Sunday Reflections

Monday is here and we’ve completed another weekend of God touching lives at First Baptist Trussville.  It was a cloudy, cold winter day but God was still working and accomplishing His will.  We understand now that His Will includes serving…using our gifts, passion, abilities, talents…all that we are to make His message and church vibrant!

  • Amy Hood did a great job helping us understand that if we are willing…God will work.  Thanks Amy!
  • There were many great fellowships that took place around the area during the Super Sunday!
  • Ugh…we ran out of parking this week.  Really need your help on this.
    • We had 46 open spaces across the street.  Please help us fill these up first.
    • Cross the street where the police officers are standing…it is a lot safer that way.
    • Pray for dry weather for the construction crews…we will have about 100 spaces open up at the end of March.
    • However, we will still need to park across the street.  If we run out of parking…we stop growing…period.
  • This Wednesday we will learn how to get the most we can from the Bible.  It will be fun…you will not be tempted like last week!  Bring a friend.
  • When you arrive on Wednesday we will have notebooks for you to keep your notes.  It will also have other tabs for your prayer time, small group information and we will add tabs as we start future series.  Help us off set the cost by dropping $5 in the basket.
  • Team-Impact is coming!  It is going to be awesome!  Here is how you can help:
    • Pray.
    • Give to help us cover the expenses of the school assemblies.  We need corporate and individual sponsors.  We will advertise your corporation in our nightly piece and many hearts will be touched because of your generosity.
    • Invite.  Most people will come to this event if someone will ask them.  Will you help us fill the empty chair?
    • Help. We will need an army of people each night.

It’s going to be a great week.  See you Wednesday night!

Church Shortlink

Reflections

Well I’ve never been drunk…but Monday’s for a preacher has got to be the closest thing to a hangover that I ever want to experience!  Even with that…there might be enough coherent thoughts to pull together some cool things to be thankful for!

  • I’m still excited about some of the neat things God did this past year! Click 2009 In Review  to watch highlights of last year.
  • In 2009 we received a record number of gifts to the ministry of FBCT!  A total of $6,976,166.00 with a per capita giving of $95.83.  That’s crazy!
  • Yesterday people joined the church…even after a tough message of having a lifestyle of giving…and yes I did find a few friends that still loved me!
  • We now have 83 people/families that indicated they would start tithing…pray for them, that is a huge step of faith.
  • We also had 321 people/families that will continue to tithe, 87 that will increase their giving and 71 people/families who will increase their giving above the tithe!  How cool is that?!
  • Sunday night was a sweet time of worship and study of God’s Word.   We will still have Sunday night church from time to time and it will really be a blessing!
  • Upward had another banner day this past Saturday.  Kudos to the leaders who are making that happen…God is touching 100’s of lives through that ministry! Pray for the next few weeks as kids hear the plan of salvation during their team devotions.
  • We had great attendance yesterday 1787 in worship and 1540 in our small groups!
  • Team Impact is coming!  I wish I could explain to you about what God is going to do!  Just wait…it will be incredible!  Pray hard everyday and get ready to serve!
  • I wish you could have heard some of the testimonies from senior adults that have tithed for years…you really can’t out give God!
  • This Wednesday night is going to be awesome!  We will study about temptation and how we beat it!  I hope you will be there and bring a friend!
    • Church, Commitment, Faithfulness, Thankfulness Shortlink

    Your Kids, Our Morality, and Jesus’ Kingdom

    Yesterday was another incredible day and much better than the week before because we didn’t have to talk about Hell!  Looking back on the last twenty-four hours through this rainy, Monday afternoon, it seems like we had a “heavy” day!  As many of you know we learned about the “Judgment Seat of Christ” in the morning services and then at our Purposeful Parenting seminar we heard from Tal Prince!  My friend, that seminar was a kick in the gut!

    Tal’s message last night will leave an incredibly lasting impact on our families.  I have prayed throughout today that many moms and dads – and staff members if necessary – will contact Tal’s ministry seeking help against pornographic addiction.  I believe we have many homes, marriages, and families being torn apart by this epidemic in our church!

    By the way, thanks for taking the time to write your notes of encouragement and sharing verbally your appreciation for this seminar.  It is awesome to be in a church and work with a leadership team that will go to bat with God and allow Him to hit grand slams for the Kingdom!  If you were not able to attend this past Sunday night please take some time to view what Tal had to say on our website.  Click here (http://www.fbctrussville.org/link_update.htm) and scroll down to view the videos!  If you want to check into Tal’s ministry, Tapestry of Hope, click here (http://www.tohcommunity.com).

    We know that we ALL have sinned and need a gracious Savior.  That’s one reason we needed this emphasis!  We are a church who seeks – and loves – people regardless of their present situation or past sins.  Why?  Because that’s exactly how God loves us!  God is good!  We have always said “the ground is level at the foot of the cross,” now we need to go live it!

    This Sunday will be incredibly encouraging.  We are going to look to the future and see a God that is in control and calling the shots of eternity!  Don’t miss it!

    Church Shortlink

    Satan, Sunday and Salvation

    Yesterday was an incredible day at First Baptist Church!  The weather was kind of stinky, but God was really at work.  We finally got past hell and moved onto our families last night!  In case you are wondering …no…there should not be a correlation between “hell” and your “family!”  I think we were all encouraged by the fact that satan (yeah, I know, it should be capitalized but I just don’t want to give the ole liar any recognition) has been defeated on the cross and we can live in Victory as followers of Christ!  I am fully convinced that when I’m in Heaven God will show me the many times that people interceded for me and the girls on our behalf.  Their prayers of protection and strength changed the course of history.  So I encourage you to pray for one another this week!

    Sunday night was incredible.  It is great to be a part of a church that cares for and addresses the issues that are facing our families.  We are going to see another generation saved for Christ because of this church being real and addressing the very real – and uncomfortable – subjects that threaten our children.  The stuff kids are facing today will affect the next generation and their families 40 years from now.  We can prevent further destruction as we pull our heads out of the sand and get extraordinarily focused on growing up soldiers of the faith.

    I cannot wait until next Sunday!  It’s going to be awesome.  I know you’ll come and that you’ll bring a friend!  Keep praying the name of Jesus!

    family, Satan Shortlink

    September

    September is going to be an incredible month! In addition to cooler temperatures that will usher in football season and beautiful fall foliage, we have awesome opportunities taking place in the fellowship.

    The New Normal

    The life of Jesus is characterized by fulfilling the teachings of God while at the same time transforming our world. Each Sunday morning in September we are discovering “The New Normal” in our lives as followers of Christ.  In order for us to experience God’s presence we must place our lives under His description of The New Normal…which really hasn’t changed for 1000’s of years!  Living the “New Normal” is the key to an abundant life.

    Phase 1 Completed

    As we finish up the month we will begin a new era in the life of First Baptist.  As we complete Phase 1 of our building program, we will finally have an opportunity to have seating for those who have a passion to worship God in a contemporary worship setting. It is great to see God’s people embrace one another as we provide traditional, blended and contemporary venues that allows us all to worship our Creator. Our renovated gym will be an incredible space that will continue to impact lives for many more years.

    Phase 2 Begins

    As you know, we are also preparing to break ground on a new preschool building that will address an area of our ministry that must be corrected so we can reach the next generation for Christ.  Soon you will be receiving information for a special ground breaking celebration that you will want to attend.  Be in prayer for this process…it will be an exciting journey.

    Upward Basketball & Cheerleading

    Have you been praying for Upward Basketball?  Our newly renovated gym will also be beginning a new ministry that has literally reached children for Christ around the world.  Two “p’s” come to mind that are necessary for this ministry to spread through our community: Prayer and Participation! All of us can pray for the children and their families that we need to impact for Christ. Please remember to pray every day for what God wants to do through Upward this winter.  Also, have you signed up to participate in this ministry?  There is a job for every one of us who have a desire to win children for Christ.  Sign up this Sunday and your life will be better for it.

    Faithfulness

    All of this is possible because of your tithes and offerings.  Please make sure that each Sunday we honor the Lord with our tithe…which is 10% of your income. You know, Scripture teaches that this is the first portion that is distributed from what God has allowed us to oversee.  Also, as God leads, be faithful with your offerings which is always in addition to your tithe.  This would include your commitment to “What If…” that we are a part of.  These are exciting days because of God’s love and our faithfulness.

    So what’s your story?

    God is doing incredible things in your life. Often, your story will be a source of encouragement and strength to those who hear it.  When God works in your life, visit our website and send me a note.  As the opportunity arises we may use your story to strengthen the family!  I look forward to hearing from you soon!

    Church, Faithfulness Shortlink

    This is Big!

    As Barney Fife would say…”This is big!”  School has started back and now families have an opportunity to get back to some sort of schedule.  We can choose to focus on the important aspects of life.  That’s big!

    The school year slams us into a routine that is welcomed by many after a long, hot and crazy summer.  It’s a great time to check out your life and see how things are going.

    This Sunday will be big for churches!  This is a great opportunity for small group leaders to contact their members and encourage them to get back into the “habit” of going to church.  We don’t want our walk with Christ to be a bad habit…but we do want our fellowship with Him to be habitual! It is a great time for students and neighbors to invite people to come join them in church.

    I read a statistic today that indicated that 89% would be willing to listen if someone wanted to tell them about their relationship with Christ.  That’s big!  Church this weekend is going to be big!  We should have a great time together.

    I hope you will be there…and bring a friend!

    Church, family Shortlink

    Heaven

    Our day with Don Piper was a day that we will long remember for many reasons.  So what exactly did Don Piper teach us about Heaven?  Let take a few minutes and make a list of a few things that he encountered.

    • There really are pearly gates.  The Bible says there are twelve of them and Don said they seemed to be alive with their radiance.
    • There was a magnificent light originating from a pinnacle in the distance.
    • We will recognize people in Heaven.
    • The streets of gold…they were there but appeared to be translucent.
    • Angels make tremendous noise with their wings as they praise God.
    • The music was massive but molded together in perfect harmony.
    • There are mansions…dwelling places in Heaven.  Don didn’t elaborate but said they were magnificent.
    • All of our senses work in Heaven.  Don could hear, smell, feel and was sure that taste would also be incredible but he did not experience that.
    • Our bodies will be perfected!!  They will be just like God intended for them to be.  All of the scars will be gone…except for those on Jesus.
    • There was no waiting to get there…absent from the body…present with the Lord.
    • Heaven isn’t a dream…it is a real place.  Don said several times it is more real than our life here.
    • Don was greeted by those people who helped him know Christ.
    • The music was a combination of many different songs into one and yet somehow it all made sense!
    • He simply didn’t want to leave.

    So who will we greet in Heaven.  It was not those who lead him in the “sinner’s prayer” that greeted him but simply those who assisted in the process by how they lived their lives and they did for Don so he could hear about Jesus.   The Bible puts it this way:  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (NIV)

    So Heaven is real!  Because of that, we have work to do.  I think I will go “plant” or “water” today and let God bring about the results!

    Heaven Shortlink

    Thailand

    Thailand…what an incredible trip.  There are many things that could be highlighted but here are few that really stand out:

    1.  What a great team of missionaries we have.  As a Southern Baptist Church we join with other churches and support over 5,000 foreign missionaries around the world through the International Mission Board (IMB).  The team serving in East Asia is awesome!

    2.  There is a movement of young missionaries going on the field.  It was encouraging to see how many of our missionaries are in the late twenties and early thirties.  The future looks bright!

    3.  The sweet Asian people can teach us many lessons about hospitality.  Their cordial and polite spirit left an impression on me.  Even though they have a false hope they still have a kind approach to life.

    4.  There is still work to be done!  The fields are white unto harvest but we need more laborers to go.

    5.  There was some stress among our missionaries because of some restructuring that is taking place within the IMB.  However, it is encouraging to see the IMB looking for new ways to be more efficient and effective.

    6.  It is exciting to know that I have taken my last long trip by traveling “coach!”  When your legs are longer than the space given for them you get really uncomfortable after about 6 hours with 7 hours to go!  I will not do that again!  Remember:   A 747 is a big plane but does not have much leg room!

    7.  There is an entrepreneurial spirit among our missionaries.  They do all kinds of things that allow them to live and travel in closed countries.

    8.  I am extremely grateful that there was “American” food in Thailand!

    9.  Because of this opportunity; our lives will never be the same.

    10.  It is pretty amazing that everyone made it back safe and sound…with the exception of major colds!

    Missions Shortlink

    Patriotism

    Patriotism…it is a lost conviction.  The older generation has a clear understanding of what it cost to have America.  It appears that the younger we are in age the more we have lost the understanding that God allowed many of  us to be born in America.  That is a huge blessing that brings about a massive amount of responsibility.  This week one of our daughters asked us what other countries did to control immigration.  We thought and discussed it for a minute and then wondered if other countries even have problems with immigration?  Does Iran need to control the throngs of people that are trying to get into that country to experience a life of blessings and opportunity?  Recently our president traveled across the globe and announced that our country was no longer a “Christian nation.”  We can debate various aspects of that statement but the debate ends when God’s Word says that “we will reap what we sow.”  End of discussion!  As we turn our eyes away from the blessings that God has given this country then we lose the awareness of responsibility that we must understand so that this country will remain strong.  Listen to this Congressional response to Pres. Obama’s comment.

    So if you are thinking “what is the big deal” then travel with me to some third world countries that have no foreseeable hope of a bright future.  Read the news and notice the incredible job our soldiers are doing trying to fight people who hate us because we have freedom and opportunities.  Visit Arlington Cemetery, Pearl Harbor or other places like that which represent the lives that have been given for freedom.  Walk through Washington D.C. and read the inscriptions that talk about God’s presence in our country and if that it too difficult then get out a dollar bill and see where we put our trust!!  I’m not talking about patriotism just for the sake of patriotism.  I am patriotic because of God and the foundations of this country that was obviously based on what His Word teaches us.  He has blessed this country and with those blessings comes responsibility.  May God bless America!

    Faithfulness, July 4th, Patriotism Shortlink

    Big!

    In the words of Barney Fife:  “This is big…big…really big…Andy, are you listening…this is big!”  It really is big.  James 5:16 says that your prayers are making a big difference and we are praying about some big things.  You are praying aren’t you?  You prayed last week for our students while they were in Dallas.  That was big!  Come to think of it…doesn’t Dallas and Texas always make you think “big?”  This week is big!  Men on Missions…they need our prayers…it is big…and at times dangerous.  They create quite a buzz when they arrive…it’s big.  Vacation Bible School is big…no huge!  Kids are everywhere this morning.  There are many guest here that represent various faiths and backgrounds.  It is big…they need to learn about Jesus.  Sooooo, pray.  Pray this week that Jesus would be supernaturally evident from Sparta, Missouri to Trussville, Alabama just like He was in Dallas, Texas!  It’s BIG!

    Church, Prayer Shortlink