Blog Archives

May 21st, 2023

5/21/2023

Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day that the Lord has given us. As you prepare for the Lord's Day tomorrow, may you be filled with adoration for our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

BRIDGMANS TO THE HOLY LAND: This is also a special week in the life of our church as Kyle and Sue Bridgman will be traveling to the Holy Land for a 10-day tour. Last October, our church family decided to send the Bridgmans to Israel in recognition of Kyle's 25 years of faithful service at First Baptist. If you would like to contribute financially, you may do so by making a designated offering to FBC and marking the check or envelope either "HOLY LAND" (for the trip itself) or to "BRIDGMANS" (personal love gift for incidental expenses). Of course, you can always contribute directly to Kyle and Sue. We are excited for them to make this trip as neither of them have previously been to the Holy Land.

THE LORD'S DAY (5/21):

Bible Study for All Ages, 9:30 am. Nursery through Senior Adults, we have a group for you.
Worship Together at 10:40 in the Sanctuary. We will be in Luke 22:7-20, "Do This In Remembrance of Me." As Jesus ate Passover with His disciples, He also prepared them to eat it without Him in the future. The Passover meal was filled with Messianic significance for the Jewish people of Jesus' day, although this was hidden from their minds for the most part. At this last meal Jesus shared with His disciples, He instituted the Lord’s Supper, making much of that hidden significance plain. Jesus took a portion of the Passover meal and made it a perpetual meal to be shared by Christ-followers until His return. By it, believers commemorate Christ’s death. Almost invariably, I teach on some aspect of the Lord's Supper when we observe it as a congregation, but this will be the rare occasion when I teach on it without us sharing in the actual meal together. I am looking forward to teaching on the Passover meal, along with some visual aids.

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

Baptist Catechism Questions are Questions 4 & 5 "On the Bible as the Word of God." For the entire catechism, follow this link.

Question 4: What is the Word of God?
- Answer: The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, being given by divine inspiration, are the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
  - Scripture: 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 5:17- 18; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Psalm 19:7-8.
  - Comment: "Scriptures" is a special word for the "writings" of the OT and NT. Perhaps you will want to explain that the OT deals with God’s word that came before Jesus was born; and the NT is the word of God that came after Jesus was born. "Infallible" means it will never lead us astray in what it teaches. It is true and does not err. It can be trusted. "Faith" refers to right thinking and feeling; and "practice" refers to right doing. We measure our thoughts and emotions and actions by the rule of the Bible. "Inspiration" means that it is God-breathed: by his Spirit he guided his spokesmen to speak his word in their language.
Question 5: How do we know that the Bible is the Word of God?
- Answer: The Bible evidences itself to be God’s Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, and its power to convert sinners and to edify saints. But only the Spirit of God can make us willing to agree and submit to the Bible as the Word of God.
  - Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:6-7,13-16; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:18,129; Acts 10:43; 26:22; 18:28; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; 4:4, 6.
  - Comment: "Heavenliness" refers to the fact [that] the teachings of Scripture are of such a nature that they cannot be explained by mere human resources. They bear the marks of the supernatural. "No man ever spoke like this man" (John 7:46). The "unity of its parts" has to do especially with the way all Scripture points to Christ. "To him all the prophets bear witness" (Acts 10:43). There are detailed and scholarly historical arguments for the reliability of the Bible, but these are generally beyond the acquaintance of ordinary Christians, and so do not serve as widespread support for Scripture. They are needed, however, in the scholarly arena. [See "Is the Bible a Reliable Guide to Lasting Joy" in Desiring God by John Piper (Multnomah Press, 1986).]

Maysville High School Graduation Commencement, 1:30 pm, New Gym. Alexia Allen, Wesley Poston, and Cooper Berry are graduating.

MONDAY (5/22)

Men's Discipleship Group, 1 pm, using both Words and Deeds book and Walking With Ephesians.
Sewing Circle, 5 pm. All ladies are invited to attend, whether you sew or not. This is a time of "life on life" discipleship and prayer as well.
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 (5/24)

Women's Wednesday morning ZOOM Bible Study is on hiatus until June 21.

Men's Wednesday Morning Discipleship Group is on hiatus for the summer.
Men's Discipleship Group, 6 pm (Robert Kendall, group leader, 816-724-4155). finishing up Words and Deeds.
Youth Bible Study, 6:30 - 8 pm, in the youth room. Fellowship and hangout time, snacks, followed by time in the Word of God. We are "storying" our way through the Gospel of Mark. If you are in grades 7-12, come out and join us.
Bible Study and Prayer, 6:30 pm in the Great Room, live and via ZOOM. Join us for a time of prayer and time in God's Word as we study the book of Exodus. We will be in Exodus 17, "Water from the Rock." To join Zoom Meeting, follow this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87573789453?pwd=Zjg5ZWZ2N1h5WklxOEFjM3IrVUt1QT09 Meeting ID: 875 7378 9453 Passcode: 478672

THURSDAY (5/25)

MEN'S DISCIPLESHIP GROUP is on hiatus for the summer.

SUNDAY (5/28)

May Birthday offerings for the Missouri Baptist Children's Home and May Anniversary offerings for Baptist Homes (homes for the aged) will be received at the end of the service. If you would like to know more about these vital ministries in our state, visit the following links: https://www.mbch.org/ and https://thebaptisthome.org/

ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio from Luke 22:1-6 and John 13:18-30 "And It Was Night"
Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video.
COMING UP:

GRAND OAKS CAMPS SAVE THE DATE https://sjbamo.org/2023-sjba-grand-oaks-camp/
- Youth Camp, completed grades 7-12, June 19-23. Cost: $160, church funds 1/2 of the cost. (REGULAR REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE NOW)
- Children's Camp, completed grades 4-6, July 24-28 (EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION FOR $150 IS AVAILABLE NOW). Church funds 1/2 of the cost.
- Introduction to Camping at Grand Oaks, June 23-24, for children who have completed grades 1-3. Cost is $25 per camper. Parents are encouraged to attend with their children for this overnight event. Pastor Kyle and myself will be on staff at Intro to Camping. For more info on Intro to Camping, follow this link. If you would like to attend with your child, please let me know. If you need financial assistance, please let me know.
- Also, we are in need of volunteer staff to serve as cabin coaches and cooks for youth and children's camp, and ACITS (assistant coaches in training) for children's camp. The ACITS typically need to have completed their sophomore year in high school, but occasionally we will accept an ACIT who has only completed his or her freshman year. See me about either of these opportunities.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL, July 10-14, in the evenings, around 5:15 - 8:15 or so. We will have a meal each night for all attendees. The theme is "Twists and Turns," and the idea is what it means to follow Jesus in the ups and downs of life. This event is fast approaching in just a little over two months! Contact Dava Hackett for more info.

FIGHTER VERSE: Our Fighter Verse this week is Romans 12:20-21:
To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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. Daily Bible reading is one of the leading indicators of spiritual growth and vitality in the Christian's life.

MAN KNOWS NOT HIS TIME: This week, the larger Christian community lost two men who made an indelible impression on their denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC, and Harry Reeder, pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian in Birmingham, AL, both served the Lord faithfully and well in their local churches and in the PCA. Keller (age 72) had been battling pancreatic cancer for the last 3 years. In recent years, Keller had begun to embrace more of the "wokism" which has become so prevalent in evangelicalism today. But that does not negate the powerfully positive impact his ministry made on a wide swath of Christians of all perspectives over the course of many years.
Reeder (age 75) was killed when the vehicle he was driving rear-ended a stopped dump truck. Less well-known than Keller, Harry Reeder was a mentor to many in his denomination over the years, and he stood staunchly for biblical conservatism as the PCA faced the challenge of liberal voices who were seeking to take the PCA in a leftward direction. Our hearts go out to their families and all those affected by their death of both of these men. [NOTE: For those who may not be aware, the PCA is a denomination formed in 1973 out of the former PCUS (Southern Presbyterians) over growing theological liberalism in that denomination. The PCA took a stand for the inerrancy of Scripture, the deity of Christ, and the Scriptural qualifications for men in the office of elder/pastor. The biblically and theologically conservative PCA has stood in stark contrast over the last half-century to the PCUSA, the larger, theologically liberal, mainline denomination which denies the inerrancy and authority of Scripture.]

See you in church!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Greg

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May 09th, 2023

5/9/2023

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Greetings, Church Family and Friends!

Thanks to all who came out for the National Day of Prayer gathering at the courthouse on Thursday. Around thirty of our community members were in attendance, and approximately one-third of them were representing First Baptist.
I love you all so much, and I really appreciate seeing you all come out in support of community prayer events.

As you prepare for the Lord's Day tomorrow, please take a few minutes as you read this email to pray for the services tomorrow, to pray for our graduates as we honor them, and to pray for those who have lost loved ones this week. We especially want to express Christian sympathy to Trina and Aaron Reeder on the death of their son, Trevor Dawson. Trevor's services were yesterday afternoon; thank you to all who were in attendance, who brought food, or in other ways supported the family during this difficult time.

THE LORD'S DAY (5/7):

Graduate Breakfast, 8:30 am. All are invited to join with us in honoring and celebrating our graduates, high school and beyond. Come on out and enjoy this delicious breakfast! We recognize Alexia Allen-Jones, Wesley Poston, and Hunter Hulett as graduates of Maysville High School (Commencement May 21 at 1:30 pm); Alyssa Allie as a graduate of St. Joseph Christian School (Commencement May 14 at 3 pm); and Laura Phillips, Physician Associate, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, graduated October 2022.
Bible Study for All Ages, 9:30 am. Nursery through Senior Adult, we have a group for you.
Worship Together at 10:40 in the Sanctuary. We will be in Luke 21:20-38 with the sermon entitled "Prepare to Persevere." Here is a summary along with the basic outline. The Christian life has been compared to a marathon. Those who endure to the end prove themselves to be the true believers in Christ. Christians are people who persevere in the faith. This passage continues the theme of being prepared for Christ’s return that we began looking at in Luke 21 last week. This is effectively “part two” of that message. As disciples of Jesus, we must prepare actively to persevere in the midst of trials with these three words of encouragement (find out what the blanks are tomorrow morning!):
1. Learn ______from the past (vss. 20-24) cf. Mt. 24:9-14
2. Look _______to the future (vss. 25-33) cf. Is. 34:4-5; Acts 1:9-11;
3. Live _____________in the present (vss. 34-38) cf. 2 Peter 3:3-4, 9-13

Baptist Catechism Questions are Questions 117-118 "On the Lord's Prayer." For the entire catechism, follow this link.

Question 117: What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
- Answer: In the sixth petition, which is, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.
  - Scripture: Matthew 6:13; 26:41; Psalm 19:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13; John 17:15.

Question 118: What does the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
- Answer: The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, which is, "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen," teaches us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him; and in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say AMEN.
  - Scripture: Matthew 6:13; Daniel 9:18, 19; 1 Chronicles 29:11-13; 1 Corinthians 14:16; Philippians 4:6; Revelation 22:20.

BACCALAUREATE will be held at 7 pm (right after the scholarship and awards recognition in the commons area) in the Old Gym at Maysville High School. Come out and support the 44 graduating seniors at this service. Each church is to supply three dozen cookies for the reception. Please let me know if you can help in this way, and have the cookies at the old gym by 6:30 pm. If you would rather, cookies can be brought to the church in the afternoon, and we can deliver them to the school. Kathy Kagay coordinates the reception, so you may contact her directly if you like.

MONDAY (5/8)

Men's Discipleship Group, 1 pm, using both Words and Deeds book and Walking With Ephesians.
Sewing Circle, 5 pm. All ladies are invited to attend this group whether you sew or not. Enjoy the fellowship, discipleship, and prayer.
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 (5/10)

Women's Wednesday morning ZOOM Bible Study. The group is studying W. Phillip Keller's modern classic, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Contact Jan McElwain for details at 816-449-0424. 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

Men's Wednesday Morning Discipleship Group (Russ Wright, 816-724-0925). The "Master's Men" is on hiatus for the summer
Kids' Club, 3:30 - 5:15 pm. This after-school ministry is for children, K-6. This will be the final night of the school year, and will be followed by a brief program from 5:15 to 5:45 pm in the sanctuary. Come out and see what the children have been learning through the year.
Men's Discipleship Group, 6 pm (Robert Kendall, group leader, 816-724-4155). Studying Words and Deeds.
Youth Bible Study, 6:30 - 8 pm, in the youth room. Fellowship and hangout time, snacks, followed by time in the Word of God. We are "storying" our way through the Gospel of Mark. If you are in grades 7-12, come out and join us.
Bible Study and Prayer, 6:30 pm in the Great Room, live and via ZOOM. Join us for a time of prayer and time in God's Word as we study the book of Exodus. We will be in Exodus 15:22-27, the bitter water made sweet. To join Zoom Meeting, follow this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87573789453?pwd=Zjg5ZWZ2N1h5WklxOEFjM3IrVUt1QT09 Meeting ID: 875 7378 9453 Passcode: 478672

THURSDAY (5/11)

MEN'S DISCIPLESHIP GROUP, 7 pm. We are on Week 5 of Words and Deeds book.

SATURDAY (5/13)

DEACON MEETING, 7:30 am, in the library
MEN'S MINISTRY BREAKFAST, 8:30 am. All men and boys are invited to join us in the Fellowship Hall for breakfast. We will enjoy a meal, reflect on what we have studied this spring, and look forward to the future. (We will need a crew to help prepare the meal. If you would like to coordinate this effort, please let me know ASAP).
MACH 4 Men's Ministry, 6 pm at Fairport Baptist. All men and boys are invited to participate in this ministry. We will share supper together, followed by a devotional time and ministry opportunities.

SUNDAY (5/14)

Mother's Day. We will honor our mothers with a potted flower following the service. Thank you Ron and Jan McElwain for supplying these for us.

ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio from Luke 21:5-19 "The Destruction of the Temple"

Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video.

COMING UP:

GRAND OAKS CAMPS SAVE THE DATE https://sjbamo.org/2023-sjba-grand-oaks-camp/
- Youth Camp, completed grades 7-12, June 19-23. Cost: $160, church funds 1/2 of the cost.
- Children's Camp, completed grades 4-6, July 24-28 (EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION FOR $150 IS AVAILABLE NOW). Church funds 1/2 of the cost.
- Introduction to Camping at Grand Oaks, June 23-24, for children who have completed grades 1-3. Cost is $25 per camper. Parents are encouraged to attend with their children for this overnight event. Pastor Kyle and myself will be on staff at Intro to Camping. For more info on Intro to Camping, follow this link. If you would like to attend with your child, please let me know. If you need financial assistance, please let me know.
- Also, we are in need of volunteer staff to serve as cabin coaches and cooks for youth and children's camp, and ACITS (assistant coaches in training) for children's camp. The ACITS typically need to have completed their sophomore year in high school, but occasionally we will accept an ACIT who has only completed his or her freshman year. See me about either of these opportunities.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL, July 10-14, in the evenings. This event is fast approaching in just a little over two months! Contact Dava Hackett for more info.

FIGHTER VERSE: Our Fighter Verse this week is Romans 12:14-16
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight."

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. Daily Bible reading is one of the leading indicators of spiritual growth and vitality in the Christian's life.

BONUS: I recommend podcasts from time to time. Here is one I have recommended in the past (I think), but a new season has just launched. It is called Open Book with Stephen Nichols. Dr. Nichols is a church history professor who is president of Reformation Bible College, Sanford, FL. This season he is interviewing Derek Thomas about books that have made an impact on him. Take a listen to these brief episodes, around 10 minutes each.

See you in church!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Greg

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May 21st, 2023

May 09th, 2023

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