Our Speaker during Family Bible Hour was Mr Ken Botton.  His message was based on Jesus' words found in John 3:14-16

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth  in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Jesus was referring to a passage in the Old Testament, Numbers 21: 4-9

 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom:  and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.  And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.  And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.  Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.  And Moses prayed for the people.  And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.  And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. 

Mr Botton reminded us that God's response to our problem does not always make sense, but we must be willing to take God at His word.  We must discontinue looking at the "snakes" and secondary problems that nip at our feet.  We must look to our solution -- the Lord Jesus Christ --- who was lifted up on the cross of calvary.  He is the only Saviour to our main problem of sin.

Mr Botton's full, excellent message is worth watching again, or watching for the first time.  It  is available on DVD.   Please see Romy.

Our Speaker during Family Bible Hour was Mr Jim Stahr.  His message was mainly  based on Genesis 4: 1-9, which tells us about the first dysfunctional family on earth --- Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel:

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.  And she again bare his brother Abel.  And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.   And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.  And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.  And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.  And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth?  and why is thy countenance fallen?  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?  and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.  And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  And Cain talked with Abel his brother:  and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.  And the Lord said unto Cain,  Where is Abel thy brother?  And he said, I know not:  Am I my brother's keeper?

Mr Stahr also gave a handout (please click to enlarge).  He dissects the 130 years that it took for Adam to beget Seth.  It's worth the read; and it may also help us to empathize with broken families nowadays.  Mr Stahr's full message, in context,  is available on DVD.  Please see Romy.

Mr Steve Mordrzejewski received his MBA recently.  We celebrate this joyous occasion with him!

We welcome our special guest, Nuria.  Nuria is from Barcelona, Spain. She is a former nanny of the Curiel Family. We're happy to have you with us, Nuria!

Our Speaker during Family Bible Hour was Mr Sheldon Crutchfield, Missionary to Hong Kong.  He and his wife, Nissa, have been in H.K. since 1974, and are parents of 2 adult daughters.  Their home church is currently ministering to 30 Filipinos who are in H.K. as domestic workers. Nissa will be having knee-replacement surgery soon.  Please keep her in your prayers.

Mr Crutchfiled spoke from Acts 18:1-11.  He encouraged us to be willing to preach the Gospel, and to teach  --- that others may know Christ.  We must be willing to get out of our comfort zones; and, with the apostle Paul as an example,  to not avoid work if necessary in order to support ourselves.  As the passage shows below, the Lord can also encourage and comfort us in our fears:

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; And found a certain Jew named Aquila born in Pontus...with his wife Priscilla...And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought:  for by their occupation they were tentmakers.  And  he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and Greeks.  And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.  And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean:  from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles...And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.  Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision,  Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace:  For I am with thee, and no man  shall set on thee to hurt thee:  for I have much people in this city.  And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.