Beginning on April 11th at 10am, our next SMS Course will begin. The Course is "Ecclesiology: 9 Marks of a Healthy Church". This will be a ten-week study of Mark Dever's very helpful book on a biblical understanding of the purposes and structure of the local church.
Classes will be held on the second and fourth Saturday mornings of April, May, June, July, and August. Each class session will begin at 10am and continue through Noon. Cost for the Course is $25.00 per person, or $40.00 per couple (if they share a textbook). To be part of this Course, you must sign up and pay the fee by Tuesday, March 31. Registration forms are available in the Church office.
All members of FBC are encouraged to attend, and non-members are also welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Lanny.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
JOY Groups Update!
God continues to richly bless our JOY Groups! We now have three groups actively meeting. Over the past few weeks, these Groups are averaging 55 in attendance, and about 20 of those are people who have never attended our church!
God is using these Groups to allow us to share the gospel with several people who have not yet attended our church. Last night in Tuscola, I had the joy of teaching 10 people including 2 "first timers". Three of these dear folk have not yet attended our church.
We are praying that the Lord will raise up several more people in our church who will host and, or, lead one of these Groups. We have a teacher ready for Atwood right now! Please pray that the Lord will burden one of our local families to host a JOY Group very soon. There is a reason we call them "JOY Groups!" Why not get involved and see for yourself?
God is using these Groups to allow us to share the gospel with several people who have not yet attended our church. Last night in Tuscola, I had the joy of teaching 10 people including 2 "first timers". Three of these dear folk have not yet attended our church.
We are praying that the Lord will raise up several more people in our church who will host and, or, lead one of these Groups. We have a teacher ready for Atwood right now! Please pray that the Lord will burden one of our local families to host a JOY Group very soon. There is a reason we call them "JOY Groups!" Why not get involved and see for yourself?
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Where was God?
During the 8am worship service yesterday at FBC Maryville, a gunman walked into the sanctuary and shot and killed the Senior Pastor, Dr. Fred Winters. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cindy, their two daughters, all of their family and friends, and the members of this great Church.
In light of these horrific events, I want to provide biblical answers to two of the theological questions that are on the hearts and minds of many. I hope you will take the time to look up and read these verses carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through them.
First, “Where was God?”
1) God is, of course, everywhere present! Psalm 139:7-12
2) God is always present in the midst of His people! Matthew 18:20
3) God was both in and with Fred Winters! John 14:16-17
4) Because God was with Fred Winters yesterday, we also know that Fred Winters is with God today! 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Second, “If God is both all-powerful and completely good, why does He allow things like this to happen?”
1) God is all-powerful! Jeremiah 32:27; Mark 10:27; 14:36
2) God is completely good! Psalm 119:68; James 1:17
3) God is completely sovereign! Psalm 115:3; 133:5-6; 139:16.
4) God is not the author of evil, but He allows the existence of evil in the world to accomplish His greater purposes! Genesis 50:19-20
5) God tells us in His word that these kinds of things are going to happen to His people! John 15:18; 2 Timothy 3:12
6) Fred Winters was a Christian man. He was among those who are described as, “those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) God does not say that all things are good for those who love Him; but, that He is working “all things together for good.”
Please continue in prayer for these beloved ones who are hurting in ways that most of us cannot imagine. Pray that God will be glorified; His people will be edified; and that lost people will be saved as a result of this heart-breaking tragedy.
In light of these horrific events, I want to provide biblical answers to two of the theological questions that are on the hearts and minds of many. I hope you will take the time to look up and read these verses carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you through them.
First, “Where was God?”
1) God is, of course, everywhere present! Psalm 139:7-12
2) God is always present in the midst of His people! Matthew 18:20
3) God was both in and with Fred Winters! John 14:16-17
4) Because God was with Fred Winters yesterday, we also know that Fred Winters is with God today! 2 Corinthians 5:1-10
Second, “If God is both all-powerful and completely good, why does He allow things like this to happen?”
1) God is all-powerful! Jeremiah 32:27; Mark 10:27; 14:36
2) God is completely good! Psalm 119:68; James 1:17
3) God is completely sovereign! Psalm 115:3; 133:5-6; 139:16.
4) God is not the author of evil, but He allows the existence of evil in the world to accomplish His greater purposes! Genesis 50:19-20
5) God tells us in His word that these kinds of things are going to happen to His people! John 15:18; 2 Timothy 3:12
6) Fred Winters was a Christian man. He was among those who are described as, “those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) God does not say that all things are good for those who love Him; but, that He is working “all things together for good.”
Please continue in prayer for these beloved ones who are hurting in ways that most of us cannot imagine. Pray that God will be glorified; His people will be edified; and that lost people will be saved as a result of this heart-breaking tragedy.
Monday, March 2, 2009
"Baptizing them..."
As the Lord allows, we will be baptizing in both of the next two Sunday AM Services! The Lord has blessed us in recent days with several people who have made professions of faith, and ten of them have presented themselves to the church as candidates for baptism. This coming Sunday we are expecting to baptize five or six, and the following Sunday we are expecting to baptize four or five more.
We thank the Lord for His blessings on our church. Please be in prayer for these new believers. Pray that many of their family and friends who come to witness these special events will come to know the Lord during the service!
We thank the Lord for His blessings on our church. Please be in prayer for these new believers. Pray that many of their family and friends who come to witness these special events will come to know the Lord during the service!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
WOW! (That's the Hebrew word for "I am thrilled at how richly God is blessing us right now!")
WOW, indeed! Last Wednesday Misty was impressed to take the AWANA teaching time and share her testimony. She emailed many of us for prayer - and we prayed - and God answered. Sixteen young people prayed to accept the Lord at the invitation! (That is a lot of follow-up to do and a lot of potential to touch their family members as well.) Pray that we will be able to have an exciting baptism service for them soon, and that many others will come to know the Lord at that service.
WOW! We are only three weeks into our "Tearing Down the Wall of Debt" Campaign, and God has already moved on our hearts to give over $13,000.00 toward the goal of being debt free by 12-27-2009.
Last Sunday, we gave over $4,500.00 in the general offering; $830.00 in a special love offering for a family with an immediate need; $850.00 for VBS through the dessert auction; and, we gave $2,900.00 to "Tearing Down the Wall of Debt!" If your are counting... and I bet you are... that is $9,080.00 on a 3rd Sunday. WOW!
It was great to have so many of you and so many visitors with us for worship; especially to have a dear family back with us for the first time in a while! I am not absolutely sure, but I think we had about as many people last Sunday in worship as we had last Easter... (Yup, you guessed it) WOW!
Please pray for God's richest blessings to be continually poured out upon us. God continues to bless us with his "anointing presence!" I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY! WOW!
WOW! We are only three weeks into our "Tearing Down the Wall of Debt" Campaign, and God has already moved on our hearts to give over $13,000.00 toward the goal of being debt free by 12-27-2009.
Last Sunday, we gave over $4,500.00 in the general offering; $830.00 in a special love offering for a family with an immediate need; $850.00 for VBS through the dessert auction; and, we gave $2,900.00 to "Tearing Down the Wall of Debt!" If your are counting... and I bet you are... that is $9,080.00 on a 3rd Sunday. WOW!
It was great to have so many of you and so many visitors with us for worship; especially to have a dear family back with us for the first time in a while! I am not absolutely sure, but I think we had about as many people last Sunday in worship as we had last Easter... (Yup, you guessed it) WOW!
Please pray for God's richest blessings to be continually poured out upon us. God continues to bless us with his "anointing presence!" I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY! WOW!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
We're Tearing Down the Wall of Debt!
Tomorrow morning, Sunday, February 1st, we are kicking off a forty-eight week campaign to pay off our building debt! As of December 31, 2008, our balance was about $143,000.00. During 2009, our regular mortage payments will reduce that amount by $48,000.00, leaving a balance of $95,000.00.
The "Tearing Down the Wall of Debt" Campaign asks every actively attending family in our church to sacrifice each week by giving additional funds over and above our regular giving and designating that money to pay off the debt several years early. Over the next forty-eight weeks, our seventy active families only have to average $28.27 per week each to pay off this debt by the TARGET DATE OF DECEMBER 27, 2009! Some will be able to give more than this and some will give less - but if everyone gives what they can, this God-glorifying Goal will be met.
As I write this note, we are thirteen hours away from our first offering, and we already have received $4,000.00 toward this goal! We will have a display of 95 bricks on the altar of the church representing $1,000.00 of debt for each brick. Each week, we will remove the number of bricks that represent the amount of money that has come in to that date. Tomorrow morning, we will already be able to remove four of the bricks!
Lin and I have decided on a sacrifical amount to give toward this exciting goal and our first check will be in the offering tomorrow! I hope you will join with us in this church-wide effort to glorify God by paying off this debt!
A godly man in our church commented to me last week, "It is just like God to lead us to do this in the most financially difficult year since 1929." Yes, God's timing is always right on time! Beloved ones, we are going to sacrifice together, honor God together, save lots of interest by doing this together; and, BEST OF ALL - WE ARE GOING TO WITNESS AND CELEBRATE A MIRACLE!
The "Tearing Down the Wall of Debt" Campaign asks every actively attending family in our church to sacrifice each week by giving additional funds over and above our regular giving and designating that money to pay off the debt several years early. Over the next forty-eight weeks, our seventy active families only have to average $28.27 per week each to pay off this debt by the TARGET DATE OF DECEMBER 27, 2009! Some will be able to give more than this and some will give less - but if everyone gives what they can, this God-glorifying Goal will be met.
As I write this note, we are thirteen hours away from our first offering, and we already have received $4,000.00 toward this goal! We will have a display of 95 bricks on the altar of the church representing $1,000.00 of debt for each brick. Each week, we will remove the number of bricks that represent the amount of money that has come in to that date. Tomorrow morning, we will already be able to remove four of the bricks!
Lin and I have decided on a sacrifical amount to give toward this exciting goal and our first check will be in the offering tomorrow! I hope you will join with us in this church-wide effort to glorify God by paying off this debt!
A godly man in our church commented to me last week, "It is just like God to lead us to do this in the most financially difficult year since 1929." Yes, God's timing is always right on time! Beloved ones, we are going to sacrifice together, honor God together, save lots of interest by doing this together; and, BEST OF ALL - WE ARE GOING TO WITNESS AND CELEBRATE A MIRACLE!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Becoming a fully-devoted follower of Jesus Christ!
The Purpose Statement of our church is, "Becoming and Bringing Others to be Fully-devoted Followers of Jesus Christ!" This is not an original statement, but I believe it is one that clearly states the two-fold goal of the Christian life: we are to become fully-devoted Christ-followers; and, we are to bring others to know Him and to become His fully-devoted followers as well. Obviously, we cannot undertake the latter until we have accomplished the former!
I have been working for the past two years to come up with an effective and yet simple process to enable us accomplish these bibilcal goals. Next Sunday morning, January 25, 2009, I will unveil to our church a three-part process to accomplish this.
Beginning at 4:45pm on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, I will lead a one-hour class designed to move us toward this goal of spiritual maturity. These classes will cover three practical levels of spiritual maturity:
(1) The "Discovery" Series will consist of six classes designed for newer believers and newer church members; as well as others who desire to study again the basics of Christianity and Church life.
(2) The "Foundations" Series will also be six weeks in length and will cover the basic doctrinal truths taught in the Bible.
(3) The "Journey" Series will feature six classes designed for Christians who desire to begin or continue the process of spiritual growth in their personal Christian walk.
Some of these subjects were taught last year during the "Thursday Nights Together" classes. Therefore, not everyone will need to attend every class. Many of these classes will feature new material, so I want to encourage you to sign up for as many of these classes as your schedule will allow. Sign-up sheets are available now in the foyer for the first class, "Discovering Jesus" which will begin on Sunday, February 8th. Everyone is welcome to attend, but especially those who have come to know the Lord, or have joined our church within the past year should attend.
God bless you. I hope to see you Sunday morning with a Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and a friend by your side!
I have been working for the past two years to come up with an effective and yet simple process to enable us accomplish these bibilcal goals. Next Sunday morning, January 25, 2009, I will unveil to our church a three-part process to accomplish this.
Beginning at 4:45pm on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, I will lead a one-hour class designed to move us toward this goal of spiritual maturity. These classes will cover three practical levels of spiritual maturity:
(1) The "Discovery" Series will consist of six classes designed for newer believers and newer church members; as well as others who desire to study again the basics of Christianity and Church life.
(2) The "Foundations" Series will also be six weeks in length and will cover the basic doctrinal truths taught in the Bible.
(3) The "Journey" Series will feature six classes designed for Christians who desire to begin or continue the process of spiritual growth in their personal Christian walk.
Some of these subjects were taught last year during the "Thursday Nights Together" classes. Therefore, not everyone will need to attend every class. Many of these classes will feature new material, so I want to encourage you to sign up for as many of these classes as your schedule will allow. Sign-up sheets are available now in the foyer for the first class, "Discovering Jesus" which will begin on Sunday, February 8th. Everyone is welcome to attend, but especially those who have come to know the Lord, or have joined our church within the past year should attend.
God bless you. I hope to see you Sunday morning with a Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and a friend by your side!
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