The Newport Theatre Guild Presents “Shadowlands” this November. Based on real-life events, the stage play “Shadowlands” shows how the famous English author, C.S. Lewis, met and fell in love with the American, Joy Gresham. It is a story of humor and drama that has captured the imagination of audiences around the world. Now, the Newport Theatre Guild is partnering with the Liberty Church Arts Fellowship in Cosby, Tennessee to bring Nicholson's play to life for the first time in Cocke County. Three performances are this November 17th and 18th at 7 pm—and November 19th at a 3 pm matinee at Liberty Church of Cosby. The play is directed by Jerry Maloy. John Rush, who played Captain Von Trapp in the Guild’s recent production of “Sound of Music” will portray C.S. Lewis. Ruth Rush will co-star in the role of Joy Gresham. Gary Carver, who recently starred in Arsenic and Old Lace in Greenville, will play the role of Lewis’s brother, Warnie, with Tucker Faison’s first performance on stage as the young Douglas Gresham. C.S. Lewis was famous for his life-time of work, but most folks will recognize him for his beloved children’s series The Chronicles of Narnia and the classic Screwtape Letters. “Shadowlands” by William Nicholson made its stage debut at the Queen’s Theatre in London's West End in October of 1989. It has also played on Broadway. Screen adaptations of the story have shown on the BBC as well as in a film starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger in 1993. Tickets are now on sale at newporttheatreguild.com Liberty Church is at 35 41 Cosby Highway across from Carver’s Apple Orchard.

This past Sunday at Liberty Church, we had a panel discussion during our morning service on the subject of "Going Through Hard Times."  The panel included people from our congregation.  We invite you to listen to their stories, and we hope the discussion is encouraging.

Daily work can often feel like meaningless toil.  Repetitive, mundane effort.  We wake, we work, we sleep, only to start the process all over again… as the clock ticks on.   But understanding the spiritual significance of our work as serving God brings an unexpected meaning to every day life. 

People admire celebrities for various reasons. Some can be healthy reasons.  By that, I mean aspirational or motivational.  You can admire somebody who takes his talent, combines it with a work ethic and makes creations that thousands of people can enjoy. But people can admire celebrities for unhealthy or pathological or pathological reasons—especially if you feel like a nobody and envy the rich and famous, or those that are excellent in what they do.  Fans will do anything to have a brush with, even a fleeting moment with, what they consider to be greatness.  Right?I mean, celebrity worship is rampant.  If they get a chance, people want to take a selfie with their favorite celebrity.  Or someone they admire in some way.But what bothers me is how many people feel like a nobody in comparison with people other people.  So I want to remind you, when you feel like a nobody, that in Christ, your life is uniquely special, and eternally important. 

We’re tempted to believe that God's not really for us. If He's not for us, He must be against us, at least somewhat.  He's actually a barrier to what would really make me happy.  Just by who He is, He blocks my personal happiness.  He stands opposed to me.  Therefore He is an adversary. But the message today is contrary to all of that.  The message is: God is not your Adversary. 

Why are you here?   Why do you exist?   What is your life about?This podcast discusses the framework of our purpose in life.

What does a new humanity look like?Colossians 3:8-17 describes what a new life in Christ looks like.

David Powlison crafted probing questions that help us understand the condition of our hearts. What do I love most? Peoples’ approval? Comfort? Control? Which voice in this world do I obey? Whom must I please? What makes me tick? What sun does my planet revolve around? The point of all these questions is to help us find the idols of our hearts. 

Have you ever wished you could be someone else?  Several people made comments along this line on Reddit.  Here are some examples of what they said:"I wish I was pretty. I wish I was successful. I wish I had friends. I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish I was happy. I wish I wasn't broken. I wish I had hope. I wish I was worth anything to anyone."Someone else wrote:  ”I built up an ideal version of myself in my head, and while daydreaming about it is nice, it kills me to know I'll never live up to that."Here’s another post:  ”I wish I was smart, but I know I'm not. I wish I was pretty, but I'm just normal-looking. I wish there was something about me that stood out, or something that was useful about me. I wish I had a different personality type…  My nose is big and I hate it, and I hate the shape of my thin eyebrows.  I wish there was something interesting about me that made people want to interact with me, or want my presence but I just feel creepy and awkward when I interact with people or I feel that I'm bothering them.”These voices reflect the struggle many face, but in Colossians 3, we find the way to our True Selves.

People often feel that religion is just an atmosphere of control, judgmental-ism, and rules, along with extreme and strange views.  This is all too true in aberrant religious movements throughout history—even some religious movements that take the name of Christ.  Instead of enjoying the freedom and joy that the Gospel brings into the life of a Christian, we take the gospel, a gift from God, and turn it into hierarchical power structures, religious domineering, and atmospheres of suspicion and precision-oriented performance and demands that drain the life right out of people.  This creates a fear-driven, soul-draining atmosphere.But the Apostle Paul warned us against this a long time ago in the book of Colossians, especially chapter two verses eleven through twenty-three.