Category: Faith-Friends

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

We’ve been looking forward to this Sunday’s “Picnic in the Grove.”  After the morning service we set up tables under the trees on the parsonage lawn and have a delightful time of food and fellowship.  I hope you can join us!

****************************
A time to smile:

A young girl of 4 was told she needed an X-ray after an accident. Her mother tried to calm her down, but she was still nervous when the time came for the X-Ray. When she came out of the X-ray room, however, she seemed relaxed and just fine. “They took a picture of my bones.” she told her mother.

“Yes, dear,” replied the mother. “Did everything go all right?”

“Yeah,” said the girl. “It was great! I didn’t even have to take my skin off, or anything!”

Never having learned to ride a bicycle as a child, I finally decided to do it in my late twenties. My boyfriend, William, offered to teach me, and we headed to the park for my first lesson. He held on to the seat as I wobbled down a path. My self-consciousness was just beginning to disappear when I saw a father, teaching his little daughter to ride a bike, approaching.

As we passed, I was mortified when William said to the dad, “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

****************************
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
Adult class: Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard) – for the next three Sundays (June 1, 8, and 15).  We will have a missionary speaker on June 22, and then Pastor Harriman will resume the study of I Timothy on Sunday morning, June 29.

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 12:20-26 and is titled, “It’s Time – The Hour Has Come.”

PICNIC IN THE GROVE – after the morning worship service we will have hot dogs, beverage and dessert along with the salads and complementary dishes to pass that you bring.  It will be a great time of fellowship.

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
We will continue our series on Prayer by looking at Matthew 17:14-21.  The title of this message is “By Prayer and Fasting.” This message touches on two items that hold great fascination for believers today – demon possession and fasting.  We will let the Lord speak to us about them.  We will also observe the Lord’s Table.

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

****************************
A time to smile:

The blind man walks into a coffee shop and says, “Wanna hear a blond joke?”

The waitress tells him, “Well, I’m blond and I won’t appreciate it. The woman sitting next to you is also blond. The woman behind you is blond too. Do you still want to tell that joke?”

“No way,” says the blind man. “Not if I have to explain it three times.”

Somebody wrote: “I signed up for an exercise class and was told to wear loose-fitting clothing. If I HAD any loose-fitting clothing, I wouldn’t have signed up in the first place!”

****************************
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
This is the last Sunday for the following electives for the adults and teens:
Balanced Evangelism (taught by Dan Noyes)
Book of Hebrews (taught by Tim Botsford)
Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard)

After this Sunday the teens will return to their own class, and the adults will be together in the auditorium.  Steve Richard will teach the adults (and finish up the study of Israel’s Divided Kingdom) for the next three weeks – June 1-15.  We will have a missionary speaker on June 22, and then Pastor Harriman will resume the study of I Timothy on Sunday morning, June 29.

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 12:9-19 and is titled, “Your King Is Coming.”

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
We will continue our series on Prayer by looking at Matthew 14:22-23.  The title of this message is “By Himself To Pray.”

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

****************************
A time to smile:

Preparing for a family vacation, Kathy and Matt explained to their young children that they would be sitting in the car for a very long time. The kids were told they would not be arriving at their destination until after dark, and were warned not to keep saying, “Are we there yet?”

After a few minutes of peaceful driving, four year old Rachel perked up, “Is it dark yet?”

A tired homemaker opened the front door of her home to find a young minister from the neighborhood who said, “I’m collecting donations for the new children’s home we’re building. I hope you’ll give what you can.”

“To be sure,” said the beleaguered woman, “I’ll give you two boys, two girls, or one of each.”

****************************
Sunday, May 11, 2008

Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
Electives for the adults and teens from March through May:
Balanced Evangelism (taught by Dan Noyes)
Book of Hebrews (taught by Tim Botsford)
Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard)

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 11:45-57 and is titled, “One Man Should Die.”

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
We will continue our series on Prayer by looking at Matthew 9:35-38.  The title of this message is “Pray: ‘Send Laborers.'”

We will also have our monthly Business Meeting after the Evening Celebration.

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

So last Sunday we had our Open House / Friend Day. We praise the Lord that nineteen first-time visitors came.  Although we worked hard in getting the word out and inviting the community, most of those visitors came because the Lord brought them (they didn’t even know we were having an Open House), so we can’t take any “credit” for them.  Bless the Lord!  It was encouraging to have ninety-two in attendance, many of them stayed for the nice lunch and time of fellowship after.  All in all, it was a good day of ministry – thanks for praying!

****************************
A time to smile:

The following are things reported to have been found on job resumes:

Reasons For Leaving Last Job:
– Responsibility makes me nervous.
– They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 every morning. Couldn’t work under those conditions.
– Was met with a string of broken promises and lies, as well as cockroaches.
– The company made me a scapegoat – just like my three previous employers.

It doesn’t hurt to proofread your work:
– I was proud to win the Gregg Typting Award.
– I’m a rabid typist.
– Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain operation.

This kind of detail is very helpful:
– Please call me after 5:30 because I am self-employed and my employer does not know I am looking for another job.

****************************
Sunday, May 4, 2008

Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
Electives for the adults and teens from March through May:
Balanced Evangelism (taught by Dan Noyes)
Book of Hebrews (taught by Tim Botsford)
Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard)

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 11:28-44 and is titled, “Lazarus! Here! Outside!” We have been building up to this moment in our study through John 11.  There was a time to wait, and a time to go.  There was a teaching moment, Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”  Now, in an emotionally-charged, dramatic scene, Jesus gives a succinct command, “Lazarus. Here! Outside!”  And Lazarus, yes, dead-for-four-days-Lazarus, responds by emerging from the tomb.  In a word, WOW!

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
We will continue our series on Prayer by looking at Matthew 6:13, “And do not lead us into temptation….”  The title of this message is “Avoiding Temptation.” Believers, when they trusted Christ, were forgiven and delivered from the penalty of their sin.  One day, when we leave this world, we will be delivered from the presence of sin.  But for now, it is appropriate to acknowledge our need for help in being delivered from the power of sin.  This is the point of the sixth and final petition in the Model Prayer given to the disciples – the last three petitions could be summarized as “FEED US; FORGIVE US; FREE US.”

We will also observe the Lord’s Table.

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

It’s only three days away, our Open House / Friend Day is on this Sunday, April 27th.  We have invited our neighbors and the community around the church (between 1,500 and 2,000) to come and find out what we are about.  We’re praying that the Lord will use this to open doors for ministry.

****************************
A time to smile:

Elmer says, “First, I got tonsillitis, followed by appendicitis and pneumonia. After that I got erysipelas with hemachromatosis. Following that I got poliomyelitis and finally ended up with neuritis. Then they gave me hypodermics and inoculations.”

Calvin says, “Boy, you had quite a time!”

Elmer replies, “I’ll say! I thought I’d never pull through that spelling test.”

On a recent flight, an elderly passenger kept peering out the window. Since it was totally dark, all she could see was the blinking wing-tip light. Finally, she rang for the flight attendant.

“I’m sorry to bother you,” she said, “but I think you should inform the pilot that his left-turn indicator is on and has been for some time.”

****************************
Sunday, April 27, 2008

Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
Electives for the adults and teens from March through May:
Balanced Evangelism (taught by Dan Noyes)
Book of Hebrews (taught by Tim Botsford)
Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard)

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 11:17-27 and is titled, “Jesus Is The Resurrection and The Life.” This comes in the middle of the story about Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, being raised from the dead.  We’ve already seen how Jesus got word that Lazarus was sick, He then waited two days and made his way to Judea (knowing that His opponents who not that long ago picked up stones to stone Him would be there).  This portion of the chapter finds Jesus arriving in the area, and we’re told that Lazarus has, by now, been in the tomb for four days.  We will look primarily at the conversation that Jesus has with Martha, Lazarus’ sister.  In that conversation Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”  How do you respond to that claim?  How did Martha?

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
We will continue our series on Prayer by finishing our study of Matthew 6:12b, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”  The title of this message is “Forgiving Others.” The principle is easy to grasp, but breath-taking in enormity – if we have forgiven others, we will be forgiven; if we have not forgiven others, we will not be forgiven.  Let me say right off the bat – this is not a way for us to earn or merit forgiveness from God.  We are only forgiven by the grace of God.  But it is an important principle – Jesus adds further insight in verses 14-15 (the only petition for which He does that).  So, let’s think about this together – come Sunday night and learn what this means.

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

I suspect that you are talking about it too.  I mean the great weather we’ve had the last couple of days.  A month ago we were bundled up and shivering, now it’s 75 degrees here in Rochester and we don’t even need a jacket.  Bless the Lord!!!  I walk past my golf clubs every time I come in from the garage – they are starting to call to me.  Very loudly!

Coming up soon, our Open House / Friend Day is on Sunday, April 27th.  We are inviting our neighbors and the community around the church to come and find out what we are about.  We’re praying that the Lord will use this to open doors for ministry.

****************************
A time to smile:

A plane is on its way to Toronto, when a blonde in economy class gets up, and moves to the first class section and sits down.
The flight attendant watches her, and asks to see her ticket. The attendant tells the blonde that she paid for economy class, and she’ll have to sit in the back.
The blonde replies, ‘I’m blonde, I’m beautiful, I’m going to Toronto and I’m staying right here.’
The flight attendant goes into the cockpit and tells the co-pilot that there is a blonde bimbo sitting in first class, who belongs in economy, and won’t move back to her seat.
The co-pilot goes back to the blonde and tries to explain that because she only paid for economy she will have to leave and return to her seat.
The blonde replies, ‘I’m blonde, I’m beautiful, I’m going to Toronto and I’m staying right here.’
The co-pilot tells the pilot that he probably should have the police waiting when they land to arrest this woman who won’t listen to reason.
The pilot says, “I’ll handle this, I’m married to a blonde and I speak blonde.”
The pilot goes back to the blonde and whispers in her ear, and she says, ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ and gets up and goes back to her seat in economy.
The flight attendant and co-pilot are amazed and asked him what he said to make her move without any fuss.
“I told her, first class isn’t going to Toronto.”

****************************
Sunday, April 20, 2008

Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
Electives for the adults and teens from March through May:
Balanced Evangelism (taught by Dan Noyes)
Book of Hebrews (taught by Tim Botsford)
Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard)

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 11:7-16 and is titled, “A Time To Go.” We saw last week that when Jesus got word that His dear friend, Lazarus, was sick, the Bible says, “He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”  In our text for this Sunday Jesus says, “Let us go to Judea again.”  Why do you suppose He said it that way – instead of saying, “Let’s go to Lazarus,” or even “Let’s go to Bethany”?  One of the things we will notice is that the mention of Judea brought to the disciple’s minds the danger to Jesus (and them).  It is instructive to see how Jesus handles and responds to that very real danger.

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
This is our annual Youth Emphasis Service, where the teens minister to their church family through song, testimonies, and a devotional thought.  We can encourage them by showing our interest in what God is doing in their lives!  Afterwards there will be a brief time of fellowship and snacks, and then our monthly business meeting will follow.

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

We had a truly blessed time in our Spring Bible Conference with Dave Warren.  The recorded messages (all six of them, from Saturday night through Tuesday night) will be posted as pod-casts on our web-site.  Keep checking, the first four are up and the rest will be soon.  Just click on the word “Podcasts” at the far right of the top banner.  Let others know, so they can be blessed also.

The next big event for us is an Open House / Friend Day on Sunday, April 27th.  We will invite our neighbors and the community around the church to come and find out what we are about.  We’re praying that the Lord will use this to open doors for ministry.

****************************
A time to smile:

The boss said that he was planning a salary raise. One of the guys asked, “When does it become effective?”
The boss answered, “As soon as you do.”

While transcribing medical audiotapes, one woman came upon the following garbled diagnosis: “This man has pholenfrometry.
Knowing nothing about that particular condition, she double-checked with the Doctor who recorded it. After listening to the tape, he shook his head.
“This man,” he said, translating for her, “has fallen from a tree.”

****************************
Sunday, April 13, 2008

Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
Electives for the adults and teens from March through May:
Balanced Evangelism (taught by Dan Noyes)
Book of Hebrews (taught by Tim Botsford)
Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard)

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 11:1-7 and is titled, “A Time To Wait, and A Time To Go.” This passage sets the stage for Jesus’ miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead.  When Jesus got word that His dear friend, Lazarus, was sick, the Bible says, “He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”  In the spirit of Christ-likeness, I’m thinking about instituting a two-day waiting period on any hospital visitation.  Do you think that’s a good idea?  No, I didn’t think so.  I don’t plan on doing anything of the sort!

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
We resume our study on the subject of prayer with Matthew 6:12, “Forgive Us Our Debts.” I’ve been wondering, how did the action of forgiving get saddled with this English word “f-o-r-g-i-v-e”?  It appears to be a compound word, joining together the words “for” and “give” – did you ever think about this?  What is it about this action that can correctly be identified as a gift?  Let me know what you come up with.  We will also be observing the Lord’s Table.

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

Our Spring Bible Conference with Ohio Association of Regular Baptist Churches State Representative, Dave Warren, starts tomorrow, Saturday night, April 5.  We will have a carry-in dinner at 6pm followed by a 7pm service.  The conference, with the theme “Are You Ready For The Rapture?” will begin with the Saturday service and a message titled, “Groaning For Glory” (from Romans 8:18-27).

****************************
A time to smile:

A property manager of single-family residence was showing a unit to prospective tenants and asking the usual questions.
“Professionally employed?” he asked.
“We’re a military family,” the wife answered.
“Children?”
“Oh, yes, ages nine and twelve,” she answered proudly.
“Animals?”
“Oh, no,” she said earnestly. “They’re very well behaved.”

Mr. Frobisher walked anxiously to the house and knocked.
When a nice old lady answered, he said very sad, “I’m sorry, madam, but I have some bad news. “I’m afraid I have run over your cat. I… I would like to replace it.”
The little lady looked him up and down and said, “I’m game, but how are you at catching mice?”

****************************
Sunday, April 6, 2008 – SPRING BIBLE CONFERENCE – “Are You Ready For The Rapture?”

Family Bible Classes – 9:30am – Our guest, Dave Warren, will speak to the combined adult and teen classes with a lesson titled, “Don’t Give Up Your Hope” (from I Peter 1:1-14).

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am – The message from Bible Conference speaker, Dave Warren, will be from I Corinthians 15:50-58 and is titled, “We Shall Not All Sleep.”

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm – The Bible Conference message will be “Whatever Happened To Purity?” (I John 2:28 – 3:3)

Monday, April 7, 2008 – 7:00pm  – The message will be, “It’s All Going Up In Smoke!” (II Peter 3:1-13)

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 – 7:00pm – The concluding message of the Bible Conference will be, “The Family Reunion” (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman

Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,

I woke up this morning to find this unwelcome tidbit in the newspaper: “Having a big belly in your 40s can boost your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia decades later, a new study suggests.”

My first thought was, “Well that ship has sailed – somebody should have told me 10 years ago!”

My second thought was, “There must be a spiritual application to that!  I’m sorry, what were we talking about?”  🙂

I trust that you are still meditating on the Good News you heard on Resurrection Sunday and not worrying about what might happen to you 30-40 years from now.

Speaking of what’s coming (how’s that for a transition), here’s a heads up for you.  Our Spring Bible Conference with Ohio Association of Regular Baptist Churches State Representative, Dave Warren, will be held April 5-8.  We will have a carry-in dinner on Saturday night at 6pm followed by a 7pm service; our usual schedule on Sunday; and then 7pm services on Monday and Tuesday night.  I hope you have that on your calendar.

****************************
A time to smile:

I would ask her to check again:
A fellow nurse at my hospital received a call from an anxious woman. “I’m diabetic and I’m afraid I’ve had too much sugar today,” she said.
“Are you light-headed?” my colleague asked.
“No,” the caller answered, “I’m a brunette.”

Shoppers in a supermarket in Washington, D.C., heard the following over the PA system:
“A wallet containing a large sum of money was found, but it contains no ID. Will those laying claim to it please form a double line at the customer service counter?”

****************************
Sunday, March 30, 2008

Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
Electives for the adults and teens from March through May:
Balanced Evangelism (taught by Dan Noyes)
Book of Hebrews (taught by Tim Botsford)
Glory & Captivity: Israel’s Divided Kingdom – I & II Kings and II Chronicles (taught by Steve Richard)

Morning Worship Service – 10:45am
The message will be from John 10:31-42 and is titled, “Believe Me.”  The Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus.  For blasphemy, they said.  Blasphemy is slanderous defamation & disrespect of a Holy God, for which the penalty (according to Leviticus) was stoning.  But this would only be blasphemy if Jesus isn’t God.  John’s appeal is that we believe Jesus – specifically, that He is Who He says He is!

Evening Celebration – 6:00pm
We resume our study on the subject of prayer with Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Have you ever neglected to pray that prayer?  Did you go hungry that day?  Did God withhold food from you?  From my own experience, I would say, “No, I haven’t and He didn’t.”  Is it possible that Jesus had some additional reasons to teach us to pray that petition, other than as a food dispensing lever?

****************************
That’s all for this edition of FaithFriends. Pray with me that God’s people will be equipped and encouraged and the lost will hear the good news of the Gospel and trust Christ for their salvation!

Your faithful Minister of the Word,
Pastor Harriman