News from the Pews

Your Seven-Day Challenge

We had a great time of worship Sunday.  God was speaking to several of us about the same thing all week.  I felt like it would honor God to put aside my series for one Sunday and communicate what I thought would be more useful for building up the Body of Christ.  At the end of the service I issued a seven day challenge.  I recognize that without having been there, you won't fully understand the significance of the challenge, but I invite you to participate anyhow.

The challenge is to read out loud every day the "motto" style reading and Scripture at the end.  The purpose is to help you see how valuable you are as a follower of Christ and how important it is for you to grow deeper in your relationship with God.  I encourage you to meditate on these words and say them boldly as you apply the principles to your life.  I hope these words will help you find your identity in Christ.  Let me know if this has been helpful.

Pastor Mark

Reading is as follows:

I am a Christian

I do not have to be the most intelligent, athletic, successful, beautiful or popular.

I find my value in being created in the image of God.

I find my purpose in loving God, loving others and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I don’t have to be happy, comfortable, rich, right, in charge, appreciated or respected in this world because when I stand before God, I expect to hear, “well done, good and faithful servant.,”

Today, I reject my desire to please myself, pursuit of things that don’t honor God and personal pride as the Holy Spirit empowers me.

Nothing other than a life of holiness and faithfulness to Jesus will define me because nothing is more important or valuable than a fully-committed follower of Jesus.

The Bible is my standard, God is my creator, Jesus is my Savior and the Holy Spirit is my sanctifier and sustainer.

I am a Christian.


Luke 9:23-26(NIV) 23Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.  25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?  26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Ice Cream Social

The Ice Cream Social is scheduled for this Sunday, September 7, at 6:00 PM.  We will have lots of homemade ice cream, finger foods, and fellowship.  Currently we are planning on taking advantage of the beautiful weather to do some friendly competition outdoors, so if you have some outdoor games to bring let Kathy Mathias or Lori Baker know what you can contribute.  Charlie will be setting up the volleyball net in our lot across the street for those who would like a little exercise...

Even if you do not have any interest in playing any games come for the food and fellowship and you can always watch and cheer (or jeer (kindly, of course)) the competitors.

Notes from Today's Message

Key Scriptures:

James 4:8
Acts 16:11-15 (main passage)
Mark 10:46-52

Lydia was in the wrong place, of the wrong race, and of the wrong gender, but she had an inner longing to know God.  Her desire to know God was enough for her to overcome her obstacles.  She wanted to know more than what would have been available to her and would not accept a surface-level faith.

Is your desire to know God strong enough to overcome your obstacles and excuses not to?
 

Note:  I have been experimenting with digitally recording the Morning Worship.  I have most of today's message available.  If you would like to listen let me know.  -David

Bible Quiz Study Guide

Quiz Team - practices have begun!  If you need a copy of the study guide for Romans 1, you can find it by clicking here. 

Remember:  you don't want to wait until practice to study over the chapter we are practicing. 

Wednesday Night Kickoff

The Middle School boys agreed to the ALS ice bucket challenge (with the eager assistance of the middle school girls, of course) during last night's Kick-Off Carnival for the upcoming year.  They have now extended the challenge to the Petersburg First Baptist youth. 

To see the reactions of the boys & their leaders check out the video on the Wednesday Night Program page.  Thanks to Eric Gogel for allowing us to post his well-made video.

Dying to Self

References used during today's message.

Main scripture references:

Acts 16:1-5; 15:1,24-29
Romans 2:28-29
Galatians 2:20
Philippians 2:1-8


The poem Pastor Mark read is as follows:

When you are forgotten, neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don’t sting or hurt with the oversight, but your heart is happy being counted worthy to suffer for Christ;

That is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence;

That is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any annoyance; when you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus did;

That is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, and offering, any raiment, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God;

That is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation or record your own good works or itch after commendation, when you can truly love to be unknown;

That is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and you are in desperate circumstances;

That is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit, inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart;

That is dying to self.

–Anonymous


The quotes Pastor Mark used are as follows:

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die."  -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him."  -Martin Luthor

"Jesus Christ demands self-denial, that is, self-negation, as a necessary condition of discipleship.  Self-denial is a summons to submit to the authority of God as Father and of Jesus as Lord... Accepting death to everything that carnal self wants to possess is what Christ's summons to self-denial is all about."  -J.I. Packer.

"Some missionaries bound for Africa were laughed at by the boat captain who said, 'You'll only die over there!'  Replied a missionary:  'Captain, we died before we started.'"  -Vance Havner

"Among the plastic saints of our times, Jesus has to do all the dying, and all we want to hear is another sermon about his dying."  -A.W. Tozer.

Carnival Moved!

This just in:  due to possible bad weather this week the Wednesday Night Kickoff Carnival has been moved to August 27 at 6:30.  It won't be moved again:  this is the final date, rain or shine.  

Notes from Today's Message

This morning Jeremy Ross filled the pulpit during Pastor Mark's absence with a message on God's Creation.  Jeremy had a lot of scripture to get through and you may have not kept up with it all, so here is a quick outline of the passages he used.

Don't forget:  his homework for you was Psalm 104!

Also, do not forget that there is no Evening Worship tonight.

 

Creation Sermon 2.0

Genesis 1:1, 24-28, 31; 2:15, 17-19, 23

Romans 8:19-23

Colossians 1:15-22

Revelation 21:1-7

Three things that influence our views on Creation:  Political, Cultural, & Mistrust of "Them"

Psalm 8

Reasons for Getting into Nature

#1)  Creation reveals God's nature and His presence!

Romans 1:19-20

#2)  God wants us to study His creation; it's wise!

I Kings 4:29-34

#3)  Knowledge of nature helps us understand the scriptures better.

Proverbs 26:2
Isaiah 40:30-31

#4)  Study of nature shows God's care and sustaining power over creation.

Psalm 104
Matthew 10:29-31; 6:26, 28b-30