5th Sunday Night Sing

"Not every believer is a pastor, but every believer is a minister  Any time you use your talents, your abilities, your background, your experiences to help somebody else, you know what that’s called?  Ministering. "

Remember Sunday's sermon?   Here is an opportunity to minister in our church family!

5th Sunday Night Sing will be this Sunday night.  This is a time to share and be a blessing to each other through the sharing of a talent, a testimony or simply a favorite Scripture.  Each one of us has something that can be used to minister to one another.  Will you be willing to use it for God's glory?

Following the sing, there will be a time of refreshments in the fellowship hall.  Please plan to bring a finger food or dessert to share.

"Your SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, experiences) determines your ministry, but your attitude determines your maturity.  You want to know what God wants you to do with your life?  Look at your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences.  But your attitude, your servant heart, determines your maturity."   

Learn To Serve God By Serving Others

Sunday's sermon followed in the sequence of our purpose here on earth.

Week 1: First purpose – Worship: we were made to love God, and we do that by giving him our attention, and our affections, and our actions. 

Week 2: Second Purpose – Fellowship: learning to love God’s family; for each of us to make a commitment to a local church body, and then begin to share our lives, our resources, our homes, our struggles, our burdens, our joys and our sorrows with one another.

Week 3: Last week, third purpose: Discipleship - to become like Christ. God’s goal right now, is to transform you; to take you from wherever you are, and bring you through a lifelong process of change that will result in you becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. 

“We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. You were made to make a contribution, not just to consume.  And what matters is not how long you live, but how you live.  We’re all meant to give something back.  We’re commanded to serve God back.

This is called “ministry”.  The word is often misunderstood. Ministry simply means using my shape to help somebody else in the name of God. This means every believer is a minister.  Now, not every believer is a pastor, but every believer is a minister  Any time you use your talents, your abilities, your background, your experiences to help somebody else, you know what that’s called?  Ministering.  And you know what you are?  You’re a minister.

Whenever God gives us an assignment to do something, He never gives it to us without equipping us first.  

 God uses five things to shape you:  Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. 

1.  Spiritual Gifts:  These are gifts given and chosen by God to each Christian, for the purpose of benefiting others.

2.  Heart - the bundle of hope, motivation, dreams, desires - the source of our motivation.  What do we like to do?  Do it for God's glory!

3.  Abilities - These are our natural talents and gifts.  They should be used to minster to others. 

4.  Personality:  each of us are a unique creation, specially designed by God.  This affects how and where we use our gifts and abilities.

5.  Experiences - God uses all of our experiences (good and bad) to mold us and equip us to minister to others.  No experience, trial, problem is wasted, but is used for preparation.

Your SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, experiences) determines your ministry, but your attitude determines your maturity.  You want to know what God wants you to do with your life?  Look at your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences.  But your attitude, your servant heart, determines your maturity.  

Ever Wonder Why?

Why do supermarkets make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front?

Why do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke?

Why do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters?

Why do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in our driveways and put our useless junk in the garage?

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

Why can't women put on mascara with their mouth closed?

Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

Why is it that doctors and attorneys call what they do 'practice'?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavoring, and dish washing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Promise For the Week

Promise Keeper Promise of the Week

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)

Stories from Operation Christmas Child

Remember the shoe boxes we packed in November for Operation Christmas Child?  Do you ever wonder about who got them or the impact they may have made?  Here are some reports from the country of Columbia, submitted by churches sharing stories of the power of the shoe boxes.  

The children who receive the shoe boxes were very poor. One of them had never worn pajamas. In his shoe box, he found pajamas on his size. It was a big impact in his whole family.

A prostitute's son was invited to the church where he received a shoe box. It was an impact on him and his mom. She started to go to church and there has been a change on her life.

Two sisters went to the shoe box distribution with their clothes dirty and broken, that was the best clothes they had. When they opened their shoe boxes, they found lots of clothes. Her family said: “Only God can do that.”

Karina, a four year old girl, belongs to a violent family with low resources. On December, she saw a doll she really liked and asked her mom for it. Her mom said she should ask the Holy Spirit for it. The girl prayed for it and, when she was invited to a distribution, she opened her shoe box and the first thing she saw was the doll she had asked God for. Her joy was enormous and her faith to God got stronger because she knew that her Father always listen to her.

On the distribution day a kid invited his friend who has cancer. The kid came to the event and received Jesus in his heart. Today he still goes to that church with his mother who also accepted Jesus in her heart.

Sofía, daughter of one of the leaders from this church, asked her parents for sandals but they couldn’t buy them. When she received the shoebox, she saw God had sent her some beautiful sandals her size.

I registered a friend that lives by my house to go get a shoebox. Her mom wouldn’t let her go because she didn’t like religion. I prayed and prayed until one day I didn’t know what to do so I called her. She was allowed to come with me the next day to receive a shoebox. Besides her, she brought 4 other kids from a different family. Now, her mom greets everybody from the church and contributes to the church’s funds. I realize that God does miracles.

Many of the children ask us to read the letters that come inside of their gifts.  It impacts them greatly to see the pictures and the letters of the people that are send such beautiful gifts.  Like the letters come in English it means so much to them and we translate to them what is said.  The children want to write them back to be able to tell them thank you.

A 5 year old girl, daughter of a woman that sold her body and a father that is blind, went to church for the first time for the event.  After the event she cried because they wouldn’t permit her to go where the pastors were to hug them and thank them because in her own words, she had never been to a party so beautiful and never had been given such a big gift like she had received that day.  When she arrived to where the pastors were, she hugged them and kissed them and repeatedly told them thank you for everything.

WOW!  May we be encouraged to continue to give and share in this ministry!

 

Sermon Recap

We've been hearing some wonderful sermons on God's Purpose for our lives.  Last week the title was

"God's Purpose For Us Is To Become Like His Son."

God wants to develop His character in us.

He also uses some unexpected tools to help us grow:

1.  Trouble

God uses trouble to teach us to trust Him.  Troubles are not designed to hurt us, but to help us.  God is more interested in what you are than what you do.  Troubles are not a place of comfort, but a place of character development. Every problem has a purpose - to make us more like Him.

2.  Temptation:

God uses temptation to allow us to obey Him. Temptations are situations designed by Satan designed to draw us away from God.  But...temptations always give us a choice - give in to Satan's plan or to stand firm - choosing God.  These choices are needed to develop our character.

It is not a sin to be tempted and we never outgrow temptations.  Every temptation is an opportunity to do right and to choose right - a stepping stone to becoming more like Christ. 

Temptation tests whether we love God more than the temptation.

3.  Trespasses:

God uses trespasses to teach us to forgive. God forgave us and He never asks us to forgive more than He did.  God is in control and calls us to focus on Him,His Word and His example when we are facing a trespass. 

We cannot learn to live like Jesus without learning to:

Trust

Obey 

Forgive

Why Sing In the Choir?

Here is a quick shout out to Antioch's Choir!  They diligently and faithfully minister in music every Sunday morning.  We appreciate the powerful part of our worship service they share. A recent article share "Why I Love To Sing in the Choir".  There are currently open opportunities to join our choir.  Simply show up for practice following evening worship on Sunday nights.  You will be blessed and become a blessing!

MY  TOP  TEN  REASONS  FOR  JOYFULLY  SINGING  IN  THE  CHURCH  CHOIR

1.  Singing in my church choir gives me an opportunity to express my love for the Lord.

2.  Singing in my church choir is more than a hobby or an activity.  It is a calling.

3.  Singing in my church choir allows for a type of expression of praise to the Lord that could not be accomplished in any other way.

4.  Singing in my church choir allows me to participate in the overall ministry of leading in worship, which is a joy and a privilege.

5.  Singing in my church choir and in other Christian choirs has given me many opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ in many settings, throughout my home country and in other countries as well.

6.  Singing in my church choir and in other Christian choirs has implanted incredibly profound messages within my heart and soul through the lyrics of the songs that I have been able to sing.

7.  Singing in my church choir and in other Christian choirs has allowed me to get to know so many wonderful people who love the Lord and have a heart of service.

8.  Singing in my church choir allows me to participate in something that is so much bigger than my self.

9.  I believe that singing praise to God is the closest thing to Heaven that I can experience on this earth.

10.  I love to sing in my church choir and in other Christian choirs because of the incredible songs that God has inspired men and women to write, which then become part of my own spiritual journey.

I believe that before a spiritual song can touch the hearts of people, God must first touch the heart of the song-writer (composer) of the song.  I believe (and know!) that every song begins with a revelation of truth from God or a new way of looking at or expressing a truth already known. 

Found at Worship Sounds

Promise For the Week

Promise #4

PROMISE 4

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

5th Sunday Night Sing

March 30 will be our Fifth Sunday Night Sing and Testimony Time!  This is always a time of blessing for our church as we hear from those who share a talent, a testimony or a favorite Scripture.  

Will you pray about being a part of this blessing?  God has equipped each of us with unique talents and abilities. What an opportunity to use what has been given to enrich others!  Will you use your talent or reflect and share how God has worked in your life?  Or simply share a favorite Scripture - God's Word is powerful!  

Following the sing, we will have a time of refreshments in the fellowship hall.

Men & Women's Fellowship Day

Our men have planned a fishing trip for Saturday, March 22.  All men are welcome to join in, bring your boats and a friend and we will have a great time of fishing and fellowship.  Plans are to meet at the church and leave at 6:30 AM and return around lunch time.  Please see Buddy H. for more information.

Our ladies also have an outing planned.  They will leave the church at 9:00 AM for a day of shopping and lunch.  Men, don't panic!!, many of our ladies enjoy browsing through consignment shops and love to seek out a bargain.  That is the kind of shopping we plan to do along with some fabulous fun and fellowship.  All ladies are welcome and encouraged to come. 

Funny For the Day

 

A college student went to the mall to hang out with his friend. They went by Jerry’s cookies and the college student could not help himself. He bought four chocolate chip cookies. He had to go to the bathroom so he set his cookies down, his backpack then his coat on a little bench and he told his friend he would be back in a minute. When the college student came out of the bathroom he looked and it looked like a homeless man sitting by his stuff, eating his cookies and his friend just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. The college student was really upset but made up his mine that this fellow was not going to eat all his cookies so he sat down next to the man and reached into the bag and got himself a cookie. Then the man reached into the bag and got another cookie. So the college student just knew he was going to get that last cookie and eat it but the man reached into the bag and got the cookie out and broke it in half and gave the college student half of the cookie. The man got up and left, looking back at the college student and smiling. The college student was fit to be tied. He started muttering and saying things about this man and could not believe this man ate his cookies. The college student reached down to get his coat and his backpack and there on the bench were his cookies.

We Were Formed for God's Family

During Sunday morning worship, God's Word was shared and we were reminded about the importance of fellowship.  Fellowship goes further than eating and talking.

God's desire is for us to be a part of His family.  Loving our spiritual family makes us more like God. 

There are 4 Levels of Fellowship

1.  Membership - making a choice to belong.

We choose to become members of a local church.  Fellowship begins with belonging, we make the choice to belong to the body of Christ.

2.  Friendship:  After choosing to join, we must develop friendships be meeting and sharing together.

A few things to share include:

• experiences
• homes
• problems (when we share a joy, it is doubled, when we share a problem, it is cut in half).

3.  Partnership:  Doing our part!

We each have a contribution to make, we are gifted and empowered to serve.

Our heart attitude should be to do all to the glory of God.

4.  Kinship:  Loving others like family.

Life isn't about accomplishments, it is about relationships.

When we love others like family, we are there in good times and also times of crisis.  Loving through good and bad times.

• Relationships - life is all about love
• Worship - loving God
• Fellowship - loving each other

Promise #3

Promise Keeper Promise for the week

PROMISE 3

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

Ways To Pray for Your Pastor

A delegation of American pastors visiting Charles Spurgeon asked him the secret of his success. In response, Spurgeon led them to the lower level of his church and quietly opened the door, revealing over 400 people praying for God’s blessing and power to rest upon their pastor who would stand in the pulpit that night to preach the word of God. “There, gentlemen,” said Spurgeon, “is the secret for God’s blessing his work here.”

We were reminded recently about the importance of praying for our pastor.  A recent article shared some great suggestions on how to pray for our pastor. Will you commit to be a part of praying for our pastor and in turn our church?

I pray that they would love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that their ministry would never steal from them their first love, Jesus Christ.

I pray that they would love and serve their wife and family with glad hearts and that their family would have love for the ministry instead of resenting it for “stealing” their husband and daddy away.

I pray for a passion; for conviction and dedication to their calling and to Jesus Christ.

I pray that they will walk in confidence while kneeling in humility as gentle shepherds who care for their sheep.

I pray for encouragement in their faith and ministry, and against those who attack, slander, harm, or speak evil against them.

I pray that their teaching and preaching will be accurate, true, bold, convicting, encouraging, anointed, and Christ-centered.

I pray that God will guard them from burnout and depression.

I pray that they will never fall prey to envy, jealousy, insecurity, or comparison.

I pray for their holiness and purity, and against lust, affairs, love of money, and pride.

I pray for rest spiritually and physically, and that they know that it is not their ministry they are leading, but God’s.

I pray that they will finish better than they started.

I pray that they will take time to have fun, do things they enjoy, spend time with their wives and play with the kids, and get away often to find peace and solitude.

I pray for God to raise up people around them to assist them, serve them, honor them, encourage them, pray for them, admonish them, and protect them.

I pray that ministry, teaching, preaching, and leading will never become a chore for them, but that it would always be a joy and blessing to serve the Lord and His people with kindness and gladness, and that they would enjoy every aspect of leading, whether easy or hard, for the glory of God.

I pray these things for pastors or leaders. I hope all of us will pray them for one another.”

20 Things to Giv e Up For Lent

The Season of Lent is upon us and we are hearing of many who are 'giving things up for Lent".  The idea is to sacrifice things of pleasure to put more focus on the Lord leading up to Easter. 

Here are 20 things you might consider giving up this Lent. And these are things to give up not just for Lent, but for the rest of your life.

• Guilt – I am loved by Jesus and he has forgiven my sins. Today is a new day and the past is behind.
• Fear – God is on my side. In him I am more than a conqueror. (see Romans 8)
• The need to please everyone – I can’t please everyone anyways. There is only one I need to strive to please.
• Envy – I am blessed. My value is not found in my possessions, but in my relationship with my Heavenly Father.
• Impatience – God’s timing is the perfect timing.
• Sense of entitlement – The world does not owe me anything. God does not owe me anything. I live in humility and grace.
• Bitterness and Resentment – The only person I am hurting by holding on to these is myself.
• Blame – I am not going to pass the buck. I will take responsibility for my actions.
• Gossip and Negativity – I will put the best construction on everything when it comes to other people. I will also minimize my contact with people who are negative and toxic bringing other people down.
• Comparison – I have my own unique contribution to make and there is no one else like me.
• Fear of failure – You don’t succeed without experiencing failure. Just make sure you fail forward.
• A spirit of poverty – Believe with God that there is always more than enough and never a lack
• Feelings of unworthiness – You are fearfully and wonderfully made by your creator. (see Psalm 139)
• Doubt – Believe God has a plan for you that is beyond anything you could imagine. The future is brighter than you could ever realize.
• Self-pity – God comforts us in our sorrow so that we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
• Retirement – As long as you are still breathing, you are here for a reason. You have a purpose to influence others for Christ. That does not come to an end until the day we die.
• Excuses – A wise man once said, if you need an excuse, any excuse will do.
• Lack of counsel – Wise decisions are rarely made in a vacuum.
• Pride – Blessed are the humble.
• Worry – God is in control and worrying will not help.

God has so much more in store for you. But so many of these things above are holding you back from walking in the full destiny he has laid out for you. Today is a new day.

Promise Keepers, Promise #2

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) 

Promise Keeper Information

All across America, men have awakened to a new reality. After years of apathy, weakness, and compromise, a fire has begun to burn in their souls, and these men have arisen to become WARRIORS who will fight for their God, marriages, families, churches, communities, and nation. And it couldn't have come at a better time. In 2014, Promise Keepers is advancing the Kingdom of God WORLDWIDE, Unleashing the Warrior that these men have awakened to become. In 2014, the men of God in America will boldly declare that JESUS REIGNS, and that He is the Captain of the Armies of Heaven!

Promise Keepers is coming to Jacksonville on May 16-17, 2014.  Our men are planning to attend and welcome and encourage any man to come be a part.  See Event Details for the line up of speakers and information about this event.  Please be in prayer about attending and for those who will be attending.  

Famiy Meal

"When you share a meal with someone, it intensifies your relationship.  Eating together binds hearts."  When people share from the same loaf of bread or the same pot of soup, it connects them in a way that is hard to explain. Eating together expresses that we belong together!"

 

 

Fellowship meals are important, because they  bind hearts and help build relationships.  The church family is our extended family. 

 

Our monthly Family Meal will be this Wednesday at 6:00 PM.  Be encouraged to bring a covered food dish to share and let's strengthen the bonds of fellowship and unity.  Following the meal, there are activities for all ages.