Productive Meeting

Our Mission Trip Meeting went well. We had most of the team members present. I'm excited about the team God has assembled. We will be conducting three one-day baseball clinics, which will include Bible Club activities. We have a talented group of individuals. This time next week we will be in Baltimore. My daughter is going. This is the first mission trip we have participated in together. What a blessing.

Baltimore Mission Trip Preparation Meeting

Tonight at 6:30 PM, in the FBC Activities Building, we will have our final Mission Trip Meeting. We will make ministry assignments tonight.

Prayer is Acknowledgment

As we continue to examine prayer, by following the acrostic P.R.A.Y.E.R., let’s summarize six important aspects of prayer: Prayer is Personal, Required, Acknowledgment, Yearning, Effective, and Responsive.

Prayer is Acknowledgment.

Prayer is the way we acknowledge that God is God and we are not. Prayer is how we place our faith in God and not in our own strength. When Jesus gave us the model prayer in the Sermon on the Mount he said,

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)

In prayer,
1) We acknowledge that the Holy God is King of the Universe sitting on his throne in heaven.
2) We acknowledge and submit to his rule by asking his Kingdom to be in control.
3) We acknowledge that we want his will to be done and not ours.

Biblical Illustrations

• Jesus acknowledged the importance of the will of God.

Matthew 26:39: He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.

• Mary acknowledged God’s will for her life.

Luke 1:38: Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Actions that Acknowledge God’s Rule in Your Life

James 4:7-10: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

7 key actions underscored in James 4:7-10
1) Submit
2) Resist
3) Draw Near
4) Cleanse
5) Purify
6) Mourn
7) Humble

APPLICATION: VERSES THAT ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORTHINESS OF GOD

Pray these scriptures to acknowledge God’s greatness:

Psalm 9:1-2
1 I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Example:

Father in Heaven, I praise You, O Lord, with all my heart. I want to thank You for the wonders You have done in my life [name a few of the things he has done for you]. You make me glad, so I will sing praises to Your name because You are the Most High God. AMEN (Then you might even sing a praise song to God!)

In closing, pray this verses in your own words.

Psalm 56
3 Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

Sunday at FBC

Patriotic Anthem

The choir opened our AM Service with a great arrangement of "My Country Tis of Thee." The anthem was set to a new tune. I've been singing it all afternoon and evening. It's stuck in my head, but it's a good thing.

Our Sunday School and Morning attendance was lower than usual.

North Dakota Mission Trip

Seven students and leaders were away on the North Dakota Mission Trip. Boo White, our Student Minister, called around 9:45 AM and said they had returned safely. He mentioned the VBS they led resulted in 6 professions of faith.

Morning Message

My sermon this morning was from Romans 10:1-13, The God of "Whoever"

Four Statements About Jesus
I. Jesus is Adequate (10:1-4)
II. Jesus is Available (10:5-8)
III. Jesus is Absolute (10:9-10)
IV. Jesus is Accessible (10: 11-13)

Men's Ensemble

The highlight of the evening occurred just before the service. Our Men's Ensemble was practicing and when they finish they received a loud ovation. If their practice was that good, I can't wait until they sing next Sunday Morning.

Evening Message

My sermon in the evening was titled, "Fatal Rejection" based on Romans 10:14-21.

I. The Supreme Responsibility (14-15)

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

1. Messengers are sent
2. Messengers declare the Word
3. Sinners Hear the Word
4. Sinners Believe the Word
5. Sinners Call upon Christ for Salvation
6. Sinners are Saved

15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Is. 52.7)

In Isaiah, “the feet of those” is the “the feet of him”

II. The Sad Reality (16-17)

III. A Surprising Response (19-20)

Relatively speaking, the gentiles responded more than the Jews.

IV. The Supernatural Resolve (21)

But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.”

Independence Celebration, Wedding, and SMCI

Parade

Leakesville held their annual Patriotic Parade at 11:00 AM. After we took in the parade, we visit some of the vendors. I had a delicious Rib-eye Sandwich from Mike's Eatery.

Wedding

Brantley Fryfogle and Erin Bradley were married at FBC in the afternoon. I officiated. They wrote their own vows and shared them with each other. The vows were so tender and filled with Christian commitment. The wedding and reception were beautiful. They are a special couple.

Prison

I preached at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in the evening. The guys have an awesome choir. They are good at motivating a preacher to work up a sweat. I mentioned to some of them that Terri, my wife, was not feeling well and they prayed for me right on the spot. That was so encouraging.

A Prayerless Prelude to Denial

How often do you pray when you don't feel like it?

Romans 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

To neglect our personal prayer lives is sin. The sin of prayerlessness can creep into the life of any believer. Let’s look at a sad chapter in the life of Peter. Three statements summarize this true drama.

1. Peter was overconfident.

Matthew 26:33-35: Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.

In a non-threatening environment, Peter was certain of his unwavering commitment. You and I have made bold statements about our commitment to Christ in a worship service or at a Christian Retreat. It is easy to brag about what we will do when surrounded by "like minded believers." We must remember that the strength to keep our bold commitments to Christ depends on the time we spend with Him privately.

2. Peter failed to pray.

Matthew 26:36: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.”

Matthew 26:40-46: Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

While Peter made a bold statement of support for Jesus, when the time came to pray, he went to sleep. Jesus asked them to pray and they didn’t. He tried to stress the importance of prayer to them, but they were too tired. We need to pray even when we do not feel like it.

3. Peter did what he thought was impossible.

Before he knew what had happened, Peter had done what he thought was impossible:

Matthew 26:69-75: Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

You and I may think “I’ll never do anything to cause harm to the ones I love.” If you don’t stay close to Jesus, you might. We may boast, “I’ll never drop out of church.” If you don’t stay close to Jesus, you probably will. You could say, “I’ll never steal from my employer.” If you neglect spending time with God, you just might. Be careful. Neglect Prayer. Neglect God.

Johnny Hunt, the current president of the Southern Baptist Convention, tells a true story about a prominent minister who was speaking to a group of ministerial students and one of the students asked a difficult question. The student asked, “If Satan was going to tempt you in an area of your life in order to destroy your ministry, what area would he attack?” The minister is reported to have said something on the line of “Well, I can’t really think of an area in which he would attack me, but I’ll tell you a sin that he could not get me to commit…adultery.” Johnny Hunt says it was just a matter of months before the man had been unfaithful in his marriage and he lost his family. Neglect prayer. Neglect God. Prayerlessness is a sin.

Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing." Is there an area of your life in which you feel you are invincible? Be assured, you are not invincible. That sin you think you have kept hidden. Be assured, God knows. The strongest Christian you know can fail, if they fail to spend time with God in prayer.

The Necessity of Prayer

Prayer is required. If I am to have a healthy spiritual life, I must pray.

There are several things I can live without. I could stand to miss a meal or two. I don’t have to watch the news or sports. Following Hurricane Katrina, I lived without electricity for several days. However, if I am going to be spiritually strong, I have to pray.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Prayer is a requirement for a victorious Christian life.

We discussed the results of neglecting prayer in our last session. As a review, we need to be reminded that shortly before Jesus was arrested and crucified, the Savior predicted Peter would deny him. Peter, confident in his commitment to Jesus, said, “Jesus, you must be crazy. I would never deny you. I would die first.” Later that night Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. In Matthew 26:36, we find Jesus saying to Peter and a couple of other disciples “Sit here, while I go and pray.” He returned and the disciples, including Peter, had fallen asleep. He then said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” In Matthew 26:43, we find Peter and the others asleep once again.

I don’t believe it is a coincidence that later that night Peter denied even knowing Jesus. He even cursed when he was recognized as a disciple of Christ. He was overconfident in his own spiritual strength. He failed to pray and before he knew what had happened he had done the unthinkable. He acted as if he didn’t even know Jesus.

Prayerlessness is a sin. Hallesby said,

“Neglect Prayer. Neglect God.”

Ole Hallesby, a Norwegian whose work entitled Prayer is considered one of the Christian Classics of the 20th Century, developed a checklist of the dangerous results of prayerlessness:

• We have more “world” in our thoughts.
• We feel farther away from God.
• We have less “God” talk in our conversations with others.
• Slowly an unwilling or rebellious spirit creeps into our personality.
• Sin doesn’t sting as much, because it is less honestly confessed.
• We deal with sin as the world does, by hiding it.

Luis Palau in his book, “Heart After God” wrote:

“Immorality begins with tiny things. Little things. Yet, if you don’t crucify them, if you don’t bring them to judgment, if you don’t face up to them for what they are—sin—they can destroy you. They can blur your moral judgment at a critical, irreversible junction in your life. No one sees the little flaws. But everyone sees the big collapse.”

4 Scriptures that underscore the importance of regular prayer.

1. Proverbs 15:8

The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.

2. Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

3. Acts 3:1

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

4. Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Application

Is there a major decision in your life that you have not taken to God in prayer?

What does this statement mean to you? "Neglect Prayer. Neglect God."

Should you pause now and ask God to forgive you for prayerlessness?

Up Street is Neat

I attended a presentation at the George-Greene Baptist Association Building tonight.

Mark and Melanie Williams, from Agricola Baptist, shared their approach to ministering to children. They have small groups that meet for about fifteen minutes at the beginning of their "Sunday School," which they call Up Street. Then, they have a large group in which a worship leader leads them in high energy worship music. Next, a volunteer tells a Bible Story. These volunteers follow an eight week rotation schedule.

Once a month in the fall and winter, a special program is offered for the children and parents on Sunday Nights. The parents are required to attend.

They shared some great ideas. They are passionate about their ministry.

Disillusioned by Panther Hoax

Yesterday, I received an email from a friend containing this picture of a 260 pound panther, which was, alledgedly, hit by a vehicle here in Greene County. The email mentioned the name of the individual who supposedly hit the big cat. Also, the email included the name of a man who reported seeing the dead animal at a local taxidermy studio.

This report was incredibly frightening. A wildcat this large could easily kill unsuspecting hunters (and pastors). So, I contacted a game warden and shared the photo with him. He informed me this was a hoax, because he had seen the same photos attached to a claim that the panther was killed in Amite County, Mississippi. He beleives this is a photo of a mountain lion killed in the West.

After hearing from the game warden, I did an image search and found a website that posted the picture, along with claiming the cat was killed in Amite County. The text of the email I received was almost word for word in similarity to the explanation on the website I discovered. However, the names had been changed.

Consequently, I have made a crucial discovery. Not everything on the internet is true. I feel myself plummetting into a sea of depression and despair. My fragile world has been shattered.

Prayer: Casting Your Care on Him

At various times in my life, I have kept a prayer journal. The journal I kept during the first few days of college is comforting to me, because I was very anxious about being away from home and fitting in at school. Many prayers are recorded in a "Dear God" manner. I just poured out my heart. Many of those prayers were answered. Since I recorded them, they continue to be a source of comfort for me.

Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.—I Peter 5:7

Based on the verse above, at times, I follow the following outline to focus my prayers (I posted this originally on June 23, 2006).

4 Elements of Personal Prayer: C.A.S.T.

Confession

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I am convinced it is important to come to God admitting my need for forgiveness. Once I have repented of sin, I am free to praise Him and receive his guidance in understanding the scriptures I will read.

Adoration

Psalm 35:28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.

Before reading a scripture, I praise God for his power and love, which is revealed in the Bible.

Then, I read a scripture passage.

Suggestions: If you have never read a lot of scripture, begin by reading the book of John. You may want to just focus on a few verses or paragraphs at a time. Many Daily Bible Reading Plans are available online or in most Study Bibles. Billy Graham mentioned he would always read a chapter of Proverbs each day. Specifically, he would read the chapter that matched the day of the month. For example, on June 26, he would read Proverbs Chapter 26. Before reading, ask God to speak to you through the scripture.

Supplication

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

After reading scripture and meditating on the truths that are evident, pray for the needs and concerns on your prayer list. You may want to have a prayer list that guides you to pray for certain people on a specific day of the week. Sundays-Pray for the pastor, your Sunday School Teacher. Mondays- Pray for Tony and Karen Gray, Missionaries to Brazil. Tuesday- Mike and Selina Smith. Mike leads worship at FBC Leakesville. His wife Selina gives a Children's Sermon every Sunday. EVERYDAY- Your spouse, your children.

Thanksgiving

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Don't forget to praise God for answered prayer. Express thanks for the seemingly small blessings of life.

No prayer time should be ritualistic. However, using a guide is helpful. Many bookstores sell Prayer Journals. The method or outline is not as important as spending time with God in a personal and private manner.

Personal Prayer

Prayer is Personal.

The Bible tells us that Abraham was called the “Friend of God (James 2:23).” I would love for someone to say that Philip Price is a friend of God.

Based on your recent prayer life, are you being a friend of God?

Prayer is a personal conversation with God. While people can and should pray on your behalf, asking God to bless you, the prayers of other people cannot create a change in your heart. I believe people can pray that the Holy Spirit of God will work in a person’s life, but ultimately an individual has to decide for themselves whether or not they will do the Lord’s will. In regard to salvation, we often state that a person must a personal relational with God. Your mother cannot make a spiritual commitment for you. No one can practice prayer for you. You have to develop your own prayer life. In Psalm 23, David said, “The LORD is my Shepherd.” Is he your shepherd? Prayer is personal.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.--Matthew 6:5-7

These verses teach us 5 things about personal prayer:

1.Personal prayer is transparent. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men.

The word used in the original language for hypocrite referred to “one who acts,” impersonates another, or wears a mask. The Greek actors would be asked to play more than one part in a play. So, they would wear a mask. Prayer is not a performance for God. He knows who we are.

We all are basically three persons:
1) The person we think we are.
2) The person others think we are.
3) The person that God knows we are.

We have to be honest with God. We have to be honest with ourselves. We must be transparent.

2. Personal prayer is private. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,

A. T. Robertson said the word for closet in the original language referred to “a storehouse, a separate apartment, one’s private chamber, or ‘den.’” The instruction is to shut out the world. Be alone with God. Don’t bring your false self. The actual place of prayer isn’t as important as the attention of the one praying. I was told of someone that walks in the morning and spends this time praying. Whatever you do, shut out the world. Get away from your cares and schedule. Eliminate distractions.

3. Personal prayer is a conversation with God. ,,,pray to thy Father which is in secret;

We should pray more in private than we do in public. If we don’t we need to check our motives. If we only pray in public, this becomes only a performance.

4. Personal prayer has visible benefits. and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly

Our family and friends should be able to tell that we have been with God. If we spend time with God in prayer, he begins to shape our lives. Noticeable changes will be made.

5. Personal prayer deals in the present. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Vain repetition is the praying of yesterday’s news. We don’t have to educate God. Heathens in the time of Jesus would repeat phrases to their gods because they believed through repetition they would garner the attention of their deity.

Make sure you mean what you say. We should repeat prayer requests. The Bible stresses the importance of persistent prayer, but do not become ritualistic.

If God is your friend, you will not repeat the same ole stories over and over again. You’re not going to try to impress him with what you know or who you know.

Application

What do you need to do to eliminate distractions and "shut out" the world to make prayer a priority?

Where do you go to pray?

Why not pray right now. Be a friend of God.

Prayer Request from Baltimore

I received these requests fro prayer yesterday. Please pray for them.

Dear Friends,

Please pray for the following two events which will be happening this week. These are very important in the life of the church:

(1) The meeting with Troy Bush at the Embrace Baltimore office on Wednesday, June 25, at 3pm to discuss our Request, etc, for a church planter as we move forward to establish a vibrant, viable, vital community church here on Warren Avenue.

(2) Our Community Fun Fair on Wednesday, June 25, from 6:30pm until 8:30pm at the Playground at Federal Hill Prep School next to South Baltimore Recreation Center. This event brings together kids and others who have been participating in our multi-community soccer/sports camps and other ministries in Federal Hill and Sharp Leadenhall.

Please pray that God will continue to provide manpower and resources for the ministries to occur and that God will send us the resources in order to reach the unchurched with the Gospel.

God bless,

Lyn O'Berry,
Pastor

The Church on Warren Avenue
Baltimore, MD

The House of Prayer

In the days before we leave for our Baltimore Mission Trip on July 7, I would like to examine prayer and post these thoughts here on the blog. Most of these studies were shared in our mid-week prayer services about 2 years ago.

In the weekly schedule of most evangelical churches is a midweek service dedicated to a time of corporate prayer. These services vary in length and order. At the Brooklyn Tabernacle, they observe a midweek prayer service that the pastor credits with the phenomenal growth of that church.

So, as in many churches, we gather each Wednesday night to pray. It’s a tradition for many folks. They have been gathering on Wednesday nights for years. However, for many, the Wednesday prayer service is not a tradition and is apparently not a high priority. My desire is that the prayer service at FBC Leakesville would not just be another meeting—not just a time to get together with old friends to find out the latest news on the “sick.” I pray that we would treat this time as a power hour—a time of joining out hearts together in prayer expecting God to change us, our community, and our world.

Shortly after Jesus made his much celebrated entrance into Jerusalem, he entered the temple and found merchants in the temple area selling religious merchandise and sacrificial animals in a manner unpleasing to God. He knocked over the money changers' tables and the tables of those selling doves and shouted, “My house shall be called the house of prayer” (Matthew 21.13). Please notice he never said, “My house is to be a house of wholesome family activities.” He didn’t say. “My house is to be a house of dynamic preaching.” Nor did Jesus say, “My house is to be a house of beautiful music.” He didn’t even say, “My house is to be a house of community service.” Jesus declared, “My house is to be a place for prayer—a place for praying.”

When a church is a praying church, do you know what it becomes? A house of prayer will be filled with inspiring and uplifting music presented by believers that have spent time with God and seek not to entertain people, but to honor Jesus. A house of prayer will be a place of wholesome and honorable activities for families, because the workers will lead activities and Sunday School classes that they have taken to Almighty God in prayer and he will bless their efforts. A house of prayer will have dynamic preaching, not because they have a preacher with a $1000 suit and a million dollar vocabulary. The preaching will be dynamic because a prayerful preacher prepared a sermon under the leadership of God to a praying congregation that spent the days before they gathered lifting up their pastor in prayer and praying that God would do a great work within them.

The popular phrase “Prayer changes things” is true. However, I like to think that it is not the act that changes things, but the God to whom we pray that changes us. Jesus said, “For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matthew 6:8). The act of prayer is not to inform God of what we need, but to condition us to humble ourselves in recognition that we need God.

For me, prayer is “talking and listening to God.” To further explain, I would like to offer an acrostic that I have developed that helps me remember some important aspects of prayer:

Personal
Required
Acknowledgment
Yearning
Effective
Responsive

I will examine each point in the next few days.

Letter from Brazil

Tony and Karen Gray, members of our church, are missionaries in Brazil. They sent this recent update:

Bro Phillip and church family,

We pray each of you are well and enjoying the blessings of the Lord.

This evening we conclude the project with Dr. Cecil Taylor of University of Mobile and volunteers from around the Mobile and Fairhope area. We have had a tremendous week.

Over 900 reading glasses were given away, over 250 children were reached through VBS. Last night we dedicated our second of eight chapels we are building this year and we celebrate the 200+ decisions for Christ this week. Certainly our Lord has worked through HIS people.

Thank you for your prayers...keeping them flowing heavenward.

Serving HIM together,

Tony & Karen Gray

The Good Shepherd

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.--Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

These words from Matthew Henry have always been a great comfort to me as I meditate on Psalm 23.

The valley of the shadow of death may denote the most severe and terrible affliction, or dark dispensation of providence, that the psalmist ever could come under. Between the part of the flock on earth and that which is gone to heaven, death lies like a dark valley that must be passed in going from one to the other. But even in this there are words which lessen the terror. It is but the shadow of death: the shadow of a serpent will not sting, nor the shadow of a sword kill. It is a valley, deep indeed, and dark, and miry; but valleys are often fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God's people. It is a walk through it: they shall not be lost in this valley, but get safe to the mountain on the other side. Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ. When they come to die, God will rebuke the enemy; he will guide them with his rod, and sustain them with his staff. There is enough in the gospel to comfort the saints when dying, and underneath them are the everlasting arms.

Grief, Sadness

Early this afternoon, I was notified that the father of two members of FBC Leakesville died. He was in hospice care and died at home. My heart hurts for the family. He had a long illness and was always gracious to me when I visited him. They are in my prayers.

Later in the afternoon, I went to visit a lady in the hospital who was just diagnosed with cancer a few days ago. She is already in the final stages. The family is in shock.

For me, there is an image that always comes to mind when I am in situations of loss. I see Jesus not far from the tomb of Lazarus. In John 11:35, the shortest verse in the Bible, the Gospel writer recorded that "Jesus cried."

I'm encouraged by the fact that Jesus, the all-powerful Son of God, did not discount his human emotions or those of his friends. He wept. He does that with all who grieve the loss of loved ones.

VBS: Day Four

This morning I went back to the Bible Story area and, two students, expressed a desire to be baptized. I'll contact their parents and set up a time to talk with them. That is why we have VBS.

VBS Parents Night

Last night was Parents Night for our Vacation Bible School. A high percentage of our children were present and many of their parents/grandparents were in attendance. The kids did a great job singing the songs and doing the motions they've learned during the week. After our time in the sanctuary, we gathered in the Activities Building for refreshments. It was a lot of fun talking to some of the parents I had never met.

Selina Smith has done an incredible job in directing our VBS. This is her third year.

VBS: Day Three-Parents Night Tonight

Today, we had a few less students than yesterday, but our attendance continues to be strong.

I spent the entire time sharing the Bible Story, which was based on the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. Furthermore, I shared the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus and following his example in baptism.

Tonight is family night. We will have refreshments following the service. I look forward to meeting some of the parents who are prospects for our church.

Didn't have a chance to eat refreshments today, but I heard the cookie flip flops and chicken nuggets were delicious.

VBS: Day Two

Our attendance is up from yesterday and we continue to have several volunteers exceeding all expectations.

Tomorrow, I will be leading the Bible Story Time. I can't wait.

Since I've been so busy this morning, I haven't made it over to sample the refreshments. So, this is a short post. I must go and do my duty as First Class Snack Taster.

Visit With Michael Perry

Yesterday, I traveled to Pascagoula, MS to visit one of our members in the hospital. On the way back from the hospital, I stopped by FBC Moss Point and visited with Pastor Michael Perry.

Bro. Michael was the pastor here at FBC Leakesville from 1985 to 1993. The activities building was building during his ministry here. He and is wife are deeply loved by the people of our church.

Jane, Michael's wife, was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year. In April, they traveled to Houston for several days of treatment. Although she has some sickness, she is home now and doing fairly well. In two weeks, the Perrys will return to Houston for surgery. Please pray for them.

Michael is always so encouraging. I can see why the members of FBC Leakesville continue to love him so much.

Vacation Bible School Begins

We've had a great start to our VBS. 47 children are enrolled and we have 34 volunteers. The number of volunteers is substantially more than last year. I believe God is answering our prayer, which is based on Matthew 9:38, "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The kids are having a lot of fun and they are learning that God loves them. The church is decorated beautifully.

I just returned from refreshments: Cinnamon Pretzels, Chips, and Cherry Kool-Aid. Yum!

Father's Day at First Baptist

Family Dedication

This morning, we held a time of family dedication. Seven children were dedicated to the LORD. Traditionally, many churches observe Baby Dedications on Mother's Day. However, I wanted to place an emphasis upon the importance of Christian Fatherhood. Compared to past Father's Day, our attendance was much better this year.

Gift to the Men

Each man received a copy of a devotional book by Patrick Morley, Devotions for the Man in the Mirror.

I preached from Romans 8:28. My message was entitled a "Godly Father's Perspective."

Mission Trip Report

In the evening service, Bro. Jimmy Holcomb gave a super presentation on his recent trip to West Africa. He shared some of the funny and unusual happenings on his journey. Also, he shared how challenging such a trip is. When traveling in that part of the world, there are a lot of surprises and few creature comforts. He, along with Brian Henderson, traveled deep into the bush. They were even given a goat.

Bro. Jimmy exudes a joy of serving that is rare. The only thing I could say after his presentation was "Wow!!"

Playground Dedication

At the conclusion of our PM Service, we gathered on our new playground and dedicated it to the Lord. After I made a few comments, we sang "Jesus Loves Me." Then, we held hands, circled the equipment, and prayed. This was a great time in the life of our church.

Our goal was to have the playground equipment in place before Vacation Bible School. VBS starts tomorrow. Praise the Lord!

Home

Well, after traveling 1800 miles, we made it home this afternoon at 4 Pm.

We left Indianapolis on Thursday morning. Then, we traveled to Dayton, Ohio to visit my Aunt Martha. We had a great time seeing her. From there, we traveled through Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Huntsville, and spent the night just south of Birmingham.

On Friday, we traveled to a campground near Atmore, AL, to spend the night with Terri's folks. This morning Jared, Abbey, and I went tubing on a beautiful creek. For lunch, there was a family reunion. For the first time, I met many people related to Terri.

Great trip, but I am glad it's over.

Johnny Hunt is SBC President

Surprisingly, while six men were nominated for SBC President, Johnny Hunt won on the first ballot, receiving 52% of the votes. I thought he would win, but thought there would be a run-off. Frank Cox came in 2nd, capturing, I believe, 16%.

I enjoyed hearing the North American Mission Board report tonight. Many NAMB missionaries were introduced to the convention.

Terri attended the Ministers Wives Conference. Gary Chapman spoke. She really enjoyed it. They gave away a nice purse and over $200 worth of materials to each wife. She paid $12 for the meal I think. This was a great bargain. Also, a sheer coincidence was that she happened to sit with our good friend Tracy Vanlandingham. Her husband, Jeff, worked with me at Central Hill Baptist Retreat back "in the day." Tracy attended William Carey when I was matriculated there. Jeff pastored in Cintronelle, AL a good number of years ago. Presently, he pastors in Birmingham, AL.

Important Election Today

The SBC will elect a new president today. Frank Page has done an excellent job as president for the past two years.

Supposedly, six men will be nominated for the position. My prayer is the man elected will continue to involve many different people from churches of various sizes. Pray for the election today.

Blessed by Pastors Conference

I attended the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists yesterday morning. At the COSBE event I had the first of two Ronnie Cottingham sightings (One at 8:58 AM and the other at 4:28 PM at the Registration Booth.) Tony Nolan preached a great message. Newsong sang a moving arrangement of How Great Thou Art.

At the SBC Pastors Conference, I heard sermons from Johnny Hunt, Daniel Simmons, Tom Eliff, Jimmy Draper, Hayes Wicker, George Harris, Ed Litton, James MacDonald, and Kerry Shook.

Ed Litton's wife was killed in a tragic automobile accident in August 2007. He shared his personal reflections on Psalm 23 in light of his grief. By far, this was the most touching sermon for me.

James MacDonald's message can be summarized in one word--REPENT. Preachers need to repent. This preacher needs to repent.

Tony Dungy made a surprise appearance and gave a brief testimony. He is a member of a Southern Baptist Church in Tampa. His pastor introduced him.

Fireproof Screening

Prior to the Pastors Conference, Abbey and I attended a screening for the movie Fireproof. This movie is produced by the same folks that created Facing the Giants.

The movie focuses on the importance of viewing marriage as a covenant. I really believe this movie can be a great outreach tool, which can springboard many Marriage Enrichment Events for churches.

Fireproof is to be released in September.

In regard to entertainment value Abbey gave the film an 8 of 10. I gave it a 9. Kirk Cameron starred in the movie. The other actors were all amateurs from a church in Georgia.

Heard Great Things About Sunday at FBC

Many folks have told me Boo did a great job preaching yesterday morning. I knew he would.

Dennis, who preached Sunday PM, said that service went well.

Decoration has begun for Vacation Bible School. I'm praying we will reach many families in our community as a result of this outreach.

I'm looking forward to this Sunday, which is Family Dedication Day for us. We have several children that will be dedicated in the AM Service. Traditionally, Mother's Day is chosen by many churches as the day for such an observance. However, I believe Father's Day is just as appropriate. We have a great gift we will give all of the men present.

The scripture passage for the sermon Sunday is Romans 8:28-30. Probably, this is not a common passage for Father's Day, but I feel it is very applicable to the lives of all men.

Detour

Well, we did not leave Cave City, KY until 11:00 AM. We saw a line of severe thunderstorms moving through Indianapolis, IN, which is where we were headed for the Southern Baptist Convention. So, we decided to delay our departure.

As were entered Indiana, we saw signs warning that Interstate 65 was closed. That was hard to believe, but we stopped at the first rest area and this was verified. No one at the visitor center had any advice on how to proceed. Apparently, 6 to 9 inches of rain deluged the area.

We decided to press on, but when we made it to about 70 miles south of Indy, traffic came to a complete halt. We sat for about 10 minutes and decided to turn around.

Terri did a good job of picking an alternate route and we made it safely to our hotel--just 90 minutes later than expected. The strange thing is I never turned on my wipers.

We came in on I74 and saw standing water everywhere. I am glad we didn't not decide to drive in early this morning.

I plan to attend the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists event in the morning (Stay Tuned: There may be another Ronnie Cottingham Sighting.). In the afternoon, we are going to attend the preview of the new movie FIREPROOF. This is produced by the same folks that filmed "Facing the Giants." I am looking forward to seeing this film.

I am praying for Boo White and Dennis Cochran who will preach at FBC Leakesville tomorrow. Tonight, I talked to Min. of Music, Mike Smith, and told him that we made it. We are blessed with a great staff at First Baptist Leakesville.

Seeing Caves and Cave City

Today, we spent the morning in the Mammoth Cave National Park.
We rode on the Green River Ferry, which was a unique and free experience. The drive was beautiful on both sides of the river.

Also, we took the Frozen Niagara Cave Tour. All of the family was able to complete the tour. We moved from 92 degree temp. to 54 degree temp. Jared was scared at times. Charlee walked part of the way. I had to carry her down 48 stairs, which was easy. However, going up was a little challenging, but, we made it.

The "Drapery Room" was amazing and beautiful in its own way. At one point they turned off the lights, which revealed the darkest "dark" I've ever experienced. I could not see my hand in front of my face. Yet, the park ranger flicked a small lighter, which illuminated a large area. There's a sermon illustration there somewhere.

After the tour, we checked into another hotel with a pool. Jared was feeling a lot better today. He had a blast swimming.

After dinner, I took Jared and Abbey to the Jesse James Fun Park for bumper cars. go carts, lifts to the top of a mountain. Also, Jared jumped on a trampoline and climbed a rock climbing wall. This was a lot of fun.

We plan to arrive in Indy tomorrow. Hopefully, we can avoid the severe weather which is further north.

Great Travel Day & A "Ronnie Cottingham" Sighting

Today, we drove 519 miles to Mammoth Cave National Park near Cave City, KY. We made great time--leaving at 5:30 AM and we made it to our destination by 2:00 PM.

Our only problem was that Jared became nauseous and vomited while we we driving through Nashville. After settling into the hotel room, he slept all afternoon and is sleeping now.

Around 7:30 PM, Abbey and I went exploring Cave City. We have decided to spend another night in the area, since bad weather is expected in Indianapolis tomorrow. So, while we were in Cave City, we stopped by a hotel to check out the rate.

When I was walking into the hotel, I saw Ronnie and Beverly Cottingham. What a small world. The Cottinghams are on their way to Indianapolis for the Southern Baptist Convention. They well participate in Crossover, which is an evangelistic outreach this weekend.

The Older Woman

My dad is married to an older woman. She is 8 hours older than he is.

On June 2, 1939, just before midnight, my mother, Joanna Harris was born. Eight hours later, my dad, was born in New Hebron, MS.

So, there has been a running joke in our family for years that dad looks and acts a lot younger than mom, since he is younger.

Today, we met them in Hattiesburg for a meal. I can't believe my parents are 69. Someone is getting old and I don't think it is them.

Terri and I are both blessed to have our parents still living--still spoiling our kids. My parents have supported throughout the 43 years I have lived.

I, too, married an older woman. Terri is 15 months older than me.

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!!

Late Monday Recall of Sunday

Yesterday and Today have been productive, but busy.

We started with a productive Deacons Meeting at 8:00 AM. Joe Glenn Errington facilitated the meeting in the absence of our Chairman, Woody Rustin, who was returning from Brazil with the rest of the Association's Mission Team.

The team landed in Gulfport, MS, just before Noon. Thanks to Freddy Hight for driving the van to pick them up.

In the Morning Service, a couple who has been attending our church for quite some time, joined. Avery and Pat Champagne are the parents for April Levine, who is the wife of the former FBC Youth Minister, Patrick Levine. They moved to our area approximately 5 months ago. The Champagnes were very active in Lemoyne Boulevard Baptist . This church has been incredibly active, and continues to be, in helping their area recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Significant increase in our attendance from last Sunday, which was Memorial Day Weekend.

At the close of the AM service, we prayed for Malcolm Eubanks who is going on the mission trip to North Dakota later this week.

I preached from Romans 8:18-25 in the AM and Romans 8:26-27 in the PM.

In the afternoon, I met with Roger Gilbert, pastor of New Hope Baptist, to discuss their upcoming Mission Trip to North Dakota. Members of our youth praise band, No Regrets, are going on this trip later this month.

I visited with a family at the funeral home just before 2:00 PM.

Following the Evening Service, our Stewardship Committee met. The meeting was fairly long, but a lot was accomplished. This ministry team is fully supportive of missions. They continue to freely support the mission trips our association is sponsoring.