| Pastor's Update 4.7.07 |
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 Just got back from GA. Left at 4 AM this morning so I could work on my Easter sermon. Which I am doing now, but thought I would take a break and write you folks. I have been out of the loop for a week but I do have a few things. We had 420 last week in the services. I am very thankful for God's blessings on our fellowship here at Faith. I noticed some big orange machines on our lot as I drove in this afternoon. I guess they are getting ready to turn the back lot into more parking area. Didn't the choir do a great job last week on the Easter musical I thought it was great. My son in-law is on staff at Southside Baptist Church in Warner Robbins GA. They had 25 saved last week, I am so thankful that my daughter and grandchildren are a part of such a dynamic church. (http://www.southsidebaptistchurch.net) Elaine was saying on the way back today how thankful she was that our grandson Micah wanted to go his Wednesday class and was so excited about it! I pray our children's ministry can become so vibrant that our kids are excited about being a part of them.
Pray for tomorrow. Pray for me as I contiue to work on the sermon. Struggling a little bit linking Lazarus with the apostle Paul and the power of the resurrection. You can see the handout at faithbaptistcovington.net. I am hoping to show from John 11 the power Christ displayed at the tomb and the same power that can be ours as we die to our self effort and trust HIm for our salvation. Then I want to jump to Galatians 2 and show how Paul had to die to his religious efforts to find the grace of God. Please park on the grass if you can, bring a guest, my messge will have a definite evangelistic flavor. If you see a new face, smile, shake their hand and ask if you can help.
There are so many people who try so hard to earn a place in Heaven. No one tried harder than Paul. Yet his conclusion was that all of his effort was useless. He had to die to his self-effort so that Christ could extend His grace to him. Once we are willing to die to our self-effort we discover God's grace and we then understand why Christ had to die. I can experience the same power that brought Christ from the dead through faith.
2:19 For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that `life' which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, `the faith' which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. 2:21 I do not make void the grace of God: for if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nought.
Do you know what a kcup is? It is a new way to drink coffee. It is an individual serving for a new coffee maker that brews one cup at a time. I just got one for my birthday and now I am hooked. There are several kcuppers at church. Chris,Ron,Bill, Doug and myself. I like being able to try different flavors without making a whole pot and the coffee is always fresh. Check it out at their web site http://www.keurig.com/
When I moved to Covington many people told me you could not build a growing church in a declining community. But God continues to bless inspite of population decline. Let's pray together that God will continue to bless in face of what sometimes seems impossible odds. The only good is absolute trust in and dependence on Him, and this can only be achieved by our being brought time and time again to the end, the real end, of our human resources. Peter Haile
Thanks for allowing me to be your Pastor. Hope to see you in the morning. Bro. Billy
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