Tuesday, April 28, 2015

What's Going On...

MINISTRY MANAGEMENT TEAM MEETING 

We are planning for a Ministry Management Team meeting on Wednesday night, May 13, beginning at 6:30. This will include Staff, Elders, the Renovation/Decoration Team, Ministry Team Leaders and Deacons. Come and enjoy the Wednesday night dinner from 5:30-6:30.

PRAYER FOR NEPAL 

Thank you for your loving response in praying for Nepal. Prayer and love are always appreciated. We have former members who serve as missionaries in Kathmandu, Nepal. We had immediate word that they and all their teammates were safe. As always, in times like this, you can safely make financial contributions to our Southern Baptist International Mission Board. Please check them out at www.imb.org. They are featuring articles about our work happening right now and there is a special message from our IMB president, David Platt. They also show you how you can donate on line. Another resource that you may consider is Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse. You can check them out at www.samaritanspurse.org. If you do not have access to check them out on line, call the church office. If you make a donation through JIBC we will make sure it gets to them. You may also want to consider the American Red Cross. They also are quickly responding to the Nepal earthquake victims. Check out their work and service at www.redcross.org.


TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND 

Just a reminder about this Saturday’s annual Taste of James Island. You can drop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You do not have to stay for the whole event. Come by for great food, fun and fellowship. Many of the churches of different denominations will be present and participating. The event takes place behind James Island Christian Church, just off of Folly Road, behind Arby’s. It will be great and the weather should be perfect.


See you Sunday, good Lord willing,

Pastor Tom



But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

A SURE THING!



It’s a sure thing: the sun will go down this evening. Beyond that, there are not a lot of things I would call a sure thing. The upcoming TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND is about as close to a sure thing as I think we can get. Churches of many denominations will have their best cooks cooking; groups from many churches will be praising; food will be brought to help the poor; fellowship across all barriers will be enjoyed. That is about as sure a thing as I could imagine.

There are 2 or 3 times a year when all churches of all denominations come together for a common purpose. The Sunday before Thanksgiving, we come together to worship, give thanks, fellowship and give to help the poor. On Saturday, May 2, the James Island Churches will join together at James Island Christian church for our annual TASTE OF JAMES ISLAND. Admission is one non-perishable food item for the JI Outreach Ministry. Each church is asked to do a food drive these next 2 weeks to help replenish the shelves. We are the “JELLY” church…but you absolutely can bring anything!

You can’t miss…it is about as sure of a thing as you can get. Helping the poor, fellowship between all races and denominations, praise music AND great food. Where is the down side? Rain or shine, the event will happen.

To put it in perspective, last year the James Island Baptist Church family gave 1 ½ tons of jelly and food…approximately $5, 600 worth of food. The James Island Outreach gives out about 150 jars of jelly each month. We have 7 of our members actively serving in this ministry. Way to go team JIBC. Put it on your calendar. Drop by that day for a Taste of James Island…it is a sure thing!

Pastor Tom

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Whew, what a ride!

I want to thank our staff for picking up the slack while I was took a week off to enjoy the early spring pollen and virus. Yikes. I will understand if you avoid me for the next 2 weeks while this thing runs its course. Knuckle bumps or elbow greetings will be just fine and understood. I am grateful for Sean being willing to step up and hit it out of the park. Thanks Sean. 

Sean began our newest teaching series on Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit. The title we chose is “Fruit Inspection”. The idea is that we inspect our own hearts and lives first. The focus is not on inspecting others fruit…although among people in covenant, that is a good thing, not a bad thing. We have gone over this a dozen times and it bears repeating. There is a significant difference in judging and being judgmental. We make judgment calls every day, all day in almost all situations. Based on God’s Word and the life of our Lord, we judge an action to be right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy. When you judge the person, you have taken over God’s role. Not a good idea. A doctor telling you the x-ray looks bad is making a judgment. The doctor is not being judgmental. Neither would the doctor be a very good doctor by pretending there was nothing wrong with the x-ray. You are in a type of covenant relationship with your doctor and you expect honesty and help. At times, believers can become judgmental, better than you, holier than thou. That is the hurtful and non-helpful attitude. I know it is difficult to not judge…especially when we think our sins are not as bad as “their” sins.

The goal of this series on Fruit Inspection is to challenge us to submit our lives to the Holy Spirit. Let Him be the inspector of our lives. Invite Him to live in and through us. Bear fruit that remains and that is attractive and winsome to a lost and broken world. I suspect we will lead more people to Jesus and discipleship by exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit than by being judgmental and condemning.

Anyone can condemn the darkness…let’s be people that light a light.

Pastor Tom