Friends of Faith Baptist of North Chili,
Please remember to pray for the evangelistic fruitfulness of our Good Friday Service (7pm on April 6th).
On Resurrection Sunday we will have a “Son-Rise” Service at 8am followed by a breakfast; then at 9:30am we will have our regular Family Bible Classes; and at 10:45am our Morning Worship will include the Resurrection musical, “Proclaim Him Lord!” and a message from the Word. We won’t have an Evening Celebration this Sunday.
I would like your help in planning a Sunday evening message series! The aim of the series will be to develop a 6-week Bible study series you can then use with an unsaved friend, neighbor or co-worker. So I’m looking for topics that would resonate with the needs of an unbeliever, but would also address the needs that they truly have as identified in Scripture (today’s “felt” needs are often not what God says people really need – there’s a difference).
Think to yourself, “If I am an unsaved individual what questions do I have that the Bible might answer?” I will address these from Scripture and put together handouts that can be duplicated and used as the basis for a Bible study with the unsaved. The goal is to get people in the Scriptures and point them to a realization of their sin and need of a Savior. The old method of a Doctrine 101 type Bible study – “Who is God?”; “What is the Bible?”; “Who is Jesus Christ?”; etc. requires a level of Biblical awareness that our society no longer possesses. I would like topics that your neighbors would say, “I’ve been wondering about that! Sure, I’d like to meet with you and see what the Bible says about those things.”
Send me your ideas – this will be good for both of us!
A pastor friend of mine wrote to his church family (after reading my FaithFriends e-mail from two weeks ago). It’s good advice!
“I’ve been having trouble concentrating lately – I think I have that attention deficit whatever.”
I think this is what Spring time can really bring about in many of our lives. But I hope it will not be apparent in you this Sunday at our services! You will find that your “attention deficit whatever” will decrease significantly if you would “look toward Sunday” by preparing early. Monitor the activity level of your family on Saturday afternoon and evening. Eat early, get your Sunday clothes ready on Saturday evening, especially if you have one or more young children. Don’t stay up late, but get a good night’s rest. Wake up early enough so that you are not rushed, but spend some time in prayer, the Word of God, and listen to some uplifting Christian music. Get your offering ready before you leave – tithing comes easier this way. Leave 10 minutes earlier than you think you should – this all avoids arguments on the way to church. We have coffee in case you get here too early! I think you get the picture now, and I know it will work for you.
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TIME FOR A SMILE
The diner was furious when his steak arrived too rare. “Waiter,” he barked, “didn’t you hear me say ‘well done’?
“Yes, and I can’t thank you enough, sir,” replied the waiter. “I hardly ever get a compliment.”
And here’s why drinking alcohol is bad – it makes you do stupid things:
A man goes to a party and has too much to drink. His friends plead with him to let them take him home. He says no, he only lives a mile away. About five blocks from the party, the police pull him over for weaving and ask him to get out of the car and walk the line.
Just as he starts to comply, the police radio blares out a notice of a robbery taking place in a house just a block away. The police tell the party animal to stay put, they will be right back and they hop a fence and run down the street to the robbery. The guy waits and waits and finally decides to drive home.
When he gets there, he tells his wife he is going to bed, and to tell anyone who might come looking for him that he has the flu and has been in bed all day.
A few hours later the police knock on the door. They ask if Mr. X lives there and his wife says yes. They ask to see him and she replies that he is in bed with the flu and has been so all day. The police have his driver’s license. They ask to see his car and she asks why. They insist on seeing his car, so she takes them to the garage and opens the door and there sits their police car, lights still flashing.
Reportedly, a true story as told by the driver at his first AA meeting.
Four-year-old Jason was visiting his grandparents. Grandpa was in his study intently reading.
Jason walked in carrying a peach, said something Grandpa didn’t catch, and handed the peach to him.
Thinking his wife had sent him a snack, Grandpa took it and ate it.
Just as he swallowed the last bite, Jason, with lip quivering, said, “But, Papa, I didn’t want you to eat it. I just wanted you to get the worm out!”
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Sunday, April 8, 2007
* Family Bible Classes – 9:30am
* The Adult Class (meeting in the auditorium) continues the study “Crises and Crowns” — the Old Testament biographies of Samuel, Saul, David and Solomon. This week we will look at 1Samuel 15 as Saul is given another opportunity (a test?) to obey the Lord. He is sent to attack the Amalekites and utterly destroy them and their possessions. Does he obey? As we look at Saul’s attitude regarding obedience, we see ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word. It’s disappointing, convicting and challenging, isn’t it?
* Morning Worship – 10:45am
* From John 2:18-25, this Sunday morning’s message title is “Believe The Scriptures.” After chasing the livestock dealers and moneychangers out of the temple, the Jewish authorities asked Jesus to show them some “sign” that would prove (to them) He had the credentials and authority to mess with their established system of enriching themselves. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” They, of course, didn’t understand the underlying message of the “sign.” However, the disciples remembered this after He had risen from the dead and “they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said” (verse 22). I pray that people will hear the Word of God this Sunday morning and believe in Jesus, the One Who died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day – according to the Scriptures.
* No Evening Celebration this week
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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
www.fbcnorthchili.org