october 2014
DESCRIPTION
The Bridge Monthly Newsletter of FBC FranklintonTRANSCRIPT
Phone (985) 839-3427Fax (985) 839-3572
E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.fbcfranklinton.org
Wednesday Evening Worship5:00 p.m. Family Supper6:00 p.m. Activities
Sunday Bible Study 9:15 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Evening Worship6:00 p.m.
The Bridge October 2014Monthly Newsletter of First Baptist Church Franklinton
Paul Watts, [email protected]
Check-UpsI have a family member (he shall remain nameless) I have encour-aged many times to begin receiving regular physical check-ups. The conversation is usually short and one sided. I ask if he has made an appointment, and he responds by telling me nothing is wrong and he feels fine. While not an expert in nonverbal com-munications, I can discern the underlying message is, “mind your own business!” I think we all understand the desire to press on as if everything will always be fine even though good sense tells us our level of health will absolutely change as we progress toward/through senior adulthood. This is a reality of our mortal lives that we do not often like to admit. Sometimes knowing or recognizing the problems or potential problems brings this reality to bear.
Spiritual check-ups are much different. Unlike our physical life, which is finite, our spiritual life is eternal. We should not undergo spiritual check-ups with fear and trepidation. We ought to em-brace the process of conviction, confession, repentance, and res-toration with full knowledge of God’s desire and plan for our lives. Instead of us making a slow decline toward physical frailty, we are called to an ascent toward holiness, spiritual vitality, and useful-ness that is life-long and has eternal ramifications. This process of spiritual growth and holiness is called sanctification. The Baptist Faith and Message, 2000, defined sanctification as the experience, beginning with regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiri-tual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.
This month we will continue with our Sunday night study on the Kingdom of God. The rule and reign of the Kingdom is to be present and growing in the lives of believers. We become more spiritually useful and mature as we become more submissive/surrendered to the rule of God in our everyday lives. Check-ups are vital to our sanctification. We should not wait on the yearly revival or study emphasis to experience these check-ups. Those truly yielded and consecrated to the work of the Spirit should be undergoing spiritual check-ups daily. Our daily time with the Lord is an excellent op-portunity for us to receive a check-up. As we open God’s word, read and pray, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and reveals areas where change needs to occur. When we meet together as the body for worship, the hymns and exhortation from God’s word should help us experience a spiritual check-up for the glory of God. We are asking the Lord to root out anything within us that is displeasing or would detract from His glory.
Just like our physical exams, the longer we put them off the more uncomfortable they tend to be and the more likely we are to have significant problems. Have you paused for your check-up today?9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bear-ing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-10
Discipleship 101 Schedule
Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m.
October 5th Doctrinal Study: Kingdom Hidden
October 12th Doctrinal Study:
Kingdom Sacrifice
October 19th Fair Sunday,
No Evening Service
October 26th Doctrinal Study:
Kingdom Rewards
A Cup with Pastor Paul http://acupwiththepastor.blogspot.com
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Dale Parker,Minister to Senior
Adults& Discipleship Training
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In Mark 3:1-6 is the story of Jesus healing a man in a synagogue on the Sabbath and the resulting reaction of the Pharisees.
Mark says that Jesus entered the synagogue and that there was a man there with a with-ered hand. The local synagogue was the place of worship for the Jews of the region. I find it interesting that the man with the withered hand was even in the assembly of people at the synagogue because, in the Jewish mind-set, he was cursed by God for some sin in his life, and he couldn’t worship God until that sin was atoned for. It’s highly likely he was there as a plant of the Pharisees to see what Jesus would do about him. So Jesus told the man to step for-ward and then asked the Pharisees a ques-tion about whether it’s right to do well or evil on the Sabbath. But because of the hardness of their hearts, the Pharisees kept silent. Je-sus looked at them in anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts, and then healed the man’s hand.
What happened next shocks me. The Phari-sees went out immediately and plotted with the Herodians, a secular political party which supported Rome and opposed the Pharisees, not on to put Jesus to death and make Him a martyr, but to destroy Him, to discredit His ministry and erase His memory forever.
That word “destroy” in the Greek is apoleso-sin. Later in the book of Revelation we read of a demonic angel called Apollyon, which means destroyer. In John chapter 8 Jesus told the Pharisees that they were of their “father the devil...he was a murderer from the begin-ning, and does not stand in the truth. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own re-sources, for he is a liar and father of it.” (John 8:44) Jesus said the devil comes to kill, to steal, and to destroy.
What does this have to do with us today? There are factions in the world that seek not only to stamp out Christianity, but to de-stroy it also. Some are foreign born terror-ists, but there is also an attack right here at home. Sometimes the attack is graphic and brutal, sometimes it makes the headlines of the news, but sometimes it is very subtle. It’s this subtle attack that’s the most dangerous because often Christians can be involved.
I see a trend in our country of redefining the Bible and our faith in both the secular and the faith community. Satan’s greatest ploy is to get people to consider, “Did God really say...?” I have heard some people who claim to be Christians talk about their religion; their opinion is that they don’t see any difference in religions as long as we all believe in God. In some churches there’s a watering down of the gospel to make it more palatable and less confrontational. In some denominations there is a blatant disregard for what the Bible teaches because it doesn’t fit current social trends. It’s all part of Satan’s plan to usurp God’s glory.
1 Peter 5:8 is our solution, “Be sober, be vigi-lant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Know the word. Stay strong in your faith. Pray daily for God’s guidance, for what the Bible teaches because it doesn’t fit current social trends. It’s all part of Satan’s plan to usurp God’s glory.
Pray daily for God’s guidance, Brother Dale
Half Moon Bluff Church & coffee booth Wednesday, October 15th - 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
See W.E. Knight to Sign up to help
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills-from whence my help comes from. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and the earth. “ “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber not sleep.” “The Lord is your keeper, the Lord your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” “The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.”
Psalm 121:1-8
Honduras Update: Pictured to the right is David with his truck! Thanks to everyone that made this possible!
Save the Date An Ignite Missions Fundraiser on
November 13 at 6:00 P.M. here in our fellowship hall
Cody Thomas, Student Pastor
God can do anything … seriously, God can do anything. This great truth is not foreign to us, this is not a new revelation from the Lord, nor is it a truth we struggle with; but I think sometimes we take it lightly. We know in our hearts and in our minds that God can do anything ,but does our faith in Him show it? We might say things like, “I know God can do anything BUT …” so we have faith but we doubt. Our God is awesome and He can move mountains. There is nothing with-in the realms of His character that God cannot do. He is our heavenly Father who is in Heaven and cre-ated all things and all things were created for Him … He is GOD.
God can do anything … so we should seriously live like He can. We should pray knowing that our God can do anything. We need to pray BIG prayers because our God is a BIG God that can do anything. Can miracles happen today? Yes, because God can do anything. Can Cancer be cured? Yes, because God can do anything. Can a hard heart be softened? Yes, because God can do anything. God can do any-thing,… seriously, anything, … so our prayers should speak of God’s ability to do anything.
What would happen if our church in the small town of Franklinton started praying big prayers? What would happen if we stopped look-ing at the world from a human standpoint and began to live by faith in the God who can do any-thing? What would happen if our faith in the God that can do any-
thing increased? … Our big God that can do anything would show up and move among us, among our city, among our state and even our world. “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed …”
Church, let’s be about praying big prayers because we serve and wor-ship a big out of this world God. Here are some big prayers we can begin to pray:
1. Darzi Muslims of India would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior
2. The cities of Buena Vista and Guayabo would be impacted by the Gospel because of David and Nellie Lopez.
3. Revival would take place in the city of Franklinton, and thousands of people would come to know the Lord.
4. Our schools would be impacted by the Gospel because of the faith and boldness of Christian students.
5. ___________________________ - What is the big prayer in your life? God is a big God.
Our faith is seen through our prayers, do we truly know and be-lieve God can do anything? Let’s pray big prayers. Pray for the Stu-dent Ministry as we seek to expe-rience Christ and seek to show the love of Christ to others.
REACHING In & REACHING Out
Student Ministry Events
October 15th Redemption Family Concert
Washington Parish Fair
Sunday, October 26thGreat Red Pumpkin HuntAfter evening services
November 23rd - 24thYouth Evangelism
ConferenceCajundome in Lafayette, LA
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Youth Evangelism Celebration November 23rd and 24th
Youth Evangelism Celebration is a state-wide conference specifically catering to Jr. High and High School students. Loud music, dynamic speakers, top notch entertainers that love Jesus, thought provoking drama are all present at YEC. The cost of YEC is $60. Please come by the church office if you would like to sign-up and pay or if you need more information.
Our church has reserved a limited number of spots, so it is important for students to sign-up and pay early.
Butch Reviere Minister of
Note from Brother ButchThere are many places in God’s Word where words, phrases, verses, and even whole passages describe the char-acter that should be evident in a child of God. They are a blueprint to guide our aspirations as we grow toward maturity in our faith. Though none of us are complete (nor will we be in this life), we should never be compla-cent in our supposed maturity but al-ways moving, always growing (chang-ing!)…always seeking to become more like Jesus.
One of those passages of Scripture to which I refer is Colossians 3:12-17. Open your copy of God’s Word and meditate on this description of a ma-turing Believer. What a difference for the glory of God there would be in The Church if we all lived according to His instruction and “practiced what we preach.” There is not space here to re-flect on all the truth embodied in these verses, so I want to focus on verse 16, since it speaks to how we should wor-ship as the community of faith.
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and ad-monishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (NKJV) Everything about our rela-tionship to God flows from His Word. It is His revelation of Himself to us. It is His Truth, which, if we will receive it and live by it, will free us from this world and produce within us the very life of Christ; and in so living we will honor and glorify Jesus and point oth-ers to Him as the only Way of salva-tion. Does the word of Christ dwell in us; that is, does it find in us a place to settle in, spread out, take over, and make itself at home? Are we saturated with the Word and seeking wisdom from God as to how we can apply that Word to every aspect of our daily lives?
So according to this verse, loving God’s Word and submersing our-selves in it births and matures the song in our hearts. Now we are ready to sing! However, the singing and the listening are supposed to accomplish something. Here, the Apostle Paul in-structs the church at Colosse (and us!) to not just sing but to inform, encour-age, challenge, and inspire each other, not only in our worship, but also in our individual walk with the Lord
and in our mission as His Church. Would that not point us to the lyrics and how important it is to engage with the words? Someone sings “I’d Rather Have Jesus”, for instance. Do I allow the Holy Spirit to examine my motives? Would I really rather have Jesus than anything else in this world? Would you? What is there about my life that demonstrates that I would rather have Jesus? Yours? Do others know from my speech and behavior that I’d rather have Jesus? You see where this takes us. This kind of awareness is pos-sible and needful for every song that we sing when we sing alone or when we gather to worship. When we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and gospel songs and contemporary worship songs, reveling in the saving grace of our Father, let us look around the room; and with that same grace in our hearts, pray that our brothers and sisters would excel in their living for Jesus. Let us pray with desire that the children would be inspired, that the youth would be emboldened, that the adults would truly be who they are made to become in this fallen world.
Now where does all this singing origi-nate: in our minds, in our voices…or in our hearts? While the Word is certainly working its way into our minds and our voices should be sing-ing His praises, unless the song comes from deep within our sanctified souls, can it ever really be pleasing, accept-able worship? Let’s be honest! Is our heart fixed on Jesus with exaltation and thanksgiving while we “worship” or is there competition with lunch, football, nap, last night’s activities or this afternoon’s? Only that which arises from our hearts will be accept-able worship; anything else is empty ritual. Now comes that which is of ul-timate importance. Who is the audi-ence…really? Where is the focus? To be sure, there are horizontal dynamics in our worship; but all of our singing, testifying, praying, preaching, giving, fellowshipping…all of it…should be wrapped up in unashamed love and humble gratitude and propelled like an erupting volcano of joyful exalta-tion to our glorious Father, our lovely Savior, our coming King. So when we gather in this place, let’s have some Colossians 3:16 worship goin’ on ‘til Jesus comes!
Join us!!
Wednesday, October 15th
at Half moon bluff church
for singing and fellowship
mile branch settlementat the
Washington parish fair
I can’t believe it’s already October! The year has flown by and the school year is already 1/5 of the way over! And, in case you’re new to the area, October is Fair month! We have been talking about sharing our faith with our friends, and it looks like this month will have several opportunities to do just that!
I know everyone is so busy “booking up” for the Fair with differ-ent things you may be doing. I know I’ve already scheduled my shift at Mile Branch, to work in the Big Kitchen, to park cars for the baseball team, volunteer in the Queen’s Pageant, and will still have to find time to work a shift in the band booth!
It’s such a busy time, but I wanted to share an opportunity that we have as a Children’s ministry. If you have a 4th, 5th, or 6th grader, our children’s department will be serving water at the Baptist Association water booth in the Commercial Building on Saturday, October 18th. We will have two 6 per-son teams serving water in 45 minute shifts. The first shift will be from 11 a.m. until 11:45 a.m. The second shift will be from 11:45 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. It is very important that I know who to expect, so please call, text or email me to sign your 4th, 5th, or 6th grader up for a shift. There are only 12 spots, and I think they will go quick!
Right on the heels of the Fair is Halloween. We will be having a church-wide “Trunk-or-Treat” for Wednesday, October 29th from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. We are looking for volunteers to host a trunk for our church kids and their friends to trick-or-treat. Ideally, we will need 15-20 trunks. If you are interested, please contact me by Sunday, October 19th. I know we can use all the help we can find! At 5:30 p.m., we will begin serving a free meal to our children, their friends and our church family. At 5:50 p.m., the children will go upstairs for devotion and give everyone time to put on a few last minute touches to their trunks. Following devotion, the preschoolers will go down to the garage where they can jump for a bit. The 1st-6th graders will begin trunk-or-treating. After they have gotten started, the preschoolers will begin to come over to join in the fun! They will all return to the gym at 6:50 p.m. for dessert and to be picked up.
Trunk-or-treat will present the children with another opportunity to share their faith by inviting their friends to church. If it becomes natural for them to do it while they are young, they will be more comfortable doing it when they are older!
Kelly McElveen Director of Preschool/ Children’s [email protected]
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Happy Birthday!2nd - Blake Bulloch
2nd - Lila Burris 5th - Lucas Watts5th - Lydia Watts7th - Eli Schilling
7th - Madelyn Schilling9th - Benton Burris12th - Wyatt Phelps17th - Evan Graham24th - Emma Cooke
25th - McKayla Bridges 25th - Braeden Cooper25th - Zachary Parfait
Are you in 6th grade or below? Let me know so I can add
you to my list!
Children in 4th, 5th and 6th grades will be serving water in the
Baptist Association water booth in the Commercial Bldg. on the Saturday (Oct. 18th) of the Fair
from (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) in 45 minute shifts.
Please contact Kelly to sign up. It will be limited to the first
12 children (6 per shift).
The Preschool & Children’s Departments will be having a
“Trunk-R-Treat” on Wednesday, October 29th from
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
There will be a jump for preschoolers, games for all ages, and special fall treats to eat!
FRIENDLY costumes are welcome! Please, no scary masks or weapons as a
part of your costume.
FBC Kids shirts are in! In your choice of apple green & turquoise blue with contrasting print. Front of both shirts has the icthus fish with the word Follower printed above it and
back of both have Matthew 4:19. Some adult sizes available. Either color is $10.
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PlaySchool NewsIt has been a busy month at Play-School meeting new friends and learning new routines. In addition to making new PlaySchool friends, we’ve also added a new PlaySchool helper. This month we added Mrs. Marsha Guthrie as a two day-a-week helper in The Bears Class. Mrs. Marsha has been a longtime PlaySchool volunteer and we are so thrilled to welcome her!
As you can see from our pictures, we have been having fun painting and playing and celebrating lots of birthdays! So thrilled to have these children in our classes!!
In His Service,
Kelly M. McElveenDirector
Leslie Westmoreland WINGS Coordinator
WINGS Ministry
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Sign-up!!!- for new WINGS shirt
- If you want to receive WINGS e-mails
sign-up on the Wings BULLETIN BOARD
Wednesday Night Rooted in Christ Ladies class has begun
Lisa Harper’s Study on Hebrews started
September 24th at 6:00 p.m. in the Senior Adult Center.
Not too late...check it out and get connected in a ladies small group.
It will bless you so much!
Books Cost $ 13.00
You can pick up at the office or in class.
Children’s Church
Month of October
Megan Stringfield
for ages 3 to
Kindergarten
We will be meeting in Mrs. Cindy’s Kindergarten
Sunday school room in the Preschool Department
Nursery
10/5 Lori Schilling & Betty Gill
10/12 Mary Mobley& Stephanie Cavanagh
10/19 Brittany Sherlin & Renee Sandifer
10/26Sally Foy & Angela McVea
Sunday Night Supper
10/5 Watts, Schilling, Varnado, Bell, McElveen, Lebo & Thomas
10/12 Schilling, Bankston, Burris, Galloway, Waskom, McElveen, Raybourn & Sandifer
10/19 No Fellowship Supper, Fair Sunday
10/26 Morgan, Cooke, Sylvest, Morgan & Mobley
10/5 Jeff Driskill & David Sylvest
10/12 Rusty Knight & Robby Stringfield
10/19 Jimmy Stafford & B. Burris
10/26Stuart Varnado & Warren Cooke
Sound Schedule
10/5 John Burris
10/12 Matt Westmoreland
10/19 Mack McElveen
10/26Stephen McElveen
Wednesday Night Supper10/1 Group C - Meatballs & Spaghetti
10/8 Group D - Country Fried Steak
10/15Washington Parish Fair No Supper
10/22Group E - Chicken Rotel
10/29Trunk or Treat Supper will begin at 5:30 p.m.
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Our October VOLUNTEERS
Individuals and Families...Continue to bless more chil-dren by packing additional boxes. Teach children the art of giving and showing God’s love by taking them shopping to fill Operation Christmas Child boxes.
How to Pack a Shoebox
1. SHOEBOXUse an empty cardboard or plastic shoebox (average size). You can wrap the box, lid separately, but wrapping is not required.
2. BOY OR GIRLDecide whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Download and print the appropriate boy/girl label. Mark the correct age catego-ry and tape the label to the top of your box.
3. FILL WITH GIFTSFill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child.
4. INCLUDE $7 DONATION PER ShoeBOXHelp cover shipping and other costs related to delivering your shoeboxes to children overseas by donating $7 for each gift you prepare. You can give online to discover the destination of your box. Or, you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on the memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the items inside your shoebox. If you are preparing multiple gifts, please make one combined donation. Note: Follow Your Box is only available through online giving.
Remember to Pray for the children who will receive your shoebox gifts.
5. DROP OFFPlace a rubber band around each closed shoebox and bring it to FBC sanctuary after October 1st.
National Collection Week,
November 17 to 24, 2014.
Announcements
Operation Christmas Child Kick-off: Sunday, October 5th
Be a foreign missionary without ever leaving Franklinton. Prepare shoebox gifts to show children around the world the love of God!
Packing party: Sunday November 9th 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday School collections of Operation Christmas Child materials should be completed by November 2nd so the Packing Party can be set-up.
Volunteers will be needed for: Packing Party set-up and take down. Relay Center collections November 17th - 24th(Sign-up sheet will be posted on the Missions Board)
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Julia KnightEmma Bowman Antoni Kilgore
Isabella SumrallChristina Sumrall
Welcome Our New Members
Bree Anna Smith
Congratulations to
..............Colby & Josh JenkinsOn the birth of their
daughter
Cambree Diane Jenkins
Born, August 27, 2014
Weighing, 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 19 inches long
Big sister is Logan.
........................
The Help Center of Churches is asking FBC Franklinton
to collect Spaghetti sauce for the month of October.
PRSRT STDNONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONUS POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT NO. 27
950 Self StreetFranklinton, LA 70438www.fbcfranklinton.org
First Baptist Church Franklinton
October 2014
For
Discipleship 101
Schedule See Page 2