| Date post: | 05-Sep-2014 |
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950 Self Street Franklinton, LA 70438 www.fbc.franklinton.org
Phone: (985) 839-3427Fax: (985) 839-3572Email:[email protected]
Sunday Morning 8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.Evening 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Evening5:00 p.m. Meal6:00 p.m. Activities
The BridgeMarch 2014
Monthly Newsletter of First Baptist Church Franklinton
Be the Church Week
March 24th - 28th
Paul Watts, [email protected]
A Cup with Pastor Paul
http://acupwiththepastor.blogspot.com
Trust and Obey Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. I am very appreciative of hymn writers like JohnSammis, writer of the hymn, Trust and Obey. They have a way of putting the most vital disciplines of the faith in words that are so simple and a melody that resonates in our hearts. This past month the Lord has used the words of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths” (HCSB), and Hebrews 11:6: Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him,” to gently remind me He is in control and I simply need to trust Him and walk by faith. I doubt there is a single reader of this article that is without worry or uncertainty over some issue in their life or family. No matter the situation, the Christian is to do two things: trust and obey. Trust is resting in the knowledge that our God and Father is in control. He is the maker and sustainer of the universe. He has a plan, and part of that plan was to reach out to you and draw you into a saving rela-tionship with Him through His Son, Jesus. If you have trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God’s word states we are to live for the one who died for us. This means it is God’s will for us to overcome sin and to give glory to God through our service and obedience. We can trust God the Father has a plan, our Lord Jesus is interceding for us, and the Holy Spirit will fill us for service and lead us into all truth. Our part is to trust and obey. When we maintain this simple discipline we are told we will experience peace that passes all understanding. I think all true believers long for the relationship described in the last verse of Trust and Obey: Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, or we’ll walk by His side in the way; what He says we will do, where He sends we will go; never fear, only trust and obey.”
Sunday Night Discipleship
I have had the best time preparing and delivering our Sunday night discipleship messages this past month. It is my prayer that we have all been challenged to study our Bibles with confidence and assurance of their reliability and power to change our lives. Our continued format as we move through different foundations of Christian discipleship will be scriptural foundations followed by application. We will finish our instruction on the basics of Bible study on March 2, but our application of the lessons we have learned should continue for the rest of our lives (they will at least continue for the rest of this study.) On March 2, we will learn a simple way to outline scripture that will help us identify context, the meaning in its original context and its application for today. As we move on to other subjects in our study you will be given scripture to outline each week that will help you prepare for the next week’s lesson. This will also help you hone your skills for personal Bible study and leading group discussion. Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:14-15
Discipleship 101 Schedule Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m.
March 2: The Bible: How do I study the Bible for life? Basics of Bible Study
March 9:Quiet Time: Making time to be still
March 16: Prayer: Theology and Practice
March 23: Prayer: The Power of IntercessionMaking and Maintaining your Prayerlist - Bro Rick Elder
March 30: The Triune God
I used to teasingly call my mother-in-law’s house in Gretna “Granny Central.” It seemed like anything that was going on in the family, whether someone was traveling, someone was sick or hurting, there was a need of some kind, or whatever, it all passed through her and her house and she kept the rest of the family informed. And here’s something else, anyone who came to her house as a stranger didn’t stay a stranger for very long. All were welcome, and she usually had something cooking on the stove and would gladly share whatever it was with whoever happened to be there at the time. During the holidays there was a craziness that she relished that came from packing a large family into a small home. There were kids run-ning in and out, food and gifts being passed around, lots of noise, and lots of laughter. But underlying all of this was a feeling of love and care that emanated from her that filled her house. And no matter what major event was going on in a particular life, there was a comfort in knowing that someone really loved them and really cared for them.
Why am I telling you all of this? I’m sure you have your own family memories. But I’ve been noticing some things lately here at FBC Franklinton that remind me of my mother-in-law and her home, and I’d like to share them with you. Within our congregation there are families and individuals who are at the forefront of our prayer lists because of a major event in their lives. Some have lost a parent, a spouse, or a family member this past year. Some are dealing with disease. Some are dealing with marital issues, financial issues, and any number of other crises. But there are also some who are rejoicing because of positive changes in their lives. Babies are being born. God has worked miracles in the lives of others. Couples are getting engaged and married. People are finding jobs and advancing in their careers. And best of all, people are coming to faith in Christ and becoming part of our church family. On the surface there’s a lot going on in people’s lives. And to the uninitiated it may seem that each one is alone in the midst of whatever is going on in their particular situation.
But underneath there’s this network of people, this large family called First Baptist Church, who make phone calls and pray for and with one another. People who cook for and care for folks in times of need. People who are willing to stop or postpone their plans to go and fix a leaky pipe for someone who can’t afford a plumber. People who invite a newcomer in like they were family just returning from a long trip. Sadly there’s not enough room to name all that goes on here, and who is doing what. We don’t always get it right, and sometimes things slip through the cracks. But that only causes us to try harder, and work harder. You see, just like at my mother-in-law’s house, there is an undercurrent of love here that draws people into our church and into the kingdom of God. Jesus once said, “They (the world) will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” What I see every day is a group of people who do just that; they love God and love the people that God loves. What a blessing it is to be a small part of what God is doing here at FBC Franklinton. God bless, Brother Dale
Dale Parker,Minister to Senior Adults& Discipleship Training
Honduras Mission Trip
Trip dates June 30th - July 6th
Contact Brother Dale if you are interested in participating in this
Mission Trip.
Meeting, March 2nd at 5:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room
Senior Adult Revival planning meeting
March 11th at 10:30 a.m.at the Association Office
Senior Adult Day at Camp Living Waters
April 8th
Cody Thomas, Student Pastor
“God’s Law for Life”
Over the past couple of months, the Student Ministry has been studying the book of Ephesians on Wednesday nights. This month we are shifting gears and we will begin a new study on the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments can be hard to handle at times, in that we might understand them, but applying them is difficult. What we fail to realize is that as adopted children of God, we come under His commandments, and these commandments are in place for our good. God’s commandments are often referred to as God’s moral standards. God’s moral standard reflects His character, guides all relationships and reveals our need for grace. Exodus 20:1-2, “Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” D.A. Carson notes that, “(God) is still being presented as a talking God, not only with the kind of speech that calls the universe into existence (Gen 1-2) and with the kind of speech that interacts with his image-bearers (Gen 3) … but with the kind of speech that commands them.” God does not simply leave us to decide on our own what is right and wrong, but rather He has a righteous standard for us to live by that flows directly from His very character. God’s perfect law reflects His perfect character. God’s moral standard also guides all relationships. When someone asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is, Jesus responded, “love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus is summing up all Ten Commandments with two sentences. We can even take Jesus’ words and sum them up to: Love God Love People, that’s the Ten Commandments. The first four of the Ten Commandments talk about our relationship with God. The other six of the Ten Commandments talk about our relationship with other people. God’s moral standard guides our relationships and brings about freedom in our lives. God’s moral standard is a high expectation for us to live by. I’ve often defined sin as missing the mark. God’s moral standard is the “mark” He places for us. If we are honest with ourselves, we realize that we probably miss the mark more times than we actually hit the mark. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We miss the mark! Where God’s moral standard places a high expectation for us, it also reveals our need for God’s grace. God’s grace is God giving us something we do not deserve – Salvation. God’s purpose for the law was always to lead us to Christ. Galatians 2:16, “No one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.” The only way for us to experience God’s grace is by confessing Jesus as our Lord and Savior. God’s moral standard reflects His character, guides all relationships and reveals our need for grace. Dive into the moral standard of God and let it show you His character, guide you in your walk with Christ and your relationships with others, let it also show you your desperate need for His grace daily. Join me in praying for our students as we embark on this study of the Ten Commandments. Please refer to the left side of this page for this month’s student ministry events.
REACHING In &
REACHING Out
Student Ministry Events
Sunday, March 2nd - Lock -In After Church
Sunday, March 9th - Youth Committee and
Parent Meeting
Saturday, March 22nd“God’s Not Dead” Movie Outing
World Changers is in Chattanooga, Tennessee the week of July 21st – 26th. In order to secure your spot, a deposit of $75 is due.
FUEGO camp in Eunice, Louisiana at
Acadian Baptist Center.
June 23rd – 27th (Monday – Friday)In order to secure your spot,
a deposit of $65 is due.
Butch Reviere, Minister of Music
Last year there arose out of a desire among a group of folks in and around Bogalusa to organize a Gospel music festival, a unique way to share Christ with the community. They invited several Christian musical groups, representing a variety of styles, to come together in Cassidy Park for a day of singing, fellowshipping, and generally “passing a good time”, as they say a little further south in Louisiana. This year the second edition of the Bogalusa Gospel Music Festival will unfold on Saturday, April 5th with the groups that you see on this page. There will be “Southern Gospel”, “Black Gospel”, and “Contemporary Christian Music”…something for everyone. You may come for the afternoon, the evening, or take in the whole event. There were (and I assume will be) churches and other groups providing food as a way to raise money for their various
ministries. Brother Greg Whaley, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bogalusa, is chairman of the steering committee. Let’s pray with them for a successful event which exalts Christ and promotes the spiritual health of our communities.
Note from Brother Butch
Children’s Ministry Upcoming Events
Centri-Kid CampJuly 28th—August 1st$65 deposit due to reserve your spot.Contact Brother Cody for more information.
Children’s Committee Meeting Sunday, April 6th at 5:00pm
Centri-Kid Bake Auction Sunday, April 13th
Outside Family Movie NightSaturday, May 17th
Mallory and I have an 85 lb German Shepherd dog that’s a little over a year old. Our dog’s name is Carter Shubuta Thomas. We love Carter. We want Carter to be the best dog he can be, so we are trying to train Carter. The first couple of tricks we taught Carter was to sit, stay, lie down, shake, you know ,the typical dog tricks. He picked up on those tricks fairly easily. Recently, though, we have been leash training Carter; with the leash training we have b,een reinforcing the sit, stay, and lie down commands. After about a month of leash training, I told Carter to sit, and then I gave him a command he has not heard in a long time, shake. When I told him to shake, he looked at me like I was stupid. He has forgotten how to shake! Even though I taught him how to shake at a young age, he forgot. The reason for his forgetfulness was that I did not reinforce his training. We were not consistently going over the command of shake, so he forgot. How true is this in our lives? If we do not consistently work on the commands of scripture, we might forget them. If we do not have the discipline to carry out the disciplines, then we may totally disregard the disciplines of the Christian walk, i.e. prayer, Bible study, fasting, meditation, quiet time, and others. If it is difficult for adults to stay consistent in the disciplines, how hard is it for children? Scripture tells us in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” In order to “train up” your child in the “way he should go”, you must be consistently teaching them the commands and truths of scripture. My encouragement for you is to consistently “train” your child in the ways of the Lord. Show your children how to follow Christ through your example. Teach your children how to follow Christ through the Word of God. Remind them of the commands and truths of scripture often. This month in the Children’s Wednesday Night “Living Inside Out” program they will be learning about the grace of God. The grace of God is an excellent truth to consistently teach your children. To help you in your effort to consistently teach the Lord’s commands and truths, here is the schedule for the Children’s Wednesday Night Bible study: - March 5th – Moses Prays for the Israelites – Numbers 14:1-25 - The Point – God forgives us even though we don’t deserve it. - March 12th – God Spares Nineveh – Jonah 3 - The Point – God forgives us when we turn away from sin. - March 19th – Jesus forgives the Woman Caught in Sin – John 8:1-11 - The Point – God forgives our sins through Jesus. - March 26th – The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:21-35 - The Point – God wants us to show forgiveness to others.
Whether you can donate any of the items on the list or not, please
continue to pray for PlaySchool...our teachers, our students &
all of their families.
As you can see with our photos, we have had a busy month at PlaySchool! We have learned about Mardi Gras, chased a gingerbread man and celebrated Valentines day! This month we have also learned to write our name and how to draw our self portrait. Please continue to pray for us daily as we share God’s love with these precious children. We are also still in search of someone to sew our baby dolls some clothes if you know of anyone.
PlaySchool News
Leslie Westmoreland WINGS Coordinator
High Tea for IndiaMarch 8th, 2014
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.Get your ticket today!
Priscilla Shirer Live - April 5, 2014 in New Orleans, LA from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
The cost of the conference is $49. The tickets must be purchased online at http://www.lifeway.com/n/Women-&-Beth-Moore?type=events or by calling 1.800.254.2022
WINGS Ministry
$59 Early bird before February 27th.Friday from 7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. &
Saturday 8:30 a.m.- 12:15 p.m.
Starting March 12, 2014Rooted in Christ Ladies Wednesday Evening Bible Study at 6:00 p.m.Senior Adult Center Book Cost is $12
Children’s Church
Month of March
Lacy Burris & Brittany Sherlin
for ages 3 to
Kindergarten
Nursery
3/2 Whitney Crowe & Sandy Morgan
3/9 Carolyn Knight & Kathy McElveen
3/16 Hallene Magee & Lou Fussell
3/23Christina Watts & Kelly McElveen
3/30JoAnn Luizza & Gayle Rester
Wednesday Night Supper
3/5 Group D - Country Fried Steak
3/12 Men’s Group - Chicken
3/19 Group E - Pork Loin
3/26Group A - Pulled Pork
Fifth Sunday Potluck
Sunday Evening March 30th
Bring a covered dish and enjoy a time of fellowship after the
evening service.
Sunday Night Supper
3/2 McVea, Phelps, Knight, Stokes, Knight, Brown & Gill
3/9 Waskom, Thomas, Stringfield, Taber, Burris, Driskill & Kennedy
3/16 Cruce, Cowart, Westmoreland, McDaniel, Varnado, Barber & Thomas
3/23
Deacon Schedule
3/2 Stephen McElveen & Hunter Knight
3/9 Jeff Driskill &David Sylvest
3/16 Rusty Knight & Robby Stringfield
3/23Jimmy Stafford &B. Burris
3/30Stuart Varnado &Warren Cooke, Jr. Vo
lunt
eers
for
Mar
ch
Announcements
Annie Armstrong Easter Offering
Our Church Goal is $8,000
Scholarship Funds Available With high school graduation fast approaching, FBC would like to remind seniors of the scholarship opportunity available through the church. FBC is the
financial manager, and distributor of the Charles and Jan Montgomery Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship has been in existence since 1985 and has helped numerous students over the years with their college expenses. Applications and guidelines for eligibility can be obtained through the church office, or through the schools.
If you are looking for a meaningful honorarium or memorial gift, please keep in mind a donation to the scholarship fund. You will not only be helping perpetuate the scholarship but, also, helping a worthy student with their college expenses.
Please pray for our Long Range Planning Committee as we begin the discovery process by evaluating the needs of the mission fields before us, take stock of the resources (i.e. time, talents, finances) the Lord has blessed us with and as we seek the Lords direction as how He would have us prioritize and allocate these resources to fulfill the mission for which he has called us. Gods mission for FBC as a whole will be fulfilled by the collective calling of individuals so begin to pray for yourself as well so the Lord would reveal His will to you. Pray that the Lord would give us vision because “where there is no vision the people perish”. The committee will be surveying various groups and organizations throughout the church during this dis-covery period. We plan to keep you involved and informed periodically throughout the process.
We are looking forward to this journey together.
Long Range Planning Committee Update: Bible Study to Begin:Many people want to know: “Is the end of time near? When will Jesus return? How will Jesus return? What will happen to believers in the end times? What does the book of Revelation have to say about all of this?”
Come and find out on Wednesday nights starting March 5th at 6:00 p.m. in the A. W. Robins classroom.
Remember to pray for India and the missionaries there.
Just for your information, here are so Hindi words:
English /Hindi
More/PeacockPlate/ThaliCup/Piyalla
Table/MejeWater/PaniWall/DiwarMilk/DudSugar/Chni
Tea/ChaRice/ChawalColor/RangRed/LalYellow/Pila
Green/HaraBlue/NilaPurple/Bangni
Honduras Mission Trip
Trip dates June 30th - July 6th
Contact Brother Dale if you are inter-ested in participating in this Mission Trip.
Save the DateBe the Church Week
March 24th - March 28th
Welcome Our New Members
Shandle and Hollie Waskom
Melissa, Jimmy, Austin and Nate Lebo
Owen Paul Parent Born: February 4, 2014 Weight: 8 lbs. 11oz. Inches: 21 Proud Parents: Paul and Brittany Parent Maternal Grandparents: Nathan and Roxanne Dewitt Paternal Grandparents: Perry and the late Pauline Parent
Scotlyn Whitten
Charlie Rose Casanova Born: December 27, 2013 Weight: 7 lbs. 9 oz. Inches: 20.25 Proud Parents: Casey and Brandi Casanova Big Brother: Cooper Casanova Maternal Grandparents: Chip and Brenda Burris Great Grandmother: Margaret Burch Paternal Grandparents: Karl and Diana Casanova
Save the Date:
Biblical Parenting
Seminar: May 3rd
Conducted by Kevin Boles Youth Strategiest at LBC.
March 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31
8:30 a.m. Senior Singers
5:30 p.m. Outreach
7:00 p.m. AA
8:30 a.m. Senior Singers
5:30 p.m. Outreach
7:00 p.m. AA
8:30 a.m. Senior Singers
7:00 p.m. AA
8:30 a.m. Senior Singers
7:00 p.m. AA
7 a.m. Men’s Prayer Breakfast 5 p.m Honduras Meeting
Youth Lock-in
5 p.m. Wednesday Night Supper
6 p.m. Evening Services
5 p.m. Wednesday Night Supper
6 p.m. Evening Services
7 p.m. Personnel Committee Meeting
5 p.m. Wednesday Night Supper
6 p.m. Evening Services
5 p.m. Wednesday Night Supper
6 p.m. Evening Services
7 p.m. AA
7 p.m. AA
10 a.m. Merry Hearts
7 p.m. AA
7 p.m. AA
4 p.m Deacon’s Meeting
Sign-up for Camp Sunday
10 a.m. A.W. Robbins Outing
6:30 p.m. Hymn Sing at Heritage Manor
950 Self Street Franklinton, LA 70438 www.fbc.franklinton.org
PRSRT STDNONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONUS POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 27
March 2014
Annie Armstrong Week of Prayer
Youth Movie Outing
5 p.m.Youth Committee Meeting
Youth Sunday
