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Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
"Christ is risen!" "He is risen indeed!" "Hallelujah!" So goes the traditional greeting of Christians for hundreds of years who meet with one another on the Feast of the Resurrection. We will keep that tradition as we meet this Lord's Day morning as we celebrate the empty tomb, the Risen Savior, and the new life we have in Him! TODAY (3/30)
THE LORD'S DAY (3/31)
MONDAY (4/1)
WEDNESDAY (4/3)
THURSDAY (4/4)
SUNDAY (4/7)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio for Sunday, March 24, Matthew 20:17-19 "Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord!" Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: Our Fighter Verse this week is Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan for 2024 is attached to this e-mail for your convenience. Plan to make this year a year centered on God's Word. One way to do that is by having a definite plan to read Scripture this year. You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website. If you would like to see other Bible reading plans, visit ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans . See you in church! Grace & Peace, Pastor Greg
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Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
Thanks to all who came for work day this morning! We were comparatively few in number, but those who came were able to accomplish quite a bit. The youth room is now primed and ready for paint, a new handrail was installed in the stairway leading to the crow's nest, and the church property to the south of our building has been spruced up. We still have sheetrock to hang in the Old Sanctuary loft and aluminum siding to hang on the storage shed, so be thinking about participating in those projects next time! Take a few moments to prepare your heart for the Lord's Day as we gather as the people of God to magnify and exalt Him tomorrow morning. THE LORD'S DAY (3/24)
Baptist Catechism Questions #111-112 "On the Lord's Prayer"
MONDAY (3/25)
TUESDAY (3/26)
WEDNESDAY (3/27)
THURSDAY (3/28)
FRIDAY (3/29)
SATURDAY (3/30)
SUNDAY (3/31)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio for Sunday, March 17, Stephen Preaches the Bible, Part One, Acts 7:1-8 Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: Our Fighter Verse this week is Ephesians 2:1-3 "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan for 2024 is attached to this e-mail for your convenience. Plan to make this year a year centered on God's Word. One way to do that is by having a definite plan to read Scripture this year. You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website. If you would like to see other Bible reading plans, visit ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans . See you in church! Grace & Peace, Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
The last few days have felt like spring, and the promise of new life is just around the corner. Praise the Lord for His grace and goodness toward us all, and especially us as His people! BIBLE QUIZ MEET AT LAWSON BAPTIST CHURCH, today, noon to 4 pm. Pray for our quiz team "Switch" as they compete with 150+ other quizzers from the region. The team will leave from the church at 10:45 am and return by approximately 5 pm. For those who might like to observe the team in action, the church is located on Hwy 69 continuing south of the turnoff to downtown Lawson for about 1/2 mile or so. The church is on the west side of the highway. THE LORD'S DAY (2/4)
Baptist Catechism Questions Question 95: What are the outward and ordinary means by which Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption? Answer: The outward and ordinary means by which Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the Word, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and Prayer; all of which are made effectual to the elect for salvation. Scripture: Romans 10:17; James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 3:5; Acts 14:1; 2:41, 42. Question 96: How is the Word made effective for salvation? Answer: The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation. Scripture: Psalm 19:7; 119:11, 18; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:1, 2; Romans 1:16. Question 97: How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effective for salvation? Answer: That the Word may become effective for salvation we must attend to it with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. Scripture: Proverbs 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1, 2; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 2:1, 3; 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; Psalm 119:11; James 1:21, 25. DISCOVER FBC, noon to 3:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. All those considering membership at FBC are encouraged to attend, but also any current member would benefit from it. Lunch will be served and the class will be taught in four sessions, seminar-style. Topics covered will be...
COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION MEETING (suggested schedule to minimize conflicts 4:00 - 5:00 pm
5:00 - 6:00 pm
MONDAY (2/5)
WEDNESDAY (2/7)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio for last Sunday from Acts 4:32-5:11 "Lying to the Holy Spirit" Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: 1 Thessalonians 5:18-22 ... give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan for 2024 is attached to this e-mail for your convenience. Plan to make this year a year centered on God's Word. One way to do that is by having a definite plan to read Scripture this year. You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website. If you would like to see other Bible reading plans, visit ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans . See you in church! Grace & Peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
On Tuesday, five of us from St. Joseph Baptist Association attended the Midwest Leadership Summit in Springfield, IL. This is a biennial event designed to inform, train, equip, and encourage SBC pastors, staff ministers, church planters, and associational missionaries across 12 midwestern states. I was personally encouraged by the fellowship and renewed relationships made possible by such an event. I was able to reconnect with a church planting pastor from Wichita who was a fellow-pastor with me in our association in southeast Kansas over 20 years ago, an associational missionary in Cleveland, OH (but originally from Republic, MO) with whom I became acquainted at a doctoral seminar a decade ago, and a youth pastor from Leavenworth, KS, who was a teenager in our church in Arkansas more than a decade ago. We returned Thursday afternoon refreshed. I'll be giving a fuller report on the sessions I attended at our member meeting in a few weeks. Christian Sympathy On behalf of the church, Christian sympathy is extended to the family of Terry Riley (Trish Abernathy's brother-in-law) on his passing Monday, January 22. His services are today at Passion Church (visitation at 1 pm, service at 2 pm). Christian sympathy is also extended to the family of Frances Hall who passed away Tuesday morning. Her services were yesterday at First Baptist. Thanks to all who helped with the service and the meal. THE LORD'S DAY (1/28)
Baptist Catechism Questions
(COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION MEETING POSTPONED TO FEB. 4, see announcement below) MONDAY (1/29)
WEDNESDAY (1/31)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio for last Sunday from Matthew 18:1-10; 19:13-15 "Let the Little Children Come to Me" (Sanctity of Human Life message) Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-17 [And] we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing ... READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan for 2024 is attached to this e-mail for your convenience. Plan to make this year a year centered on God's Word. One way to do that is by having a definite plan to read Scripture this year. You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website. If you would like to see other Bible reading plans, visit ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans . See you in church! Grace & Peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, Church Family and Friends! Last week we used a modified schedule of services due to the extreme cold weather, encouraging folks to exercise caution in getting out. Thanks to all those who braved the weather to join us in person and enable us to have sound and video for those unable to get out. This week, we will observe our regular schedule (see below). Hope to see everyone in the Lord's House tomorrow!
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday is always the Sunday closest to January 22. That was the date in 1973 when the Supreme Court handed down the now overturned Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand in all 50 states. Since Roe was overturned in 2022, that decision has been remanded to the individual states. While the overturning of Roe should be considered a moral victory, it has also served to show just how deep the moral divide is in our nation concerning the unborn. The pro-abortion political machine is better organized and more well-funded than the anti-abortion side, so states thought unlikely to go pro-abortion in legislation (like Kansas and Kentucky) did. While abortion has been condemned by the Southern Baptist Convention more than twenty times since 1980, recent overtures to offer a stronger position on the abolition of abortion have had a harder time being brought out from committee to the floor (sorry about the "inside baseball" talk here). One that failed to be brought to the floor of the 2022 Anaheim convention was the Resolution on Equal Protection of the Law for Preborn Children. The essence of that resolution was summarized in a promotional piece advocating its adoption: "From the moment of fertilization/conception, preborn children are created in the image of God and the same laws protecting our lives ought to protect them. This should not be controversial among Southern Baptists. As Christians, we are commanded to uphold justice for the fatherless, love our neighbors as ourselves, and treat others as we wish to be treated. We are not at liberty to deny preborn children the same legal protections that we enjoy. We must demand the abolition of abortion through equal protection for preborn children." With respect for all the moral ground gained through incremental pro-life work and legislation, we as Christians, living in a culture of death, ought to be working for the abolition of all murder of all image-bearers. All the while offering help, grace, and forgiveness for all who have been involved in abortion in the past. THE LORD'S DAY (1/21)
MONDAY (1/22)
WEDNESDAY (1/24)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio for last Sunday from Acts 4:13-31 on Spirit-Filled Boldness. Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan for 2024 is attached to this e-mail for your convenience. Plan to make this year a year centered on God's Word. One way to do that is by having a definite plan to read Scripture this year. You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website. If you would like to see other Bible reading plans, visit ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans . See you in church! Grace & Peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
The sun is finally shining as I write on this Saturday afternoon, and it is a welcome sight. After a week of ice and snow, we are looking at record cold temperatures today and tomorrow. Due to the dangerous cold and uncertain conditions of streets and roads, we (the deacons and I) made the decision to dismiss Sunday School for the day. We will have in-person worship for those able to make it safely to the building. BUT, we are encouraging everyone to exercise extreme caution in getting out tomorrow as the temperatures will be in the range of 15-17 below zero, with wind chills in the 40 below range. The service will be streamed on Facebook Live as usual for those not able to attend in person. Again, please use caution in getting out. The parking lot and entrances will be accessible, but please err on the side of caution if you have any doubt about your personal safety. Please let me know if you have any needs that we can help you with due to the extreme weather. THE LORD'S DAY (1/14) - MODIFIED SCHEDULE
MONDAY (1/15)
WEDNESDAY (1/17)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio for last Sunday from Hebrews 8 on Jesus, Our Great High Priest. Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE:Isaiah 43:1-3 ..."Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. ²When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ³For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..." READ THROUGH THE BIBLE The Five-Day Bible Reading Plan for 2024 is attached to this e-mail for your convenience. Plan to make this year a year centered on God's Word. One way to do that is by having a definite plan to read Scripture this year. You may want to access additional resources to support your reading available at this website. If you would like to see other Bible reading plans, visit ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans . BONUS: And now, here is that great Stephanie Boosahda classic from 1983, "Somewhere It's Snowing," sung by the writer. Enjoy! See you in church! (But possibly not tomorrow!) Grace & Peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
A big thank you to Walt Thomack for supplying the pulpit for me last Sunday. My family and I were able to attend the 75th Anniversary and Closing Service of Spring Valley Baptist Church in Raytown, a church I served on staff at shortly after Lorrie and I were married. It was a bittersweet celebration, but a celebration nonetheless, as around 500 folks gathered for worship in a sanctuary whose attendance has been averaging fewer than fifty for some time. As I mentioned last week in the update, the church voted to turn its property over to Lenexa Baptist Church to do a church replant coming in January. Please join me in praying for this dear congregation as it walks through this transition to a new day of ministry under new leadership. This update is tardy because I participated in the Agros Fellowship Annual Conference today in Atchison as one of the speakers. This is an outstanding (free) small conference geared toward small town and rural churches. I encourage you to put this conference on your calendar for next year, normally on the first Sunday of November. You will be blessed. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS: Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed. But if you don't, the worst thing that will happen is you arrive one hour early for Sunday School or worship service:) THE LORD'S DAY (11/5):
MONDAY (11/6)
WEDNESDAY (11/8)
THURSDAY (11/9)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio Luke 1 Who Is John the Baptist? Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: Our Fighter Verse this week is John 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 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 & Peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
TODAY will be a Church Work Day, 8 am - no later than noon. Several projects are available, including finishing the application of primer to youth room walls, some light concrete repair outside the north entrance, weedeating of the east bank of the church property, clearing the clematis from the trees on the south church property, and more. I will bring the donuts! THE LORD'S DAY (10/22):
MONDAY (10/23)
TUESDAY (10/24)
WEDNESDAY (10/25)
THURSDAY (10/26)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio Acts 2:25-41 "This is That: The Prophecy of Pentecost, Part Two" Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: Our Fighter Verse this week is 1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 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 & Peace, Pastor Greg Greetings, Church Family and Friends!
As you prepare for the Lord's Day tomorrow, meditate on these words from The Valley of Vision entitled "Calvary's Anthem": "Heavenly Father, Thou has led me singing to the cross where I fling down all my burdens and see them vanish, where my mountains of guilt are levelled to a plain, where my sins disappear, though they are the greatest that exist, and are more in number than the grains of fine sand; For there is power in the blood of Calvary to destroy sins more than can be counted even by one from the choir of heaven. Thou hast given me a hill-side spring that washes clear and white, and I go as a sinner to its waters, bathing without hindrance in its crystal streams. At the cross there is free forgiveness for poor and meek ones, and ample blessings that last forever; The blood of the Lamb is like a great river of infinite grace with never any diminishing of its fullness as thirsty ones without number drink of it. O Lord, forever will thy free forgiveness live that was gained on the mount of blood; In the midst of a world of pain it is a subject for praise in every place, a song on earth, an anthem in heaven, its love and virtue knowing no end. I have a longing for the world above where multitudes sing the great song, for my soul was never created to love the dust of earth. Though here my spiritual state is frail and poor, I shall go on singing Calvary's anthem. May I always know that a clean heart full of goodness is more beautiful than the lily, that only a clean heart can sing by night and by day, that such a heart is mine when I abide at Calvary." TODAY
THE LORD'S DAY (10/15):
TUESDAY (10/17)
WEDNESDAY (10/18)
THURSDAY (10/19)
COMING UP:
ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio Acts 2:14-24 "This is That: The Prophecy of Pentecost, Part One" Other previous messages are archived here . Please visit our YouTube Channel to see the edited service video. FIGHTER VERSE: Our Fighter Verse this week is Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' 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. DIRECTORY PICTURES: Thanks to everyone who had pictures taken for our directory over the past two Sundays. We had about 35 family units photographed with 15-20 currently attending family units left to go. We will be contacting those families for a "retake" session with Lindsay Jestes. Anyone who is not able to be present for that session (day and time TBA) will be welcome to submit photos of their own for the directory. Man Knows Not His Time: Sarah Young, author of the best selling book "Jesus Calling," passed away several weeks ago on August 31 at age 77. She and her husband were missionaries with the Presbyterian Church in America, the conservative Bible-believing Presbyterians. She received a degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, known for its conservative Bible theology. That's what makes it so hard to understand how she went into the area of mystical writing. Her original 2004 version of "Jesus Calling" spawned a whole host of other editions like "Jesus Calling for Kids", "Jesus Calling for Students," etc. It was a book of mystical writings which the author penned as though spoken to her by Jesus. She was deeply influenced by a similar book from the 1930s entitled "God Calling." In "God Calling" the two anonymous "Listeners" to which authorship is ascribed, claimed to hear messages from God and to write them down through "automatic writing," a technique by which the writer sometimes closes his or her eyes and allows the pen to move and write freely on the page, seemingly beyond the control of the one holding it. This practice is occultic at its foundation. Early editions of "Jesus Calling" acknowledged Young's indebtedness to "God Calling," although later editions took out that acknowledgement, likely because of the many of the obvious problems with "God Calling." The main problem with Young's books (and "God Calling" as well) is that they undermine the sufficiency of Scripture and lead the reader to believe that "something more" is available through these extra-biblical mystical writings which claim to come from the very mouth of Jesus. If you have read these books and feel you have benefited from them, you are not alone. And you do not need to think badly of yourself for having done so. These books were marketed by a Christian publisher through Christian bookstores as Christian literature. You had every reason to believe that these were Christian books. Sarah Young was a professing Christian. I certainly hope that she is with the Lord and that she has been duly corrected and chastened from the error she espoused through "Jesus Calling." But more importantly, I urge you to mark and avoid these writings and any others which cast doubt on the total sufficiency of the Bible for faith, doctrine, life, growth in holiness, and every other area to which it speaks. Here is a video from Tim Challies entitled The 5 Most Ridiculous Books to Ever Become Christian Best Sellers, and at the 8:14 time stamp he begins to talk about "Jesus Calling." The rest of the video is worthwhile, including critiques of The Prayer of Jabez (Bruce Wilkinson; this was considered obligatory reading for pastors/preachers in the early 2000s, and from which I preached a sermon series back then; I have since repented of it!); The Circle Maker (Mark Batterson); Your Best Life Now (Joel Osteen); various "heaven tourism" books (e.g. Heaven Is For Real) round out the list before he gets to Jesus Calling. Left off this list are other best-selling books which are labeled as "Christian" but whose messages are sub-Christian at best and anti-Christian at worst. If you have questions about a Christian book, I'd be happy to visit with you to help discern whether the message of it is truly compatible with the Bible or if it runs counter to Bible teaching. See you in church! Grace & Peace, Pastor Greg |
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