August 14th Update

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

• Children's Ministry Info Meeting, August 15, 4:30 pm. Our primary focus will be on Kids' Club, and we will talk about available personnel, schedule, transportation, food, and if time, curriculum options. If you are interested in helping to reach the children and families of our community with the Gospel, join us on Sunday afternoon!
• Member Meeting, Sunday August 15, 6 pm. This is our regularly scheduled monthly member meeting, and we ask all members to attend if able.
• Missouri State Fair Evangelism Tent - Aug 21-22 If you would like to help our association staff the evangelism tent at the state fair in Sedalia, please contact SJBA Director of Missions Roger Brumley at 816-233-2504. According to Bro. Roger, "We need 7-9 folks to staff the Evangelism Tent for Saturday Evening and Sunday Morning. We will leave Saturday morning in our 15 Passenger Van, spend time at the Fair, man the Evangelism Tent, then spend the night at a local Church Camp (Bring your own bedding). The next morning, we will have a great breakfast at a local cafe, man the Evangelism Tent, Eat Lunch at Fair, spend a little time at the fair, and return home by around 7:00pm."
• 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. Several of you have indicated your interest to me, and I have not yet made the reservation, so please let me know soon! (August 18 is the online registration deadline). Contact me on my cell at 479-238-3772.
• Sunday, August 29, Worship in the Park at 6 pm. Children's games and fun begin at 4:30 pm at Bartlett Park, under the water tower.

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

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