done as we went through a large new housing area. We had one really good divine appointment with two teenagers. Please pray for Erin and Ryan to read the John and Romans which they received. 

Yesterday Don and I traveled up to Blair Athol for a day of prayer with three other ministers. This was our second gathering of this sort and it was a wonderful day. We have a third date scheduled in November for the same purpose. I know we'll see fruit from our time together with the Lord.

Please pray for BWM camp in Germany next week. Pastor Paul Fosmark is the main speaker and many European missionaries will be traveling to camp. Thanks for your prayers.