FBC Carthage E-News
September 21, 2020
Good Morning,
Thank you for all the
birthday wishes, Facebook greetings, cards, and text messages. It was
a blessing celebrating my birthday with my church family. With each passing birthday, it reminds me of
how quickly time is passing. I think of Romans
13:11-12, “And do this, knowing the time, that
now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our
salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The
night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the
works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Now is the time to serve the Lord. I am looking forward to a great year of
ministry and service to the Lord. It is
a joy to serve the Lord with you at FBC Carthage.
This week is a special
call to prayer with several events being held I, Smith County and throughout
the nation. On Thursday night, September
24 at 6:00 PM the Drug Coalition is having a prayer rally and remembrance
service at the Old Courthouse, praying for those struggling in the chains of
addiction. Friday night, September 25 at
7:00 PM at the Old Courthouse will be a prayer rally calling Christians and
churches to return to the Lord and pray for our nation. Two national prayer rallies will be held on
Saturday, September 26 in Washington, DC to pray for the nation and call us
back to God. Our nation is in need of a
spiritual awakening and revival. I
encourage and ask everyone to join together this week in praying for our nation
and for God’s healing. In your private
and family prayer times, pray earnestly for our nation. We will also be praying for our nation during
our weekly corporate prayer times on Tuesday mornings at 7:00 AM and Wednesday
nights at 6:30PM.
Please pray for our Smith
County schools, teachers, administrators, and school board after the judge’s
ruling last week. For a report of the
ruling you can go to: https://smithcountyinsider.com/home-page-featured/board-of-education-releases-statement-on-aclu-lawsuit-settlement/
The article above mentions
the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice Guidance
on Constitutionally Protected Prayer and Religious Expression in Public
Elementary and Secondary Schools issued on January 16, 2020. This document outlines the guidelines and
rights for students and teachers to express their religious beliefs in the
school setting. The judge’s ruling in in
no way shutting down the expression of faith, especially by the students. Take a few minutes to read the official
document. Be informed and help others
understand the religious rights of students and teachers. Do not be misled to believe that faith is
removed from the school setting. Know
your rights, the rights of teachers, and the rights of the students. Here are the official guidelines: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html
We will distribute a “31-Days
of Prayer for the Nation” booklet this Sunday, September 27 to use through the
month of October. Our focus will be to
saturate our nation with prayer as cry out to the Lord for our country and the
souls of men and women, boys and girls.
Saturday, September 27 is
the annual William Walton Days in downtown Carthage. We have been asked to have the Inflatables
for the children. This year we will have
several extra measures in place to make for a safer environment. In addition to social distancing, we will
have each child use hand sanitizer before participating. We are also planning to disinfect the
inflatables every 15 minutes with disinfectant spray. With these extra measures we will need extra
volunteers. You can contact Bro. Tim or
Bro. Matt to sign-up or text the keyword Jump to (615) 395-6161.
Wednesday night Student
Ministry Re-Launch is in full swing as the 7-12 grade students are urged to
join Bro. Matt at the FBC Carthage Student Ministry Facebook page at 6:30
PM. Pass the word and invite your friends
to join the Student Ministry Re-Launch!
A new semester of
GriefShare is meeting on Tuesday evenings at 6:00 PM in the Christian Life
Center. The group support and sharing are
helpful we encourage and walk together through the pain and loss of grief. You don’t have to make the journey of grief
alone. Join us on Tuesday nights at 6:00
PM and invite a friend or family member to come with you.
During this regathering time, we will continue
to provide access to the text giving option.
You simply text the word GIVE to 1-(615) 492-8661. The first time you use the electronic giving,
you will enter your giving information.
After that, you simply enter the offering you wish to make.
During this month we are receiving the Golden
Offering for Tennessee Missions. Across
our state, Tennessee Baptists are reaching people with the gospel through many
mission endeavors. Here is the mission
video we shared in the Sunday service: https://vimeo.com/438680977
You can give through the special offering
envelopes or online by texting the keyword GOLDEN to 1-(615) 492-8661.
The RightNow Video Series of
the Week is entitled, “THE WAR WITHIN: HOW A GODLESS CULTURE THREATENS AMERICA.” America's unique founding reflects a deep
commitment to religious freedom where mutual respect was practiced and even
secular leaders recognized the sacredness of life. In today's culture which is
often characterized by lack of shame and loss of meaning, what is the basis for
morality? Is secularization just the logical evolution of tolerance? Join Ravi
Zacharias at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis as he addresses
whether America can withstand the war within its own culture. Listen in prayer for America: https://www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/161814?episode=1
Remember, you have to
sign up to be able to view the resources at RightNow Video. 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.
Bible
Reading Plan for September 21-28, 2020:
September 21 Amos 1-5
September 22 Amos 6-Obadiah 1
September 23 Jonah 1-4
September 24 Micah 1-7
September 25 Nahum 1-3
September 26 Habakkuk 1-Zephaniah 3
September 27 Haggai 1-2
Have a blessed week,
Bro. Tim
