FBCP Notes

Confessions of a Middle Aged Pastor

2012-01-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

With the celebration of yet another birthday this week, I have officially started on my third year past the half century mark. I suppose I am complimented by the term “middle aged” because I have reached that central season of life with exceptionally good health, with my sanity intact, and I am still enjoying attempting to fulfill my calling.

However, it does occur to me that the way I see life and faith and church through the lenses of a middle-aged pastor is rather unique. I am neither a militant traditionalist or a rabid post-denominationalist. I was mentored by some of the great pastors of the 1950’s and 1960’s. And I appreciate many of the innovative and creative non-traditional approaches to pastoral ministry that I see working in suburbia and around the globe.

In the rural context of my home church, I “felt the call” to ministry at age sixteen and preached my first sermon two weeks later. I started serving part-time on a church staff at age 18 and was serving full-time by age 19. This year I begin my 34^th year in pastoral ministry.

If nothing else, thirty four years of service on the staff of Baptist churches means that I have a little durability. Although there have been hurdles and a few monumental challenges along the way, overall I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve alongside some great, yet imperfect churches.

Supposedly everyone entering middle age goes through a stage of re-thinking life. For some, it is a painful agonizing struggle, often second guessing important decisions made along the way. For some, it is a time of re-direction, often resulting in a change in vocations, hairstyles, automobiles, and occasionally, even spouses. For me, however, middle age, so far, has been a time of reflecting, thinking about how I’ve changed and how much more room I have to grow.

If confession is good for the soul, maybe I will be more healthy if I confess where I am and what I believe about church and ministry at this point in my life as a middle-aged pastor:

Other churches and other ministers as my colleagues, not my competitors.
Being the church is more important than going to church, but I cannot fathom how we can do one without the other.
Authenticity as a pastor is more important than the authority of the pastor.
Ministry energizes me. Trying to keep others focused on ministry exhausts me.
What we do inside the doors of the church should make a drastic difference in who we are outside the doors of the church.
I continue to discover the family of God to be much more inclusive and much less exclusive than I previously imagined.
An open Bible and an open mind always trump a closed Bible and closed mind.
As a pastor and a Christian, I am to be priest and prophet, not judge and jury.
Church should be a clearinghouse where talents and gifts are blessed and sent, never a warehouse where talents and gifts are counted and stored.
In the Christian life, I believe the local church is where the action is… where faith is nurtured, where community is cultivated, and where missional service is launched.

Actually my pastoral confession of faith is much more lengthy. At this point in my life, I have more questions than answers. I get frustrated far too easily with petty complaint and criticism. Yet I realize that I have far more to learn than I already know, and far more to do than I’ve already done.

Even during my middle age years, I love serving as pastor. I have the privilege of walking alongside folks from the moment of birth to the moment of death and all seasons in between.

Paul summed it up this way: “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

Although I have not arrived, I am intent on enjoying the journey of growing forward.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we dig into the resurrection story in John 20:11-18, 24-31.

(Check the pastor’s new blogs at http://www.barrysnote.wordpress.com/ and http://www.fbcpnotes.wordpress.com/.)

Celebrating the Good Things

2012-01-12T08:33:00.001-08:00

One of my goals for 2012 is to spend more time celebrating the good things and to spend less time worrying about the trivial things.

Our church family has a lot to celebrate in 2012. Last Friday, we made the final payment on the Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center. This means that we paid off this $3.4 million renovation and expansion project in less than five years in a pretty challenging market. Thank you for your generous and faithful giving. Now, let’s utilize the ROC as a prime gathering place for all ages. And let’s make it a place where we are continually “sharing the story.”

And speaking of giving, we ended the first quarter of our fiscal year in December above our budget goal. You may recall that our church adopted a rather aggressive budget goal for 2011-2012 so that we could continue to grow our mission giving. With all of our folks “giving the firstfruits of our labor” as we bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouse, we can surpass our goals for giving to missions and ministry during 2012.

Our First Baptist Family continues to be blessed with dozens of guests and prospective new members. Even through the holidays, we have continued to meet new residents in our community and new faces in our congregation. As followers of Christ and members of FBCP, we are called to be greeters and recruiters for the kingdom and for our church family. Join me in providing a friendly welcome to those who visit worship services, Bible studies, and other activities on our campus. Many of our guests are looking for a word of good news, and we’ve got a story to tell.

I continue to hear good things about our series on The Life and Times of Jesus. This Sunday we are looking at Luke 9:18-27 and “The Great Invitation.”

For many this is a holiday weekend, so I urge you to make it a priority to be in worship and Bible study.

And this year, let’s focus on sharing the story and celebrating the good things.

When the Church Comes to Life

2012-01-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

Last year I re-read a book that was written in 1987 by one of my seminary professors at New Orleans, Dr. J. Terry Young. The book is titled The Church: Alive and Growing and it begins with this assessment:

There are churches of all kinds, mediocre churches, indifferent churches, “average churches,” big churches, little churches. And then there are effective churches. Nearly any church can be an effective church if it will do three things:

Maintain a vital, faithful relationship to its head, Jesus Christ.
Have a proper self-understanding of what the church is, and what it is to do.
Follow sound principles of conducting its ministry.

In describing what he means by effectiveness, Young contends that “size alone is a poor measure of effectiveness.” Rather, he says, Effectiveness is…

Doing an excellent work of ministering in the community where the church exists.
Adequately meeting the needs the church sees within its membership and its community.
Doing well what that church ought to be doing. (For example, using our unique strengths and our gifts.)
Producing a steady stream of converts who are guided into maturity and led into productive service in the work of the church.
Make a telling impact on the community surrounding the church so that it is a better place because of the presence of the church.

As we begin 2012, I am excited about life and ministry at FBC Pensacola, not because we are doing all of the above to perfection, but because we are making progress in many of these areas.

I am also excited about our emphasis on Sharing the Story. I believe that knowing the story motivates us to live the story, and living the story gives us credibility to share the story.

As we continue our joint Bible study and sermon series on “The Life and Times of Jesus,” I want to challenge each of us to do three things:

Know the story. Participate in worship and Bible study each of the 13 weeks of our series.
Live the story. Ask God to help you put these teachings of Jesus into practice in your daily life.
Share the story. Engage a friend, classmate, or colleague in conversation and share with them what you are learning about Jesus and how Jesus teachings are at work within you.

First Baptist Church is a good church, a friendly church, a caring church, and welcoming church. In 2012 I am praying that God will grow us into a more effective church.

Rekindling Hope

2011-12-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a time to reclaim the hope we have in Christ. Our hope in Christ reminds us that through the ever-changing circumstances and seemingly insurmountable challenges of life, “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

During the Carols and Candles Service, which begins at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and our Sunday Worship Service, which begins at 10:30 on Christmas morning, we will be revisiting events surrounding the birth of the Christ child, which is the ultimate story of hope.

As our nation emerges ever-so-gradually from a recession, economic uncertainty has become a global concern, with many European countries either re-organizing or teetering on the brink of financial collapse.

As we prepare for a crucial election year, the rhetoric of the campaigns already sounds more indicative of superficial political posturing than substantive problem-solving.

A general cultural malaise that is saturated with complaint and almost devoid of optimism seems to be contagiously infectious, not just around the nation, but around the world. And to make matters worse, that sense of hopeless discontent has infiltrated the church. If the community that has been called to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), the very bastion of hope, forfeits hope for hopelessness, we may find ourselves rushing toward an apocalyptic future.

Real hope is neither blind nor naïve. Real hope motivates us to rise above despair and deal with challenging circumstances proactively, constructively, and collaboratively.

A few years ago I read of a rather profound exchange between two clergy who were working together during a season filled with monumental changes. In 1960, John Claypool began his tenure as pastor at the Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville. Shortly after his arrival, Claypool became friends with a Jewish rabbi who was forty years his senior. Their friendship grew deeper as they worked together in the civil rights movement. After a tense and unproductive meeting one day, Claypool looked at his Jewish friend and said, “I think it is hopeless. This problem is so deep, so many-faceted, there is simply no way out of it.”

The rabbi asked Claypool to stay a few minutes after the meeting and said, “Humanely speaking, despair is presumptuous. It is saying something about the future we have no right to say because we have not been there yet and do not know enough. Think of the times you have been surprised in the past as you looked at a certain situation and deemed it hopeless. Then, lo and behold, forces that you did not even realize existed broke in and changed everything. We do not know enough to embrace the absolutism of despair. If God can create the things that are from the things that are not and even make dead things come back to life, who are we to set limits on what that kind of potency may yet do?”

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

Like the stoking of warm embers to re-awaken the flame, hope can be rekindled by stoking the fire in our bones that propels us “to act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8) in all of the seasons of life.

This year, let us embrace Christmas as an occasion to rekindle our hope and to renew our strength, a hope inspired by God’s perspective and strength that motivates us toward God’s plan, realized on earth as it is in heaven.

I look forward to our celebration of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together as a church family.

Pastor’s note: If you are not currently following @FBCPensacola on Twitter, I encourage you to start following this week. On Sunday January 1, we will have our first Tweet sermon. We will “tweet” the scriptures, quotes, and major points of the message during the worship service. Bring your smartphone, IPOD, IPAD, or other devices to worship with you on January 1 and “follow” along.

Celebrate With the Joy of Giving

2011-12-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7 NIV

For most of my life, I have heard it said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Those words are actually in the Bible (Acts 20:35), recited by Paul and attributed to Jesus out of the oral tradition of Jesus’ teaching.

A few days ago, USA Today published an article entitled, “Does Tithing Buy Happiness?” While the title sounds a little too much like it was taken from a page in the “prosperity gospel,” the article itself makes some great points about stewardship and the joy of giving. Research shows that those who give generously have a higher degree of satisfaction and peace about life.

Interestingly, the article also commends the practice of tithing as a discipline that fosters community:

This importance of social ties brings us to the particular brilliance of tithing. Done as most people envision it — that is, giving generously to your local church — tithing helps build the ultimate social network: a thriving community of people who will care for you, pray for you and help you in tough times. People who have close-knit networks are happier and healthier than others, too.
Many in our First Baptist Family are living examples of the joy of giving. During this season approaching Christmas, FBCP members are giving generously above their tithes to support missions through the Global Missions Offering. Many are giving an extra contribution this year to pay off the remaining balance of the ROC. And in addition to these gifts there are a variety of other missional projects including Samaritan’s Purse Shoeboxes, Warm Friends Hoodies and Gloves, Shoes for Weis students, and our annual Luncheon for the Homeless.

Yesterday morning, I was privileged to volunteer at Weis to assist in delivering hoodies and gloves, and to help the students try on shoes that were provided by our Median/Senior Adult Sunday School Departments. I experienced the joy of giving all over again. Because of the generosity of members of FBCP, the students at Weis had warm hands and happy feet. It’s no wonder that God loves a cheerful giver.

This Sunday the festive music of the season continues as we talk about “A Song Worth Singing” from Luke 1:39-56. On Sunday evening, we will meet in Chipley Hall at six o’clock for a Christmas Concert presented by members of our Praise and Worship Team.

Don’t forget that there are no Wednesday activities or dinners on December 21 and 28 so that you can spend quality time with your family.

Our annual service of Carols and Candles begins at 5 p.m on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas Day we will meet at 10:30 for worship. Come dressed casually in your Christmas colors.

Especially during the holiday season, I count it a privilege to serve alongside generous and joyful givers. May the joy of giving become more and more contagious, and may our community of faith continue to become happier and healthier.

In Excelsis Deo

2011-12-08T13:05:00.001-08:00

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
Luke 2:14 NIV

Gloria in Excelsis Deo! That phrase is Latin for “Glory to God in the highest!” Across the years, worshippers in liturgical traditions have sung the Gloria Patri, also called the “Minor Doxology” or “The Angelic Hymn,” which is based on this text. During the Advent and Christmas season we often sing the more familiar hymn, “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Whichever version we sing, the message is profoundly clear: In our music, our worship, our offerings, and our lifestyle, we have an opportunity to bring glory to God who has provided for us the greatest gift ever given.

Each year during Advent, worship features candles and carols, prophecies and promises, friendship and faith. On recent Sunday mornings we have lit the Prophecy Candle, reminding us of the messianic promises rendered by prophets long ago, and the Angels Candle, highlighting the angelic announcements to Elizabeth and Zechariah, to Joseph and Mary, and to Shepherds watching their flocks by night. This Sunday we will light the Shepherds Candle, which commissions us with our responsibility to spread the good news about the child born in Bethlehem.

This Sunday as we gather amid the colorful seasonal décor, we will sing the carols of the season and hear a message from Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11entitled “The Lord of the Ring.” Then on Sunday evening, we will gather at six o’clock for In Excelsis Deo presented by our Festival Chorus and Orchestra.

By the way, this week, in addition to our tithe, Amanda and I are writing our check for our annual Christmas Offering for Global Missions. We invite you to join us as we prayerfully and financially support those who serve as missionaries around the world. You can designate your Global Missions Gift for any combination of the Baptist World Alliance, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Southern Baptist Convention, or our Locally Directed Missions Fund.

Also, as you prioritize your holiday and end-of-the-year giving, I invite you to join the Howards in giving a gift toward the final payment on The ROC. Thanks to your faithful contributions we are close to paying off this $3.4 million project in less than five years. Working together, we can finalize payment by the end of December.

Advent is an opportune time for spiritual reflection and spiritual commitment. This season is also a great time to invite a new friend or a long-time neighbor to join you for a worship service or a concert.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

Advent: A Progressive Journey toward Christmas

2011-12-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

When observed faithfully and progressively, Advent can prepare us for a Christmas celebration filled with mystical wonder and deep meaning, a spiritual communion that far exceeds the buzz of shallow commercialism.

In the rural church of my upbringing, we didn’t observe Advent. We jumped directly from Thanksgiving to Christmas. A few years after I became a pastor, I was introduced to the colors and candles of Advent and my journey toward Christmas changed drastically. Today, I am convinced more than ever that as mission-driven Christians who live in a market-driven culture, we need the reflective disciplines of Advent to keep us alert to stealth forces like materialism, busyness, and greed, illusive grinches who would love to steal away the real message and gifts of the season and replace them with superficial slogans and glamorous counterfeits.

For the Christian, the season of Advent calls us to a progressive journey toward Christmas. When our days are soaked in prayer and saturated with expectation, we think about Christmas differently than the rest of the world. Advent has a way of rescuing us from the busyness and the relentless anxiety caused by hypermaterialistic expectations.

This year our church family will count down the days until Christmas by re-visiting the prophets, singing the carols, re-reading the gospels, and lighting the candles that refuel our peace, hope, love, and joy. Then we will be better prepared to sense the anxiety of Mary and Joseph, to feel the labor pains of God, to celebrate the birth of the world’s most renowned newborn, and to hear both the singing of angels and sobs of Rachel weeping. This gradual journey of Advent culminates when the Christ candle is lighted and the Christmas Star shines over the manger in Bethlehem.

If we dare to journey through this season one day at a time, to reconsider the promises of the prophets, and to revisit the nativity narrative of the gospels, we may discover that we are more than ready to follow Christ from the cradle to the cross and beyond.

To enrich your Advent journey get a copy of the Advent Devotional Guide written by our FBCP members and compiled by our Children’s Ministry. You can download a copy that is compatible with the PDF, Kindle, or E-Reader by going to http://www.fbcp.org/.

This Sunday we will light the Shepherds Candle and explore Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 as we ask, “Can You Hear the Rolling Thunder?” Children’s Church also begins this Sunday for age P5 through 3^rd grade.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we continue our progressive journey toward Christmas.

Above All, Give Thanks!

2011-11-23T09:30:00.000-08:00

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; be thankful to him and bless his name. - Psalm 100:4

For the Christian, our practice of giving thanks is a daily discipline. However, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year set aside for us to inventory our blessings and to express our gratitude to God with specific intentionality. As Johnson Oatman, Jr. reminds us in his great hymn, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one; and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

As you plan your Thanksgiving schedule, I pray that you and your family will enjoy a fun and memorable gathering for Thanksgiving. May our feasting truly be a celebration of God’s grace and provision. May our table emanate an aroma of gratitude affirming that our blessings are indeed a gift from God. And may our living reflect our commitment to prioritize our plentiful resources for the glory of God and an eagerness to generously share with those in need.

William Faulkner once wrote, Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all. This year, above all else…turkey, travel, football, and shopping…above all, give thanks!

If you are on the road during the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you will be back for worship and Bible study on Sunday. If not, please plan to attend worship and Bible study with those friends and family you are visiting.

This Sunday begins the first Sunday of Advent. We launch our countdown to Christmas by lighting the prophet’s candle and by singing songs that point us toward the birth of the Christ Child. Our theme this year is “When Heaven and Nature Sing.” This Sunday we are talking about how we are “Like Clay in the Potter’s Hands” as we look at Isaiah 64:1-9.

Once again this year our Children’s Ministry has coordinated the publication of our Advent Devotional Book filled with inspiring daily entries by members of our FBCP family. You can pick up a hard copy at the Welcome Center or in the Children’s Ministry office. You can also access the devotional book online. And, new this year, you can download the Advent Devotional Book on your Kindle. And be encouraged to share our Advent book with a friend to encourage them during this holy-day season.

May our feasts and our festivities this week remind us of our blessings and encourage us to live our days serving God, sharing with others, and growing in faith and friendship.

Good Grazin’

2011-11-17T11:05:00.001-08:00

Have you noticed what a great job members of FBC Pensacola have done welcoming us to worship in recent weeks? I think our church is being enriched by the increasing participation of our members in worship leadership and in ministry.

Last Sunday, Buddy Burks shared the welcome in our Early Service and Jim Murphy shared the welcome in the Midmorning Service. Both Buddy and Jim, without conferring, each commented on their joy in being a part of this body of believers we call First Baptist Church.

For me, their comments came during a weekend when I was giving thanks for our church family, specifically our strong commitment to missions, our emerging commitment to local ministry, and our growing sense of spiritual community. During recent weeks I have witnessed the following things firsthand:

· I have noted the positive impact of those who work at Samaritan Hands.

· I have observed individuals and small groups organize meals to deliver to the homes of some who are battling health complications and other’s who have lost loved ones.

· I have admired those who took vacation time to spend 10 days in

Haiti

doing medical missions, construction work, and orphanage ministry.

· I have been in the trenches with our members who were helping guide others through a season of personal crisis and tragedy.

· I have listened as guests in our worship services have told me that “this is the friendliest church we have visited.”

· I have appreciated deacons and their spouses who delivered and served the Lord’s Supper to our homebound members.

· I have received enthusiastic reports from members who volunteer at our local schools with Backpack Buddies, First Friends, and other programs.

· I have gazed at the dolls and apparel put together by our Sewing for Jesus circle.

· I watched as all ages brought in their shoeboxes to send to children around the world through Samaritan’s Purse.

· I have been thrilled to hear students say, “We’re going to miss Brad, but we believe God will send us a new student minister who will help us continue to grow.”

· I continue to be grateful for the growing commitment of our deacons to partner with their pastor in taking specific ministry assignments.

· I have celebrated the great report that our church family exceeded last year’s budget goal and that we boldly adopted an aggressive budget goal this year that elevates our commitment to missions.

· And I am glad we are getting closer and closer to making the final payment on the ROC. (With our matching gift, we lack approximately $150,000 completing payment on the ROC.)

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am grateful for your partnership in this ministry, and I count it a joy to be a part of our FBCP family.

Also, remember that you are invited to the Community Thanksgiving Service which begins at 7:00 on Tuesday November 22 at Temple Beth-El.

As one step in preparing for worship this Sunday, I encourage you to read Ezekiel 34:11-24. We are talking about “Grazing in Green Pastures.”

As we celebrate the Parade of Flags and our commitment to global missions, I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study.

The Right Call

2011-11-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

Near the end of the major league season, I read an interesting article about umpires who are tasked with making “the right call.” When veteran umpires were interviewed, they talked about their focus on making the right call, while everyone of them admitted that they have at times made the wrong call. They went on to say that you cannot let the fear of making a wrong call keep you from calling it as you see it. While some fans become critical of umpires when they miss a call, the remarkable thing to me is that umpires make the right call most of the time.

The process that a Baptist church uses to call a staff member is also intriguing to me. We are tasked as leadership, search team, and congregation with making the right call. Across the years when calling staff, our First Baptist Family has made a lot of right calls.

This past week, we celebrated the good ministry of Brad Gowing who has served as our Minister of Students for the past 3 ½ years. While we are sad to see Brad and Maile leave us, we are grateful for Brad’s ministry and we are excited for the Gowings as they follow God’s call to Birmingham.

Now we are beginning the search for our next Student Minister. Because I believe that Brad was sincerely being led by the Lord to this ministry opportunity in Alabama, I firmly believe that the Lord will lead us to a new Student Minister who will continue to build and expand on the good foundation here. During my tenure at FBCP, we have called 3 new staff ministers…Don, Ross, and Brad…and all three have been “the right call.” Recently we called Laura Harrison as our interim Minister of Children, and that is proving to be “the right call.”

Here are a few things you need to know about our process that will lead us to make the right call for our next Student Minister:

Who will be serving on the Student Ministry Search Team? Maddie Dempsey, Tripp Hill, Leslie Hutcherson, Janet Strange, Luther Taylor, and Robert Turnage. (Allen Turner, Don Minton, and Barry Howard are ex-officio members)

How will the process progress? Once the Search Team has identified and chosen a candidate that best fits our opportunity at FBCP, they will present that candidate to the Personnel Committee and Administrative Council for endorsement. Once a candidate is affirmed by all three of these leadership groups, the candidate will be introduced to our congregation on a Wednesday evening. The candidate will share a testimony and then be interviewed by me and some of our students regarding issues that are relevant to life and ministry. Afterward our congregation will vote on whether to call this candidate to join our staff team.

How long will this process take? A staff search can take anywhere from a few months to a year or more. Our intention is to make this an expedient search. I am hopeful that we will have a candidate ready to begin within a two month time frame. However, we will take as much time as we need to make “the right call.” My philosophy is that it is better to be patient than to call the wrong person by moving too quickly.

Who will provide interim leadership until a new Student Minister begins? An interim leadership has been formed to oversee the events and activities related to Student Ministry. The members include John Robert Hill, Garrett Hodges, Debbie Norris, Nicole Strange, Charlie Wert, and John Wise. Don Minton will serve as the primary adviser to this group and Barbara Burks will play an instrumental role as the ministry assistant for Student Ministries.

What do we need from our members during the interim season? We need to be praying for the search team and the call process. And we need to be praying for our students and their leaders as they continue their discipleship journey during the interim weeks.

What do we need from our students and their families during the interim season? My observation has been that during an interim time, individuals tend to either sit on the sidelines waiting for the next minister, or they upgrade their participation and continue to grow during the interim time. To me, sitting on the sidelines is just unthinkable. Because Brad has planted good seeds for the future, I fully expect that our students, their leaders, and their families will bring out the best in each other and strengthen the spirit of community.

At FBC Pensacola, we are blessed to have an extraordinary group of students and student leaders. I am excited about the future. And together we will make “the right call” of a new student minister.

This Sunday we are exploring “Unsearchable Things” as we look at Jeremiah 33:1-11 and probe some tough questions about our faith in God. We will also be participating in the Lord’s Supper in each of our services. In the afternoon, our deacons will be sharing communion with many of our homebound members.

I consider it a privilege to learn and grow alongside you as your pastor, and I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study.

Thank You, Brad!

2011-11-03T06:55:00.000-07:00

I first met Brad Gowing at the Carols and Candles Service not long after I arrived in Pensacola. I knew he had to be a pretty good guy, just because of the way his parents talked about him so proudly when he wasn’t around. Little did I know that three years later, we would be calling Brad to our church to serve as Minister of Students. And after working alongside him for the past 3 ½ years, I can tell you for certain that Brad is a really good guy, and what you see is what you get….a down-to-earth devoted follower of Christ.

Brad started his tenure on our staff in May of 2008. Next week, he is completing his ministry here to return to Birmingham to serve as Minister of Recreation at Dawson Church where his ministry began.

During his time at First Baptist, Brad has capably provided solid leadership for our Middle School and High School students. He has consistently balanced strong discipleship initiatives with fun recreational opportunities. Parents are grateful for his workshops and planning meetings that keep them in the loop. Teachers are appreciative of Brad’s insightful planning and dependable implementation.

Additionally, Brad has visited, prayed, listened, and encouraged many of our members during their hospital stay or in a moment of crisis. The Lord has used Brad to minister to us and with us at First Baptist.

Although we wish that his tenure with us had been longer, we send Brad and Maile (I heard a rumor that Addison is staying here with grandparents but haven’t verified this) to their new assignment in Birmingham with our blessings and our prayers for continued effective ministry.

As a church family, just as the Lord led us to Brad in 2008, we are confident that God is going to lead us to the right person to lead our Student Ministry. We have outstanding students and a strong leadership core. Begin now praying for our Student Ministry Search Team as they prayerfully lead us in calling our next Minister of Students. Members of the Search Team are Maddie Dempsey, Tripp Hill, Leslie Hutcherson, Janet Strange, Luther Taylor, and Robert Turnage.

A reception is planned to honor Brad and Maile this Sunday evening in Chipley Hall from 6:00-8:00 p.m. A brief tribute and gift presentation will begin around 6:30. Don’t forget to write your personal words of appreciation on a card or note and drop it in the card basket at the reception.

Brad, you have been a blessing to us. Thank you for a job well done!

Remember these upcoming events:

Blessing of the Shoeboxes this Wednesday night.
Lord’s Supper on Sunday November 13.
International Missions Program on November 16.
Parade of Flags and Deck the Halls on Sunday November 20.
Community Thanksgiving Service on November 22.
Children’s Church beginning December 4.

This Sunday we are talking about the story of Jonah and “Lessons from the Bottom of the Sea.”

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study.

Things That Friends Do Right

2011-10-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

I am reflecting on the story of Job this week as I prepare for Sunday and as our church family ministers to several members who are dealing with unexpected challenges. I am particularly interested in Job’s friends, and I am amazed that they did some things right and some things wrong as they responded to the multiple crises in Job’s life.

The last two weeks have been extremely unusual as members of our church family have encountered one major concern after another. Obviously, we should strive to avoid making the same mistakes that Job’s friends made:

Keeping your distance.
Trying too hard.
Saying too much.
Staying too long.
Hearing too little.

I am grateful that, like Job’s friends, our FBCP family does a lot of things right. Here are some of the things I see Job’s friends and our members doing that are constructive and helpful in responding to crisis:

Ministry of presence…being there, being available.
Ministry of prayer…interceding.
Ministry of encouragement…cards, notes, and hugs.
Ministry of listening…empathetic, non-judgmental listening.
Ministry of helping…assuming a variety of supportive tasks.

Continue to pray for the many families who have major health concerns and for those who have lost loved ones. In addition to praying, one of the most important things we can do is to faithfully gather for worship, Bible study, and fellowship. Our faithful gathering on Sunday enables us to strengthen our connections and deepen our faith.

This Sunday I will be sharing an encouraging message entitled “What I Learned from Job.” Invite a friend, and let’s grow stronger together.

I am grateful for the wonderful way our church family cares for each other.

Lessons from the Wilderness

2011-10-24T14:15:00.001-07:00

To be commanded to love God at all, let alone in the wilderness, is like being commanded to be well when we are sick, to sing for joy when we are dying of thirst, to run when our legs are broken. But this is the first and great commandment nonetheless. Even in the wilderness—especially in the wilderness—you shall love him.

-Frederick Buechner

Have you ever felt stranded between the bondage of the past and promise of the future? Between their departure from Herod’s labor camps and their arrival in the promised land, the children of

Israel

journeyed for quite some time through the wilderness. And it was this journey that tested their loyalty and shaped their character.

This Sunday we are exploring Lessons from the Wilderness in Exodus 12:31-42.

Do folks still have wilderness experiences in life? Absolutely! Individuals, communities, and nations experience seasons of adversity, doubt, unrest, and uncertainty.

You might say that our church is going through a sort of wilderness experience right now. Of course there are lots of good things happening. Our mission involvement is strong. We exceeded our budget goal during the past year. We have been blessed with an abundance of visitors and new friends. We are making good progress in paying off the ROC. Lots of new babies are on the way. And there is a great spirit of fellowship.

On the other hand, we have a lengthy prayer list. Several members of our church family are dealing with severe health prognoses. We have some senior saints who are “not long for this world.” And we have many others who are dealing with unemployment, job uncertainty, marital conflicts, and various addictions.

Wilderness experiences challenge us to deepen our prayer life, to affirm our trust in the Lord, to strengthen our loyalty to God’s church, and to follow God’s directions without detours. There are lessons we can learn in the wilderness that we cannot discover on the mountain top.

On another note, our Minister of Students, Brad Gowing, announced this week that he has accepted an invitation to join the staff team at the Dawson Memorial Baptist Church in Birmingham. Brad will conclude his time with us on November 8. I have tremendously mixed emotions about Brad’s departure. I am grieving over Brad’s departure. Brad has provided outstanding leadership for our students and he has been a valuable member of our staff team. On the other hand, I know that in Brad’s deep walk with the Lord he has sensed God’s call to return to Birmingham and that this is a great opportunity for him. Even though it is difficult for us to let them go, we will send Brad and Maile to Dawson with our blessings on their future ministry. And we will be moving prayerfully, quickly, and intentionally to call our next Minister of Students.

Join me in praying for our many health concerns, for Brad and Maile, and for our staff search. Also, join me in praying that we will grow stronger and more faithful when we experience the tough terrain of the wilderness.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we worship God and encourage one another.

Welcome Laura Harrison!

2011-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that our Children’s Minister Search Team has carefully and prayerfully chosen Laura Harrison to serve as our Interim Minister of Children. Laura, and her husband Craig, as well as their daughters, Lauren, Lindsey, and Lilly, are already faithful members of First Baptist Church.

Laura is a graduate of North Georgia College and State University. Previously, she has served as Preschool Director at Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Buford, Georgia, and Children’s Minister at First Baptist Church of Gulf Breeze. Laura’s hobbies and interest include family fun, bicycling, water sports, reading, and calligraphy.

Our Children’s Ministry Search Team’s recommendation to call Laura was unanimously and enthusiastically approved by our Personnel Committee and our Administrative Council. In a few months, when the Children’s Ministry Search Team is ready to present a final candidate to serve as Minister of Children, that recommendation will go to the Personnel Committee and the Administrative Counsel, and finally to the congregation for a vote of affirmation.

Laura has a great appreciation for the strong foundation established by Jean Ingram. And she has creative ideas for continuing to build on that foundation in the future. Join me in welcoming Laura Harrison, and praying for her as she provides spiritual leadership for our Children’s Ministry.

This Sunday morning, our Children’s Ministry will host a reception near the Children’s Welcome Center between 7:45 and 10:45. You are invited to bring your family to meet and greet Laura on your way to or from the worship service or Sunday School. Muffins and juice will be served.

On Sunday evening at six o’clock our Singing Seniors will share their Home Concert in the sanctuary. Our Singing Seniors will depart on Monday morning for a tour that will take them to Ridgecrest and other stops along the way as they share the good news in song.

Your faithful participation in worship and Bible study makes us a stronger church, and it makes you a stronger Christian. Let’s be found faithful this Sunday!

Soul Community

2011-09-22T07:00:00.001-07:00

We’ve been talking a lot about the soul lately. We are learning that the soul is not a small part of our life but the essence of our being. Our soul is everything about us that is not flesh. C. S. Lewis has reminded us again: “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul.”

In recent weeks we have talked about our soul purpose, soul salvation, soul mates, soul freedom, soul departure, and “the dark night of the soul.” This Sunday we wrap up our series on Soul Purpose, by talking about the importance of being a part of a “Soul Community”(Acts 2:42-47).

God doesn’t save us to establish our own independent spiritual enterprise. Rather God saves us into a spiritual family, the body of Christ. This soul community is called the church. This community becomes central to our spiritual growth and vitality. It is the core family in which we are discipled and from which we launch into mission and ministry.

This Sunday we are also meeting together in one service. Bible study groups meet at 9 a.m. and worship begins in the sanctuary at 10:30. Just prior to the beginning of worship, we will take a few brief moments to vote on our 2011-2012 Church Budget, and to hear a few ministry highlights from the past year. During worship we will be re-affirming what it means to be a part of our soul community at FBC Pensacola.

On Sunday afternoon we will celebrate the spirit of community with our annual Church Picnic at Bayview Park beginning at 3:30. This is a great day to bring a friend…to worship and to the picnic…and introduce them to community life at FBCP.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we continue to discover more about our soul purpose.

Our Doors Are Open!

2011-09-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

What would happen if every church member invited someone to go to church with them this Sunday? A 2008 study by LifeWay Research and the North American Mission Board of 15,000 adults found that 67 percent of Americans say a personal invitation from a family member would be effective in getting them to visit a church. Sixty-three percent say an invitation from a friend or neighbor would likely get them to respond.

This Sunday September 18 is National Back to Church Sunday, a great time to invite friends and neighbors who have become disconnected from their church family to come to church with you. It’s also a great opportunity for Sunday School teachers and members to personally contact those on their class rolls who have not been to Bible study in a while.

Through the years I have learned that people disengage from church for a variety of reasons, sometimes intentionally and at other times, unintentionally. Whatever the reason, it is not our responsibility to judge them, but to lovingly reconnect with them.

Who can you invite to come to church with you on Back to Church Sunday? (Watch video at http://www.fbcp.org/Uploaded/11-Summer-Video.swf )

In worship this Sunday morning, as we continue our Soul Purpose series, we will be focused on Mark:34-37 as we talk about “Soul Departure.” As you read this passage of scripture in advance, think about how we can live in a way that prepares us for our final departure from this world and our entrance into heaven.

Our Committee on Placement is working to place new members on our committees and ministry teams for the coming year. Don’t forget to submit your Ministry Volunteer Form indicating the place where you feel gifted or passionate about serving.

Also, our Deacon Nominating Committee will be receiving your nominations for those you wish to serve as Deacon during the coming year. I am excited about the upgraded involvement of our deacons in assisting the pastor with ministry projects and in serving as catalysts for ministry within our congregation. I encourage you to prayerfully nominate persons who have a heart for ministry and who are faithfully engaged in the life of our church.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we continue learning more about our soul purpose. Invite a friend or neighbor to join you. Our doors are open!

A Day That Haunts, A Faith That Hopes

2011-09-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

A Pastoral Prayer for September 11, 2011

On this tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

We gather to remember an atrocious day, a day that we wish we could forget.

O God we confess our ongoing need of your transformative and emerging grace

For we are all too mindful that this date still haunts us

With memories that strike fear

And with emotions that convey pain.

As we attempt to apply your words to life,

And to live by faith as we embrace your promise of a better future

We confess that our anger and grief from that fretful day are not nearly resolved.

And that retaliatory impulses of vengeance and hate incubate deep within.

And yet we acknowledge that our hurt does not compare to the pain

of those who were touched more directly

through the unexpected and unfair loss

of family members, friends, and co-workers.

We shudder at the memory of horrific images of death and destruction,

We worry over the ongoing armed conflict that seems to be unending,

We grieve over the deaths of the sons and daughters of our nation,

As well as the subsequent casualties among our allies and our adversaries.

And we long for a civilized and lasting resolution

So that our sons and daughters may return home safely and soon

And that those who have longed for liberation from tyranny

Might govern and be governed with dignity and integrity.

Rather than being consumed by our grief,

And controlled by our fears

And constrained by our anxieties,

Let us set our minds to addressing the injustices that precipitate hostility,

Let us direct our souls to living out our moral conviction,

Let us turn our hearts to loving the poor,

and the disadvantaged,

and the disenfranchised.

And let us determine to fight terror,

Not with our own terroristic threats,

But with a responsible and courageous exercise of freedom,

And with a proactive and authentic faith.

And though it runs counter to our deepest instincts,

You continue to teach us to love our enemies,

so that we do not become like them.

Today, especially today, we pray for the leaders of our nation and our world

For the leaders of our state and our community

To act and react with wisdom and discernment,

And to maintain a disposition that will defuse conflict

And advance the cause of peace.

And we pray for the leaders of our churches and synagogues

And for people of diverse faiths

To act and react with transformative grace and eternal hope,

And to maintain a disposition that will dispel propaganda

And advance the cause of truth and compassion.

We offer our prayer in the strong name of the One who came to bring peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind. Amen

Happy Birthday to Roger Yonker!

2011-09-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

Our most senior church member will turn 100 years old this Sunday, September 11. Happy birthday, Roger Yonker! You are both an example and an inspiration. You are a living example of what it means to be a follower of Christ. And you are an inspiration in the way that you have served the Lord with gentleness and grace.

In other news, welcome Meagan Scott to our staff team as the Children’s Ministry Assistant. Meagan will be providing support for our Children’s Ministry and for our Pre-School. Also pray for Meagan’s fiance’, Joe Clavel, who is currently deployed with the Army National Guard. Meagan and Joe will be getting married in November. Also pray for Meagan, who will have a little heavier load of responsibility during the interim period between Children’s Ministers. Welcome to our team, Meagan!

I am also pleased to share with you that John Wise will be serving as our pastoral intern this fall. John is a member of our church family and has served as a student ministries intern in the past. In preparation for future ministry, John has completed a bachelors degree at the Baptist College of Florida and a masters degree from Liberty University. John will be a great addition to our staff team and we believe that his experiences with us will better prepare him for future opportunities. Welcome aboard, John!

In worship this Sunday morning, as we continue our Soul Purpose series, we will be focused on I Peter 1:3-9 as we talk about “Soul Salvation.” As you read this passage of scripture in advance, think about how God is at work in Christ to save us from sinful and trivial pursuits to a life of meaning and eternal significance.

On Sunday evening we will meet in Pleitz Chapel at six o’clock for Story, Song, and Prayer: A Commemorative Vespers Service on September 11, 2001. Our own Bob Kashur, Frank Rush, Bill Santo, and Scott Grettum will be sharing brief testimonies and stories about their experiences from 9/11. Be welcomed to invite friends to join you for this inspirational evening of story, song, and prayer.

Sunday September 18 is National Back to Church Sunday, a great time to invite friends and neighbors who have become disconnected from their church family to come to church with you. It’s also a great opportunity for Sunday School teachers and members to personally contact those on their class rolls who have not been to Bible study in a while. Who can you invite to come to church with you on Back to Church Sunday? (Watch video at http://www.fbcp.org/Uploaded/11-Summer-Video.swf )

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we continue learning more about our soul purpose.

Wednesday Nights Are Good for the Soul

2011-09-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Wednesday nights at First Baptist are good for the soul. As our student groups have been meeting off campus for Bible study and recreational activities, in Chipley Hall our adults have enjoyed a diverse schedule of inspirational music, devotional messages, and mission reports.

Next Wednesday September 7 we resume our full program of multi-generational activities on Wednesday night. Our children’s choirs, AWANA groups, and student groups are meeting on campus. Our Midweek Gathering for adults begins each week in Chipley Hall after dinner at approximately 5:45.

This fall we have a great schedule of topics and programs scheduled for Wednesday nights. During a typical Midweek Gathering we share in a season of prayer for our church and our extended family members. We enjoy inspirational music from a variety of groups and individuals. And I share a relevant message aimed to equip and encourage us in our daily walk with Christ.

Wednesday night is also a great time to invite new friends and neighbors to get acquainted with our First Baptist Family. The casual atmosphere, the good food, and the multi-generational activities provide a great format for introducing new folks to life at First Baptist.

Wednesday night is my favorite time of the week. I think it is because the round tables and the relaxing atmosphere enable us to dig deeper into Christian faith and practice. If you are not already a regular Wednesday participant, why don’t you come and join us, and you might discover that Wednesday nights are good for the soul.

This Sunday we are exploring Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and Matthew 22:36-38 as we talk about Discovering Your Soul Purpose. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study.

Discovering Your Soul Purpose

2011-08-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

What is your soul? It doesn’t show up on an x-ray or sonogram. It is not listed as one of the major organs of the human body in your anatomy textbook. And yet the Bible describes the soul as something that can be lost and found, a part of you that can yearn and be satisfied, your receptor for grief and for joy, a facet of your existence that can be expended and restored.

In the creation story, the origin of human life is described this way: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 KJV

Based on various biblical references to the soul, C.S. Lewis succinctly summarized, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”

During September, we begin a new series on Soul Purpose. On Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings we will be examining many of the Bible passages about the soul and how we interact with God.

On Sunday evening, September 11 we will meet in Pleitz Chapel at six o’clock to observe the 10^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that occurred in 2001. Members of our FBCP family will be sharing their personal stories related to the events of 9/11.

On September 18, we will join with other churches around the country in emphasizing Back to Church Sunday. For a variety of reasons, church members can become disconnected from their church family. Identify someone you know who hasn’t been involved in church and invite them to come with you during September.

On September 25 we will share in a Combined Worship Service at 10:30 in the sanctuary. Bible Study will begin at 9 a.m. Prior to worship we will share in our second annual Congregational Meeting where we will affirm our 2011-2012 ministry budget, and hear brief mission and ministry updates.

Then on Sunday afternoon, we will meet at 3:30 at Bayview Park for our annual Church Picnic.

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study during September.

Series: Soul Purpose

Sep4 “Discovering Your Soul Purpose” Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Matthew 22:36-38

Sep7 “Restoring Your Soul” Psalm 23, III John 1-2

Sep11“Soul Considerations” Psalm 35:9-10, I Peter I:3-9
Sep14“Soul Competency”

Sep18 “Pushing Up Daisies” Psalm 116:15, Mark 8:35-37

Sep21 “An Anchor for Your Soul” Hebrews 6:18-20

Sep25 “Soul Searching” Psalm 139:1-4, 7-8, 13-14, 23-24
Sep28 Mission Fair

What It Means To Be a Pastor

2011-08-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

I have been reading several good books this summer but one has inspired me to re-think and re-affirm my calling. The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson is an inspiring autobiographical account of what it means to be called to pastoral ministry and to live out that vocation in a unique community.

While Peterson is known to many primarily for his popular Bible translation called The Message, for me his greatest contribution has been his writings about pastoral work. Years ago I read three of Peterson’s books about pastoral ministry: Five Smooth Stones of Pastoral Work, The Contemplative Pastor, and Under the Unpredictable Plant. In a church world that looks to the pastor to be the CEO, a chaplain-on-demand, or an ecclesial entrepreneur, Peterson reminds ministers and churches that a pastor is a spiritual director, a calling to be a “soul friend who walks alongside others pointing out what God is doing in their life.”

In a fast paced world, where a competitive consumerist culture has invaded the church, pastors are often expected to be an idealistic combination of captivating motivational speaker, savvy executive/administrator, and extraordinary counselor. But the call to be a pastor is unique. There is no other vocation like it.

For Peterson, the call to be a pastor is a call to spiritual discernment and caring within a unique local congregation and community. It is not a “one size fits all” occupation that functions uniformly in cookie cutter churches.

In Peterson’s Memoir, he summarizes his understanding of the biblical role of a pastor:

The pastor is “not someone who ‘gets things done’ but rather the person placed in the community to pay attention and call attention to ‘what is going on right now’ between men and women, with one another and with God—this kingdom of God that is primarily local, relentlessly personal, and prayerful ‘without ceasing.’

Each of us is responsible to God for fulfilling our calling. Thirty-five years ago I confirmed my calling to be a pastor, and I am still learning and growing and understanding more of what it means to provide spiritual direction to a congregation. Being a pastor is more than what I do. It is who I am called to be.

This Sunday we will be looking at Psalm 100 which encourages us to prioritize “A Time to Worship.” On Sunday evening we will meet in Chipley Hall at 6 p.m. for the final August Concert presented by our Worship Team and Worship Band.

I count it a privilege to serve alongside you as your pastor, and I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday.

Know the God of Wonders

2011-08-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

-Psalm 19: 1 NIV

When we marvel at the wonders of the universe, we discover that the awesome wonders of God inspire and invite us to know the God of wonders. Renowned astronaut Neil Armstrong once said, “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”

This Sunday, as we continue our series on Awesome Wonder, we will be focused on Psalm 19 and our opportunity to “Know the God of Wonders.”

This Sunday is also Back to School Sunday. You are invited to come dressed casually wearing your school colors. In each of our worship services we will be recognizing our students and teachers, and we will share in a season of prayer for the coming school year.

Our annual Beach Baptism is scheduled for this Sunday afternoon at four o’clock at 501 Panferio behind the Shell’s home at Pensacola Beach. At this point we have 11 candidates scheduled for baptism. If you or a member of your family have recently made a commitment to Christ or a decision regarding church membership, please contact me or one of our staff ministers to prepare for baptism.

Pray for our Children’s Minister Search Team as we deepen our search for our next Minister of Children. Ms. Jean provided excellent leadership and left big shoes to fill, but we believe God will lead us to someone who will build on the great foundation that is already in place.

We are also grateful to Lauren Sansing who is filling in temporarily as the Ministry Assistant in the Children’s Department. We hope to have a new Ministry Assistant in the office within a couple of weeks.

We are extremely grateful to have a team of devoted laypersons who will be providing leadership during the interim season. Mike Hudson will be the leader of the interim team. Pray for Mike and our interim leadership team as they plan and coordinate fall events and activities. (For more information regarding Children’s Ministry and the search for a Children’s Minister, please check out the Children’s Ministry FAQ at www.fbcp.org.)

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we deepen our faith in the God of wonders.

Making Large Gifts Even Larger

2011-08-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Excitement was evident last Sunday as I was privileged to announce the receipt of two extraordinary gifts toward the ministries of First Baptist Church. The first was a gift from Dr. James Pleitz, our beloved pastor emeritus, who went home to be with the Lord this past May. Dr. Pleitz planned to give a sizable gift toward the payment of the Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center. He gave the first portion of that gift several months ago, and his children, Nancy Hinson and Danny Pleitz, fulfilled their father’s wishes by presenting the final portion of that gift in memory of James and Margaret Ann Pleitz, a few days ago.

The second gift comes from the Nellums Estate. Bill and Sibyl Nellums joined First Baptist Church in 1962. During their tenure, they were faithful and active in many areas of ministry. The gift from the Nellums has two components. First, in addition to leaving gifts to their family members and to the Baptist Hospital Foundation, they bequeathed a $420,000 cash gift that was presented to our church by their nephew a few weeks ago. In addition to the monetary gift, they left their house at

420 South 2^nd Street

. Our corporate directors have received title to that property and it is now on the market. Bill and Sibyl’s wishes were for these gifts to be used in a way that advances the mission and ministries of First Baptist Church. While every gift, no matter how small or large, is significant to the work of the kingdom, to my knowledge, the Nellums’ gift is the largest one time gift ever received by First Baptist Church.

As we covenant to be good stewards of these gifts, our church family offers our heartfelt gratitude to the Pleitz Family and the Nellums Family for their generosity and their vision.

The work on the Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center was completed in February 2008 at a cost of $3.2 million. The gift from Dr. Pleitz reduced the remaining balance on the ROC to $641,000.

As our Finance Committee, in consultation with staff and leadership, designated the monetary gift from the Nellums Estate, they have provided appropriations to areas that the Nellums were passionate about such as Transportation and History and Archives.

Because Bill and Sibyl were vitally interested in reaching children, students, and families for the future, we have appropriated $320,000, approximately half of the balance on the ROC, as we call upon the congregation to “match” the other half and pay off the balance on the ROC by December of this year.

Is this an attainable goal? Absolutely! You and I can make these large gifts from our senior saints even larger by bringing our generous and sacrificial gifts to complete the payment for the ROC. And we can begin 2012 as a debt-free congregation. Together, we can meet and surpass this goal.

This Sunday we continue our Awesome Wonder series as we explore “When Cymbals Clash” from Psalm 150. At the beginning of the Midmorning Service, we will be celebrating the baptism of new believers.

On Sunday evening, the second August Concert, Praise God with the Harps! begins at six o’clock in the sanctuary.

These are exciting days to be a part of what God is doing at FBCP. I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday.

Awesome Wonder

2011-08-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

- Carl G. Boberg and R.J. Hughes”

This Sunday we begin our August series on Awesome Wonder. While emotional forces such as anger, guilt, or fear may motivate you for a short season, the most sustainable and prevailing motivating force for a human being is to sense the awesome wonder of God’s initiatives. What God has done and is actively doing inspires me toward consistency while fleeting emotions tend to deceive.

On Sunday mornings during August we will look at a variety of Old Testament songs that call our attention to the awesome nature of God and the awesome wonder of God’s creation and re-creation.

This Sunday morning we begin the series with “What an Awesome God!” from Psalm 68:24-35, an encouraging word about the places we experience the awe-inspiring nature of God.

On Sunday evening we share in the first August Concert…A Staff Affair…featuring members of our FBCP Ministry Team and their families.

Also there is big news! This Sunday morning at the beginning of each of our morning worship services I will be sharing briefly about a couple of extraordinary gifts that have been given to our FBC Pensacola family, and I will let you know how you can make that gift even more significant.

During the past several days, Amanda and I enjoyed a great visit to the National Parks of northern California. Thank you for providing generous vacation time for me to rest, refresh, and re-energize.

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday morning as we explore the awesome wonder of God.

Series: Awesome Wonder

Aug7 “What an Awesome God!” Psalm 68:24-35

Aug 14 “When Cymbals Clash” Psalm 150

Aug 21 “Know the God of Wonders” Psalm 19

Aug 28 “Now Is the Time to Worship” Psalm 100

Finding the Right Size of Hammer

2011-07-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of hammering going on this week…and I mean the best kind of hammering.

On Monday morning of last week as our World Changers were loading the bus to head to Birmingham, one of the dads was sharing with me that his daughter was excited to be going on a trip where she could use a hammer. When he got out his hammer for her to take on the trip, he realized that his hammer was probably too heavy for his daughter. So he went and bought a smaller hammer that was just the right size for her. Her excitement increased to be going on a mission trip where she could use her own hammer.

Birmingham wasn’t the only place where there was a lot of hammering going on. This past Saturday, a great group showed up to work on our Habitat House. The home, at

1008 W. LaRua Street

, is being constructed for our very own Jeannie Shields. The next Habitat Work Day is August 20.

On Tuesday night, the Alabama Re-Build Team met again to complete the construction on the walls for the partnership home we are building in Sipsey, Alabama. The walls and trusses are being constructed in a warehouse in Pensacola and will be transported to Alabama for final assembly. Did you know that we can build a “Katrina style” house for approximately $12,000? We currently have about $32,000 in our Alabama Re-Build Fund. The more we give, the more homes we can help re-build after the devastation of the spring tornadoes.

The ministry of the hammer is one of many ways we participate in the building of God’s kingdom. In reality, hammers are a lot like the roles and responsibilities we fill in life. They are not “one size fits all.” We are each called to employ our unique gifts and talents in service to the Lord. Isn’t it great to be a part of a congregation where everyone needs to find the right size of hammer?

This week Amanda and I will be beginning a few days of vacation. I am grateful that our church provides vacation time for me to re-charge my batteries. Pray for our travels to be safe, and for me to “disconnect” from my daily responsibilities for a few days in order to “re-engage” with renewed energy.

On Sunday July 24, Chris Ziglar will be preaching on “A Good Purpose” from Genesis 11:1-9. Chris and Stacey, our resident missionaries who are preparing to depart for Brazil, have been adopted as a part of our church family during their year here.

On Sunday, July 31, Dr. Ross Lankford will be preaching on “Our Good Shepherd” from Psalm 23.

I look forward to returning to the pulpit on August 7 as we kick off our August series on “Awesome Wonder.”

Thank you for your faithfulness during the summer months…in worship and Bible study…in giving…and in the ministry of the hammer.

A Tribute to Jean Ingram

2011-07-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

On August 12, 1987 Jean Ingram joined the staff of First Baptist Church. Jean began her tenure here as director of our Mother’s Day Out program. Later she became our Interim Children’s Ministries Coordinator. And eventually she was asked to become the permanent Minister of Children.

Last month, Jean Ingram shared with our church family her plans to retire in July of this year.

This Sunday, July 17, is Jean Ingram Day at First Baptist Church. During each of the morning worship services prior to the sermon, a couple of folks will share a few stories about Jean’s influence. Then on Sunday afternoon, we will celebrate Jean’s ministry during a reception from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in Chipley Hall.

As we look back with gratitude across Jean’s ministry here, I have invited a few folks to share a tribute to Jean:

Jean has been and will continue to be a true friend, which is the greatest of all blessings. -Reginia Barrow

What a wonderful spirit; perfectly matched to work with children. What a blessing to me and to my children and grandson. Thanks Jean. -Andy White

Jean has played the major role in developing a Children's Ministry that literally has become a "front door" to our church for new members. She ministers to not only the children, but to their whole family as well.

-Bob Morrison

Mrs. Jean is so loving and she cares about me and others. -Mitchell Keyes

For the past 24 years Jean Ingram has touched the lives of more children and parents at FBC Pensacola and the surrounding community than anyone I know. Her Christian influence and the results of her work is immeasurable but we know it will continue to impact families for generations to come. Well done faithful servant” -Ron Jackson

I think it was to a young Dwight L. Moody that someone once said "the world has not yet seen what can be accomplished by a person totally committed to Christ." That may be true, but with Ms. Jean we have definitely had a glimpse. -Mike Hudson

Jean demonstrates what it means to love the Lord with all your heart. -Sara Shiell

Mrs. Jean was and is my inspiration for wanting to have a career in the mission field. -Eden Gafford

Mrs. Jean is so sweet, loving and kind. She is very cool to be around. -Margaret Ann Vinson

I am glad that Jean and Al will continue to be a part of our church family in the years ahead. Thank you Jean for 24 faithful and effective years of ministry. The seeds you have planted will bear fruit for generations to come. And we look forward to growing in faith and friendship alongside you in the years ahead.

This Sunday, we are looking at Proverbs 3:21-24 as we emphasize the importance of “Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.”

July 17: “Jean Ingram Day”

2011-06-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Often God’s leadership takes us by surprise. Such is the case with the leading of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jean Ingram.

A couple of weeks ago, Jean Ingram shared with our church staff her plans to retire in July of this year. Earlier this week, Jean sent a letter to the parents and children of FBCP sharing her decision.

As pastor, I knew that this day would come, eventually. I just expected that it would be a few more years down the road. But Jean is a prayer warrior. And when Jean told me that she had prayed about this and felt God’s peace in the timing of her decision, I knew that this was the right decision for Jean.

Since August 12, 1987 Jean Ingram has been a part of our ministry staff at First Baptist Church. She started as director of our Mother’s Day Out program. Later she became our Interim Children’s Ministries Coordinator. And eventually she was asked to become the permanent Minister of Children.

For the past 24 years, Jean has faithfully served as a minister to all generations at First Baptist Church. She has cultivated and nurtured the principles of the Christian faith in our children. She has capably provided leadership for our Pre-School. She has encouraged and equipped young parents. She has visited us when we were in the hospital. She has led in worship with prayers, scriptures, and songs. She has been an inspiring teammate to each of our ministers. And perhaps, most importantly, she has prayed for all of us. Every one of us at FBCP have been blessed by Jean’s friendship and influence.

To celebrate Jean’s ministry, we are declaring Sunday July 17 as Jean Ingram Day at FBC Pensacola. During each of the morning services, we will highlight the positive impact of Jean’s ministry. Then on Sunday afternoon, we will have a grand celebration and reception in Chipley Hall.

The good news is that Jean and Al will continue to be an active part of our FBC Family.

In the weeks ahead, we will share more about the interim plan for Children’s Ministry. We are grateful that with foresight and commitment to FBCP, Jean has put together a plan and a team to continue the exciting summer activities.

I continue to appreciate your faithfulness during the summer months. July 3 is Red, White, and Blue Sunday. I hope you have plans for a fun celebration on this 4^th of July weekend, and I hope that you will exercise your Religious Liberty, by making it a priority to be in Bible study and worship this Sunday.

Are You For Real?

2011-06-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

On occasion it’s more of an exclamation than a question: “Are you for real?” Translated, it can mean, “Are you making this up?” “Are you telling me the truth or just pulling my leg?” “Are you sure about this?”

When it comes to your faith in God, are you for real? How can others who cannot peek at your motives, glance at your thoughts, or scan your soul, know for sure that you are a follower of Jesus? What is the primary evidence of your credibility and authenticity? How do they know that your faith is real”? According to John 13:35 your Christian identity is best revealed in the way you love others: This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other (MSG).

When I think about authenticity, I am reminded of the story of Elijah McCoy, a master mechanic and engineer who was born in 1843 to former slaves who had escaped from Kentucky to Ontario via the Underground Railroad. His parents sent him to study in

Scotland

, where he earned a degree in engineering. Later in his career, working in partnership with the Michigan Central Railroad, McCoy invented a lubricating cup that automatically dripped oil. He received a

United States

patent in 1872, and installation of his invention on locomotives began shortly thereafter. His design greatly increased engine efficiency, and soon every company wanted one of the "McCoy Cups." So many inferior copies were made that train engineers began to demand "the real McCoy," and not a “knock off” or an imitation.

Authentic Christian living tends to be a more persuasive influence toward reaching seekers than sermons, songs, or religious programs. Seekers are more interested in the genuineness of your personal faith than they are your doctrinal purity or your denominational loyalty.

Speaking about the power of Christian witness, Scottish minister William Barclay surmises that, "More people have been brought into the church by the kindness of real Christian love than by all of the theological arguments in the world, and more people have been driven from church by the hardness and ugliness of so-called Christianity than by all of the doubts in the world."

For the growing Christian, faith is not a game wherein we pretend to be something we are not. Growing Christians do not try to act hyper-holy or super-religious. Deep down we know that we are merely sinners saved by grace.

No matter where you are on the spectrum of Christian growth, be yourself and be real!

This Sunday we continue our series on The Good Life by talking about Good Medicine from Proverbs 17:22.

Don’t forget the Chapel Choir Home Concert begins at 7 o’clock this Sunday evening.

Big Apple Highlights

2011-06-16T06:51:00.001-07:00

Our FBCP campus has been alive all week with the sounds of children…laughter, excitement, and lots of questions. I asked a few of our students and “tour guides” about how things are going in The Big Apple Adventure:

What is the best thing about Vacation Bible School this week?

“Learning about everything” -Equan Cheatum
“Learning about God and meeting new people” -Claudia Lucas
“Missions” -Sophie Roy
“Eating the snacks” -Hadley Groom
“Hanging out with my friends and making crafts” -Savannah Persky
“The best thing about VBS is the music and dances and the videos about faith. This VBS is awesome.” Paesha James
“The creativity and the excitement of the children about learning God’s word. Your Children’s Ministry Director & Church Family have been so kind and we really enjoyed working VBS this week with you.” -Yolanda Anderson

What is one thing you have learned in Vacation Bible School this week?

“I have learned to have faith in the Lord and believe in him so when someone has a different belief you can stand up and not be ashamed in the Lord.” -Sophie Sanchez
“To have faith when everything doesn’t seem right for me. To love people even when they envy me and to love God even when other people don’t accept me.” -Sundai Bailey
“Buildings made out of tape.” Anonymous
“How to be a director.” Anonymous
“We believe… connect it…Jesus loves you” --Geoffrey Threadgill
“That Jesus can be your Savior.” -Tah Kaira

What will you remember most about this year’s Vacation Bible School?

“To have FAITH and Love God!” -Avery Curington
“All the people and fun!” -Daphne Hulion
“Table tennis and the nice community.” -Daniel
“Having the best time in recreation.” -Nathan Hudson
“VBS was more fun this year then before because I got to know lots of people and met lots of new people.” -Lindsey Harrison
“The songs and dancing, and the different teams and class names.” - Precious Dixon

In VBS, we learn important lessons connecting life and faith….lessons that stay with us our entire lives. Thank you for Jean Ingram and to all of our Big Apple staff for doing a great job in VBS 2011.

This Sunday, Chaplain Darren Stennett will be sharing a message from Psalm 73 about “Slip Sliding Away.” We will be celebrating baptism at the beginning of the mid-morning service.

Also, this is the day we receive our Father’s Day Offering for the Health and Hope Clinic. I invite to join me in bringing a generous gift to help fund this medical ministry of the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association.

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this week as we continue learning to live by the book.

Take Courage

2011-06-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 19:8 says, “Grow a wise heart—you'll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head—you'll find a good life.” In June we begin our summer series entitled The Good Life.

Our culture teaches us that the good life is based on our material wealth or popularity. But the Bible assures us that the good life is based on relationships and experiences.

One key to the good life is learning to live with courage. Our topic this Sunday is “Good Courage” and the scripture passage is Proverbs 27:1, 4-5, 13-14.

Vacation Bible School is just a few days away. Our students through 5^th grade will be learning about The Good Life on June 13-17 as they embark on “The Big Apple Adventure: Where Faith and Life Connect.” Make sure to invite your friends and neighbors and to pre-register your children and grandchildren for Vacation Bible School. We also need a few more tour guides, so make sure to contact Jean Ingram or Maile Gowing in our Children’s Ministry and sign up to work in The Big Apple Adventure.

Summer at First Baptist brings more mission and ministry opportunities. In the months ahead we also have mission teams going to Russia, Costa Rica, and Haiti. To sign up for an upcoming trip, contact Don Minton. Additionally our Chapel Choir is going North to Niagara and our middle school students are going to World Changers in Birmingham.

Project Alabama is our initiative to assist in repairing and rebuilding homes and lives in the aftermath of devastating tornadoes. At this point, our partnership is focused on the communities of Sipsey and McDonald’s Chapel on the west side of Birmingham. Monitor the Project Alabama link on www.fbcp.org to keep up with upcoming opportunities to serve.

This summer at FBC Pensacola there are great opportunities to learn, grow, and go. Be faithful to the Lord and to our church with your time, your talent, and your treasure all summer long.

Speaking of faithfulness, this Sunday we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dr. Lynne Lauderdale, who started as our organist at FBC Pensacola on May 31, 1981. A reception for Dr. Lauderdale is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. this Sunday afternoon in Chipley Hall. Thank you Dr. Lauderdale for your faithful service.

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday as we continue learning to live by the book.

The Good Life

2011-05-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

What are the ingredients of a good life? Our culture emphasizes the importance of riches, popularity, and comfort. Our Bible emphasizes the importance of faith, purpose, and community. In June we begin our summer series entitled The Good Life.

Our students through 5^th grade will be learning about The Good Life in Vacation Bible School on June 13-17 as they embark on “The Big Apple Adventure: Where Faith and Life Connect.” Make sure to invite your friends and neighbors and to pre-register your children and grandchildren for Vacation Bible School. We also need a few more tour guides, so make sure to contact Jean Ingram or Maile Gowing in our Children’s Ministry and sign up to work in The Big Apple Adventure.

During the summer months we are being “doers of the word” by engaging in a variety of mission projects and mission trips. For the next few months, many of us will be working with Project Alabama, our initiative to assist in rebuilding homes and lives in the aftermath of devastating tornadoes. In the months ahead we also have mission teams going to Russia, Costa Rica, and

Haiti

. Additionally our Chapel Choir is going North to Niagara and our middle school students are going to World Changers in Birmingham.

Other events coming up in June include the following:

June 5 30^th Anniversary Reception for Lynne Lauderdale

June 11 VBS Kickoff for The Big Apple Adventure

June 17 VBS Family Night and Concert

June 19 Baptism

June 26 Chapel Choir Homecoming Concert

At First Baptist, summer presents great opportunities for learning, growing, and going. Be faithful to the Lord and to our church with your time, your talent, and your treasure all summer long.

Sermon Topics for June:

June 5 “Good Courage” Psalm 27:1, 4-5,13-14

June 12 “Good Faith” Proverbs 19:6, Romans 10:17

June 19 Chaplain Darren Stennett, preaching

June 26 “Good Medicine” Proverbs 22:1

A Time to Remember and Never Ever Forget

2011-05-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

The last Monday in May is a unique holiday. Memorial Day does not generate as much holiday enthusiasm as Christmas, Easter, or Independence Day, perhaps because it is more an observance than a celebration. This important holiday is not just another “day off” but a day to remember those who have lost their lives in the military service of our country.

In a culture that is increasingly attention-deficient, remembering is a painful but necessary discipline. Remembering historical facts should help us to remain consciously aware of the harsh realities of global conflict. Revisiting stories from the battlefield may enable us to learn from both the successes and the failures of our national ancestry. When we remember the fallen we keep alive the individual and corporate legacies of valor and courage that inspire and challenge us to be responsible citizens of the free world.

To fail to remember is to develop a convenient amnesia that eventually robs succeeding generations of their national heritage. To fail to remember creates a contagious apathy that leads to a neglect of both freedom and citizenship. To fail to remember can produce a false sense of protection and a perceived exemption from future warfare. A loss of memory eventually leads to a loss of national identity. Remembering is a painful but necessary discipline, a discipline that forges vision from memory, and a discipline that extracts wisdom from knowledge.

In The Roadmender Margaret Fairless Barber suggests that “To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.”

This year take time to observe Memorial Day…A day to remember the past with gratitude and to look to the future with hope and faith.

This Sunday is Senior Recognition Day, a day set aside to recognize and encourage our graduating high school seniors. We will meet for Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. and then meet in a combined service of worship at 10:30 in the sanctuary.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we continue learning to “be doers of the word.”

Let’s Make It an Aloha Sunday

2011-05-20T06:52:00.000-07:00

Let’s make this Sunday an Aloha Sunday. I invite you to join me in wearing an Aloha shirt or your beach colors to both of our worship services this Sunday morning. Then on Sunday evening we will meet at Casino Beach at six o’clock for Allelulias by the Sea.

Allelulias by the Sea is a beachside concert presented by our Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra that is scheduled once every four years. This musical extravaganza features a wide variety of musical genres including Broadway tunes, patriotic music, and inspirational selections. What a great opportunity to invite a neighbor or colleague who is not currently connected with a church family! So bring a friend and a chair, and join us for a fun evening on one of the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches.

What a week we have had at First Baptist! We have been sweetly saying “goodbye for now” to dear friends, including our pastor emeritus, who have now gone to be with the Lord. But we have also been saying “welcome to the world” to new babies being born. And we have been saying “hello” and “welcome to First Baptist” to new friends and new members who are joining us.

We are learning a couple of important lessons in all of this: Life is short and things are constantly changing. How do we make the most of our time on earth? How does our faith equip us to make every day count?

This Sunday morning as we continue our series on Real Religion we are exploring “Real Time: The Vapor Factor” from James 4:13-15.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday in your beach colors as we continue learning to live by the book.

Project Alabama: Pray, Give, and Go

2011-05-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

In Pensacola, we know a little bit about storms and the devastation that can be left behind. We also know what it feels like to see your church campus heavily damaged. Many members of our First Baptist Family are ready and eager to assist our neighbors to the north.

This week we have launched Project Alabama: Pray, Give, and Go. We will be joining hundreds of churches and faith-based organizations in ministering to the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of our Alabama neighbors.

First, I encourage you to continue praying. The devastation across Alabama is horrific. As I write these words, there have been 251 storm-related deaths confirmed in Alabama and a total of 340 deaths across the South. There are still over 400 folks unaccounted for. Pray for the residents of storm-damaged communities and pray for the relief workers who are there to assist.

Second, I invite you to give. Give a generous and sacrificial gift to assist those in need. Donations given through our church will be channeled through our existing ministry partners and through our FBCP volunteer teams. Make your check payable to FBC Pensacola and designate it for Disaster Response.

Third, consider going to Alabama on a volunteer work crew. If you have not already signed up, call the church office and leave your name and phone number, and indicate whether you are available on weekdays, weekends, or both. All kinds of skill levels will be needed during the recovery period including carpenters, cooks, counselors, and cleaning specialists.

Our first team is going to the Birmingham area this week to deliver supplies and assess needs. After we send teams to one or more communities, we hope to adopt at least one church and community for a long-term partnership, much like we did in Gautier, Mississippi following Katrina.

In the weeks and months ahead, I envision the following:

· We will devote thousands of dollars to the recovery effort.

· We will send dozens of volunteer teams to do clean up and home repair.

· We will send ministry teams to offer encouragement, lead conferences, and share in worship.

· We will help our adopted church to re-build and re-tool for the future.

Keep posted on upcoming trips and opportunities by checking the Project Alabama link at www.fbcp.org.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. We look forward to hearing a testimony from Todd and Nicole Blancheri, and then an encouraging word from James 2:14-18 on “Real Faith.”

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday.

Real Religion: Exploring the Book of James

2011-05-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1:27 NIV

During the month of May, we are beginning a new sermon series entitled Real Religion: Exploring the Book of James. On Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, we will be digging into some of the specific ways James teaches us to be “doers of the word.”

May is filled with great opportunities to serve and to celebrate. On May 1 we will celebrate Heritage Day, a day to recognize all of those who have been members of First Baptist Church for 50 years or more. On May 8, we observe Mother’s Day, and on May 29 we will meet for a combined worship service as we recognize our high school graduates on Senior Recognition Day.

On Sunday evenings we will enjoy great concerts. The A Cappella Singers and the Sanctuary Bells will share in the Spring Forth Concert on May 1. On May 15 we look forward to our Spring Children’s Choirs Concert. Then on the evening of May 22 we will gather at the Pavilion at Casino Beach for Alleluias by the Sea.

Also, our next quarterly Congregational Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday May 4. During the first fifteen minutes we will receive brief reports from our major committees and ministry partners. Then we will hear stories and testimonies from our Mission Cycling Team.

Spring is a great time to treasure the relationships that are important to you and to expand your network of relationships by reaching out to those who need to be connected to God’s family.

I look forward to a month filled with engaging worship, inspiring music, and growing friendships.

Topic for Sundays and Wednesday in May:

May 1 “Real Religion” James 1:27 (Heritage Day)

May 4 Congregational Meeting/Iran Team

May 8 Seamless Unity” James 2:14-26(Mother’s Day)

May11 “The Best Seat in the House” James 1:1-13

May15 “Real Wisdom” James 3:13-16

May18. “It Only Takes a Spark” James 3:1-12

May22 “The Vapor Factor” James 4:13-15

May25 Stories from

England

by Gerald and Elizabeth Craft

May29 “Don’t Fool Yourself!” James 1:19-24 (Senior Recognition Day/Combined Service)

2011-04-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

A message from the pastor…

Overnight and today we are watching the horrific video footage following the devastating storms that trampled many communities in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia yesterday. Many of us have been busy contacting friends and family members to check on their safety. Others of us have already learned of friends who lost homes, businesses, and loved ones.

At our house, in addition to thinking about our many friends who were affected in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, and Cullman, Amanda and I are grieving over the destruction inflicted on the Williams Community, our former place of service, where at least two lives were taken and multiple homes were destroyed when one storm followed a similar path to the Palm Sunday tornado of 1994.

Our First Baptist Family is no stranger to storms. As veteran survivors of successive storms in recent years, we can identify with the grief, the loss, and the monumental challenges facing our neighboring states in the days ahead. Today I am calling on our First Baptist Family to respond in the following ways:

PRAY! Pray for those who are hurting and grieving. Homes can be rebuilt, but loved ones cannot be replaced. We serve a God who is "our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of trouble." Pray for those whose lives were turned upside down to discover renewed hope in the aftermath of the storm, and pray for relief and recovery workers to labor with cooperation and perseverance.

GIVE! Consider giving a generous financial gift to assist with rebuilding following this disaster. Make your check to FBC Pensacola and designate it Disaster Relief. All gifts given through FBCP will be channeled through our existing mission partners in Alabama.

GO! In the days ahead, we will be assembling teams to assist with the relief work in Alabama. Today we are working with leaders in Alabama to assess the needs. We know that this will be a lengthy clean-up and rebuilding effort, much like the aftermath of Katrina. Our hope is to target a specific area for partnership. Stay tuned for opportunities to participate on a Disaster Relief Team in the weeks ahead.

I am honored to serve a loving, praying, and caring church family.

With continuing prayers for our neighbors,

Barry

Celebrating Our Heritage

2011-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

This Sunday is Heritage Day at First Baptist. During each worship service, we will recognize members of our Heritage Club, individuals who have been members of First Baptist Church for 50 years or more. We are the beneficiaries of a potent heritage of mission and ministry because of the investment of these veteran Christians who have served the Lord faithfully across the generations, serving as our living examples of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

As we approach Heritage Day, we are reminded that our history and our future are birthed from the same Spirit, but they are not identical twins. At First Baptist we celebrate our heritage by appreciating our senior saints and giving thanks to God for the effective ministries of yesteryear. We can embrace our future by listening to the Spirit’s creative leadership for our day and by following God’s commission for us to be faithful servants in our community, faithful managers of all our resources, and faithful witnesses in our world.

In May as we continue learning to be doers of the word, we start our new series, Real Religion: Exploring the Book of James. This week we are looking at the definition of “real religion” in James 1:26-27. On Sunday evening we will meet in Chipley Hall at six o’clock for Hymns, Spirituals, and Apple Cobbler featuring the A Cappella Singers and Sanctuary Bells.

As we celebrate our heritage and embrace our future, I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday.

Make the Spirit of Resurrection Contagious Among Us

2011-04-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

T’was Easter Sunday, the full-blossomed trees filled all the air with fragrance and with joy.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This Sunday is Easter…the day designated to celebrate the greatest news in the world…” He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.”

On Easter Sunday morning, I typically arise early to begin my prayer and devotional time. In addition to wording my own prayers, I often find that prayers written by others deepen my conversation with God. One of my favorite Easter prayers is “A Pastoral Prayer for Easter” penned by Dr. John Killinger who was a guest with us here at FBC Pensacola just a few months ago:

O God, whose love was revealed at a cross and whose power was shown at an empty tomb, our hearts swell within us at the thought of your presence. We know that we live too often on the wrong side of Easter, worrying about things that are trivial in the light of the Resurrection of Christ. Forgive us for our lack of faith, and teach us to live more daringly, more expectantly, more joyfully. Let the discovery of the first Christians, that evil is doomed in the world, take hold of our minds and transform them into vessels of hope and excitement. Show us how to submerge our self-interests, which are small and unworthy, into confidence in your eternal kingdom, which will come despite wars and injustice, ignorance and prejudice, illness and death. Grant that we may become your agents of conversion and commitment in the world, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, caring for the sick, and teaching the illiterate. Make the spirit of resurrection contagious among us, that we may honor our Lord in active discipleship. And grant that his name may ring out in every nation, like the gladness of bells, calling men and women everywhere to the mystery of redemption in the community of faith. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Dr. Pleitz said it very well: “Easter is a blessed reminder that ALL is well…we are victorious even in death.”

This Sunday is Easter. Arrive early. Bring the whole family. Place your flowers on the flowering cross. Be prepared to worship. And ask God to “make the spirit of resurrection contagious among us.”

Holy Week: A Time to Re-Visit the Passion of Christ

2011-04-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Next week is Holy Week…a time to re-visit the passion of Christ. Around the globe, Christians and other inquirers will be reflecting on the events leading up to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What is the significance of Holy Week and how can I probe its deeper meaning?

The tradition of observing Holy Week seems to have originated in the East, emerging out of the practice of pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Each day of Holy Week is significant. For those of us whose faith was shaped in a Baptist tradition, at least four days call for guided reflection. Palm Sunday is a day to revisit the royal welcome extended to Jesus by the curious crowd as he entered Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday believers recall the occasion when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples as he gave them a new mandate to love and serve. On Maundy Thursday evening, many faith communities re-enact “the last supper” when Jesus broke bread and shared the cup with his disciples by receiving the elements of communion. Good Friday is an occasion to feel the passion of Christ and to think on the enormity of his suffering. And Resurrection Sunday, or Easter, is a festive day to celebrate and proclaim that “Christ is risen; He is risen indeed.”

Because of the sequential significance of these events, Holy Week is best approached slowly, with a disposition of holy exploration, an attitude of sacred awe. In Weldon Gaddy’s book, The Gift of Worship, he describes our opportunity to engage in a more meaningful experience of the passion of Christ: “Holy Week services bring into focus dimensions of discipleship that are missed completely by a simple leap from Palm Sunday to Easter. Worship services which take seriously the truths of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday please God because they challenge a greater commitment and a more effective ministry among the people of God.”

This year as you begin your spiritual journey through Holy Week open your senses and your imagination to both the tragedy and the triumph of this pivotal week in history. Take time to listen to the voices of the crowd as Jesus enters the city. Hear again the teachings of Jesus and contemplate his days in Jerusalem. Feel the water touch your feet, taste the morsel of bread on your tongue and the sip of wine rolling over your lips. Sense the disgust of his betrayal by a friend. Smell the stench of the scourge and hear the mocking sarcasm of the trial. Grieve over the cruel injustice of his execution and experience the passion of his incomprehensible suffering. And ultimately…consider the mysterious power of the resurrection and the hope generated by the notion that life invested in Christ cannot be extinguished, even by the reality of death.

The events of Holy Week invite and motivate us to follow Jesus, not out of religious obligation or fear of eternal damnation, but because we identify with his teaching and his vision, and we discover a sense of belonging in his cause and his kingdom. A slow and deliberate journey through Holy Week may re-energize your faith and inspire you to live and serve with passion.

Our Holy Week experience begins this Sunday. Dr. Ross Lankford will be preaching on Palm Sunday. I will be preaching on Holy Wednesday and Resurrection Sunday. I look forward to seeing you as we re-visit the passion of Christ.

Dem Dry Bones

2011-04-07T07:35:00.001-07:00

In both elementary school and Sunday School I remember singing the words to the popular spiritual, “Dem Bones,” written by author, activist, poet, and songwriter, James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938). The lyrics were based on Ezekiel 37:1-14 and were used to teach children about the human anatomy. Although the song isn’t 100% anatomically correct, the lyrics are memorable and catchy:

Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"

Oh, hear the word of the Lord.

The foot bone connected to the leg bone,

The leg bone connected to the knee bone,

The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,

The thigh bone connected to the back bone,

The back bone connected to the neck bone,

The neck bone connected to the head bone,

Oh, hear the word of the Lord!

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'

Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'

Oh, hear the word of the Lord.

As we continue our April sermon series entitled Living Proof, we are taking a deeper look at the themes of resurrection and renewal in Ezekiel 37:1-14 and the “Dance of the Dry Bones.”

This key story in Ezekiel is obviously more about our spiritual anatomy than our physical anatomy. It is about the restoration of hope and the importance of re-connecting to the spiritual community.

This is a great week to ask God to refresh and revitalize us individually and collectively as the body of Christ. It is also an opportune week to invite someone who has become disconnected to join us for Bible study and worship, and hopefully become re-connected to our spiritual family.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. Based on the words of Ezekiel, I firmly believe these bones can live!

Hold It Up to the Light!

2011-03-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

I stopped by a discount store last week to get a new pair of sunglasses. I accidentally dropped my old sunglasses down a stairwell - they were “totaled.”

When I pulled out a twenty dollar bill, the clerk held it up to the light and examined it front and back. Trying to be witty, I said, “I’m a pretty honest guy.” She replied all too seriously, “You can’t be too careful. There are a lot of counterfeits out there.”

There really are a lot of counterfeits out there. The U.S. Treasury Department has taken proactive steps to minimize the potential for fraudulent characters to produce and circulate counterfeit currency. One of the ways merchants check for counterfeit bills is to look for a watermark that is visible on both the front and back of all bills larger than $2 when it is held up to the light.

This Sunday we begin a new series entitled, Living Proof….a series to encourage us in our journey toward Easter. The first message is about “Ripping the Cover Off of Frauds” from Ephesians 5:6-18.

In this text Paul instructs believers to be wary of religious scams and to “Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ” (Ephesians 5:13 MSG).

Here is yet another good reason to live by the book: The teachings of Christ provide light to help us detect and avoid counterfeits that throw us off course.

I am looking forward to a great day of worship this Sunday as we are challenged to examine life in the light of Christ.

Do You Remember Your Baptism?

2011-03-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

“I was saved on June 26, 1975 at 1:30 a.m. at the Colonial Apartments on Laguna Beach near Panama City, Florida… I was baptized on July 6, 1975 with Mark Smith, Brandon Smith and Mike Tiller by Rev. Tommy Reaves at the creek behind Donald Lloyd’s house.” These are the words I wrote as a fifteen year old in the front of my KJV Scofield Reference Bible, Red Letter Edition.

After making my commitment to Christ and being baptized, my grandmother encouraged me to write the date of those significant events in the front of my Bible so I would never forget them.

I don’t believe that everyone has to remember the time, date, and location of their conversion and baptism to be considered a genuine Christian, but for me, remembering my baptism has helped me to confirm and reaffirm my faith during some pretty tough times. There’s an old gospel song that says, “I can tell you the time, I can tell you the place, where the Lord saved me by his wonderful grace.”

Do you remember your baptism? As followers of Jesus who learn and live out Christ’s teaching in a Baptist community of faith, being baptized is pretty important…not to “seal the deal” but to confirm and launch us into a life of grace and growth.

This Sunday, as we conclude our series of sermons Living by the Book, we are asking, “Do You Remember Your Baptism?” as we examine scriptural teachings and general Baptist beliefs about “believer’s baptism by immersion.” To prepare for Sunday, I encourage you to read Matthew 3:13-17 and I Corinthians 11:23-28.

We plan to celebrate baptism in the Midmorning Service and to share the Lord’s Supper in both of our worship services. Teams will be going out on Sunday afternoon to share the Lord’s Supper with those who are homebound and those who live in retirement communities.

I am looking forward to a great day of worship this Sunday as we continue learning to be “doers of the word.” I hope you will be here with an open heart, an open mind, and an open Bible.

Could You Use a Little Home Improvement?

2011-03-17T09:37:00.001-07:00

It’s springtime! Daylight hours are longer. Yellow bells, azaleas, and dogwoods are about to bloom. This time of year, many folks engage in a little spring cleaning. But maybe your home needs more than a little cleaning. Maybe you are ready for a little home improvement.

And by home improvement, I mean “home” improvement. There is a difference in a house and a home. A house is made of bricks and mortar. A home is constructed with faith and love. Both, however, require upkeep and maintenance.

We live in a culture that emphasizes the size of the house rather than the quality of the home. But as followers of Jesus, we are in the home-building business.

This Sunday in Bible study, we are looking at the importance of Family. In worship, I will be talking about “The Most Trusted Name in Home Improvement.” When it comes to marriage and family, we need to make sure we are living by the book. To prepare for this Sunday, I encourage you to read Genesis 2:18-25 and Ephesians 5:21-33.

We also look forward to sharing moments of Parent/Child Dedication with three families in each of our worship services this Sunday.

Don’t forget that on March 27 we will be studying the meaning of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We will end each service that day by celebrating the Lord’s Supper. And our deacons will be serving the Lord’s Supper to our homebound members on Sunday afternoon. We will celebrate baptism at the beginning of the midmorning service. If someone in your family has recently made a commitment to Christ and they are ready for baptism, contact one of our ministers or Elizabeth Smith in the pastor’s office to begin preparing for the baptism.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in Bible study and worship as we become better equipped to do a little home improvement.

How Many Clocks Are There at Your House?

2011-03-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. -Ecclesiastes 3:1

How many clocks are there at your house? I did a quick count at our house this morning and there are at least 19 clocks that have to be re-set this Saturday night at our house. We have alarm clocks, wristwatches, microwave clocks, desktop clocks, wall clocks, and bathroom clocks. We even have a clock on our coffee maker. And I didn’t count the clocks on the desktop computer, my laptop, and our cell phones because they automatically re-set when the time changes.

I guess you could say that we love being aware of the time. Daylight Savings Time allows us to maximize the daylight hours during the spring and summer. My goal is to maximize all of my time…whether winter or summer, rain or shine…and live every moment for the Lord.

Paul offers this reminder: See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV).

Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday, March 13. Whether you choose to adjust your clocks at bedtime on Saturday evening, or you actually make the official adjustment at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, don’t forget that this weekend marks the beginning of DST.

During services this Sunday yawning is welcome and momentary dozing will be easily forgiven. Extra bold coffee will be available in the atrium beginning at 7:45. Spring forward with us this Sunday as we gather to focus on Spiritual Gifts in worship and Bible study.

How many clocks did you say you have at your house?

The Offering: A Radical Act of Worship

2011-03-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

One of the most radical things we can do in worship is present to God an offering. When we bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouse, we are not only supporting the work of the kingdom with our finances, we are declaring to God, to ourselves, and to the world that our core life commitment is to our God.

Learning to prioritize and manage our earthly treasures is one of the most challenging disciplines of the Christian life. This Sunday is Stewardship Sunday. During Bible study and worship, we will be taking a closer look at what the Bible teaches us about how to manage all of the resources entrusted to us. To prepare for Sunday I encourage you to read Malachi 3:8-12 and Philippians 4:10-19.

Here’s my invitation to you: To focus on the offering as a radical act of worship, prepare for every member of the family to bring an offering to present at the conclusion of the service as a part of our response to God. We will present our offerings as a part of our response to God at the conclusion of each of our worship services.

Speaking of stewardship, our First Baptist Family has done it again! We have exceeded our goal for the Christmas Offering for World Missions. Our goal was $100,000. Last week our total was $97,200. As of today, our total gifts are $105, 206. Way to go!

I look forward to seeing you in Bible study and worship as we celebrate God’s extraordinary grace this Sunday.

Getting Ready for the Final Four

2011-03-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

March Madness is just around the corner. Basketball fans are getting excited about the upcoming NCAA tournament. Sixty-five teams will begin the tournament but by championship weekend, only four teams will advance to the Final Four.

At FBC Pensacola, as March approaches, we are getting ready for the Final Four weeks of our Living by the Book series. During each Sunday in March we will continue to focus on the same topic in Bible study and worship. On March 6 we will observe Stewardship Sunday. On March 13 we will highlight the importance of Spiritual Gifts. On March 20 we will share in Parent/Child Dedication on Family Day. Then on March 27 we will conclude our series by celebrating Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study as we are challenged and equipped to be “doers of the word.”

Topics and Scriptures for March:

Mar 6 Let Me Tell You a Secret

Malachi 3:8-12, Philippians 4:10-19

Mar 13 A Gift from God

I Corinthians 12:1-11, 12-27

Mar 20 The Most Trusted Name in Home Improvement
Genesis 2:18-25, Ephesians 5:21-33

Mar 27 Do You Remember Your Baptism?

Matthew 3:13-17, I Corinthians 11:23-28

Let’s Go Over the “Moon”

2011-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

This Sunday, as we continue our Living by the Book series, we are zeroing in on missions as we talk about “Advancing the Good News.” What do we mean by missions? What is the difference between ministry and missions? How can we best be involved in global missions today? To prepare for Bible study and worship on Sunday, read Isaiah 6:1-8 and Matthew 28:18-20.

Interestingly, on the day we will be talking about missions, we have another team leaving for an international mission trip. Fifteen folks will be leaving on Sunday to work in Haiti. There will be two teams, one doing medical work and one doing construction work. Pray for their safety and their effectiveness.

During 2011 there will be five more opportunities to go on international mission trips to places like Haiti, Costa Rica, Russia, and Liberia. If you have never been on a mission trip, take some time to visit with Don Minton and explore the possibility of going on one of our trips this year.

Our First Baptist Family has a history of generous financial support for missions. In addition to appropriating 10% of all budget gifts for missions, we give generously to the International Christmas Missions Offering, an offering received in honor of the legendary missionary, Lottie Moon.

This year we are sitting right at the doorstep of our goal of $100,000. Currently we are at $97,200. We receive this offering through the last Sunday of February. That means that this Sunday is the final Sunday to receive gifts for the Lottie Moon offering. While we celebrate the generous giving of $97,200 to missions, wouldn’t it be great to surpass our goal before the close of the day on Sunday.

Amanda and I have already given to the International Missions Offering, but we are going to give an additional gift. This Sunday, let’s don’t just talk about missions. Let’s go “over the Moon” in giving generously to the International Christmas Missions Offering. (Reminder: You can designate your missions offering to go to any of our three major mission partners….BWA, CBF, or SBC.)

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for worship and Bible study, and as we continue learning to be “doers of the word.”

Always Be Prepared!

2011-02-10T07:36:00.000-08:00

I read a story recently about a young lady who had taken great care to get herself ready for a blind date. This was not just dinner and a movie. Her date had planned dinner at an exclusive downtown restaurant with live music and dancing. Wanting to make a good first impression she had taken the day off work. She cleaned her apartment; she went out that afternoon to have her hair done and get a manicure. When she got home she did her makeup, put on her best dress and was ready for her date’s arrival. His expected arrival came and went, but she continued to wait patiently.

Finally after waiting over an hour she decided she had been stood up, so she took off her dress, let down her hair put on her pajamas, gathered all her favorite junk food and sat down to watch TV with her dog. Sometime later there was a knock at the door… it was her date. He looked at her surprised and said, “What’s going on? I gave you an extra two hours and you’re still not ready to go!”

Before Jesus departed the earth, he promised that he will return. Will you be ready for his return, or will you be unprepared?

As we continue our series, “Living by the Book,” our topic in Bible study and worship this week deals with what we believe about “last things.” The sermon will deal with how important it is to “Be Prepared!” In preparation for Sunday, I encourage you to read Isaiah 2:1-4 and Matthew 24:36-44.

This Sunday is also Scout Sunday. We will recognize our Scouts and Leaders from Troop 10 in each of our services. Our neighboring troop from Zion Hope Baptist Church will be joining us in the midmorning service.

I am looking forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday morning as we continue learning to “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22 KJV)

FBCP to Begin Live Streaming

2011-02-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Beginning this Sunday morning, February 6, FBC Pensacola will begin live streaming of our mid-morning worship service on the internet. If you are unable to attend services or if you have friends or relatives out of town who would like to tune in, go to our web site at http://www.fbcp.org/ and click on the link for live streaming at 10:45 on Sunday mornings.

In addition to the live stream telecast, a replay of the worship service will be available beginning shortly after the service is over. You can access the replay anytime, 24 hours a day for a few weeks following each service.

For several years First Baptist has provided a live telecast on local television as a ministry to our community. The new live stream option means that our worship services can now be seen around the world. Missionaries in other countries, church members who are traveling internationally, and military personnel around the globe can now participate in worship at FBC via the internet.

Neither television nor internet can replace the fellowship, the inspiration, and the sense of community experienced when we participate in worship with our church family on campus. These telecasts are not meant to replace the on-campus experience, but to provide an alternate venue to stay connected when we are traveling or when health precludes our attendance in worship.

In the beginning, we will stream the mid-morning service, which will be broadcast on the internet by using our current television feed. In the future, we have the potential to add other worship services, concerts, and special events to the “live streaming” menu.

This Sunday our sermon and Bible study focuses on salvation. I’ll be talking about the importance of “Getting Right with God.” We will also be celebrating baptism at the beginning of the mid-morning service. To prepare for Sunday I encourage you to read Exodus 6: 2-8 and Romans 10:9-10, 13.

I am looking forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday morning as we learn to “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22 KJV)

“Be Doers of the Word” in 2011

2011-02-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

The Bible is not only the best selling book in the world, it is also the most fascinating and the most life-changing book in all of human history. Patrick Henry surmised that, “The Bible is worth all other books which have ever been printed.”

As Christians, we believe the Bible is the uniquely inspired Word of God that gives us guidance for daily living. The Baptist Faith and Message (1963) reminds us of what we as Baptists have generally believed about the Bible: The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of Gods revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ

Our theme for 2011 at First Baptist is “Living by the Book” and our central scripture verse is “Be doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22 NKJV). Each Sunday during this first quarter our sermons and Adult Bible Study lessons will be designed around the same topic. This focused study will allow us to explore the life application of these topics on a deeper level and from a variety of different perspectives.

Billy Graham contends that, “The word of God hidden in the heart is a stubborn voice to suppress.” As growing Christians, we want to build our lives on a strong spiritual foundation. And a strong spiritual foundation begins with growing knowledge of the Bible.

In February, bring your Bible and invite a friend, as we are equipped to be “doers of the word.”

Sermon Topics in February

Feb 6 a.m. Getting Right with God Romans 10:9-10 (Salvation)

Feb 13a.m. Ready or Not? Matthew 24:36-44 (Last Things)

Feb 20a.m. The Church Ephesians 3:8-11(Church) (Disciple Now Weekend)

Feb 27a.m. Advancing the Good News Matthew 28:18-20 (Missions)

Before You Cross the Finish Line

2011-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. II Timothy 4:7 NIV

The first time I heard this oft-told story, it was rendered by Wayne Grubbs, pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church in Oxford, Alabama. The story goes something like this: Near the end of the sermon about heaven, the pastor said to the congregation, “How many of you want to go heaven?” Everyone in the church raised their hand except for one little boy on the front row. The pastor turned toward the boy and asked,, “Son, don’t you want to go to heaven?” And the little boy replied, “Yes sir! When I die. But I thought you were getting’ up a trip right now.”

Maybe some of us feel like we are getting ready for this trip in the near future, but most of us are probably under the illusion that the end is a long ways away. No matter our age, we need to be ready to cross the finish line by keeping the faith.

What are the things you want to accomplish before crossing the finish line? Earlier this month, I celebrated my 51^st birthday. On my birthday, January 13, I shared a eulogy (somewhere close to my 750^th) for one of our beloved senior saints who went home to be with the Lord. To my knowledge, this is the first time I have conducted a funeral on my birthday. The strange juxtaposition of these two events, birthday and funeral, inspired me to think a little more seriously about my own “kingdom bucket list.” What are the things God wants to do through my life between now and the time I cross the finish line.

Here are things I think we all need to do before we depart this world for our heavenly home:

Go where you need to go: Go on that mission trip. Take that vacation. Visit that long-time friend.
Do what needs to be done: Get acquainted with your neighbor. Teach that Sunday School class. Share your faith with that colleague or classmate.
Say what needs to be said: Tell your family members that you love them. Share that story with your children or your grandchildren. Forgive the one who has offended you.
Give what needs to be given: Honor the Lord with all of your resources and give your firstfruits to the work of the kingdom. Pass along that family heirloom to the next generation. Invest in the future by leaving a legacy gift to your church or an important ministry project.
Plan what needs to be planned: Develop your exit strategy. Have your paperwork (advanced directive, will, life insurance) in good order. Leave behind your memorial wishes (Note: One good way to do this is to complete a “Holder File” and store it securely in the pastor’s office at FBCP.)

James reminds us that life is “a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (4:14 NKJV). Since life is unpredictable and life on this earth will end for every one of us one day, I am convinced that the best way to prepare for death is to live life to the maximum. For me, that means, in addition to trusting Christ as my Savior, I am privileged to follow Christ every step of the journey…. serving, growing, and doing what needs to be done, until I cross the finish line.

This Sunday we continue our series, Living by the Book, as we deal with “The Human Dilemma.” To prepare for Sunday, I encourage you to read Genesis 2:5-7, 18-22 and Ephesians 2:8-10.

I am looking forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday morning as we learn to “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22 KJV)

My Wife Is Undergoing an Attitude Adjustment

2011-01-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

My wife is undergoing an attitude adjustment. Do I have your undivided attention, now? Amanda is undergoing an attitude adjustment, even though I don’t think she needs one. J

Of course life has been a little different around our house for the past few weeks. Amanda had surgery one month ago this week. During the recovery process, she has had to limit her physical activities, and spend a little more time reading and a little less time playing tennis. However, she is doing great and she has consistently had a positive attitude. I admire her good attitude because when I am sick or my activities are limited, my attitude tends to degenerate.

But her attitude adjustment has nothing to do with surgery and, hopefully, nothing to do with the challenges of living with me. Amanda has freely chosen to engage in this gradual attitudinal transformation by participating in one of our Sunday Night Discipleship Opportunities. During January through April, we are offering three Sunday evening discipleship options that will equip us to grow in our faith, and “live by the book.”

Amanda and several others are involved in a course led by Karen Shell entitled, “Lord, Change My Attitude (Before It’s Too Late)” based on a book by James McDonald.

Dr. Conlee Pickens, one of our members who is a retired pediatrician, is leading a “Survey of the Old Testament” designed to introduce you to the books, characters, and themes of the Hebrew Bible.

Don Minton is facilitating “Experiencing God,” an in-depth discipleship journey aimed to enrich your personal walk with the Lord.

These groups meet on our First Baptist campus at 5 p.m. on Sunday afternoons. The courses began last Sunday, but it’s not too late to join. Contact Don Minton at 433-5631 or dminton@fbcp.org to register.

A word about this Sunday: Last week in our series, Living by the Book, we focused on God the Father. This week we are focusing on God the Son. In preparation for Sunday’s sermon and Bible study, I encourage you to read Isaiah 53 and John 14:4-11.

I am looking forward to Amanda’s ongoing attitude adjustment…and mine…and yours…..and I am looking forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday morning as we learn to “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1:22 KJV)

Making Decisions about End-of-Year Giving

2010-12-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

Throughout December, our mailbox seemed to be stuffed each day with Christmas cards and requests for money. Amanda and I enjoy personal Christmas cards and letters. After reading them, Amanda displays them around the living room with other decorations to remind us of the friendships we share with church family, across the country, and around the globe.

The request letters are a different story. With each one we have a choice to make. We can discard those letters as junk mail, or we can consider the request, and decide whether that particular organization is going to make the cut in this year’s holiday giving.

Most non-profit organizations, including churches, have struggled to balance their budgets in the past few years. In this season when we are gradually emerging from a recession, all kinds of non-profits are in a heated competition for charitable dollars. Therefore, this year you might expect more appeals vying for your holiday or end-of-year giving.

Many businesses and foundations have pre-determined guidelines for selecting the charitable causes to which they will make contributions. At our house, we are also developing a list of criteria which helps us to filter through the requests and determine which charities, missions, and ministries we will support this year.

Our most important end-of-year gift goes to the mission offering of our church. Throughout the year, our tithe, a tenth of all we earn, goes to the ministries of our church. Primarily, this is an act of obedience to what we believe the Bible teaches, but we also believe that the cumulative projects of a local church make the most significant impact advancing the cause of Christ. In December we give an additional gift to our Christmas Missions Offering that supports missionaries around the globe.

Amanda and I are blessed to be able to contribute to other causes, most of them affiliated with First Baptist Church. (For more of our criteria, read the article “Generous Discernment” at www.bayhillrev.blogspot.com).

We have also learned not to give directly to persons on the street, at intersections, or interstate ramps. Our experience is that people are most effectively helped through missional organizations such as Samaritan Hands. (However, we do offer to help persons on the street to get to the right place for assistance, or we offer to buy them a meal, but we do not give money, simply because of the high rate of manipulation and addiction among full-time panhandlers.)

As we grow and learn more effective stewardship practices, we realize that we are not liable for supporting every worthy cause we encounter. However, we are accountable to God for the resources placed within our care. Years ago Elbert Hubbard wrote, “To know when to be generous, and when to be firm --this is wisdom.” As you designate your end-of-year giving, be generous and be discerning.

On behalf of our church family, thank you for your strong financial support of the missions and ministries of First Baptist Church during 2010. Remember that the IRS requires that all contributions for this fiscal year must be received or postmarked by December 31.

Join us this Sunday as we begin a New Year and launch our new series, “Living by the Book.”

Schedule for this Sunday

9:00 Bible Study

10:30 Worship in the Sanctuary

I’m Dreaming of an Allie Yniestra Christmas

2010-12-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

I remember as a child sitting in the living room at my grandparent’s house watching The Bing Crosby Christmas Special on their black and white Philco television. One of the highlights of the show was when Bing Crosby began crooning “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.” For those of us who grew up in the south, most years, we could only dream of a white Christmas.

This year at First Baptist we are dreaming of an Allie Yniestra Christmas. During the past couple of years as we have focused on ministry and outreach opportunities in our local community, our partnership with Allie Yniestra has been a meaningful and engaging missional project for all ages within our church family.

Allie Yniestra Elementary School serves children and families in an area heavily effected by poverty. In fact, the Allie Yniestra bus route stops at Loaves and Fishes to pick up children who are temporarily living at the shelter.

The administration and faculty at Allie Yniestra are well-acquainted with the social and economic challenges of their locale. Principal Sheree Cagle considers herself a missionary to Allie Yniestra and Hallmark, the two schools that are merging to become one effective downtown elementary school.

Our First Baptist Partnership with Allie Yniestra is making a difference in the school, and as a result, we are making a positive impact on families in the downtown community.

To kick off our partnership, FBC members refurbished the teacher’s lounge, creating a positive and pleasant atmosphere for teachers to re-energize. Throughout the year, FBC members pray for the faculty and students, and FBC volunteers operate The Success Store, a venture to promote academic achievement, life skills, and fiscal responsibility.

Now, we have a goal of providing a Christmas gift for each of the 252 students in the school. We are inviting FBC members to adopt one or more children from Allie Yniestra by taking paws from one of The Allie Yniestra Trees, located in the Atrium and Children’s Ministry Department. You are asked to purchase a hoodie (hooded sweatshirt) and gloves for each child you adopt, to wrap the gift and bring it to the Children’s Ministries Department by Sunday December 12. Then on Wednesday evening, December 15, join us in Chipley Hall as we host the Allie Yniestra Choir and their families, and present their gifts to them.

With your help, the dream of an Allie Yniestra Christmas will come true.

Join us this Sunday as we sing the songs of the season, light the Shepherd’s Candle, and hear a word of encouragement to “Bloom Where You Are Planted” from Isaiah 35:1-2.

Setting the Stage for Christmas

2010-12-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

In the close-knit rural church of my upbringing, we didn’t observe Advent. Not by that name, anyway. Our biggest holiday event was the annual Christmas play. Each year, right after Thanksgiving, we started setting the stage for the Christmas program. Tryouts were held for the annual play, the stage was set, and decorations, featuring a fresh cut cedar tree wrapped in strands of garland and big colored bulbs, were all put in place as our little sanctuary went through a bit of a seasonal transformation.

We installed two wire cables across the front and rear of the platform, hung huge purple velvet curtains on each, and gathered a variety of costumes, props, and furnishings appropriate for the theme of the play.

On most years, the Christmas play was a mini-drama based on the episodes in the biblical nativity narrative. Beginning with the appearance of a prophet foretelling the birth of the messiah or perhaps an angel visiting Mary, the play would progress scene by scene until finally, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and a menagerie of animals surrounded the manger. For a couple of years, the script involved a more contemporary setting with a plot built around a 20^th century family’s saga in re-discovering the meaning of Christmas, but even then, the play always ended with a living nativity.

Gradually and methodically the stage was set, and finally, after weeks of planning, practice, and preparation, the play would be presented on a Sunday evening to a packed house.

Although, I didn’t know the meaning of Advent then, looking back, I think we were sort of observing Advent all along and just didn’t know it. Advent is really at time of setting the stage for Christmas, a season of preparation, culminating in that grand night when we celebrate the birth of Christ.

This year in our church, we will set the stage for Christmas by re-visiting the prophets, singing the carols, re-reading the gospels, and lighting the candles that call us to focus on peace, hope, love, and joy. Then we will be better equipped to empathize with the anxiety of Mary and Joseph, to feel the labor pains of God, to celebrate the birth of the world’s most pivotal newborn, and to hear both the singing of angels and the sobs of Rachel weeping.

If we take the time to set the stage, recounting the biblical stories from Advent to Christmas, we may find that we are more than ready to celebrate the birth of the messiah, and to follow Christ from the cradle to the cross and beyond.

Join us this Sunday as we sing the songs of the season, light the Angels’ Candle, hear a word from Malachi 3:1-4, and keep setting the stage for Christmas.

Discovering the Hidden Power of Gratitude

2010-11-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

I Thessalonians 5:18-16: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Have you read the story about the teacher who asked her pupils what they thought the Seven Wonders of the World were for today? The highest vote count was for the great pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Grand Canyon, the Panama Canal, the Empire State Building, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Great Wall of China. As the teacher gathered the votes, she noticed one girl had not finished. The teacher asked if she was having trouble making up a list. She said, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Tell us what you have and maybe we can help.” The little girl said, “I think the seven wonders of the world are to see, to hear, to touch, to taste, to feel, to laugh and to love.” Her response sounds like it came straight from a heart of gratitude.

Thursday is Thanksgiving. Most of us will be privileged to gather with family and friends to enjoy a hearty feast around a table that is bowlegged with food, and the sort that will keep the manufacturer of diet products in business for another year. And we will enjoy memorable visits around the table with friends and family, some of whom we enjoy seeing only once a year. And on Thursday either in our morning quiet time, or the prayer before the meal, we will give thanks for our many blessings.

As one of our treasured holidays, Thanksgiving is a day set aside, not only to give thanks, but to remind us of the ongoing importance of gratitude. In I Thessalonians 5: 18, Paul encourages believers to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

As we grow in our walk with the Lord, we discover more about the hidden power of gratitude. Experiencing and expressing gratitude throughout the ever-changing seasons of life has a way of re-shaping our perspective and re-formatting our attitude.

You have to choose whether you count your blessings or burdens. But counting your blessings is definitely more healthy.

In my journey of faith, I am discovering that gratitude has encouraging power. When I am frustrated and tend to see the glass half empty rather than half full, I find that the practice of “counting my blessings” infuses me with encouragement. On those days when you forget the beauty of a palm tree, and you choose to sit under the juniper tree instead, you may find that an inventory of your blessings serves as the catalyst that lifts your spirit from the catacombs of gloom and despair.

The daily discipline of expressing gratitude also builds staying power within me. Years ago, in a discipleship course called Masterlife, I was challenged to pray using the acronym, ACTS, a way of framing my prayers to include adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. While each of those facets of prayer are important, thanksgiving is the one dimension that seems to fortify my sense of determination and perseverance.

And I am convinced that gratitude unleashes healing power. Now, let me be clear. That does not mean that gratitude brings instantaneous healing, nor does it make me immune from viruses or exempt from accidents. But I do believe that a heart of gratitude promotes spiritual, emotional, and physical healing in at least a couple of ways. First, gratitude trumps toxic negativity and complaint, cleansing our perspective and renewing our focus. And second, gratitude seems to put us in a positive frame of mind which allows our body to better produce and release antibodies and restorative enzymes that work to promote health and wholeness.

Robert Emmons’ book Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier provides a detailed report on a study of the psychology of gratitude sponsored by Emmons and his colleagues at the University of California-Berkeley. Emmons says that those who practice grateful thinking "reap emotional, physical and interpersonal benefits." People who regularly keep a gratitude journal report fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future. Emmons conclusion is that gratitude is a choice, one possible response to our life experiences.

Other doctors agree. Researchers have found that when we think about someone or something we really appreciate and experience the feeling that goes with the thought, the parasympathetic—calming-branch of the autonomic nervous system— is triggered. This pattern when repeated bestows a protective effect on the heart. The electromagnetic heart patterns of volunteers tested become more coherent and ordered when they activate feelings of appreciation.

There is evidence that when we practice bringing attention to what we appreciate in our lives, more positive emotions emerge, leading to beneficial alterations in heart rate variability. This may not only relieve hypertension but reduce the risk of sudden death from coronary artery disease.

The more we pause to appreciate and show caring and compassion, the more order and coherence we experience internally. When our hearts are in an "internal coherence state," studies suggest that we enjoy the capacity to be peaceful and calm yet retain the ability to respond appropriately to stressful circumstances. (A Different Kind of Health: Finding Well-Being Despite Illness, by Blair Justice, pp. 100-101.)

Neurobiologically, gratitude is nested within the social emotions, along with awe, wonder, "elevation" and pride. This is yet another reminder that we are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

Researchers have also found that gratitude is like a booster shot for romantic relationships. One study included over sixty-five couples who were already in ongoing, satisfying, and committed relationships. They tracked the day-to-day fluctuations in relationship satisfaction and connection for each member of the relationship. These little, everyday, ups and downs in relationship quality were reliably marked by one person's feelings of gratitude. The effects on the relationship were noticed even the day after feeling the gratitude was expressed. This research thus suggests that even everyday gratitude serves an important relationship maintenance mechanism in close relationships, acting as a booster shot to the relationship.

Ultimately, gratitude strengthens our serving power. Gratitude is not about counting my blessings just to make me a happier consumer. Genuine gratitude motivates me to share my blessings. For me, the quality of life is best measured, not by how much I have, but how effectively I use resources I have been given to serve.

With good reason, the scripture encourages us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” For the believer, thanksgiving is not just a day of feasting and festivity. Thanksgiving, the genuine expression of gratitude, is a daily spiritual discipline, a personal practice that steadily transforms us from the inside out.

"In 1636, amid the darkness of the Thirty Years' War, a German pastor, Martin Rinkart, is said to have buried five thousand of his parishioners in one year, an average of fifteen a day. His parish was ravaged by war, death, and economic disaster. In the heart of that darkness, with the cries of fear outside his window, he sat down and wrote this table grace for his children: 'Now thank we all our God / With heart and hands and voices;/ Who wondrous things had done,/ In whom His world rejoices. /Who, from our mother's arms,/Hath led us on our way/ With countless gifts of love/ And still is ours today.’” Here was a man who knew thanksgiving comes from love of God, not from outward circumstances. (Don Maddox)
Rejoice always, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”