President's Day - Today is President's Day.  Washington's Birthday was the first federal holiday.   Eventually, it was moved to the third Monday in February to provide a 3-day weekend and connect to Lincoln's birthday as well.  It represents a time to honor Washington and all US Presidents.  

This has been harder to do in recent years.  I find myself unsettled by the steady coarsening of our highest office. In recent years we have watched a presidency marked at times by language that demeans and divides, where public discourse sounds more like insult than statesmanship. We have also seen sexual scandal inside of the White House and, later, heard that same President give sworn testimony that abused the meaning of words to obscure his private misconduct.   These failures are not confined to one party or one personality. They remind us how easily it is to erode the dignity of an office meant to symbolize the nation’s moral seriousness.

One of my strongest grievances is the shrinking of expectation. When vulgarity becomes strategy or scandal becomes survivable, something in the civic soul dulls. The presidency is not merely executive authority; it is a moral stage in our country and even before the world.    Perhaps the "prophet" - Barack Obama - shared more than he realized when he said, "Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation...."    The fidelity of the person who occupies the Presidency inevitably shapes what the country comes to excuse or imitate.

Contrast the morality of that office in recent years with one quiet scene from 1797. As his term ended, George Washington stepped away from power—voluntarily. There was no constitutional requirement forcing him to do so. He could have remained -we would have possibly slipped into monarchy. Instead, Washington surrendered authority and returned to private citizenship, establishing the precedent that no man is indispensable and that the Republic is larger than its leader. That act of restraint may have been one of the most morally formative moments in our national story. It is significant not just how we gain power or use that power but also our willingness to lay it down.   Jesus was the greatest model of laying power down - His power was ultimate.   And, as an example, He told us: But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:26-28).  A President that serves his people this way?  May God bless America again in our presidency.

• Banquet.     Thanks to those who helped with the banquet. . .  I heard many glowing reviews.   May God encourage us to be One Another in our homes and to those we worship with at SSB.    May God bless our marriages as an image of Christ and His bride to a world that is starving for the gospel.  

• Speaking Of...  One Another.   Friday night is the monthly coffee shop, The Living Room.   Visit anytime between 6:30 and 9:30 pm - even for a few minutes.  Next month you might just stay longer.  

• Sunday's message returned to Ezra 4 as a warning that the greatest threat to God’s work is not open opposition but subtle compromise. Like the adversaries who claimed to worship the same God yet practiced syncretism, the modern church faces the danger of “Christ plus”—adding culture, politics, identity, or comfort alongside Jesus. Faithfulness means guarding sound doctrine, leadership, discipline, and discipleship while trusting that Christ Himself builds and preserves His church.

• Directory - We are updating the SSB directory - if you have changes from last year, let us know.    

• Service Opportunity - We are still wanting to gather a few more to help serve in a great outreach opportunity.  There are several ways you can help with the ESL classes.   We have a training scheduled on March 13-14 at SSB but please visit with Jaime to learn more.  

Church Family,

Did you know that you can bring the uplifting ministry of For the Master into your home and easily share it with others?

As many of you know, this outreach ministry serves our local senior communities and area churches by sharing the Gospel through song and Word. We are now also sharing the Gospel online via our YouTube channel.
 
What’s Waiting for You on the Channel

• Live Concert Recordings: Experience the harmony of vocal quartets, duets by Mike and Joyce Nylin, and the beautiful instrumentals by our pianist, Debbie Spencer.
• Solo Recordings: Revisit favorite tracks from CDs of piano music recorded by Debbie and a CD of vocal solos by Ken Clipperton.
• The Gospel in Focus: Listen to "Two Thieves, Two Choices, Two Destinies" and other brief messages by Ron Miller. (Viewed more than 1,200 times so far!)

How You Can Help
Listen to the music and the message. Click the Like button. Leave comments. Subscribe to the channel. Share the videos. All these actions prompt YouTube to show these videos to more people! Visit the channel at https://www.youtube.com/@FortheMasterMusicMinistry.

Join us Friday night for The Living Room.   Come to hang out casually.  Come to listen to music.  Come to have a cup of "frilly" coffee.  Come to play a game.  Come to just visit.  Come.