Odds and Ends...

Trunk or Treat - Happening on Sunday Night, October 28, from 6-8PM. We are doing a few things differently this year. From 6-7 we will have games and candy collecting in the Fellowship Hall and from 7-8 we will have a gospel presentation and prize giveaway and film in the Sanctuary. We need more tables! We also need candy! Please pray about helping by decorating a table for the competition and also please donate some candy to be given away.  

Operation Christmas Child - Our goal is 100 boxes - the largest goal we have ever had! This upcoming Sunday is our ingathering for these boxes! If you need a box, let us know and we will get more!

Lord’s Supper - This upcoming Sunday Morning we will be observing the Lord’s Supper. Please be in prayer and preparation for this as we will remember together the body that was broken and blood that was shed for our sins.   

Prayer Night for the Church - Has been moved to Wednesday Night October 24. We had to move it because of the renovations happening on our church baptistry. Please come out and pray for God to bless our church, our ministries, our growth, our outreach,  our vision, and our attitudes! We will have prayer stations set up throughout the church with a prayer guide for everyone. It will begin in the fellowship hall at 7PM. If you are unable to attend, prayer guides will be available early next week on our website and from our church office.  

Prayer Night for the Nation - Has already taken place this week. If you missed out on joining with us, you can download a prayer guide for our nation and for our election from our church website, or pick up a copy of the guide in our church office. Please carve out some serious time in your schedule and pray for God to bless our nation!

May God bless our church, our community, and our nation as we seek to do His will!

- Bro. Dave

What God does to our sin...

Psalm 103:12 says that God has removed our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. What other imagery does the Bible use to speak of our sins being removed?

-       God remembers your sin no more (Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:14; Hebrews 10:17

"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.").

-       God covers our sins, blots them out as a thick cloud (Romans 4:7; Isaiah 44:22

“I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”).

-       God “cancelled out the certificate of debt,” and declares, “Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD will not take into account” (Psalm. 32:2).

-       God casts our sins behind his back (Isaiah 38:17 Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back.).

-       God treads our iniquities under his feet (Micah 7:19).

-       God casts our sins into the depths of the sea (Also Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”).

-       God cleanses us through the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7  “…and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”).

-       God atones or covers our sins in such a way that He even blots out the proof against us, nailing it to the cross (Romans 4:7-8; Colossians 2:14 “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”).

A minister had sinned very badly and even though he had confessed his sin, he never felt forgiven. A lady in his church was always saying, "The Lord said to me …" It wasn't that he didn't believe her, because she was usually right, but she really irked him. One day he said, "If God is speaking to you, ask Him to tell you what it was I did years ago." A few days later, she came back to him. "Well?" he demanded. "Did you ask Him?" "Yes," she replied. "And what did He say?" asked the minister. "He said He doesn't remember."

Do you realize that all of your sins have been forgiven? Does this motivate you to want to obey Jesus?

-       Bro. Dave

What happens to those who have never heard the Gospel?

All people are accountable to God whether or not they have “heard about Him.” The Bible tells us that God has clearly revealed Himself in nature (Romans 1:20) and in the hearts of people (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The problem is that the human race is sinful; we all reject this knowledge of God and rebel against Him (Romans 1:21-23). If it were not for God's grace, we would be given over to the sinful desires of our hearts, allowing us to discover how useless and miserable life is apart from Him. He does this for those who continually reject Him (Romans 1:24-32).

In reality, it is not that some people have not heard about God. Rather, the problem is that they have rejected what they have heard and what is readily seen in nature. Deuteronomy 4:29 proclaims, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” This verse teaches an important principle—everyone who truly seeks after God will find Him. If a person truly desires to know God, God will make Himself known.

The problem is “there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:11). People reject the knowledge of God that is present in nature and in their own hearts, and instead decide to worship a “god” of their own creation. It is foolish to debate the fairness of God sending someone to hell who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ. People are responsible to God for what God has already revealed to them. The Bible says that people reject this knowledge, and therefore God is just in condemning them to hell.

Instead of debating the fate of those who have never heard, we, as Christians, should be doing our best to make sure they do hear. We are called to spread the gospel throughout the nations (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). We know people reject the knowledge of God revealed in nature, and that must motivate us to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Only by accepting God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ can people be saved from their sins and rescued from an eternity apart from God.

If we assume that those who never hear the gospel are granted mercy from God and will go to heaven, we will run into a terrible problem. If people who never hear the gospel are saved, it is logical that we should make sure no one ever hears the gospel. The worst thing we could do would be to share the gospel with a person and have him or her reject it. However, the Bible is clear that people who do not hear and respond to the gospel will be condemned (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 3:36; 1 John 5:12). The strongest desire of our hearts towards lost people must be for their salvation.  Paul mentions this desire in Romans 10:1 and God Himself in 1 Timothy 2:4.

- Let us be faithful and obedient in sharing the Gospel!

-       -  Bro. Dave

What is “Secret Church”?

During Sunday Nights in October we will be going through “Secret Church” together.

Our focus will be a Survey of the Old Testament. We will be watching Dr. David Platt as he walks us through the Old Testament. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Secret Church:

What is “Secret Church”?
From David Platt: When we think of "church" in America, we think of going to meet at a building, singing, praying and hearing a message from a Pastor. But in many places around the world, "church" meets in a home, an apartment, even in secret. These small groups of Christ-followers often meet for many hours in study, prayer and fellowship, as it is dangerous to travel to "church" and they want to make the most of their time together.

Secret Church is our "house church," where we meet periodically for an intense time of Bible study--lasting 4-6 hours--and prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters across the globe. This is not for the uncommitted or faint at heart. But if you desire to know God more deeply through His Word, and know His Church more fully around the world, then please join us for Secret Church.
God will use this focused time of study to enrich our knowledge of His Word as we gain understanding of the state of His Church and our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. The objective of Secret Church is for you to pass along what you learn to others, so that you can make disciples of Christ--both locally and globally.

Who is David Platt?
David Platt is the pastor of the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL. He is best known as the author of the book Radical: Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream. (If you have not read Radical yet, ask Mike Riley how it has impacted his life.)  David has served as the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Apologetics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

What do I need to do to participate?
Call the church office and tell Jeanne that you want to attend so that we can have your workbook printed and ready for you on Sunday night, October 7 at 7PM.

May we grow in our love for the Bible and for missions as we learn together!

- Bro. Dave

Take my life and let it be...

I want to thank everyone who showed up Friday night and worked hard during our fall festival. It was a great outreach and I am excited to see what great things God has in store!

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

In this day of self-centered living and pleasure-oriented lifestyle, the total commitment to God of body, mind, and possessions portrayed in this verse is difficult for many Christians to achieve. Even though we realize that we have nothing we have not received and that we are only stewards of the good gifts God has entrusted to us, we often fail to apply this basic truth to our daily lives:

The gold that came from Thee, Lord, to Thee belongeth still;

Oh, may I always faithfully my stewardship fulfill. —Unknown

It was said of Frances Ridley Havergal, author of the Hymn, “Take my Life and Let it Be”, that the beauty of a consecrated life was never more perfectly revealed than in her daily living. She has rightfully been called “The Consecration Poet.”

“These little couplets that chimed in my heart one after another” were for Frances Havergal the result of an evening in 1874 passed in pursuing a deeper consecration of herself to God. “Take my voice and let me sing always only for my King” was personally significant for Frances. She was naturally very musical and had been trained as a concert soloist with an unusually pleasant voice. Her musical talents could have brought her much worldly fame. However, she determined that her life’s mission was to sing and work only for Jesus. The line “Take my silver and my gold” was also sincerely phrased. At one time Frances gathered together her many fine pieces of jewelry and other family heirlooms and shipped them to the church missionary house to be used for evangelizing the lost. Nearly fifty articles were sent with “extreme delight.”

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love;

Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee; take my voice and let me sing always only, for my King.

Take my lips and let them be filled with messages for Thee; take my silver and my gold—not a mite would I withhold.

Take my love—my God, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store; take myself—and I will be ever, only, all for Thee, ever, only, all for thee.

-       May God strengthen us to do everything for His glory!

-       Bro. Dave

Fighting Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) 

13  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 

After Franklin Graham committed himself to Christ, he was surprised to find his taste for cigarettes was strong as ever. He determined to quit smoking, but three days later, he awoke with an absolutely overwhelming—almost terrifying—desire for a cigarette. I wanted to smoke so bad that I couldn’t think of anything else. It intensified with each passing minute. Throughout the day, the yearning for a cigarette grabbed me like the jaws of a junkyard dog.

He finally shared his struggle with his friend Roy Gustafson. “Roy, I quit smoking, but I don’t think I can hold out. I just don’t think I have the power to say no any longer.”

“Oh, you don’t, huh?” replied Roy, looking up from a hamburger. “Why don’t you just get down on your knees and tell God He’s a liar?”

“What? I can’t do that!”

Roy quoted 1 Corinthians 10:13 to him, then said, “You need to tell God He’s a liar. You claimed that verse and it didn’t work.”

“I’m not going to call God a liar,” said Franklin. “Besides, I haven’t claimed that verse yet!”

“You haven’t?” said Roy, sounding shocked. “Why don’t you, then?”

Returning to his room, Franklin knelt beside his bed and prayed, “Lord, I’ve been wanting a cigarette all day. I don’t want to smoke again, but I don’t know if I can make it through this day. Will you take this overpowering desire from me?”

Though the desire didn’t cease, Franklin’s ability to resist it grew. Only once did he slip, on a flight the next day to Athens. I lit up and took several puffs. Instead of the usual satisfied feeling I would get, the cigarette left a bad taste in my mouth. I snubbed it out, wadded up the pack, and threw it on an empty seat.

It was his last smoke.

May we claim the promises of God this week in our fight against temptation. 

- Bro. Dave

Encouraging Passages for Teachers

As I have been observing our students and teachers returning to class, I am praying for both groups that this would be a fruitful year. I know that all of our teachers work hard to serve their students, and I want to provide some encouraging passages for your labors.

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not vain in the Lord.” (ASV)

Jeremiah 17:8
“They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” (NRSV)

Matthew 25:21 “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (KJV)

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)

Ephesians 3:16-19 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (NIV)

1 Peter 4:10 “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” (NRSV)

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV)

Romans 12:7 “If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.” (NLT)

Whether you are a teacher or not, let us all work hard, with the strength God supplies, to bring glory to God through our work!  

-       Bro. Dave