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
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
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.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
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!Tuesday, February 10, 2009
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!
Friday, February 6, 2009
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
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!
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!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
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
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.
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.
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