God's Promises and Our Character

God always keeps His promises to us, and God cannot lie or be unfaithful. 

Therefore…

• You can always count on God.
• You can always believe in God’s Word.
• You can always depend on God’s nature.
• You can always rely on God’s power.

Here’s the challenge: You mirror God’s nature or character when you keep your word and your promises to others. If you are going to make a promise, whether that promise is made to your marriage partner, your children, a fellow church member, your boss, a workmate, or anyone else, be sure you keep it. Your character is at stake!

Camp Sonrise

Don't forget about Camp Sonrise which is June 23-26.  This camp is for children who have completed grades 2-6 and are looking for a summer adventure filled with water, friends, fun and a life changing time of learning about God!

If you have a child interested in going, applications are ready and are due back June 8.  

International Spy Academy...coming to our church!!

Our Vacation Bible School will be held July 14-18.  This year's theme is "International Spy Academy".  

This is more than a week of fun, it is an opportunity to impart Biblcial teaching to children in a fun way which they will remember.  Here is a brief description of the week planned:

Biblical Teaching

At The International Spy Academy, excitement and adventure abound from the first minute of each day when kids meet in their Truth Force teams. The teams gather at the Agents’ Assembly for the opening assembly, a high-energy beginning that includes wacky intros, lively songs, a missions moment, and prayer. Teams then rotate through four fun sites:

• ISA Headquarters, where God’s Word is taught in hands on ways;
• Agent-in-Action Games, where training challenges of the utmost fun are mastered;
• Top Secret Snacks, where top level treats vanish in a hurry;
• Classified Crafts, where agents-in-training engage in hands-on crafting.

After training and mission assignments are completed, agents regroup for the closing assembly, which includes more singing, contest results, Get a Clue about God time, and the highly anticipated daily drama. The drama is set in a European city that has drifted away from following the one true God. The Truth Force is sent in to expose the truth about God and the country’s godly heritage. Agents Jess, Dresden, and Casey find foes in unlikely places as their assignment takes unexpected twists and turns. All this adds up to a week filled with high impact. Ready, special agents? The world awaits!

The Most Important Part of the Service

 

 

What part of the church service do you like best? 

 

Is it the singing?  The fellowship time?  The preaching where we listen and absorb God's Word?

 

All these play a vital role in worship.  If there was to be a most important part, would it be the time when we are still and seeking God?  In our minds when we may be  evaluating our actions, allowing God to search our hearts and bring us to a wholeness with Him.

 

After the sermon, our pastor asks a few soul searching questions for Christians. He encourages us to search our hearts for sin, be reconciled to God in any area we find conviction. He speaks to those who have not yet invited Christ into their lives and implores them to obey the Holy Spirit drawing them to come to God. 

 

These few moments bring the entire worship service to a place where we can respond....to God.  These moments are vital, they are moments hovering between spiritual life and death. 

 

Last Sunday a woman came to church, it was the first time in several years.  She sat with her family, feeling a bit uncomfortable.  She fumbled along to find the hymns in the hymnal, but she did, she opened her Bible and read along.  She heard the preaching and answered his heart searching questions with a nod.  She had a deep need and came looking for something...Praise God, she came to church. 

 

As the pastor began to speak, she began to wipe the tears from her eyes.  The time came when he asked everyone to bow their heads as we went before the throne of grace and mercy.  It was clear that the Lord was doing a work in her heart.  As heads bowed, my hope was that she would surrender to the Lord.  

 

But as the pastor began to speak, people began to get up to leave. Even though attempting to quietly slip out, the slightest noise or movement can be just the distraction needed to take the focus off the voice of God in our hearts.  She just sat for a few moments, then stood to sing.  When she turned to leave, she still had tears in her eyes. 

 

The purpose of this heartfelt post is to encourage us to be sensitive to the working of the Lord in other's lives, especially during this time of critical decision.  There is a member of our church family who sits close to the front.  Every Sunday once the pastor finishes his message, this man bows his head in prayer and stays there until the invitation begins.  One can only imagine his prayers for God to move and do what only He can do.  What a powerful way to partner with God and petition Him on behalf of others.

 

May we be in prayer all week, but especially during the time of the service when the Holy Spirit has been invited to work in the hearts and lives of those in our church.  God is able to do so much more than we us, nothing is impossible to Him .  May we welcome and invite His work in our church and in our lives.

Homegoing

Our church family has been in prayer for Elizabeth O and family as her father has been in poor health and in his last days here on  earth.  

He passed away this week and we rejoice in the fact that he is no longer suffering, but safely in the arms of Jesus.  As his family will be grieving the loss of his presence, please be in prayer for them.  

Funeral arrangements are as follows: Visitation will be Thursday night at Harris Funeral Home from 5:00- 7:00 PM.  Funeral will be Friday at 11:00 AM at Mt. Beulah Baptist Church.

May we be encouraged to wrap the family up with God's  love as we pray and share our support with them. 

Leadership For Everyday Life

"Leadership is influence - nothing more and nothing less." ~ Dr. John C. Maxwell. 

Being an influential leader is not about power, title or position, it is about being able to influence people and decisions.  Although you may not be in a visible leadership position, we are all people of influence and as Christians should seek to be the best leaders we can be.

The key factor to people allowing you to influence them is to develop trust, because if they do not trust you, you will be limited in your ability to influence them. Therefore, you will not be able to effectively lead them,  if people cannot trust you they will not follow you

The word "trust" by definition means:  "reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, of a person or thing; confidence". That also sounds like some key ingredients to any relationship. You see as a leader, trust will establish a relationship between you and your team. One way to develop that trust, and maintain it, is to focus on personally and emotionally connecting with the individuals on your team. These actions will enable you to implement a very important leadership law - The Law of Connection, which states  - "leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand"

(Dr. John C. Maxwell "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership").

When you are focused on a person's heart and not just their talent it is then that the true connection begins. It tells them that you value them. That relationship should be of as much value to them as it is to you, the team, or the organization.

Here are four proven ways to connect, develop trust and add value to your team members:

1. Listen to them.

2.Respect them.

3.Grow them.

4.Reward them.

If you consistently follow these simple proven principles of influential leadership you will continue to expand your influence and lead your team to even greater success.

Homegoing...

Please be aware of the homegoing of one of our church family.  Ms. Katherine Oxendine passed away earlier this week.  She has been in poor health for a long time and we rejoice in the fact that she is now with our Lord and in perfect health.

Services will be Friday with a visitation with the family from 10:00 - 11:00 AM. Funeral service will follow at 11:00 AM..  All services will be at Antioch and our church will be ministering to the family by providing a meal.  Your donations of food and/or service would be such a blessing to the family during this time.  Be encouraged to keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.

The Church Prayer Meeting

Charles Spurgeon on the Church Prayer Meeting

Here is a powerful article on the importance of church prayer meeting.  May we be encouraged to make the weekly sacrifice to not simply attend prayer meeting, but truly seek and believe in the power of God through prayer.

"The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if He be not there, one of the first tokens of His absence will be slothfulness in prayer.

If a church is to be what it ought to be for the purposes of God, we must train it in the holy art of prayer. Churches without prayer-meetings are grievously common. Even if there were only one such, it would be one to weep over. In many churches the prayer-meeting is only the skeleton of a gathering: the form is kept up, but the people do not come. There is no interest, no power, in connection with the meeting. Oh, my brothers, let it not be so with you! Do train the people to continually meet together for prayer. Rouse them to incessant supplication. There is a holy art in it. Study to show yourselves approved by the prayerfulness of your people. If you pray yourself, you will want them to pray with you; and when they begin to pray with you, and for you, and for the work of the Lord, they will want more prayer themselves, and the appetite will grow. Believe me, if a church does not pray, it is dead. Instead of putting united prayer last, put it first. Everything will hinge upon the power of prayer in the church.

Beloved, let every church learn the value of its prayer-meetings in its darkest hour. When the pastor is gone, and when it has been difficult to find a suitable successor; when, it may be, there are splits and divisions; when death falls upon honored members, when poverty comes in, when there is a spiritual famine, and when the Holy Spirit appears to have withdrawn himself — then there is but one remedy for these and a thousand other evils, and that one remedy is contained in this short sentence, “Let us pray.”

United prayer is useful inasmuch as God has promised extraordinary and special blessings in connection with it, [we see this principle described in the context of church discipline]: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” [Matthew 18:20]. “If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven” [Matthew 18:19]. God asks for agreement, and, once the saints agree, He pledges Himself that the prayer of His agreeing ones shall be answered. Why, see what accumulated force there is in prayer, when one after another pours out their passionate desires; when many seem to be tugging at the rope; when many seem to be knocking at mercy’s gate; when the mighty cries of many burning hearts come up to heaven. When, my beloved, you go and shake the very gates of heaven with the powerful battering-ram of holy passion, and sacred insistence, then will the kingdom of heaven forcefully advance. When first one, and then another, and yet another, throws their whole soul into the prayer, the kingdom of heaven is conquered and the victory is very great indeed."

Special Prayer Request

This email came out from our Association Office.  Let's join with our community churches and pray for this opportunity!

This coming weekend will be the largest evangelism event ever in Suwannee Baptist Association. I have some of my friends from the NFL coming in to do our first Weekend of Champions. We will be in the schools SHARING CHRIST on Friday, doing a clinic  and a concert at the football stadium on Saturday, and in churches on Sunday.

Please join me in praying up this opportunity! I can’t wait to see what God does.

Blessings, Don Walker

Loving Our Mothers

Mother's Day usually brings up emotions of happiness and thankfulness.  In our church services, we celebrate Mom, her influence, her love and her service.  We acknowledge and bless our mothers publicly.   

But...Mother's Day can bring other emotions besides joy.  Mothers come in a variety of roles. Some joyful, some painful. May we be sensitive to honor mothers without alienating others. As a church, we want women to feel welcome, appreciated, seen, and needed here in our little neck of the body of Christ. 

May we be sensitive to the wide continuum of mothering.  May we honor and connect with all moms:

To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you

To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.

To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you

To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you

To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst

To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be

To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths

To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren -yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you

To those who placed children up for adoption — we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you

This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.

We commend mothering for the ways it reflects the image of God by bringing forth new life, nurturing those on her path, and living with the tension of providing both freedom and a safety net.

Let's wish a Happy Mother's Day to all moms and bring blessing, hope and joy to their lives.

Happy Mother's Day

This is Mother's Day weekend and we have a special day planned for our moms!  Our men will be preparing a breakfast for the entire family beginning at 8:45 AM.  Ladies, come early and enjoy this special time!

Plan to stay for Sunday School and morning worship. There is nothing so special as worshiping as a family especially on days that celebrate the gift of family. 

10 Ways to Serve Others

To serve God is to serve others and is the greatest form of charity: the pure love of Christ.

1. Serve God Through Your Family

To serve God starts with serving in our families. Daily we work, clean, love, support, listen to, teach, and endlessly give of ourselves to the members of our family.  As we lovingly give of ourselves to our family, and serve them with hearts full of love, our acts will also be counted as service to God.

2. Give Tithes and Offerings

 Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. Contributing financially to God's work is a great way to serve God. 

3. Volunteer in Your Community

There are countless ways to serve God by serving in your community.  You can easily become involved in your community, it only takes a little effort to contact a local group, charity, or other community program.

4. Donate Clothing and Other Goods

All throughout the world there are places to donate your unused clothing, shoes, dishes, blankets/quilts, toys, furniture, books, and other items. Generously giving of these items to help others is an easy way to serve God. When preparing those things you are going to donate it is always appreciated if you only give those items that are clean and in working order

5. Be a Friend

One of the simplest and easiest ways to serve God and others is by befriending one another.

6. Serve God by Serving Children

So many children and teenagers need our love- and we can give it!

7. Mourn with Those that Mourn

8. Share Your Talents

9. Simple Acts of Service

Sometimes all it takes to serve God is to give a smile, hug, prayer, or a friendly phone call to someone in need.

10. Use Your Creativity- It Comes from God

The Lord will bless us with the needed strength, guidance, patience, charity, and love to serve His children.

Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper

We've shared for several weeks some of the Promises of a Promise Keeper.  Here is the complete list of the the Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper.

These promises are the backbone of a man seeking and pursuing to be a man of promise, a man of integrity, loyal, faithful and a man of honor...the kind of men we desperately need to lead in our homes, churches and communities.

May 16-17 a Promise Keepers Conference is within driving distance for our men.  There are already 6 men committed to attending, if you are thinking of attending, be encouraged to!  Ladies and church family, may we be diligently be in prayer for these men to be equipped and empowered to be the man God created them to be.

Click HERE for all the details on this conference and to purchase tickets.  Remember, providing the code "ABC" will enable you to get tickets at a group rate, saving $30.00 off your ticket!!!

PROMISE 1

A Promise Keeper is committed to honoring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 12:1-2) 

Also see: Psalm 95:1-7; 98:2-3, Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 3:3-13, Luke 18:1 John 4:32, Acts 2:30-39, Romans 12:1-3, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Galatians 2:20, 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10, 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 12:1-11, 2 Peter 3:11, Revelation 4:8-11

PROMISE 2

A Promise Keeper is committed to pursuing vital relationships with a few other men, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises.(Ecclesiastes 4:12) 

Also see: Genesis 14:12-16, Job 16:1-5, Proverbs 17:17;27:17, Ecclesiastes 4:9-11, Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 14:32-34, Luke 6:12-16, Acts 20:32-38, Romans 15:30-33, Colossians 4:7-9, James 5:16, 1 Peter 5:4-10, Hebrews 10:24, 3 John 3-4

PROMISE 3

A Promise Keeper is committed to practicing spiritual, moral, ethical, and sexual purity. (Hebrews 4:15-16) 

Also see: Exodus 20:3; 33:12-17, Joshua 7:6-12, 1 Kings 11:1-12, 1 Chronicles 29:17-18, Psalm 101:2-4, Proverbs 11:1; 19:5; 20:11, Ecclesiastes 7:11-12, Song of Songs 2:4-7; 7:1-13, Micah 6:6-8, Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 16:19, 1 Peter 2:11-22

PROMISE 4

A Promise Keeper is committed to building strong marriages and families through love, protection and biblical values. (Ephesians 5:25; 6:4) 

Also see: Genesis 2:22-25, Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Ezra 9:12, Esther 2:10-11, Job 1:1-5, Psalm 127:1-5, Proverbs 5:15-20; 17:6, Proverbs 18:22; 22:15. Proverbs 31:10-31, Song of Songs 2:1; 4:1-7, Song of Songs 5:16; 8:6-7; 8:13-14, Joel 1:2-3, Mark 10:6-9, Acts 16:14-15 Hebrews 13:4

PROMISE 5

A Promise Keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honoring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources. (1 Timothy 5:17) 

Also see: Genesis 45:8, Malachi 3:10, Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 14:26-27, John 17:15-19, Acts 4:32-37; 5:12, Acts 6:1-5; 11:29-30; 28:7-10, Romans 12:4-8, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Galatians 6:3-6, Philippians 4:10-18, Hebrews 10:25, 1 Peter 2:4-5; 4:8-11

PROMISE 6

A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity. (John 17:20-21) Also see: Genesis 11:1-8, Leviticus 19:32-34, Numbers 25:1-18, Ruth 1:16-17, Proverbs 6:1-35; 22:2, Isaiah 53:1-12, Luke 10:25-37, Acts 10:24-33, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17; 3:3-9, Ephesians 2:14; 4:2-3, Revelation 5:9; 7:9; 14:65

PROMISE 7

A Promise Keeper is committed to influencing his world, being obedient to the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) 

Also see: Exodus 1:15-27, Nehemiah 2:17-20; 5:14-18, Psalm 82:3-4, Proverbs 1:1-6; 19:17; 28:27, Matthew 7:15-20, Mark 12:30-31, Acts 5:38-39, Romans 10:14, Corinthians 9:19-23, 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, 2 John 4-6.

Family Meal This Week

Don't forget....this Wednesday is our monthly Family Meal.  We will meet at 6:00 PM to gather around the table for some fellowship and food.  Following the meal, there are ministries for the entire family - children, teens and adults.  

*Don't forget about our new Ladies Bible Study which begins this Wednesday!!

Make plans to bring a covered food dish to share and the family and let's enjoy some great family bonding around the table!

In Our Mess