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GREETINGS, EVERYONE! Thanks to all those who came out this morning for work day at church. We were few in number but mighty in spirit! I believe you will notice one upgrade as soon as you come into the hallway and foyer. Thanks, Ronnie Stahl, for coordinating the effort!
CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY is extended to Pastor Kyle and Sue Bridgman upon the death of Kyle's mother, JoAnn Bridgman, early yesterday morning. Her services will be at 10 am, Thursday, Oct. 21, at James O'Donnell Funeral Home, Hannibal, MO. THIS DAY IN HISTORY: I don't always do "this day in history" as part of this e-mail, but when I do, I try to make it meaningful. This date is of great importance to the early years of the Protestant Reformation. On this date in 1555, Hugh Latimer, former Bishop of Worcester, and Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, were burned at the stake in Oxford under orders from “Bloody” Queen Mary as part of her attempt to rid England of Protestantism and bring it back under the sway of the Roman Catholic Church. As the flames surged around them, the older Latimer said to the younger man dying with him: “Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man. For this day by God's grace we shall light such a candle in England as I pray shall never go out.” By God's grace they did, and the rest, as they say, is history. THE LORD'S DAY
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Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 42. BONUS: We have several copies of the book by Rob Phillips What Every Christian Should Know About Satan. These are generously made available to us by the Missouri Baptist Convention at the greatly reduced rate of $5 per copy. For a book of over 400 pages, that is a steal. It also represents a 75% discount of the retail price. Here is a link to the page where you can watch a video description and get a fuller description of the book. See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg
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GREETINGS, EVERYONE! I hope you are able to take a look at this e-mail before coming to services Sunday. I look forward to seeing you on this Lord's Day as we break the Bread of Life together.
We did not mention it in the service Sunday, but we want to extend Christian sympathy to Kyle and Sue Bridgman on the death of their nephew in a motor vehicle accident last weekend in Hannibal. Pray for his parents and his twin sister left behind as well. THE LORD'S DAY
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Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 41. (That means we are officially in the last quarter of 2021!). BONUS: Tim Challies is a blogger worthy of your attention. I share with you here a blog post he wrote in 2018 entitled What I Love to Ponder at 10:01 AM on Sunday Morning. What he is pondering is the fact that, by the time we rise to praise the Lord on a Sunday morning together, the Lord's Day praises of God's people have already been going on around the world for at least 18 hours around the world. And we have the privilege of joining our voices with theirs in praise to the Triune God. He quotes the great hymn "Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun" as a reminder that every knee shall one day bend before Christ the Lord. Until that day, we keep proclaiming the message of Jesus, knowing that God's Spirit will use that message to extend the borders of His kingdom in the hearts and minds of men, women, boys, and girls. He has promised to do so. Tom Ascol's message to the Institute of Public Theology meeting in January of this year is entitled "Christ Above All Earthly Powers." Take a half-hour and listen to his message concerning how the church today is to be a witness to Jesus just as the church in the book of Acts was. We are especially to bear witness to the ruling and reigning resurrected, ascended and exalted Christ. I believe you will be instructed, informed, and encouraged. See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg GREETINGS, EVERYONE! On this date in 1792, William Carey, John Rylands, and ten other Baptist pastors formed the Particular-Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen (later known as the London Baptist Missionary Society) to send Carey to India. They passed around Andrew Fuller’s snuff box to collect pledges for the mission. (Source: https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/today). If you have ever heard Carey's famous quote, "We will go down if you will hold the rope," he was talking to Andrew Fuller. Carey and his family did go down (to India), and Fuller did "hold the rope" by faithfully promoting the cause of foreign missions to his Particular (that is Calvinistic) Baptist brethren for the rest of his life. When he died in 1815 at age 61, his life and health had been utterly spent in the cause of worldwide missions, yet he himself never went to thee foreign field. Fuller's example is one for the rest of us that to be missions-minded involves not only going, but also praying, giving, and sending. Lord, give us more Andrew Fullers today who will spend themselves for the sake of the Gospel.
Stanberry Harvest Festival (Oct. 2-6) begins today with a children's carnival at 3 pm, supper at 5pm along with praise and worship, and 6 pm movie "I Can Only Imagine." Sunday - Wednesday supper at 5 pm, music at 6pm, message at 6:45 pm. THE LORD'S DAY
Fighter Verses: Titus 3:4-6 Call to Worship: Psalm 8 Old Testament Reading: Job 1:1; 2:1-10 New Testament Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 Assurance of Pardon: Isaiah 53:4-6 Sermon Text: Acts 6:1-7 Benediction: Hebrews 13:20-21
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Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 40. BONUS: "Man Knows Not His Time" John Shelby Spong, the former bishop of Newark, NJ, for the Episcopal Church USA, and longtime denier of most every fundamental doctrine Christians hold dear, died on September 12. He was 90 years old. He died as he lived, a heretic who, in the end, denied anything like a traditional belief in God. Al Mohler wrote an article 5 years ago about Spong that still has relevance today. Bishop Spong serves as a cautionary tale for all of us who purport to stand for God, the Bible, the church of the living God, to stay close to the Scripture, stay close to sound doctrine, and refuse to be tossed about by every wind of doctrine that comes along. See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg GREETINGS, EVERYONE! (There is a lot here this week, so you may want to scan the bold headings first)
This week, Psalm 43 came up three different times in my personal reading and group sharing. On Monday, Sept. 13, it was one of the Psalms of the day (13, 43, 73, 103, 133). On Wednesday, I read it in preface to our evening prayer time focused on Missouri missions. On Friday, it was part of my regular Bible reading plan. It seems the Lord was bringing it to my attention on purpose! If you will, indulge me to share just a couple of verses from the middle of this brief psalm: "Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God." In the very order of the phrases, the psalmist states that his worship, his joy, and his praise (signified by the "altar of God" and "the lyre") follows and flows from the light and truth which God sends out from Himself. They lead the psalmist into His very dwelling. It is the same for us: God's light and truth (yes, His very word) is the catalyst for praise. Praise is always for something, never without a reason. Some Godly attribute; some truth concerning God's nature and being; some Divine intention, purpose, or action. All of these are found in the pages of Scripture and provide abundant kindling to stoke the fire of our affections and send our praise and worship upward to the very throne room of God! The Valley of Vision prayer concerning "Scriptural Convictions" relates it this way: "I cannot find out thy perfections, but I know thou art good, ready to forgive, plenteous in mercy. Thou hast displayed thy wisdom, power, and goodness in all thy works, and hast revealed thy will in the Scripture of truth. Thou has caused it to be preserved, translated, published, multiplied, so that all men may possess it and find thee in it." As we prepare for corporate worship this week, I pray that we would so individually and personally read God's word, reflect and meditate on it, and inwardly digest it that, when we come to the gathering on the Lord's Day, our hearts would be so full of the truth of God that we cannot but praise and magnify the God of all truth! TOMORROW (SATURDAY, 9/18) Work Day at the Church House! Folks will start arriving at 8 am, and I plan to have donuts and coffee ready for those who come. I cannot promise there will still be donuts at 10, so plan on getting here early. Here is a "punch list" of possible projects for you to work on (more may be added):
THE LORD'S DAY (SUNDAY)
Fighter Verse: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Call to Worship: Psalm 1 OT Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31 NT reading: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8 Prayer of Confession: Psalm 54 Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 55:22 Sermon Texts: 2 Timothy 4:1-15; Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Benediction: 2 Corinthians 13:14
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Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 38. BONUS: Rob Philips, director of the apologetics ministry of the Missouri Baptist Convention, has released a new book, What Every Christian Should Know About Satan: Biblical Names and titles that Reveal his Nature, Activities, and Destiny. Rob has compiled a well-researched, engaging, and hefty (over 400-page!) volume to aid the church in discipleship and defense of the faith. I am ordering 20 of these at the greatly reduced cost of $5 per book (75% off retail). Please let me know and I will reserve your copy (or copies) today. Make checks payable to the church and designate it "Satan book." See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, everyone!
Recent crises brought on by the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Ida, flooding through the midsouth, and the military pullout of Afghanistan have been foremost in our prayers. You may have a good idea of what relief efforts look like for natural disasters. But if you are like most, you don't have as good an idea on what relief efforts for a man-made disaster such as what is taking place in Afghanistan look like. For this reason, I am linking to an e-mail I received from the International Mission Board and North American Board concerning Send Relief. You will find out what efforts are underway and how you can help. Attached to this e-mail is a page entitled "10 Ways to Pray for Afghan Refugees." Incidentally, our Rheubin South Missouri Missions Offering (MMO) begins promotion tomorrow, and a portion of every dollar given goes to support disaster relief efforts both in Missouri and elsewhere in the US. Our goal for this offering set by our Mission Vision Team is $1500. THE LORD'S DAY is TOMORROW! I'm looking forward to being with you on the Lord's Day tomorrow as we start a new series simply entitled "The Church." Over the next several weeks, we will be looking at the subject of the church under the following headings: 1. What is the Nature of the Church of Jesus Christ? 2. What are the Attributes and Marks of the Church? 3. What Does the Bible Say About Leadership in the Church? 4. What Does the Bible Say About the Membership in the Church? 5. What Does the Bible Say About the Ordinances of the Church? 6. What Does the Bible Say About Discipline in the Church? 7. What is the Warfare of the Church? We'll be singing "O Church, Arise" (Keith & Kristyn Getty; Stuart Townend) across the weeks of this series, so take a few moments to listen to it if you aren't familiar with it. We will gather for Sunday School/Bible Study for All Ages at 9:30 am, followed by corporate worship at 10:40 am in the Sanctuary. Here are the Scriptures we will be reading in the morning service. Please spend a few moments reading and meditating on them. Click on any of the links to read a printable version of all the selected Scriptures. Fighter Verses: 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Call to Worship: Psalm 146 Old Testament: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 New Testament: James 2:1-10. (11-13), 14-17 Prayer of Confession: Psalm 86: 1-7 Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 86: 12-13 Sermon Text: Matthew 16:13-20; 18:15-20 Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26 COMING UP
ICYMI: Last Sunday’s Message Saved By Faith Luke 7:36-50 Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 36. (That's right, we are 2/3 of the way through 2021). BONUS: Fear is an emotion which may be legitimate or illegitimate, good or bad, depending on the context. Fear is something we all experience, and some more than others. Looking to the Scriptures and wise counsel from Puritans like John Flavel and Richard Baxter, later churchmen like Charles Spurgeon and J.C. Ryle, and contemporary counselors like Ed Welch and David Powlison, the Just Thinking Podcast team Darrel Harrison and Virgil Walker do a deep dive into the subject "Why Are You Afraid?" Don't be daunted by the nearly 3-hour length. It is worth it. I listened to it in big chunks beginning Monday and finishing up Friday. I heartily recommend their podcast in general and this episode in particular. You will be encouraged and likely challenged in your thinking. See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg TODAY some of our men attended the Biblical Manhood Conference in St. Joseph, and we had an excellent time. OUr small group joined with approximately 170 men from the area to lift up the name of Jesus, hear the word of God proclaimed from the main speaker, Dr. Hershael York, and attend breakout sessions on a variety or topics. What a blessing the day was! it was great to be with some of our men, and I am looking forward to next year
THE LORD'S DAY is TOMORROW! We will gather for Sunday School/Bible Study for All Ages at 9:30 am, followed by corporate worship at 10:40 am in the Sanctuary. COVID Protocols: In light of the number of our members who tested positive for COVID-19 or a variant thereof this week, if you have COVID or are in the COVID exposure quarantine window it is recommended that you stay home for services and join us on Facebook Live even if you feel good. If you do not have access to Facebook Live, you can join us in the parking lot on your car radio at FM 103.1. If you would like particular information on numbers or are concerned with contact screening, please contact the Tri-County Health Department. Here are the Scriptures we will be reading in the morning service. Please spend a few moments reading and meditating on them. Click on any of the links to read a printable version of all the selected Scriptures. Fighter Verse: James 1:12 Call to Worship: Psalm 15 Old Testament: Song of Solomon 2:8-13 New Testament: James 1:17-27 Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 32:1-2 Sermon Text: Luke 7:36-50 Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26 Worship in the Park at 6 pm tomorrow. Children's games and fun begin at 4:30 pm at Bartlett Park, under the water tower. Cookout at 6 pm, followed by devotion and praise at 7 pm. The church will provide burgers, dogs, brats, condiments, drinks, and table service, you bring everything else (sides and desserts). Invite a friend or two, and bring your lawn chairs! COMING UP
ICYMI: Last Sunday’s Message True Godliness According to Jesus, Luke 7:24-35 Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 35. BONUS: A book that I recommended during my breakout session at the men's conference this morning is entitled Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia by John Dunlop, MD. This title from Crossway appears to be a valuable resource for folks who are dealing with this important subject in one way or another. I have not read it yet, but it comes highly recommended by Dennis Rainey of Family Life Today and D. A. Carson, professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I am placing this book in our church library so that it will be available to you. See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, everyone!
TODAY the deacons are sponsoring a water distribution station at the Farmer's Market at Pony Express RV Park, 8 am - noon. We will be sharing the love of Jesus in a tangible way with the patrons and seek to engage them with the Gospel in a winsome way. If you can come out to help at any point during the morning, I encourage you to do so. We will be on the porch of the main building of the park. THE LORD'S DAY is TOMORROW! This Sunday is Disaster Relief Sunday, and we will be recognizing the many volunteers who are involved in disaster relief efforts, both in Missouri and across the country. Some of our church's own DR volunteers will be sharing about DR at the end of the service and highlighting training opportunities coming up. If you would like more information on those opportunities, visit mobaptist.org/dr/dr-training. Here are the Scriptures we will be reading in the morning service. Please spend a few moments reading and meditating on them. Click on any of the links to read a printable version of all the selected Scriptures: Fighter Verses: Psalm 20:6-8 Call to Worship: Psalm 84:1-4 Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 8:1, 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43 New Testament Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20 Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 34:15-22 Sermon Text: Luke 7:24-35 Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26 COMING UP
ICYMI: Last Sunday’s Message "The Scandal of Jesus" Previous Week's Message "Do You Want to See?" Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 34. BONUS: On the table in the narthex you will find a couple of resources that you may find helpful. One is an evangelistic tract entitled Life's Ultimate Questions by Voddie Baucham, Jr. This tract takes an apologetics approach to sharing the gospel, and points people to Christ as the answer to all of life's ultimate questions. The other resource is a little card pointing you to a free audio bible app that you can download to your phone entitled Bible.is. This resource has the Bible in over 1300 languages in text, audio, and video. (Thank you to Jerry Scott for providing these helpful resources). See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg Attachments area Greetings, everyone!
TODAY the MACH IV Men's Ministry meeting has been cancelled due to a number of conflicts. We will pick back up in September, Lord willing. THE LORD'S DAY is TOMORROW! The words of John Newton's hymn are often on my mind as I prepare for the Lord's Day. I encourage you to think on these words: 1 Safely through another week God has brought us on our way; let us now a blessing seek, waiting in his courts today; day of all the week the best, emblem of eternal rest. 2 While we pray for pard'ning grace through the dear Redeemer's name, show thy reconciled face; take away our sin and shame; from our earthly cares set free, may we rest this day in thee. 3 Here we come thy name to praise; let us feel thy presence near; may thy glory meet our eyes while we in thy house appear; here afford us, Lord, a taste of our everlasting feast. 4 May thy gospel's joyful sound conquer sinners, comfort saints; may the fruits of grace abound, bring relief for all complaints; thus may all our Sabbaths prove, 'til we join the church above. Here are the Scriptures for use in the morning service. Please spend a few moments reading and meditating on them. Click on any of the links to read a printable version of all the selected Scriptures: Call to Worship: Psalm 111 Old Testament: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 New Testament: Ephesians 5:15-21 Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 34:17-18 Sermon Text: Luke 7:18-23 Fighter Verses: Matthew 11:28-30 Benediction: 2 Corinthians 13:14 Tomorrow, we will be singing the hymn "All I Have Is Christ" by Jordan Kauflin. Click on the link to listen and watch a powerful animated video with the song. COMING UP
ICYMI: Last Sunday’s Message will be posted at a later date Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE schedule is attached. We are on Week 33. BONUS: Many these days are concerned about the COVID-19 vaccines. Earnest Christians come to different conclusions concerning whether one should or should not receive the COVID-19 shot. The majority of Christians very likely consider the answer to that question to be a matter of personal liberty and conviction. But what about the boundaries of governmental authority or employer authority when it comes to this issue? Owen Strachan, former professor at Midwestern Baptist Seminary and founding faculty at Grace Bible Theological Seminary in Conway, AR, weighs in on this subject in his podcast The Antithesis. This episode is entitled "Should You Obey Vaccine Mandates from Your Employer? A Biblical Approach to Governmental Authority". If you are wanting to think through this subject biblically, I recommend you listen to Dr. Strachan. He has done a lot of the heavy lifting already, and you will be enriched by his biblically-based study. You may not agree with all of his conclusions, but I encourage you to engage with his arguments and think deeply and Scripturally about this. See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg Summer vacation is officially two-thirds over! I just happened to notice that today is July 23, and school begins (at least at Maysville R-1) on August 23. And that means we are closer than ever to what we hope to be a normal year of ministry to students of every age: preschoolers, elementary aged children, and teenagers. After school and evening midweek ministries were virtually absent during the 2020-21 school year, and we hope to reinstate those with a great kickoff right after Labor Day.
TONIGHT! (FRIDAY) Join us on the Independent Farmers' Bank Parking Lot for our second Outdoor Family Movie event of the summer showing "Big Hero 6," an animated feature with a fanciful, futuristic setting and a touching storyline. We'll start gathering anytime after 8:15 pm, fire up the popcorn popper, have freezer pops available to help beat the heat, and start the feature at 8:45 pm or so. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets! TOMORROW I will be attending an all-day preaching workshop in Atchison sponsored by Agros, a teaching and equipping ministry of Joe Bridgeman. Joe grew up in the Amity area and still has family in Maysville and Amity. Joe and his wife, Becca, were formerly missionaries in Scotland and came back to the states a little over a year ago. Joe has a heart for the rural and small town churches, especially to help equip pastors who may be bi-vocational or "second career" and unable to attend seminary. Equipping workshops like these help to fill in a gap for many. I share this to commend Agros to you and to ask you to pray for the fruitfulness of it going forward. THE LORD’S DAY What a great day in the house of the Lord we had last week, and thanks to all those who were visiting with us that day. A banner day! Just a reminder that when you are away from home this summer, either on vacation or on business, make it a point to attend church wherever you are on Sunday morning. If possible, bring back a bulletin signed by the pastor or other church officer. (This fun-loving suggestion is just a way to emphasize the importance of setting aside one day in seven for worship, study, and fellowship with God's people). A translation of a thousand-year-old German hymn focuses our attention on the reason we gather every Lord's Day: Christ is arisen From the grave's dark prison, So let our song exulting rise: Christ with comfort lights our eyes. Alleluia! All our hopes were ended Had Jesus not ascended From the grave triumphantly Our never ending life to be. Alleluia! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! So let our song exulting rise: Christ, our comfort, fills the skies. Alleluia! As you prepare for the Lord's Day and our time of corporate worship, please take a few moments to meditate on the following Scriptures which will frame and inform our worship service. Invest some time in adoring the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, giving Him thanks, confessing sin, and asking that our worship together would be acceptable as we offer it to the Father, through the finished work of Christ the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit : FIGHTER VERSE: Philippians 1:6 CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 145: 10-21 OT READING: 2 Samuel 11:1-15 NT READING: Ephesians 3:14-21 PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Psalm 139:1-6, 23-24 ASSURANCE OF PARDON: 1 John 4:9-10 SERMON TEXT: Luke 7:11-17 BENEDICTION: Numbers 6:24-26 (Missouri Baptist Children's Home birthday offering and Baptist Homes anniversary offering will be received at the conclusion of the morning service). THIS WEEK
Saturday, August 28, Biblical Manhood Conference sponsored in part by our Baptist Association, 8:30-3 pm at Frederick Boulevard Baptist in St. Joseph. Our men have been attending this event since its inception in 2017. Keynote Speaker will be Hershael York, preaching professor at The Southern Baptist theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. You will be blessed by this brother, who is also pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church in the Louisville area. Breakout sessions will be provided by several area pastors, including yours truly. Cost: $20, includes lunch from Chick-Fil-A. Please let me know if you would like to sign up. I will be making our church reservation on July 30, Lord willing. ICYMI Last Sunday’s Message Luke 7:1-10 "A Centurion's Faith Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE Week 30 of the 5 Day Bible Reading Program. Read through the entire Bible following this plan, or read only the New Testament (in italics). Day One: 2 Kings 7-8; 2 Chronicles 21; Matthew 6 Day Two: 2 Kings 9-10; Psalm 49; Matthew 7 Day Three: 2 Chron. 22-23; 2 Kings 11; Psalm 131; Matthew 8 Day Four: 2 Chron. 24; 2 Kings 12; Psalm 50; Matthew 9 Day Five: Joel; Matthew 10 Visit the website for more up-to-date information! BONUS: You have given financially over and above your regular giving through a couple of special events recently.
See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg Dixon |
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