weekly update

Greetings, everyone, in the matchless name of Christ!
First of all, let me say thanks to all those who stood in the gap last Sunday as I learned that my brother, Chris, had died. Many thanks to Kyle Bridgman, Kyle Carroll, and Clay Mather for taking care of the service. After my sister and I informed our folks and helped get the arrangements made for the service, I came back home on Monday evening and have been in the office this week. The memorial service for my brother will be 10 am Saturday, June 20, on the family farm near Riverton, Kansas. My intention is to travel back down on Friday, June 19, and remain through the next several days to help the family tie up loose ends and assist my parents with some needs.
Jerry Scott will be filling the pulpit for me on Sunday, June 21, and I thank him in advance for his graciousness in agreeing to do so.
If you will permit me a personal reflection, Chris was the glue that held everything together, the son who lived nearby and daily checked on my parents, the one who did the lion's share of the farming as my dad became less and less physically able, and the one who had a vision for the restoration of the family farm to its former beauty and productivity. Many of you have experienced the loss of a parent or sibling, so I know you can sympathize with my situation. Thanks to all who have expressed your sympathy in so many ways to my family and me.

TODAY MACH 4 Men's Ministry will have a meeting on the Hopewell parking lot at 6 pm.

TOMORROW is THE LORD’S DAY! As we gather tomorrow for worship, let us do as Psalm 100 instructs:
"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before Him with Joyful singing.
Know that the LORD Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, adn not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless His name.
For the LORD is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations." (NASB)


Our Scriptures for the morning will be Fighter Verse John 6:35; Call to Worship Psalm 100; Assurance of Pardon Psalm 103:8, 10-12; OT Reading Genesis 18:1-15; NT Reading Romans 5:1-8; Sermon Passage Acts 2:5-13; Benediction 6:24-26
Take a few moments to follow the link and read through the scriptures (which will take about 5 or 6 minutes), then pray for all those involved in the service (musicians, Scripture readers, pray-ers, preacher). Come to the church house prepared to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth!


THIS WEEK

Monday-Saturday: Please be in prayer for four of our teenagers who will be attending Super C Camp this week at Midland Ministries Campground, Polo, MO. Chloe D., Ruth D., Cydney W., Lexi J., we will be praying for you!

Wednesday: We continue to have our Midweek Service at 6:30 pm on Wednesday in the Great Room. This is live and in person as well as available by ZOOM. If you can join us in person, we invite you to do so. If not, please join us by ZOOM on your device of choice. Invitations go out by e-mail, or if you choose, text or FB messenger. Just let us know how you prefer to receive the invite.

Friday: MHS Graduation Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2020 are scheduled for Friday, June 19 at 7 pm on the football field. (Alternate date of July 17 in case of inclement weather).

Saturday: Our MHS graduate, Emily Poston, invites you to her high school graduation party on June 20, 3 - 5 pm at the June Conley Building. Congratulations, Emily!
COMING UP
Our Monthly Member Meetings have been suspended along with everything else over the last few months, the last one being in March at our last carry-in dinner. We will be looking into the possibility of having one on July 12, but nothing is set in stone yet. If you would like to see monthly financial statements in the meantime, please contact Marsha Smith, our treasurer, and she will be happy to get a copy to you.
ICYMI Last Sunday’s Message Clay Mather preaching Daniel 4


FIGHTER VERSE
John 6:35 "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."


A PASTORAL WORD
As you may already know, I do not often speak of politics publicly, and when I do it is mostly over moral and ethical issues rather than politics strictly speaking. But, with you, I grieve for our nation as many parts of it are torn apart and set ablaze by lawless rioters, occupied by protestors, and divided by the politics of racial identity. It grieves me to see professing Christians divided over these issues. Southern Baptist leaders are speaking to these issues, but not all of them speak for me, and that is as it should be. Our convention comprises some 48,000 independent, autonomous churches with a wide variety of opinions and strongly-held convictions present in them. As Baptists, we are not required to march in lock step on every issue. But as believers, we are required to keep going back to the Bible as our source of authority for all things pertaining to life and godliness 2 Peter 1:2-4. It may be simplistic, but I still believe what I learned in the children's Sunday School song: "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." With that said, I share with you a couple of links that have been helpful for me to view some of these cultural issues through the lens of a biblical worldview. The sufficiency and authority of Scripture must be paramount as we look at our world, our culture, and ourselves.
"Racial Reconciliation" on Ephesians 2:10-11 by Voddie Baucham, president of African Christian University and former pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church in Houston (Almost everything Voddie does is worth watching/listening to, and I highly recommend his ministry to you, not just on the subject of race, but also on the home, on salvation, on creation, on salvation, etc.)
"George Floyd and the Gospel" Just Thinking Podcast with Darrell Harrison and Virgil "Omaha" Walker from 5/30/2020
(One take away from this podcast that I appreciate is the statement "Races don't reconcile. Hearts reconcile." I became aware of this podcast through the ministry of Justin Peters, another apologeticist whom I trust and whose ministry has been fruitful in the gospel. Justin was the first one that I am aware of to interview Costi Hinn, nephew off Benny Hinn, after Costi came out of the "prosperity gospel" movement).


See you in church!


Grace and peace,


Pastor Greg


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