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HAPPY REFORMATION DAY, EVERYONE!
On this date in 1517, Augustinian monk and university professor Martin Luther nailed (or possibly pasted) his Ninety-Five Theses to the castle church door at Wittenberg in what is now Germany as an academic challenge. Though the theses (another word for propositions) were in Latin and meant only for the learned to read, someone translated them into the vernacular and published them without Luther's permission. This was the spark that lit the flame of the Protestant Reformation, and the rest is history. Depending on who you ask, Baptists may or may not consider themselves "Protestant" in the sense of coming out of Roman Catholicism in protest. But it is beyond dispute, historically, that Baptists have been in full agreement with the spirit of the Reformation since the early days of the denomination in the 17th century. In particular, that means the doctrines of grace and the so-called "Five Solas": Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone). We stand with Luther and the Reformers in proclaiming that Scripture alone is our authority, and salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Nothing else. Here we stand, we cannot do otherwise. God help us! TODAY is Bible Quiz Day for our church's team as they gather with 25 other teams from around the region to compete as friends and to recall what they have learned over the last month since the last quiz. Our team name is "Contagious" and I would ask that you pray for them as they complete their day of quizzing. TOMORROW is THE LORD’S DAY! Join us for Bible Study for All Ages at 9:30 am followed by worship at 10:40 am. The worship service is streamed over Facebook Live and is posted on our Youtube channel later in the day for those without access to Facebook Live. We will be in Ruth 4 for our final message in this great little book about God's faithfulness from generation to generation, and how he uses flawed and sinful people to accomplish His purpose and bring glory to Himself. Here are the Scriptures that will frame our worship service tomorrow. I hope you will take a few minutes to read through them, meditate on them, and prepare your heart for corporate worship. Click on the link to take you to an online version or read them in your favorite app or print copy: Fighter Verse: Psalm 118:5-8 Call to Worship: Psalm 46 Old Testament Reading: Micah 3:5-12 New Testament Readings: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12 Assurance of God's Pardon: 1 John 1:8-9 Sermon Passage: Ruth 4 Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26 THIS WEEK is a very important week because of Election Day. I want to take this opportunity to say that if you are registered vote, please exercise your right to do so. Let your vote be consistent with the teaching of Scripture. If you subscribe to The Pathway, then you received a voter guide to describe candidates and issues. If you did not receive one, we have some copies at the church and will be happy to share them with you. On Monday, November 2 at 7 pm, join me in the Sanctuary for Pre-Election Prayer. We will pray for our country, our leaders, and the upcoming election. I will be preparing a prayer guide, and I anticipate our prayer time to last about 75 minutes. (If you would like to pray at home during that time instead, I will be happy to send you a prayer guide so that you can join with us). RESOURCES TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO: I don't take time in the pulpit to speak to specific political matters or candidates, but the issues of morality and freedom are matters we do address. I believe that this may very well be a watershed election in terms of the far-reaching impact on matters of life, freedom, and the future of America. Allow me to share a couple of podcasts with you, one from Al Mohler and another from Doug Wilson. These are men that are much smarter than I, and they have thought much more deeply than I have about political issues as related to theology. I invite you to listen thoughtfully and reflectively. Disclaimer: I do not necessarily endorse every viewpoint of these men, but believe the following resources to be insightful and helpful. Al Mohler: The Briefing Special Edition: Christians, Conscience, and the 2020 Election (25:55) Doug Wilson: John Piper, Me, and the Cool Shame Election (9:14); A Second Round of John Piper, Me, and the Cool Shame Election (9:48) [Wilson's podcasts are responses to John Piper's recent article on why he isn't planning to vote for either presidential candidate in this election. While I appreciate and respect John Piper, have read and profited from his books and have attended his conferences gladly, and whose passion for Christ and the Gospel are without equal, I cannot agree with him on this point]. I also invite you to watch Wayne Grudem on Answering a Friend's Objections to Voting for Trump (58:39). Dr. Grudem is a professor at Phoenix Seminary, and his Systematic Theology and books on biblical complementarianism have made a deep impact on me. He is thoughtful, gentle, and well-reasoned in his answers. COMING UP
ICYMI Last Sunday’s Message Ruth 3: Our Kinsman Redeemer Visit the website for more up-to-date information! I leave you with this wonderful recording of A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, Martin Luther's text arranged by Henric Idestrom and sung by the John Brown University Singers. Enjoy and be inspired! See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg
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Greetings, everyone! As we prepare for the Lord's Day tomorrow, take a few moments and read through the following texts that will frame our corporate worship. "Whatever is good,...meditate on these things." (Phil. 4:8)
Call to Worship/Fighter Verses: Psalm 77:13-14 Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18 New Testament Readings: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Matthew 22:34-46 Assurance of Pardon: Romans 5:1 Sermon Passage: Ruth 3 Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26 If you would like to read the passages online, just click anywhere in the link and it will take you there. THE LORD’S DAY Beginning last Lord's Day and continuing tomorrow, we will receive nominations for the office of deacon. The biblical background and qualifications for this office is Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3. Please take time to read these passages and listen to the recorded messages on the subject of church leadership which I preached in 2019. It has been my practice to preach a series on church leadership once every two years in the fall, so these recordings are from the last time I preached these passages: Elders and Deacons: Complementary Offices, Part 1 Elders and Deacons: Complementary Offices, Part 2 Elders and Deacons: Qualifications and Selection, Part 1 Elders and Deacons: Qualifications and Selection, Part 2 Please prayerfully consider who you would nominate for this Scriptural office. Church members may nominate up to four men whom they consider Scripturally qualified to serve as deacon. Nomination forms were distributed on October 18 and will be again tomorrow for those who did not receive one. Further instructions as well as the section of our by-laws describing deacon selection are included on the nomination form. The forms will be distributed at the beginning of the service and collected at the end. Any questions about nominations, currently ordained men, or the process in general should be directed to our currently serving deacons, Kyle Carroll, Russ Wright, Don Burns, Mike Greer, or Robert Kendall. Thank you for your participation in this process. THIS WEEK The Missouri Baptist Convention Annual Meeting will take place at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles Monday and Tuesday of this week, along with the Pastors' Conference and auxiliary meetings. Please be in prayer for the officers and messengers of the convention as they deliberate and make decisions regarding the work of our state convention going forward. This is largely a fellowship meeting, less of a deliberative one. More worship, less business. But there will be items to be voted on and business to be discussed. Attending as messengers from our church this year will be Kyle and Sue Bridgman, Gary and Louise Dean, and myself. Lorrie Dixon was elected to serve, but is unable to attend this year. For more information on the Missouri Baptist Convention and how Southern Baptists in Missouri cooperate together for Gospel missions and ministry, visit mobaptist.org. COMING UP
ICYMI 10/18 Sunday Message Ruth 2 "The Lord Is Our Refuge" 10/11 Sunday Message Baptism and the Lord's Supper Visit the website for more up-to-date information! By the way, for those of you who saw my post about the vandalism at McCarthy, the damage was mostly broken glass in the offices and downstairs. A burglar broke in about 2:30 am and stayed till 4am Friday morning looking for things to steal. He had also broken into a couple of other businesses close by, so the combined video footage made it relatively easy to identify and apprehend him. He is in police custody. About 50 people showed up to help clean up this morning, and we had it done in about an hour with brooms, vacuums, and shovels. All in all, it was not nearly so bad as it could have been. It is always unsettling when a church experiences a break in, but nothing of great value was destroyed or defaced, praise the Lord! See you in Church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, everyone! What a joy it has been to be out and about these last several days. The whole family is out of quarantine and enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather, more like summer than fall, but the colors are starting to burst. God's handiwork is wonderful to behold!
**Please be in prayer for our DOM Roger Brumley who has tested positive for COVID-19, and his wife, Pam, as they quarantine at home. TODAY
Grillmaster: Need to arrive about 4:30 to get the grill prepared to cook the frozen burgers and dogs. Cook up the meat and be ready to serve by 6 pm. Drinks: Purchase or make up tea and/or lemonade. Chips: Buy/bring chips (preferably individual size bags) Dessert: Need cookies/brownies/cake/pie for 25 Everything but the grilling could be done at any point during the day even if you aren't able to attend the meeting. Please contact me if you are able to do any of the above at my cell phone, 479-238-3772. THE LORD’S DAY We will have our quarterly observance of the Lord's Supper during 10:40 morning worship. My intention is to preach on the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper from Matthew 28 and 1 Corinthians 11 prior to partaking of this symbolic meal. Please take time to read 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 in preparation for this important day, and spend some time in self-examination (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28). One way to do this is through the use of diagnostic questions. The following are a starter list. You may come up with others:
Tomorrow evening, we will gather for our regular monthly member meeting at 6 pm in the Great Room. All members are requested to attend, and all are welcome to attend. (If we have more than can comfortably socially distance in the Great Room, we will move to the sanctuary). THIS WEEK Saturday, October 17: FLOOD REBUILDING FINAL PUSH. We are requesting that as many who are physically able plan now to help with the final push to restore/rebuild the homes affected by the flooding in south St. Joe back in July. Journey Baptist has shouldered much of the load during this time, and more hands are needed to relieve those who have done so. We will plan to leave from the church parking lot at 7:15 am and stay through the day until 5 pm, if possible. If you are only able to work the first half of the day, that is wonderful. Or if you can only come for the second half, also wonderful. If you come for the second half, check in at Journey Baptist Church around 12:30 pm for the 1-5 pm shift. You do not have to have prior experience or training to help, just a servant heart and the ability to help carry sheet rock, insulation, particle board and the like. Contact me this week if you are interested in this ministry opportunity (which is really a local missions opportunity). COMING UP Deacon Nominations for 2021 will be distributed and received on two consecutive Sundays, October 18 and 25. All members are entitled to nominate as many as four men to serve for a 3-year term as deacon. Please prayerfully consider your nominations in light of the qualifications for the office of deacon in ICYMI Last Sunday’s Message The Road Less Traveled by Robert Kendall FIGHTER VERSES THIS WEEK: James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Visit the website for more up-to-date information! See you in church! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, everyone! Thank you all for the prayers and words of encouragement over the last couple of weeks of my isolation. After 10 days of quarantine, today is my official "freedom" day. The rest of the family has a few more days to isolate. I haven't had a fever since a week ago Thursday. Most of my symptoms have been like a mild cold the whole time, plus the sense of taste and smell affected. I don't feel terrible. Earlier in the week, I entertained the thought of being back in the pulpit this week. However, I want you to have full confidence that in attending services you won't be unduly exposed. Therefore, I will be out of the pulpit one more Sunday. I believe this is prudent. Thank you for bearing with me patiently. Thanks to all who are shouldering responsibilities while I am out.
TODAY is the first Bible Quiz competition of the season. Please be in prayer for our quizzers and coaches as they compete under the COVID restrictions today. They will very likely be getting to the end of the competition by the time you read this, but pray for them nonetheless. Pray for all the quizzers' continued health as well. TOMORROW is the LORD’S DAY and we would ordinarily be observing the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of the quarter, but we have postponed it one week to October 11. Please take time this week to examine yourselves in the light of Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 as you prepare for this ordinance of the church. In preparation for Lord's Day worship tomorrow, please take a few moments to read and meditate on the following Scriptures that will frame the service. Click anywhere in the link to read the Scriptures online: Call to Worship: Psalm 19:1-14; OT Reading: Exodus 20:1-20; NT Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14; Assurance of Pardon: Romans 8:1-2; Sermon: Matthew 7:13-27; Fighter Verses: Proverbs 4:25-27; Benediction: Philippians 1:2; 4:23 I have asked Robert Kendall to fill the pulpit for me tomorrow. Please pray for him as he brings the message "The Road Less Traveled" from Matthew 7:13-27. THIS WEEK
COMING UP
ICYMI Last Sunday’s Message from Jerry Scott, "New Years' Repentance" Visit the FBC website for more up-to-date information! Grace and peace, Pastor Greg |
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