FBC Carthage E-News for February 8, 2010

FBC Carthage E-News
February 8, 2010

Good morning,

Yesterday was a great day at FBC Carthage. I hope you had a chance to be here and be introduced to Zeke Tomaselli. He shared in the morning and evening services. It was a delight to have he and his wife, Layne, with us over the weekend. Please be praying as the Lord directs us in these last steps of the search process. The Personnel Committee will meet this week and we hope to share a recommendation with you soon.

Last night in the service, Zeke shared four core values that direct his life and ministry. Here are those core values: (I have added the scripture references for you to better catch the value. Take a moment to read the passages and consider these core values for the Christian life.)
Intimacy with God the Father Matthew 22:37
Personal Purity Romans 12:1-2
Completeness in Christ 2 Corinthians 5:17
Passion for God’s Kingdom Matthew 6:33; 28:19-20

We began a new series of messages yesterday on the importance of love entitled, “A More Excellent Way.” The message was on Love as an absolute for the Christian. During this week, be conscious of opportunities to reach-out in Christian love to those around you. If you missed the message you can listen online at www.fbccarthage.com and click on the Media page.

Last week I sent out the E-News because of the bad weather and for some reason people could not load and watch the video I sent from Francis Chan. Here is the link again. The video takes about 15-minutes but it is a great presentation of the gospel. I am thinking you might want to send it to a friend who does not know the Lord. There are some great tools we can use to share the awesome news of Jesus Christ. Here’s the link: http://www.crazylovebook.com/videos_stop.html


The Couple’s Dinner is this Saturday, February 13 at 6:00 PM. You can still reserve a place by calling the church office by today. We will need to contact Mrs. Robbie with a number after lunch. The cost is $20 per couple. The church’s phone is 735-1929.

Have a great week and I will see you this Sunday, Valentine’s Day.

Bro. Tim


Here’s the News:
1. The Youth Ski Trip has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28. There will be more details in Youth this Wednesday at 6:30 PM.

2. Rhonda Ethridge, our Vacation Bible School Director, gave a brief teaser yesterday about this year’s VBS with the theme “Saddle Ridge Ranch.” It sounds like a lot of fun and a great series of Bible studies for the children. Here is a link to the VBS website for more information: http://www2.lifeway.com/vbs2010/yourvbs/index.php/theme/
Be sure and check out the music and videos. They will help you get in the mindset of VBS and “riddin’ the range.”

3. Remember to bring your Baby Bottles filled with your offering for the Smith County Crisis Pregnancy Center this Sunday, February 14. As you come into the Sanctuary, bring your bottle and place it on the table in the front of the pulpit.

4. This Sunday, February 14, the Girls in Action will be leading us in a “hands-on” relief effort for the people in Haiti. The Tennessee Baptist Convention is joining with other Baptist relief efforts with “Buckets of Hope.” The girls will have a 5-gallon bucket and detailed instructions for the food to include in the bucket (rice, beans, sugar, etc.). You simply take a bucket, purchase the food, pack your bucket, and include ten dollars to help with the shipping cost. We will collect the buckets by Wednesday, March 10 and take to the Association Office. Each bucket is designed to feed a family of four for a week. You can get more information at: http://www.tnbaptist.org/page.asp?page=43.

5. The Church Council met yesterday and here is the upcoming events for February:
10 Business Meeting 6:30 PM
13 Couples Dinner 6:00 PM
17 Sunday School Teacher’s Meeting 7:30 PM
21 Missions Meeting 4:00 PM
28 Membership 101 4:00 PM
27-28 Youth Ski Trip

6. Also, the Church Council looked over the dates for the 2010 Mission Trips and Events. We will have a general Mission Trip Meeting on Sunday, February 21 at 4:00 PM in the Sanctuary to discuss each of these trips. Here are the tentative dates for you to begin considering God’s direction for you to be “On Mission” in 2010:
June 2-5 Youth ReFuel Community Missions
June 14-18 Vacation Bible School
June 28-July 3 New York working with Bro. Jim Wilburn
July 12-17 Associational Mission Trip to Appalachia
July 13-20 Montana – Native American Pow Wow Ministry
July 26-31 Smith County Fair
August 1-14 Kenya, Africa
October 8-16 Wiamea, Hawaii

7. Here is an article I wrote for the Carthage Courier that goes along with the message Sunday morning:

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it is important to consider the meaning and expression of the word L-O-V-E. Each year, millions of cards are sent, gifts are bought and words are spoken to express our feelings for one another. Those three simple words “I love you” are packed with power. But what does it mean? What does it mean when a person says to another, “I love you”?

The English language uses the word love in many different ways. To say “I love my wife” is different than to say “I love ice cream.” (Both statements are true, by the way.)

The Bible was not originally written in English. It was originally written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. In the Greek language, the English word for love is expressed by multiple words, each giving a different meaning to the word love.

Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, gives the following: Eros is the Greek word for romantic, sensual love. Phileo is the Greek word for friendship or brotherly love. Storge is the Greek word for family affection of parents, children and siblings. Thélema is the Greek word for a deep desire to do an activity (e.g. I love to fish).

However, the Bible uses another Greek word Agápe when it talks about God’s love and the love Christians are to express. This Agápe love is a self-giving love which is more concerned with giving than receiving. For example, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Paul says in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The distinguishing characteristic of Christians is to be their love. When a person asked Jesus what is the most important commandment in the Old Testament law, “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

In fact, in the New Testament, a Christian is always characterized by love. Jesus gave one New Commandment to those who follow Him and that is to love one another. He gave that New Commandment in John 13:34-35 where He says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Christians are to be known for their love, not only at Valentine’s Day but all year.

Jesus goes a step further and teaches in the Sermon on the Mount that a Christian is to love all people, even his or her enemy. He says in Matthew 5:43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

Love, a Christian’s love, must be more than an emotional affection for another. It must be more than a feeling of brotherly kindness. A Christian’s love must be a self-giving decision, a conscious choice for the benefit of another. The characteristics of that kind of love are expressed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

Husbands and wives need that kind of love. Children and parents need that kind of love. Friends, neighbors and co-workers need that kind of love. People need that kind of love.

Love for another is not measured only by the words that you say, even though your words are important. Love for another is not measured only by the gifts that are given, although gifts are important. Love is measured as you make the conscious choice to be patient and kind, to think of others and not just of yourself, and to give with no expectation of receiving in return. To love like that is to be like Christ.

Christian love begins with a person’s relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior. Jesus enters into that person through the Holy Spirit and begins to develop and express Christ’s love from within. He or she, in essence, becomes loving. Expressing love to others becomes the normal activity of life. The Christian becomes known for his self-giving love which is an outward expression of the Lord Jesus Christ living in and through him.

Is love the characteristic of your life? If not, discover what true love is through the Person of Jesus Christ. Receive forgiveness of sins and new life through faith in Him. Surrender your life to Him, and let Him live through you. In Jesus Christ, you can experience the true love of God which you can then express to others.


8. You can read the weekly E-News on line at www.ontheword.blogspot.com. This blog also keeps the issues in and archive if you ever want to refer back to an issue.