My wonderful wife sprang a surprise trip on me after church Sunday (if you're friends with her on Facebook, perhaps you saw some of the pictures). I was tough to get a hold of for a couple of days, but we're back! A reminder that my phone number and e-mail address changed this month. The info will continue to appear in the bulletin the remainder of August. My new number is (xxx) xxx-xxxx, and the e-mail address is pastorgabehughes [at-sign] gmail.com.
AWANA starts TONIGHT! Lift up a special prayer for our leaders and volunteers who will be ministering to our children through this awesome program. We pray for a huge and lasting impact, and that God's Word would be written upon the hearts of the kids who are learning these Bible stories and memorizing verses. It all kicks off this evening at 6:00. The building has been pretty quiet on Wednesdays over the summer. That all changes today.
Prior to AWANA each Wednesday, we have our Fellowship Meal which starts at 5:00. Tonight's menu consists of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans. The cost, as with previous years, is $2 per child, $4 per adult, and $8 will feed the whole family. The kids will have AWANA afterward, of course, but we also have our co-ed adult Bible study which meets in the garage classroom. We'll finish up shortly before AWANA does.
Also this week, we started Bible Lunch Tuesday (BLT). We saw a total of 45 students yesterday, more than we usually see that first Tuesday of the school year. As the year goes on, we'll eventually get to where we're ministering to as many as 150 students per week. This year we're implementing what we call Bible Afternoon Tuesday (BAT), inviting students to come back to the church on Tuesday afternoons for Bible study. Be in prayer for this ministry also.
Has God Chosen Who Will Go to Heaven and Who Will Go to Hell?
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned an interaction that happened between my daughter and I. Annie, who is only 6, had a tough time understanding how a person could just willfully reject God and worship other gods. I didn't plan on having a deep discussion with her about predestination or election, but she had an easier time understanding this when I told her that God has already chosen those who will love him, and those who will hate him.
"It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy," reads Romans 9:16, which I read to Annie. "He has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills" (v.19). That made sense to her. It didn't make sense that a person, by their own power, can choose to hate the all-powerful God of the universe. God has chosen which vessels he will use to display his wrath and which to display his mercy, all to his glory (Romans 9:22-24).
This discussion has not only come up between my daughter and I. It has been reported to me by several individuals that this kind of conversation about this very subject matter has also arisen among other members of our church. We've touched on it some as we've been going through Exodus in our Wednesday night Bible study. Furthermore, we have a class on Romans which meets during the 9:45 Sunday school block that's just about to get into chapter 9.
Some are a little apprehensive about the topic, or have expressed some concerns. You shouldn't be! I don't think that these kinds of things happen by accident. The Lord may very well be preparing our church for a more open discussion on this topic. As the subject may arise in different circles, be patient with differing viewpoints. It's an opportunity to grow and mature one another. A maxim that I shared with someone earlier today goes like this: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
Regardless of who or what God has chosen, this does not relieve anyone of any personal responsibility. As far as you're concerned, you still have a choice. You choose to wake up today with a thankful and rejoicing heart. You choose not to get angry about the guy driving too slow in front of you. You choose to be responsible, love your spouse, pay your bills, mind your manners, check your thoughts, and whether or not you give into temptation. You choose it.
You still have a choice to obey or not to obey. So where you are right now, on the side of eternity that you presently exist, be obedient. Grow in the knowledge and truth of God's Word, growing with each other in the process. Share Christ with others and minister to them. And be patient as this discussion will likely expand into other areas of our church. This is nothing to fear or raise concerns over. I promise that this is a good thing.
Mothers of Pre-Schoolers Registration
MOPS is going to be starting up again at our church in about two weeks! The first meeting will be on September 4 from 9:00 to 11:00. We're currently accepting MOPS registration online, and I believe this is our first year to do this. Go to our website, www.fsbcjc.org, and you'll find the MOPS registration button in the column on the right side. Click on it and enter your info. The registration cost is $30.00. We're still looking for volunteers to help with childcare. Let Megan Severe know if you're available.
Let's Have a Pot-Luck!
Since August is a five-Sunday month, we'd like to get together for a pot-luck on Sunday, August 31. The location will be Playground Park on the corner of 5th and Eisenhower. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be served. Darin and Decklan Gaub have volunteered to man the grill! And being a pot-luck, you're encouraged to bring any other entree or side item to our feast.
All kinds of outdoor activities and games will be going on, incuding volleyball, ladder golf, and ultimate frisbee. Of course, there's also the playground for the kids! It wouldn't be much of a "Playground Park" without it. As soon as we finish up our second service on the 31st, head on over to the park and let's get our eat on!
Closing Thoughts
We'll continue talking about "The Mystery of Godliness" this week, looking at 1 Timothy 3:14-16 as our text. The audio portion of last week's sermon is available now on our website. We will also be partaking in the Lord's Supper this Sunday. Consider yourselves blessed in all things. I'm looking forward to AWANA and adult Bible study tonight, as I hope you are as well. Come and join us!
Pastor Gabriel
AWANA starts TONIGHT! Lift up a special prayer for our leaders and volunteers who will be ministering to our children through this awesome program. We pray for a huge and lasting impact, and that God's Word would be written upon the hearts of the kids who are learning these Bible stories and memorizing verses. It all kicks off this evening at 6:00. The building has been pretty quiet on Wednesdays over the summer. That all changes today.
Prior to AWANA each Wednesday, we have our Fellowship Meal which starts at 5:00. Tonight's menu consists of Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans. The cost, as with previous years, is $2 per child, $4 per adult, and $8 will feed the whole family. The kids will have AWANA afterward, of course, but we also have our co-ed adult Bible study which meets in the garage classroom. We'll finish up shortly before AWANA does.
Also this week, we started Bible Lunch Tuesday (BLT). We saw a total of 45 students yesterday, more than we usually see that first Tuesday of the school year. As the year goes on, we'll eventually get to where we're ministering to as many as 150 students per week. This year we're implementing what we call Bible Afternoon Tuesday (BAT), inviting students to come back to the church on Tuesday afternoons for Bible study. Be in prayer for this ministry also.
Has God Chosen Who Will Go to Heaven and Who Will Go to Hell?
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned an interaction that happened between my daughter and I. Annie, who is only 6, had a tough time understanding how a person could just willfully reject God and worship other gods. I didn't plan on having a deep discussion with her about predestination or election, but she had an easier time understanding this when I told her that God has already chosen those who will love him, and those who will hate him.
"It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy," reads Romans 9:16, which I read to Annie. "He has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills" (v.19). That made sense to her. It didn't make sense that a person, by their own power, can choose to hate the all-powerful God of the universe. God has chosen which vessels he will use to display his wrath and which to display his mercy, all to his glory (Romans 9:22-24).
This discussion has not only come up between my daughter and I. It has been reported to me by several individuals that this kind of conversation about this very subject matter has also arisen among other members of our church. We've touched on it some as we've been going through Exodus in our Wednesday night Bible study. Furthermore, we have a class on Romans which meets during the 9:45 Sunday school block that's just about to get into chapter 9.
Some are a little apprehensive about the topic, or have expressed some concerns. You shouldn't be! I don't think that these kinds of things happen by accident. The Lord may very well be preparing our church for a more open discussion on this topic. As the subject may arise in different circles, be patient with differing viewpoints. It's an opportunity to grow and mature one another. A maxim that I shared with someone earlier today goes like this: "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
Regardless of who or what God has chosen, this does not relieve anyone of any personal responsibility. As far as you're concerned, you still have a choice. You choose to wake up today with a thankful and rejoicing heart. You choose not to get angry about the guy driving too slow in front of you. You choose to be responsible, love your spouse, pay your bills, mind your manners, check your thoughts, and whether or not you give into temptation. You choose it.
You still have a choice to obey or not to obey. So where you are right now, on the side of eternity that you presently exist, be obedient. Grow in the knowledge and truth of God's Word, growing with each other in the process. Share Christ with others and minister to them. And be patient as this discussion will likely expand into other areas of our church. This is nothing to fear or raise concerns over. I promise that this is a good thing.
Mothers of Pre-Schoolers Registration
MOPS is going to be starting up again at our church in about two weeks! The first meeting will be on September 4 from 9:00 to 11:00. We're currently accepting MOPS registration online, and I believe this is our first year to do this. Go to our website, www.fsbcjc.org, and you'll find the MOPS registration button in the column on the right side. Click on it and enter your info. The registration cost is $30.00. We're still looking for volunteers to help with childcare. Let Megan Severe know if you're available.
Let's Have a Pot-Luck!
Since August is a five-Sunday month, we'd like to get together for a pot-luck on Sunday, August 31. The location will be Playground Park on the corner of 5th and Eisenhower. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be served. Darin and Decklan Gaub have volunteered to man the grill! And being a pot-luck, you're encouraged to bring any other entree or side item to our feast.
All kinds of outdoor activities and games will be going on, incuding volleyball, ladder golf, and ultimate frisbee. Of course, there's also the playground for the kids! It wouldn't be much of a "Playground Park" without it. As soon as we finish up our second service on the 31st, head on over to the park and let's get our eat on!
Closing Thoughts
We'll continue talking about "The Mystery of Godliness" this week, looking at 1 Timothy 3:14-16 as our text. The audio portion of last week's sermon is available now on our website. We will also be partaking in the Lord's Supper this Sunday. Consider yourselves blessed in all things. I'm looking forward to AWANA and adult Bible study tonight, as I hope you are as well. Come and join us!
Pastor Gabriel