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Friday, September 27, 2013

CAMPFIRE FELLOWSHIP


What - CAMPFIRE FELLOWSHIP!!!
When - Saturday at 5:00
Where - The Bauer Bivouac

Bring a dish to pass, a lawn chair to sit on, your favorite yard games to play, and some friendly conversation to share.  Join your FBC brothers and sisters for an evening of fun, food and fellowship at the penultimate Campfire Fellowship for this year.


Men Of Prayer

I tried to talk Trudy and the ladies out of it, as it's been a rough couple of weeks for our cooks, and Trudy is recovering from surgery!  But they would have none of it, and so we will meet for Men's Prayer Breakfast Saturday morning at 8:00.

Invite a friend, and come hungry... for breakfast and for prayer!


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Every week at 6:30





And remember that Leadership Training Institute will meet immediately following.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

No one...

"There should be no one with whom we converse so much as with Jesus." -Spurgeon

Join us for prayer meeting this evening at FBC? 6:30 in the sanctuary, followed by Leadership Training Institute at 7:30.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42 NKJV)

Israel, 2014







I read this in my devotions – David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa. (2 Samuel 21:12 ESV)


My mind immediately went to when we viewed the city of Beth-shan on our last trip to Israel, and I thought – somewhere here is where this happened:

You can still join us for the trip of a lifetime in 2014. $300 is all it takes to get started. See Bill or Beth for details.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Lord, what do you want me to do?

What happens at conversion? Will a true believer be changed after they are saved? If a professing Christian lives and looks no different from the rejecting lost world, what should we think of their profession?

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9 has a lot to say in response to these questions:

So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6)

Sister Nagel used to be a member of our church, many years ago. She spent her latter years in a nursing home, and I recall a story my grandmother told me of visiting her in that nursing home. "How are you?" asked my grandmother. Sister Nagel replied, "I'm fine, I guess, but I sure do miss my stuff."

I've often ruminated on that little phrase, "I sure miss my stuff." It is rich with meaning. It is so descriptive of so many of us.

"I'd get saved, if I didn't have to give up so much."

"I'd serve the Lord, if it didn't cost so much."

"I would stop kicking against the goads, Lord, but I would miss my stuff too much!"

When I attended Kent State University as a young man, I took an introductory speech class. One of our assignments was to give a persuasive speech. I don't remember my speech. (Tells you how good it was!) I don't remember the speeches of anyone except for one young lady, whose speech has remained with me to this day. She was a Christian, and she attempted to persuade the class of their need to become Christians. As a fellow believer, I listened to her speech with admiration... and conviction that I hadn't shown similar courage in my subject matter. But she said something that has always bothered me... she repeatedly told the class, "You don't have to give up anything... you don't have to change anything... in order to become a Christian." The clear implication was that you could go on living just as you had before you were saved... that you could be saved and have no change in your life at all.

But look at Saul lying there in the dirt. Listen to him as he lifts blinded eyes toward the face of the Savior and, TREMBLING AND ASTONISHED says, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Look at this man who was, minutes before, the picture of pride and prestige, but who now is completely humbled and surrendered and broken. Look at him a few verses later when they had to lead him by the hand like a child into Damascus.

Is this the picture of an unchanged man? Is this someone who was the same after his salvation as before? Is this someone who didn't give up anything in his experience of coming to Christ?

Hank William's sang it:

I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin;
I wouldn't ask my dear Saviour in.
Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night;
Praise the Lord, I saw the light!

I saw the light, I saw the light.
No more darkness; no more night.
Now I'm so happy no sorrow in sight.
Praise the Lord, I saw the light!



Saul saw the light, and it CHANGED HIM FOREVER. His first words were, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" And he never persecuted the church again... he never kicked against the goads again... he went from persecuting the gospel to preaching it everywhere he went!

"Just before he had sought only to do his own will; now he inquired what was the will of the Saviour. Just before he was acting under a commission from the sanhedrim; now he renounced their supreme authority, and asked what the Lord Jesus would have him to do. Just before he had been engaged in a career of opposition to the Lord Jesus; now he sought at once to do his will. This indicates the usual change in the sinner. The great controversy between him and God is, whose will shall be followed. The sinner follows his own; the first act of the Christian is to surrender his own will to that of God, and to resolve to do that which he requires." (Albert Barnes)

"What do you want me to do?" - should be the cry of every believer! Is it the cry of your heart, today?

Saul of Tarsus met Jesus on the road to Damascus. And it changed him forever.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Monster Weekend!

Saturday morning at 10:00 - Haven of Rest.  Join your brothers and sisters in serving those in need.  Wear a hat!

Saturday morning at 11:00 - Help erect the tent for Old Fashioned Sunday.  Many hands (and sledge hammers) make light work.  Meet at the church at 11:00 if you are willing to help.

Sunday morning at 10:30 - Old Fashioned Sunday!  It looks like the Lord is going to provide great weather (keep praying that is so), and many many people have labored and prayed for a day that honors God and rejoices the hearts of His people.  Don't miss a minute of this wonderful day that starts with great music and old fashioned preaching at 10:30, and then wonderful food and fellowship under the tent at 11:30, and then an old fashioned gospel sing in the afternoon.  Although we've had trouble pinning down our special guest speaker this year, I heard just recently that he may indeed have freed up his schedule and be with us this year.  

You won't want to miss even a minute of this monster weekend!

Pray.  Promote.  Participate.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

What do you expect?

Here is a good quote I read recently - "When you don't expect much from prayer, don't expect much of an answer."

Join us for prayer meeting tonight? 6:30?