February 12th, 2023

GREETINGS, FBC FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
Today we will lay to rest Dixie Thornton who passed away last Friday evening. Services are this morning at Turner Funeral Home with visitation at 10 am and funeral service at 11 am and burial to follow at Oak Lawn Cemetery. We remember Dixie as a faithful servant of Christ, committed to missions and missions education in our church and around the world. We extend Christian sympathy to Tommy and his family as they grieve her passing. 

MACH 4 Men's Ministry: This evening, MACH 4 will meet at Oak Christian Church at 6 pm for a meal and fellowship. Since it is close to Valentine's Day, men are encouraged to bring their wives for the meal. Please let Barry Kagay know ASAP if you plan to attend at [email protected] so that they can have adequate food prepared.


THE LORD'S DAY (2/12): 

• 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. The sermon will focus on Luke 19:1-10, "Today Salvation Has Come to This House," the account of Jesus' meeting with Zacchaeus. Still on the way to Jerusalem but stopping in Jericho, Jesus sees Zacchaeus the tax collector up in a sycamore tree trying to get a glimpse of Jesus. Jesus instructs him to come down because He is coming to Zacchaeus' house. Zacchaeus is converted that day and gives evidence of his repentance and faith to all those gathered that day. The title of the message is taken from Jesus' pronouncement, "Today, salvation has come to this house."

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 135:1-7
  
• Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 138:1-7
  
• Scripture Reading: Exodus 14:21-31
  
• Sermon Text: Luke 19:1-10
  
• Benediction: Numbers 6:24-26
  

• Baptist Catechism Questions are Questions 88-89 "On the Purpose of the Law." For the entire catechism, follow this link.
  • Question 88: Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
    Answer: No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily falls short of inward and outward perfection.
    Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:20; Genesis 6:5; 8:21; 1 John 1:8; James 3:2, 8; Romans 3:23; 7:15; Philippians 3:12.
    
    Question 89: What then is the purpose of the law since the fall?
    Answer: The purpose of the law, since the fall, is to reveal the perfect righteousness of God, that his people may know the path of faith that leads to life, and that the ungodly may be convicted of their sin, restrained from evil, and brought to Christ for salvation.
    Scripture: Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 3:20, 31; 7:7; 8:13; 9:32; 12:2; Titus 2:12-14; Galatians 3:22, 24; 1 Timothy 1:8; Luke 10:25-28.

Super Bowl Sunday. We will have our annual chili cook-off and watch party that evening, Lord willing. Specific times are pending, but those bringing chili for the competition usually need to have them there around 4:00 to allow plenty of time for judging. Soups are also welcome and appreciated, but will not be part of the chili contest. I would also encourage you to bring items for the Living Hope Food Pantry. During the month of February, they would appreciate:

• • Deodorant
  • Canned Tomatoes
  • Tomato Sauce/Pasta Sauce
  • Macaroni & Cheese
  • Peanut Butter
  • Shampoo

MONDAY (2/13)

• SEWING CIRCLE at 5 pm. All ladies are invited to attend whether you sew or not. This is a time of fellowship and mutual encouragement.
• 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 (2/15)

• Women's ZOOM Bible Study is on break until March

• Men's Discipleship Group, 10 am in the library/conference room. This group finished up Walking With Ephesians study, but will still be meeting for further study in the book of Ephesians for a couple of weeks.
• Kids' Club, 3:30 - 5:15 pm. This after-school ministry is for children, K-6.
• Men's Discipleship Group, 6 pm (Robert Kendall, group leader, 816-724-4155). This group isusing the Walking with Ephesians devotional study guide, available on the literature rack in the narthex for $13. 
• 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 Ex. 12:1-28 (or as far as we can get) this week. This is the passage concerning the establishment of Passover.The ZOOM invite is sent out in the late afternoon on Wednesday, so watch for it in your inbox.

THURSDAY (2/16)

• Worship Team rehearsal at 6:30 pm
• Men's Discipleship Group in conference room at 7 pm. We will be discussing week six of Walking With Ephesians by Fred Parry. The study guide is available on the literature rack in the narthex (cost: $13).

COMING UP

• Gideon Speaker Dick Anderson will be sharing a 10-minute presentation during the morning service on February 19. If you would like to know more about the Gideons and their ministry of Bible publishing and distribution, visit gideons.org
• Carry-in Dinner and Member Meeting will be Sunday, February 19, immediately after morning worship. Church provides table service and drinks, you provide main dishes, sides, and desserts. Plan on staying and enjoying the meal and the meeting. Just as a reminder, all members are expected to attend the bi-monthly member meeting unless providentially hindered from doing so.

• Justin Peters' Conference is coming up March 3 & 4 at Journey Baptist Church, 5708 King Hill Ave., St. Joseph, 6:30 pm each evening. The event is FREE and open to the public. Justin is a nationally known speaker and will be addressing the topic "Why isn't everyone healed?" on Friday evening. Saturday evening he will be speaking on "The Penal Substitutionary Atonement of Christ." This is a central doctrine of Biblical Christianity, but it is being denied by many well-known pastors today, including Brian Zahnd of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph. Justin's message will equip you to understand the importance of this doctrine and help you answer those who have questions about its importance.

ICYMI: Last Sunday's sermon audio on "The Seeing Are Blind, and the Blind See" Luke 18:31-43

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 Psalm 37:[1-2], 3-4
[Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
    be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
    and wither like the green herb.]
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

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. I want to encourage you to read through the Bible, or ...

...LISTEN THROUGH THE BIBLE As I shared last week, we now have access to multiple ways where you can listen to someone read the Bible to you. If you would like to hear the King James Bible dramatized, you can. If you would like to hear Max McLean read the ESV, you can. If you would like to hear David Suchet read the NIV in Oxford accent, you can. The apostle Peter describes the power of God's word this way in 1 Peter 1:22-25 (quoting from Isaiah 40):
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for
“All flesh is like grass
    and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
    and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.


BONUS: By now, most of you have heard about what happened at the Grammy Awards last Sunday night. For those who haven't heard, it was basically a musical tribute to Satan. If you want to hear (or read) more about it, I suggest the insightful episode of The Briefing with Al Mohler from last Tuesday. His analysis is spot on as usual.

BONUS BONUS: Keith and Kristyn Getty are coming to Midwestern Seminary on Sunday evening, March 26. You likely associate them with songs such as "In Christ Alone" and "The Power of the Cross." They have been a blessing to the church at large, and they are well worth seeing in concert. Tickets are $25 for general admission. For more information, visit this website.

See you in church!

Grace and peace,

Pastor Greg