Mother's Day Greetings
Posted:05-12-2008Mother’s Day is the time we formally honor the women who have such a special place in our hearts. I am grateful for my mother and the significant role she has played in my life. I can still remember her reading God’s Word to me as a young boy. I am also grateful for the mother of my four children, Karen, and the godly influence she has had on them. She has made many sacrifices in life to provide for them the love, care and time they need to develop into mature individuals. There are so many pressures on the family today. Never underestimate the value of your role as a mother. Your work is never done, but your investment is honorable, critical and not forgotten. God bless you!
This is a day we also recognize parents of babies recently born in our church family. This new little life is so important to these parents, our church and the Lord. We are commissioning these parents to teach and train their children in the ways of God. I hope you will pray for them and all our families. May each of us do all we can to support and strengthen the family.
In Christ,
Congratulations Church Family!
Posted:05-05-2008Our church recently received an award you need to know about. Here is the media release:
Colonial Heights Baptist Church has been selected for the 2008 Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence (GIVE) Award for Achievement in Volunteer Service in Faith-Based Service. They will be honored at the 16th Annual GIVE Awards Ceremony on April 25, 2008 at the Jackson Marriott for their work with George Elementary School in the Battlefield Community of Jackson. The awards are presented by the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, Governor Haley Barbour, and First Lady Marsha Barbour.
“The GIVE Awards are a powerful reminder of Mississippi citizens whose spirit of generosity and goodwill is essential to their communities,” said Marsha Meeks Kelly, executive director of the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service.
George Elementary, an inner city school in Jackson, has maintained superior ratings for the last four years, and Colonial Heights Baptist Church has played a major role in this achievement. Church members volunteer and serve the school in a variety of capacities and have donated numerous goods to the school and the surrounding community. They recently purchased property near the school to provide a place for children to go after school. The church’s Lifegroup Mission Adoption Partnership has each adopted a class and works with the teacher concerning the needs of each class and ways to meet those goals. Colonial Heights also developed the Good News Club to reinforce the CORE Traits of the Jackson Public School District. Club leaders build on student’s knowledge and allow them to work on skills that reinforce and support classroom instructions.
The effectiveness of this partnership is evident in the test scores, parental involvement, student attendance, and heightened school morale. The active participation and commitment from Colonial Heights Baptist Church helps to encourage and inspire teachers, students and parents in the Battlefield Community.
I am so proud of YOU! God receives all the glory, but I commend you for letting Him use you to further His kingdom. The article leaves the most important thing out . . . lives have been changed through the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is still much to do. This community will only be changed one life at a time.
In Christ,
National Day of Pray
Posted:04-28-2008I hope you will make every effort to join us tonight. Jack Jackson, chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee, will bring a report to our church family. He will share the current status of our church and future solutions to meet those needs. Our desire is to keep the church informed and help you know how to pray.
EXPELLED. I want to encourage everyone to see this new documentary about the truth related to the creation and evolution debate. Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, says, “I urge everyone to see EXPELLED. It was riveting. Ben Stein does a masterful job of exposing the ruthlessness of evolutionists who will go after anyone who challenges or merely questions Darwinian orthodoxy. I was on the edge of my seat-entertained yet instructed. This movie is a must-see for everyone. EXPELLED is a much-needed perspective on the erosion of freedom in America. Don’t miss it!”
The National Day of Prayer will be Thursday, May 1. The National Day of Prayer was established by an act of Congress in 1952. This year’s theme is “Prayer! America’s Strength and Shield” based on Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and shield, my heart trusts in Thee, and I am helped.” There will be many prayer events in the Metro area from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. I hope you will attend one of these and PRAY!
In Christ,
Trials - An Exercise of Your Faith
Posted:04-21-2008How has your prayer life been this week? We often find ourselves praying when trials come. Those trials are often a result of ministering with and to people. Those experiences test our faith and cause us to ask a variety of questions. Charles Spurgeon helped address this issue.
“O tested soul, perhaps the Lord is sending you through this trial to develop your gifts. You have some gifts that would never have been discovered if not for trials. Do you not know that your faith never appears as great in the warm summer weather as is does during a cold winter? Your love is all too often like a fire-fly, showing very little light except when surrounded by darkness. And hope is like the stars — unseen in the sunshine of prosperity and only discovered during a night of adversity. Afflictions are often the dark settings God uses to mount the jewels of his children’s gifts, causing them to shine even brighter.
Wasn’t it just a short time ago that on your knees you prayed, ‘Lord, I seem to have no faith. Please show me that I do?’ Wasn’t your prayer, even though you may not have realized it at the time, actually asking for trials? For how can you know if you have faith, until your faith is exercised? You can depend upon the fact that God often sends trials so our gifts may be discovered and so we may be certain of their existence. And there is more than just discovering our gifts – we experience real growth in grace as another result of our trials being sanctified by Him.
God trains His soldiers not in tents of ease and luxury but by causing them to endure lengthy marches and difficult service. He makes them wade across streams, swim through rivers, climb mountains, and walk many tiring miles with heavy backpacks.
Dear Christian, could this not account for the troubles you are now experiencing? Could this not be the reason he is dealing with you?”
Being left alone by Satan is not evidence of being blessed. May God give you and me the grace and strength needed to endure the test as we grow in Him.
In Christ,
Hear the Word, Be the Word, Do the Word
Posted:04-15-2008Last week, we studied James 1:22, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only”. I recently read this article by Os Hillman that helps us understand how to “do the Word” in the workplace.
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18). In his book Anointed for Business, Ed Silvoso provides a thoughtful look at the four types of Christians in the workplace. The following four categories provide an excellent tool for self-assessment:
1. The Christian who is simply trying to survive.
2. The Christian who is living by Christian principles.
3. The Christian who is living by the power of the Holy Spirit.
4. The Christian who is transforming his or her workplace for Christ.
Category #1: Christians who are simply trying to survive have no purpose or zeal for integrating their faith at work. They have not seen the power or presence of God in their work lives. Such Christians segment their faith life from their work life. They lack purpose and meaning and they have little direction.
Category #2: The second type of Christian in the workplace includes those who are living by Christian principles. We participate in 12-step programs and read books with guaranteed formulas to help us lose weight or improve our marriages. This programmed teaching can be beneficial to change negative patterns in our lives. However, it is important to recognize that the root of this type of teaching comes largely from a Greek-based system for attaining knowledge, as compared to the early church Hebraic model of experiential learning.
Category #3: Christians who are living by the power of the Holy Spirit understand the importance of developing a heart toward God through prayer, study of the Word of God and obedience. They realize that these are the three core ingredients to experiencing God in their lives.
Category #4: A wonderful byproduct of living by the power of the Holy Spirit is that you can transform your workplace for God. Christians who passionately seek the manifestation of God’s kingdom here on earth will be able to realize this transformation in their workplaces. When the kingdom of God is demonstrated on Earth, it can transform the workplace and society. Start asking God to help you see how to transform your workplace today.
Hear the Word, be the Word and do the Word.
In Him,
Faith and Works - Inseparable
Posted:04-07-2008The book of James emphasizes how our faith and works are inseparable. What we say and what we do should line up. Does the world see our words and actions as one? I recently read an article by Rick Rusaw which addresses this idea.
There is a movement creeping its way across churches of all shapes, sizes and denominations. It’s gaining ground, it’s getting attention, it’s making a difference, and it’s slowly changing church statistics. These churches are evaluating what really matters, and they are reaching skeptical, hurt, and broken people through serving. How are these churches changing the relationship between the church and their communities? How are they getting a skeptical society to hear them? They are externally focused, and this is what defines them:
• They are inwardly strong and outwardly focused.
• They integrate good deeds and good news into the life of the church.
• They value impact and influence in the community more than attendance.
• They seek to be salt, light, and leaven in the community.
• They see themselves as the “soul” of the community.
• They would be greatly missed by the community if they left.
Remember “Show and Tell” in the third grade? It seems as if the church has become more concerned with telling than showing. Christians will tell others what they need to do to be right with God, to be better people. Christians will proclaim what isn’t right with the world. Christians know how to tell about God’s love and why it is needed in people’s lives. For the most part, though, our churches have forgotten to show God’s love. And all too often, what we do show doesn’t match up with what we tell.
Today, whether we like it or not, we have to earn the right to be heard. It has been said many times that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Showing through serving can help Christians and churches tell more effectively. The success of an externally focused church depends on getting involved in the community, creating authentic relationships, and being truly useful. In the process of showing, externally focused churches have discovered, again and again, that people are more willing to listen to their telling. Externally focused churches are convinced that good deeds and good news can’t and shouldn’t be separated.
In Christ,
RENOVATE Lives Through Jesus
Posted:03-28-2008Last Sunday was absolutely fabulous as we celebrated the risen Christ! Many great things happened on that day, but the one word I keep hearing is “worship.” There was a true sense of worship and praise to our Lord. When God is our focus and we glorify Him, we will experience authentic worship. Sunday gave us a taste of what we can experience each Sunday and every day for that matter. As I am writing this article, I can’t wait to come together again to worship and glorify God with you.
RENOVATE is a new series of messages I am beginning this morning. This in-depth and practical study of the book of James will challenge and inspire us. When we become a Christian, God gives us a new life. The Bible, however, describes our Christian growth as a process of spiritual maturity not a one time event. We are constantly changing through the power of Christ as we yield ourselves to Him.
I want to challenge you to join me in reading through the book of James over the next eight weeks. I would encourage you to read the same text every day I use each Sunday. Whatever passage of Scripture I preach from on Sunday, read and study it every day that week until the following Sunday. Let’s see God renovate our lives and make us more like His Son Jesus Christ!
In Christ,
He is risen!
Posted:03-24-2008He is risen! He is risen indeed! These words have been spoken for centuries on Easter Sunday since the days of the early Church. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the heart of the Christian faith. Jesus’ death would have no affect on us had He not risen from the dead. His resurrection conquered death and provided us the opportunity to overcome the finality of death. Because He lives, I can live. I can live today, and I can live tomorrow. I can experience His power now to live as I should, and I will experience His power when I face death to live eternally in heaven. That is why we boldly and gloriously proclaim, He is risen!
I hope you will join us next Sunday as I begin a new sermon series through the book of James. This New Testament book was written to fellow believers in order to help them understand how to live the Christian life. This book is very practical in nature dealing with a variety of life issues. You will come to realize you have faced practically every issue we will study. The good news is that every issue has a biblical, godly response you can apply. I hope you will join us each week. I also hope you will invite someone who needs to learn how to apply Scripture to everyday living. The book of James will help us grow deeper in our walk with Christ. It is a book for everyday people who want to experience Christ in every way.
In Christ,
The Cross
Posted:03-17-2008Next Sunday is Easter Sunday. I hope you plan to join us for one of three services at 8:00, 9:30 or 11:00. This is a great opportunity for you to invite someone to hear inspiring music and the message of Jesus Christ. Over 85% of those invited will say, “yes.” They are just waiting for you to invite them.
Also, don’t forget about tonight as our choir presents The Power of the Cross at 6:00 p.m. This praise and worship service will draw us closer to our Lord and glorify Him. This is another opportunity for you to invite someone who may respond to God’s message through song.
This morning we focus on the cross of Jesus Christ. No one can fully comprehend what or why God did what He did by letting His only Son die for you and me. It is simply overwhelming. The older I am in the faith, the more wonderful and significant the cross is to me. Think about where you would be today if you had not experienced the power of the cross. If you have not experienced the power of the cross, I pray you will carefully listen to the message this morning. I will help you understand God’s eternal plan. It’s a plan that includes you. Yes, even you!
God - The Creator of Wealth
Posted:03-10-2008Several weeks ago I read this verse to you from Deuteronomy 18:8, “But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Os Hillman wrote the following article.
Pride is the greatest temptation to a successful workplace minister. When we begin accumulating wealth, managing people, and becoming known for our workplace expertise, we are most susceptible to falling to the most devious sin in God’s eyes – pride. The Bible tells us that God is the reason we are able to produce wealth. It is not of our own making. As soon as we move into the place where we begin to think more highly of ourselves than we ought, God says He will take action.
“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:17,19-20).
These are strong words from God. It demonstrates His utter impatience for any people who think that what they have accomplished has anything to do with their own power. It is God who gives us the skill, the mind, the resources, the energy, the drive, and the opportunities in life to accomplish anything. When we become prideful in heart, He will begin a process of reproof in our life.
Today is a good day to examine whether we have fallen prey to pride. Are you sharing what God has entrusted to you with God’s people, or the needy? Are you being the instrument of blessing that God desires for His people to be? What areas of pride have crept into your life? Ask the Lord to show you this today and avoid being put on the shelf. Nothing is worse than being cast aside because of our own pride.
In Christ,
