DISCIPLESHIP - BIBLE STUDY OPTIONS

Starting Wednesday night, September 5, you can choose between two Bible Study options. First, Janie Brown is teaching First Place For Health. This is a total health program that involves a daily Bible Study, a guided eating plan and exercise. Any one part of this class is worth taking but you get all three in place! You can’t beat that.

Second option is the Old Testament Survey that I will teach each week. We will start with an introduction on Wednesday September 5 and will begin with Genesis on Wednesday, September 12. We will take a survey of each book of the Old Testament seeing how it fits in the Gospel plan. How do we see Jesus in the Old Testament? All you need is your Bible. I will have handouts each week for notes.

Even if you are not signing up for a Bible Study, remember you can come and enjoy a great meal and fellowship. Our Kitchen Krew serves southern food that rivals any in town. The traditional first meal is fried chicken and mac & cheese. If you have not been here on fish night you are missing a treat.

For those with preschoolers, children or youth, we have you covered. We have a nursery each week and Awana ministry is one of the strongest ministries in the church. Kids who attend Awana are 715% less likely to fail math test on Thursday’s than those who do not attend. Ok, I made that up. But 89% of the things I make up could be based on factual misrepresentations. Youth ministry features Surge on Wednesday nights. This is the Youth Worship service. Do whatever you can to encourage your student to be present on Wednesday nights.

One last plug: Sunday mornings our Youth are beginning a new Bible Study, The Gospel Project. The idea is to take them through the entire Bible in a 3 year period. They will focus on the major doctrines that youth deal with in their lives. It will help them understand a Biblical World View that will enable to better handle opposition to Christianity they might encounter in their daily lives. This starts September 2 in the Book of Genesis. This is so worthwhile.

Sunday, I start a new teaching series based in the “One Anothers” found in the Bible. Over 40 times the Bible instructs us to do things like “love one another, admonish one another, pray for one another etc. I am praying this biblical series will be used by our Father to make our sweet fellowship even sweeter. Blessings await those who live in obedience to His will.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Tom

WANT TO HEAR SOME OUTSTANDING NEWS?

All too frequently we hear about the horrible and unfortunate fall of church leaders. It happens in all denominations and at all levels of leadership. The fall of church leaders seems to be sensational news. There is an old adage in the news industry: “If it bleeds, it leads”. Good news does not seem to sell copies or get ratings. So, let me share with you some Great News you may never hear anywhere else.

I have for years considered Rick Warren and Saddleback Church to be mentors to my own life and ministry. Let me share some of the reasons why. Pastor Rick Warren’s dad was a pastor, a bi-vocational pastor. Rick’s first book, The Purpose Drive Church was the best selling book on church growth in history. Warren gave all the profits to help bi-vocational pastors because he was raised by one. Warren was the founding pastor of Saddleback 38 years ago. It is the only church he has pastored and he started with just him and his wife, Kaye. This past Sunday Saddleback Church, to the glory of God, baptized their 50,000th member. That is not a typo…50,000. Over the 38 years of the church, that averages out to 3.6 people becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus every day for 38 years. I am sorry you did not read about that in the news. That may be the first church in history to hit such a milestone. Did you know that Saddleback Church was the first church in history to have 10,000 members and to not have a building to meet in yet! The met in 79 different locations their first year until God provided the land and buildings! During their 40 Days of Community, their church fed every homeless person in their county, 41,000 of them, 3 meals a day for 40 days! They prepared and delivered over 126,000 meals. To God be the glory. Saddleback was the first church in history to fulfill the Great Commission literally…to go to EVERY NATION and make disciples. Saddleback has sent out 25, 869 missionaries from their church to ALL 197 official nations. They are now working with every major mission sending organization, including our International Mission Board, to take the Gospel to all 3,000 tribes with no Gospel in their heart language.

Rick Warren was raised by Southern Baptist parents in a pastor’s home. He earned his college and seminary degrees from Southern Baptist schools. He has been offered leadership positions at our largest seminary and our Mission Board. He is the most doctrinally sound pastor in America. He authored the world’s best selling non-fiction book The Purpose Driven Life. He drives a 20 year old pickup truck. Unfortunately you will not hear about those things in the news. And for some unknown reason, I even have Christian friends who love to put Warren down. Gotta tell ya…I am grateful to God for raising up and protecting such a humble man of God. A lesser person would have fallen. To God be the Glory.

Pastor Tom

Fellowship Hall Update

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Hebrews 12:2 

It is almost impossible for me to relate to the sacrifice Jesus made for us all. The price he paid is all but beyond the ability for my mind to comprehend. What I can, in some small way, relate to is how Jesus endured such suffering. It is in the phrase “For the joy set before him he endured the cross”. For the future benefit and the eternal joy of the world, he endured suffering. Hallelujah, what a Savior.

In a very small way, could I ask our JIBC family to embrace this verse? We are currently in the middle of two renovation projects. Both of them will cause and interruption to the natural flow of the church campus and to some degree the ministries of the church. The side door on the Plymouth Avenue side is under construction. You cannot imagine how many times the staff starts toward that exit...only to be greeted by a boarded up door. This will affect parking, entry in and out, the weekday preschool, etc. Just remember... “For the joy set before him, he endured”. By the time October gets here, we will be enjoying the joyful part of the construction project.

The same is true for the Fellowship Hall. Work began Monday. Ceiling tiles, tracks and lights are coming down. This will, as I said, impact many of our ministries. The weekday preschool, meals, Bible Study classes, Celebrate Recovery, etc. Just keep repeating “for the joy set before him he endured”. I really do believe the end product will be a source of great joy. Until then it will be a source of something else. Lol.

Hang in there, plan ahead, get your extra steps in by using the other doors. Together, we will celebrate the completion of this part of Daring Faith!

See you soon,

Pastor Tom