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Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 30TH 2026, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Volume 9, Number 27, Edition 427
“20 Years Of Salvation – Part 3”

This morning I’m waking up in Homestead Florida – the place where I was saved exactly 20 years ago. I’ve been here since Friday morning – spending quality time with former longtime coworkers over meals – and church brothers and sisters over more meals.

Last #SundayScripture I wrote about my first church of 8 years in the movie theatre – just a half-mile down the road from my hotel this weekend. That theatre incidentally went out-of-business in October 2019 after 13½ years. The last movie I ever saw there was a month earlier in September. I saw the faith-based movie “Overcomer” (a Kendrick Brothers Production).

The former movie theatre is now a converted medical facility.

I wrote about my second church in Homestead – the one that I’ll be heading to this morning. I also mentioned my first church in Sebring.

Let’s continue my story:

Highlands Community Church is my fourth church overall over the past 19½ years – and my second church in Sebring. My first Sunday at my current church was Labor Day Sunday in September of 2023. (My 3RD anniversary is next Sunday.)

I love my church family, and my Senior Pastor Tim is a great Pastor and friend. I started watching him and the Praise & Worship band for a couple of months on YouTube before I ever set foot into the building. I knew what to expect before I got there; although, I did not know that on that first morning I would meet a couple who lived in Homestead for many years before moving to Sebring. They knew my former Pastor, his wife and family, and a few church members.

I plan to be there indefinitely. As far as I’m concerned – it’s my forever church, and Sebring is my forever home.

I’m so glad that God guided and directed me to each of my four church families since that first Sunday in January of 2007.

You know nobody invited me to any of the four churches. I arrived. I walked in through the front door. I appeared. There I was – on a Sunday morning. Thanks be to God.

My story is an anomaly. For most of you – you were invited to a church by an already existing member of that church family – perhaps by a neighbor or coworker. For many of you – you were rescued and saved by God when you were a teenager, or maybe even into your 20s.

I was middle-aged when God rescued and saved me at age 39. I didn’t know Him before then.

I love to share my salvation story with anyone who will listen – one-on-one, in a group setting, inside, outside, online, offline, anywhere, and everywhere. “For where two or three gather in My name – there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20 NIV)

My salvation started unexpectedly – without notice – out of nowhere – unscheduled – during that week of August 20TH 2006. Nobody led me to God. Nobody bought me a Bible. Nobody invited me to church. Nobody asked me to go to a revival or a crusade.

Before that August morning – I had no idea what salvation was. I didn’t know what “being saved” meant. An old life versus a new life meant nothing to me. I didn’t know God. But God. He knew me. He knew me before I was born to my parents. But I didn’t know Him. I met Him in 2006 – when I invited Him closer to me – when I invited Him into my heart – when I asked Him to take over my life. I was dead to my old life. I was born to this new life.

Meeting God and allowing Him to enter my heart – that was the most important event of my life. Nothing else comes close to that. Nothing ever will. My life was changed forever.

All praise to God – the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again – because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance – an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you – pure and undefiled – beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith – God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation – which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. (1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT)

(I’ll continue this story – next #SundayScripture.)

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday August 23RD 2026, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

Volume 9, Number 26, Edition 426
“20 Years Of Salvation – Part 2”

This past week I observed and celebrated the 20TH anniversary of the start of my salvation which occurred at dawn during the 3RD week of August of 2006 on North Canal Drive (SW 328TH Street) in Homestead Florida.

Last #SundayScripture I began sharing my testimony about my first 5 months of salvation – leading-up to that rock and roll concert on a Saturday night at Life Pointe Church. This week my story continues:

So as I ended last week’s edition – I wrote that it was announced that the church building that we were in was not where Sunday morning service occurred. Sunday morning service was actually held a couple of miles away inside the new movie theatre. That would be Flagship Cinemas – Homestead’s only theatre at the time. It was built in 2005 into 2006, and it opened in April 2006. It was modern and state-of-the-art at the time. It was our first theatre since the previous one was smashed into pieces by Hurricane Andrew 13½ years earlier. (The 34TH anniversary of Hurricane Andrew’s landfall across Homestead Florida is tonight.)

I see a lot of movies at the theatre – generally between 20 and 30 a year. Occasionally I went to that theatre early on Sunday afternoons. At first I couldn’t figure out why there were so many people at the theatre (that early), and most of them were leaving and not arriving. I eventually realized that they were church people. A church service was being held at the theatre before the movies started, and they were letting out as I was arriving to see an early movie. I thought that a church service at the theatre was quite odd, but then I thought of church people as quite odd.

Well guess what ? I entered that theatre the very next morning after the rock concert inside the traditional (and original) church building. I walked in at around 9:45 AM on that Sunday January 21ST 2007 (another date that I’ll never forget). I was greeted and hugged by complete strangers at the front doors. A smiling lady – Anne – soon introduced herself to me, and I introduced myself to her. She was in charge of Hospitality. We’ve been friends ever since that very first morning.

She led me down the hallway to the specific theatre where service was held starting at 10 AM. I was greeted again at that door. I walked in. I found a seat. And I attended my very first church service in 30 years – ever since I was a little kid in Catholic School.

Within the first 10 minutes of the service – I knew that I would be back again the next Sunday morning. I’ve been part of a church family ever since.

I was part of that first church family for the next 8 years – until 2015. And then I moved to another church about a mile away, and I was part of that second church family for the next 9 years – until 2024. I served as an Assistant Pastor at that church. I opened and closed every service. I led Communion on the first Sunday of every month, and I was honored to preach over 60 sermons there. I was part of the Praise + Worship team during my final few years – singing the same songs on stage that I was singing along to at home and in my car.

I moved to Sebring Florida in March of 2023 – almost a full year before I retired from the Air Force down in Homestead. I commuted back-and-forth between Sebring and Homestead – not every day – but about every week or two. I actually worked from home – my new home in Sebring – during my final year of employment. For my entire 39-year career with the Air Force – I held a desk job in an office working with numbers and money. I was able to do my job in an efficient manner remotely.

My third church overall was my first church here in Sebring, and it was not my current church. It was another church down the road. It wasn’t a good fit for me, so I eventually started looking elsewhere.

(I’ll continue this story – next #SundayScripture.)

All rights reserved (c) 2026 Christopher M. Day, CountUp