FBC Carthage E-News for November 15, 2010

FBC Carthage E-News
November 15, 2010

Good Morning,

This is the season we think about all the reasons we have to be thankful. There will be Thanksgiving dinners (the church’s dinner is this Sunday, November 21), family gatherings, school programs, church services and other opportunities for each one to consider our blessings and thank God for those blessings. Look for ways you can share spiritual thanksgivings of how God has touched your life. Think of specific times He has given you strength, encouragement, courage, and comfort. People need to hear real life stories of God’s faithfulness and blessing. It is a great opportunity to speak a word of testimony for Jesus.

Sunday, November 21 will be Thanksgiving Sunday at FBC Carthage. In the morning services we will focus on living our lives as an offering of thanksgiving to God. We will also have our annual Thanksgiving Dinner at 5:30 PM that evening. The church will provide the turkey, dressing, rolls and drinks. You are asked to bring a covered dish, or two, to share in the dinner. This is always a great time of sharing and fellowship, not to mention a delicious meal.

I also want to remind you to purchase and bring your gifts for the Lighthouse Christian Camp’s Christmas Parties which will be held December 4 and 11. We will collect these gifts in the Sunday School classroom to the right of the sanctuary through Sunday, November 28. If you didn’t get a chance to pick up a gift tag, you can still bring a gift for a boy or girl, mom or dad.

This is my favorite season of the year, as we celebrate Thanksgiving and prepare our hearts to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Don’t get so distracted by the preparations, meals, gifts, parties that you miss the celebration. Keep Jesus as the center of all you do this Thanksgiving and Christmas. In fact, that is good advice to follow all year long.

Have a blessed week,

Bro. Tim


Here’s the news for this week:
1. All deer hunters are invited to a luncheon this Saturday, November 20 at 11:00 AM in the Family Life Center. We will have soup, sandwiches, deserts, prizes, and a lot of hunting stories (maybe even a few deer). Stop by and have lunch. We will have a photographer present to get your picture with your trophy.

2. Make your plans to join us for the Christmas Carols on the Steps on Monday, November 29. We will gather on the steps at 6:00 PM and have Christmas Carols, hot chocolate, and coffee for those watching the parade. Everyone is invited and urged to join in this community mission project.

3. The Sunday School classes are collecting funds for Thanksgiving meals to deliver to families on Thanksgiving Day. You can be a part of this project by contributing toward the cost of a meal ($35 for a family of 6), helping deliver meals on Thursday, November 25, or by submitting names and addresses of families who would be blessed by receiving a meal. For more information, contact Phillip Slagle or call the church office.

4. Thank you to everyone who served this year in the 5th Quarter ministry. It is always exciting to have so many students gather in the Family Life Center. The food and activities have been great. A special thanks to all who shared in the devotionals. What a great year for seeing students profess faith in Jesus Christ. This last week there were ten students who trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord! Please pray as we follow-up with each student and seek to get them plugged into a local church.

5. Speaking of 5th Quarter devotionals, this Friday we watched a short video presentation of the gospel from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. It is a powerful presentation and I encourage you to take a couple of minutes and watch it. Think of a friend who doesn’t know Jesus and send the video to them. These e-tracts are great communicators of the gospel message. Check it out: http://mediasuite.multicastmedia.com/player.php?v=ivz388g4

6. While you are on the Internet, checkout the Baptist Newspaper for Tennessee Baptist, the Baptist and Reflector. They have articles and information online, as well as in the weekly printed newspaper. In fact, the Baptist and Reflector can be followed on Twitter and their Word Press Blog. Check it all out at: http://www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp.

7. You may also want to check out the Christmas emphasis from the International Mission Board through the Lottie Moon Offering. FBC Carthage has set a very challenging goal of $11,000 to give to International Missions during the month of December. That is the equivalent of three months support for one of our 5,189 career missionaries. Check out the great information and cool mission videos at: http://www.imb.org/main/give/pagelm.asp?StoryID=8078&LanguageID=1709

8. Here is a copy of an article sent to the Carthage Courier that may be of help in your Spiritual walk with Christ:

Live Abundantly
By Tim Frank

“Why do I do the things I do?” Does that question haunt you throughout the day? You have good intentions but never get around to following through; or you make firm resolutions only to break them within the week. The Apostle Paul says it this way in Romans 7:15 and 19, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” That seems so familiar in my life and in the lives of the many of the people I know. Why is this happening, and what can be done? How can a person live a life of victory in this world?

The answer to those questions is contained within a single verse in the Bible. In John 10:10, Jesus shares both the cause and the solution. In that passage He says to His disciples, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Two people are mentioned here, one who is working against us and One who is for us. The devil is the thief, and Jesus is the life giver.

The devil seeks to steal, kill, and destroy you. He and his demons are constantly working to bring an end to your life, your family, and your testimony. Whether he works through lust, immorality, greed, anger, hatred, pride, alcohol, drugs, etc., the outcome is the same: to steal, kill, and destroy.

The devil seeks to steal your time. He knows you only have a very limited time to live on this earth, and he tempts you to engage in activities that will reduce and waste that time. For example, greed is the constant desire to have more and more money, possessions, and power. The focus of life becomes stuff. At the end of life a person has accumulated many things but had no time for life. The same could be said for alcohol, drugs, immorality, lust, pride and countless other of the devil’s schemes. When any one of these becomes the center focus of life, it is easy to lose the proper purpose and perspective of life.

The devil seeks to kill your joy. One of the fruits of the Christian life is joy. Christians should be the happiest, most joyful people, but often there is no evidence of joy. It seems we are living lives of drudgery, just trying to make it through the day. What happened? The devil tempts us to sin and then brings shame, guilt, and condemnation on us when we give in and yield to temptation. Our joy is killed, and we are left in despair.

Finally, the devil seeks to destroy our testimony and effectiveness for Jesus Christ. To the world, Christians often live, talk, and respond like everyone else. There is little difference in the Christian’s life and conduct. The devil is destroying our witness, our integrity.

You may be saying, “So, what’s the answer? How do we have victory?” The answer to your victory is found in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, you can have life and have it more abundantly. Jesus gives meaning and purpose to life. Following Him gives direction for life. A relationship with Christ is life. In Ephesians 2:1, the Apostle Paul writes, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

Through following Jesus, the believer can make the most of time. No longer will there be those wasted hours, days, months, years chasing after the devil’s lies and illusions. In fact, the life of the Christian is no longer measured in time but in eternity. The Bible speaks of eternal life in the presence of God. Jesus gives the believer abundant, meaningful life here and eternal life for the hereafter. Wow! That is real time management.

Through following Jesus, the believer will have joy in living. Even during difficult times, the Christian has a deep and abiding joy and peace. In Psalm 24, David writes, “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.” Believers do not go through this life alone; Jesus is with us. There is joy and peace in the presence of Jesus.

Through following Jesus, the believer has a desire to share the hope and life of Jesus with others. A relationship with Jesus Christ will transform a person’s life and give a lasting sense of hope. When you know Him, you want others to know Him as well. There is true victory through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible shares that victory in 1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

If you are struggling with defeat as a Christian, there is victory in Jesus. Pick up your Bible. Spend time reading His Word, praying, and getting to know the Savior. Follow Him and live abundantly.