FBC Carthage E-News
December 16, 2019
Only 9 days to Christmas!
Christmas is coming! Are you ready? It seems to happen every year; we start
seeing the decorations and sales well before Christmas, and yet it slips up on
us. In addition to preparing your home,
your decorations, your meals, and your gifts, I hope you are preparing your
heart for the celebration of the birth of our Savior and Lord Jesus
Christ. The messages each Sunday are
focusing on the birth of the Christ child.
The special video series gives a unique, dramatic approach to the
birth. With all that is planned and
offered, each person has to make room in their heart for Jesus. Set aside time this week to be with Him and
to worship the King!
Here is this week’s RightNow
Media video on Joseph as he hears about Mary’s special child. Watch for the passion of Mary’s father as he
confronts Joseph and the intensity of Joseph’s reaction when he first finds out
the news. Put yourself into his shoes. How would you feel? What would you do? Give particular attention to the angel’s
message and the effect it had on Joseph.
I love his rushing over in the night to make things right. Check it out:
https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/1279?episode=3
Remember, if you haven’t
signed-up for RightNow Media you can do that right now. Simply go to https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Account/Invite/cfbc.
This
video resource and all the videos are provided free of charge as a gift from
FBC Carthage.
Speaking
of Joseph, here is a reading entitled “Joseph’s Prayer” by Max Lucado. It would be perfect to use in a home
gathering or your personal devotion time this week. Check it out:
https://maxlucado.com/josephs-prayer-christmas/
As I drive through Smith
County at night I am amazed and blessed by the many lit crosses. By last count on Facebook there are well over
800! Over 800 reminders that Christmas
is more than a baby in a manger. 800
reminders that the baby Jesus was born for one purpose, to die on the cross and
give His life as a ransom for others. This
will be the theme of the Christmas Eve message on December 24 at 5:00 PM. “Born
to Die.” As people would comment or ask
you about the crosses, use that as an opportunity to point them to the true
meaning of Christmas. Jesus is the
Savior who gave His life for us.
This Sunday, December 22
will be our special offering for the missionaries serving with the
International Mission Board. First
Baptist Church Carthage has committed this entire offering each year as our “Birthday”
gift to Jesus. Our existence as a church
is because He was born. Without His
birth there would be no crucifixion.
Without the crucifixion there would be no resurrection. Without the resurrection there would be no
salvation, no hope, no way to God. It’s
not just another day on the calendar. It’s
the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. In addition to the church’s birthday gift, I
encourage every person and family to give a special gift this Sunday to the
Lottie Moon Offering in honor of Jesus.
This offering carries the message of Jesus to the ends of the
earth. May this be your best gift this
Christmas season!
The Sanctuary Choir will
present a special musical this Sunday, December 22 at 10:45 AM entitled “Silent
Night.” Invite family and friends to
join you for this Christmas Sunday service.
Here is a recent
article I wrote for those going through grief during the holiday season
entitled “Hope for the Holidays.” If
you, or someone you know, are in the midst of grief due to the death of a loved
one, I pray this will be helpful and comforting in your loss: https://ontheword.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-for-holidays.html
Merry Christmas,
Bro. Tim
Here’s the News for the
week:
·
The
Young at Heart group will meet in the church parking lot this Tuesday, December
17 at 11:30 PM for a special trip for lunch at Demo’s in Lebanon. After lunch we will see the movie :A
Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood-2019/)
and then drive through the Christmas lights at the Fairgrounds. Join us for a fun-filled trip.
·
Start
your year off right by joining us on a mission trip to the Tennessee Baptist
Children’s Home in Brentwood on January 2-3.
There will be painting, clean-up, gutter cleaning, and leaf raking. Everyone is invited to join in for a day or
two as we begin the year with missions. A
sign-up sheet is in the Connection Point to help us know those planning to go.
·
During December,
the Women on Missions group is operating a Mission’s Postal Express for you to
send Christmas Cards to members of the church and give the money you would
spend on postal to the Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions. Simply place your cards in the box in the
Connection Point and they the ladies will distribute them. There is a container to place your money for
missions near the card box.
·
It’s
not too late to sign-up. LifeLine
Screening will be at our church on Tuesday, December 17 at the FBC Christian
Life Center. They provide screenings for
atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease and other vascular conditions at a
fraction of the cost charged at a hospital or clinic. More information is
available in the Connection Point or by calling the church office, (615)
735-1929.
·
Remember you can check
the church calendar online at www.fbccarthage.com under events or go directly to http://www.fbccarthage.com/events/
