First Baptist of Jackson

August 31, 2010

New Church Plant

Grace City Church, the new church plant, has held prayer services the last two Sundays. Approximately 80 people have attended these times of prayer. David Hederman has reported a wonderful time of prayer, excitement, and anticipation at what God is going to do through this new body of believers.

Please note that Grace City will not meet this Sunday due to the Labor Day holiday. The first worship service will take place on September 12 at 10:15 a.m. at the Gulf Guaranty Annex Building on Interstate 55 between Virginia College and the old IHOP. Please be praying for David and Rich Price as they host the first worship service of Grace City Church.

Sunday Night Classes

We begin our Sunday night Going Deeper classes in just two weeks (Sept. 12). Because we are getting close, please go ahead and sign up for a class by going to this link on our church website.

You can choose from the 10 classes that are being offered. We have classes on marriage, parenting, and missions. There are three Masterlife classes, a class on the history of the Bible, and a ladies class. Also, there is a class on the book "Radical." I'm teaching a class from the book, "Good to Great in God's Eyes." This book examines ten practices that great Christians have in common.

Also, please note there will be a "Classic" worship service at 6:00 p.m. in the chapel led by Tom Washburn, Eva Hart, and Ed Brashier.

Faith in the Workplace

Many times in our churches we teach people how to be better church members. However, most of our waking hours during the week are spent at work. Have you ever wondered how you could do a better job of living out your faith at work? Have you ever needed encouragement to live your faith in a difficult work environment? Have you ever faced difficult days on the job? Most of us surely have.

I am happy to report that your church now offers help in the workplace. This help comes in the form of a tool called Workplace and you can sign up on our website at this link.

How does it work? It's simple. After taking a minute or two to sign up, you will need to take a few minutes to respond to some questions that will help identify the three biggest issues you face at work (difficult boss, ungodly work environment, etc.). Thereafter, you will automatically receive an email every Tuesday and Thursday that addresses your primary work issues. The email will contain a great devotion, plus links to articles, scriptures, experts, videos and other tools to help you and encourage you in your worklife. I believe Workplace is a very practical tool that you will enjoy and benefit from. Go to our website at www.fbcj.org and get started!

Wednesday Nights

On Wednesday night this week, September 1, I will continue walking through the Books of the Bible. This past spring we left off with the book of Ezra. This week, we will begin our study in Nehemiah. If you are looking for a good meal, good fellowship, and a study of the Books of the Bible, come to Fellowship Hall East at 6:00 this Wednesday.

August 24, 2010

Haiti

I am writing this column on Wednesday morning from Haiti. Yesterday, we drove through Port-au-Prince. I have never seen such chaos, poverty, hopelessness, and snarled traffic in such a large area. We passed a large number of tent cities where thousands and thousands still live. We drove past the Presidential Palace that still sits in ruins. As you have seen on television, it seems to have just fallen over. It was a huge structure. Imagine the White House falling over on it's side.

Later this morning we will spend an hour in one of the tent cities. Then we will begin making our way to the Dominican Republic, cross the border, and fly home tomorrow (Thursday). Please pray for wisdom and revelation from God for our little group - Mark Rich and Mallory Rosamond and me.

Work

Most of us spend a great portion of our waking hours at work - in an office, outside on a job, or working from home. Work is the place where we have an incredible opportunity to live out our faith and to be salt and light. Work is also the place where we find many of life's trials and difficulties.

Unfortunately, in the church we do not talk much about how we are to live in the workplace. I am happy to report that your church is now offering an amazing tool that will help you live out your faith at work. It's called Workplace and you can sign up here on our website. Our Men's Ministry is giving leadership to this opportunity, but it is for men and women and all who work.

How does it work? It's simple. After taking a minute or two to sign up, you will need to take a few minutes to respond to some questions that will help identify the three biggest issues you face at work (difficult boss, ungodly work environment, etc.). Thereafter, you will automatically receive an email every Tuesday and Thursday that addresses your primary work issues. The email will contain a great devotion, plus links to other articles, scriptures, experts, videos and other tools to help you and encourage you in your worklife.

You'll be hearing more about Worklife in the days ahead. I truly believe this will be a very practical tool that you will enjoy and benefit from. Go to this link on our website and get started!

August 17, 2010

Church Plant

I want to give you an update about the church plant that David Hederman and Rich Price will be leading. The new plant, Grace City Church, will be meeting at the Gulf Guaranty Annex Building on Interstate 55 between Virginia College and the old IHOP. They will be hosting prayer services on August 22 and 29 at 10:15 a.m. (childcare will be available for birth-5th grade). They will not meet Labor Day weekend and then they will hold the first worship service on September 12 at 10:15 a.m. (curriculum for children will begin).

There are always many needs at a church plant and one need right now is for preschool supplies for the first few Sundays. A needs list can be found on the Grace City Church website at www.gracecityjackson.org or on the Grace City Facebook page.

In most every church plant situation, some people get really nervous. They become fearful that some people from the mother church may go and help with the church plant. Please understand - that's okay! We want to send people out to do the work of the Lord. Of course, we want many to come to our church, but we also want to send out as many people as possible to share the glorious news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's been the practice of God's church for its entire 2,000 years of existence.

So am I worried that some people may want to go and help with the new church plant? Not at all! God bless them! Planting churches and helping to plant churches are the most natural and obvious things in the world for a church and its members to do. After all, every church in the world was a church plant at one point in time, including First Baptist Jackson.

Going Deeper

Our Going Deeper classes on Sunday night will begin September 12, the Sunday after Labor Day. We have 10 classes from which you can choose, including classes on marriage, parenting, and missions. There are three Masterlife classes, a class on the history of the Bible, and a ladies class. Also, there is a class on the book "Radical." I'm teaching a class from the book, "Good to Great in God's Eyes." This book examines ten practices that great Christians have in common. To see class details and register for a class, click here.

Learning to Share

Have you always wanted to learn a way to share your Christian faith? Have you longed to have the confidence to tell others about Jesus? We are offering a Share Your Faith workshop on Saturday, August 28. On this one day you can learn a solid, Biblical way to share the good news of the Gospel.

Jesus the Lamb

This Sunday we continue our new sermon series, "Believe," from the Gospel of John. Our focus this week is on Jesus' role as the Lamb of God. Why did John the Baptist refer to Jesus as God's Lamb? What did John mean? What does that mean for you and me? Thank you for praying for Kevin (Madison Campus), Steven (LINK), and me (sanctuary downtown) as we prepare to preach this Sunday. It's a great joy to be able to open God's Word and share marvelous truths each week.

August 10, 2010

Big Sunday

It’s finally here! Our kick-off Sunday for the new Sunday School year is this Sunday, August 15. School starts this week, vacations are over, and people will be getting back to a more normal routine.

I hope you plan on being in Sunday School as part of the 2,800 people we hope to see in Bible Study. Be sure and be in your place and be sure and invite someone to join you. This may be the perfect time to invite someone who has recently moved to Jackson or into your neighborhood. Do those friends, neighbors, or co-workers a big favor and invite them to First Baptist Jackson.

Somebody’s Praying

This past Sunday we talked about the importance of prayer in the life of the church. I am convinced that if we do not wrap our church in prayer, then we are nothing more than another social club, another civic organization. May we find ourselves constantly in prayer for those who are lost, for those who need to experience Christian community, for those who need a church home, for those who need to hear the gospel. May we cover the ministries of our church in prayer.

More than anything else, we need the power and presence of God. We need Him more than we need a new program or a certain style of worship or anything else we can create on our own. Without the power and presence of God that comes as a result of prayer, we will see no eternal results from our efforts. We will not see lives transformed. We will not see people go from death unto life. We will simply exhaust ourselves going from one activity to another with no real results.

But, with prayer we can see the power and presence of God at work. We can see eternal results. We can see lives transformed. We can see people go from death unto life. Through prayer, ministering in the name of Jesus will become much more than another program to keep us busy and over-committed. Through prayer, ministry will not only give life to those to whom we minister, but also to us as we minister in His name.

This week, please pray for our Sunday School classes. Pray for our new sermon series in John. Pray for those hurting and lost people who need to be at FBCJ this Sunday to be encouraged and blessed.

Scared?

Are you scared? A little nervous? Not sure what to say or do? If the idea of sharing your faith strikes fear in your heart, there is no better way to deal with that fear than to learn how to share your faith.

There is a Share Your Faith workshop on Saturday, August 28. Click here for more details or you can visit with someone in a booth in the atrium this Sunday.

Jesus is God

This Sunday we begin our new sermon series from the book of John entitled, “Believe.” This title is based on John 20:31 which states, “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

This series will begin Sunday and go through May of next year. We will walk through the book of John verse by verse and section by section. While I am preaching each week in the sanctuary downtown, Steven Smith will be preaching the same text in the LINK and Kevin Cooper will be preaching the same text at our Madison Campus. The three of us will meet each week to discuss the text and outline the message.

This week we will examine John 1:1-18. The BIG IDEA in this important passage is that Jesus is God. He is divine. He is deity. He is God in the flesh. This great truth is foundational for all we believe and know about Jesus Christ. This Sunday, bring your Bible to the worship service and let’s see who this Jesus of Nazareth really is.

August 3, 2010

Run for the Son

The 24th annual 5k Run for the Son is this Saturday. You can run, walk, sprint, jog, or even stroll. Be sure and register online at www.fbcj.org. As always, this will be a fun time as we come together, exercise, and support Mission First with the proceeds of the race.

Two Sundays

We are only two Sundays away from the new church year. August 15 is Promotion Sunday for the new Sunday School year. This Sunday, August 8, is our training day for all Sunday School leaders.

Breakout sessions for the various age groups will be from 4:15-5:45 pm. Thereafter, a meal will be served in Fellowship Hall East for all Sunday School leaders who have registered.

As we have done for several years on the day of our training, the evening worship service will be in Fellowship Hall East at 6:00 pm. Chris Maddux will be the special speaker as we continue focusing on the new Sunday School year.

Divorce Care

A divorce can be a difficult, life-shattering experience. Beginning August 15, Divorce Care will take place from 5:00 to 7:00 on Sunday evenings. Divorce Care is a 13 week support group and seminar that helps people deal with the pain of a divorce and helps them look forward to rebuilding their lives. For more information, contact Gwen Jenkins at 601-949-1906. To register online, go to www.fbcj.org.

Believe

I am very excited about a new sermon series beginning August 15. Kevin Cooper at our Madison Campus, Steven Smith in the LINK, and I will be preaching through the gospel of John. Each Sunday the same passage will be preached in Madison, the LINK, and the sanctuary downtown. Last week, the three of us spent a day outlining this entire series that will go through Easter of next year. We will meet weekly to discuss the text and outline the message.

The series is entitled, “Believe: The Person, Power, & Provision of Jesus Christ.” This title is based on John 20:31 which states, “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” We hope to exalt the name of Jesus so that people may believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so they may have life everlasting. Please pray for our preparation as we begin our walk through this amazing book of the Bible.

July 27 2010

One Response

Thank you for the overwhelming response to our recent sermon series entitled “One.” A lady wrote to say, “I want so badly to be a part of a church with crazy love and Kingdom actions that are at the forefront of its activities!! We are ready!” I hope and pray that FBCJ is prepared to live radical lives that make a true difference as we take the gospel of Jesus Christ and His love across the street and to the nations.

If you are interested in having this series as a CD set, please contact Nancy Dearman at ndearman@fbcj.org or by calling 601-949-1935.

Not Too Late

This Saturday, July 31, is the annual Dress-a-Child event. Through this ministry, we have the opportunity to provide school clothing for children whose parents are incarcerated in Mississippi jails and prison. For more information or to register and participate, please click here.

Chuck Missler

You are most likely aware that Bible Teacher Chuck Missler will be at FBCJ this Sunday, August 1. We will have a church-wide gathering Sunday night in the sanctuary from 5:00-7:00 to hear him share truths from God’s Word.

Whatever Happened

You may be wondering what happened with the funds raised for The Donelson Fellowship Church in Nashville where our friend Robert Morgan is the pastor. During the Nashville flooding a couple of months ago, the church experienced great damage to its basement. Members of our church gave approximately $14,000 to help with renovations. Recently Lee Cope and Bill Waller, Jr. traveled to Nashville and spent a weekend laying floor tile in the basement kitchen. In addition, they used the funds that were given to install new stainless steel cabinets, wooden cabinets, and commercial appliances. Most of all, Lee and Bill reported that Robert Morgan, the church, and the building superintendent were greatly encouraged that another group of Christians would reach out in love and support during their time of need. Way to go, church!

Attention Sunday School Leaders

The new Sunday School year starts August 15. To prepare, we are hosting training for all Sunday School leaders on Sunday, August 8. From 4:15-5:45 pm there will be breakout sessions for the various age groups. Then, a meal will be served beginning at 5:45 pm in Fellowship Hall East. At 6:00 pm the entire church is invited to hear Chris Maddux speak as we conclude our training.

All Sunday School leaders are asked to sign up for this training by August 1. You may register online by clicking here or by calling Trish Jenkins at 601-949-1941.

July 20, 2010

One More

We have completed two sermons in our three part series entitled “One.” Thank you for your prayers and attendance thus far. We have one week remaining. This Sunday we’ll be talking about “One in Unity.” Please continue to pray as we gather on Sunday to see how God feels about unity in His church.

Two Annual Events

We are moving closer to Dress-a-Child (July 31) and Run for the Son (August 7). Don't for get to register online at www.fbcj.org.

This Sunday Night

This Sunday night, July 25, we have the opportunity to attend the Mississippi Braves game as a church family. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased in the atrium this Sunday morning. Come out and enjoy the game, eat a hot dog, and get to know some fellow church members you may have never met.

July 13, 2010

One

Last week I asked you to pray for our new sermon series entitled "One." Your prayers were evident Sunday and I thank you. I understand the prayer room was filled prior to the early worship service.

As I shared Sunday, I think that's what God wants from us. I think He wants us to humble ourselves and come before Him in prayer. I think He wants us to acknowledge our dependence upon Him, both individually and as a church. I think He wants us to come before Him in humility and seek His face, His voice, His wisdom. I know He wants us to be one. One in Christ. One in purpose. One in unity.

This week let us continue to prostrate ourselves before the Great God of this Universe. In our humility and brokenness, may He make us one.

August 1, 2010

Last week I announced that Bible teacher Chuck Missler will be at FBCJ on Sunday, August 1. In the morning, he will speak to a number of Sunday School classes in Fellowship Hall East, rather than individual classrooms. Then, he will speak at a two hour session Sunday night in the sanctuary. He will speak for 45 minutes, we will take a break, and then he will speak for an hour. We will have separate activities for preschoolers through 6th grade on that Sunday night. If you will be bringing your children (preschoolers through 6th grade), please make reservations by July 25 by calling Paula Webb at 601-949-1969 or by e-mailing her at pwebb@fbcj.org so that we can provide the appropriate number of workers.

Chuck Missler is known far and wide for his expository teaching and preaching. It's our hope that he will stimulate us to a greater desire to know God's Word, understand God's Word, and apply God's Word in our lives.

Dressing and Running

Don't forget to sign up for Dress-a-Child (July 31) and Run for the Son (August 7). You can register for both online at www.fbcj.org.

Children's Ministry

Kim Parrish has done a fantastic job as our Children's Minister the last four years. She has done everything with excellence and hard work. Kim now feels that it is time for her to spend more time with her great family - her husband and three children. In order to do so, she has accepted a job with a local education system that will enable her to maintain a schedule at home when her children are there.

Kim's last Sunday as our Children's Minister will be August 1, 2010. Thereafter, she will still be living in Jackson and she and her family will still be part of FBCJ. Please let Kim know how much you appreciate all she has done for FBCJ and God's Kingdom.

Go Braves!

Sunday morning, July 25, we will be talking about the importance of unity. Over the years I have come to realize that "shared experiences" are those things which bring people together. We can never have true fellowship and oneness if we never spend time together. Think of family members and friends with whom you have deep relationships. Most of these are people with whom you have spent a great deal of time.

At FBCJ, it's hard to develop meaningful relationships with people you only see in the hallways on Sunday. Because we live in different communities and go in different directions, we often see little of one another. We have very few "shared experiences."

We hope to give opportunity for a "shared experience" Sunday evening, July 25, at Trustmark Park. The Mississippi Braves will be playing. The tickets are only $5 and you can purchase one this Sunday in the atrium. Even if you don't like baseball, come join us and get to know some people you've only seen passing in the hallways.

July 6, 2010

Thank You

I want to say a special word of thanks to those of you who came to the Red, White, and Jackson event last Thursday. We had a marvelous turnout from FBCJ. The orchestra was wonderful and “In His Honor” really blessed our hearts. The entire evening was a great celebration of God and country. Plus, I was told that the number of people attending was twice the number from last year.

During the celebration, I spoke with several people from the local Chamber of Commerce and they were thrilled that our church had chosen to participate. They are looking forward to continuing to work with us on other downtown projects in the future. Thank you for the good showing and for letting everyone know that we truly care about the location God has placed our church.

Coming Up

We have two important events coming up: (1) the 12th Annual Dress-a-Child event on July 31 in which you are able to provide school clothes for children whose parents are incarcerated and (2) Run for the Son, our annual 5k race, on August 7. You can register online at the following links: Dress-a-Child; Run for the Sun.

Update on James Arrington

Many of you have been praying for James Arrington Goff, our organist who does such a masterful job each week. I spoke with him Monday and he said that the surgery for his colon cancer went well, that scans show no other places of cancer in his body, and that even his lymph nodes were clear. He will be meeting with an oncologist soon to determine if he needs to take preventive treatment such as chemotherapy in the days ahead. Please pray for his healing from the surgery since he is still a little sore. He appreciates your prayers and is grateful for the FBCJ family.

Chuck Missler

Bible teacher Chuck Missler will be at FBCJ on Sunday, August 1. In the morning, he will speak to a number of Sunday School classes. Then, as we did with author/pastor Rob Morgan, Missler will speak at a two hour session Sunday night in Fellowship Hall East. He will speak for 45 minutes, we will take a break, and then he will speak for an hour.

Chuck Missler is known far and wide for his expository teaching and preaching. It’s our hope that he will stimulate us to a greater desire to know God’s Word, understand God’s Word, and apply God’s Word in our lives. Please look for more details in the days ahead.

One

The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28 that all Christ-followers are one in Christ Jesus. This Sunday we begin a sermon series entitled, “One.” Over the next three weeks we’ll be talking about being one in Christ, one in purpose, and one in unity.

Few things are more beautiful than a body of believers living out their “oneness” in Christ. At the same time, few things are more ugly than a divided body of Christians. How do we become one? How do we continue to live as one? Why does it matter? And what are the practical implications of being one? We’ll be answering these questions and more in the weeks ahead. Please pray for this series of messages. Pray for me as I prepare and deliver these messages. Pray for yourself as you hear the Word of God. Pray for our church that we will truly be one in Christ as God intends for us to be.