Reflexion

Relexion

2011-06-30T10:34:00.000-04:00

God is good and has been moving greatly in the midst of the first part of the summer. Vacation Bible school was awesome. Several kids gave their heart and life to Jesus and their lives will never be the same as the result of the time they spent on our campus hearing about Jesus. We are currently in the process of follow up and discipleship with them. Student camp begins next Tuesday. Many of our students will be traveling to Lee University for Student Life Camp and we are trusting God to do BIG things in their lives. I am grateful to God for our student pastor Matt Sawyer and his love for them and his investment in their lives. This coming Sunday we will begin the service with baptism, celebrating changed lives for the glory of God. I am super pumped about our new interim worship leader Scot Luman and his wife Katie being on board. I am grateful to God for his passion for the Lord and overwhelming desire to take us to the throne in worship.
With all that is taking place and all God is doing I want to offer a challenge. I want to encourage you to pray about increasing your giving to FBC Holly Springs – but not so that FBCHS has more money. I want us to give sacrificially so that we can give more to the nations. Michelle and I have committed to pray about increasing the percentage of our giving so that we never grow stagnant in our sacrifice for God’s work, and God has never let us down. He has ALWAYS met our needs, especially when we have sensed His call to give in a way that stretches our faith beyond discomfort. We’ve learned that He is never worried about the state of the American economy. As we move through the summer, please be faithful to your giving to God’s work. At the same time, I really do challenge you to seek God’s face about increasing your giving. Consider an increase of 1 percent of your income . . . or 5 percent . . . or $25 a week . . . or whatever God expects from you. Remember, though, that your giving is not about just making sure that FBCHS has money in the bank. While having a reserve is not wrong – it is still money unused for the gospel. As you and I give, a percentage of those dollars make a quick difference around the world for God’s glory through cooperative giving. That’s why we need to sacrifice more.

Jesus and Bad Advertising

2011-06-30T09:25:00.001-04:00

The following is from an article by Steven Furtick. This truth could not be more relevant to the church today...

"I believe the most important message in the world deserves the best presentation. " Steven Furtick
I was on a road trip about a year ago, and Elijah needed to use the bathroom. There was a gas station that said “clean restrooms,” so we pulled in.
But the restrooms were filthy. Pee and trash everywhere. It was disgusting. Elijah looked at me and said, “Why does it say clean restrooms when these aren’t clean?” I said, “I guess they lied to us.”
Not too long after this, Elijah and I were in a nice hotel, and we went into the restroom, and it was super clean. He said to me, “Daddy, does this restroom have a sign that says it has clean restrooms?” It didn’t. Then he responded, “Why do some restrooms say they’re clean and they’re not, and then other restrooms are clean and they don’t say that they are?”
I don’t know.
And I also don’t know why this same dynamic continually plays itself out in the Church either.
The Church is fond of saying that the world offers everything but has nothing. And that’s true. But from my experience, the Church offers everything but doesn’t know how to really advertise it. Either corporately or individually.
People come into our worship experiences and hear us say Jesus is great, but then they see us celebrate Him with mediocrity.
People look at our lives and hear us say we’re Christians, but then they see very little difference in us that would compel them to want the supposed hope and joy that we have.
I’m tired of the world selling their product so well when their product can’t do anything for anybody. But I’m equally tired of the Church having something that can do everything for everybody, but we make it look like it can’t do anything for anybody.
I believe the most important message in the world deserves the best presentation. That’s why I’m so adamant about the Church being known for excellence. And that’s why I’m also so adamant about people living up to their full potential in Christ. It’s not that we’re trying to impress people with how great we are. It’s that we’re trying to impress into people how great Jesus is.
Some people might respond by saying that Jesus doesn’t need us to make Him look good. In fact, by presenting the gospel with excellence, we’re taking away from it. We’re stealing glory from God. Making people love the messenger rather than the message.
They probably should have told that to Moses when he was making an ornate Tabernacle.
To Paul when he presented the gospel with skill at Athens.
And to Apollos, who was a skilled orator and was used by God powerfully.
Of course, Jesus doesn’t need us to make Him look good. But I also don’t think He wants us to make Him look bad either. Or neglect to reflect how great He is.
We’ve got the greatest message in the world.
Let’s not make it harder than it has to be for people to realize how great it is.

Church Membership - What is the Point?

2011-04-20T09:59:00.003-04:00

I am often asked about the purpose and meaning of church membership. I ran across this article by Thom Rainer and thought it was well worth sharing.

Rainer says: In some segments of American Christianity, there is a clearly expressed concern about the concept of church membership. It is perceived to be more of a cultural influence than a biblical expression of local congregations. “Church membership is an idea we copied from secular organizations like country clubs and civic organizations,” a pastor recently insisted. “It has no place in the life of local churches.”

Admittedly, one will not find the phrase “church membership” in the Bible. But is there a case to be made that the concept of church membership has biblical foundations? I think there is.

Some Points to Consider:

Local churches in the first century obviously included specific persons identified with their congregations. For example, Paul wrote “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi” (Philippians 1:1, HCSB). He undoubtedly knew many who were a part of that local church, because he identifies some of them by name: Euodia, Syntyche, and Clement. When Paul said in 4:15, “And you Philippians . . . ,” we could understand that phrase to mean, “And you members of the Philippian church.” While the word “members” is not explicitly used to describe those associated with a church, it does seem that the concept is implicit in the New Testament.

I understand fully why some struggle with or reject the concept of church membership. In most American churches, membership has little meaning or value. Many churches have less than one-half of their membership attend any weekly worship services. Many local congregations could not locate all the members on their rolls if they had an FBI team searching to find them. Membership means nothing because we expect nothing.

Advantages of Membership

But church membership does not have to be a meaningless concept. If our churches began to state clearly the expectations of membership, especially as new people come into the church, we could see a whole new attitude about membership.

Many of these high expectation churches stress that membership means every member is accountable to the others. All of the members have agreed on a clearly stated doctrinal position so there is no division about major and even secondary doctrinal issues. The members likewise agree to expectations of common mission and service in the community and the world. In essence, everyone who agrees to the membership standards has common beliefs, expectations, and behavior. Commitment and unity are real in high expectation member churches.

That Word “Member”

I have had more than one conversation with a church leader who would agree with the essence of this article, except for the use of the word “member.” They would argue that the word has been co-opted by secular culture and, therefore, has no place in the church.

I certainly understand that perspective. And I readily agree that there is no biblical mandate to use the phrase “church membership.” But it is not without biblical foundation.

The Bible, through the writings of the Apostle Paul, refers to the church as the body of Christ. And how does he denote those who are part of the body of Christ? He calls them “members”: “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. And God has placed these in the church” (1 Corinthians 12:27-28, HCSB). Further, note the sense of unity that comes with each person being a part, or a member, of the body of Christ: “God has put the body together, giving great honor to the less honorable, so there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice in it” (1 Corinthians 12:24-26, HCSB).

Perhaps the problem is not church membership per se. Perhaps the problem is that we have lowered the standards for church membership so much that it has little or no meaning in many churches. Instead of doing away with church membership, perhaps we should be raising the bar.

Then we might truly see the body of Christ function as God intended.

2011-01-25T16:56:00.002-05:00

God is doing some great stuff in our midst and part of the work that is taking place involves new families who have come to join our church or simply check us out to see what we are about. Beginning Sunday February the 6th I will begin teaching a church information class for new members/ attenders. This class will cover the following areas:

Our Salvation (What God has done for us)
Our Statement (Why we exist as a church)
Our Strategy (How we fulfill our purpose)
Our Structure (When and where we fulfill our purpose)

If you would like any information on specifics of this class please simply shoot me an email.

The Gathering

2010-09-08T15:13:00.001-04:00

Four more days until "The Gathering." Who have you invited? Who has confirmed they are coming with you? Who slipped your mind until now? Pull out all the stops and utilize every tool available: Facebook, Twitter, email, text messaging, and even the device we used before all this fancy technology called the telephone (where you can actually hear someone's voice on the other end of the phone). God has BIG plans for you and those you bring with you. Pray for them, remind them, entice them by telling them you will buy their lunch after worship. Whatever you have to do, do it in order to get them here. Your friends, family, co-workers, etc are searching desperately for hope and that hope can be found in Christ. Get them here so that they can hear a message of hope. I believe in you and the fact that you truly can make a difference in the lives of so many people.

The Gathering

2010-08-30T15:05:00.000-04:00

The Gathering is now less than two weeks away and we need to be pumping it up by inviting everyone we can think of to this event. God is a God of radical faith and He is calling us as a church out of apathy and into intentionality. I have been praying for my three friends and already have a confirmation that two of the three will be here for the Gathering on September 12th. Don't let this opportunity slip by but rather use it as a tool to get your lost and/or unchurched friends here to hear a message of hope. Refuse to live a life of little or no impact. Commit to make a difference in someone else's life. We Gather to Scatter.

The Gathering

2010-08-25T11:41:00.001-04:00

As I sit at my desk and type this blog, I am also praying for the three people that God has placed upon my heart to invite to "The Gathering" September 12th. I am asking God for three specific things: first, clear their calendar of any events that would keep them from coming to church that day. Second, that God would allow them to sense the genuineness of my invitation so that they would not feel they are simply part of an experiment or "notch in a belt". Third, that the Holy Spirit of God will prepare their hearts for the message of hope from His word that will be delivered in both our small groups and worship.
I want to challenge you to begin to pray these same three requests as you ask God to move in the lives of those you are inviting on the 12th. It is going to be very easy to allow apathy to keep you from not only inviting but also praying for those who need to hear the message of hope. Don's settle, don't get distracted, don't buy into the lie that it is someone else's job. God desires to use you to impact the lives of people all around you. God desires to use you, allow Him the opportunity, and then watch Him work.

2010-07-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

This post is part of the blog carnival that is taking place over at Bridget Chumbley's blog.

The other night I made a late night trip to grocery store to get some more coffee. My goal was to just run in and run out but God had a slightly different plan. I immediately found the aisle with the coffee and quickly chose the brand that I wanted. I then began my way toward the check out line.

Before I got too far though a little First Nations boy came running up to me and said "Could you please help me get some peaches?" My immediate response was "I'm sorry but I don't work here." He just stared at me in bewilderment and replied "But I still need help!"

Of course I needed to help him now because I had no response to that (and more importantly my heart was stirred with compassion). He grabbed me by the hand and led me to his sister and pregnant mother. They were in the dairy section trying to get some peach yogurt from the top shelf and they couldn't reach it. It was a very simple need but I was able to meet it.

Nothing profound happened as a result of that little encounter (that I am aware of anyway) but it did get me thinking about compassion. According to the dictionary, compassion is "the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it."

In the Bible, the word that is translated compassion goes to a deeper level. It means to "feel the pain of others in your gut." It carries the meaning of being deeply moved by the other persons situation. Many times in the Gospels Jesus is said to have had compassion on people (Mark 6:34, Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, Luke 15:20).

Unfortunately, not many of us are compassionate on a regular basis. We always seem to have a good excuse as to why we can't help. I want to share two things I believe keep us from being compassionate:

1. We become desensitized to people's needs.

When we become desensitized to people's needs we don't feel what they are feeling. Having peach yogurt meant nothing to me but it meant something to this little family. I believe media is a big contributor to our desensitization. We see so much need on a daily basis that it can become overwhelming. As a result, we learn to not feel the pain and the hurt of others. We need to keep our heart tender towards those who are in need.

2. We become distracted by other things.

I wonder how many opportunities to demonstrate compassion we miss because we are distracted by other things? We try to cram so much into our days that there is no time to help others. We need to stop and slow down and be looking for those little opportunities. We need to build margin into our lives so that we can take the time to show compassion.

What tends to keep you and/or others from being compassionate?

An Under Cover Christian

2010-05-06T15:29:00.007-04:00

I was absolutely blessed by this cool story of how one young lady obeyed God's call as He spoke into her life and He led her to be part of our fellowship here at First Baptist Holly Springs. She shares this story on her blog anundercoverchristian.com. Be sure and check it out. Be blessed...

April 23, 2010

In the beginning…

I’m here to share my story, how God is working in my life, so let’s start with the beginning.

I’ve been in search of a church home for the last three years. Previously I attended a very large church that I loved however now I found myself with a growing little boy that needed something smaller, and honestly so did I. A church that could become an extension of our family, a place close to home where we could be more active yet even if it was close it had to feel right. I attended many different churches over these three years then one Sunday the magic happened, I finally entered the doors of a church that had been calling to me all this time and when the sermon begain I was told to, “stop shopping churches”.

There it was…the message I had been searching for…a place that knew what my struggle was and told me what I needed. It was true, I had been shopping, why would I allow myself to shop for a church like it was a new car? Had I completely lost my focus? My heart pounded that day as I knew this was to be my home however my mind just couldn’t understand. How do you commit to something that you have only been a part of for 1 hour? I struggled as the alter call was simply to obey what God was telling me to do…yet I continued to feel a need to be in control. I just wasn’t ready to hand my struggle to God even though he was reaching out to take it…

Maybe you know the feeling…it’s time to publicly confess your love of God but you’re physically paralyzed with a trembling heart…don’t worry…God isn’t finished with us yet.

April 23rd, 2010

Still shopping…

The next Sunday came and I thought…maybe I should try just one more church so I’m sure before I commit. Maybe it wasn’t God talking to me but just me in a desperate search to belong, so I went to yet another church…still shopping.

As the music began I felt nothing but anxiety. How could I have questioned this? Why could I not trust what I was hearing? What do I do now? I can’t stay here, I belong down the road. I’ve got to get out of here…okay…I get it…please forgive me and take control. The hairs on my head are numbered, I will have faith and obey.

April 24th, 2010

That someone was me

I returned to the church I had been called to join sure in my heart and mind this is where I belong however God had heard my thoughts the week before and was there to let me know. He knew my excuse for not joining, how could I commit to something I had only known for an hour, that day he spoke to me. The pastor began his sermon and abruptly strayed going into details of his personal life and how he came to know God. The struggles he has faced as a sinner just like me, “now I don’t know who that was for but God put that in my heart to tell someone here today”, he said. That someone was me.

The alter call that day was one I’ll never forget. I stood at my seat trembling, knowing it was time to be bold. I stepped forward, stated that I wanted to obey what God was telling me, and left with a peace like no other.

Maybe it is time for you to find peace…be bold.

A Cup of Cold Water to Thirsty Men

2010-03-10T14:13:00.004-05:00

A good word from blog.frankshelton.com:

Yes, Sandra Bullock won the ACADEMY AWARD for Best Female Actress this weekend for the inspirational movie “The Blind Side.” I saw the movie three times and enjoyed thrice as nice. However, this post will not be about the Hollywood hit and modern day cinema classic.

Special props go out to my friend and fellow Evangelist Clayton King who has consistently reminded all whom he comes in contact with to PROTECT THEIR PASTOR. Jesus is our Coach but the pastor of your church is the Quarterback. At times, I have been too harsh on ministers (even as one) and for that I apologize when wrong. Like Jesus, I am short with Pharisees but show great grace to pastors, people and even prostitutes in need of a touch from God.

Without question, the Shepherd of the Flock may live “by faith” but still lives as flesh. The fact is, we chase Divinity but are still sidelined as humanity until we get our “Glorified Body” in Glory. Ministers are no different. It is easy to play arm-chair quarterback from the comfort of our couch or Monday morning moderator by the water cooler at work and continually criticize how the QB (aka senior pastor or youth minister) missed the “open man” en route to a game scoring drive. Like it or not, 265 lbs line-backers want to bury you on national television and since they sprint like a cheetah one doesn’t always see the “wide open” receiver. Magnify that with the barrage of temptations, stress of life, critics from deacons, complaints from Mrs Jones and un-ending undermining from an un-controlled, callous tongue our pastors deal with more than concussions. Worse, the repercussions are so riveting and damaging that many ministers are throwing in the towell at record rates (not just interceptions).

The “blind side” is the area of the helmet where peripheral vision is blockedand one doesn’t see the heat sinking missles coming from the corner (or worse, BEHIND). What sparked my desire more than ever to touch briefly on this subject today is a tweet RICK WARREN posted on Twitter tonight. He noted he was at a funeral today for a pastor in Texas whom committed suicide. This should not be. How tragic! Years ago, I heard an evangelist say: “How you love, honor, pray, support and protect your pastor is a direct gauge to read how your walk with God is at the present time.” If that doesn’t prick your heart - CPR won’t either.

Like Jesus, I have no time for Pharisees but preachers are precious to me. Actually, they are priceless. In ministry, we either get too much credit or not enough and honestly, I dont have the answers how to find the balance. However, I do know that almost all the ministers I know and been blessed to preach for have a deep love for God and compassion for people. Sadly, but some (if not all) at times find themselves empty emotionally, drained physically, weak spiritually and on fumes financially. Ministers are known to give and give and give but (sad but true) feel as if no one either understands them or folks don’t know how to minister to them. A recent survey showed the alarming rate that 87% of senior pastors feel like they don’t have one real friend that they can confide and just be themselves. Yes, it is true that we find only one road to Heaven and that is through faith in Christ but it shouldn’t be a ONE WAY street for our pastors.

My humble request to you this post is to do three things: 1) READ my college friend, Evangelist Clayton King’s blog on PROTECTING YOUR PASTORwww.ClaytonKing.com 2) PRAY to God and ask how you could in the very near future minister to your minister. We have folks that read this blog and my MOTIVATIONAL MINUTE from Kansas to Kenya, La Plata to Los Angeles, Washington, DC to Spokane, Washington, Dunkirk to Dallas, Indiana to Illinois and a few stops in between (no joke) but wherever you are and whoever your pastor may be; please surprise them and bless them. Reach out to them, invite them to dinner, send a gift, pay their utility bill out of the blue one month (some of them are in the red), mow their grass, baby-sit their child(ren) so they may have a date with their spouse. In a nutshell, show some love to the ones who loved you and lead you to Jesus on a daily, monthly, weekly and yearly basis.

They will be shocked, you will be blessed and Jesus will be pleased. No more preachers need to retire prematurely, no more clergy need to die tragically because they felt unloved and Christians can emulate Christ like never before by practicing what their preacher preaches and to love not only the “least” but those who love you the most: Jesus and your pastor. 3) Maybe send them on the cruise I have the privilege to speak on May 30 - June 4, 2011, with CASTING CROWNS, Dr Johnny Hunt, Pastor John Hagee, Jentezen Franklin, Jason Crabb & others for a much needed PASTOR APPRECIATION gift for some much deserved Rest & Relaxation. Its a tax-deductible gift and they can relax in the Sun while being refreshed in the Son. Contact me directly for more infoFrankmotiv8s@aol.com and CRUISE INFO www.CruisewithaCause.org

Chest of Joash

2010-03-03T14:40:00.004-05:00

“Money is everything”

For many people, “money is everything” is more than a statement; it is a fundamental belief. To most folks in today’s world, money is everything. We work hard to amass money in order to acquire those things we most desire. Consider that our parents paid less for houses than what some of us now pay for automobiles!

The modern world is not the only segment of history that has struggled with the implications of money. The implication of making money, the most important segment of our lives, was as real in the days of Jesus as it is today.

In Matthew 19, we read of a young man who came to Jesus seeking the kingdom of God. This young man had high standards for conduct and good moral character – he was good man. Nevertheless, in his discussion with Jesus, our Lord went to the heart of the matter. Jesus called him to sell all he had, give it to the poor and follow Him. “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he owned much property” (vs.22). This young man made the fatal mistake of allowing his money to rule him instead of him ruling it.

In our church, we are now faced with a similar decision. The Lord’s grace to us has been evident; we have truly been blessed beyond measure. But over the last several months, the global economic challenge has come to First Baptist Church Holly Springs and our budget is being stretched.

It is such a tragedy that many who call themselves followers of Christ will, for want of simple obedience in the area of money, spend their lives never having the opportunity to be a participant in an endeavor as meaningful and great as that which is now taking place at First Baptist Church Holly Springs. Just as the young man Jesus called to follow Him in Matthew 19, we are invited to engage the kingdom of God. What will be our response? Will those who come behind us find us faithful to the task? It would be to our shame for the next generation of believers in Holly Springs to look back at us with regret and realize that many were more controlled by that which was in our checking accounts than by that which should have been in our hearts.

God has placed before the people of FBCHS an incredible open door. The staff that God has placed to serve this church is of a caliber of which I have never been a part and it is an incredible blessing to serve alongside this wonderful group of men and women of God. Within each of their hearts, God has placed a vision similar to that God has given your pastor. That vision is to reach men, women, boys and girls for Jesus through new and innovative ministries as well as current ministries of which we are already involved is breathtaking. Nevertheless, in order to continue to grow our existing ministries as well as expand to new ministries each one of us must be involved in the process.

You may be asking yourself the question: “Pastor, this sounds exiting but how do I become a part of the journey?” As your pastor, I want to challenge you to make a spiritual and tangible commitment. This commitment is not between yourself and the church; rather it is a commitment between you and God.

Beginning Sunday, March 28 and continuing through the month of April,we as a church will have an opportunity to focus our prayers and our actions on obedience to the call of God in our finances.

As we prepare for this season, you will want to ask the Lord to give you wisdom, direction and obedience through one or more of the following ways:

1. If you are not currently a consistent, Biblical tither, commit to God, by His grace, to begin being obedient in this area starting now. This is the first step of obedience regarding our personal finances. (The tithe is a tenth of your individual, total gross income. See Malachi 3:10)

2. If you are already a consistent Biblical tither, commit to God, by His grace, to continue to give the tenth and possibly commit to give over and above the tithe (an offering).

3. In addition to being a consistent Biblical tither, you wish to give a one-time gift of whatever the Lord directs you to give in order that the ministries and the organizations of First Baptist church might continue to expand.

Below is a picture of our commitment card we will be using. As your pastor, I would ask that after much prayer, you would come to worship prepared to fill out this card and place it in the “Chest of Joash” (taken from the Biblical account in 2 Chronicles 24:4-13) at the appropriate time during the morning worship services.

On Sunday May 2, during our morning worship service, we will have a praise report as to the number of commitments made and the total amount of the one-time gifts. We ask that you do not put your name on these cards – again this is a commitment between you and God.

God bless you as you seek the Lord and I pray His blessing on you for your obedience. I sincerely pray these days will bring about blessings in your life and the life of this church.

FBCHS Marriage Seminar

2010-02-10T11:19:00.000-05:00

Marriage is the most rewarding and yet also the most challenging relationship in your life. Isn’t it worth doing all in your power to help your marriage grow or to lay a solid foundation for a marriage yet to be?

You need to plan to attend the “I Promise” seminar coming to our church on Friday March 12^th and 13th. Our very own Missions Pastor, Dr. Keith Travis, as well as his associate, Steve Dyess, both are nationally certified in PREP (Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program). Keith and Steve will be leading this event utilizing this challenging and insightful curriculum. I strongly encourage you to do all you can in order to attend. I also challenge you to bring your lost and unchurched friends as we are praying God use this “bridge event” as an incredible outreach tool to the community.

Tickets for the seminar are $40.00 per couple. The cost includes a steak dinner Friday night, all lessons and materials, breakfast on Saturday morning, as well as childcare. Sign up for yourself and if possible, invest in someone else’s life and/ or marriage by purchasing a ticket for them as well.

You can sign up for this event in one of two ways: by going to the church website www.fbchollysprings.com or by signing up after services on Sunday mornings at the connection table. Please be sure and register as soon as possible so that we can have an accurate count of all involved.

2010-02-04T09:47:00.002-05:00

A guy named Bob receives a free ticket to the Superbowl from his company. Unfortunately, when Bob arrives at the stadium he realizes the seat is in the last row in the corner of the stadium - he is closer t the Goodyear blimp than the field. About halfway through the first quarter, Bob notices an empty seat 10 rows off the field right on the fifty yard line. He decides to take a chance and makes his way through the stadium and around the security guards to the empty seat. As he sits down he asks the gentleman sitting next to him, "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" The man says no. Now very excited to be in such a great seat for the game, Bob inquires again of the man next to him, "This is incredible! Who in the their right mind would have a seat like this at the Superbowl and not use it?" The man replies, "well, actually, the seat belongs to my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Superbowl we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967. ""Well that;'s really sad," says Bob, "but still, couldn't you find someone to take the seat? A relative or a close friend?" "No" replies the man"they're all at the funeral. Taken from The Christian Weekly

Where Did the Passion Go?

2010-01-13T11:35:00.002-05:00

Friends and critics alike said of John Wesley, “You cannot preach in the Church of England. You are too fanatical.” Well, in his day, in the 1700’s, it was heresy to ever preach outside the four walls of a church. He knocked on the door, saying, “Andrews, may I preach here?” “No, you are too radical.” So, he walked outside to where his father was buried, stood on his father’s grave, preached, “You must be born again,” and he looked around, and he said, “Man, this world is big,” and he said the famous line now, “The world is now my parish.”

He and Whitfield took the message outside the church in the first time in centuries, and then he, Wesley, traveled some 250,000 miles on horseback, preached over 40,000 messages, 40,000 sermons, and led some 150,000 people to Christ. Couldn’t do that in one building, could he? He broke some rules.

Where has God placed you to make a difference in carrying out His purpose in you life? You can make a difference!!!

Passion for People

2009-12-07T15:52:00.004-05:00

As I think about yesterdays message concerning the woman at the well from John chapter 4 I cannot help but be challenged by the passionate faith she launched into. This woman, after a brief meeting with the Lord Jesus, became a Christ follower, and began to tell the world about the change that had taken place in her life.

As I pondered this encounter again today, I could not help but ask myself if I am one who truly makes it known to those I come into contact with on a daily basis that I am a Christ Follower. I challenged you to ask yourself the same question and join me in realigning the areas of your life to emulate the new found faith and passion of this woman. God do it in my life today.

40 Days of Purpose Days 20 & 21

2009-10-24T12:29:00.001-04:00

Day 20 - Restoring Broken Fellowship

Relationships are always worth restoring!

“If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you … Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.” Philippians 2:1-2 (Msg)

Because life is all about learning how to love, God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict.

Paul taught that our ability to get along with others is a mark of spiritual maturity. If you want God’s blessing on your life and you want to be known as a child of God, you must learn to be a peacemaker. Here are seven Biblical steps to restoring fellowship:

1. Talk to God before talking to the person.

2. Always take the initiative.

3. Sympathize with their feelings.

4. Confess your part of the conflict.

5. Attack the problem, not the person.

6. Cooperate as much as possible.

7. Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution.

Who do you need to contact as a result of reading this today? With whom do you need to restore fellowship? Don’t delay another second. Pause right now and talk to God about that person. Then pick up the phone and begin the process.

It takes a lot of effort to restore a relationship. That’s why Peter urged, “Work hard at living in peace with others.” 1 Peter 3:11 (NLT)

But when you work for peace, you are doing what God would do. That’s why God calls peacemakers his children.

Pastor Phil

Day 21 - Protecting Your Church

It is your job to protect the unity of your church!

Unity is the soul of fellowship. Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ’s Body. It is the essence, the core, of how God intends for us to experience life together in his church.

In his final moments before being arrested, Jesus prayed passionately for our unity. It was our unity that was uppermost in his mind during those agonizing hours. That shows how significant this subject is. Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than his church. He paid the highest price for it, and he wants it protected, especially from the devastating damage that is caused by division, conflict, and disharmony.

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3 (NIV)

How are we to do this? The Bible gives us practical advice:

- Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.

- Be realistic in your expectations. Choose to encourage rather than criticize.

- Refuse to listen to gossip.

- Practice God’s method for conflict resolution.

- And most importantly, support your pastor and leaders.

What are you doing personally to make your church family more warm and loving? There are many people in your community who are looking for love and a place to belong. The truth is, everyone needs and wants to be loved, and when people find a church where members genuinely love and care for each other, you would have to lock the doors to keep them away.

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose Days 13-19

2009-10-22T17:08:00.001-04:00

Day 13 - Worship That Pleases God
God wants all of you!

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” Mark 12:30 NIV

God doesn’t want a part of your life. God is not interested in halfhearted commitment, partial obedience, and the leftovers of your time and money. He desires your full devotion, not little bits of your life.

A Samaritan woman once tried to debate Jesus on the best time, place, and style for worship. Jesus replied that these external issues are irrelevant. Where you worship is not as important as why you worship and how much of yourself you offer to God when you worship.

The kind of worship that pleases God has four characteristics:
- God is pleased when our worship is accurate.
- God is pleased when our worship is authentic.
- God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful.
- And God is pleased when our worship is practical.

When Jesus said, “Love God with all your strength,” he was saying that worship takes effort and energy. It’s not always convenient or comfortable, and sometimes worship is a sheer act of the will—a willing sacrifice. When you praise God even when you don’t feel like it, when you get out of bed to worship when you’re tired, or when you help others when you are worn out, you’re offering a sacrifice of worship to God. And that pleases God.

Pastor Phil

Day 14 - When God Seems Distant

God is real, no matter how you feel!

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!” Job 19:25-27 NLT

It is easy to worship God when things are going great in your life—when he has provided food, friends, family, health, and happy situations. But circumstances are not always pleasant. How do you worship God then? What do you do when God seems a million miles away?

The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain, thanking God during a trial, trusting him when tempted, surrendering while suffering, and loving him when he seems distant. How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears?

You do what Job did: “Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’” Job 1:20-21 (NIV)

And remember what God has already done for you. Jesus gave up everything so you could have everything. He died so you could live forever. That alone is worthy of your continual thanks and praise.

Pastor Phil

Day 15 - Formed for God's Family

You were formed for God’s family!

“His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.” Eph. 1:5 (NLT)

God wants a family, and he created you to be a part of it. The entire Bible is the story of God building a family who will love him, honor him, and reign with him forever. When we place our faith in Christ, God becomes our Father, we become his children, other believers become our brothers and sisters, and the church becomes our spiritual family. The family of God includes all believers in the past, the present, and the future.

Our families on earth are wonderful gifts from God, but they are temporary and fragile, often broken by divorce, distance, growing old, and inevitably, death. On the other hand, our spiritual family—our relationship to other believers—will continue throughout eternity.

The Bible says, “Jesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why he isn’t ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11 (CEV)

Let that amazing truth sink in - you are a part of God’s family, and because Jesus makes you holy, God is proud of you! Being included in God’s family is the highest honor and the greatest privilege you will ever receive. Nothing else comes close. Whenever you feel unimportant, unloved, or insecure, remember to whom you belong.

Pastor Phil

Day 16 - What Matters Most

Life is all about love!

“Love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love.” 2 John 1:6 (NCV)

Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth is how to love. It is in loving that we are most like him, so love is the foundation of every command he has given us. “The whole Law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love others as you love yourself.” Galatians 5:14 (LB)

Of course, God wants us to love everyone, but he is particularly concerned that we learn to love others in his family. Why does God insist that we give special love and attention to other believers? Here’s why - God wants his family to be known for its love more than anything else. Jesus said our love for each other—not our doctrinal belief—is our greatest witness to the world. He said, “Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:35 (LB)

In heaven we will enjoy God’s family forever, but first we have some tough work to do here on earth to prepare ourselves for an eternity of loving. God trains us by giving us “family responsibilities,” and the foremost of these is to practice loving each other.

The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.

Pastor Phil

Day 17 - A Place to Belong

You are called to belong, not just believe!

“You are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” Ephesians 2:19b (LB)

We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God’s purposes by ourselves. The Bible says we are put together, joined together, built together, members together; heirs together, fitted together, and held together and will be caught up together. You’re not on your own anymore.

While your relationship to Christ is personal, God never intends it to be private. In God’s family you are connected to every other believer, and we will belong to each other for eternity. The Bible says, “In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:5 (NIV)

The Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ; it includes a commitment to other Christians. The Christians in Macedonia understood this. Paul said, “First, they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God’s will, they gave themselves to us as well.” 2 Corinthians 8:5 (TEV)

You become a Christian by committing yourself to Christ, but you become a church member by committing yourself to a specific group of believers. The first decision brings salvation; the second brings fellowship.

Pastor Phil

Day 18 - Experiencing Life Together

Life is meant to be shared!

“Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace.” Colossians 3:15 (CEV)

God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship. “Fellowship” now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun. The question, “Where do you fellowship?” means “Where do you attend church?” “Stay after for fellowship” usually means “Wait for refreshments.”

Real fellowship is so much more than just showing up at services. It is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other “one another” commands found in the New Testament.

The Body of Christ, like your own body, is really a collection of many small cells. The life of the Body of Christ, like your body, is contained in the cells. For this reason, every Christian needs to be involved in a small group within their church, whether is it a home fellowship group, a Sunday school class, or a Bible study.

The Bible says, “If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other… If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves.” 1 John 1:7-8 (NCV)

The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. Darkness is used to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are. You were created for community.

Pastor Phil

Day 19 - Cultivating Community

Community requires commitment!

“You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” James 3:18 (Msg)

Cultivating community takes honesty. Real fellowship depends on frankness. In fact, the tunnel of conflict is the passageway to intimacy in any relationship. Until you care enough to confront and resolve the underlying barriers, you will never grow close to each other.

Cultivating community takes humility. Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others. Humble people are so focused on serving others, they don’t think of themselves.

Cultivating community takes courtesy. The truth is, we all have quirks and annoying traits. But community has nothing to do with compatibility. The basis for our fellowship is our relationship to God: We’re family.

Cultivating community takes confidentiality. Only in the safe environment of warm acceptance and trusted confidentiality will people open up and share their deepest hurts, needs, and mistakes. Confidentiality does not mean keeping silent while your brother or sister sins. It means that what is shared in your group needs to stay in your group, and the group needs to deal with it, not gossip to others about it.

Cultivating community takes frequency. You must have frequent, regular contact with your group in order to build genuine fellowship. Relationships take time.

When you look at the list of characteristics, it is obvious why genuine fellowship is so rare. But the benefits of sharing life together far outweigh the costs, and it prepares us for heaven.

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose Day 12

2009-10-15T16:32:00.001-04:00

DAY 12 - DEVELOPING YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD

You are as close to God as you choose to be!

“Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.” James 4:8 (NLT)

Like any friendship, you must work at developing your friendship with God. It won’t happen by accident. It takes desire, time, and energy.

The first building block of a deeper friendship with God is complete honesty—about your faults and your feelings. God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty. Every time you trust God’s wisdom and do whatever he says - even when you don’t understand it - you deepen your friendship with God.

We don’t normally think of obedience as a characteristic of friendship - that’s reserved for relationships with a parent or the boss or a superior officer - not a friend. However, Jesus made it clear that obedience is a condition of intimacy with God. He said, “… You are my friends, if you obey me.” John15:14 (CEV)

There is nothing—absolutely nothing—more important than developing a friendship with God. Paul told Timothy, “Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don't know God.” 1 Timothy 6:21a (LB)

Have you been missing out on the most important thing in life? You can do something about it starting now. Remember, it’s your choice. You are as close to God as you choose to be.

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose Day 11

2009-10-14T16:33:00.001-04:00

Day 11 - Becoming Best Friends with God

God wants to be your best friend!

“I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you … and here is how to measure it – the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends. You are my friends if you obey me.” John 15:12-14 NLT

Your relationship to God has many different aspects: God is your Creator and Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Redeemer, Father, Savior, and much more. But the most shocking truth is this: Almighty God yearns to be your Friend!

Friendship with God is possible only because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. The old hymn says, “What a friend we have in Jesus,” but actually, God invites us to enjoy friendship and fellowship with all three persons of the Trinity: our Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15 (NIV)

The word for friend in this verse does not mean a casual acquaintance but a close, trusted relationship. The same word is used to refer to the best man at a wedding and a king’s inner circle of intimate, trusted friends. In royal courts, servants must keep their distance from the king, but the inner circle of trusted friends enjoys close contact, direct access, and confidential information. Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved is God’s greatest pleasure.

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose Day 10

2009-10-14T16:32:00.001-04:00

DAY 10 - THE HEART OF WORSHIP

The heart of worship is surrender!

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” Romans 12:1 (NLT)

In today’s competitive culture we are taught to never give up and never give in—so we don’t hear much about surrendering. If winning is everything, surrendering is unthinkable. We would rather talk about winning, succeeding, overcoming, and conquering than yielding, submitting, obeying, and surrendering. But surrendering to God is the heart of worship.

As Joshua approached the biggest battle of his life, he encountered God, fell in worship before him, and surrendered his plans. That surrender led to a stunning victory at Jericho. This is the paradox: Victory comes through surrender.

Nothing is more powerful than a surrendered life in the hands of God. “So give yourselves completely to God.”

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose Days 8 & 9

2009-10-12T15:12:00.001-04:00

DAY 8 - PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE

You were planned for God’s pleasure!

“You created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (NLT)

The moment you were born into the world, God was there as an unseen witness, smiling at your birth. He wanted you alive, and your arrival gave him great pleasure. God did not need to create you, but he chose to create you for his own enjoyment. You exist for his benefit, his glory, his purpose, and his delight.

You are a child of God, and you bring pleasure to God like nothing else he has ever created. Bringing enjoyment to God - living for his pleasure - is the first purpose of your life. When you fully understand this truth, you will never again have a problem with feeling insignificant. It proves your worth.

Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. Like a diamond, worship is multifaceted. Worship is not a part of your life - it is your life. Praise should be the first activity when you open your eyes in the morning and the last activity when you close them at night. David said, “I will thank the Lord at all times. My mouth will always praise him.” Psalm 34:1 (GLT)

This is what real worship is all about – falling in love with Jesus.

Pastor Phil

Day 9 - What Makes God Smile?

The smile of God is the goal of your life!

“May the Lord smile on you …” Numbers 6:25 (NLT)

Since pleasing God is the first purpose of your life, your most important task is to discover how to do that. “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” Ephesians 5:10 (Msg)

Five acts of worship that make God smile:

- God smiles when we love him supremely.

- God smiles when we trust him completely.

- God smiles when we obey him wholeheartedly.

- God smiles when we praise and thank him continually.

- And God smiles when we use our abilities.

You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you’re doing “spiritual” activities—like reading the Bible, attending church, praying, or sharing your faith. Actually, God enjoys watching every detail of your life, whether you are working, playing, resting, or eating. He doesn’t miss a single move you make.

The Bible tells us, “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God’s pleasure if you do it with the attitude of praise. Will you make pleasing God the goal of your life? There is nothing that God won’t do for the person totally absorbed with this goal.

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose Day 6

2009-10-09T08:59:00.000-04:00

DAY 6 - LIFE IS A TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT

Life on earth is a temporary assignment!

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away.” Psalm 39:4 (NLT)

To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths:

- First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief.

- Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won’t be here long, so don’t get too attached.

In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life—longings that will never be fulfilled on this side of eternity. We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be! Earth is not our final home; we were created for something much better.

In God’s eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.

When life gets tough, when you’re overwhelmed with doubt, or when you wonder if living for Christ is worth the effort, remember that you are not home yet. At death you won’t leave home—you’ll go home.

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose Day 5

2009-10-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

DAY 5 - SEEING LIFE FROM GOD’S VIEW

The way you see your life shapes your life!

The way you view life is your life metaphor. It's your description of how life works and what you expect from it; it influences your life more than you realize and determines your expectations, values, relationships, goals, and priorities. To fulfill the purposes God has for you, you will have to base your view on the biblical metaphors of life. These are: Life is a test, and life is a trust.

Life is a test - God continually tests people’s character, faith, obedience, love, integrity, and loyalty. Character is both developed and revealed, and all of life is a test. When you understand that life is a test, you realize that every day is important. God wants you to pass the tests of life, so he never allows the tests to be greater than the grace he gives you to handle them.

Life is a trust - We are to be stewards of whatever God gives us. All we enjoy is to be treated as a trust that God has placed in our hands. If you treat everything as a trust, God promises three rewards in eternity: affirmation, promotion, and celebration.

“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones.” Luke 16:10a (NLT)

Pastor Phil

2009-10-07T09:54:00.000-04:00

Quick reminder of the evenings events:

We will begin at 5 p.m. with the Wednesday night meal. Roast Beef & gravy, mashed potato's, green beans, baby carrots, biscuits and dessert! WOW!!! Cost is $4 for adults, $2 children 10 and under but we have a $12 family max. Great deal for an amazing meal!
If you were unable to attend the 40 Days of Purpose study groups on Sunday morning during the 9:30 hour for any reason (teaching, work, in the bed) you will have another opportunity tonight at 6:00 p.m. during our Bible study hour. Jeff Hooper will be showing the Rick Warren video as well as leading a review followed by a prayer time. You will not want to miss it.
40 Days of Purpose leader's meeting immediately following Bible Study. If you are a part of the 40 Days team you are EXPECTED to be there. If you are unable to be there PLEASE email kasey.baxter@fbchollysprings.com or call Kasey at 770-345-5349 to inform her of your pending absence.

DAY 4 – MADE TO LAST FOREVER

This life is not al there is!

“God has…planted eternity in the human heart.” Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)

Life on earth is just the dress rehearsal before the real production. You will spend far more time on the other side of death—in eternity—than you will here. This life is preparation for the next.

You have an inborn instinct that longs for immortality. This is because God designed you, in his image, to live for eternity. Even though we know everyone eventually dies, death always seems unnatural and unfair. The reason we feel we should live forever is that God wired our brains with that desire!

Matthew Henry said, “It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our final day.”

Pastor Phil

40 Days of Purpose

2009-10-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

DAY 3 – WHAT DRIVES YOUR LIFE?

Everyone’s life is driven by something!

“I observed that the basic motive for success is the driving force of envy and jealousy.” Ecclesiastes 4:4 (LB)

What is the driving force in your life?

Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. There are five great benefits of living a purpose-driven life:

- Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life…
- Simplifies your life …
- Focuses your life …
- Motivates your life.
- And knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity.

Many people spend their lives trying to create a lasting legacy on earth. Yet, what ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life but what God says. Living to create an earthly legacy is a shortsighted goal. A wiser use of time is to build an eternal legacy. You weren’t put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity.

40 Days of Purpose

2009-10-06T16:28:00.000-04:00

DAY 2 - YOU ARE NOT AN ACCIDENT

You are not an accident!

Your birth was no mistake or mishap, and your life is no fluke of nature. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it. God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything he creates.

“Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love.” Ephesians 1:4a (Msg)

Why did God bother to go to all the trouble of creating a universe for us? Because he is a God of love. This kind of love is difficult to fathom, but it’s fundamentally reliable. You were created as a special object of God’s love! God made you so he could love you. This is a truth to build your life on!

40 Days of Purpose - Day 1

2009-10-06T16:25:00.000-04:00

DAY 1 – IT ALL STARTS WITH GOD

It’s not about you!

“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, …everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Colossians 1:16 (Msg)

“It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power.” Job 12:10 (TEV)

You were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for his purposes, not using him for your own purpose. Focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.

The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.

Andrei Bitov, a Russian novelist, grew up under an atheistic Communist regime. But God got his attention one dreary day. He recalls, “In my twenty-seventh year, while riding the metro in Leningrad I was overcome with a despair so great that life seemed to stop at once, preempting the future entirely, let alone any meaning. Suddenly, all by itself, a phrase appeared: ‘Without God life makes no sense.’ Repeating it in astonishment, I rode the phrase up like a moving staircase, got out of the metro and walked into God’s light.”

You may have felt in the dark about your purpose in life. Congratulations, you’re about to walk into the light.

Pastor Phil

Simple Thoughts

2009-03-12T16:31:00.001-04:00

So many thoughts, so little space, such a short memory…

· Just a refresher – Saturday morning from 10 AM – 11 AM we will be blanketing the community. Our goal specifically is to attempt to reach out to those who have been our guests in the last six months or may be on the Sunday School role but have not attended Sunday School recently. It will just take an hour out of your time but it could greatly influence a life by showing them that at FBCHS we really do care about them and their family. You can choose to participate in one of three ways: physically visit homes and pray with people, make phone calls and pray with people, or write a postcard and pray for people. We will have coffee and light snacks at 9:30 so come out and make a difference. What a difference an hour makes…

· LADIES. Beginning this Sunday morning at 9:30 in room 205 (upstairs from the fellowship hall), my wife will begin the class entitled, “Created to be his help meet.” I promise you this revolutionize your marriage. This is a bridge event that can be effectively used to transition people from a book study to Sunday morning Bible study. You can get information and buy the book at the connetion table at the back of the worship center or in simply show up for the class and pick one up at that time. Any other questions email Michelle at 4realyoungs@comcast.net or check out the “Created to be his help meet” event under Events on Facebook.

· Your Pastor is attempting to transition into the world of technology. Our world is ever changing and fast moving. In an effort to keep our church, friends, guests, etc. abreast as to events, thoughts, and ideas, I have joined the informational network Twitter. Twitter is simply a free site that let’s people know “what [you] are doing”. If you would like to be able to receive thoughts, ideas, and insight as to what God is doing in my life, etc. you can simply go to the link Twitter.com, register your information, go to the find people area, type in my name, and click to follow me. If you have texting or email on your phone, you can choose the option that allows you to receive messages as I make updates throughout the day. I often have inspirational thoughts or challenges and have not had a vehicle to be able to share them until this point. With Twitter, I can now share relavant (or possibly not so relevant at times) information throughtout my day. Why not give it a try?

Reflexion

2009-03-12T16:30:00.001-04:00

God has so greatly blessed our church. This past week, because of the sacrifice and obedience of you, God’s people, we were able to eliminate all debt and we are completely debt free as a church. This is an incredible blessing, but it has the potential to be a curse. Often when churches are not challenged with debt, they decide to take a break from the sacrifice and genuine obedience to giving. This should never be. There is so much to be done, so many people to reach and so much ministry left to do. Now is the time to invest in the church and the kingdom more than ever. We should look at it this way. We are no longer paying interest on a loan therefore every dime is available for expanding the incredible work that God is doing here at FBCHS. You are such a loving, giving, faithful, awesome bunch of people and I thank God for what He is doing, but I must say, the very best is yet to come and I can hardly wait!

Some exciting things just around the corner…Easter Sunday is only five weeks away and now is the time to begin inviting guests. As usual, we will be having two services with a brunch in between. Our service times will be 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Begin thinking now about which service to come to so that you can plan to inform your friends and family. What an incredible time to invite people who have yet to become Christ followers or do not have a church home. The impact could be tremendous.

We are having twins – Beginning April 19th we will begin our second service. Both services will be identical but will allow us to grow beyond our present capacity. Although our worship center does not always look completely full, there is a ratio called the eighty percent ratio. Studies show that once a service has reached that eighty percent number it will stop growing or even possibly decline. If you have noticed, our numbers tend to fluctuate from larger crowds to more modest crows. I believe this is proof that the eighty percent rule is factual. Therefore, in an effort to do “whatever it takes to reach people” this second service is not an option but a necessity. Will a second service require more nursery workers, greeters, singers, band members, parking lot attendants? YES, but as a church we must remember that those who are yet to come are just as important as those who are already here. I pray that you will listen to the Lord as to where He would have you to play a part and jump in with both feet and a whole heart. Beginning the 19th of April, our service times will be 8:15 AM worship, Sunday School at 9:30 AM, and 10:45 AM worship. Please begin now to pray now about the service God would have you participate.

Parking, parking, parking…Just a gentle reminder that every week we are so very blessed to have guests who join us for worship. I want to challenge our people to please, please park as far away from the building as possible so that our guests and senior adults can have the prime spots. If you could help us with this, it would be a blessing. It might allow someone who would otherwise turn away to come into our service and find new life in Christ, all because you chose to walk a few more steps. God bless you for you help.

Reflexion

2009-03-03T11:18:00.000-05:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

Easter Sunday is only seven weeks away. WHAT????? Please begin to pray for our Easter services. I pray God do “something only He can do.” It is not too early to begin praying for and inviting friends, neighbors, work associates, family, etc. to come with you on Easter Sunday to worship. Easter Sunday will be an awesome day in many ways. One way in particular is that we will be birthing twins on that day. We will be starting a second service and we want to see God pack this place out for His glory! Our service times on Easter Sunday will be 8:30 and 10:30 AM with a breakfast brunch in the middle. I can hardly wait!!!

LADIES, LADIES, LADIES. Beginning March 15th my sweet wife will be teaching a class based on the book entitled, “Created to be his help meet.” I promise you this revolutionize your marriage. One lady said in reference to this book, “Just wanted to say a big thanks for Debi's book. I laughed and cried my way through it as the Lord brought me to repentance after years of bitterness. How wonderful! Praise the Lord! Your frank, down-to-earth examples and point-by-point use of Scripture is so needed and refreshing in this day and age of psychobabble. Burdens have been lifted, and I look forward to many years of a glorious marriage, Lord willing. From the wife of a non-garbage-carrying COMMANDER!” This class is scheduled for Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM. This is a bridge event that can be effectively used to transition people from a book study to Sunday morning Bible study. You can get information and buy the book at the connetion table at the back of the worship center. Any other questions email Michelle at 4realyoungs@comcast.net.

We need you. March 14th at 10:00 AM we will attempt to touch our community in an incredible way, however it requires your help. On the 14th we will attempt to make contact with every family that has visited our church in the last six months. In addition to contacting guests we will attempt to find those who are on our membership roles but are no longer attending our fellowship. This is endeavor is not intended to guilt people into coming to church or to sneak up on them in any way. This is simply an opportunity for FBCHS to share with these sweet people the great things God is doing here and then to pray with them concerning their needs. When you come out on this particular Saturday you can be involved in one of three ways: A. You can physically go, take a brochure to a family, and pray with them. B. Make a phone call to individual families. C. Pray as others call and go. All three of these areas are vitally important and of equal priority. Please, clear out a place from ten until eleven to show these families that we really care.

Last week I asked you to think about the statement, “God is preparing us for what He is preparing us for.” If this statement is accurate, and I believe it is, we then need to ask ourselves, “am I allowing God to prepare me as an individual, or am I simply sitting and watching as he prepares others while I sit contently on the sidelines?” If each of us only understood the blessing that comes with a passionate commitment to serving others, they would be a waiting list for every ministry need in this church. Ask Him for ears to hear the call.

THE DESTITUTION OF SERVICE, by Oswald Chambers

"Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." 2 Corinthians 12:15
Natural love expects some return, but Paul says - I do not care whether you love me or not, I am willing to destitute myself completely, not merely for your sakes, but that I may get you to God. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor." Paul's idea of service is exactly along that line - I do not care with what extravagance I spend myself, and I will do it gladly. It was a joyful thing to Paul.
The ecclesiastical idea of a servant of God is not Jesus Christ's idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of other men. Jesus Christ out-socialists the socialists. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest shall be the servant of all. The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel, but washing disciples' feet, that is, doing the things that do not count in the actual estimate of men but count everything in the estimate of God. Paul delighted to spend himself out for God's interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. We come in with our economical notions - "Suppose God wants me to go there - what about the salary? What about the climate? How shall I be looked after? A man must consider these things." All that is an indication that we are serving God with a reserve. The apostle Paul had no reserve. Paul focuses Jesus Christ's idea of a New Testament saint in his life, viz.: not one who proclaims the Gospel merely, but one who becomes broken bread and poured out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for other lives.

Surrender

2009-02-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

Surrender: Let Go and Let God Work by Rick Warren
Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (GWT)

Surrendering your life means:
· Following God’s lead without knowing where he’s sending you;
· Waiting for God’s timing without knowing when it will come;
· Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;
· Trusting God’s purpose without understanding the circumstances.
You know you’re surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work.You don’t have to always be in charge. Instead of trying harder, you trust more.
You also know you’re surrendered when you don’t react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.
Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You are not self-serving, you don’t edge others out, and you don’t demand your rights.
The most difficultthing for many people to surrender is their money. Many have thought, “I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday.”
Retirement is not the goal of a surrender life, because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and money,” (Matthew 6:24 NIV)and “Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21 NIV). The supreme example of self-surrender is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion Jesus surrendered himself to God’s plan. He prayed, “Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine” (Mark 14:36 NLT). Jesus didn’t pray, “God, if you’re able to take away this pain, please do so.” He began by affirming that God can do anything! He prayed, “God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that’s what I want, too.” Genuine surrender says, “Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my life or in another’s life, please don’t take it away!”
This level of maturity doesn’t come easy.In Jesus’ case, he agonized so much over God’s plan that he sweat drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

Reflexion

2009-02-04T16:37:00.000-05:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

You folks are incredible. I have challenged you over the last few weeks to bring your friends to the Fireproof Event and you have flat come through. I am grateful to God to say that as of today we have over 100 people signed up for this incredible night. You folk have invited friends, family, co-workers, etc. to this outreach and they will experience a night that could change their lives and their marriages. Go God!!! Now that we have invited, influenced, and encouraged it is time to saturate this time in prayer. We need to pray that hearts would be open to the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. God is good.
It is always awesome to watch God move. In the last two weeks, it is easy to see God is filling in the gaps. The Lord is sending people to worship and soak up the Word and find hope. People are hungry for relationships and a place to belong. We have had so many guests and I pray that you and I will take every opportunity to make an impact on a life. We never know when someone walks through the doors of our church what they may be searching for in their lives; extend a hand, touch a heart, and show we care.
Please pray for our staff as we seek the Lord’s wisdom in when and how we are to transition to two services. I believe if we are to have a “whatever it takes” attitude about reaching people this will prove itself to be a centerpiece to the puzzle. As you know, we are not striving to grow for the sake of growing, but we must constantly be reminded that Jesus died for people and He has given us the commission to reach them and invite them to come and hear the Good News. I praise God for so many people in our church family who make prayer such a major priority in their lives. Keep it up.
FBCHS, thank you for allowing me to live out my dreams through pastoring this church. There is absolutely nowhere I’d rather be than right here serving alongside such an incredible group of people.
A Note from Kevin - Worship Choir will kick-off this coming Saturday, February 7 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. We will be previewing music for Easter and a special night of worship from the collection "Lion of Judah, Calvary's Lamb". This collection was put together by Travis Cottrell, who we heard at FBCW a couple of weeks ago. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall - bring a breakfast goody to share - we will have coffee and juice. Childcare will be provided. For more information, write to Kevin at hollyspringsworship@gmail.com

What a journey!

God is Awsome

2009-01-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

Don't you love it when you pray about something and beleive God has spoken to you concerning this request and then you get to see it come to fruition. Man, God is doing some awesome stuff in the life of our church. If you don't see it you are either blind to God's hand or not part of this awesome place.
Wow, God is going to do some great things through this staff that HE, that's right, He has put together. He formed it, He created the people, He equipped with the gifts and now He is going to do something great. Do you know who is going to get the glory? God, Jesus Christ.
What is He doing in your life right now, not tomorrow or next week or even yesterday, what is He doing right now? This very moment? He desires to do something great you know. Let Him, watch Him, ask Him.
Go!!!

Reflexion

2008-12-11T15:20:00.000-05:00

Friend day was awesome. I hope each of you truly understand how the Lord used you to bring your friends and family to experience the journey to Jesus. I was thrilled at the fact that the Grizzly football team and coaches were there as my special guests. Coach Morrell emailed me just today and thanked me for both the lunch and the service. Please continue to pray for him and his boys in the loss of their wife and mother. Both Coach Morrell and Coach Sapere really enjoyed the chili, but I must say, they were both sweating a little after tasting them all. Thanks guys!

I hope you are asking the Lord how He would have you to respond in giving to the Lottie Moon Missions offering. Just to clear something up, Lottie Moon is not a current missionary on the field but she left a legacy of missions. When we give toward this particular offering, it helps to fund missions endeavors all around the world through the Southern Baptist Convention. I do want to remind you that any gifts to this offering or any other special offering should be given over and above your regular tithe and offering.

I realize it is getting very close to Christmas and money is getting tight but perhaps you need to catch up on your giving or just want to give a one time sacrificial gift/ offering. I cannot think of a better time than now. This type of obedience will help in at least two ways: First, it will help the church catch up and even overcome a slight budget shortfall for this year and second, it will help us to get a jump on some ministries we have planned for next year that may currently be on hold. I pray the Lord’s blessings upon each of you as you seek the Lord in the blessing of giving. All end of the year gifts should be turned into the church no later than December 31st. Gifts received after December 31st must be credited for 2009.

This Sunday afternoon at 4 pm we will heading out on a caroling mission. We will be visiting two assisted living/ nursing homes in an effort to bring a little bit of the joy of Jesus to the residents who often find themselves in a lonely state. Come out and help us as we step outside the walls of the church to be a blessing to others. Following the caroling and a brief choir practice at 6 pm, we will find a place for some good food and fellowship.

Please continue to pray for Kevin, Rita and the boys as they seek the perfect will of God for their lives. God is faithful.

What's up?

2008-11-25T16:22:00.000-05:00

Do you ever sit back and ask the question, "what is God really doing in my life?" I cannot help but wonder how many missed opportunities, acts of disobedience, attitudes of ungratefulness I exercise, or fail to exercise in any given day, week, etc. Could it be that the lack of moment on God's part is a result of a lack of obedience, gratefulness, faithfulness on our part. Listen for the voice...

Reflexion

2008-11-25T16:21:00.000-05:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

First of all I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Man, what a great time to hang out with family, eat some turkey with some turkeys and give thanks to the Lord Jesus for making everything in our lives possible. Even in the midst of tough economic times, I think we can all whole heartedly agree that we are the most blessed people in the entire world. God has certainly been good.

Sunday night was awesome. Our Thanksgiving dinner here at FBCHS was incredible. I want to give a shout out to Alisa Motes for cooking and cooking and cooking in order that we might feast on some beast. I absolutely loved hearing how the Lord has so blessed so many lives this past year and how this Church has impacted some lives in a great way. It is all Jesus!!! I am so very blessed to have a church family that blesses me each and every week in ways that I once thought impossible. You are an incredible people and I deeply love each and every one of you.

Some dates to put on your calendar: Holly Springs Christmas Parade December 6th at 3:30 pm. We need folks to hand out candy, church information, and to just be friendly. We will be decorating a float and using this parade as a vehicle to tell the greater Holly Springs area that God is flat doing something at FBCHS and hope can be found in this place. Anyone who can participate can contact Kasey Baxter at kpbluebird@comcast.net. We will need help with the design of the float as well as the parade itself. Friend Day, December 7th, and caroling December 14 at 4 pm.

I can hardly wait until Friend Day. I have been praying that you invite so many people that we have to create an overflow room in the fellowship hall and have people standing in the foyer. Please, use this opportunity to bring your friends to church that day and tell them lunch is on you. Don’t forget to bring your best pot-o-chili. Our services that day will begin at 10:30 am and there will be no Sunday school on that day in order for preparations to be made for the luncheon. I have really been begging God for a big group of guys from the Creekview football team to join us on that day. I believe God is going to do something great…

Reflexion

2008-11-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

Please be praying for Friend Day on Sunday December 7th. I hope we pack this place out with people from all over the area. Begin inviting your neighbors, friends, family to come and hang out with us and chow down on some chili at the chili cook-off. I am hoping to have the entire Creekview Varsity football team and coaches here that Sunday as well. Looks like Coach Morrell will be the chili judge this year. Some like it hot, I guess…
Praise God the 2009 budget has finally been completed and will be handed out soon. This budget is a faith budget but praise God, “Faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” Hebrews 11:1. I believe God has some massive things in store for FBCHS this next year and praise God for the vision and confidence of the people within this fellowship. You are incredible. Stay faithful…
Continue to pray for Kevin and Rita as they seek the Lord concerning His direction for their lives. They have been such an incredible blessing over the past few weeks and I pray that the Lord be honored in whatever direction they make. For selfish reasons I would absolutely love to keep them here, but it is not up to me, the Lord will direct them and they will obey. But, if God chooses to place the in North Carolina we can be sure of the reality that He will provide for the needs of our church as well. We are praying for you guys!!!
I can hardly wait to begin our Sunday Night Thrive services. We will begin on January 4th with a concert by Crutch Field. John, the founder of the group is a dear friend of many years. I believe God will greatly use this group as they lead us in a night of worship. You can check out their website at www.crutchfieldband.com. Be sure and put this date on your calendar now because you will not want to miss this event.
Sunday night is going to be awesome. This is one of my favorite services in the entire year. We will have turkey and dressing and fest with the family (of God). The church will be preparing the turkey’s and if you guys will bring the side dishes (see Alisa with any questions) we will have a great time of food and fellowship. Don’t forget, 5 pm.
Man I thank God for you folks. I consider one of the greatest joys of my life being your Pastor.

Reflexion

2008-10-22T16:09:00.000-04:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

This week has already been awesome. God did such a work in my heart last week and allowed me to be set free from the bondage of unforgiveness in a major area of my life. To be able to move past my past and release any and all bitterness from past hurt allowed me to preach on forgiveness with experiential knowledge, not just head knowledge. Just to give you an update, my friend emailed me on Monday and thanked me for forgiving him. Will we automatically begin drinking coffee together and hanging out at each others homes? Probably not in the week or two, but God has begun the healing process and I truly believe He will, over time, “make up to [us] for the years that the locust has eaten.” Joel 2:25

I am praying for wisdom for our Sunday night activities. I would love to get insight from you as to what would best meet the needs of our people and the community. I pray we never do anything simply because we have always done it a certain way. However, I also desire for whatever program/ strategy we choose to be as effective as possible. With that being said, I ask you to pray and offer me any insight you might have concerning this decision. Are Sunday nights more effective with life classes or would they be more effective with a more traditional type service? I hope you will approach this with discernment. It may be easy to say, “if I sit in a service I will not have to do anything to prepare, I do not have to be equipped to participate, I can simply sit and soak”. Nevertheless, at the same time, if a service will be more effective, have the ability to impact a greater number of people, be more unifying, this is may be the direction we need to move. Whatever the Lord leads us to do will be the best plan. Let me know your thoughts and bath them in prayer. I greatly value your insight!

Jesus said, “ask and you will receive.” Last week I asked you to pray and ask the Lord to call someone to the ministry of nursery/ preschool coordinator. God heard your prayers, moved on a heart, and the call was answered. Please pray for Renae Matthews as she begins this incredibly important ministry. Renae said when she heard of the need she immediately felt as if this is where God would have her to be used for His glory. Thank God for obedient servants with ears to hear what the Spirit is saying, and Renae, thank God for you and your passion for these children!

Please pray for our services this coming Sunday as we look at our final message “A better way to love” in the Fireproof series. I pray this series has been as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me. Continue to pray that God will do a work in marriages all around our area.

Reflexion

2008-10-15T15:46:00.000-04:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

Questions I am asking myself at this point in my journey with Jesus:
1. What difference am I really having on the lives of other people and is this difference toward good and Godliness?
2. What is there in my life that is keeping me from being all God desires me to be – God’s best, nothing more, nothing less?
3. How can I make a greater impact on those who will come after me in both my life and my ministry?
4. Will I trust the vision God has shown me and for our church and do I have the courage to press on with it even in the midst of an economic downturn?

· I am grateful to God for Kevin Bragg and his family. Kevin works in Marietta and has been leading Wednesday night worship at FBC Woodstock for several months now. He and his wife Rita are precious people and I hope our church family will welcome and encourage them as they begin their journey here. God bless you guys!

· God bless you church as you continue to be faithful in giving in these challenging financial times. I know from personal experience that the markets can take a bite out of our retirement, income, etc. and that some people are in dire straights as they job hunt. But, Jesus is still on the throne. God desires to do some great things through our struggles. The question is, will we see the opportunity to grow as a result of the challenges or will we fail the test? Thanks for your continued faithfulness. You are a faithful people!

· I hope everyone is getting their garages, basements, tool sheds, attic’s, etc. cleaned out in preparation for Saturday’s Financial Peace University Yard sale here at the church. Man, this is going to be awesome. Just think…a little bit of heaven…coming to church and having a yard sale both at the same time…Go God!

· Church, I ask you to pray that God burn in the hearts of one or two individuals a desire to head up our preschool/ nursery ministry. This is a ministry and not a baby-sitting service. I am grateful to God that we have so many faithful people who week by week give of their time and energy to serve in the nursery. However, in addition to these workers we need some folk to coordinate, organize, train and equip others to make a difference in this ministry as well. I truly believe we have missed opportunities that somehow just pass us by. Man, let us take advantage of every avenue God gives us to make a difference. Maybe that someone is you “for such a time as this”!!!

· When I was a kid, I always get excited when company came to spend the night. That meant we got to turn on the air conditioner (which was a real treat) and I got to sleep on the floor between the dining room and the breakfast room. Company always got my Mom and Dad’s king-sized bed in the front and Mom and Dad would take mine. I was oh so grateful to give it up because I would feel that cool air all night long. Please Remember, with our parking, every week we need to give up the comfort of a “king-sized parking spot” up close (excluding our seniors, handicapped, etc.) even if it means you have park a little farther away than you would like or have to walk a few extra steps. We want to save the best places for company, and hey, company’s coming…

AFA ends boycott: McDonald's agrees to changes

2008-10-09T16:18:00.000-04:00

October 9, 2008

Dear Friend,
Great news! Because of AFA supporters like you, McDonald’s has told AFA they will remain neutral in the culture war regarding homosexual marriage. AFA is ending the boycott of McDonald’s. As you know, AFA called for the boycott in May after McDonald’s joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).
McDonald’s said McDonald’s Vice President Richard Ellis has resigned his position on the board of NGLCC and that his seat on the board will not be replaced. McDonald’s also said that the company has no plans to renew their membership in NGLCC when it expires in December.
In an e-mail to McDonald’s franchised owners the company said, “It is our policy to not be involved in political and social issues. McDonald’s remains neutral on same sex marriage or any ‘homosexual agenda’ as defined by the American Family Association.”
We appreciate the decision by McDonald’s to no longer support political activity by homosexual activist organizations. You might want to thank your local McDonald’s manager.

Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon,Founder and ChairmanAmerican Family Association

Sunday Reflexion

2008-10-08T17:00:00.000-04:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

Church you greatly, greatly blessed me and totally surprised me with Pastor Appreciation last Sunday. The food was wonderful, the fellowship was awesome, and the gift was an incredible blessing. I deeply love you and count being your Pastor one of the greatest joys of my life. Last Sunday afternoon I posted on my Facebook that I was blessed to pastor the greatest church in America. I took some ribbing from one of my church start buddies (not to mention any names – Daniel), but I told him that the facts speak for themselves. I want you to know, I stand by those facts. You are the greatest church in America…

Holly Springs Fall Festival – I am so grateful for Bekki Cox, and Kasey Baxter for heading this outreach event up. There were also several volunteers who helped in the booth on Saturday. You guys flat make things happen and touched lives through your willingness to serve. I am grateful to God that the staff does not have to be intricately involved in every ministry of FBCHS, but rather you guys have begun to take ownership of ministry and you are making an impact that otherwise would not be made.

Pancakes at the McCoy’s. After our Life Classes on Sunday night, several of our folks headed over to the McCoy’s (thanks Terry and Sheri), and cooked pancakes, bacon, Jambalaya, (wait – jambalaya and pancakes), hey whatever blows your horn. Great fellowship and hanging out with folks. The Lord even opened the door for us to build some relationships with some unchurched people in our FPU class. I love bridge-building.

This Sunday Kevin Bragg, his wife Rita, and their three boys will be coming to get to know us a little better. Kevin will be our Interim Worship leader for now, but we will see what things God has in store for us as the days go by. Pray for Kevin and his family as they make the transition here. Great days are ahead. I also want to say how absolutely blessed we have been to have Steve Perry filling in during this time. Steve, you have been incredible. God is sovereign and always know what His kids need. God Bless you.

See you Sunday and check out my blog for updates – pastorphilyoung.blogspot.com

Nowhere I’d rather be,

Pastor Phil

Dangers of the "Prosperity Gospel"

2008-10-08T16:39:00.000-04:00

In this months Time Magazine, David Van Biema wrote an article entitled, "Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess". The following is just the first paragraph.

Has the so-called Prosperity gospel turned its followers into some of the most willing participants — and hence, victims — of the current financial crisis? That's what a scholar of the fast-growing brand of Pentecostal Christianity believes. While researching a book on black televangelism, says Jonathan Walton, a religion professor at the University of California at Riverside, he realized that Prosperity's central promise — that God will "make a way" for poor people to enjoy the better things in life — had developed an additional, dangerous expression during the subprime-lending boom. Walton says that this encouraged congregants who got dicey mortgages to believe "God caused the bank to ignore my credit score and blessed me with my first house." The results, he says, "were disastrous, because they pretty much turned parishioners into prey for greedy brokers."

Although Biema's research primarily began with black televangelists, fleece preachers of all races have played great roles in this theological undercurrent. I believe that unless we find our foundational truth in the Word of God, we will constantly be "blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit."

You can check out the entire article at http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1847053,00.html.
I am grateful to John Lightsey for sharing this article with me...

Awsome Day

2008-10-05T18:44:00.000-04:00

Man it was a great day hanging out with God's kids. FBCHS, you flat surprised me with Pastor appreciation. I have never felt so blessed and so loved in my entire life. You are incredible.
Pray for Keith and Rita Bragg and their boys. Looks like God is going to make them part of the fixtures around this place and we are excited. I believe God is getting ready to take us to the next level in our journey with Him...whatever that journey may be. What are you trusting God for in your personal journey? Go God!!!

Worship Leader

2008-09-29T15:29:00.001-04:00

I believe God is at work in our search for a worship leader. Please pray that everything would fall into place and that there would be perfect peace if the Lord is truly in it. Steve has done an incredible job, and I am forever grateful, but he has shared with me that he is ready to blend back into the praise band. Move in our midst Lord and we will give you the glory...

Sandra Queen

2008-09-28T18:35:00.000-04:00

Although we never met my life has been influenced by hers. Spending a great deal of time with Bill I have come to the realization that this lady was a soldier and a warrior for the Son of God. I pray that my life would make an impact as great as hers. Please pray for Bill and his family over the next few days, weeks, and months that lie ahead. God's grace is sufficient.

Reality Check

2008-09-25T09:34:00.001-04:00

The Holy Spirit of God led me to share this update which further reveals the incredible faith of my dear friend Bill Queen and his family with each of you. I received the following just this morning. You can follow further updates on Caring Bridge.

Friends and family,
I write this morning with much mixed emotions. With family and friends by our side and through much prayer we removed all artificial support from Sandra. I say mixed emotion because we have a Peace that has comforted us since day one and there is no doubt where she will be for eternity along with her treasures. The mixed emotions comes from the fact that we still know and believe God can heal her. My question to you is; if Sandra was healed today, how would that effect you? Would you change the way you live? Does it take a miracle for you to have faith in Jesus?
We invite you to join with us as we continue to pray for a miracle healing. We will praise God because of His perfect Will and accept it as what is best for each of us.
Many of you are calling and wanting to do something for us. THANKS!!! You never cease and are one of the main reasons we have traveled so well along this road.

But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into Heaven. He saw God's glory, and he said, "Look! I see the heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" Acts 7:55-56

My prayer is that I would be found faithful if faced with the same challenge. I know this is your prayer as well…

Sunday Reflexion

2008-09-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

I am really pumped up about our new Fireproof series. I really hope we will take advantage of this opportunity to get friends and family here to soak up some truths about relationships…They are always a challenge (relationships that is) of course family and friends are often a challenge as well.

Praise God for Steve and Sandra Worsham making it official. I have literally been waiting for this couple to join every Sunday for almost two years now. Any of our readers who have yet to join should not follow this example…Can I get a witness…Steve and Sandra, we praise God for you and welcome to the gang.

Fireproof movie Friday night. This is an event you will not want to miss and this is a great time to get work associates, friends, etc. who might be having a bit of a challenge in their marriages to go with you. We are still trying to nail down the times. We are hoping for a 7 pm showing but may have to go with the 8:15. I realize this is a little late but just bring the kids a sleeping bag and the students will put them on a movie until mom and dad get back to pick them up (and yes, you do have to pick them up). Keep and eye out for updates on this today and tomorrow.

We need your help. If you are physically able, we need everyone who can to park as far away from the building as possible. You can park in the grass, in the space behind the fellowship hall (but not on the graves please), in the lower parking lot where quiltin time once was (thanks Bill and Ann), or in front of the office. I have had two or three families tell me they drove by and the lot just looked too full. Also, in the worship center, please try to scrunch up as much as possible. We have had people come in during the last few weeks who could not easily find a seat. Thanks for you help, you are always incredible.

I love being the Pastor of the greatest church in the world,

Awsome Stuff

2008-09-11T13:41:00.000-04:00

As Todd and I were changing the sign this morning, which now reads, "Lipstick or Not - Everyone Welcome," Craig Ormsby from FBC Woodstock stopped by. He asked if there were any new projects they could help with and I mentioned that we could use some parking in the rear of the fellowship Hall. He said he cannot say for sure but that they may be able to make that happen for us for nothing. This would be incredible. The other incredible part of this is that I was just praying God would provide for this in some awesome way. Keep praying - God is so cool and thank God for Kingdom minded churches!!!!!!!

2008-09-10T10:49:00.000-04:00

I cannot wait to start our new sermon series "Fireproofing Your Marriage". This series will begin in one week and you will not want to miss it. Don' forget to sign up for tickets to the movie - we will be going as a group on Friday the 26th. Listen out for more details.

Sunday Reflexion

2008-09-10T10:45:00.001-04:00

Warning – These are random thoughts prone to improper grammar, spelling, etc., but they are straight from the heart……..

God never ceases to take me by surprise. Just when I think I have Him pinned down in one area He moves in a different direction. Thank you Jesus - that is why He is God and I am Phil…

What an incredible day Sunday. Man God was just “thick” in this place. I am so excited about the two families that came to be part of our fellowship, The Mathews and the McEver’s are awesome folks and I cannot wait for our church family to get to know them better. We praise God for you guys and we are praying for you…

I want to give a shout out to the entire First family for your faithfulness in giving. I know the times are tough and finances are strained but you guys continue to be faithful in your giving. I praise God for such a faithful group of folks that give even when it means sacrifice on your part. God will use this effort to allow this church to accomplish bigger and better things for Him. Keep on with the keeping on for it is too late to back down now…Go God.!!!!!!!!!

If you get a chance to check out my brand new blog at www.pastorphilyoung.blogspot.com, feel free to take a peak. It is a work in progress but in time I am hoping it will be another avenue for our people to gain information. Todd also has a new blog, you can find his at http://todd-goodlife.blogspot.com/.

The Young family will be heading to Panama City Beach Sunday afternoon for week of hanging out with the whole family my parents and Michelle’s parents). Trivia question: Which one of our kids was born in Panama City? Hint – she is a girl…I know of at least one other family that will be there next week so if you are heading down look us up (seriously) and we will grab some seafood together or maybe some Angelo’s Steak Pit where “you won’t get a bum steer here”. We might even have church on the beach…

2008-08-26T13:29:00.000-04:00

Praising God for the rain.

If this Sunday is like last Sunday, praise God we are going to have to issue an SOS (scoot over some). We had a couple come in during the first part of my message and I really thought they were going to leave (no, not because of the message). Praise God, one of our ushers leaped to the rescue and found them a seat. Praise God for small problems…

From what I understand my wife planned a party at our house on Friday night for Jeff Hooper’s Sunday School class. Sweetie, does that mean I am going to have to pick up my shoes? We are looking forward to hangin out with everybody. And hey, bring a friend, the food’s on Jeff.

Remember, there will be no Sunday evening activities this Sunday night in lieu of Labor day weekend. Be sure and spend some extra time with the family and not as much in front the of TV watching the ballgame, race, etc.

Please be in prayer for Keith Travis, for those of you who have not had the privilege of meeting Keith and Pam, Keith is the Director of the Chaplaincy Program for the North American Mission Board. Keith will be heading to Korea on September 6 along with Bobby Welch, the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and they will be ministering to the Chaplains and the commanders all throughout that country. Keith we are praying for you sir and know the Lord is going to greatly use you guys. P.S. Have fun in Hawaii on the trip home (suffering for Jesus right…)

It seems like a long time off but the Men’s conference at FBCW will be here before you know it. Tickets are already on sale and are selling fast. The dates for the conference are January 30-31. Tickets are $40.00 which covers the conference and a steak dinner. The deadline to order before a price increase is the last week in September. We will be taking deposits and pre-registering people beginning this Sunday at the back of the Worship Center if you would be interested in going.

Have I told you lately how blessed I am to be your Pastor? Well I am very blessed!

2008-08-14T13:36:00.000-04:00

It’s been kinda crazy this week, sorry for the delay.

You people are incredible about inviting friends. I just want to remind you that so many people around you are hurting. Why not take the time to invite them to a place where they can find hope and a crowd of folks that will love them. Thank God they do not have to go to a bar to find friendship and love, they can come to their neighborhood FBCHS.

Man, I do not know if you noticed it but you guys were flat soaking up the message on Sunday morning. I must be totally honest, I thought oh no, this is going to go over like a lead balloon. Giving is usually not one of those “get fired up” messages. You were sitting on the edge of your seats, listening intently and so many greatly encouraged me with your comments following the service. Go God.

The Financial Peace class is incredible. I am not in the class but my fine looking bride is taking part. I have already listened to seven of the tapes (Gary I hope it is alright to listen ahead). I believe with all my heart that this series is going to set so many people free in the area of their finances. I told a couple just yesterday that most couples struggle over two things – finances and communication and that my personal opinion is that they are probably fighting over lack of communication in their finances. If you know someone who needs this class or if you need to take it yourself, it is not too late to get in on the good stuff.

Praise God for your faithfulness in giving. You have been so very faithful the last two weeks to step up to the plate (the offering plate – get it) in your giving. I know as well as anyone that things are tough right now and gas is high, but I also know that God is FAITHFUL. If you have not yet taken the challenge, try it out and see what happens…

If anyone has a couple of extra TV’s around the house you are not using do we have a deal for you. The children’s ministry has a real need for a two or three television sets as well as DVD players. If this is a need you could help us out with, we would be so very grateful. Just see Todd for details.

Thank you Jesus for these folks,

Pastor Phil

2008-08-05T13:41:00.000-04:00

Praise God the Spirit of God was just thick in this place on Sunday. I pray we never forget the difference it makes when He shows up. God had burned last Sunday’s message in my heart and although there were no public decisions made, I believe plenty of decisions were made in the hearts of people. The question is, what will we do with the decision? Will we act on that decision or simply sit on it? Just wondering?

Man was that some good food Sunday night or what? I want to thank everyone who brought food, bought food or caught food. What a great time of fellowship and prayer as we prayed over the students beginning school on Monday. Believe it or not, we no longer live in a “Leave it to Beaver” society and the things these kids face today are much worse than we ever faced. OK, maybe they don’t walk to school in the snow both ways or up hill both ways. But, they face things we cannot fathom. We need to pray for these kids daily. It sort of hit me on Sunday night that Michelle and I now have two kids in Middle school. The thing is, I am not old enough to have two kids in middle school. After all, I am just 24 years old (wait a minute, that was yesterday, Michelle reminded me that I am thirty-eight now). Man time fly’s. Speaking of time flying, are you really attempting great things for God in this short lived life? Man, make a decision to make a difference. Attack your world for Jesus…

Some people might ask, “why is it so important to take the time on a Sunday evening to host Financial Peace University?” According to MSNBC, Financially stressed Americans are turning to credit cards in greater numbers, according to the most recent economic data. Data released last week by the Federal Reserve shows that Americans’ total credit card debt has reached $951.7 billion—up 8.2 percent from a year ago and the highest amount ever recorded. The average cardholder has 2.7 bank credit cards, 3.8 retail credit cards, and 1.1 debit cards. That’s 7.6 cards per cardholder. I truly believe people (not just them [those outside the church] but us, us meaning FBCHS) are so bogged down in debt, whether it be credit cards or car loans or boat payments, etc, etc, that we have to rob God to pay for our stuff. So many of us are failing in one of the most basic principles of Christianity, obeying the Lord in our Tithes and offerings and therefore missing out on His incredible and abundant blessings. I feel so much better since I said that…

Beginning Sunday, we will be taking a three-week journey on the biblical basis of stewardship. I have adapted this message series from a series Ed Young from Fellowship Church shared some time ago (no relation to Phil Young). I hope this creative approach will help us to understand the way God looks at money and how we should handle that which the Lord has blessed us with in our lives. Hey, don’t check out over the next three weeks because we will find you…I promise you will not leave here thinking give is a four letter word.

Steve Perry, we praise God for you man. I am so grateful that the Lord always provides for His church..

I know this was a little heavy but I hope you love me anyway, and know that I love you and desire nothing less than God’s best for each of your lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pastor Phil