7-24-22

GREETINGS, EVERYONE! We had a great Vacation Bible School this week. Thanks to Dava Hacket and the whole team who taught, helped, led, cooked, sang, operated technology, and any other area of service not covered! Our total child enrollment from age 4 through 6th grade was 33, with just about that many youth and adults served in one capacity or another. Gospel seed was sown this week; prayerfully, we look forward to the harvest of souls!

Here is what's coming up this week and beyond:

THE LORD'S DAY (7/24): 

• Bible Study for All Ages, 9:30 am. Nursery through Senior Adult, we have a group for you!
• VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL PROGRAM, 10:40 am - 11 am. The children will sing the songs and share the scriptures they learned in VBS this week. 
• Worship Together at 11:00 in the Sanctuary. We will begin the worship service proper a little late to accomodate the VBS program. Sermon title will be "Repent or Perish" from Luke 13:1-9, in which Jesus issues these words of warning to the crowds in response to a then-current news story about some people who had recently died violent deaths. Jesus' call to repentance is as timely now as it was then. Please pray for all those who will be in attendance tomorrow as it is more likely that we will have a greater than average number of unsaved folks in the congregation. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be about His office work of convicting souls of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come.
• Scriptures for Sunday.  Here are the Scriptures we will be reading that will shape our corporate worship. Take a few moments to read and meditate on them as you prepare for worship tomorrow. Click anywhere on the link to see a printable version of these passages on biblegateway.com
  • Call to Worship: Psalm 138:1-2
  • Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-29
  • Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 85:1-3
  • Sermon Text: Luke 13:1-9
  • Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26

• Baptist Catechism Questions and Answers (from www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-baptist-catechism). We return to our consecutive journey through the questions and answers of the Baptist Catechism this week as our affirmation of faith in the worship service.
  • Question 15: What are God’s works of providence?
    • Answer: God’s works of providence are the holy, wise, and powerful acts by which he preserves and governs all his creatures, and all their actions.
      • Scripture: Nehemiah 9:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 103:19; Matthew 10:29-30.
  • Comment: It would be helpful to discuss this with your child in relation to the common concept of "luck." Is there such a thing as luck in a world ruled by the providence of God? "The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord" (16:33). You will also need to stress that many of God’s acts of providence may not look "holy and wise" (like storms that kill thousands of people). But then stress that God has his secret purposes (Deut. 29:29) that we are never great enough to see, and the Judge of all the earth always does right (Genesis 18:25).
  • Question 16: What special act of providence did God exercise towards man when he was first created?
    • Answer: When God had created man, he made a covenant with him that he should live and enjoy all the benefits of creation, but that he would die if he forsook the obedience that comes from faith. God commanded him not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and thus forsake his child-like dependence upon God for all things.
      • Scripture: Genesis 2:15-17; Galatians 3:12; Romans 5:12.
  • Comment: The "knowledge of good and evil" is the ability to judge independently what is beneficial (good) and harmful (evil) for yourself. What God is forbidding is that man should choose to be independent from God in his evaluation of things. He is commanding man to walk by faith in the wise and loving care of his heavenly Father. (See the use of this phrase in Gen. 3:5, 22; 2 Sam. 14:17; Is. 7:15; 2 Sam 19:35.

MONDAY (7/25)

• Monday "Sunday School" online via ZOOM at 7 pm. See Pastor Kyle to join this virtual Bible study group.  To join Zoom Meeting, follow this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87573789453?pwd=Zjg5ZWZ2N1h5WklxOEFjM3IrVUt1QT09      Meeting ID: 875 7378 9453       Passcode: 478672 

WEDNESDAY (7/27)

• Women's ZOOM Bible Study, 9 am (Jan McElwain, 816-465-0985)  To join Zoom Meeting, use this link (different from the one above):  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3665081666?pwd=N21LSEJaYURhUzZVSmRLcFhPdW8zZz09 Meeting ID: 366 508 1666   Passcode: 844160
• WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL, 5:45 pm
• Bible Study and Prayer, 6:30 pm in the Great Room. In person or via ZOOM (use the above link to access)
• Men's Discipleship: Disciplines of a Godly Man, 7 pm in library (Robert Kendall, 816-724-4155)

THURSDAY (7/28)

• Men's Discipleship: Disciplines of a Godly Man, 7 pm in library (Greg Dixon, 479-238-3772) 

SUNDAY (7/31)
Joe Nogalski with Missouri Baptist Children's Home will be with us for worship. Joe serves as our Children's Home area representative, and it will be our privilege to have him with us that morning. Click on the above link, then scroll down to Joe's bio to find out more about him.
Joe Nogalski

MONDAY -FRIDAY (8/1-5)

• GRAND OAKS CHILDREN'S CAMP

Please pray for the 130 plus children who will be in attendance that week, including seven of our own children, two adult staff, and one tenager serving as an ACIT. This camp is for children who have completed grades 4-6. While the deadline for early registration is past, you may still register your child as long as there is room available. (Information, flyers, and registration are online;cost of camp is $155 total, but the church covers more than half so that cost to camper is only $75; also, scholarships are available to cover the total cost upon request).
To register for Children's Camp, go to https://sjbamo.org/2022-sjba-grand-oaks-camp/
Additional information on camp (what to bring and not bring, camp guidelines) are attached to this e-mail. 

SAVE THE DATE:

• REAL Women's Ministry, Thursday, August 4 at 6:30 pm in the Great Room. All women and girls 13 and up are welcome to attend.
• DAN & KALI JOHNSTON are planning to share in the service Sunday, August 7 about their medical mission work.
• FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT, Sunday, Aug. 7 at 7 pm. "Mom's Night Out" is a clean, family comedy from 2014 which follows a hardworking mom and her friends on a "night out" while their husbands watch the kids. A fair amount of hilarious mayhem ensues. Sarah Drew, Sean Astin, Patricia Heaton, and Trace Adkins lead the cast. (You may also recognize Robert Amaya and Alex Kendrick from the movie "Courageous"). Bring your lawn chairs, bean bag chairs, recliners, etc., to the fellowship hall where we'll pop popcorn, and have snacks and soft drinks available in a relaxed atmosphere. Come on out and bring a friend!
• MEMBER MEETING, Sunday, Aug. 14 around NOON. Join us after the morning worship service for a fellowship meal and our bi-monthly member meeting. The Strangers Adult Sunday School Class hosted our last meal, so one or more of the other adult classes are welcome to volunteer to host this one. Hosting involves preparing the drinks, getting the table service ready, and cleaning up afterward. Church will provide drinks and table service, and members will bring everything else. 

• Biblical Manhood Conference, Saturday, Aug. 20 at Frederick Boulevard Baptist in St. Joseph. Greg Gilbert, author of the Crossway title "The Gospel" and pastor of Third Avenue Baptist in Louisville, KY, will be the keynote speaker. Cost is $25. If you would like to hear one of Greg's most recent sermons at Third Avenue on 1 Kings 19-20, click here for the audio. Sign up in the foyer or on eventbrite by August 15.
• Saturday, Sept. 17 - Missouri Quilt Festival, Weston, MO, to benefit Missouri Baptist Children's Home. Forms for quilt or craft donation are available in the foyer.

ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio "Your Response to Christ" Luke 12:49-59

  Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. 
FIGHTER VERSE: We are not currently reciting the Fighter Verses during the worship service, but I encourage you to do so in your Sunday School class and your Bible study group. Personally commit these verses to your heart, and I believe God will bless you as you do.
We have been learning verses from Psalm 91. This week's verses are Psalm 91:5-6
"You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday."

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan is attached to this e-mail for your convenience.
You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website.


See you in church!


Grace and peace,




Pastor Greg