News from First Baptist Church for August 18, 2008

First Baptist Church e-News
August 18, 2008

Good Morning,
Sunday was a wonderful day of ministry and fellowship in the community. The day started with a campground service at Defeated Creek Campground. There were eight from the campground and twelve from First Baptist. Thanks to Jim for leading the singing and to the ladies of the Women on Missions for bringing the refreshments. One of the ladies at the service asked for prayer as she goes for medical tests this week.

Sunday afternoon was also a great treat as we joined with many local churches for a time of singing and fellowship at the Ag Center. I may be a little bit bias but I thought our men’s quintet was the best group of the evening. OK, I am a whole lot bias. Way to go guys. There were around 400 in attendance which surprised all of the Pastors. This was one of the best attended Ministerial Alliance events ever. We have found the secret for attendance: food, fun, and good singing.

It’s football time in Smith County! Carthage is an exciting place to be during this time of year as we anticipate the first football game of the season. I look forward to the games but I am most excited about the 5th Quarter after each of the home games. The first 5th Quarter will be this Friday, August 22 in the Fellowship Hall with Kent Shingleton, youth specialist with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, as our special guest. Each 5th Quarter will feature games, fun, food and an inspirational speaker who will share the good news of Jesus. The theme this year will be “Be like the moon…Reflect the Son.” For emphasis, 200 T-shirts with the theme and logo will be given out this week. Invite all students 7-12th grades to join us for the 5th Quarter after each home game.

It is a blessing to serve the Lord Jesus Christ with you at First Baptist Church in Carthage. There is a great future ahead as we keep our focus on Jesus. Always remember that we exist to “Exalt Christ…Establish Connections…Express Compassion.” Have a blessed week.
Bro. Tim

Here’s the news:
1. Pray for Martha Fitzpatrick. We just got word that Martha Fitzpatrick fell Friday and broke her hip. She had surgery Sunday morning and is doing well. She is in room 542 at St Thomas Hospital and will be going to Nashville Rehabilitation Hospital on Tuesday. The address is 610 Gallatin Pike Nashville, TN 37206.

2. I need everyone’s help. Some people continue to have difficulty getting onto the church website. Click on the link www.fbccarthage.com or go directly to the website and see if you can pull it up. Then let me know if it opened for you by emailing me at tfrank@fbccarthage.com. Our website is an important source of information and people need to be ab le to get access. Thanks for your help.

3. Attention Sunday School Teachers:
· Teacher’s Training Today – August 18, 2008
All teachers are reminded of the training today at First Baptist Cookeville. We will have supper in our Fellowship Hall at 5:00 PM and plan to leave by 5:45 PM. The training starts in Cookeville at 6:30 PM.

· Teacher’s Luncheon – August 24
All Sunday School teachers and their families are invited for a covered dish luncheon this Sunday, August 24 at 12 noon in Fellowship Hall as we prepare to kick-off a new year in Sunday School. We will have a short Rally following the lunch and be through by 1:30 PM.

4. To Be Continued…
The messages for this week will continue from last week:
Sunday Morning The Eternal Perspective
2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1

Sunday Night Four Things Every Member Needs to Know
Salvation and Baptism
Acts 8:26-40

Wednesday Night Four Days Late, but Right on Time
John 11:1-46

5. Chris Williams has completed Basic Training. His new address is:
5271 Avenue 2459
SAFB, TX 76311

His e-mail address is: chriswilliams723@hotmail.com
Take a minute this week and drop him a line.

6. Sunday, September 7 is Grandparents’ Day and we are planning a recognition of Grandparents in the service. In preparation, we will be videoing interviews this Wednesday night before and after service of testimonies of the blessings of grandparents. Each person will be given two minutes to share what their grandparents mean to them.

7. As a new Fall semester begins in the next couple of weeks at all the area colleges let us be praying for our college students. We will be compiling a list of our college students in the office and will make that available to you as a Prayer List for the semester. Email tfrank@fbccarthage.com to add your student to the list.

8. Have you read through the Baptist and Reflector this week? The issue of the state Baptist paper provided Sunday has several interesting articles, especially the one about the new movie, Fireproof. That will be the title of our marriage emphasis during the month of October. The church provides subscriptions to the B&R for members who make request. Simply call the church office at 735-1929 and let Deborah know you would like to be on the mailing list. You can also read the B&R online at http://www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp.

9. I mentioned the article that ran in the Carthage Courier last week in Sunday’s message. If you didn’t get a chance to read it I have copied it below:

Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

One question continues to haunt mankind from generation to generation. “Why do bad things happen to good people?” This question can be better answered by examining the question “Why do bad things happen?” Why are people subjected to sickness, disease, accidents, and death? Let me share one answer, two results, and three redemptive aspects for this question.

The ultimate answer to the question “Why do bad things happen?” is that we live as fallen human beings in a fallen world. In the beginning God created the world as a perfect environment and placed in it a perfect person Adam. From Adam, He created a perfect woman Eve. Together they were a perfect couple living in paradise. There was one stipulation: Do not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Perfection, peace, purpose and only one rule to obey. Then along came the evil one Satan, and he tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God and eat of the forbidden tree. By their own choice they ate of the fruit and the consequences of that first sin, the Fall, is still seen and felt in every life.

Two things resulted from that one event. First, sin entered the perfect creation, and from that original sin each person inherited a sin nature. The Bible says this clearly; “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” Each person willfully chooses to sin, and that sin has consequences in our lives. Many of the bad things which we experience are the consequences of our sin or the sin of others. Sin has consequences. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” The old adage is true, “You reap what you sow , you reap later than you sow, and you reap more than you sow.”

The second result of the Fall of man was the destruction of the natural world. Global warming may be debatable, but the affects of man’s sin upon this world are undeniable. Adam and Eve were driven from the perfect Garden of Eden, and the ground was cursed because of their sin. Later, during the time of Noah, the sinfulness of the people brought about the complete destruction of the natural world as God originally created it by the great, world-wide flood. It’s not carbon emissions that are destroying this planet, but the sinfulness of mankind before a holy God. The scriptures say that creation is groaning under the weight of man’s sin and the consequences of those sins. This destruction brings about disease and allows it to run rampant. In reality, this world is running toward certain destruction, set in motion by sin.

There are three redemptive aspects for us to consider as we answer the question “Why do bad things happen?” First, bad things in our lives can be used for the glory of God. When asked who had sinned in the life of a blind man, Jesus said the blindness was “that the works of God should be revealed in him (John 9:1-7).” Jesus then healed the blind man. Some bad things are opportunities through which God receives glory. For the Christian, to glorify God is the highest goal of life.

The second redemptive aspect is that through pain, suffering, disease, and even death we are called to look beyond ourselves, recognize our sinfulness, and turn to Jesus Christ in repentance. Luke 13:1-5 gives an account of the disciples asking Jesus about innocent people who had been killed. Jesus does not answer their “why” question but says, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” It is certain in this life that every single person will die and stand before a holy God to answer for his sins. Bad things remind us of our mortality, call us to repent, turn from our sins, and trust Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Finally, bad things can be redemptive in the life of a Christian as a doorway of deliverance from this life of pain, sorrow, suffering, and sin. The assurance of eternal life through our faith in Jesus gives hope even in the midst of despair. The apostle Paul expresses his own hope in Philippians 1:21 as he writes, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” In the midst of bad things, we must realize that life is to be lived for Christ, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health. We do not follow Jesus just as long as He makes us “healthy, wealthy, and wise.” We follow Jesus Christ because He is our Lord and Savior. In fact, in the bad times we need Him the most. The great news is that through Jesus, we can have the hope and assurance that when “this earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1).”

“Why do bad things happen to good people?” Bad things happen to all people because of human sinfulness and this fallen world. The real question for us to consider then becomes “What response will we make to Jesus Christ in the face of pain, suffering, and the bad things which happen in this world?”