West Visaila Lectureship

I'm still in Visalia at the lectureship. Videos of the lectures are up on the web at http://wvcoc.blogspot.com/. Just be sure not to watch mine. When I get a chance I will update.

Sow the Seed,
Caleb O'Hara

Mi Vida Loca

Today is just an update in the life of Caleb BLOG. It’s been an absolutely crazy day. This morning I went to my computer to finish up lots of work and my computer was not working. At 2:10 I FINALLY got it fixed – what a nightmare!

Tomorrow I am continuing a sermon series called “Square ONE: Back to the Beginning.” If you can’t tell by the title they are all lessons out of Genesis. Tomorrow we look at the great gift of freedom God gave man. The beginning reveals the freedom to chose, and yes the freedom to sin. Sin puts its ugly mark on this planet and mankind and God has been in the redemption business ever since. Well that’s the gist of the message.

Immediately following Sunday evening worship we are heading to Visalia, California. First thing Monday morning I’m speaking at the West Visalia Lectureship on “More Like Jesus in Tolerance (Romans 14).” Romans 14 is probably one of the most hotly debated passages in our brotherhood these days and they picked ME to speak on it. What’s the deal? I guess my friend Cliff Sabroe doesn’t like me too much. Yesterday I finished translating the entire passage and now it’s a matter of tweaking and reworking so that my exegesis can become proper exposition. My whole first part of the week will be spent there in Visalia. I’m looking forward to seeing some of my mentors: Denny Petrillo, Hi Jones, and Byron Benitez while I am there as well.

This week I have been grieving the loss of my American Idol Brooke White. Her moral character is something to be applauded. So Brooke, we will miss you. My wife is happy though. Now I can’t talk about her anymore :).

On a final note, last night we went and heard Frank Chesser preach at the East Main church of Christ in Stockton. It was good to see family and friends and Frank’s message on sin was very appropriate. Wayne was looking good and I pray the Lord gives him many more years of service in the Kingdom.

That’s all for now!!!

Sow the Seed,
Caleb O’Hara

Freed Hardeman University Lectures

This week I flew out to Nashville, Tennessee with my wife and two sons. We made the voyage to attend the annual Freed Hardeman University Lectureship. Since we arrived in Nashville we have been staying at my sister and brother-in-law's house in Nashville. It's already been an exciting on the go trip. Since we have been here we have visited friends of ours in Columbia, Spring Hill (former members at the West Visalia congregation where I used to serve), Nashville (former members from the congregation in Ripon where I am now), as well as meet lots of new people.

Tonight we made it to our hotel in Jackson, Tennessee and tomorrow the lectures begin for us. One of our elders, Jack Hawes, and his wife Pinky, also made the trip out for the lectureship. I'm excited to get the chance to spend this time with them at the lectureship. This morning when I was sitting in Bible class my cell phone started ringing (I had it on vibrate). After the first call was immediately followed up with a second I knew it wasn't good news. We have an elderly member who was in a nursing home and got an infection. Just before we left for Nashville she went into the emergency room. She passed away Saturday night at around 10:00 p.m. . It's never easy taking those phones calls. What's really not easy is that David Lee (our other elder) is the only one there to do all the comforting with the family. The good news is he is more than capable. I’m reminded of the Holy Spirit inspired words from Solomon:

"A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one’s death is
better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning
Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the
living takes it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, For when a face is sad
a heart may be happy. The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While
the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure." (Eccl 7:1-4)

Death always brings a time of introspection – at least it should!


I almost forgot but I didn't preach today - weird... but nice. Sometimes you get tired of hearing yourself and need to hear others. This morning we attending the Crieve Hall congregation in Nashville and this evening we attended the Spring Meadows congregation in Spring Hill where Dale Jenkins preaches. Both congregations used the paperless hymnals (songs with the notes projected on the screen) and I really liked it. Everyone is looking up and singing out instead of into a book.

My dad preached for me in Ripon this week. The hope is I don't have too much destruction to go and clean up when I get home :). I needed this break from preaching (it's not good when even you don't like to hear yourself preach). The great news is that I know I will be energized and ready to hit the road running again when I get back to my family in Ripon. I really do miss them already.

Sow the Seed Faithfully,
Caleb O'Hara

UPDATE: I will try and blog daily about the lectureships and tomorrow I'm going to see if I can liveblog the open forum. Stay tuned...