5 P.M. Service
A woman, who was the leader of the worship band, welcomed everyone and we sang “Trading My Sorrows”. The preacher, John Branham told us that he had news that there was a wreck down the road and that members of the church were involved. John said a prayer and we began worship. We sang “Here I Am To Worship”, “There Is Power In The Blood”, “The Lily of the Valley-My Wonderful Lord”, and “I Need You More”. The preacher had the offering ushers come forward. Piano music was playing while the offering was taken. John said that God is so good and he mentioned loved ones in a prayer. He read from Jeremiah 10:12-16. He said that in 600 B.C., people didn’t know about evaporation, but God knew. He read from Isaiah 40:28-29. He said “That’s my God” and that God is wonderful in all his ways. He asked how many people get up in the morning excited and energetic. He said that years ago he world work out four times a day at the gym and could run for eight to ten miles at one or two in the morning. He had lots of energy. He said that times are changing and that he doesn’t have the energy that he used to.
He said that gravity is bothering him. The moon has 1/6th the gravity as Earth. He said that the realm makes all the difference. God’s realm is not our realm. God is supernatural and perfect in all ways. He said that God’s word can make anything out of nothing and John mentioned the word logos. God’s power is creative. In Genesis 1 God created the world. In the 4th day he created the lights in Heaven. God created the Earth first and spoke or breathed the very life into us. God created Adam perfect. Mary conceived a child (Jesus) by the mere shadow of God. God is the same God yesterday, today and forever more. John mentioned Job and that Job said that he knew God can do everything. Everything created by man or with nature doesn’t compare with God’s power. John mentioned how God gave Moses the staff that became a snake and then a staff again, God had the water become blood, and John mentioned the other plagues. John then quoted Hebrews 1:3 and Genesis 8:22. He said that he doesn’t get upset about global warming because of this verse.
We have a mighty God from birth until our departure, not because we deserve it, but because our God is merciful. Our hope is in the LORD. We belong to him. Our strength and power and hope is in him. He said that our lives are a learning experience and that he doesn’t know anyone who has come to the end and talked about it. He said a prayer for us and we were dismissed.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Westside Baptist Church
Westside Baptist Church
6:30 P.M.
The pastor, Jerry L. Wilson, said good evening to everyone and said to remember everyone in their prayers. His sermon went as follows: He mentioned people on the prayer lists. He read an article on the back of the bulletin titled Lost in America. The article talked about percentages of lost in America and people who say they are Christians and percentages. There is a steady decline in the number of people who have a concept of a relationship with God. As the population grows, the percentage drops. 15 percent of those interviewed said that they had no interest in God. Even people who profess to be Christians (76 percent) based their Christianity to be based strictly on keeping rituals rather than a relationship with Christ. In Nacogdoches County this number would be the equivalent of all of the town of Nacogdoches not being saved. There is probably someone you love or someone you know that is in that number. This is all based on a survey and that this is not the only survey that has a similar outcome. This should make us pause for America to think about it and pray about it. Jerry then said a prayer for us.
We sang “He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me”, “Precious Memories” and “Somebody Loves Me”. Jerry read from 1 Peter 5:5-7 and said that tonight will be a continuation of last Sunday night. The word likewise is used to connect what is being said to what is in previous verses. Those who lead are to lead by the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus did what was right because it is in his nature. We should do what is right because it’s the right thing to do. What did Jesus give people the opportunity to do? He gave them the opportunity to choose. By the nature of Adam, we have the nature to sin. It is impossible for man to live without sinning for all of us except Jesus. Jesus was given as an example of how we should live. “Submit” is not a pretty word in today’s age. We need to transmit God’s message and God’s plan from one generation to the next. We are not heeding sound words as a society. We should be an example and pattern for others to follow when we are following Christ and we should humble ourselves. He mentioned the Military chain of command. Everybody has a place. When someone steps out or doesn’t follow orders it causes disorder. Troops are at a lost as to what to do. Young people should use elders as a guide for their lives. Kids’ heroes today are sports figures who do drugs. Jerry said that he is not going to be like the preacher who walked by the pool and talked about how girls dress wildly, but can’t remember how the boys dressed. A lot of athletes have to wear long shirts for interviews because they have vulgar tattoos and they have to cover them.
People who have declared the word of God in the media have forsaken the word of God. We need to maintain the Chain of Command. He tried to express the importance to people who grew up in the church to take responsibility of taking care of the other people. When this doesn’t happen it endangers his children, it endangers his world, and it pollutes his world. People who are a part of the body of Christ should act differently from the World. When members who are part of the church act worldly, it brings injury to the church body. We should confront each other in love when we are not acting right. We should be subject and accountable to one another. Jerry said that when he was a teenager he thought he could do whatever he wanted. We never come to a place where we are not accountable to someone. We are called to be modest and not arrogant. We should have a higher estimation of people’s worth. God knows how much we are worth. Jerry quotes Psalm 8:4. We are the crowning glory of God and the apple of his eye. The man who overestimates himself however is on the verge of insanity. God is in warfare against those people who are proud and arrogant. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Jerry wants to boil it down and said that God makes it possible for the humble to have peace and joy. Humble is used three times in different subtexts. As a result of the economy today, we have 2.5 million less millionaires. Being wealthy in America today is an iffy thing.
God doesn’t give some people wealth because he knows it will destroy them. If we take all of our wealth and spend only on ourselves that is not an act of humbleness. He said that J.C. Penny kept 20 percent of his wages and gave the rest to God. In doing so he showed humbleness. Jerry said that mighty is a word used exclusively for power and is used in describing the majesty of God. The word exalt can mean to the highest pentacle. How far can a man go? With all the wealth and other things a man can acquire, he can not go beyond where God wants him to be. Under God’s authority and will there is no limit. In the afterlife we will be rulers under Christ. If we will not try to put ourselves in that place but allow God to put us in that place in his timing. God wants us to allow him to shape us and put us in higher places if we will allow him. If we get ahead of God’s time we get ahead of his blessings. Jerry mentioned Psalm 23 and said that sheep have an abundance of food in the winter. In the summer there is nothing for the sheep so they must move up the mountains. There is a higher elevation at each level and the freshness and renewal exists at each level. If the Sheppard takes the sheep to the highest level they would die, because the blessings aren’t there yet. If the sheep stay where they are, they will die. They have to follow the shepherd. In the same way, we have to follow in the hands of God. We have to cast all our cares on him.
Jerry mentioned where Jesus is preaching the sermon on the mound and Jesus asked who can add one cubic or one hair on their head. Jerry mentioned that there was a co-worker at Foretravel he talked to named Ms. Easter. Sometimes they would talk when problems would arise and Ms. Ester would tell him, if a situation was beyond their control, “It just be’s that way”. We should leave things in God’s hands. If we can’t fix it, don’t worry about it. He said that everything has to do with context. When you are talking about bank it means different things to different people. To some people it means a bank like a river that you fish in. To other people it means a financial institute. Jerry said that he likes the image of laying it on the alter. He said that we can’t throw our problems away because like a rubber band they will come back to us. We need to lift them to Christ. The Bible says to cast all, not come, of our cares to him. Jerry said that he has an imagery of each individual one and laying it on the alter. Why should we cast our cares on God? Because he cares for us. If we will lift them up and put them before him, he will minister grace to us in that circumstance. God will elevate us, if he does not necessarily eliminate the problem. Jerry quoted Matthew 10:28-30. One of the members of the church said the closing prayer and we were dismissed.
6:30 P.M.
The pastor, Jerry L. Wilson, said good evening to everyone and said to remember everyone in their prayers. His sermon went as follows: He mentioned people on the prayer lists. He read an article on the back of the bulletin titled Lost in America. The article talked about percentages of lost in America and people who say they are Christians and percentages. There is a steady decline in the number of people who have a concept of a relationship with God. As the population grows, the percentage drops. 15 percent of those interviewed said that they had no interest in God. Even people who profess to be Christians (76 percent) based their Christianity to be based strictly on keeping rituals rather than a relationship with Christ. In Nacogdoches County this number would be the equivalent of all of the town of Nacogdoches not being saved. There is probably someone you love or someone you know that is in that number. This is all based on a survey and that this is not the only survey that has a similar outcome. This should make us pause for America to think about it and pray about it. Jerry then said a prayer for us.
We sang “He Whispers Sweet Peace to Me”, “Precious Memories” and “Somebody Loves Me”. Jerry read from 1 Peter 5:5-7 and said that tonight will be a continuation of last Sunday night. The word likewise is used to connect what is being said to what is in previous verses. Those who lead are to lead by the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus did what was right because it is in his nature. We should do what is right because it’s the right thing to do. What did Jesus give people the opportunity to do? He gave them the opportunity to choose. By the nature of Adam, we have the nature to sin. It is impossible for man to live without sinning for all of us except Jesus. Jesus was given as an example of how we should live. “Submit” is not a pretty word in today’s age. We need to transmit God’s message and God’s plan from one generation to the next. We are not heeding sound words as a society. We should be an example and pattern for others to follow when we are following Christ and we should humble ourselves. He mentioned the Military chain of command. Everybody has a place. When someone steps out or doesn’t follow orders it causes disorder. Troops are at a lost as to what to do. Young people should use elders as a guide for their lives. Kids’ heroes today are sports figures who do drugs. Jerry said that he is not going to be like the preacher who walked by the pool and talked about how girls dress wildly, but can’t remember how the boys dressed. A lot of athletes have to wear long shirts for interviews because they have vulgar tattoos and they have to cover them.
People who have declared the word of God in the media have forsaken the word of God. We need to maintain the Chain of Command. He tried to express the importance to people who grew up in the church to take responsibility of taking care of the other people. When this doesn’t happen it endangers his children, it endangers his world, and it pollutes his world. People who are a part of the body of Christ should act differently from the World. When members who are part of the church act worldly, it brings injury to the church body. We should confront each other in love when we are not acting right. We should be subject and accountable to one another. Jerry said that when he was a teenager he thought he could do whatever he wanted. We never come to a place where we are not accountable to someone. We are called to be modest and not arrogant. We should have a higher estimation of people’s worth. God knows how much we are worth. Jerry quotes Psalm 8:4. We are the crowning glory of God and the apple of his eye. The man who overestimates himself however is on the verge of insanity. God is in warfare against those people who are proud and arrogant. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Jerry wants to boil it down and said that God makes it possible for the humble to have peace and joy. Humble is used three times in different subtexts. As a result of the economy today, we have 2.5 million less millionaires. Being wealthy in America today is an iffy thing.
God doesn’t give some people wealth because he knows it will destroy them. If we take all of our wealth and spend only on ourselves that is not an act of humbleness. He said that J.C. Penny kept 20 percent of his wages and gave the rest to God. In doing so he showed humbleness. Jerry said that mighty is a word used exclusively for power and is used in describing the majesty of God. The word exalt can mean to the highest pentacle. How far can a man go? With all the wealth and other things a man can acquire, he can not go beyond where God wants him to be. Under God’s authority and will there is no limit. In the afterlife we will be rulers under Christ. If we will not try to put ourselves in that place but allow God to put us in that place in his timing. God wants us to allow him to shape us and put us in higher places if we will allow him. If we get ahead of God’s time we get ahead of his blessings. Jerry mentioned Psalm 23 and said that sheep have an abundance of food in the winter. In the summer there is nothing for the sheep so they must move up the mountains. There is a higher elevation at each level and the freshness and renewal exists at each level. If the Sheppard takes the sheep to the highest level they would die, because the blessings aren’t there yet. If the sheep stay where they are, they will die. They have to follow the shepherd. In the same way, we have to follow in the hands of God. We have to cast all our cares on him.
Jerry mentioned where Jesus is preaching the sermon on the mound and Jesus asked who can add one cubic or one hair on their head. Jerry mentioned that there was a co-worker at Foretravel he talked to named Ms. Easter. Sometimes they would talk when problems would arise and Ms. Ester would tell him, if a situation was beyond their control, “It just be’s that way”. We should leave things in God’s hands. If we can’t fix it, don’t worry about it. He said that everything has to do with context. When you are talking about bank it means different things to different people. To some people it means a bank like a river that you fish in. To other people it means a financial institute. Jerry said that he likes the image of laying it on the alter. He said that we can’t throw our problems away because like a rubber band they will come back to us. We need to lift them to Christ. The Bible says to cast all, not come, of our cares to him. Jerry said that he has an imagery of each individual one and laying it on the alter. Why should we cast our cares on God? Because he cares for us. If we will lift them up and put them before him, he will minister grace to us in that circumstance. God will elevate us, if he does not necessarily eliminate the problem. Jerry quoted Matthew 10:28-30. One of the members of the church said the closing prayer and we were dismissed.
Holly Springs Baptist Church
8:30 A.M. Service
Before the service began there was contemporary Christian music playing on speakers and a countdown to the service on the overhead screen. The worship band consisted of a choir, guitar, small band with trumpet, clarinet, etc. and piano. We began by singing “Song Of The Redeemed”. The song leader who played the piano said that he was thankful for us being there. He said he had a new child this last week and shows a picture of the baby on the overhead screen. We then had a time of greeting. We sang “Better Than Life” We had a prayer and the offering was taken. We sang “You Are God Alone” and “Near The Cross”. The song leader gave a prayer and the preacher said that it was great to see everyone. The preachers name is Homer Murray. He said that some of the families in the church were in an accident and to remember them in our prayers. He gave a prayer for the worship service and the families.
He read Matthew 22. Sermon notes as follows: Are you willing to do whatever it takes to take one step closer to Jesus. This is part of a sermon series. In the past he has talked about several things including daily reading and accountability. Last week he talked about hidden things and washing hands of things. He quoted John 10:10 and Matthew 22:34-39. It is easy for us to say that we love our neighbors, but it is also easy for us to fake it. Jesus said you have to love him and love others. It can be possible that there is somebody in your life that you hate. They may have wounded you, but you have to love the one you hate. It is tough to do. We have to destroy the myth that we can be O.K. With God but hate others. We are commanded to love and forgive others. He made a reference to Luke 10 and asked who is my neighbor. Those who it is hardest to love and those who hurt you the most.
He said we have to ask: Am I in danger? We think that everything is O.K. with us. He mentions Matthew 5:21 and the sermon on the mount. He said he doubts anyone here has murdered anyone, but how many people here are married. They have at least thought about murder before. He made a reference to verse 22 and asked if that meant that we can not get angry. It is not a sin to get angry. God's anger is a righteous anger. However we should be slow to anger. James 1 says that we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Homer mentioned that some people who make him angry are the people who pass him on the road and then get in front of him and slow down. Another group of people who make him angry are people that have 30 items in the 10 items or less line at the grocery store. There are always going to be people in our lives that are going to anger us. When the anger starts to build however, bitterness also builds. We have issues with people in our past. Jesus says twice that we are in danger of the fires of Hell. The 1st danger is that we have a false perception of power. He said he was having an argument with his wife the other day and he thought he was right, but it turned out he was wrong. We all want to be right.
Some of you have been hurt bad. Maybe you had someone walk out of your life, or someone stole from you. They hurt you and that caused you anger. In your mind your anger is justified, but if we go on hating we are not hurting them, but hurting ourselves. This causes Satan to have power over you. It gives the enemy control. He quoted Ephesians 4:26-27. When we are not willing to let go, Satan climbs all over us. Some here today are mad at God. We think that God owes us an explanation. He said that he can imagine that God would maybe say: “Do you really want me to tell you what I owe you? Hell”. Everything else we receive is because he have a merciful, loving God. Some people here may be arguing with the preacher. But where does that attitude come from, it does not come from God. Another thing it can do is prevent salvation. If you have things that you are not willing to deal with, you can't be a Christian and have that kind of attitude. He quoted 1 John 2:9-11, 1 John 3:10, and Matthew 6:14-15. If you do not forgive men their sins, God will not forgive us.
The second question to ask is: Am I Procrastinating? To actually have hatred in your heart is outright wrong. Some may say “I'm not going to them. They are going to have to come crawling back to me”. This is not the right attitude however. We need to make things right. We can't have hatred in our hearts. We want to put things off. He quoted Matthew 5:23 and said that we cannot have hatred in our hearts and offer a gift to God at the alter. He said he believed everyone here wanted to make things right with God. He quoted verse 25 and said we should settle matters quickly. God doesn't want us to worship him with our hands and then punch others with the same hands. We may ask who would actually pursue someone who hurt them, but Jesus did that very thing. We need to imitate his behavior. We were at war with God but Jesus died for our sins. We did him wrong, but he pursued us. Forgiving is not an option, but a command. Jesus did not die so we could be comfortable but committed. This means letting go of bitterness and anger. At the end of Jesus life, he cried “It is finished.” Many of us need to go to the individual that hurt us and say “You hurt me, but I let it go. You don't owe me anymore”.
The third question we need to ask is “Am I Free”. He quoted verse 26 and said that we think we are putting those people who hurt us in prison but we are actually putting ourselves in prison. Some of us go as far as we can go, but we can't take one step closer to God until we forgive those who hurt us. We can stay right where we are for the next 5, 10, 20, or 30 years. Until we let go of the grudge we are stuck. We don't have the option to hold a grudge. When we say that we don't care and won't do it, it doesn't matter how many services we attend, when we disobey God in this way, we are done walking. He gave us a slip of paper before the service. He asked if there is any un-forgiveness towards somebody in our hearts. He said if have heard everything he has said, but can't forgive, we are done walking. Some here need to come to Christ for the 1st time. With every head bowed and every eye closed, the preacher prayed a prayer for Jesus to come into our hearts. He said that if you are a newcomer to Christ to repeat the prayer. After the prayer he said that if you prayed that prayer to slip your hand up. He said that maybe you have un-forgiveness in your heart. You can write a letter or call somebody today. Today is the day of cutting lose. He said to write their names on the paper. He said we may need to write our own name down to forgive ourselves. He said to pray in our hearts for forgiveness. He prayed and said that on the count of three to rip up the paper in half. He said the sound of ripping was the sound of being riped free of the grip Satan has on our lives.
When we have a right relationship with God and others we can move forward. He prayed for the invitation and said that if God was speaking to us and we want to come and pray to come forward. If we need a church home, we can come forward during the invitation. We sand “Heart Of Worship” and had a closing prayer. Announcements were made and we were dismissed.
Holly Springs website is http://www.hsbc-tx.com
Before the service began there was contemporary Christian music playing on speakers and a countdown to the service on the overhead screen. The worship band consisted of a choir, guitar, small band with trumpet, clarinet, etc. and piano. We began by singing “Song Of The Redeemed”. The song leader who played the piano said that he was thankful for us being there. He said he had a new child this last week and shows a picture of the baby on the overhead screen. We then had a time of greeting. We sang “Better Than Life” We had a prayer and the offering was taken. We sang “You Are God Alone” and “Near The Cross”. The song leader gave a prayer and the preacher said that it was great to see everyone. The preachers name is Homer Murray. He said that some of the families in the church were in an accident and to remember them in our prayers. He gave a prayer for the worship service and the families.
He read Matthew 22. Sermon notes as follows: Are you willing to do whatever it takes to take one step closer to Jesus. This is part of a sermon series. In the past he has talked about several things including daily reading and accountability. Last week he talked about hidden things and washing hands of things. He quoted John 10:10 and Matthew 22:34-39. It is easy for us to say that we love our neighbors, but it is also easy for us to fake it. Jesus said you have to love him and love others. It can be possible that there is somebody in your life that you hate. They may have wounded you, but you have to love the one you hate. It is tough to do. We have to destroy the myth that we can be O.K. With God but hate others. We are commanded to love and forgive others. He made a reference to Luke 10 and asked who is my neighbor. Those who it is hardest to love and those who hurt you the most.
He said we have to ask: Am I in danger? We think that everything is O.K. with us. He mentions Matthew 5:21 and the sermon on the mount. He said he doubts anyone here has murdered anyone, but how many people here are married. They have at least thought about murder before. He made a reference to verse 22 and asked if that meant that we can not get angry. It is not a sin to get angry. God's anger is a righteous anger. However we should be slow to anger. James 1 says that we should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Homer mentioned that some people who make him angry are the people who pass him on the road and then get in front of him and slow down. Another group of people who make him angry are people that have 30 items in the 10 items or less line at the grocery store. There are always going to be people in our lives that are going to anger us. When the anger starts to build however, bitterness also builds. We have issues with people in our past. Jesus says twice that we are in danger of the fires of Hell. The 1st danger is that we have a false perception of power. He said he was having an argument with his wife the other day and he thought he was right, but it turned out he was wrong. We all want to be right.
Some of you have been hurt bad. Maybe you had someone walk out of your life, or someone stole from you. They hurt you and that caused you anger. In your mind your anger is justified, but if we go on hating we are not hurting them, but hurting ourselves. This causes Satan to have power over you. It gives the enemy control. He quoted Ephesians 4:26-27. When we are not willing to let go, Satan climbs all over us. Some here today are mad at God. We think that God owes us an explanation. He said that he can imagine that God would maybe say: “Do you really want me to tell you what I owe you? Hell”. Everything else we receive is because he have a merciful, loving God. Some people here may be arguing with the preacher. But where does that attitude come from, it does not come from God. Another thing it can do is prevent salvation. If you have things that you are not willing to deal with, you can't be a Christian and have that kind of attitude. He quoted 1 John 2:9-11, 1 John 3:10, and Matthew 6:14-15. If you do not forgive men their sins, God will not forgive us.
The second question to ask is: Am I Procrastinating? To actually have hatred in your heart is outright wrong. Some may say “I'm not going to them. They are going to have to come crawling back to me”. This is not the right attitude however. We need to make things right. We can't have hatred in our hearts. We want to put things off. He quoted Matthew 5:23 and said that we cannot have hatred in our hearts and offer a gift to God at the alter. He said he believed everyone here wanted to make things right with God. He quoted verse 25 and said we should settle matters quickly. God doesn't want us to worship him with our hands and then punch others with the same hands. We may ask who would actually pursue someone who hurt them, but Jesus did that very thing. We need to imitate his behavior. We were at war with God but Jesus died for our sins. We did him wrong, but he pursued us. Forgiving is not an option, but a command. Jesus did not die so we could be comfortable but committed. This means letting go of bitterness and anger. At the end of Jesus life, he cried “It is finished.” Many of us need to go to the individual that hurt us and say “You hurt me, but I let it go. You don't owe me anymore”.
The third question we need to ask is “Am I Free”. He quoted verse 26 and said that we think we are putting those people who hurt us in prison but we are actually putting ourselves in prison. Some of us go as far as we can go, but we can't take one step closer to God until we forgive those who hurt us. We can stay right where we are for the next 5, 10, 20, or 30 years. Until we let go of the grudge we are stuck. We don't have the option to hold a grudge. When we say that we don't care and won't do it, it doesn't matter how many services we attend, when we disobey God in this way, we are done walking. He gave us a slip of paper before the service. He asked if there is any un-forgiveness towards somebody in our hearts. He said if have heard everything he has said, but can't forgive, we are done walking. Some here need to come to Christ for the 1st time. With every head bowed and every eye closed, the preacher prayed a prayer for Jesus to come into our hearts. He said that if you are a newcomer to Christ to repeat the prayer. After the prayer he said that if you prayed that prayer to slip your hand up. He said that maybe you have un-forgiveness in your heart. You can write a letter or call somebody today. Today is the day of cutting lose. He said to write their names on the paper. He said we may need to write our own name down to forgive ourselves. He said to pray in our hearts for forgiveness. He prayed and said that on the count of three to rip up the paper in half. He said the sound of ripping was the sound of being riped free of the grip Satan has on our lives.
When we have a right relationship with God and others we can move forward. He prayed for the invitation and said that if God was speaking to us and we want to come and pray to come forward. If we need a church home, we can come forward during the invitation. We sand “Heart Of Worship” and had a closing prayer. Announcements were made and we were dismissed.
Holly Springs website is http://www.hsbc-tx.com
Vineyard Community Center
Breakfast was served before worship including donuts, coffee, and other snacks. Music was playing on the speakers before the service. It was a very informal environment with everyone visiting together. When worship began we sang “In You” and “Who Is like Our God”. The band leader, Danny, prayed. We then sang “More Love, More Power”, “Mighty To Save”, “Holy & Anointed One”, and “At The Cross”. Danny gave another prayer and a man in a wheelchair came forward named Mike. He said good morning and said that he hopes everyone has a safe spring break and he is glad everyone came to Vineyard to worship. He said that we are getting ready for a short coffee break and that the preacher, Jim, would give the life lesson after the break. There were notes available for anyone who wanted them. He said something about Bill Gates and Tony doing doodles to help inspire themselves.
After the break Danny and the band sang a song called the Come Back Song which had the lyrics “Right by My Side” in it. A man named Phil gave announcements about Women of Faith and the ladies retreat. He said that if anyone was here for the dance they had Friday, they were going to start having a dance the first Friday of every month. He said everyone was welcome to come that night to “H2O – A Journey of Faith” at 6 PM. Soup will be served at 6 and they will watch a video at 6:30 and discuss it at 7. Childcare will be provided and it is all free.
Jim said good morning and said that the song we sang “At the Cross” reminded him of the hymn “At the Cross” but it was a different song. One of the ways that is used to teach is hymns. He said that Christians don’t lie; they just wait until the weekend and sing them. He said we are telling God how much we love him and singing these lyrics to God. He looks down and asks himself, do you really mean it? He said to remember during praise that we are singing this to God. Songs are meant to teach and admonish you.
Jim’s life lesson was part of a series of lessons called “Doing the Stuff Jesus’ Way.” He said that it is not just a five step process but more of a model. He gave a recap and said that when you catch on to the fact that God does not require but allows us to minister we are getting the point. He felt that God has left him here to do God’s work. When we approach ministering as a duty or something we need to do, we miss the point. A person will get saved if it is God’s will, with or without us getting involved. He said that he wanted to pray for others and not just about himself. It is about God and others. Jesus didn’t just die for our benefit but for everyone’s benefit. He told a story about a young preacher and an old preacher. The young preacher asked the old preacher how long it took him to prepare his sermon and the old preacher replied about 40 years. He said that chasing a rabbit leads to chasing another rabbit.
Jim said that God can use him when he is serving others. He asked God one time about helping a person, but he felt like God was telling him not to because it would interfere with what God was doing. There are times when you have to just listen to God. He said he tries to minister in a topical way, not an expository way. He said that when he first started preaching that he was very young and the people bore with him. He felt totally inadequate and he felt like he was unable to do what God wanted in God’s way. He admitted that he would sometimes leave a hospital after visiting a patient and he would have forgotten to pray. He said that he felt like he would sound stupid praying out loud.
He said that the 1st lesson talked about an interview process. That we should not just jump into praying for people but listen to the dialogue of what they are saying. We should listen on two levels: Where does it hurt, and we should listen between the lines. He said that sometimes he could hear a voice inside of him telling him that the reason people are asking him to pray for them, is not the real reason they want prayer. He said one time to someone that the reason they said they wanted prayer was not the real reason they came to him and the person he was talking to started crying and said that they had a more serious problem. He said that one time, while visiting a church; he heard something in his spirit told him something that wasn’t said at the church. He said he heard and responded to the voice inside. It always works better with two people involved while doing prayer in this form. He quoted Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1, and Ecclesiastes 4:9. He said that he believes that a husband and wife team together is a great idea. Step one is to interview. Step two is to diagnose the condition. If someone gives you a long list to pray for, focus on one thing only. Ask them what is one thing they want you to pray for right now.
He said that there are kinds of prayer you can pray for others. There is a prayer of selection. That is the one just mentioned where you pray for one particular thing. Next is a prayer of invocation. This is a “come holy sprit” kind of prayer. He said that it is always wise to invite the Holy Spirit into any situation and this is what the prayer of invocation does. It honors the Holy Spirit and gives willing admission to him as we wait on God.
He said that sometimes prayer encounters take a while. We should submit to the Holy Spirit, not direct it. If you lead, he will leave you on your own. He said that Samson could do nothing without God. When he thought he could, he was subdued by the Philistines. Next is a prayer of partition. This is where we ask God to help us. This makes it a joyful experience when it is answered. Next is a prayer of intercession. This is asking God to help someone else. Finally, there is prayer of thanksgiving. This is where we thank God for allowing us to be used. There are prayers that could be considered from God. This is where God is directing you in what you do and what you say toward the person you are ministering to. He said that one could be where God is ministering to the person being ministered to. This is called a command of faith. He reads from Acts 3:1-10 where Peter and John heal the crippled man. Peter and John had possibly passed by him before. Maybe Jesus had even passed by him before. Jim said that Jesus did not heal everyone, but only those who came to him. He healed many but not everyone. Jim quoted John 5:19-20. He said that there is often an emotional response going on in the person being ministered to and he can see what God is doing. Peter and John hear the man asking for money. Apparently something had happened before this because Peter was arrested. Jim quoted Matthew 9:5 where Jesus healed a crippled man and said that perhaps this is what Peter had in his mind when he healed the crippled man in Acts. Peter improvised in his healing and in bold faithfulness reached down and pulled the man to his feet. A miracle occurred. The man not only received strength but motor skills. This caused a commotion and another few thousand were saved.
Peter told the man to look at them. Sometimes God does not use us because he doesn’t have our full attention. One interesting point to note is that Peter does not fall to his knees and pray for the man in these verses. Peter and John were on their way to the temple and had probably already been praying. Jim said that Jesus did not pray for the sick, not once except for the possible exception in Mark 7:34 where he sighs. He said that the Bible does not mention the Apostles stopping and praying on their way except in Acts 27:8. Except for a few exceptions the apostles didn’t stop and pray. This does not mean that Jesus and the apostles didn’t pray. It is obvious that they did in other parts such as Jesus praying in the garden. But when they cam out of praying, they went and healed the sick. Jim said there is nothing wrong with praying. We are given authority to do God’s work. He has empowered us to heal the sick. God can and will use you. We don’t need to wait for a healing encounter to pray. He said that he had forgotten to pray before leaving his house to come to church this morning. He said that this can happen all too quickly, and we forget to pray. Jim talked about a conference that he went to where another pastor said that he was drove to prayer for 5 whole minutes, as if this was a lot. He said that sometimes he doesn’t do big prayers, but just popcorn prayers while in his office or while driving. Jim said that there is so much more to serving God then you will ever imagine.
Jim encouraged us to spend time in the Gospels. He got slack onetime because he said that for three years he was going to read nothing but the four gospels. He did it too. Jim said that he was going to say the benediction for us. He said that he had prayed twice for God to show him someone who needed help. He felt like there was someone there who was having problems with a bad rotary cup. He believed that God wanted him to minister to it. He wanted to see if God is going to do what he wanted to do. Jim said the benediction prayer and we were dismissed. Afterwards, I noticed one woman who came forward and received prayer from Jim.
After the break Danny and the band sang a song called the Come Back Song which had the lyrics “Right by My Side” in it. A man named Phil gave announcements about Women of Faith and the ladies retreat. He said that if anyone was here for the dance they had Friday, they were going to start having a dance the first Friday of every month. He said everyone was welcome to come that night to “H2O – A Journey of Faith” at 6 PM. Soup will be served at 6 and they will watch a video at 6:30 and discuss it at 7. Childcare will be provided and it is all free.
Jim said good morning and said that the song we sang “At the Cross” reminded him of the hymn “At the Cross” but it was a different song. One of the ways that is used to teach is hymns. He said that Christians don’t lie; they just wait until the weekend and sing them. He said we are telling God how much we love him and singing these lyrics to God. He looks down and asks himself, do you really mean it? He said to remember during praise that we are singing this to God. Songs are meant to teach and admonish you.
Jim’s life lesson was part of a series of lessons called “Doing the Stuff Jesus’ Way.” He said that it is not just a five step process but more of a model. He gave a recap and said that when you catch on to the fact that God does not require but allows us to minister we are getting the point. He felt that God has left him here to do God’s work. When we approach ministering as a duty or something we need to do, we miss the point. A person will get saved if it is God’s will, with or without us getting involved. He said that he wanted to pray for others and not just about himself. It is about God and others. Jesus didn’t just die for our benefit but for everyone’s benefit. He told a story about a young preacher and an old preacher. The young preacher asked the old preacher how long it took him to prepare his sermon and the old preacher replied about 40 years. He said that chasing a rabbit leads to chasing another rabbit.
Jim said that God can use him when he is serving others. He asked God one time about helping a person, but he felt like God was telling him not to because it would interfere with what God was doing. There are times when you have to just listen to God. He said he tries to minister in a topical way, not an expository way. He said that when he first started preaching that he was very young and the people bore with him. He felt totally inadequate and he felt like he was unable to do what God wanted in God’s way. He admitted that he would sometimes leave a hospital after visiting a patient and he would have forgotten to pray. He said that he felt like he would sound stupid praying out loud.
He said that the 1st lesson talked about an interview process. That we should not just jump into praying for people but listen to the dialogue of what they are saying. We should listen on two levels: Where does it hurt, and we should listen between the lines. He said that sometimes he could hear a voice inside of him telling him that the reason people are asking him to pray for them, is not the real reason they want prayer. He said one time to someone that the reason they said they wanted prayer was not the real reason they came to him and the person he was talking to started crying and said that they had a more serious problem. He said that one time, while visiting a church; he heard something in his spirit told him something that wasn’t said at the church. He said he heard and responded to the voice inside. It always works better with two people involved while doing prayer in this form. He quoted Mark 6:7, Luke 10:1, and Ecclesiastes 4:9. He said that he believes that a husband and wife team together is a great idea. Step one is to interview. Step two is to diagnose the condition. If someone gives you a long list to pray for, focus on one thing only. Ask them what is one thing they want you to pray for right now.
He said that there are kinds of prayer you can pray for others. There is a prayer of selection. That is the one just mentioned where you pray for one particular thing. Next is a prayer of invocation. This is a “come holy sprit” kind of prayer. He said that it is always wise to invite the Holy Spirit into any situation and this is what the prayer of invocation does. It honors the Holy Spirit and gives willing admission to him as we wait on God.
He said that sometimes prayer encounters take a while. We should submit to the Holy Spirit, not direct it. If you lead, he will leave you on your own. He said that Samson could do nothing without God. When he thought he could, he was subdued by the Philistines. Next is a prayer of partition. This is where we ask God to help us. This makes it a joyful experience when it is answered. Next is a prayer of intercession. This is asking God to help someone else. Finally, there is prayer of thanksgiving. This is where we thank God for allowing us to be used. There are prayers that could be considered from God. This is where God is directing you in what you do and what you say toward the person you are ministering to. He said that one could be where God is ministering to the person being ministered to. This is called a command of faith. He reads from Acts 3:1-10 where Peter and John heal the crippled man. Peter and John had possibly passed by him before. Maybe Jesus had even passed by him before. Jim said that Jesus did not heal everyone, but only those who came to him. He healed many but not everyone. Jim quoted John 5:19-20. He said that there is often an emotional response going on in the person being ministered to and he can see what God is doing. Peter and John hear the man asking for money. Apparently something had happened before this because Peter was arrested. Jim quoted Matthew 9:5 where Jesus healed a crippled man and said that perhaps this is what Peter had in his mind when he healed the crippled man in Acts. Peter improvised in his healing and in bold faithfulness reached down and pulled the man to his feet. A miracle occurred. The man not only received strength but motor skills. This caused a commotion and another few thousand were saved.
Peter told the man to look at them. Sometimes God does not use us because he doesn’t have our full attention. One interesting point to note is that Peter does not fall to his knees and pray for the man in these verses. Peter and John were on their way to the temple and had probably already been praying. Jim said that Jesus did not pray for the sick, not once except for the possible exception in Mark 7:34 where he sighs. He said that the Bible does not mention the Apostles stopping and praying on their way except in Acts 27:8. Except for a few exceptions the apostles didn’t stop and pray. This does not mean that Jesus and the apostles didn’t pray. It is obvious that they did in other parts such as Jesus praying in the garden. But when they cam out of praying, they went and healed the sick. Jim said there is nothing wrong with praying. We are given authority to do God’s work. He has empowered us to heal the sick. God can and will use you. We don’t need to wait for a healing encounter to pray. He said that he had forgotten to pray before leaving his house to come to church this morning. He said that this can happen all too quickly, and we forget to pray. Jim talked about a conference that he went to where another pastor said that he was drove to prayer for 5 whole minutes, as if this was a lot. He said that sometimes he doesn’t do big prayers, but just popcorn prayers while in his office or while driving. Jim said that there is so much more to serving God then you will ever imagine.
Jim encouraged us to spend time in the Gospels. He got slack onetime because he said that for three years he was going to read nothing but the four gospels. He did it too. Jim said that he was going to say the benediction for us. He said that he had prayed twice for God to show him someone who needed help. He felt like there was someone there who was having problems with a bad rotary cup. He believed that God wanted him to minister to it. He wanted to see if God is going to do what he wanted to do. Jim said the benediction prayer and we were dismissed. Afterwards, I noticed one woman who came forward and received prayer from Jim.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Mahl Baptist Church 7 P.M. Service
We began by singing the song “There Shall Be Showers Of Blessing”. One of the members of the church gave the opening prayer then the preacher made announcements. He asked how many people remembered the magazine edition of TV Guide. He read a poem titled The Holy Bible and the TV Guide which can be found at http://www.shoptcs.com/cjp/pom/1.htm. He asked if there were any prayer requests and then prayed for the requests and the service. James (the song leader) lead us in the singing of “When I See The Blood” and “Tell It To Jesus”. James then sang a special song called “I Rest My Case At The Cross”. The preacher came up and said that John Shackleford had come to him and offered him the night off from preaching and would preach in his place. John came up and said good evening. He thanked me for coming. John is the minister/leader at the Association of Baptist Students at SFA. John said that he wanted to share a few things with us. He said the more he studies God's word, the more he knows that he needs adjustments. He mentioned a tiller that he used onetime that said lazy boy on the side. The tiller always took some adjustments to get it right. He asked when the last time we made adjustments for the Lord was.
Following are notes from his sermon: John said that sometimes things come up and it is hard to do something nice for Pastor Roberts sometimes and he thanked him for the opportunity to speak and said that Pastor Roberts was very giving. There is a law of navigation that we can follow when serving Christ. Moses had some major changes he had to make in his life. We read from Exodus 5:1. Moses made some excuses at first: What if they don't listen. John said he has a two year old at his house and he has to repeat things to him over and over again because his son won't tune in to him. Are we really tuning in to God, he asked us. He gave us a plan for navigation which included:
Predetermine Your Course Of Action
Lay Out Your Goals
Adjust Your Priorities
Need to notify key personal
He asked if we really know what God is wanting us to do. We should commit to doing something everyday for God. This can include praying, reading the Bible, and sharing Jesus. Every Monday at the ABS we do check-in. All of us have something going on in our lives. We are challenged to study the Bible and pray, not out of duty but because we should want to. John really wants to study. He is currently reading a book by Zig Ziglar about how to sell. In the book it talks about integrity and being honest. Are you 100 percent honest all the time. We need to predetermine that we are not doing to lie. We shouldn't have a problem telling the truth.
The second part was to Lay Out Your Goals. Do you have goals for God? It takes time to prepare. It you aim at nothing you will hit it every time. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul talks about living life for Christ as if it is a marathon. The third part was to Adjust Your Priorities. We spell love T.I.M.E. John had to adjust when he had a new baby. Sometimes we are called to lay aside something for the LORD. He quotes Matthew 6:33 which says to seek first the Kingdom of God. The forth part was to Need to Notify Key Personal. He said that he shares with his wife his plans to share Jesus. Are you planing to invite someone to church? When we invite someone to go it should not be out of duty but because we want to. They may not come for the right reason, for example there may be girls there, but God will work on them. He mentioned how Mahl has had the same pastor for a long time and that the members of Mahl are very forgiving, loving, and generous people.
The next part includes ahead, as in plan ahead. The A stands for Allow Time For Acceptance. He mentioned how he was invited to go to Thailand to teach the English language at a University. We need to pray for a divine appointment. The H stands for Head into action. In other words, take a step. The E stands for expect problems. His father in law asked John what he did for a living and was shocked to discover that John did student ministries. John said that he couldn't do anything else and sleep at night. He used to work at a plant in the summer for his dad growing up for six weeks out of every summer. He would try to witness to people at the plant. He felt like a failure because at the time nobody was coming to Christ. At his father's funereal, he said that the one thing people could do for his father was to repent and turn away from their sins. After the funereal, a man told John that he has accepted Christ three weeks before and his family had too. This was a man who worked at the plant.
The A stands for Always Point To Your Successes. He read Psalms 37:3-4. We don't need to be weary in doing good. Righteousness will be known. The D stands for Daily Review Your Progress. Growing up in school, progress repents were sent home from the school to John's parents. At one point he was told that he had a half semester to get right or fail. Most people do a progress report yearly in the form of new years resolutions. We need to do daily progress reports. John said he was the student who caused problems and disrupted the classes, yet he always had respect for his elders in that he said Yes M'am and No M'am. He said sometimes he needed to do hourly progress reports. We should write out our goals for the day and do a progress report the next day. The trustees give evaluation or progress reports for the ABS when needed. We are only young once, but can remain immature the rest of our lives. Doctors often give progress reports. God's progress report is in his word. Does what we are doing line up with the scriptures. How do we know if we don't read them? He said that when he buys something new he often throws the instruction book aside, but often fails at putting together the thing he is trying to accomplish. The more we grow up, the less we blow up. His son often throws a fit if his veggie tales shows won't play. Sometimes John can blow up when this happens. John had never been around children much, but his wife had. She encourages John not to blow up.
We should not be like the wheelbarrow, which has to get pushed around and is easily tipped over. How do you know if you have a heard heart? There are five symptoms. There include: Complain frequently, Compare with arrogance, Criticize, Compromise our morals, and We can't see God at work. If this is happening we may need to have some softening. He gave us the formula for performing heart surgery. First, You Select what is valuable and what is vulnerable. He said that he had a letter jacket that he considered very valuable when he got it, but now he uses it as a rag. The O stands for Openly admit a hard heart and ask God to soften it. He asked what is really valuable to you right now. He said that anything we place above God is an idol. We suggested reading Psalm 139. We may have been burned in the past which keeps us from helping others. He reads Psalm 51:10. The F stands for forget. We should forget about the things that we have no control over. He read Philippians 3:13-14. When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. The T stands for Tune into a consistent time with the Lord. John had a hard boss at one of his previous jobs, but he knew where he was at in his behavior. Do you know what God thinks of you? He loves you. John quoted Matthew 6:6. We should find a quiet place and talk to God and share with him our lives. The E stands for Enlist the help of others. He reads James 5:16. We should confess our sins to each other. You cannot be a lone ranger Christian. You should however, be careful who you confess too because it could wind up in the bulletin the next week. Most people don't trust anyone. The N stands for Never underestimate the cost of spiritual intimacy. When you put a rock in an oil pan it causes many problems. He said that a little leaven levels the whole lump.
All of us have at least one thing God would have us do differently. John prayed and asked us if we would be willing to say to God that we want to be the best for God. Jesus said that he would rather us be hot or cold than lukewarm. We should be willing to give 100 percent.
We sang “Just As I Am”. Pastor Roberts then thanked us for coming and invited us to come Wednesday night. He asked for prayer for his health. He said we should ask God to give us someone to talk to and invite to church. He said we should tell someone about Jesus. He asked Brother Wesley to close us in prayer. Wesley prayed and we were dismissed.
Following are notes from his sermon: John said that sometimes things come up and it is hard to do something nice for Pastor Roberts sometimes and he thanked him for the opportunity to speak and said that Pastor Roberts was very giving. There is a law of navigation that we can follow when serving Christ. Moses had some major changes he had to make in his life. We read from Exodus 5:1. Moses made some excuses at first: What if they don't listen. John said he has a two year old at his house and he has to repeat things to him over and over again because his son won't tune in to him. Are we really tuning in to God, he asked us. He gave us a plan for navigation which included:
Predetermine Your Course Of Action
Lay Out Your Goals
Adjust Your Priorities
Need to notify key personal
He asked if we really know what God is wanting us to do. We should commit to doing something everyday for God. This can include praying, reading the Bible, and sharing Jesus. Every Monday at the ABS we do check-in. All of us have something going on in our lives. We are challenged to study the Bible and pray, not out of duty but because we should want to. John really wants to study. He is currently reading a book by Zig Ziglar about how to sell. In the book it talks about integrity and being honest. Are you 100 percent honest all the time. We need to predetermine that we are not doing to lie. We shouldn't have a problem telling the truth.
The second part was to Lay Out Your Goals. Do you have goals for God? It takes time to prepare. It you aim at nothing you will hit it every time. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul talks about living life for Christ as if it is a marathon. The third part was to Adjust Your Priorities. We spell love T.I.M.E. John had to adjust when he had a new baby. Sometimes we are called to lay aside something for the LORD. He quotes Matthew 6:33 which says to seek first the Kingdom of God. The forth part was to Need to Notify Key Personal. He said that he shares with his wife his plans to share Jesus. Are you planing to invite someone to church? When we invite someone to go it should not be out of duty but because we want to. They may not come for the right reason, for example there may be girls there, but God will work on them. He mentioned how Mahl has had the same pastor for a long time and that the members of Mahl are very forgiving, loving, and generous people.
The next part includes ahead, as in plan ahead. The A stands for Allow Time For Acceptance. He mentioned how he was invited to go to Thailand to teach the English language at a University. We need to pray for a divine appointment. The H stands for Head into action. In other words, take a step. The E stands for expect problems. His father in law asked John what he did for a living and was shocked to discover that John did student ministries. John said that he couldn't do anything else and sleep at night. He used to work at a plant in the summer for his dad growing up for six weeks out of every summer. He would try to witness to people at the plant. He felt like a failure because at the time nobody was coming to Christ. At his father's funereal, he said that the one thing people could do for his father was to repent and turn away from their sins. After the funereal, a man told John that he has accepted Christ three weeks before and his family had too. This was a man who worked at the plant.
The A stands for Always Point To Your Successes. He read Psalms 37:3-4. We don't need to be weary in doing good. Righteousness will be known. The D stands for Daily Review Your Progress. Growing up in school, progress repents were sent home from the school to John's parents. At one point he was told that he had a half semester to get right or fail. Most people do a progress report yearly in the form of new years resolutions. We need to do daily progress reports. John said he was the student who caused problems and disrupted the classes, yet he always had respect for his elders in that he said Yes M'am and No M'am. He said sometimes he needed to do hourly progress reports. We should write out our goals for the day and do a progress report the next day. The trustees give evaluation or progress reports for the ABS when needed. We are only young once, but can remain immature the rest of our lives. Doctors often give progress reports. God's progress report is in his word. Does what we are doing line up with the scriptures. How do we know if we don't read them? He said that when he buys something new he often throws the instruction book aside, but often fails at putting together the thing he is trying to accomplish. The more we grow up, the less we blow up. His son often throws a fit if his veggie tales shows won't play. Sometimes John can blow up when this happens. John had never been around children much, but his wife had. She encourages John not to blow up.
We should not be like the wheelbarrow, which has to get pushed around and is easily tipped over. How do you know if you have a heard heart? There are five symptoms. There include: Complain frequently, Compare with arrogance, Criticize, Compromise our morals, and We can't see God at work. If this is happening we may need to have some softening. He gave us the formula for performing heart surgery. First, You Select what is valuable and what is vulnerable. He said that he had a letter jacket that he considered very valuable when he got it, but now he uses it as a rag. The O stands for Openly admit a hard heart and ask God to soften it. He asked what is really valuable to you right now. He said that anything we place above God is an idol. We suggested reading Psalm 139. We may have been burned in the past which keeps us from helping others. He reads Psalm 51:10. The F stands for forget. We should forget about the things that we have no control over. He read Philippians 3:13-14. When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. The T stands for Tune into a consistent time with the Lord. John had a hard boss at one of his previous jobs, but he knew where he was at in his behavior. Do you know what God thinks of you? He loves you. John quoted Matthew 6:6. We should find a quiet place and talk to God and share with him our lives. The E stands for Enlist the help of others. He reads James 5:16. We should confess our sins to each other. You cannot be a lone ranger Christian. You should however, be careful who you confess too because it could wind up in the bulletin the next week. Most people don't trust anyone. The N stands for Never underestimate the cost of spiritual intimacy. When you put a rock in an oil pan it causes many problems. He said that a little leaven levels the whole lump.
All of us have at least one thing God would have us do differently. John prayed and asked us if we would be willing to say to God that we want to be the best for God. Jesus said that he would rather us be hot or cold than lukewarm. We should be willing to give 100 percent.
We sang “Just As I Am”. Pastor Roberts then thanked us for coming and invited us to come Wednesday night. He asked for prayer for his health. He said we should ask God to give us someone to talk to and invite to church. He said we should tell someone about Jesus. He asked Brother Wesley to close us in prayer. Wesley prayed and we were dismissed.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
New Caney First Baptist Church
A woman played a couple of songs on the organ while people were coming in. One of the songs she played was “Won't Feel At Home In This World Anymore”. A few people shook my hand and welcomed me as well as the other ABS visitors. The song leader said good morning to us and we started worship. We sang “My Life Is In You, Lord” and “Bless the Lord, O My Soul”. There was a baptism of a boy, I believe his name was Brandon Jones. The Pastor, Johnathan Fitzgerald, greeted everyone after baptizing Brandon and a member of the church gave the opening prayer. We sang “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “God Is So Good”. We had a prayer for the offering and a offering plate was passed around. Next came the ABS special. Shack thanked the church for their support of the ABS and said that some of the students wanted to speak to thank the church and tell what the ABS has meant to them.
I spoke first and said that I always feel welcome at the ABS, have grown some strong friendships there, and it is a great place for studying or taking a break from classes. I mentioned “checking in” which I mentioned before in my church journal over the ABS. Brady spoke next. He was a member of this church growing up and thanked them. He said that he grew up in the church and the ABS means a lot to him. Joyce spoke next and mentioned that she got engaged while at the ABS. She said that she transferred to SFA from ETBU because they did not offer the major she wanted. She was looking for fellow Christians and was afraid she was not going to find a place to go. She found the ABS and loves going there. She thanked the church for their support. Finally Sarah got up and talked about the Monday night Dinner and Bible Studies and how we use their church funds for trips such as the one we were on visiting the church. Shack got back up and said that we (ABS) need their support financial and their prayers and thanked them again. Our group (ABS group) then sang “Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone”.
The Preacher said that the lesson would be from Matthew 18. He asked how many people have ever got their feelings hurt. How many people have ever had somebody steal from them. Those sins we commit against God cost Jesus his life on the Cross. In life, we are going to have conflicts. He said that sometimes we can get “stuckidis”. This is where people refuse to forgive. He said that we should let the church be the church. There is a sign on the back with this message on it, and it is also on the church sign outside the church. He said that church as to be the most forgiving of everyone in the world. The preacher read from Matthew 18:21-35 and said that we must forgive people who wrong us from the heart. He then prayed.
He said that one of the very things that holds Christians in bondage today is non-forgiveness. If we don't overcome our unforgiveness it can create bitterness that owns us. We can become very expressive to others. That can lead to bold forgetfulness. He mentioned how in Kentucky a kid shot at some students who repeatedly prayed in a circle at the school. One girl in the group who survived was named Melissa Jenkins. When she was interviewed she said that she wanted to tell the person who did this that she forgave him. The pastor asked what are we doing to someone because of the hurt that they cause us? It is a choice that God has to forgive us from our sins. He does not have to forgive us, however he has forgiven us so he asks us to forgive others. Our unforgiveness can also lead to “bold forgetfulness of our debt”. He read verses 23-24 of Matthew 18. He said that the one person in the story who owed ten thousand talents, owed the equivalent of 52 million dollars. He was broke and the king demanded that he be sold and his family be sold as well. The servant was desperate and couldn't stand the thought of his family being sold for his debt. Therefore he begged and pleaded with the king and was shown mercy.
The pastor read Romans 6:23 which says that we are debted to God. The king forgave the man from his entire debt. He was moved with compassion and canceled the debt. He wiped the slate clean even though the servant didn't deserve it. In the same way, God gives us a new lease on life. He read Collosians 2:14 and said that a problem with our unforgiveness is that we boldly forget how God forgave our debt. We have no right to hold grudges. The unforgetfullness leads to foley and showing disregard for God's forgiveness. The servant mentioned earlier found a fellow servant who owed him money and would not show compassion on this servant for the money owed him. The amount only equaled about 44 dollars compared to the 55 million he owed the king. The servant ordered that his fellow servant who owed him money be thrown into jail until he could pay it off. When we do not show forgiveness it hinders our relationship with God. The pastor then read verses 31-32 of Matthew 8. The 1st servant made such a critical mistake and the king was shocked. By refusing to forgive the 2nd servant, the 1st servant disgraced the king. The pastor mentioned a quote by K. Lindsay about how we can't afford to be unforgiving.
When we are unforgiving it brings displeasure from God's forgiveness. We have the same problem today with unforgiveness that the 1st servant had. If we don't have a humble and repentive heart it can result in chastening in this life by the hand of God until we decide to forgive. The pastor asked how can we overcome “stuckidness” and this idea of getting even. He gives an example of a boy and girl who are sister and brother. The boy is crying and the mother comes in to find the girl punching him. The mother scolded the girl and told the boy that she didn't know that it hurt him. She left and he yelled again. She returned and they boy said “She knows now!”. The pastor said that we should leave the ultimate vengeance up to God and to honor God. We should also search for the real person beneath the mask. We sometime treat people like cartoons and are quick to accuse their every motive. We should begin to find reasons to love them from our hearts instead of our minds.
The pastor said that we should start desiring good things to happen to ones who hurt us. We should pray for good things to happen for them. The Bible says to pray for our enemies. We should change our hearts. He asked “What's your motivation?” He said that us doing for them what God does for us is not a suggestion but a command. He said we should ask ourselves “Do I need to ask forgiveness from them?”. He said that maybe one of us has wronged someone and may need to eat crow. He said that it doesn't matter if we are wrong or not, that if there is conflict there we need to forgive them. He asked if we needed to forgive someone. He said that one way we can get rid of the bitterness and unforgiveness is to write a letter to God and burn it as an offering to God. He said that the devil likes to dig up bones and we should admit our sins to God and receive his forgiveness. He said that God is ready and willing to forgive us of our sins. He then had a time where anyone who wanted to receive Christ or rededicate their lives could come forward.
We sang the song “Jesus Is Calling.” The pastor said that Jesus will convict us if we are doing wrong and we have a tendency to want to do things our way, but God wants things done his way. After the time of invitation, the pastor mentions the time change next week and takes prayer requests. He read a thank you letter written to the church and mentions that prayer needs to be offered for the closing of the front entrance to the church. A member of the church gave the closing prayer and we were dismissed.
I spoke first and said that I always feel welcome at the ABS, have grown some strong friendships there, and it is a great place for studying or taking a break from classes. I mentioned “checking in” which I mentioned before in my church journal over the ABS. Brady spoke next. He was a member of this church growing up and thanked them. He said that he grew up in the church and the ABS means a lot to him. Joyce spoke next and mentioned that she got engaged while at the ABS. She said that she transferred to SFA from ETBU because they did not offer the major she wanted. She was looking for fellow Christians and was afraid she was not going to find a place to go. She found the ABS and loves going there. She thanked the church for their support. Finally Sarah got up and talked about the Monday night Dinner and Bible Studies and how we use their church funds for trips such as the one we were on visiting the church. Shack got back up and said that we (ABS) need their support financial and their prayers and thanked them again. Our group (ABS group) then sang “Amazing Grace, My Chains Are Gone”.
The Preacher said that the lesson would be from Matthew 18. He asked how many people have ever got their feelings hurt. How many people have ever had somebody steal from them. Those sins we commit against God cost Jesus his life on the Cross. In life, we are going to have conflicts. He said that sometimes we can get “stuckidis”. This is where people refuse to forgive. He said that we should let the church be the church. There is a sign on the back with this message on it, and it is also on the church sign outside the church. He said that church as to be the most forgiving of everyone in the world. The preacher read from Matthew 18:21-35 and said that we must forgive people who wrong us from the heart. He then prayed.
He said that one of the very things that holds Christians in bondage today is non-forgiveness. If we don't overcome our unforgiveness it can create bitterness that owns us. We can become very expressive to others. That can lead to bold forgetfulness. He mentioned how in Kentucky a kid shot at some students who repeatedly prayed in a circle at the school. One girl in the group who survived was named Melissa Jenkins. When she was interviewed she said that she wanted to tell the person who did this that she forgave him. The pastor asked what are we doing to someone because of the hurt that they cause us? It is a choice that God has to forgive us from our sins. He does not have to forgive us, however he has forgiven us so he asks us to forgive others. Our unforgiveness can also lead to “bold forgetfulness of our debt”. He read verses 23-24 of Matthew 18. He said that the one person in the story who owed ten thousand talents, owed the equivalent of 52 million dollars. He was broke and the king demanded that he be sold and his family be sold as well. The servant was desperate and couldn't stand the thought of his family being sold for his debt. Therefore he begged and pleaded with the king and was shown mercy.
The pastor read Romans 6:23 which says that we are debted to God. The king forgave the man from his entire debt. He was moved with compassion and canceled the debt. He wiped the slate clean even though the servant didn't deserve it. In the same way, God gives us a new lease on life. He read Collosians 2:14 and said that a problem with our unforgiveness is that we boldly forget how God forgave our debt. We have no right to hold grudges. The unforgetfullness leads to foley and showing disregard for God's forgiveness. The servant mentioned earlier found a fellow servant who owed him money and would not show compassion on this servant for the money owed him. The amount only equaled about 44 dollars compared to the 55 million he owed the king. The servant ordered that his fellow servant who owed him money be thrown into jail until he could pay it off. When we do not show forgiveness it hinders our relationship with God. The pastor then read verses 31-32 of Matthew 8. The 1st servant made such a critical mistake and the king was shocked. By refusing to forgive the 2nd servant, the 1st servant disgraced the king. The pastor mentioned a quote by K. Lindsay about how we can't afford to be unforgiving.
When we are unforgiving it brings displeasure from God's forgiveness. We have the same problem today with unforgiveness that the 1st servant had. If we don't have a humble and repentive heart it can result in chastening in this life by the hand of God until we decide to forgive. The pastor asked how can we overcome “stuckidness” and this idea of getting even. He gives an example of a boy and girl who are sister and brother. The boy is crying and the mother comes in to find the girl punching him. The mother scolded the girl and told the boy that she didn't know that it hurt him. She left and he yelled again. She returned and they boy said “She knows now!”. The pastor said that we should leave the ultimate vengeance up to God and to honor God. We should also search for the real person beneath the mask. We sometime treat people like cartoons and are quick to accuse their every motive. We should begin to find reasons to love them from our hearts instead of our minds.
The pastor said that we should start desiring good things to happen to ones who hurt us. We should pray for good things to happen for them. The Bible says to pray for our enemies. We should change our hearts. He asked “What's your motivation?” He said that us doing for them what God does for us is not a suggestion but a command. He said we should ask ourselves “Do I need to ask forgiveness from them?”. He said that maybe one of us has wronged someone and may need to eat crow. He said that it doesn't matter if we are wrong or not, that if there is conflict there we need to forgive them. He asked if we needed to forgive someone. He said that one way we can get rid of the bitterness and unforgiveness is to write a letter to God and burn it as an offering to God. He said that the devil likes to dig up bones and we should admit our sins to God and receive his forgiveness. He said that God is ready and willing to forgive us of our sins. He then had a time where anyone who wanted to receive Christ or rededicate their lives could come forward.
We sang the song “Jesus Is Calling.” The pastor said that Jesus will convict us if we are doing wrong and we have a tendency to want to do things our way, but God wants things done his way. After the time of invitation, the pastor mentions the time change next week and takes prayer requests. He read a thank you letter written to the church and mentions that prayer needs to be offered for the closing of the front entrance to the church. A member of the church gave the closing prayer and we were dismissed.
New Caney First Baptist Church Sunday School
We had Sunday School at 9:45. A man named Charles led the Bible Study. He read Proverbs 7 and said that Satan entices us in his ways and doesn't want us to worship. He said that God protects us and helps us to avoid circumstances. He gave an example that he was scheduled to be in a certain town but there was a delay. The town that he was scheduled to be in then had a tornado hit and he could have been affected by it if not for the delay. He then prayed for the Bible Study.
He said that anything we place above of God we make and idol and worship. We need to tone down and listen to God and not forsake meeting together. He said that the Church is in us. When you are trying to learn something, you learn more by doing yourself than by hearing and seeing. That is why personal studying of God's word is so important. You can get more by studying and sharing God's word than by just siting and listening. We touch God's word by touching everything because God has created everything.
In Genesis, it was Adam's choice to take the apple. When people do sinful things they sometimes do it at night in the dark because they think they can hide from God. But God know the things we do in secret. Charles refers to the story of Joseph in the Bible where the woman is trying to trick him into adultery. Charles said that when Christ comes back he will be like a thief in the night. He said that people today spend money on foolish things while some families starve. People are deceiving themselves on the path to Hell. They should repent and turn away from the path they are on. Shack (the ABS minister who brought us to the church) said that verse 25 in Proverbs 7 talks about how we should not let our hearts turn astray. He said that in Romans 12 it talks about how we should be careful everyday what we think about.
Charles mentioned that they have a dress code where he works at and that this one woman came to work with a tank-top on. He said that we are not to entice or deceive one another. We should be appropriate as if we are having lunch with God. Shack said that sometimes when we think about sining it shows the condition of our hearts. Charles said to pray about it and that God's outreach to us is a blessing. He said that in verse 21 of Proverbs 7 it talks about the speech of someone who is trying to lure us away from God and mentions love. Shack said that our society doesn't know what love is and warps the idea of love. Charles said that for us to study God's word is a blessing. God should be 1st in our lives but sometimes we don't get our priorities straight. He prayed and we were dismissed.
He said that anything we place above of God we make and idol and worship. We need to tone down and listen to God and not forsake meeting together. He said that the Church is in us. When you are trying to learn something, you learn more by doing yourself than by hearing and seeing. That is why personal studying of God's word is so important. You can get more by studying and sharing God's word than by just siting and listening. We touch God's word by touching everything because God has created everything.
In Genesis, it was Adam's choice to take the apple. When people do sinful things they sometimes do it at night in the dark because they think they can hide from God. But God know the things we do in secret. Charles refers to the story of Joseph in the Bible where the woman is trying to trick him into adultery. Charles said that when Christ comes back he will be like a thief in the night. He said that people today spend money on foolish things while some families starve. People are deceiving themselves on the path to Hell. They should repent and turn away from the path they are on. Shack (the ABS minister who brought us to the church) said that verse 25 in Proverbs 7 talks about how we should not let our hearts turn astray. He said that in Romans 12 it talks about how we should be careful everyday what we think about.
Charles mentioned that they have a dress code where he works at and that this one woman came to work with a tank-top on. He said that we are not to entice or deceive one another. We should be appropriate as if we are having lunch with God. Shack said that sometimes when we think about sining it shows the condition of our hearts. Charles said to pray about it and that God's outreach to us is a blessing. He said that in verse 21 of Proverbs 7 it talks about the speech of someone who is trying to lure us away from God and mentions love. Shack said that our society doesn't know what love is and warps the idea of love. Charles said that for us to study God's word is a blessing. God should be 1st in our lives but sometimes we don't get our priorities straight. He prayed and we were dismissed.
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