Good morning, everyone! Hope your Wednesday is off to a great start. This is an early edition of my weekly Sunday Preview, and since it's only mid-week I thought I'd throw in a Wednesday Night Preview for good measure.
I hope everyone can be here tonight as we celebrate the Lord's Supper by candlelight. We'll begin the service tonight with a message entitled Joy To The World, The Lord Is Coming Again. Then, we'll partake of the Lord's Supper as we remember the first time Christ came to earth and look forward to the day when He comes again.
Our children and youth will have their regular services tonight, as well. If the weather permits, the children will be going on a hayride this evening (so be sure to dress warmly). Also, don't forget we'll have supper available beginning at 5:30. The menu for tonight is chicken fingers and French fries.
Looking beyond Christmas to Sunday, I'm really excited about what God has in store for us this weekend at EFBC! Sunday morning one of my best friends in the whole world will be with us and will share a powerful message that you will never forget. His name is Johnny Carr, and his story is one that will challenge you while making you both laugh and cry. I'm incredibly pumped to have him here with us this weekend, and I can't wait to see what God's going to do!
I hope you'll plan on being here Sunday and that you'll come expecting great and awesome things! Remember Psalm 63:2 that says, I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. So many people come to church looking to be entertained. It's almost as if they come in, sit down, fold their arms and say, "Well, bless me if you can." But if we'll all come together this Sunday looking to see His power and glory, I believe God will blow us away with His presence!
I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas. I hope everyone will come Sunday expecting God to show up. And I hope everyone will get excited about what God has in store for the New Year because there's no doubt in my mind that THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Rain, Rain Go Away
Good morning everyone! Hope everybody's staying dry on this cold, rainy Friday morning. I realize after the severe drought we had not too long ago that we should be thankful for all the rain we've had recently, but today I'm sincerely hoping and praying that the rain will go away for at least 48 hours. Our Christmas Experience looks to be in serious jeopardy for tonight, as the field behind the pastorium currently looks like a small lake.
Should we have to cancel tonight, I'm still holding out hope for tomorrow. We'll make a decision about tonight by 2 p.m. today and we'll get out an email and also have it on the church answering machine. Let's all pray that we can have at least one more night of this powerful dramatization of the life of Christ. (By the way, we will NOT be doing the nativity on Sunday night as was previously talked about. Too many people have other obligations that night. Sunday night will be our regular schedule here at EFBC.)
I hope everyone is planning on being at EFBC this Sunday as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with our children's musical entitled The Perfect Gift. Our kids have been working on this for months, and I know it is going to be a blessing. I'm really looking forward to what God has in store for us this Sunday at Eulaton!
And speaking of our children, did anybody hear about Wednesday night's Birthday Party For Jesus? We had 58 kids here, and several made decisions to trust Jesus as their Savior! And that's not counting all of the youth and adults who were here on Wednesday night, as well. Our Wednesday night ministries have EXPLODED over the past twelve months, and all I can say is, "It's a God thing!"
It's truly exciting (and quite humbling, I might add) to see what's happening here. All I know for sure is that it sure ain't me (pardon my bad English). I know God is using some very dedicated and sold-out people in a powerful way, but ultimately, what's going on at EFBC is only contributable to the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. I hope you'll all savor what's happening right now, and truly appreciate what a special moment this is to be right in the center of a powerful movement of God.
Two more quick items to mention before I close: First of all, don't forget that Angel Tree gifts are due this Sunday. Second, keep in mind that this Sunday we'll be collecting our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions. Please be praying about what God would have you give to this important special offering.
Christmas is upon us! The Lord has come! He's coming again! And that is why I know that the best is yet to come!
Should we have to cancel tonight, I'm still holding out hope for tomorrow. We'll make a decision about tonight by 2 p.m. today and we'll get out an email and also have it on the church answering machine. Let's all pray that we can have at least one more night of this powerful dramatization of the life of Christ. (By the way, we will NOT be doing the nativity on Sunday night as was previously talked about. Too many people have other obligations that night. Sunday night will be our regular schedule here at EFBC.)
I hope everyone is planning on being at EFBC this Sunday as we celebrate the birth of Jesus with our children's musical entitled The Perfect Gift. Our kids have been working on this for months, and I know it is going to be a blessing. I'm really looking forward to what God has in store for us this Sunday at Eulaton!
And speaking of our children, did anybody hear about Wednesday night's Birthday Party For Jesus? We had 58 kids here, and several made decisions to trust Jesus as their Savior! And that's not counting all of the youth and adults who were here on Wednesday night, as well. Our Wednesday night ministries have EXPLODED over the past twelve months, and all I can say is, "It's a God thing!"
It's truly exciting (and quite humbling, I might add) to see what's happening here. All I know for sure is that it sure ain't me (pardon my bad English). I know God is using some very dedicated and sold-out people in a powerful way, but ultimately, what's going on at EFBC is only contributable to the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. I hope you'll all savor what's happening right now, and truly appreciate what a special moment this is to be right in the center of a powerful movement of God.
Two more quick items to mention before I close: First of all, don't forget that Angel Tree gifts are due this Sunday. Second, keep in mind that this Sunday we'll be collecting our Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions. Please be praying about what God would have you give to this important special offering.
Christmas is upon us! The Lord has come! He's coming again! And that is why I know that the best is yet to come!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Busy Weekend Ahead
Good morning everyone! Hope your Friday is off to a great start. Today's Sunday preview is going to be relatively short since there's so much going on this weekend and my plate for today is pretty full.
Let me begin by asking everyone to continue to pray for the Rollins and Champion families. I'm getting some conflicting information right now about the arrangements for the Greg Rollins funeral, so I'll hold off on reporting that until I get a confirmation. I do know that the service will be tomorrow. But again, I've gotten two different reports about time and location, so I'll send out an email once I know for sure.
The preliminary thinking on the Joe Champion funeral was that it would be Sunday at 2 p.m. at the K.L. Brown chapel in Golden Springs. This, however, has not been confirmed. Again, as soon as I know for sure, I'll send out an email.
Anticipation is growing for our Christmas Experience that begins tonight! Looks like the rain is going to hold off for this evening! Tomorrow may be a different story, but tonight looks like it's a go! It will definitely be cold, though, so everybody be sure to bundle up as best as you can (sorry Todd).
Sunday morning we'll close out our Frequently Asked Questions sermon series with a special Christmas edition. The questions we'll tackle this Sunday are:
-Doesn't Christmas have pagan origins?
-Did the wise men actually visit Jesus at the stable?
-Was Mary sinless and should we worship her?
-Was Jesus really born of a virgin?
-Why would God want to leave heaven and come to earth?
It's going to be a great time of worship, and I hope you'll all plan on being here. This Sunday will be the third month in a row that we've had baptism and business meeting on the same day. I promise I've not been planning it that way, but it's just worked out like that. I'll take baptisms anytime, though! It's going to be a wonderful time of celebration!
Keep praying, keep investing and inviting, and keep expecting greater and greater things because the best is yet to come!
Let me begin by asking everyone to continue to pray for the Rollins and Champion families. I'm getting some conflicting information right now about the arrangements for the Greg Rollins funeral, so I'll hold off on reporting that until I get a confirmation. I do know that the service will be tomorrow. But again, I've gotten two different reports about time and location, so I'll send out an email once I know for sure.
The preliminary thinking on the Joe Champion funeral was that it would be Sunday at 2 p.m. at the K.L. Brown chapel in Golden Springs. This, however, has not been confirmed. Again, as soon as I know for sure, I'll send out an email.
Anticipation is growing for our Christmas Experience that begins tonight! Looks like the rain is going to hold off for this evening! Tomorrow may be a different story, but tonight looks like it's a go! It will definitely be cold, though, so everybody be sure to bundle up as best as you can (sorry Todd).
Sunday morning we'll close out our Frequently Asked Questions sermon series with a special Christmas edition. The questions we'll tackle this Sunday are:
-Doesn't Christmas have pagan origins?
-Did the wise men actually visit Jesus at the stable?
-Was Mary sinless and should we worship her?
-Was Jesus really born of a virgin?
-Why would God want to leave heaven and come to earth?
It's going to be a great time of worship, and I hope you'll all plan on being here. This Sunday will be the third month in a row that we've had baptism and business meeting on the same day. I promise I've not been planning it that way, but it's just worked out like that. I'll take baptisms anytime, though! It's going to be a wonderful time of celebration!
Keep praying, keep investing and inviting, and keep expecting greater and greater things because the best is yet to come!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Sunday's On The Way
It's been another great week at EFBC. Last night was a blessing as students from the Baptist Campus Ministry at JSU came and led a missions study for all of our different classes. It was great to have them back with us this year.
Also, some of you may not have heard, but Gary, the campus minister, told us last night that he was just recently engaged! He's had a difficult time the last several years, losing his wife a couple of years ago and then his daughter just this past June. It was exciting to hear the good news about his engagement!
Speaking of exciting, is anybody else ready for Sunday? There's nothing I look forward to more than getting together with the church body and worshipping Jesus! I can't wait! This Sunday, we'll do one more set of general frequently asked questions. Then, on December 13th, we'll close out this series with a special set of frequently asked questions about Christmas.
This past Sunday, we answered the following questions:
-If I'm already saved, why should I keep coming to church?
-Has God predestined some people to hell?
-Does the Bible teach that divorced men can't be deacons?
-Is Christianity really any different than other religions?
This Sunday, we'll tackle the following:
-Why are so many Christians against gambling?
-What does the Bible say about capital punishment?
-Is it OK for Christians to drink alcohol in moderation?
-Will Jesus return in my lifetime?
I hope you'll come expecting great things to happen. I hope you'll invite your friends and family who don't know the Lord. And I'm praying that God will show up in a BIG way this Sunday! You be praying, too.
God's continuing to work here at EFBC. He's been blowing my mind week after week. We've seen some amazing things this year. But I'm convinced that we ain't seen nothing yet, because the best is yet to come!
Also, some of you may not have heard, but Gary, the campus minister, told us last night that he was just recently engaged! He's had a difficult time the last several years, losing his wife a couple of years ago and then his daughter just this past June. It was exciting to hear the good news about his engagement!
Speaking of exciting, is anybody else ready for Sunday? There's nothing I look forward to more than getting together with the church body and worshipping Jesus! I can't wait! This Sunday, we'll do one more set of general frequently asked questions. Then, on December 13th, we'll close out this series with a special set of frequently asked questions about Christmas.
This past Sunday, we answered the following questions:
-If I'm already saved, why should I keep coming to church?
-Has God predestined some people to hell?
-Does the Bible teach that divorced men can't be deacons?
-Is Christianity really any different than other religions?
This Sunday, we'll tackle the following:
-Why are so many Christians against gambling?
-What does the Bible say about capital punishment?
-Is it OK for Christians to drink alcohol in moderation?
-Will Jesus return in my lifetime?
I hope you'll come expecting great things to happen. I hope you'll invite your friends and family who don't know the Lord. And I'm praying that God will show up in a BIG way this Sunday! You be praying, too.
God's continuing to work here at EFBC. He's been blowing my mind week after week. We've seen some amazing things this year. But I'm convinced that we ain't seen nothing yet, because the best is yet to come!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Feels Like Friday
I don't know how it is with you today, but for me, it feels like Friday. And since it feels like Friday, I figured it was best to go ahead and write my obligatory end of the week post. So here goes:
We've had another great week at EFBC. It was wonderful to see Dalton Epps baptized this past Sunday! That makes nine baptisms in the last two months! Praise God for what He is doing! It was also exciting to see a great Wednesday night crowd here again last night (even though it was really on Tuesday). God is working in so many different areas in our church that I'm finding myself daily in awe of His power and presence.
As you're gearing up for the long holiday weekend, let me encourage you to not forget about coming together as the church this Sunday to worship our Lord together. I'm really excited about continuing our ongoing series on Frequently Asked Questions. This past Sunday, we asked and answered the following:
-Does it matter which version of the Bible I use?
-If I was baptized as an infant, do I need to be re-baptized?
-How can a loving God send anybody to hell?
-Is suicide the unforgivable sin?
This Sunday, I'm planning on answering as many of the following questions as time permits:
-If I'm already saved, why should I keep coming to church?
-Has God predestined some people to hell?
-Does the Bible teach that divorced men can't be deacons?
-Is Christianity really any different than other religions?
-Why are so many Christians against gambling?
-What does the Bible say about capital punishment?
If all goes according to my plans, I'm going to do one more installment of the random frequently asked questions on December 6. Then I'll close out this series on December 13 with a special message on frequently asked questions about Christmas. It should be fun (at least it has been so far). Don't forget, these messages are available online at www.eulaton.org. Just click on Online Sermons to access them.
A scripture for you to keep in mind during this Thanksgiving weekend:
Psalm 100:4-5 - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. (NKJ)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope everyone will remember that giving thanks should be a part of our lives daily, not just on a Thursday in late November. And I hope everyone will plan on being at our worship services this Sunday morning as we lift high the name of Jesus!
Enjoy the turkey! Enjoy the Iron Bowl! Enjoy the shopping (if that's possible)! But when Sunday rolls around, come meet with us as we worship the King of kings and Lord of lords! You might overeat this weekend. Your team may lose this weekend. You might spend way too much money this weekend. But take heart, because Jesus is alive, He's working all around us, and the best is yet to come!
We've had another great week at EFBC. It was wonderful to see Dalton Epps baptized this past Sunday! That makes nine baptisms in the last two months! Praise God for what He is doing! It was also exciting to see a great Wednesday night crowd here again last night (even though it was really on Tuesday). God is working in so many different areas in our church that I'm finding myself daily in awe of His power and presence.
As you're gearing up for the long holiday weekend, let me encourage you to not forget about coming together as the church this Sunday to worship our Lord together. I'm really excited about continuing our ongoing series on Frequently Asked Questions. This past Sunday, we asked and answered the following:
-Does it matter which version of the Bible I use?
-If I was baptized as an infant, do I need to be re-baptized?
-How can a loving God send anybody to hell?
-Is suicide the unforgivable sin?
This Sunday, I'm planning on answering as many of the following questions as time permits:
-If I'm already saved, why should I keep coming to church?
-Has God predestined some people to hell?
-Does the Bible teach that divorced men can't be deacons?
-Is Christianity really any different than other religions?
-Why are so many Christians against gambling?
-What does the Bible say about capital punishment?
If all goes according to my plans, I'm going to do one more installment of the random frequently asked questions on December 6. Then I'll close out this series on December 13 with a special message on frequently asked questions about Christmas. It should be fun (at least it has been so far). Don't forget, these messages are available online at www.eulaton.org. Just click on Online Sermons to access them.
A scripture for you to keep in mind during this Thanksgiving weekend:
Psalm 100:4-5 - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. (NKJ)
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope everyone will remember that giving thanks should be a part of our lives daily, not just on a Thursday in late November. And I hope everyone will plan on being at our worship services this Sunday morning as we lift high the name of Jesus!
Enjoy the turkey! Enjoy the Iron Bowl! Enjoy the shopping (if that's possible)! But when Sunday rolls around, come meet with us as we worship the King of kings and Lord of lords! You might overeat this weekend. Your team may lose this weekend. You might spend way too much money this weekend. But take heart, because Jesus is alive, He's working all around us, and the best is yet to come!
Friday, November 20, 2009
It Keeps Getting Better And Better
Good morning everyone! Hope your Friday is off to a great start. My day has already started off well after attending a prayer meeting at Wellborn High School with Mr. Carter and several other staff members. God is up to something HUGE in our church, in our community, and yes, even at our school. Get ready, because what's coming is going to be, I believe, amazing beyond our wildest dreams.
How do I know that? Because people are praying, a lot of people! And I believe Satan is shaking in his shoes just thinking about what God is about to unleash on this community. And that's why we need to keep praying, because our adversary is not happy about what's going on around here. He's going to attack full throttle, so we'd better make sure we've put on the full armor of God.
I'm really looking forward to this Sunday at EFBC (as usual), and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this weekend. We're going to continue our Frequently Asked Questions series. Last week, we tackled four more questions:
-Why don't Baptists allow women to be pastors?
-Where did Cain get his wife?
-Did God create evil?
-Why does God allow bad things to happen to Christians?
After some of the "controversial" topics we've covered, you might think that this week we'd try to take it easy and back off on the tough questions; and you'd be wrong. This Sunday, we're going to see how many of the following questions we can answer:
-Does it matter which version of the Bible I use?
-If I was baptized as an infant, do I need to be re-baptized?
-How can a loving God send anybody to hell?
-Is suicide the unforgivable sin?
-If I'm already saved, why should I keep coming to church?
-Has God predestined some people to hell?
-Does the Bible teach that divorced men can't be deacons?
We'll take them one at a time and see how many we can answer this week. So far I've only been able to squeeze in four questions in each of the first three messages. You may be wondering why I'm even bothering to publish seven questions every week. Well, I look at it like this: if we only get through four of seven questions this week, the other three are like previews of coming attractions. I'm hoping I can whet your appetite for more!
Let's pack this place out on Sunday! Let's be praying for, investing in, and inviting others. Let's come expecting God to show up in a BIG way! Remember Psalm 63:1-2: O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. (NKJ)
I said earlier that I believe what God has in store for us will be amazing beyond our wildest dreams, and there's a couple of verses that keep coming to my mind. They're found in Ephesians 3:20-21: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (NIV)
Are you ready? I'm blown away more and more everyday as I see God at work all around us, and I can't wait to see what's next. It just keeps getting better and better, but the best is yet to come!
How do I know that? Because people are praying, a lot of people! And I believe Satan is shaking in his shoes just thinking about what God is about to unleash on this community. And that's why we need to keep praying, because our adversary is not happy about what's going on around here. He's going to attack full throttle, so we'd better make sure we've put on the full armor of God.
I'm really looking forward to this Sunday at EFBC (as usual), and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this weekend. We're going to continue our Frequently Asked Questions series. Last week, we tackled four more questions:
-Why don't Baptists allow women to be pastors?
-Where did Cain get his wife?
-Did God create evil?
-Why does God allow bad things to happen to Christians?
After some of the "controversial" topics we've covered, you might think that this week we'd try to take it easy and back off on the tough questions; and you'd be wrong. This Sunday, we're going to see how many of the following questions we can answer:
-Does it matter which version of the Bible I use?
-If I was baptized as an infant, do I need to be re-baptized?
-How can a loving God send anybody to hell?
-Is suicide the unforgivable sin?
-If I'm already saved, why should I keep coming to church?
-Has God predestined some people to hell?
-Does the Bible teach that divorced men can't be deacons?
We'll take them one at a time and see how many we can answer this week. So far I've only been able to squeeze in four questions in each of the first three messages. You may be wondering why I'm even bothering to publish seven questions every week. Well, I look at it like this: if we only get through four of seven questions this week, the other three are like previews of coming attractions. I'm hoping I can whet your appetite for more!
Let's pack this place out on Sunday! Let's be praying for, investing in, and inviting others. Let's come expecting God to show up in a BIG way! Remember Psalm 63:1-2: O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. (NKJ)
I said earlier that I believe what God has in store for us will be amazing beyond our wildest dreams, and there's a couple of verses that keep coming to my mind. They're found in Ephesians 3:20-21: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (NIV)
Are you ready? I'm blown away more and more everyday as I see God at work all around us, and I can't wait to see what's next. It just keeps getting better and better, but the best is yet to come!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
What's Next For EFBC?
I'm continually being blown away by what God is doing at Eulaton First Baptist, and I can't wait to see what He's got in store for us next! Wasn't last Sunday awesome? Wasn't it great to see Logan, Tanner, Sarah, Morgan, Michael and Mason baptized? Wasn't it also wonderful to welcome Lindsey Wiley into our church family? I left here Sunday with my head in the clouds and my heart full of joy.
Speaking of how God's working at EFBC, have you been here on Wednesday nights lately to see what He's doing? People are coming, lots of people, especially young people. And they're being fed; both physically and spiritually. God's up to something BIG, and I'm just excited that He's allowed me to be a part of it. I hope you are, too!
I also hope you've been enjoying our current series entitled Frequently Asked Questions. We're covering a broad range of topics, and it's been fun (at least for me, anyway). This past Sunday we looked at the following questions:
-Is tithing a New Testament practice?
-Does God hear the prayers of non-Christians?
-What does the Bible say about tattoos and piercings?
-How were people saved in the Old Testament?
Don't forget, if you miss a message and would like to hear it, you can go to www.eulaton.org and click on Online Sermons. Sermons are usually uploaded to the web by noon on Mondays. This Sunday, we're going to see how many of the following questions we have time to answer:
-Why don't Baptists allow women to be pastors?
-Where did Cain get his wife?
-Did God create evil?
-Why does God allow bad things to happen to Christians?
-Does it matter which version of the Bible I use?
-If I was baptized as an infant, do I need to be re-baptized?
-How can a loving God send anybody to hell?
We may get through all seven; we may not. If not, we'll just pick up next week where we leave off this week. I'm incredibly excited about this series, and about this Sunday. I realize that some of the topics we cover may be a bit controversial, and I realize that there may be some things that we're not going to see eye to eye on. But like I said Sunday: that's OK! As long as we agree on the truth that Jesus is the only way to God, we can agree to disagree on a lot of other stuff.
I hope you're planning on being here Sunday. I hope you're inviting others to come, as well. Remember to be investing in the lives of others, and inviting them to hear the message of the Gospel. This sermon series has such a broad appeal that it's the perfect time to be inviting your friends and family members. Feel free to forward this web address on to others. I want to see our building packed out this Sunday!
God is working! He's doing great and wonderful things in our midst! But as good as it's been, it's nothing compared to what He's got in store for us next. And that is why I keep saying that the best is yet to come!
Speaking of how God's working at EFBC, have you been here on Wednesday nights lately to see what He's doing? People are coming, lots of people, especially young people. And they're being fed; both physically and spiritually. God's up to something BIG, and I'm just excited that He's allowed me to be a part of it. I hope you are, too!
I also hope you've been enjoying our current series entitled Frequently Asked Questions. We're covering a broad range of topics, and it's been fun (at least for me, anyway). This past Sunday we looked at the following questions:
-Is tithing a New Testament practice?
-Does God hear the prayers of non-Christians?
-What does the Bible say about tattoos and piercings?
-How were people saved in the Old Testament?
Don't forget, if you miss a message and would like to hear it, you can go to www.eulaton.org and click on Online Sermons. Sermons are usually uploaded to the web by noon on Mondays. This Sunday, we're going to see how many of the following questions we have time to answer:
-Why don't Baptists allow women to be pastors?
-Where did Cain get his wife?
-Did God create evil?
-Why does God allow bad things to happen to Christians?
-Does it matter which version of the Bible I use?
-If I was baptized as an infant, do I need to be re-baptized?
-How can a loving God send anybody to hell?
We may get through all seven; we may not. If not, we'll just pick up next week where we leave off this week. I'm incredibly excited about this series, and about this Sunday. I realize that some of the topics we cover may be a bit controversial, and I realize that there may be some things that we're not going to see eye to eye on. But like I said Sunday: that's OK! As long as we agree on the truth that Jesus is the only way to God, we can agree to disagree on a lot of other stuff.
I hope you're planning on being here Sunday. I hope you're inviting others to come, as well. Remember to be investing in the lives of others, and inviting them to hear the message of the Gospel. This sermon series has such a broad appeal that it's the perfect time to be inviting your friends and family members. Feel free to forward this web address on to others. I want to see our building packed out this Sunday!
God is working! He's doing great and wonderful things in our midst! But as good as it's been, it's nothing compared to what He's got in store for us next. And that is why I keep saying that the best is yet to come!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Another Big Day Sunday!
As I write this, we are just forty-eight hours and nineteen minutes away from Sunday morning's worship service. Is anybody other than me excited about what God's going to do at Eulaton this weekend? I'm incredibly excited because this Sunday we're going to be baptizing several (not sure how many yet) new believers! That will NEVER get old. In fact, like I told everyone Sunday, I hope we wear that baptismal pool out from overuse!
I'm also excited about continuing our new message series entitled Frequently Asked Questions. Last Sunday we only got through four questions, so we're going to pick up this week where we left off. If you missed this past Sunday's message, we answered the following questions:
-Is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Halloween?
-What about the people who've never heard about Jesus?
-Can a person lose their salvation?
-Is it biblical to speak in tongues?
If you'd like to hear that message, you can always go to http://www.eulaton.org/ and click on Online Sermons. Most every message from this past year is archived there. This Sunday, we're going to see how many of the following questions we can tackle:
-Is tithing a New Testament practice?
-Does God hear the prayers of non-Christians?
-What does the Bible say about tattoos and piercings?
-How were people saved in the Old Testament?
-Why don't Baptists allow women to be pastors?
-Where did Cain get his wife?
-Did God create evil?
Once again, I don't know if we'll get through all of those questions or not. We're just going to take them one at a time and see where God leads with each one. These messages may seem a bit odd to those who've been attending church for a long time because they are so disjointed. I believe, however, that for the person who's new to the church experience, this series is a breath of fresh air.
How many people, if we're honest, haven't asked one or more of these questions in their lifetimes? What new believer or seeker wouldn't want to have a list of the most frequently asked questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity answered in rapid-fire succession, regardless of how random they may be? Didn't Jesus sometimes preach this way?
Answering those questions leads me to the unmistakable conclusion that this is a series that is incredibly beneficial. And that's why I want to encourage you again this week to invite friends and family to come. They've got questions; we've got answers. Let them know about this informative series that we're doing at EFBC.
Eulaton, get ready for the ride of your lives because Jesus is alive, His Spirit is at work in our midst, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
I'm also excited about continuing our new message series entitled Frequently Asked Questions. Last Sunday we only got through four questions, so we're going to pick up this week where we left off. If you missed this past Sunday's message, we answered the following questions:
-Is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Halloween?
-What about the people who've never heard about Jesus?
-Can a person lose their salvation?
-Is it biblical to speak in tongues?
If you'd like to hear that message, you can always go to http://www.eulaton.org/ and click on Online Sermons. Most every message from this past year is archived there. This Sunday, we're going to see how many of the following questions we can tackle:
-Is tithing a New Testament practice?
-Does God hear the prayers of non-Christians?
-What does the Bible say about tattoos and piercings?
-How were people saved in the Old Testament?
-Why don't Baptists allow women to be pastors?
-Where did Cain get his wife?
-Did God create evil?
Once again, I don't know if we'll get through all of those questions or not. We're just going to take them one at a time and see where God leads with each one. These messages may seem a bit odd to those who've been attending church for a long time because they are so disjointed. I believe, however, that for the person who's new to the church experience, this series is a breath of fresh air.
How many people, if we're honest, haven't asked one or more of these questions in their lifetimes? What new believer or seeker wouldn't want to have a list of the most frequently asked questions about God, the Bible, and Christianity answered in rapid-fire succession, regardless of how random they may be? Didn't Jesus sometimes preach this way?
Answering those questions leads me to the unmistakable conclusion that this is a series that is incredibly beneficial. And that's why I want to encourage you again this week to invite friends and family to come. They've got questions; we've got answers. Let them know about this informative series that we're doing at EFBC.
Eulaton, get ready for the ride of your lives because Jesus is alive, His Spirit is at work in our midst, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Gearing Up For New Series
I'm already super-pumped this morning after having a chance to speak to the Wellborn football team and cheerleaders at their prayer breakfast. What an awesome opportunity it is to be able to minister in our local school like that. This was the second prayer breakfast that EFBC has been a part of at WHS, and Koy was able to speak to them at the one we did back in September. It's exciting to see the great things that are happening at the school, and we pray for even bigger and better things in the coming days (and I'm not talking about winning football games, although that's been great, too!).
I'm also stoked this morning about a new series of messages I'll be beginning this Sunday entitled Frequently Asked Questions. These messages will be a little different than what I usually preach, as we are going to try and tackle a myriad of difficult questions that are most often asked about Christianity and the things we believe. Here's the questions we're going to attempt to answer this Sunday:
1. Is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Halloween?
2. What about the people who've never heard about Jesus?
3. Can a person lose their salvation?
4. Is it biblical to speak in tongues?
5. Is tithing a New Testament practice?
6. Does God hear the prayers of non-Christians?
7. What does the Bible say about tattoos and piercings?
8. How were people saved in the Old Testament?
Now don't be alarmed by the number of questions, because I honestly don't know if we'll get through all eight of these this Sunday. We're going to start tackling questions one at a time and if we run out of time, we'll just go back and pick up the ones we missed on the next Sunday.
It's going to be different because there's going to be no real connection from question to question. But that's ok, and actually, that's the way I want it. And even though the questions may seem disjointed at times, I can promise you that in the end I'm going to tie it all back to the Gospel. Although I don't plan to make it a habit to preach like this, I believe we need to do things like this from time to time. In fact, I've got two very clear goals for this series:
1. To offer support to Christians who may not always know what to say when others have questions. (1 Peter 3:15)
2. To spark an interest in those who may have asked some of these very same questions.
Goal number 2 is going to provide an opportunity for you to invest and invite in your friends and family members who don't know Jesus. Let them know we're going to be tackling a lot of difficult questions. Let them know that we're going to try and answer as many of the frequently asked questions about Christianity as we can. And most importantly, let them know that you love them and that you'd love to sit with them in church this Sunday.
You may want to copy this web address and send it on to someone you think might be interested. Who knows? God may use something as simple as an electronic message to radically change their lives this weekend. I couldn't be more excited about what I believe God is going to do through this series of messages, and I can't wait to see how He is going to show up at Eulaton this Sunday!
Come expecting God to move! Come expecting lives to be changed! And come knowing that the best is yet to come!
I'm also stoked this morning about a new series of messages I'll be beginning this Sunday entitled Frequently Asked Questions. These messages will be a little different than what I usually preach, as we are going to try and tackle a myriad of difficult questions that are most often asked about Christianity and the things we believe. Here's the questions we're going to attempt to answer this Sunday:
1. Is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Halloween?
2. What about the people who've never heard about Jesus?
3. Can a person lose their salvation?
4. Is it biblical to speak in tongues?
5. Is tithing a New Testament practice?
6. Does God hear the prayers of non-Christians?
7. What does the Bible say about tattoos and piercings?
8. How were people saved in the Old Testament?
Now don't be alarmed by the number of questions, because I honestly don't know if we'll get through all eight of these this Sunday. We're going to start tackling questions one at a time and if we run out of time, we'll just go back and pick up the ones we missed on the next Sunday.
It's going to be different because there's going to be no real connection from question to question. But that's ok, and actually, that's the way I want it. And even though the questions may seem disjointed at times, I can promise you that in the end I'm going to tie it all back to the Gospel. Although I don't plan to make it a habit to preach like this, I believe we need to do things like this from time to time. In fact, I've got two very clear goals for this series:
1. To offer support to Christians who may not always know what to say when others have questions. (1 Peter 3:15)
2. To spark an interest in those who may have asked some of these very same questions.
Goal number 2 is going to provide an opportunity for you to invest and invite in your friends and family members who don't know Jesus. Let them know we're going to be tackling a lot of difficult questions. Let them know that we're going to try and answer as many of the frequently asked questions about Christianity as we can. And most importantly, let them know that you love them and that you'd love to sit with them in church this Sunday.
You may want to copy this web address and send it on to someone you think might be interested. Who knows? God may use something as simple as an electronic message to radically change their lives this weekend. I couldn't be more excited about what I believe God is going to do through this series of messages, and I can't wait to see how He is going to show up at Eulaton this Sunday!
Come expecting God to move! Come expecting lives to be changed! And come knowing that the best is yet to come!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Big Day Sunday!
This Sunday is going to be a HUGE day here at EFBC, and I am incredibly pumped! Our Harvest of Fun Fall Festival will be after the morning worship service and lunch. We're telling people 12 until 2, but I hope you'll invite people to come to church first, then stay for lunch, and then for the HOF.
Let me first talk about Sunday morning. I hope you'll invite your lost friends this Sunday. The message will be the third in our current series Show Me The Proof. This week's message is entitled Is There Really Life After Death?, and we're going to be talking about the evidence we have for the resurrection.
Many people who don't know Christ may have never taken very seriously the claims the Bible makes concerning the resurrection. This message will powerfully show them that this is something EVERYBODY needs to take seriously, because the Bible says in John 5:28-29: A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (NIV) That tells me that the truth of the resurrection affects every person on the planet, not just the Christian.
Following our morning worship service, we'll be having a lunch with hot dogs and chili. We need folks to please help us out by bringing crackers, chips, corn chips, cornbread, and desserts (and/or anything else that would go well with chili and hot dogs). For those who'll be working the HOF, we'll eat fairly quickly and then get ready to welcome all of our guests.
Let's pray that God will use this event as a powerful ministry outreach for our community! Let's pray that we'll see lives changed as a result of this ministry. And let's pray that God will show up in a HUGE way for everything that we're doing on Sunday!
By the way, we could still use more candy if anyone can bring some by. Donations are greatly appreciated! Let's also not forget that tonight we are feeding the coaches and referees at the Wellborn game. Your help is greatly appreciated!
One more thing before I close this: this past Wednesday night at EFBC we had 62 children (not counting youth and adults), and we fed every one of them! This is a new ministry that our Wednesday night workers have felt led to begin, and all I can say is, "What's God going to do next?" These are exciting times at EFBC! God is working in so many areas that it blows my mind! Thank you all for your faithfulness!
Keep praying! Keep investing and inviting! And keep yourself prepared, because the best is yet to come!
Let me first talk about Sunday morning. I hope you'll invite your lost friends this Sunday. The message will be the third in our current series Show Me The Proof. This week's message is entitled Is There Really Life After Death?, and we're going to be talking about the evidence we have for the resurrection.
Many people who don't know Christ may have never taken very seriously the claims the Bible makes concerning the resurrection. This message will powerfully show them that this is something EVERYBODY needs to take seriously, because the Bible says in John 5:28-29: A time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (NIV) That tells me that the truth of the resurrection affects every person on the planet, not just the Christian.
Following our morning worship service, we'll be having a lunch with hot dogs and chili. We need folks to please help us out by bringing crackers, chips, corn chips, cornbread, and desserts (and/or anything else that would go well with chili and hot dogs). For those who'll be working the HOF, we'll eat fairly quickly and then get ready to welcome all of our guests.
Let's pray that God will use this event as a powerful ministry outreach for our community! Let's pray that we'll see lives changed as a result of this ministry. And let's pray that God will show up in a HUGE way for everything that we're doing on Sunday!
By the way, we could still use more candy if anyone can bring some by. Donations are greatly appreciated! Let's also not forget that tonight we are feeding the coaches and referees at the Wellborn game. Your help is greatly appreciated!
One more thing before I close this: this past Wednesday night at EFBC we had 62 children (not counting youth and adults), and we fed every one of them! This is a new ministry that our Wednesday night workers have felt led to begin, and all I can say is, "What's God going to do next?" These are exciting times at EFBC! God is working in so many areas that it blows my mind! Thank you all for your faithfulness!
Keep praying! Keep investing and inviting! And keep yourself prepared, because the best is yet to come!
Friday, October 09, 2009
God Is So Good!
By now most of you have probably heard about the news we got late yesterday afternoon: the judge's ruling went our way concerning the children! Praise God!!! He is so good. He would still be good even if the ruling had went the other way, and He would still be just as worthy of our praise. However, this morning we are rejoicing in the fact that we're going to get to keep our children! Hopefully the adoption will be done very quickly!
That's not all that has me excited on this Friday morning, though. As usual, I'm looking forward to Sunday at Eulaton with eager anticipation! I'll be beginning a new series of messages entitled Show Me The Proof. These messages will be answers for the skeptics who question the validity of our faith. We'll look at some of the convincing proofs that there really IS a God, that He really DOES have a Son named Jesus, that He really DID come into this world as a man and die for our sins, and that He really DID rise again.
Being a Christian doesn't mean you have to check your brains at the door when you come to worship. There is overwhelming evidence that you can demonstrate for the skeptics to prove to them that the faith you have is neither unreasonable nor unintelligent. Some people see Christians as being "simple" and "weak-minded" because we place our faith in a God we have never seen. Well, I've never seen my brain either, but I know that I have one and I'm really glad that it's there (otherwise I wouldn't be able to type this message).
By the way, some of the most brilliant people who have ever lived have been Christians: Nicolaus Copernicus, Louis Pasteur, Isaac Newton, Max Planck, Johannes Kepler, and Blaise Pascal all professed faith in Christ. Modern-day Christian thinkers include men like Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. Gary Habermas, Dr. William A. Dembski, and Oxford University professor Dr. John Lennox. All are proof that being an intellectual and following Christ are not mutually exclusive.
This Sunday's first message in the new series is entitled Something Out Of Nothing. We'll be talking about how God created everything out of nothing. And we'll talk about the fact that the same God who created something out of nothing does the same thing with us. I don't know about you, but I know that my life was meaningless until Jesus found me and saved me. I'm incredibly excited about beginning this new series, and I hope you will be, too!
For some time now I've been repeating the words of Psalm 63:2: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Well, today I thought I would share with you what verse 1 says: O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
Are you thirsty for God? Are you longing for His presence in a dry and thirsty land? Why not seek Him early this Sunday in the sanctuary, and come in expecting to see His power and glory? Why not seek Him right now, right where you are? He loves us! He wants to bless us! He wants to do wonderful things in our midst! But He's waiting on us to seek Him. Deut 4:29 says, You will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Let's seek Him with all our heart and soul; and let's prepare ourselves, because the best is yet to come!
That's not all that has me excited on this Friday morning, though. As usual, I'm looking forward to Sunday at Eulaton with eager anticipation! I'll be beginning a new series of messages entitled Show Me The Proof. These messages will be answers for the skeptics who question the validity of our faith. We'll look at some of the convincing proofs that there really IS a God, that He really DOES have a Son named Jesus, that He really DID come into this world as a man and die for our sins, and that He really DID rise again.
Being a Christian doesn't mean you have to check your brains at the door when you come to worship. There is overwhelming evidence that you can demonstrate for the skeptics to prove to them that the faith you have is neither unreasonable nor unintelligent. Some people see Christians as being "simple" and "weak-minded" because we place our faith in a God we have never seen. Well, I've never seen my brain either, but I know that I have one and I'm really glad that it's there (otherwise I wouldn't be able to type this message).
By the way, some of the most brilliant people who have ever lived have been Christians: Nicolaus Copernicus, Louis Pasteur, Isaac Newton, Max Planck, Johannes Kepler, and Blaise Pascal all professed faith in Christ. Modern-day Christian thinkers include men like Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. Gary Habermas, Dr. William A. Dembski, and Oxford University professor Dr. John Lennox. All are proof that being an intellectual and following Christ are not mutually exclusive.
This Sunday's first message in the new series is entitled Something Out Of Nothing. We'll be talking about how God created everything out of nothing. And we'll talk about the fact that the same God who created something out of nothing does the same thing with us. I don't know about you, but I know that my life was meaningless until Jesus found me and saved me. I'm incredibly excited about beginning this new series, and I hope you will be, too!
For some time now I've been repeating the words of Psalm 63:2: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Well, today I thought I would share with you what verse 1 says: O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
Are you thirsty for God? Are you longing for His presence in a dry and thirsty land? Why not seek Him early this Sunday in the sanctuary, and come in expecting to see His power and glory? Why not seek Him right now, right where you are? He loves us! He wants to bless us! He wants to do wonderful things in our midst! But He's waiting on us to seek Him. Deut 4:29 says, You will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Let's seek Him with all our heart and soul; and let's prepare ourselves, because the best is yet to come!
Monday, October 05, 2009
What's Better Than Saturday's In The Fall?
I admit it: I love Saturdays in the fall. If you're a college football fan, there are few things that get you more excited than Saturdays in the fall. Cooler weather, college game day, and some chicken wings are, for me, a recipe for a great weekend. All year long I look forward to this time of year with eager anticipation.
But as much as I enjoy watching Alabama play football, I recently asked myself a simple question: "Why do I care so much?" I've never attended The University of Alabama, nor has anyone in my immediate family that I know of. In fact, I have no personal connection to the school of any kind, other than the fact that I live in the state that bears the same name.
So why do I get so excited when Saturdays in the fall roll around? Why do I cheer when the Crimson Tide makes a great play and groan when their quarterback gets sacked? Why will I put on an Alabama t-shirt and cap this Saturday and give up three or four hours of my weekend to watch college students move a pigskin back and forth across a cow pasture? The only answer I can come up with is this: it's FUN! So whether it makes sense or not, I'll be cheering for the Crimson Tide again this Saturday. And it will be FUN (especially if the Tide rolls!).
With that being said, however, there's something this year that I've been looking forward to even more than Saturdays in the fall. Can you guess what it is? It's SUNDAYS IN THE FALL! I've started counting the days every week in eager anticipation for worship at Eulaton. I can't wait to see what God is going to do next. My recent bout with the flu that caused me to miss a Sunday was a huge bummer. Having to miss being here made this sick boy even sicker. I seriously can't wait for the next opportunity to gather together as the church.
And here's the great thing: unlike college football, what we're doing on Sundays at Eulaton actually matters. I know some people think it's blasphemy to speak like that, but seriously folks: do you really think when we get to heaven anybody's going to care who won or lost last Saturday's game? In the grand scope of eternity, the importance of college football ranks right up there with a night out at the bowling alley. A few hours of good, clean fun, but nothing of eternal significance.
So go ahead and enjoy some college football this weekend. I will. But let's remember to keep it in perspective. If you're more fired up about your team than you are about your Lord, then maybe you ought to do a spiritual inventory. As fun as it is to cheer for the Tide or the Tigers, how much more fun is it to lift high the name of Jesus? And that's the kind of fun that really matters.
But as much as I enjoy watching Alabama play football, I recently asked myself a simple question: "Why do I care so much?" I've never attended The University of Alabama, nor has anyone in my immediate family that I know of. In fact, I have no personal connection to the school of any kind, other than the fact that I live in the state that bears the same name.
So why do I get so excited when Saturdays in the fall roll around? Why do I cheer when the Crimson Tide makes a great play and groan when their quarterback gets sacked? Why will I put on an Alabama t-shirt and cap this Saturday and give up three or four hours of my weekend to watch college students move a pigskin back and forth across a cow pasture? The only answer I can come up with is this: it's FUN! So whether it makes sense or not, I'll be cheering for the Crimson Tide again this Saturday. And it will be FUN (especially if the Tide rolls!).
With that being said, however, there's something this year that I've been looking forward to even more than Saturdays in the fall. Can you guess what it is? It's SUNDAYS IN THE FALL! I've started counting the days every week in eager anticipation for worship at Eulaton. I can't wait to see what God is going to do next. My recent bout with the flu that caused me to miss a Sunday was a huge bummer. Having to miss being here made this sick boy even sicker. I seriously can't wait for the next opportunity to gather together as the church.
And here's the great thing: unlike college football, what we're doing on Sundays at Eulaton actually matters. I know some people think it's blasphemy to speak like that, but seriously folks: do you really think when we get to heaven anybody's going to care who won or lost last Saturday's game? In the grand scope of eternity, the importance of college football ranks right up there with a night out at the bowling alley. A few hours of good, clean fun, but nothing of eternal significance.
So go ahead and enjoy some college football this weekend. I will. But let's remember to keep it in perspective. If you're more fired up about your team than you are about your Lord, then maybe you ought to do a spiritual inventory. As fun as it is to cheer for the Tide or the Tigers, how much more fun is it to lift high the name of Jesus? And that's the kind of fun that really matters.
Friday, October 02, 2009
Life After Swine Flu
The pig has left the building! Or in other words, the swine flu has run its course at the Lambert household. Praise God!!! It's been a tough week, but things are slowly getting back to normal after the flu hit us hard. I'm sorry I didn't have a post last week, as I know many of you have commented on how much you've been enjoying these. Let's just say...I didn't have the strength to even sit upright for a few minutes at my computer keyboard.
The hardest part of the whole thing was missing out on Sunday worship. There's nothing I look forward to more these days than Sundays at EFBC. I was so pumped for the conclusion of my series Messages For Messed Up People, and it was such a let down not to be there. However, now that the pig is gone, I'm more stoked than ever before about what God has in store for us this Sunday at Eulaton. And by the way, I want to thank Koy and Donnie for stepping up to the plate and doing an incredible job in my absence. We are so blessed at EFBC!
This Sunday's message that was supposed to be last Sunday's message is entitled Messed Up And Hopeless. That pretty well describes the life of every person on the planet who has yet to trust Jesus as their Savior. Fortunately, for those of us who know Christ, we may still be messed up but we are by no means hopeless! I'm so thankful that my hope is in Him, and not in me or you or Obama or anybody else. Hope for the Christian is not something we wish would happen; it's something we KNOW will happen!
And that is why I can't wait to get together as the church this Sunday and lift high the name that is above all names: the name of JESUS!!! Remember this verse from two weeks ago?
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Ps 42:2 NIV)
Well, you can meet with Him right now, right where you are. And then, you can come together with others as the church to corporately meet with Him this Sunday morning. Let's come expecting God to do great things. Let's come expecting to see His power and glory. And let's come ready to submit to His will, no matter what He calls us to do.
Sunday's going to be awesome at Eulaton, and I hope you'll be with us. The good was yesterday. The better has come. And the best is yet to come!
The hardest part of the whole thing was missing out on Sunday worship. There's nothing I look forward to more these days than Sundays at EFBC. I was so pumped for the conclusion of my series Messages For Messed Up People, and it was such a let down not to be there. However, now that the pig is gone, I'm more stoked than ever before about what God has in store for us this Sunday at Eulaton. And by the way, I want to thank Koy and Donnie for stepping up to the plate and doing an incredible job in my absence. We are so blessed at EFBC!
This Sunday's message that was supposed to be last Sunday's message is entitled Messed Up And Hopeless. That pretty well describes the life of every person on the planet who has yet to trust Jesus as their Savior. Fortunately, for those of us who know Christ, we may still be messed up but we are by no means hopeless! I'm so thankful that my hope is in Him, and not in me or you or Obama or anybody else. Hope for the Christian is not something we wish would happen; it's something we KNOW will happen!
And that is why I can't wait to get together as the church this Sunday and lift high the name that is above all names: the name of JESUS!!! Remember this verse from two weeks ago?
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Ps 42:2 NIV)
Well, you can meet with Him right now, right where you are. And then, you can come together with others as the church to corporately meet with Him this Sunday morning. Let's come expecting God to do great things. Let's come expecting to see His power and glory. And let's come ready to submit to His will, no matter what He calls us to do.
Sunday's going to be awesome at Eulaton, and I hope you'll be with us. The good was yesterday. The better has come. And the best is yet to come!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Are You Thirsty?
When was the last time you were really thirsty for God? When was the last time you were desperate for His presence? When was the last time you felt like the Psalmist who wrote: My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Ps 42:2 NIV)
The good news is you don't have to wait for a Sunday morning worship service to meet with God. If you're a believer, then you've got His Spirit residing inside of you twenty-four seven. Worship shouldn't be something that we only do for an hour on Sundays; it should be a lifestyle. Don't let the busyness of the world keep you from being the worshiper that God created you to be. Start worshiping Him. Right now! He's worthy of all of our worship and praise!
If you'll do that, then on Sunday when you come into the sanctuary, you won't be coming in hoping to have a worship experience. Instead, you'll be coming in to continue your ongoing worship experience. And if everybody came in already worshiping, then I can't imagine the kind of service we'll experience this Sunday! Are you ready? I'm excited, and I hope you are, too!
This Sunday we'll continue our Messages For Messed Up People, and the sermon title is Turn On The Light. I think sometimes we can be guilty of acting like God is a secret to be kept, and that faith in Jesus is a personal, private matter. But is that what Jesus said? Not hardly. We'll talk about that this Sunday.
This message will also deal pretty strongly with the subject of hell. This will have a two-fold purpose. First, I'm hoping that this message will wake up those who are lost and headed to hell. I want to see people saved and hell depopulated. Second, I'm hoping this message will be a reminder to the saved that hell is a real place, and real people are dying and going there every day. Knowing the realities of a place called hell, it ought to motivate us to shine out our light in this dark world.
I'm truly looking forward to what God has in store for us this Sunday. Here lately, if you were to ask me what is the best service we've ever had at Eulaton, I'd say, "The next one!" I truly feel that way every week. I hope you do, too. Let's all come together this Sunday, having already been worshiping Him, expecting to see His power and glory!
And let's keep asking, "What's next?" I don't know for sure, but I can't wait to find out. However one thing I do know for sure is that the best is yet to come!
The good news is you don't have to wait for a Sunday morning worship service to meet with God. If you're a believer, then you've got His Spirit residing inside of you twenty-four seven. Worship shouldn't be something that we only do for an hour on Sundays; it should be a lifestyle. Don't let the busyness of the world keep you from being the worshiper that God created you to be. Start worshiping Him. Right now! He's worthy of all of our worship and praise!
If you'll do that, then on Sunday when you come into the sanctuary, you won't be coming in hoping to have a worship experience. Instead, you'll be coming in to continue your ongoing worship experience. And if everybody came in already worshiping, then I can't imagine the kind of service we'll experience this Sunday! Are you ready? I'm excited, and I hope you are, too!
This Sunday we'll continue our Messages For Messed Up People, and the sermon title is Turn On The Light. I think sometimes we can be guilty of acting like God is a secret to be kept, and that faith in Jesus is a personal, private matter. But is that what Jesus said? Not hardly. We'll talk about that this Sunday.
This message will also deal pretty strongly with the subject of hell. This will have a two-fold purpose. First, I'm hoping that this message will wake up those who are lost and headed to hell. I want to see people saved and hell depopulated. Second, I'm hoping this message will be a reminder to the saved that hell is a real place, and real people are dying and going there every day. Knowing the realities of a place called hell, it ought to motivate us to shine out our light in this dark world.
I'm truly looking forward to what God has in store for us this Sunday. Here lately, if you were to ask me what is the best service we've ever had at Eulaton, I'd say, "The next one!" I truly feel that way every week. I hope you do, too. Let's all come together this Sunday, having already been worshiping Him, expecting to see His power and glory!
And let's keep asking, "What's next?" I don't know for sure, but I can't wait to find out. However one thing I do know for sure is that the best is yet to come!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Sunday Preview
Hello everyone! I've been a bit under the weather yesterday and today, so today's message will be short and sweet. However, a little sickness can't dampen my enthusiasm for what I'm expecting God to do at EFBC this Sunday!
We'll continue our series of sermons entitled Messages For Messed Up People with the second sermon: Am I Making God Nauseous? I hope you'll all be here Sunday, and I hope you'll come expecting God to do great things. Remember: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. (Psalm 63:2)
See you all Sunday, and don't forget: the best is yet to come!
We'll continue our series of sermons entitled Messages For Messed Up People with the second sermon: Am I Making God Nauseous? I hope you'll all be here Sunday, and I hope you'll come expecting God to do great things. Remember: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. (Psalm 63:2)
See you all Sunday, and don't forget: the best is yet to come!
Friday, September 04, 2009
New Sermon Series Begins Sunday
I just wanted everyone to know how excited I am about this Sunday (I know, I sound like a broken record every week, but I REALLY AM EXCITED). This Sunday morning I'll be beginning a new series of sermons entitled Messages For Messed Up People. The first message in this series is called Not What You Expected. I don't know what you expect from a message with that title, but you need to be here this weekend to see if this message is what you expected it to be or not. OK, was that confusing, or is it just me?
Anyway, I'm pumped about this new series of messages. But let me give you a little disclaimer: If you've got everything together, never have any problems, and never do anything wrong, you might just want to take the month of September off on Sunday mornings. If, however, you're like me and realize that you are anything but perfect, you should make plans to be at EFBC this Sunday.
Let's face it, folks: we're all pretty messed up, aren't we? There's not a perfect person on this planet. We all have struggles, we all have insecurities, and we all have sinned. Now I've met some people before who seemed to wear a façade of perfection on the outside, almost as if they can't let anyone know that beneath that glowing exterior is a soul that is just as messed up as the next person's. I believe it's time that we drop the charade and take off the mask. Let's just admit that we're all messed up and that we are nothing without Jesus.
I hope you will come to worship this Sunday with a sense of expectation. Remember the verse I shared with you last week: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory (Ps 63:2). I've asked Carol about putting this verse on a sign that we can hang above the glass doors in the vestibule. Are you coming to worship to see His power and His glory, or are you just coming to a social gathering to "see and be seen." I don't know about you, but I want to have an encounter with God Almighty this Sunday morning. I hope you do, too.
Before I close this message, let me ask everyone to please be praying for John McCoy and Ann Smith this morning. They are both having heart cath's at RMC today.
That's all for the moment. Just remember, you'd better not get complacent now; cause the best is yet to come!
Anyway, I'm pumped about this new series of messages. But let me give you a little disclaimer: If you've got everything together, never have any problems, and never do anything wrong, you might just want to take the month of September off on Sunday mornings. If, however, you're like me and realize that you are anything but perfect, you should make plans to be at EFBC this Sunday.
Let's face it, folks: we're all pretty messed up, aren't we? There's not a perfect person on this planet. We all have struggles, we all have insecurities, and we all have sinned. Now I've met some people before who seemed to wear a façade of perfection on the outside, almost as if they can't let anyone know that beneath that glowing exterior is a soul that is just as messed up as the next person's. I believe it's time that we drop the charade and take off the mask. Let's just admit that we're all messed up and that we are nothing without Jesus.
I hope you will come to worship this Sunday with a sense of expectation. Remember the verse I shared with you last week: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory (Ps 63:2). I've asked Carol about putting this verse on a sign that we can hang above the glass doors in the vestibule. Are you coming to worship to see His power and His glory, or are you just coming to a social gathering to "see and be seen." I don't know about you, but I want to have an encounter with God Almighty this Sunday morning. I hope you do, too.
Before I close this message, let me ask everyone to please be praying for John McCoy and Ann Smith this morning. They are both having heart cath's at RMC today.
That's all for the moment. Just remember, you'd better not get complacent now; cause the best is yet to come!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Who's Ready For September?
OK, is anybody else besides me stoked about what God is doing in our church? We've been experiencing some incredible things, and I truly believe that we've only seen a small glimpse of what He has in store for us. August was an amazing month. We finished up the What Would It Look Like If… series and followed that with an incredible Sunday as we talked about Christ For Clunkers. God has truly been moving in our services, and I can't wait to see what He's got in store for us in September.
Knowing what God is doing in our church corporately, let me take just a moment and get personal with a few probing questions: What is God doing in your life? How's your personal walk with God? Are you excited about what He's doing in our church? Do you have a fervent desire in your heart to see fires of renewal and revival burn white hot in our church and sweep across our community? Are your attitudes and the things you are doing (or not doing) helping or hindering the movement of God in our midst?
I realize these are some very personal, probing questions, but I believe that it's always appropriate to look within and see if there's anything in us that needs to change. David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (NIV)
I believe that should be our prayer, as well. God is definitely up to something B-I-G at E-F-B-C! Let's make sure that we've prepared ourselves for what He wants to do in us and through us.
And let's get ready; cause the best is yet to come!
Knowing what God is doing in our church corporately, let me take just a moment and get personal with a few probing questions: What is God doing in your life? How's your personal walk with God? Are you excited about what He's doing in our church? Do you have a fervent desire in your heart to see fires of renewal and revival burn white hot in our church and sweep across our community? Are your attitudes and the things you are doing (or not doing) helping or hindering the movement of God in our midst?
I realize these are some very personal, probing questions, but I believe that it's always appropriate to look within and see if there's anything in us that needs to change. David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (NIV)
I believe that should be our prayer, as well. God is definitely up to something B-I-G at E-F-B-C! Let's make sure that we've prepared ourselves for what He wants to do in us and through us.
And let's get ready; cause the best is yet to come!
Friday, August 28, 2009
What's God Going To Do Next?
Did anybody else notice how many people were here Wednesday night? WOW! I don't think I've ever seen so much excitement about church in the seven years I've been at Eulaton. Is our God not AWESOME?!?! I truly believe we are on the verge of an incredible and unusual movement of the Spirit that will be unexplainable to anyone who doesn't know my God.
I hope you will come to worship this Sunday with a sense of expectation. Let's come in expecting God to show up in a BIG way. Let's remember the words of David that we looked at in last Sunday night's message: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory (Ps 63:2). I think we should come into the sanctuary EVERY Sunday looking to see God's power and glory! And I believe that the more people who are expecting great things, the more great things He is going to do.
The last two weeks we've been using cars as an illustration: first with Christ For Clunkers and then last week with Take It For A Spin. This Sunday morning we're going to continue the "car" analogy and the title of my message is Keep It Serviced. We're going to talk about how to keep your new creation purring like a kitten. I hope you'll be here and invite somebody else to come, too! I promise you that the Gospel will be shared in the message.
Sunday night is going to be exciting as we are hosting a fifth Sunday singing here at EFBC. West Park Heights and Ruhama Baptist Church will be joining us, and possibly even another church. It's going to be a glorious night, and I believe it will be a service to be remembered for a long time to come. We need folks who can to please bring some side items that will go well with our Boston Butts that we'll be having. Things like cole slaw, baked beans, chips, etc.
OK, now I'm hungry! Aubrey is the man when it comes to barbecue (and food in general). I can already smell it and taste it!
That's about it for now. I'm just eagerly anticipating Sunday. Come expecting God to do great things. Come expecting lives to be changed. Come expecting the fires of renewal and revival to be all consuming. And come remembering that as good as things have been, the best is still yet to come!
I hope you will come to worship this Sunday with a sense of expectation. Let's come in expecting God to show up in a BIG way. Let's remember the words of David that we looked at in last Sunday night's message: I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory (Ps 63:2). I think we should come into the sanctuary EVERY Sunday looking to see God's power and glory! And I believe that the more people who are expecting great things, the more great things He is going to do.
The last two weeks we've been using cars as an illustration: first with Christ For Clunkers and then last week with Take It For A Spin. This Sunday morning we're going to continue the "car" analogy and the title of my message is Keep It Serviced. We're going to talk about how to keep your new creation purring like a kitten. I hope you'll be here and invite somebody else to come, too! I promise you that the Gospel will be shared in the message.
Sunday night is going to be exciting as we are hosting a fifth Sunday singing here at EFBC. West Park Heights and Ruhama Baptist Church will be joining us, and possibly even another church. It's going to be a glorious night, and I believe it will be a service to be remembered for a long time to come. We need folks who can to please bring some side items that will go well with our Boston Butts that we'll be having. Things like cole slaw, baked beans, chips, etc.
OK, now I'm hungry! Aubrey is the man when it comes to barbecue (and food in general). I can already smell it and taste it!
That's about it for now. I'm just eagerly anticipating Sunday. Come expecting God to do great things. Come expecting lives to be changed. Come expecting the fires of renewal and revival to be all consuming. And come remembering that as good as things have been, the best is still yet to come!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Three More Days...
It's Thursday afternoon and I'm counting the minutes until Sunday at EFBC. I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for us this week. If last week is any indicator of what we can expect this week, then we'd better all get prepared to be blown away by the power of God. I'm expecting even bigger and better things this week, and I hope you are, too.
I truly believe that God honored the prayers and efforts of many of you who invited friends and family members to come to church this past Sunday. Some of you may have been disappointed that the person you've been investing in didn't show up, and that's understandable. But let me encourage you: DON'T LET SATAN DISCOURAGE YOU!
Just because they weren't here last week doesn't mean they won't be here this week. Just because they didn't show doesn't mean that God is not working in their hearts. Just because you were disappointed last week doesn't mean you should be discouraged about this week. Keep praying, keep sharing, keep investing and keep inviting. And remember the words of Galatians 6:9: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Translation: Never give up!
I believe this past Sunday was just the beginning of something big that God wants to do in our church and our community. Let's keep coming expecting God to work. Let's keep praying for His blessings on our church. And let's be careful that we don't do anything to quench the Spirit or hinder what He wants to do in our midst. I believe we're about to see something AWESOME!!!
Don't blink now, cause the best is yet to come!
I truly believe that God honored the prayers and efforts of many of you who invited friends and family members to come to church this past Sunday. Some of you may have been disappointed that the person you've been investing in didn't show up, and that's understandable. But let me encourage you: DON'T LET SATAN DISCOURAGE YOU!
Just because they weren't here last week doesn't mean they won't be here this week. Just because they didn't show doesn't mean that God is not working in their hearts. Just because you were disappointed last week doesn't mean you should be discouraged about this week. Keep praying, keep sharing, keep investing and keep inviting. And remember the words of Galatians 6:9: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Translation: Never give up!
I believe this past Sunday was just the beginning of something big that God wants to do in our church and our community. Let's keep coming expecting God to work. Let's keep praying for His blessings on our church. And let's be careful that we don't do anything to quench the Spirit or hinder what He wants to do in our midst. I believe we're about to see something AWESOME!!!
Don't blink now, cause the best is yet to come!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Sunday's On The Way
I'm struggling to stay awake today. Why, you ask? Because the thought of so many people whose names I don't even know kept me up for the better part of last night. All I know is their initials, but I know that every set of initials on our dry erase board in the sanctuary represents a precious soul. And I'm seriously praying for these people.
Did you write somebody's initials on that board this past Sunday? If you did, let me encourage you to not forget about that person this week. Let me remind you of the commitment you made to God about that person. Let me cheer you on as you seek to share Jesus with that person and/or get them here this Sunday.
I am insanely excited about this week's Sunday morning message (message title: Christ For Clunkers). My promise to you is that if you get your person here, they will hear the Gospel presented in a creative way and in a language that they can easily understand. Don't give up on them. Pray for them. Talk with them. Keep encouraging them to come and see what God is doing at EFBC.
Perhaps you didn't come forward last Sunday, but God put somebody on your heart that you know needs Jesus. Don't let the fact that you didn't put their initials on the board keep you from investing in their life. Pray for them. Talk with them. Invite them to come and worship with you this Sunday. God wants to use you; you've just got to let Him.
Now, let me give everybody a warning. God is up to something big, and we all know what that means: Satan is up to something, too. When fires of renewal and revival begin to burn, everybody will have the opportunity to pick up one of two buckets to throw on those fires. One bucket contains water, and we all know what water does to a fire. The other bucket contains gasoline. Need I say more?
Make sure you pick up the bucket with gasoline, so that we might see these fires of renewal and revival spread and burn white hot. Please don't try and throw water on the fires that God has ignited in so many people's hearts. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 tells us, "Do not quench the Spirit." 2 Timothy 1:6 tells us to, "Fan into flame the gift of God." (NIV) Let's do everything we can to keep this fire burning that the Lord has lit in our church.
And remember; fasten your seatbelts, because the best is yet to come.
Did you write somebody's initials on that board this past Sunday? If you did, let me encourage you to not forget about that person this week. Let me remind you of the commitment you made to God about that person. Let me cheer you on as you seek to share Jesus with that person and/or get them here this Sunday.
I am insanely excited about this week's Sunday morning message (message title: Christ For Clunkers). My promise to you is that if you get your person here, they will hear the Gospel presented in a creative way and in a language that they can easily understand. Don't give up on them. Pray for them. Talk with them. Keep encouraging them to come and see what God is doing at EFBC.
Perhaps you didn't come forward last Sunday, but God put somebody on your heart that you know needs Jesus. Don't let the fact that you didn't put their initials on the board keep you from investing in their life. Pray for them. Talk with them. Invite them to come and worship with you this Sunday. God wants to use you; you've just got to let Him.
Now, let me give everybody a warning. God is up to something big, and we all know what that means: Satan is up to something, too. When fires of renewal and revival begin to burn, everybody will have the opportunity to pick up one of two buckets to throw on those fires. One bucket contains water, and we all know what water does to a fire. The other bucket contains gasoline. Need I say more?
Make sure you pick up the bucket with gasoline, so that we might see these fires of renewal and revival spread and burn white hot. Please don't try and throw water on the fires that God has ignited in so many people's hearts. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 tells us, "Do not quench the Spirit." 2 Timothy 1:6 tells us to, "Fan into flame the gift of God." (NIV) Let's do everything we can to keep this fire burning that the Lord has lit in our church.
And remember; fasten your seatbelts, because the best is yet to come.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
A Challenge For Sunday
I am incredibily PUMPED about the next two Sundays here at Eulaton First Baptist. This Sunday will be the final message in our series What Would It Look Like If... and I can't wait to stand before you and preach! In preparation for this Sunday, I have a challenge for you:
I want to ask everybody who reads this to be thinking about the people you know who need Jesus. When you come to church this Sunday, I want you to come with that person or those persons in your mind and on your heart. I want you to be thinking about them while I am preaching. And then I want to ask you to commit to doing whatever God lays on your heart this Sunday.
If you will take this challenge seriously, I truly believe that the following Sunday (August 16) will be one to remember in the history of EFBC. If very few people or nobody takes this challenge seriously, then the best we can expect is to maintain the status quo. I don't know about you, but I seriously want to see God show up, and show up in a BIG WAY! Let's make history. Or more appropriately, let's let God use us so that He can make history in the Eulaton community.
Please try to get this message out to those who don't have Internet access. I want as many people as possible to come to church Sunday prepared to see this challenge through.
Are you ready? I hope so, because God is up to something HUGE and He wants you to be a part of it. Hold on tight, because the best is yet to come!
I want to ask everybody who reads this to be thinking about the people you know who need Jesus. When you come to church this Sunday, I want you to come with that person or those persons in your mind and on your heart. I want you to be thinking about them while I am preaching. And then I want to ask you to commit to doing whatever God lays on your heart this Sunday.
If you will take this challenge seriously, I truly believe that the following Sunday (August 16) will be one to remember in the history of EFBC. If very few people or nobody takes this challenge seriously, then the best we can expect is to maintain the status quo. I don't know about you, but I seriously want to see God show up, and show up in a BIG WAY! Let's make history. Or more appropriately, let's let God use us so that He can make history in the Eulaton community.
Please try to get this message out to those who don't have Internet access. I want as many people as possible to come to church Sunday prepared to see this challenge through.
Are you ready? I hope so, because God is up to something HUGE and He wants you to be a part of it. Hold on tight, because the best is yet to come!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Best Is Yet To Come!
WOW!!! That's the first word that comes to mind when I look back at our recently completed Bible School. Boomerang Express was a huge success, and most definitely the biggest VBS this church has seen in recent history. I want to thank everybody who worked so hard to make this year's Bible School the best one I've ever been associated with. The prayers and preparation that went into this ministry were HUGE! I was blown away by what God did and continues to do. Thank you church for allowing Him to use you. And a special thank you to Star, our VBS director, for her leadership and vision.
As I write this, we are halfway through our sermon series entitled What Would It Look Like If. We've already asked two questions: What would it look like if we were radically devoted to Jesus? And, what would it look like if we forgave others no matter what? The first two Sundays in August we will be asking two more of these "what would it look like if" questions. The first two have been incredibly challenging, and you can expect that the last two will be, as well. But I firmly believe that these messages are vitally important for the future of our church.
If you miss any of the messages in this series, you can always go to our website at www.eulaton.org and click on Online Sermons. Most of the messages from this year are archived on our website. If you don't have Internet access and would like a copy of any sermon, please feel free to let me know and I'll be glad to burn a CD or make a tape for you.
With a new school and church year set to begin soon, let's commit ourselves to giving God our best in everything we do. Let's keep praying for God's blessings on our church and on our community. Let's keep investing in people's lives and inviting them to come and hear about a man named Jesus who can radically change their lives. Let's keep giving God the praise for all He's done, is doing, and will do in our lives and in our church.
And let's all get ready, because the best is yet to come!
As I write this, we are halfway through our sermon series entitled What Would It Look Like If. We've already asked two questions: What would it look like if we were radically devoted to Jesus? And, what would it look like if we forgave others no matter what? The first two Sundays in August we will be asking two more of these "what would it look like if" questions. The first two have been incredibly challenging, and you can expect that the last two will be, as well. But I firmly believe that these messages are vitally important for the future of our church.
If you miss any of the messages in this series, you can always go to our website at www.eulaton.org and click on Online Sermons. Most of the messages from this year are archived on our website. If you don't have Internet access and would like a copy of any sermon, please feel free to let me know and I'll be glad to burn a CD or make a tape for you.
With a new school and church year set to begin soon, let's commit ourselves to giving God our best in everything we do. Let's keep praying for God's blessings on our church and on our community. Let's keep investing in people's lives and inviting them to come and hear about a man named Jesus who can radically change their lives. Let's keep giving God the praise for all He's done, is doing, and will do in our lives and in our church.
And let's all get ready, because the best is yet to come!
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Are You Ready For Bible School?
Can you believe 2009 is half over and we've moved into the seventh month of the year? Time flies when you're doing the Lord's work, doesn't it?
You can't talk about July at EFBC without talking about Vacation Bible School. One of our biggest events of the year, Bible School requires a lot of manpower as well as a lot of prayer power. This year's VBS theme is Boomerang Express: It All Comes Back To Jesus, and I believe 2009 will be the biggest Bible School EFBC has experienced in this millennium.
With our exploding numbers of children on Wednesday nights, we are expecting our Bible School enrollment to be way up this year. But with additional children comes the need for additional adults to help us work in VBS. If you've not yet signed up to work, it's never too late. We can use you and would love for you to be a part of this incredible ministry opportunity. It's a lot of work, and can be tiring, but it is totally worth it. You'll never regret investing yourself in the lives of children.
July is also the time of year when we celebrate our country's birthday. The United States of America turned 233-years-old on July the 4th. Let's never forget the courage of our founding fathers who stood up against tyranny and boldly declared that "these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."
It's because of their vision and valor that we can worship freely today as our conscience dictates. Praise God that we live in a country that guarantees freedom of religion.
Let us never take that for granted.
You can't talk about July at EFBC without talking about Vacation Bible School. One of our biggest events of the year, Bible School requires a lot of manpower as well as a lot of prayer power. This year's VBS theme is Boomerang Express: It All Comes Back To Jesus, and I believe 2009 will be the biggest Bible School EFBC has experienced in this millennium.
With our exploding numbers of children on Wednesday nights, we are expecting our Bible School enrollment to be way up this year. But with additional children comes the need for additional adults to help us work in VBS. If you've not yet signed up to work, it's never too late. We can use you and would love for you to be a part of this incredible ministry opportunity. It's a lot of work, and can be tiring, but it is totally worth it. You'll never regret investing yourself in the lives of children.
July is also the time of year when we celebrate our country's birthday. The United States of America turned 233-years-old on July the 4th. Let's never forget the courage of our founding fathers who stood up against tyranny and boldly declared that "these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states."
It's because of their vision and valor that we can worship freely today as our conscience dictates. Praise God that we live in a country that guarantees freedom of religion.
Let us never take that for granted.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Nothing Is Impossible For God
Now that school is out and summer is finally here, I think this is a good time to look back and reflect on what God has done here at Eulaton over these past five months.
First, and most importantly, we've seen new members come into the church: some by baptism and some by moving their membership. And what an incredible impact these new members are making. I thank God for sending us people who are allowing Him to use them in our fellowship.
Has anyone noticed how many children and youth are coming on Wednesday nights? They've been averaging in the 50's for the last month or so, and as I write this our most recent Wednesday night saw 62 youth and children here. And that's not the only growth we've experienced over the last five months. Our Sunday School average has been climbing steadily since the end of last year. Of course it's not all about numbers, but never forget that every number is a precious soul and the more we can get here, the more we can reach for Jesus!
I've been really encouraged to see our offerings come back up. It was pretty bleak there for a while, but God has obviously worked in many hearts and people are seeing the importance of giving. Thank you church for being faithful in this area. It's unfortunate but true: without money there are many things that we just can't do. Please continue to be faithful with your tithes and offerings. I know God will bless you if you will (it's a promise from His word).
One other thing that has truly blown me away this year is how well prepared we are for Vacation Bible School. I've never been a part of a church that started preparing this early and had so much done in advance. It truly makes me proud as your pastor to see what this church has already accomplished in order to win kids for Christ. Thank you!
As we head into summer, let's not get complacent and put the ministry on cruise control. Many churches experience what is known as the "summer slump," where attendance falls and people just kind of take it easy. Let's determine that EFBC is not going to have a "summer slump" this year. Let's keep investing and inviting and see what God will do with our efforts. Let's go "over the line in 2009," and let's do it consistently during the summer months.
Impossible? Not for my God.
First, and most importantly, we've seen new members come into the church: some by baptism and some by moving their membership. And what an incredible impact these new members are making. I thank God for sending us people who are allowing Him to use them in our fellowship.
Has anyone noticed how many children and youth are coming on Wednesday nights? They've been averaging in the 50's for the last month or so, and as I write this our most recent Wednesday night saw 62 youth and children here. And that's not the only growth we've experienced over the last five months. Our Sunday School average has been climbing steadily since the end of last year. Of course it's not all about numbers, but never forget that every number is a precious soul and the more we can get here, the more we can reach for Jesus!
I've been really encouraged to see our offerings come back up. It was pretty bleak there for a while, but God has obviously worked in many hearts and people are seeing the importance of giving. Thank you church for being faithful in this area. It's unfortunate but true: without money there are many things that we just can't do. Please continue to be faithful with your tithes and offerings. I know God will bless you if you will (it's a promise from His word).
One other thing that has truly blown me away this year is how well prepared we are for Vacation Bible School. I've never been a part of a church that started preparing this early and had so much done in advance. It truly makes me proud as your pastor to see what this church has already accomplished in order to win kids for Christ. Thank you!
As we head into summer, let's not get complacent and put the ministry on cruise control. Many churches experience what is known as the "summer slump," where attendance falls and people just kind of take it easy. Let's determine that EFBC is not going to have a "summer slump" this year. Let's keep investing and inviting and see what God will do with our efforts. Let's go "over the line in 2009," and let's do it consistently during the summer months.
Impossible? Not for my God.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Change vs. More Of The Same
It’s official. The numbers are in and they don’t look good. It can now be stated emphatically that we are without a doubt in a recession. But I’m not talking about the United States economy. I’m talking about the Southern Baptist Convention.
The definition of the word recession is, “the act of withdrawing or going back.” The latest study showing that membership and baptisms continued to decline in the SBC during 2008 is proof positive that our convention is heading in the wrong direction.
But what about Eulaton First Baptist?
I was listening recently to an Internet broadcast of Christian financial counselor Dave Ramsey’s radio show, and he was taking calls from people who were declaring that they weren’t participating in the economic recession. Well, why can’t we as a church make the declaration: “We’re not going to participate in the SBC recession!”
Although I’m absolutely discouraged by the numbers showing that our convention is continuing to decline, I’m incredibly encouraged by what God is doing in our church. So yeah, I don’t think we have to participate in this spiritual recession. Let’s buck the trend. Let’s swim against the current. Let’s trust God to make our future even brighter than our past.
Ed Stetzer, President of Lifeway Research, recently wrote about the decline in our convention and compared our problems to heart patients who are incredibly sick but refuse to change their lifestyle. He points to a study showing that, “left alone, most patients choose death over change.” And that is true about many of our SBC churches. Many are so tied to “the way things used to be” and so afraid of the pain of change that they would rather die than transform.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a part of a dead or dying church. And I praise God that EFBC is alive and growing. Have we undergone changes? Absolutely. Have some of those been painful? Undoubtedly. Will there be more changes? Probably. But this past December I reached a point in my ministry where the pain of staying the same became greater than the pain of change. And since then, I’ve been a moldable piece of clay in the hands of the Master Potter.
I’ve decided to choose change over death. I hope you’ll join with me and do the same.
The definition of the word recession is, “the act of withdrawing or going back.” The latest study showing that membership and baptisms continued to decline in the SBC during 2008 is proof positive that our convention is heading in the wrong direction.
But what about Eulaton First Baptist?
I was listening recently to an Internet broadcast of Christian financial counselor Dave Ramsey’s radio show, and he was taking calls from people who were declaring that they weren’t participating in the economic recession. Well, why can’t we as a church make the declaration: “We’re not going to participate in the SBC recession!”
Although I’m absolutely discouraged by the numbers showing that our convention is continuing to decline, I’m incredibly encouraged by what God is doing in our church. So yeah, I don’t think we have to participate in this spiritual recession. Let’s buck the trend. Let’s swim against the current. Let’s trust God to make our future even brighter than our past.
Ed Stetzer, President of Lifeway Research, recently wrote about the decline in our convention and compared our problems to heart patients who are incredibly sick but refuse to change their lifestyle. He points to a study showing that, “left alone, most patients choose death over change.” And that is true about many of our SBC churches. Many are so tied to “the way things used to be” and so afraid of the pain of change that they would rather die than transform.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a part of a dead or dying church. And I praise God that EFBC is alive and growing. Have we undergone changes? Absolutely. Have some of those been painful? Undoubtedly. Will there be more changes? Probably. But this past December I reached a point in my ministry where the pain of staying the same became greater than the pain of change. And since then, I’ve been a moldable piece of clay in the hands of the Master Potter.
I’ve decided to choose change over death. I hope you’ll join with me and do the same.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Are You Ready For Sunday?
I don't know about you, but I am PUMPED for this Sunday at Eulaton! I believe we're going to see some great things happen because I believe God is going to show up in a BIG way.
There are a couple of things that I want to ask you to be doing between now and then:
1. Be praying. Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the lost that will be here to receive the message of the Gospel.
2. Be investing and inviting. This Sunday's Fun Day is a great time to really put our Invest & Invite Strategy into practice. Invest in the lives of others, and invite them to come and hear the Gospel. I'm praying that God will allow me to present the message in a way that is clear and engaging. I guarantee if you can get your "investee" here on Sunday, they are going to hear the Gospel.
Make sure your investee knows that they don't have to run out and buy some new clothes just so they can "dress up" to come to church. Let them know that at Eulaton, we believe church is about Jesus and not about a fashion show.
Make sure your investee knows that we're not going to embarrass them, have them stand up in front of everybody, or call on them to pray. Let them know that you'll be there with them and that you want them to feel at home at Eulaton.
Don't ever forget how stressful and/or scary it can be for a first-time visitor at a church, especially if that person has never been to a church service anywhere. Let's show them this Sunday that this is not about a bunch of religious stuff that has nothing to do with God. Let's show them that this is about having a relationship with Jesus.
Are you pumped yet? I hope you are. This Sunday is going to be AWESOME! Be praying. Be investing and inviting. And come expecting God to do some great things!
I'll see you Sunday morning.
There are a couple of things that I want to ask you to be doing between now and then:
1. Be praying. Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the lost that will be here to receive the message of the Gospel.
2. Be investing and inviting. This Sunday's Fun Day is a great time to really put our Invest & Invite Strategy into practice. Invest in the lives of others, and invite them to come and hear the Gospel. I'm praying that God will allow me to present the message in a way that is clear and engaging. I guarantee if you can get your "investee" here on Sunday, they are going to hear the Gospel.
Make sure your investee knows that they don't have to run out and buy some new clothes just so they can "dress up" to come to church. Let them know that at Eulaton, we believe church is about Jesus and not about a fashion show.
Make sure your investee knows that we're not going to embarrass them, have them stand up in front of everybody, or call on them to pray. Let them know that you'll be there with them and that you want them to feel at home at Eulaton.
Don't ever forget how stressful and/or scary it can be for a first-time visitor at a church, especially if that person has never been to a church service anywhere. Let's show them this Sunday that this is not about a bunch of religious stuff that has nothing to do with God. Let's show them that this is about having a relationship with Jesus.
Are you pumped yet? I hope you are. This Sunday is going to be AWESOME! Be praying. Be investing and inviting. And come expecting God to do some great things!
I'll see you Sunday morning.
Friday, March 27, 2009
He'll Do It Again
In Acts 2, you can read all about the birth of the first church and how it began with some 3000 people being saved and baptized. No kidding. That’s the number “three” with three zero’s behind it. And all this happened without the benefit of a church building, a microphone, or a copy of the New Testament. When God poured out His Spirit on the day of Pentecost, He really started the church off with a bang.
And it didn’t stop. By Acts 4, the Bible tells us that the number of the men (apparently not counting women and children) had grown to 5000. By the time you get to the end of the book of Acts, the message of the Gospel had spread out from Jerusalem and had been carried as far away as the city of Rome. Numerous churches had been planted and the world has never been the same since.
One strange thing about the book of Acts, though: It ends very abruptly. It’s almost as if Dr. Luke was writing one day and decided to put his pen down and close the book without a proper ending. Why is that? We’ll probably never know this side of heaven.
But maybe, just maybe, the reason the book of Acts ends so abruptly is because it is the only book of the Bible that has yet to be finished. Could it be that the book of Acts is still being written today and we are a part of the story? The book is titled The Acts of the Apostles, but I think it could better be titled The Acts of the Church. And the book of Acts was only the beginning of that story.
Some people look at Acts 2 and think that God would never work that way today. Some people read how God used a relatively small group of people to literally turn their world upside down (Acts 17:6) and think that God could never use them in the same way. I’ve got a Greek word for that: “baloney!” God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So let’s all pray and ask God to bless our church like He blessed those early churches in the book of Acts. He hasn’t changed, and I believe He wants to do it again.
And it didn’t stop. By Acts 4, the Bible tells us that the number of the men (apparently not counting women and children) had grown to 5000. By the time you get to the end of the book of Acts, the message of the Gospel had spread out from Jerusalem and had been carried as far away as the city of Rome. Numerous churches had been planted and the world has never been the same since.
One strange thing about the book of Acts, though: It ends very abruptly. It’s almost as if Dr. Luke was writing one day and decided to put his pen down and close the book without a proper ending. Why is that? We’ll probably never know this side of heaven.
But maybe, just maybe, the reason the book of Acts ends so abruptly is because it is the only book of the Bible that has yet to be finished. Could it be that the book of Acts is still being written today and we are a part of the story? The book is titled The Acts of the Apostles, but I think it could better be titled The Acts of the Church. And the book of Acts was only the beginning of that story.
Some people look at Acts 2 and think that God would never work that way today. Some people read how God used a relatively small group of people to literally turn their world upside down (Acts 17:6) and think that God could never use them in the same way. I’ve got a Greek word for that: “baloney!” God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So let’s all pray and ask God to bless our church like He blessed those early churches in the book of Acts. He hasn’t changed, and I believe He wants to do it again.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Recommended Reading
The following article is a great example of what we who are followers of Christ ought to be about:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373
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