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.

Thank you for praying for us on our busiest Sunday of the month. The Lord's hand was evident this morning. I enjoyed preaching a message about cultivating a spiritual blessing from Hosea 10:12. Hosea preached to Israel in their rebellion and barren fields. He preached to them a message that could transform their fields - if they would listen. God gave us a good morning in His Word.

This afternoon we have the Trust service at 2:00. I'm preaching the message of an Old Man, King David. "Now also when I am old and greyheaded...." Please pray that the Word of God would touch the hearts of those that hear it.

We appreciate your prayers very much. God is good!

Amber is on her way back home. She departed this morning and should arrive home late this evening. Please pray for her as she travels by herself. She has a total of three flights. We were blessed to have her with us for this past month.

Don and I got a good weather day despite the bad forecast. We are on the alert for heavy rains today but it has been a very nice cloudy day. God gave a few small opportunities this morning to share the Gospel. Please pray for Ricky. He has had something happen in his life the past three years which has changed his circumstances in difficult ways. He wonders why God hasn't done anything (if God exists.) I said, "Well, God has a Baptist preacher talking to you about His love trying to help you understand how to have a relationship with Him." Please pray that God will awaken his heart. He took a John and Romans.

In other news, my family adopted (kind of) the park accross from our house. The hedge was overgrown and so Katie and the Kids tackled it today. It's not a little hedge. I would guess it is in total about 250 feet of hedge! They spent several hours this morning over there and I helped out for a couple hours this afternoon. It now looks lovely! (I'll put a before and after pic below.) We love our home area.

Today, Benson, Kay Lee, Amber and myself went into Edinburgh to hand out Gospel flyers. God gave a few divine appointments. One was with a man named Andy who was sitting at the base of the  monument to Sir Walter Scott in Princess St. Gardens. Andy was obviously homeless and has slept rough since he was 15. He is now 35. He's had an obviously rough life and vices to go with it. 

After sharing the Gospel with Andy for close to half an hour and sharing my testimony of salvaiton, I asked him if he would like to get saved. He said, "God won't accept me because of this" as he pointed to his can of Budweiser. I said, "There must be a bin around here somewhere." He said, "I can't get rid of it. I need it." I said, "Andy, you need God. Would you really trade booze and get hell?" He looked at me and took a can that must have been close to full and poured it out on the grass." I said, "Would you like to ask Jesus to save you?" He said he would and prayed to accept Jesus. Please pray for Andy. Alcohol is a powerful vice but the power of the Gospel of Jesus is greater. The Bible says after a list of horrible vices, "Such were some of you." I had told Andy that God could change him and give him a new life. He's at rock bottom just now. Please pray that He will follow God and rise up to be the new man God intends him to be.

I asked him if I could take a selfie with him and put it online. He was happy as you can see for me to do so. Thanks for praying for Andy!

We have enjoyed having Amber Lyndsey with us for the past several weeks. Today is her last ministry day with us as she departs on Wednesday. Please pray for God's blessing for her on these last few days and for her travels back to the USA.

God gave us a good morning. I preached on, "Hope for Our Generation" from 2 Kings 13:14-25. King Joash of Israel wept at the bed side of the dying prophet, Elisha. He was not just sorrowing at the loss of an older brother. He was sorrowing that they were losing the hope of Israel. Elisha encouraged the king and gave him hope for his generation.

Thank you for praying for Free Baptist Church. God's hand is at work in our ministry in answer to your prayers.

Don and I were in an expensive area of Edinburgh today. The houses and gardens were very beautiful and it was fun just to walk through the neighborhood. God gave one very good divine appointment with a gardener. He is just over 50 and wondering what's next after death. Please pray for Gary. I'd love to see him visit our church. God led in the conversation and I left him with a copy of John and Romans.

Thank you for the Birthday greetings. We took the day yesterday and headed up North of Perth to a beautiful picnic spot. God gave us a very fun family day. 

One of the blessings of living in Scotland is knowing that cool weather will return soon. For many of you, our hot weather would be your cool weather returning. I'm sorry if you are suffering from heat. We've got more seasonal weather today - mid 60's with a 20 mph breeze.

We had a refreshing morning in church despite lower than normal attendance. I enjoyed preaching a message entitled, "Obey the Vision" from Paul's testimony as recorded in Acts 26. Jesus told Paul to Preach, Go, Give and he did.

Thank you for praying for our church. Please pray that God will bless us with strong attendance in all services. As a church planting pastor you have to commit "what could be" to the Lord and accept "what is" until God see's fit to do "what you think can't be." Please pray that God will revive His churches in Scotland and that church planters and churches here can take ground for Jesus. We appreciate your prayers.