LEARN

The Gideons is a world-wide ministry of placing the scriptures in hotels, libraries, prisons and in the hands of millions around the world. Sagemont Church has several members who are Gideons, and they describe their work in this important ministry.

Lamont and Theresa Buckner both come from large families, and their parents came from large families as well. When they married, they wanted to begin a family of their own, but God had a different plan. After years of trying unsuccessfully to have children, they discovered that Theresa was pregnant! But within hours of this good news, there were complications, and she was put on bed rest. Their son was born premature, but he has experienced almost none of the problems that are associated with preemies. They speak about the support of their church family and how the Lord guided them during this difficult time. The Buckner’s always give thanks for their children, knowing that God has something special planned for each of them.

Raised in a home filled with domestic violence, Ernest Petree, at the age of 13, left home and began a desperate journey filled with loneliness, anger and substance abuse. This downward spiral continued for nearly 50 years and included 42 years of jail and prison time. It wasn’t until Ernest began selling newspapers at the corner of Sabo and Sam Houston Parkway that he realized there are “some good people in the world” who live out their faith and genuinely care about others. This constant “Living Proof” compelled Ernest to visit Sagemont Church where he heard the Good News of Jesus Christ and ultimately accepted Him as his personal Lord and Savior.

Cindy Dry had a difficult life. Her problems and difficulties led to great confusion about God and His salvation. She spent a great part of her life searching for the truth. After spending several years in churches, she eventually stopped looking for her answers there. An internet search led her to a man who seemed to have some answers to her questions. At his suggestion, she began attending classes in Islam here in Houston that began her ten-year journey as a Muslim. Cindy describes the early times as good, but after a while she discovered that Islam was nothing more than working hard to make sure you follow all of the teachings to be good enough to get into heaven. After 9/11, she began her search for truth again. Her Muslim marriage was failing, and she felt torn between two worlds. Almost on a whim, one Sunday she pulled into Sagemont Church and was warmly greeted. For the first time, she felt the power of God's love in that service and began attending a Bible study class. Soon she discovered that all of her life, she had been searching for God's love, and now she had found it! Cindy now has a ministry to Muslims through the internet and hopes to show them that the true love that God had for her is for everyone as well.

What would drive James Bouvier, a mechanical engineer by trade, to write a book about a coming global conflict? After September 11, 2001, James was on a flight home to Houston when he felt impressed by the Lord with the thought, "How many would have lived if they had been warned?" James then spent the next ten years studying, researching and eventually writing Escaping Armageddon, a book to warn people about the soon coming end of the world. He describes the journey that the Lord took him on to truly move him away from his comfort zone into a new and unexpected area.

This year, our students in grades 8 -12 had a different camp experience, one of service. Paying their own way, over 300 students and volunteers stayed on the HBU campus and spent their days serving in the 3rd Ward of Houston. Lives were touched! What a witness to that community!

Dr. Nelson was born virtually blind with only 2% of his vision. At five years old, by law he was required to attend a blind school where he learned Braille. The law was changed just as he was going into high school, so he was excited to be in a regular school. He encountered many obstacles where people tried to hold him back because of his sight challenges, but he was determined and overcame all of those obstacles. That determination took him on to graduate school where he earned his Doctorate in Education. Amazingly, not only did he excel in education, his hobby is carpentry. Even with his sight challenges, he has made beautiful tables, cabinets and even designed and made a grandfather clock. He is so glad to have found Sagemont Church where he can study the Word of God and serve by using his carpentry skills.

Russell & Sharon Reynolds share a life of music together. Through music they met, fell in love and then married. While at Sagemont Church, they both became involved in the Worship Ministry. After many years of service to Sagemont and many years of having their own personal music ministry, Sharon left her job to devote more time to music and song writing. Just a few days later, Russell was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Russell and Sharon share their story of how the Lord has walked with them through this illness and the struggles they have faced during this time.

Neighbored by Guatemala to the north and Nicaragua to the south, Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. Political corruption and unrest, the remnants of military rule, have left deep scars as numerous as those of the country’s mountainous terrain. Yet today, as the small Central American country seeks to transition itself into democratic stability, the body of Christ in Honduras enjoys a revival of its own as new opportunities to spread the good news of Jesus Christ emerge on a daily basis. To assist in the vibrant work already taking place in Honduras, Sagemont Church recently sent a team of mission volunteers to partner with Honduran believers to expand their work and encourage one another.

Lyudmila Boring was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. She was indoctrinated in Communist ideology and even taught it. After many years and with thoughts of her Christian grandmother's stories told to her as a child, she began to have doubts. She became a translator and later accepted Christ as her Savior. She married a Sagemont member who was on a mission trip to Russia, and eventually, immigrated to the United States.

Dr. Robert Byemba's journey began as an escape from the civil war in his home country, the Congo. See how his life as a refugee from war became a vision to help create a desperately needed health clinic in Arusha, Tanzania.

We visit a medical charity in Houston called Medical Bridges. This group relies heavily on volunteers in its mission to recycle and repurpose donated medical supplies from hospitals, doctors offices, nursing homes or from individuals that are almost expired or opened and unused but not able to be used in the United States. They supply hospitals, clinics and doctors in over 80 countries around the world. Sagemont Church has a group of over 25 dedicated volunteers that work several times a month there. Sagemont’s volunteer leader to Medical Bridges is Nancy Brooks, a retired RN from Methodist Hospital.

Raised in Christian families, both John and Mary Ella Elam accepted Christ as their personal Savior at an early age. As a result, their lives revolved around church activities and friends. As young singles, they met for the first time at a church function. After marriage, they were blessed with four children. With the exception of a few bumps along the way, they enjoyed blessed lives. However, that changed when their oldest son was diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer, which would ultimately take his life.

Raised in the tough northeast side of Houston, Texas, Milton Wilson and his family never darkened the doors of a church. In fact, his sanctuary was the honky-tonk where he played pool, drank and chased women. That all changed, however, when Bobby, his heroin-addicted brother-in-law came to know Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Through Bobby's consistent witness and lifestyle, Milton came to acknowledge his need for a Savior.

Michael and Kimberly Woitena came from very different backgrounds. Nowhere were their backgrounds so different that at the time when they were married; Michael was a Christian and Kimberly was not. This then provided the backdrop of the next 20 or so years of their marriage. There were arguments over money, lack of trust, a temporary separation, and finally, infidelity. Through their roller coaster life, Michael drew away from God while Kimberly drew closer. After two years of separation, they reunited and reconciled. Kimberly had accepted Christ and was now attending Sagemont Church, but Michael still would not come because of the shame of his sin. In June of 2010, Michael finally reconnected with Christ and returned to church with his family. This story shows how God's love can help all of us overcome.

Clay and Ruth Birdsong come from very different backgrounds. Ruth had a very difficult childhood, while Clay was raised in the church. They met at work, and over time, a romance began. Clay was at the end of a bad marriage when he and Ruth had an affair. The result of the affair produced an unexpected pregnancy. Confronted with the broken pieces of their actions, Ruth quit her job and ran out. Over time with God’s help, Clay and Ruth were married. That unplanned and unexpected pregnancy is now their oldest son. The Lord preformed a miracle in their relationship and their family's lives. The whole family truly represents being living proof of a loving God.

Several years ago, Rusty Hicks met a Marine Gunnery Sergeant who was visiting some of his wounded men at Brooks Medical Center. Through this chance meeting, a group was formed to give severely wounded veterans a chance to participate in game hunts and provide some sense of normalcy and activity with fellow marines. One of the Marines, LCpl. Christopher Bryde, said that these hunting events are a chance for him to leave the hospital for a few days and just live again.

This week we look at the Counseling Ministry of Sagemont Church. Led by Mike Schumacher, the Counseling Center has six state-licensed counselors who are believers and minister in a Christian environment. Their mission statement is to be Clinically Professional and Distinctively Christian. They work to help folks who are having difficulties coping with life. Some are specialists in marital and family issues; others deal with children, teenagers and life issues.

This story is about the Owens family and the importance of one person being willing to follow God’s leading. From 1 person beginning to attend Sagemont and her willingness to share what she had heard about the Good News, 2 families and over 20 lives were changed.

Neighbored by Guatemala to the north and Nicaragua to the south, Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. Political corruption and unrest, the remnants of military rule, have left deep scars as numerous as those of the country’s mountainous terrain. Yet today, as the small Central American country seeks to transition itself into democratic stability, the body of Christ in Honduras enjoys a revival of its own as new opportunities to spread the good news of Jesus Christ emerge on a daily basis. To assist in the vibrant work already taking place in Honduras, Sagemont Church recently sent a team of mission volunteers to partner with Honduran believers to expand their work and encourage one another.

The son of a Baptist evangelist, Carl Miller spent the early years of his life in and around church. However, while in high school, he was introduced to meth and cocaine drugs which would lead him down a twenty-year path of despair and self-destruction. On today’s program, witness God’s amazing grace as it restores a man and his family when all else had failed.

Over 20 years ago, Executive Pastor, Chuck Schneider asked Duane Lewis to begin a chemical dependency group to help church members deal with the difficulty of getting off of alcohol & drugs. Duane and his wife were looking for a new place of service and this was an answer to their vision for the same thing. We also speak with Chris Fowles on how he went through the Right Step program to deal with his dependency on meth.

After being laid off from a long-time job, Tracy Davis was impressed not to just sit around and feel sorry for himself, but to take on an interesting challenge - walk the Colorado Trail. He felt that God had given him a vision to be able to tell the stories of his adventure to others and how the Lord had led him during this trip. After several days of walking over 200 miles, his strength was gone. He was wet, cold and discouraged. He threw his hands up and shouted in a loud voice, "God, I need help!" Little did he know that just ten minutes away, Sagemont Church Senior Adult Minister, Buddy Fortenberry, was on vacation and riding a four-wheeler on the trail with his family. At a fork in the trail, Tracy and Buddy were both surprised as they recognized each other all the way in the mountains of Colorado. Buddy and his family were an answer to Tracy's prayer. They were able to provide a place for Tracy to get rested, cleaned up and fed. God became very real to Tracy that day, and he went on to complete his journey. He is now telling the stories of his journey and how the Lord brought him out of the wilderness.

Raised in the tough Northeast side of Houston, Texas, Milton Wilson and his family never darkened the doors of a church. In fact, his sanctuary was the honky-tonk, where he played pool, drank and chased women. That all changed, however, when Bobby, his heroine-addicted brother-in-law, came to know Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Through Bobby’s consistent witness and lifestyle, Milton came to acknowledge his need for a Savior.

This is the story of how the Sagemont Prison Ministry began. With a single letter from a prisoner to Pastor John Morgan, this story shows how someone can be living proof to anyone no matter who or where they are. Sagemont member Zeke Young was inspired by this letter and wanted to volunteer at the Ferguson Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice just north of Huntsville. The Chaplain, Gerald Saffel, introduced him to the prisoner who wrote the letter. Zeke was the first visitor he had ever had. While there, Zeke noticed that the chapel was closed and condemned due to water damage. So along with his volunteer team, Zeke was led to begin a fund-raising program to restore the chapel. Through many miraculous events, the chapel was not only restored, but now provides a comfortable place for prisoners to worship, receive spiritual counseling, and even have Bible study and classes on spiritual growth. Sagemont Church along with Zeke Young's Less Than the Least Prison Ministry played a pivotal role in the chapel's restoration, and Sagemont was allowed to dedicate this facility in a special service this past summer.

Sagemont members, Bud & Lynda LeCompte come from completely different backgrounds. Bud is from the Houston area and grew up with a love of music and a lack of direction. Lynda was born and raised in England where she graduated from college and worked for the British Intelligence Service as a civil servant for over ten years.

On this week’s program, meet David & Newja Wilson, Sagemont members who felt God’s call and launched a ministry to the homeless of downtown Houston. Joined by other Sagemont members and friends, David and Newja feed, clothe and even wash the feet of the needy as a way of being Living Proof of a Loving God to a Watching World.

Sagemont member, Sean Morgan, traveled to Sudan as a volunteer team member with Samaritan’s Purse. Sudan is a country in Africa that has been ravaged by the effects of civil war, so the team’s mission was to check the status of the work there. They observed how that even in a war-torn country, the message of love can change lives, even Sean’s.

Raised in Christian families, both John and Mary Ella Elam accepted Christ as their personal Savior at an early age. As a result, their lives revolved around church activities and friends. As young singles, they met for the first time at a church function. After marriage, they were blessed with four children. With the exception of a few bumps along the way, they enjoyed blessed lives. However, that changed when their oldest son was diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer, which would ultimately take his life.

Our teams went out with 500 volunteers from Sagemont to four local schools to be living proof to the community. Sagemont members built gardens, green houses, outdoor classrooms, painted offices and did general cleanup for these schools.

Eusevio and Connie Trevino both come from a life of either hardship or disappointment. Connie faced a difficult life growing up as a child of migrant farm workers. At 15, she had to quit school and go to work to help the family. When she was 16, she married her first husband, but lost him to illness a short time later. Eusevio had a good childhood, and after graduating high school, moved to Houston and became a machinist. He eventually married and had children; but eight years later, his wife left them.

Many years later, Eusevio's sister introduced him to Connie. After a whirlwind romance, they were married. Sometime later, Connie wanted to find a church. Eusevio knew of Sagemont, and after attending for a short time, they both accepted Christ as their Savior and became members of Sagemont Church. In early 2010, Eusevio was informed that his company was going to cut several positions, and his was one of them. Rather than worrying about the future, he and Connie committed it to the Lord, knowing that there would be a solution. During this time, Sagemont Church, as a part of the Living Proof Project, encouraged the members to give their Christmas gifts to the church for the work of the Lord instead of giving gifts that would be forgotten in a few weeks. Both of them were impressed to give a significant donation, not hoping to get something from the Lord as a result, but just to be obedient to His leading. After giving the gift and with his layoff approaching, Eusevio felt impressed to stop by a small, family-owned machine shop just down the street from his home to give them a resume, and hopefully, apply for a job. Not only did that visit get him a job, it was just a short distance from his home instead of across town, and at the same pay. Eusevio and Connie learned that God will always be faithful to meet the needs of His children.

During the Christmas season, Sagemont member Mildred Kirksey was inspired as Dr. John Morgan spoke about the church's building program, the Living Proof Project. He challenged Sagemont members to give the money they would spend on Christmas gifts to the Lord instead of giving gifts that would probably be forgotten or thrown away. Mildred, a grandmother living on social security, decided to do just that with a series of $10 gifts in honor of each of her 52 relatives totaling $520. Rather than being surprised or upset, her family was very excited about the prospect of giving to Jesus and His work at Sagemont instead of themselves. In fact, one of her grandsons called after getting the news and said that he wanted to challenge the family members to do the same for their birthdays as well. By listening to the Lord, Mildred sets an example for all of us to remember why we celebrate Christmas, Christ's birth! Mildred goes on to describe the path that led her to Sagemont and a stronger commitment to Christ.

Abortion has touched almost every segment of American society. It is estimated that even in churches that there are great numbers of women that have had abortions. Sagemont Church has a program that allows a woman to deal with not only the past and accept responsibility but also learn how to accept God’s forgiveness as well as their own.

Sagemont member and author, Laurie Cole, discusses the pressures that teenage girls face in what the world calls beauty. God's definition is very different from what our world calls true beauty. She talks about some of the things that we as parents and the girls themselves need to do to follow the biblical standard of beauty.

Dr. Robert Byemba tells his story of leaving the Congo with his family to escape civil war and arrived in Arusha Tanzania with only the clothes on their backs. He tells about his journey and how he found a wonderful church fellowship. Dr. Byemba, a nurse missionary, and then the church's pastor had a vision to create a local health care center in their neighborhood.

This week we look at the Counseling Ministry of Sagemont Church. Led by Mike Schumacher, the Counseling Center has six state-licensed counselors who are believers and minister in a Christian environment. Their mission statement is to be Clinically Professional and Distinctively Christian.

They work to help folks who are having difficulties coping with life. Some are specialists in marital and family issues; others deal with children, teenagers and life issues.

Sagemont members, Jason and Gina Warren talk about the help they received from the counseling center and how it brought them not only closer together as a family, but closer to the Lord as well.

Mike Schumacher says that Sagemont is a safe place to hurt, and as a result, Sagemont has made a considerable investment in the Counseling Ministry to help not only members, but the rest of the community as well.

Come join Sagemont Church as we celebrate Christmas.

Several years ago, Rusty Hicks met a Marine Gunnery Sergeant who was visiting some of his wounded men at Brooks Medical Center. Through this chance meeting, a group was formed to give severely wounded veterans a chance to participate in game hunts and provide some sense of normalcy and activity with fellow marines. One of the Marines, LCpl. Christopher Bryde, said that these hunting events are a chance for him to leave the hospital for a few days and just live again.

Clay and Ruth Birdsong come from very different backgrounds. Ruth had a very difficult childhood, while Clay was raised in the church. They met at work, and over time, a romance began. Clay was at the end of a bad marriage when he and Ruth had an affair. The result of the affair produced an unexpected pregnancy. Confronted with the broken pieces of their actions, Ruth quit her job and ran out. Over time with God’s help, Clay and Ruth were married. That unplanned and unexpected pregnancy is now their oldest son. The Lord preformed a miracle in their relationship and their family's lives. The whole family truly represents being living proof of a loving God.

Having a large family was not something Jimmy and Mary Jones just sat down one day and decided to do. Yet, once they started their family, they had a peace from God to keep having children despite all the negative comments and challenges. Now with eight children and 24 years of child rearing in hand, Jimmy and Mary watch with awe as their children live out God’s calling upon their lives.

Jim Jardina literally traveled the world before coming back home to find a fulfilled life in Christ and a new church home. Jim was an executive with the Coke-a-Cola Company and traveled the United States and around the world beginning new businesses and helping established bottlers improve their products. While serving in Thailand, Jim began to realize that money and success were not really the paths to happiness. He met his wife, Bet, in Thailand while she was working with the company as a translator and marketing specialist. After marrying there and having two girls, Jim retired and moved back home to Texas. Through mutual friends, Jim met Dr. Morgan, and that friendship led Jim and his family to Sagemont Church and a new life in Christ.

Every year the Women's Ministry of Sagemont Church selects a local area public school for a Teacher's Lounge Makeover. This year's choice was Hyde Elementary in League City. In just two days, Sharon Green and her team transformed what is usually a dreary break room into a beautiful, home-like retreat from the busy work of teaching. Their goal is not only to provide a pleasant environment for the teachers, but also show them that someone really does care about those who teach our children. What better way to show Living Proof of a Loving God to a teacher than by making sure they have a special retreat. We also spoke to the Principal of Hyde Elementary who describes a teacher’s day as being totally time precious. They need a comfortable place to eat lunch, make a personal call or just unwind for a moment. This team has done eight of these makeovers sponsored by the Ladies Night Out group of the Sagemont Women's Ministry.

This is the story of how the Sagemont Prison Ministry began. With a single letter from a prisoner to Pastor John Morgan, this story shows how someone can be living proof to anyone no matter who or where they are. Sagemont member Zeke Young was inspired by this letter and wanted to volunteer at the Ferguson Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice just north of Huntsville. The Chaplain, Gerald Saffel, introduced him to the prisoner who wrote the letter. Zeke was the first visitor he had ever had. While there, Zeke noticed that the chapel was closed and condemned due to water damage. So along with his volunteer team, Zeke was led to begin a fund-raising program to restore the chapel. Through many miraculous events, the chapel was not only restored, but now provides a comfortable place for prisoners to worship, receive spiritual counseling, and even have Bible study and classes on spiritual growth. Sagemont Church along with Zeke Young's Less Than the Least Prison Ministry played a pivotal role in the chapel's restoration, and Sagemont was allowed to dedicate this facility in a special service this past summer.

After being laid off from a long time job, Tracy Davis was impressed not to just sit around and feel sorry for himself, but to take on an interesting challenge - walk the Colorado Trail. He felt that God had given him a vision to be able to tell the stories of his adventure to others and how the Lord had led him during this trip. After several days of walking over 200 miles, his strength was gone. He was wet, cold and discouraged. He threw his hands up and shouted in a loud voice, "God, I need help!" Little did he know that just ten minutes away, Sagemont Church Senior Adult Minister, Buddy Fortenberry, was on vacation and riding a four-wheeler on the trail with his family. At a fork in the trail, Tracy and Buddy were both surprised as they recognized each other all the way in the mountains of Colorado. Buddy and his family were an answer to Tracy's prayer. They were able to provide a place for Tracy to get rested, cleaned up and fed. God became very real to Tracy that day, and he went on to complete his journey. He is now telling the stories of his journey and how the Lord brought him out of the wilderness.

The son of a Baptist evangelist, Carl Miller spent the early years of his life in and around church. However, while in high school, he was introduced to meth and cocaine drugs which would lead him down a twenty-year path of despair and self-destruction. On today’s program, witness God’s amazing grace as it restores a man and his family when all else had failed.

Lamont and Theresa Buckner both come from large families, and their parents came from large families as well. When they married, they wanted to begin a family of their own, but God had a different plan. After years of trying unsuccessfully to have children, they discovered that Theresa was pregnant! But within hours of this good news, there were complications, and she was put on bed rest. Their son was born premature, but he has experienced almost none of the problems that are associated with preemies. They speak about the support of their church family and how the Lord guided them during this difficult time. The Buckner’s always give thanks for their children, knowing that God has something special planned for each of them.

Robert Osborn is a biker. He owns a motorcycle shop and is heavily invested in that lifestyle. After a life of rebellion, he was confronted with a simple presentation of the gospel, and that one event changed his entire life.

On this week’s program, meet David & Newja Wilson, Sagemont members who having felt God’s call launched a ministry to the homeless of downtown Houston. Joined by other Sagemont members and friends, David and Newja feed, clothe and even wash the feet the needy as a way of being Living Proof of a Loving God to a Watching World.

The Gideons is a world-wide ministry of placing the scriptures in hotels, libraries, prisons and in the hands of millions around the world. Sagemont Church has several members who are Gideons, and they describe their work in this important ministry.

Sagemont Church member & astronaut Dave Leestma has spent his entire life at the top, not only the top of the world as a shuttle astronaut, but as the top graduate of his class at Annapolis and at the famed "Top Gun" school of the Navy. As a confident naval aviator, he began to rely on his own intelligence and skill and ignore God's place in his and his family's life. He then met the limit of himself when a major illness struck one of his sons. He turned his life back to God and has never looked back since.

Sagemont members, Bud & Lynda LeCompte come from completely different backgrounds. Bud is from the Houston area and grew up with a love of music and a lack of direction. Lynda was born and raised in England where she graduated from college and worked for the British Intelligence Service as a civil servant for over ten years.

Mission Dignity is a program that assists retired pastors and their spouses in their retirement years. Sagemont Church just recently passed the one million dollar mark in its support of these retired pastors.

Each year, the Women’s Ministry of Sagemont Church does an extreme makeover of an area school’s Teacher’s Lounge. About five to ten women gather to clean and redecorate this area of the school where a teacher can take a break and relax. We get to hear what this means to the teachers and to those who participate in the makeover itself.

On this week’s program, join a team of Sagemont medical volunteers as they train, encourage and work with struggling evangelical churches in Spain. Ministry highlights include: distribution of Arabic, French and Spanish New Testaments, leading a conference for Christian leaders and performing an outdoor concert to raise community awareness of the local congregations and their ministries.

On this week’s program, join a team of Sagemont medical volunteers as they provide dental care to nationals in Tanzania. In addition, the group visits Kibera, the world’s largest slum located in Kenya, to witness the construction of a new school built through the proceeds of the GIVE Walk-a-thon hosted by Sagemont Church.

Lyudmila Boring was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. She was indoctrinated in Communist ideology and even taught it. After many years and thoughts of her Christian grandmother's stories told to her as a child, she began to have doubts. She became a translator and then accepted Christ as her Savior. She married a Sagemont member who was on a mission trip there to Russia and eventually immigrated to the United States.

Every year Sagemont's AWANA Clubs host a Pine Car Grand Prix. See how the gospel can be presented even in a car race.

This year, our students in grades 8-12 had a different camp experience, one of service. Paying their own way, over 300 students and volunteers stayed on the HBU campus and spent their days serving in the 3rd Ward of Houston cleaning up lots and painting houses. The evenings were spent in a time of worship and 12 people were saved! What a witness to that community!

Dr. Nelson was born virtually blind with only 2% of his vision. At five years old, by law he was required to attend a blind school where he learned Braille. The law was changed just as he was going into high school, so he was excited to be in a regular school. He encountered many obstacles where people tried to hold him back because of his sight challenges, but he was determined and overcame all of those obstacles. That determination took him on to graduate school where he earned his Doctorate in Education. Amazingly, not only did he excel in education, his hobby is carpentry. Even with his sight challenges, he has made beautiful tables, cabinets and even designed and made a grandfather clock. He is so glad to have found Sagemont Church where he can study the Word of God and serve by using his carpentry skills.

As the 56 courageous men signed the Declaration of Independence, they understood that if freedom was to be secured and preserved, there must be sacrifice and a firm reliance on the protection of Sovereign God.

On today’s program, hear the story of Ray Joseph Hutchinson, a young man willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation’s freedom.

Having a large family was not something Jimmy and Mary Jones just sat down one day and decided to do. Yet, once they started their family, they had a peace from God to keep having children despite all the negative comments and challenges. Now with eight children and 24 years of child rearing in hand, Jimmy and Mary watch with awe as their children live out God’s calling upon their lives.

Gene Sims concludes his story by discussing his life after accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior. He also tells that even those who know Christ still have heartache and struggle.

Gene Sims, was raised in an abusive home. But through his life, God led him to safety a wonderful life and business. He also tells about even those who know Christ still have heartache and struggle.

Sagemont Member and author Laurie Cole, discusses the pressures that teenage girls face in what the world calls beauty. God's definition is very different from what our world calls true beauty. She talks about some of the things that we as parents and the girls them selves need to do to keep to the Biblical standard of beauty.

Pastors and others in full-time ministry face situations and stresses that most people don’t realize. Several of these things are also complicated by our own emotional baggage that we bring into the ministry. Every quarter Sagemont offers a conference just for ministers who are facing crisis in their ministry or their own home life. This conference is also offered for people who want to learn how to avoid these things before they are burned out. Dixon Murrah and a pastor who graduated from the conference are interviewed.

Sagemont member Stella Walsh tells about her discovery that we cannot earn our way into heaven, but we must accept Christ as our only way.

Stuchbery Counselor Tina Jo Flotten wanted to give the students at her school a project that they could participate in raising funds for others that have less than they do. She came up with the idea that her students could host a walk-a-thon. She then called across the street to Sagemont Church to see if we provide a safe place to walk and the G.I.V.E. Walk-A-Thon was born. And on May 8, students from Stuchbery Elementary, their parents and Sagemont church children and their parents walked the Sagemont parking lot and raised over $4500 for a school in the Kibera slum of Niarobi, Kenya and for the Limbs of Love charity that helps underprivileged amputees get prosthetic arms and legs at no or low cost.

Abortion has touched almost every segment of American society. It is estimated that even in churches that there are great numbers of women that have had abortions. Sagemont Church has a program that allows a woman to deal with not only the past and accept responsibility but also learn how to accept God’s forgiveness as well as their own.

Jim Jardina literally traveled the world before coming back home to find a fulfilled life in Christ and a new church home. Jim was an executive with the Coke-a-Cola Company and traveled the United States and around the world beginning new businesses and helping established bottlers improve their products. While serving in Thailand, Jim began to realize that money and success were not really the paths to happiness. He met his wife, Bet, in Thailand while she was working with the company as a translator and marketing specialist. After marrying there and having two girls, Jim retired and moved back home to Texas. Through mutual friends, Jim met Dr. Morgan, and that friendship led Jim and his family to Sagemont Church and a new life in Christ.

Mike and Lindy Howard have lived and ministered in Zambia for over 20 years now. They describe call to the mission field after pastoring in Texas for 5 years. After learning the language (or languages) of Zambia they embarked on a mission of planting churches and training the Zambians to minister on their own. Sagemont Church has supported the work of the Howards through our gifts to the International Mission Board and over 100 Sagemont Volunteers have gone to Zambia on trips to help them directly.