ABOUT ME, MY BLOG, MY CHURCH - Stone The Preacher

My Strange Dream (came true)

Sep 13, 2016Steve Sanchez2 CommentsABOUT ME, MY BLOG, MY CHURCH, Community Church of the Hills, Hope Chapel Hill Countrycommunity church of the hills, hope chapel, Jesus, pentecostal

I’m re-posting this article from September 13, 2014, originally called, “My Strange Dream,” because today, I realized, the dream came true. See the postscript at the bottom of the post.

I have a new Pentecostal friend who has proven to me that he walks with the Lord.

I met Amalio a few weeks ago when I was searching for a contractor to help put in new flooring in our church building due to a flood from a neighboring business. Also, I needed some minor remodeling done.

The first contractor I met gave me a quote of $12,000.00, a bit more than I could afford. The second man surveyed the space, wrote down some figures but never got back to me. The third also had a quote that was too high.

I did not know what to do so I called a former congregant who was a handyman and he suggested Amalio. When I met him he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse: He would provide me with two days’ free labor if I purchased the materials at Home Depot.

DEAL!

“But why would you do this, Amalio, you don’t even know me!”

He looked at the walls of Hope Chapel Hill Country, smiled, and said, “It’s for God’s Kingdom!”

“Let me pay you, though; what is your daily rate?”

“No, I can’t,” Amalio insisted, “I believe God wants me to do this for free.”

40 Days Past My 40 Day Fast

Apr 2, 2016Steve Sanchez12 CommentsABOUT ME, MY BLOG, MY CHURCH40 days, 40 nights, christian living, fasting, jesus in the wilderness, sacrifice, self denial, spiritual disciplines

My 40 day fast ended on Valentine’s Day. Good Friday marked 40 days after my fast.

This is what I’ve learned since eating again, including why everyone needs to use a Squatty Potty.

(Read about my travails while fasting for 40 days by clicking here.)

After the first 10 days I gained about 10-12 pounds, not because I was over-eating, but because my body held onto every calorie. My weight now ranges between 169 and 175 pounds, depending on how much popcorn I eat at night. I love my new waist size; I haven’t been this weight since my sophomore year in high school! (I know what you’re thinking: “He’s going to gain it all back!” Stop it. Stop it now!) Read on….

My Hope Chapel Hill Country 2 Minute Intro Video

Nov 13, 2013Steve Sanchez3 CommentsABOUT ME, MY BLOG, MY CHURCH

This is the video (preview) that will introduce me to those who may attend Hope Chapel Hill Country in Dripping Springs, Texas. I’d love to hear what you think. (It may take a few minutes to fully download.) I’m very grateful that my friend, film-maker/storyteller Mark Jacobs, took the time to put me in the

Atheist Tuesday: A Non Seeker-Friendly Church

Aug 30, 2011Steve Sanchez22 CommentsABOUT ME, MY BLOG, MY CHURCH, Atheist Tuesday

I want to invite all atheist readers of my blog to our fellowship, Hope Chapel. But I must warn you: We are not seeker-friendly, we are user-friendly. That is, we are not going to pander to you by offering a watered-down, man-centered, toothless message designed to make you feel good.

Oh! Here’s our church welcome sign from two weeks ago:

We are user-friendly though. That is, we will provide you with a very comfortable environment in which you may hear the truth of the biblical Gospel, taught verse by verse, in a message that is from 45 to 60 minutes long. (You can even bring coffee into our sanctuary.) You will also hear that you are a sinner, that you’ve broken the Commandments, that you are headed for Hell and the only way to be saved is by trusting Christ and repenting of your sin—nearly every week!

Oh! Here’s another of our church’s welcome signs from last week:

See you on Sunday? (Okay then, come Friday night at 7pm or Saturday night at 6pm.)

Whatcha waiting for? I’ll even buy lunch (or dinner).

Did you see this other church?

NEW RULES FOR COMMENTING

Sep 13, 2010Steve Sanchez9 CommentsABOUT ME, MY BLOG, MY CHURCH

Cuss words (mild or abbrev.), blasphemy, incivility, or failure to give the name ‘God’ or ‘Jesus’ capitals, will be deleted. This mostly concerns my atheist friends who visit here. In the past I’ve edited comments that violated these rules, but no more. Please respect these or your comments will not see the light of day.