Forty Days for Life

Several of our church members went to Planned Parenthood in Memphis to stand vigil and pray for the end of abortion during the Forty Days for Life campaign. Here are several pictures. Maybe next time you can be invovled in this wonderful, life-saving ministry!

Deacon Ordination

First Baptist Church of Byhalia was please to ordain Russ McClure to the deacon ministry on Sunday, September 13. Russ has already been serving the church as youth minister for several years. Russ lives in Byhalia and works as a trim carpenter. He leads a vibrant youth ministry at the church, and Russ and his wife, Heather, are committed to seeing young people come to know the Lord and find their place of ministry andservice in the Christian church. Pray for Russ as he begins this new phase of ministry! And you are always welcomed in our church! Come join us!

Pictured are: Heather McClure, Russ McClure and Anthony P. Langley, pastor.

New Members

David Bettes was baptized recently. He is pictured with Bro. Anthony. Evie Gill was also baptized recently with her sister Maggie Gill. Pray for these new members as they seek God's direction for their lives.

VBS Picture

September Newsletter

September always signals the beginning of the new church year. New teachers and committee members take their places as the activity in the church continues. We have had the recent addition of a communication committee that will begin its work in September. This committee will be responsible for delivering messages to the church members regarding news and information about upcoming events. They will do this through the calling post technology. Calling post is an automated voice message delivery system that calls each member with a prerecorded message. If you have not received on of these calls, please call the church office so that we can correct the problem, or fill out a calling post census form.

Last Sunday morning we started a sermon series on High Definition Living. With all the excitement about the new switch to digital TV, many families have been forced to switch over to High Def TV, and the picture is stunning. Before we had HD TV we never knew what we were missing, but now, many would never go back to their low resolution TV’s. It is the same way in our Christian lives. The life that Jesus describes that he gives to believers is an abundant life (John 10:10), but many Christians spend their lives living in low resolution and miss out on the High Definition life that God is offering them. This sermon series will help us to understand how we can live our lives for the Lord in High Definition. We will continue this series throughout the month of September, so invite a friend or neighbor. Let’s experience all that God has for us together!

Two new adult Discipleship Training Classes will begin on September 13 in addition to children and youth classes. (GROWING) Look for more information about these classes on the bulletin board. We will also be starting a bus ministry in September. (SHARING) Pray for those who have volunteered to drive and help. We may also need some help with supervision before Sunday School and during church if the ministry takes off. These are just some of the ways that we are seeking to accomplish our mission statement. We should constantly be looking for ways to accomplish the four purposes in the mission statement BELONGING to a community, SHARING the mission, GROWING through Bible study and ministry, and WORSHIPING!

Bro. Anthony

Newsletter June

Although summer is usually a time to take a break and vacation, it seems that we usually are busier during the summer months. In this article I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of a very important truth pointed out in Scripture. Jesus is coming back! The Bible speaks clearly about the signs and several events that must take place before the return of Jesus. I believe many of these signs are taking place right before our eyes. I believe that we are in the last days. While it is true that Jesus said in Matthew 24 that no one can know the day or the hour of His return, He did say that we could know His return would be soon based on the signs. Why is this so important to the Christian community today?

First, His return is imminent, so we must be prepared. Once Christ returns, there will be no second chance. We can’t go back and do things we were putting off for another day. Perhaps you are part of the church but unsure about your salvation. When the Lord comes, you will find out, but it may be too late. Perhaps you wanted to share Christ with a close friend or a relative. I believe that we have become so busy in our world that we have very little time to worry about the things of God. In fact, many on their deathbeds do not prepare to meet God because of a search for a miracle. We need to make sure our spiritual affairs are in order everyday. His return might just happen today.

Second, His return is close, so we better love others. We are so caught up in our own lives and opinions these days. We fuss and fight over the silliest things, but when Christ returns, we will have no second chance to undo our misdeeds. We will have no opportunity to undo the hurt we have caused. In fact, we will immediately know the things that have captivated our attention on earth are meaningless when compared to eternity. As Christians, we must learn to love others here on earth, because that will be our pattern of living for the rest of eternity. Think about the feelings of others before you commit mean-spirited actions or speak hateful words.

Third, since His return is soon, we must understand that what we do now matters for eternity. Have you shared your faith today? Has the way you have lived your life created a barrier that may prevent someone from coming to the faith? Have you spent your money in a way that honors God and furthers His kingdom? Have you served the Lord with your life? Have you led your family in the way of faith? Have you encouraged other believers in order to help them grow? Our lives today matter forever! Live your life for eternity.

As we hurry about this summer taking care of “business as usual,” remember, Jesus is coming back. The signs are all around us. He will return soon to gather his people and establish His kingdom. Are you ready?


Anthony P. Langley, Pastor

Fifth Sunday Fellowship

The Sanctuary choir will be presenting a musical titled "East to West: From One Scarred Hand to the Other" on Sunday May 31st at 6:00 pm. The musical is a great worship experience that was presented on Easter Sunday. This time the choir will be singing along with a DVD that will enhance the worship experience. We want to take the opportunity to invite everyone in the community to come and worship with us. Invite your neighbors and friends!

Mission Statement

The Long Range Planning Committee has submitted a mission statement to the church for approval at the next business meeting on June 7. The mission statement is a tool that will be used to help us clarify our purpose and mission as a church. Every program or ministry will function within the framework of the mission statement. The committee wanted the church to pray about this because it is a big decision. This decision will effect all other future decisions. This is the mission statement.


First Baptist Church, Byhalia, is a community of believers in Jesus Christ committed to building the Kingdom of God by sharing the message of the gospel, growing through Bible study and ministry, worshipping our Heavenly Father, and fully committing ourselves to the glory of God.

Baptism

Josie Dowling was baptised on April 19th at First Baptist Church, Byhalia. Pray for Josie as she embarks on her spiritual journey!

Bible Drills

Several youth and children from First Baptist Church, Byhalia participated in Bible Drills this year. Bible Drill is a tool used in the Baptist Church to help children and youth to learn to be comfortable navigating around the Bible and to learn many verses that will help them answer doctrinal questions. In the program, they have to memorize the books of the Bible in order, find books of the Bible and specific verses within a limited time (10 seconds for children and 8 seconds for youth), and memorize specific verses related to doctrinal topics and questions. They compete against the clock at three different levels. The first is Church Bible Drills that was conducted at FBC In late March. The second level is an Association drill for Marshall County, held at Slayden Baptist Church, and on Tuesday April 15th our group participated in State Bible Drills held at Longview Heights Baptist Church. All participates showed skill and determination by making it all the way to the last level of competition, and in the process, they are learning to use their Bibles as a tool for growth.

Pictured are (back) Zackery Langley, Hannah Hamblin, Jimmy Story, Jeromy White, Josh Dowling, Kipp Gill, and Cameron Langley. They are all youth drillers. The children drillers are (front) Chase Langley, Mick Gill, Dana Story and Evie Gill.

New Members David and Debra Meyers

David was born July 10, 1958 in Muskegon, MI. He was raised in Fruitport along with three brothers and one sister. David moved to Memphis in 1980. He drives a truck for a local furniture supply warehouse.
David has three children Darren 25, Gina 21, Derrick 19.
David accepted Jesus in 1970 at Cloverville Baptist Church in Cloverville MI.

Debra was born February 15, 1961 in Tupelo Ms. She was raised in Saltillo MS. along with one sister and one brother.
Debra has two children, Valerie 27, and Nathan 23. Valerie has two children Jacob 9 and Andrew 7.
Nathan is married to Crystal and they have two children, Bradly 4 and AnnaBelle 3 months.
Debra accepted Jesus in 1968 at Saltillo Baptist Church in Saltillo MS.
Debra works at Kroger in Memphis TN.


David and Debra married on November 3,2001. They lived in Memphis for five years.They bulilt a home and moved to Byhalia in 2007.
David and Debra both were active members at Capleville UMC in TN. David was a cub scout and then boy scout leader for 15 years. He was on the board of trustees, and served numerous positions there.
Debra was a childrens' Sunday school and was a VBS teacher for many years. Debra was also a Tiger scout leader for two years.

David enjoys projects around the home and likes to build things, Debra is a multi-media artist and enjoys using found objects in this effort.
They love to take walks to the lake with their three dogs, and just enjoy the blessings that God has given them.

Easter Egg Hunt Pictures

Baptism Announced!

Josie Dowling's Baptismal Service has been set for Sunday Morning April 19th at the beginning of the morning worship service. We join with Josie's family to celebrate her new spiritual birth. Pray for Josie as she takes this important step of obedience.

Community Crusaders

You may be wondering, "What is Community Crusaders?" We have developed an evangelism strategy that reaches the community and teaches our members to share their faith. The strategy has four levels.

• The entry level is called Sidewalk Evangelism. In this stage we go to events and pass out literature for the church and tracts. We generally invite people to church and occasionally get the opportunity to share our faith.
• The next level is called Community Crusaders. In this stage, we actually go door to door throughout the community inviting people to church. We give them a free gift and try to go to every home on the street. We go out six times a year, three times each semester. The next opportunity to be involved in Community Crusaders is Saturday April 11th at 10:30 am.
• Our next level of outreach is Evangelism Explosion. This is a 13 week course that teaches people to share their faith. It involves on- the-job training because we go out every week and use what we have learn in class. The great thing about this strategy is that the Gospel is shared every week. We will start a new class in the fall. Come join us.
• The last level of outreach that we promote in the church is the model taught in Scripture. We hope that after people have gained confidence through our evangelism strategies that they will be sharing their faith "as they are going" (Acts 1:8) It is great to hear that one of our members has led someone to Christ in their daily walk with the Lord.

All of these opportunities are open and available to anyone who will attend. If you have been saved, you ought to be able to tell someone else how to come to the Lord. It is not as intimidating as you think. You will find that many people want to talk about spiritual things. They just don't because nobody has ever asked. Come join us as we share Christ with Byhalia.

Easter Egg Hunt!

I wanted to take this opportunity to invite all children, birth through 6th grade to attend our Easter Egg Hunt. It will be Saturday April 11th, in the Fellowship Hall at 2:00 pm. Bring a few plastic eggs filled with treats and your child's own basket. We look forward to fellowshipping with you!

A Word from the Pastor - April

Time continues its steady march and spring is here. In just a few days we will gather to celebrate the most important holiday on the Christian calendar - Easter. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 Paul says, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” As Christians, we should never lose sight of the cross. It has been said that the believer who tires of hearing the gospel may not be a believer. The cross is the central theme of our belief structure. Jesus died in our place.

Notice that Paul doesn’t say that the cross is powerful to those who are saved. He says that it is the power of God to those who are being saved. It is true that God saves us as soon as we believe, but there is also a sense in which we are being saved everyday as we follow the Lord in obedience. The cross is what brought us to God and the cross is what keeps us in His presence. If we ever feel like we are slipping away from God, we need to go back to the cross. That is the purpose of observing the Lord’s Supper. We are to remember what Christ did on the Cross in our place.

As we reflect upon the cross in the course of our daily lives, we will find that the cross will bring us closer to God. The more we study the cross, the more unworthy we feel to receive it. As a result, we will serve the Lord with a deeper gratitude and commitment. We will serve the Lord with a greater sense of humility and will reach out to others in the same way. We will come to church looking for ways to serve rather than ways to be served, and we will find that we are more in the center of God’s will than ever before.

We do not deserve the cross. We deserve punishment, but God is a God of love and reaches across the gulf of sin to make a way for us to enter His kingdom. Oh, the glory of the cross, and oh, the power of the resurrection. Don’t let this Easter simply be a day of mandatory church attendance and enjoyable family gatherings. Reflect upon the cross and the Savior who died in your place.

Thank God for the cross!
Thank God for the Savior!
Thank God for Easter!

Bro. Anthony P. Langley, Pastor

From the Youth Pastor

It's already April! That means that M-Fuge is only two months away. I'll be getting more details to you soon. I encourage everyone to begin praying for the students that will be attending camp. Pray for those whom the Lord allows us to minister to while we are there. I hope everyone is exited about what God is going to do.

Secondly, with April here it means that school is almost out for the summer. I know that many, if not all, students are looking forward to that. The end of the school year brings volleyball. Many young people are already asking to play. Don't worry; it will be here before you know it. I know everyone is anxious. I look forward to the warm weather and fellowship.

Lastly, Easter is in April. What a great time of the year. I hope that all will joyfully celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Take time to reflect on that awesome day. Our faith hinges on the resurrection of Christ. The power of Christ has made salvation available to all. Death could not contain our savior. We serve an awesome God.

Russ McClure

View from the Pew - April

I usually don’t like watching preaching on TV – but I have started watching “Cowboy Church” on the RFD channel. Those preachers preach to people at rodeos and other ranch type events. The sermon on “Inches” got my attention. Inches save lives – and takes lives. The length of a man’s fingertips to his elbow is about 17 or 18 inches – The same length from his brain to his heart. Noah built his ark using this measure, which was called cubits – still the distance from his brain to his heart. So look how short a distance it is for your brain to tell your heart to believe and trust in God.

This preacher gave an example of trying to get two cows in a pen. They would get these cows within inches of going into the pen but then the cows would turn and run. They never gave up. They finally got those two cows in the pen. How many times have you witnessed to a friend who was within inches of accepting the Lord but ran away? Did you give up? Remember, an inch is as good as a mile if you did. So, go that one more inch of witnessing to them and get them into the pen.

How many times have you been within inches of being in an accident and then thanked God for saving you? How may times have you told yourself, “I only missed doing that by an inch”? Don’t miss leading a friend or a stranger to the Lord by an inch. When you reach out your hand to shake another’s hand remember you are only 17 or 18 inches away from making a friend and letting your heart tell your brain the right words to say and maybe being only one inch from leading someone to the Lord.

By: Betty Ballard

“A view from the pew” is a regular feature of your church newsletter. The congregation is encouraged to submit articles to the church office by no later than the third Thursday of the month. The Pastor will determine which content is acceptable and which articles will be included.

Upcoming Youth Events for April

• April 4th— Youth Laser Tag
  Meet at the church at 5:30 PM
  $10 per youth
  Bring money for a fast food dinner
• April 5th— Fried Chicken Fundraiser
  Immediately after morning services
  Held in the Fellowship Hall
  Donations support youth camp
  

Upcoming Events for April

• April 4th—Men’s Breakfast and Workday begins at 8 AM in the Fellowship Hall.
• April 5th is Palm Sunday—The Lord’s Supper will be celebrated during the morning Service.
• April 5th—Associational Bible Drills will be held at Slayden Baptist Church beginning at 2 PM.
• April 11th—The Community Crusaders will be taking Easter Lilies to people in the community. The program starts at 10:30 AM in the Parking Lot.
• April 11th—Easter Egg Hunt for babies through 6th Graders at 2 PM. Meet in the Fellowship Hall.
• April 14th—Statewide Bible Drills will be held at Longview Heights Baptist Church—2 PM to 5 PM.
  

New Members!

We are happy to welcome David and Debra Meyers to the church as our newest members. They joined by letter and statement on March 22. We look forward to getting to know them and helping them to find their place of ministry through our church. We will share more information about them in a future post.

We are also happy to welcome Josie Dowling to our church family and to the family of God. Josie made a profession of faith on March 22 and will be baptized soon!

New Members Profile: Frank and Pat Gerhow

Frank and Pat united with our church by letter from a neighboring church in Marshall County on February 22, 2009. We look forward to getting to know them as they serve the Lord here at First Baptist Church. They prepared a profile for me to put up on the blog...

Frank was born March 3, 1947 and raised in San Francisco, California. He served 25 years in the United States Navy retiring in 1990 as a Chief Petty Officer. He was widowed in 2001 having been married for 22 years. He accepted and was saved in Jesus Christ in 1974 at the First Baptist Church in Burlingame, California.

Pat was born July 31, 1949 in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Ohio. She came to Byhalia, Mississippi with her husband, David and worked for the Internal Revenue Service for more then 30 years. She was widowed in 1986. She retired in 2007. She accepted and was saved in Jesus Christ at age 10 in Goshen, Ohio.

Frank and Pat met over the internet and were married on August 1, 2004. Pat has a one married daughter, Jennifer who lives in Lexington, KY with her husband Rob Brown. Frank has four children, Lynne, Mark, David and Stacy, six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.

They share many interests including horses, trail riding and spending as much time as possible with each other. Their life is based in the Lord.

Frank has worked as a security supervisor since 1990 and plans on retiring on April 9, 2009 and then tackling a very large Honey-do list for Pat. Just something to keep him busy.

Frank and Pat live at 590 Victoria Rd, Byhalia, MS and can be reached by calling 662-838-5414 to by email at fgerhow@centurytel.net

March Newsletter Article

Do you remember what life was like when you first became a Christian? If you are like most, it was a great experience of joy and peace in your life. You were excited about what God was going to do in your life. You looked forward to coming to church and being a part of the Bible study. Eventually the newness of being a Christian will fade, but that doesn’t mean that our joy and peace should. The problem is that many Christians have lost their excitement. They come to church week after week and sit on the pews with no emotion or concept of what it means to be conformed into the image of Christ. This is sin, and I like to call it apathy. If you look up the word, you will find that it means indifference.

I believe that we are all prone to some level of apathy in our spiritual life. Why, because Christianity is a marathon not a sprint. Christianity is a lifelong process of conformity to the image of Christ. Many times we start out at a sprint only to run out of gas. We then get discouraged and begin to question our spiritual condition, or we feel that nothing we do matters anyway, so we don’t try to serve the Lord.

How do we overcome a spirit of indifference? First, we must realize that Christianity is not a sprint. We must pace ourselves for the lifelong process of change and growth. Second, we need to learn endurance. The Bible speaks of perseverance on many occasions. God knows that life can be tough. That’s why He will one day do away with sin forever. Until that time, we must endure the difficulties of this life in a way that give God the glory and points others to Him. Third, we must realize that we are not alone in this life. God has given us the Holy Spirit to walk with us daily. Our endurance does not simply come from within us. Our endurance is built on a trust in God that He is with us every step of the way. Only then can we free ourselves to serve the Lord and live an exciting spiritual life.

One note before we close this discussion. Some may seem apathetic in church because they have never been touched by God. In other words, some may be indifferent because they are not part of the kingdom and have never been saved.

Let us shake off our tendency to be apathetic, and let’s serve the Lord with gladness!

Bro Anthony

Three Baptized!

Three young people were baptized at First Baptist Church of Byhalia on Sunday Night February 15, 2009. What a joyous occasion to celebrate. Family and church members gathered to support and pray for the children as they made a bold statement of faith from the baptismal waters. Pictured are Brittany Reed, Samuel Worthy, Dawson Schiele, and Pastor Anthony P. Langley. Pray for each of these children as they embark on their spiritual journey of growth and faith!

Fannie Mae Nichols Update

Mrs. Fannie Mae Nichols tripped over a sidewalk today and was injured. It was first reported that her jaw was broken, but it is her cheekbone that was fractured. She also sustained some abrasions and bruising to her face. She is very stove up and in a great deal of pain. She was released from the emergency room and is at home now. Mrs. Nichols already deals with constant back pain. Pray for her as she recovers from her fall.

Bro. Joedy's Ten Year Anniversary

First Baptist Church honored Bro. Joedy White on Sunday, February 8 for ten years of faithful service as Minister of Music. Bro. Joedy has served in this position since January of 1999. In his ten years, Bro. Joedy has built a strong music program that honors God and guides our worship. Thank you Bro. Joedy for you dedication to excellence and your passion for the Lord. Keep up the good work...and maybe we will do this again in ten years!

Jeffrey Nichols Update

Jeffery is feeling well and the family is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Jeffrey is undergoing experimental treatment for his cancer. He is taking a form of chemo that was designed for another form of cancer but has showed some encouraging results in patients with similar illnesses to Jeffrey. The drug targets T-cells and kills them. Jeffery has too many, and they are choking out the immune system. The hope is that these T-cells will die, and the immune system will rise to normal levels. That is the main prayer request. Jeffrey goes to St. Jude three days a week for treatment. (Mon, Wed, and Fri) He will be taking four weeks of treatments and then be reevaluated. He can have up to eighteen weeks of treatments if the drug is working. Jeffery is beginning week two, and each day is usually a long and grueling process. At this point, he does not seem to be having any reactions or sickness from the chemo. Pray that this continues. We love you Jeffrey, and all of us are praying for you daily. Stay strong and keep the faith!

Two to be Baptized

I wanted to share a praise with all of you out in the blog world. Dawson Schiele and Samuel Worthy have both accepted Christ as their Savior and look forward to being baptized in the next couple of weeks! Pray for them as they grow in faith and look for ways to help them in the process.

In the Baptist Faith, baptism is a symbolic act that proclaims the work of Christ in the heart and life of the individual. While baptism does not save, Christ commanded it and to follow through with it is to be obedient to the Lord. It is one of the first steps of obedience in the Christian life. Pray for these boys as they begin a lifelong journey of faith and trials.

The Baptismal service has been set for Sunday February 15 at 6:00 pm

Schiele House Fire Update

The Schiele's had a house fire on Tuesday evening. Everyone is safe, but the house sustain some major damage. The house was not completely burned, but there is smoke and water damage throughout. At this time, they are not aware of any immediate needs as the insurance company is taking good care of them. Many have expressed a desire to help, but they seem to be in pretty good shape considering the intense circumstances. Pray for them as they make transitions and go through the headache of having their lives turned upside-down. I will keep you posted as I get new news. On a good note, Dawson accepted Christ as his Savior a couple of weeks ago and is looking forward to his baptism. We are praying for you Schieles.

2/10/2009 update - The Schiele's are staying at a hotel in Olive Branch temporarily. At this time the insurance company is meeting their immediate needs. I will keep you updated with future needs!

February Newsletter Article and Coming Events

Article

As we continue to serve the Lord, the bitterness of winter leaves us longing for warmer days. Sometimes we come to a place of bitterness in our spiritual lives. Some of the grumpiest and mean-spirited people I have ever known have been Christians! Bitterness takes over when we begin to go through the motions of religion and play church. We begin to notice that some in the church are not as committed as we are, or some have fallen into sin. Then, we begin to feel good about ourselves and our record of commitment. We start becoming critical towards others in the church and even lost people outside the church. This can continue to shape the way we think and ultimately the way we relate to God. Church becomes a duty rather than devotion, and church members become competition rather than partners. The end result is that we are more concerned about our picture of church than we are about God’s.

How do we overcome bitterness in our spiritual life? First, we must recognize our bitterness. This is not as hard as you may think. Just like during the cold of winter we long for warmer days, Christians know when they are outside of God’s will. Do you long for more in your spiritual life? It may be because you have allowed bitterness to take over. Once we recognize it, then we must ask God for help. Get alone with God and pray about your spiritual condition. Open your Bible and ask God to show you your faults. The Bible functions like a mirror with two reflections. When we look into it, we see the reflection of our current condition (the Bible reveals our faults) and the reflection of Jesus (the Bible reveals how the Lord wants us to be). Now that we have a starting point, the next step is obedience. As the Lord shows us our faults, we must be faithful to deal with them and to continue to spend time with Him. I pray that as sure as spring will take away the bitter cold of winter that God will help you to remove the bitterness from your spiritual life!

Next month we will take a look at apathy in the spiritual life. Until then, live a life worthy of our calling in Christ Jesus!

Bro. Anthony


Events

Starting February 2nd there will be a Men’s Prayer breakfast each Monday morning at 6 AM. This meeting will allow men to fellowship, pray, and start the week off with the Lord so that they may more effectively lead their families.
February 1—There will be a business meeting following the evening worship service.
February 7—There will be a preview Potluck dinner to kick off the Easter Choir practice season.
February 8—The Lord’s Supper will be celebrated as part of the regular morning worship service. A potluck lunch will follow.
February 13th and 14th—Student Life Conference at Bellevue Baptist Church.
February 14—Valentine’s Day Banquet at 6 PM.
February 15—Church Council meeting will be held at 4 PM.

Newletter Article and Events January 2009

Article

I pray that everyone had a Merry Christmas and had an opportunity to spend some time relaxing and enjoying the fellowship of family and friends. It is exciting to think about a New Year! We feel a sense of fulfillment knowing that we have a fresh start to focus our lives more clearly on our goals for 2009. I hope that one of your goals is to experience God on a deeper level this year. I have a confession to make. As a proud Baptist, I have a tendency to focus all my spiritual growth efforts on the Scripture. This is not a bad thing, but sometimes I tend to make spiritual growth all about academics. In other words, I make it about what I know, but spiritual growth is more than just knowledge about God. It is about an experience with God.

You may ask, why am I sharing this with you? Because I feel that we have a tendency to focus so much on the knowledge of God that we forget why God wants us to learn about Him. We learn who He is so that we can know Him. We serve a God who is real, and He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us so that we could enter into a relationship with Him. Knowledge is important. In fact, without the Scripture, we could not know God. Doctrine is important. What we believe is important in knowing the TRUE God. We don’t want to worship a God that we have fashioned in our minds. We want to serve the God of the Bible.

The point is that we need to encounter God. How do we do that? The answer to this question will be the focus of much of the preaching in 2009. We must move from religious activity to an encounter with God. As you listen to the sermons this year, you and I will work together to learn how to experience God in a real relationship. We will not be learning simply for the sake of knowledge. We will be leaning to put our knowledge to use in a relationship with a God who has loved us enough to reveal Himself to us.

Come to worship this year with an open-mind that is ready to do more than just learn about God! Let us “Encounter God Day by Day.”

Bro. Anthony


Events

January 11th — The Long Range Planning Committee will meet at 4 PM.
January 17th—Starting at 8 AM will be the Men’s Breakfast and Workday.
January 18th—Church Council meeting will be held at 4 PM.
January 25th is Baptist Men’s Day. After the morning service their will be a youth spaghetti lunch fundraiser in the fellowship hall.
Bible Drill classes for children, youth and adults will begin on Sunday, January 4th and will be held at 5 PM each Sunday.
February 7th—The Easter Choir practice season begins with a Potluck Dinner at 6 PM.
February 13th & 14th—Student Life Conference at Bellevue Baptist Church.