Weekly Activities

SUNDAY Prayer - 8:15 a.m.

Sunday School - 9:00 am Morning Worship - 10:15 am Celebration Choir - 5:00 pm

Adult Worship - 6:00 pm AWANA - 6:00 pm

Youth Bible Study - 6:00 pm

TUESDAY Men’s Prayer - 6:30 am

Operation Andrew - 6:00 pm

WEDNESDAY Children’s Choir - 6:30 pm

Youth Bible Study - 6:30 pm Prayer Service - 6:30 pm

Cookie Brigade May 5 — Sheri Wright

June 19 — Jeanette King

May 5 1: Bridget & Logan Browning

2: 3: Billie Stuber, Christa Copeland

May 12

1: Cathy Barker 2: Kathy Goodman

3: Josh & Jamie Hawkins

May 19 1: Heather & Madison Reid 2: Larry & Stefanie Davis 3: Carl & Adrianne Hadler

May 26

1: Carol Fields, Simon Bickerstaff 2: Vicki & Ryley Fox

3:

The

LINK Friendship Baptist Church

146 S. Friendship Rd. Paducah KY 42003

Volume 19 May 2019 Number 5

Nursery Volunteers

Phone: 270.534.1900 www.friendshiponthenet.org

www.facebook.com/friendshiponthenet Dr. Jason Browning, Pastor

Rev. Shane Yancey, Minister to Students & Children Rev. Chad Davidson, Minister of Music & Worship

2 Corinthians 1:3–5 (HCSB) Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies

and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows.

One of the recurring themes of the Bible is this idea that we are blessed to be a blessing. All the way back in Genesis 12 God tells Abraham that he will be blessed and that “all the nations will be blessed” through Abraham. When the Israelites became a nation, God promised to bless them so that they would be a light to the nations. God blesses so that we can bless others.

In the new testament this comes up a few times. This passage from 2 Corinthians is one of my favorites. Because God has comforted us in our afflictions, we are able to comfort others. That is the mission of us as Christians. Take this blessing of Christ and pass it on to others who are hurting. Jesus said that he came to bind up the brokenhearted and proclaim freedom for the captives. He passes that mission on to us and sends us out with His comfort to pour that comfort on others.

God blesses us so we can bless others. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. That is the pattern. To fully receive God’s blessings, we need both parts of the pattern. When we only receive from God and never pour out His comfort to others, we become like the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River, but there are no rivers flowing out of it. As a result, the waters there are too salty to sustain life.

The same is true of us if we only take the blessings from God and don’t pour them out into our world, we will become too salty to sustain life.

So, if you have been facing hard times and God has been comforting you, know that it isn’t in vain. God is strengthening you so that you can go and be strength for someone else. God is comforting you so that you can be comfort for someone else. God is blessing you so that you can be a blessing.

So go and tell everyone about the love of God, His saving grace, and be a blessing for those that you meet.

Shane

The Operation Christmas Child year-round item for May is:

HYGIENE ITEMS (soap, washcloth, comb, brush, deodorant, toothbrush, dental

floss) NO LIQUIDS OR TOOTHPASTE

Box provided in Kidzone

for donations.

Required to Date: $ 137,965 Received to Date: $ 118,503

May 27

If you are a graduating high school senior and interested in participating in this event, please contact the church office. Parents, we will be making a short video of your students. We will need a few (4 or 5) pictures of your student from different stages of their life. You can leave those

pictures in the church office or get them to Shane no later than May 12. We will have lunch after church on May 19 for the seniors and their families.

1 HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY BRO. JASON! 5:00 p.m. — Family Night Supper 5 6:00 p.m. — “In the Wild” Children’s Choir Program

Port St Joe Mission Trip (5-10) 7 10:45 a.m. — JOY Club 6:00 p.m. — Operation Andrew, Team 3 12 Happy Mother’s Day 8:15 a.m. — Muffins With Mom 10:15 a.m. — Parent/Child Dedication 14 6:00 p.m. — Operation Andrew, Team 1 15 5:30 p.m. — Finance Team Mtg. 6:30 p.m. — Business Mtg. 19 H.S. Graduate Recognition 1:30-3 p.m.— Baby Shower for Rachel Diefenbach 21 6:00 p.m. — Operation Andrew, Team 2 27 Memorial Day (church office closed) 28 6:00 p.m. — Operation Andrew, Team 3

Weekly Events: Tuesdays @ 6:30 a.m. — Men’s Prayer Group

“But now says the Lord, ‘He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.’”

(Isaiah 43:1)

God is very personal. Consider the word “formed” in verse 1 – the word is so intimate. God may have spoken the universe into existence, but He formed you. This is the same word used in Jeremiah 18 to describe God as the potter with His hands on the clay, personally shaping you. God did not just make your life and bring you into existence, but He is forming the kind of person you are becoming day by day. God is making you into who He wants you to be. When it comes to your identity, the critical issue is not what you think about yourself – because the truth is you cannot be trusted! As Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Ultimately, the only thing that matters is what God thinks about you. Tune in to the Biblical message of who God says you are and allow His thoughts about you to build your identity. You will discover a remarkably different thought pattern developing: I’m not who my parents or my spouse say I am. I’m not who my boss says I am. I’m not who my teachers say I am. I'm not what my performance or my appearance says I am. But I am who God says I am! If you let your mind be renewed with His Word, the truth that God formed you will download into your identity and your attitude. This involves accepting truths about God that will affect your understanding of who you are, and it results in an attitude that honors Him. You will be surprised by how your actions naturally begin to flow out of who you know you are in Christ. The fact that God is personal reinforces this awesome identity truth: the Lord has redeemed you and called you His own. He paid your redemption price with His Son’s life so He could have a relationship with you that will last forever. If you have put your trust in Jesus, God says, “You are mine.” Child of God - that is who you are. And what God says is the only thing that will ultimately matter. Let this truth shape your identity for His glory today. God is good! All the time! Jason

The Children’s Choir will present their program entitled “In the Wild”. Mark your calendars now for a wonderful evening of music presented by the children’s choir on Sunday, May 5 at 6:00pm. LifeWay’s “In The Wild” invites kids to grab their cameras and head out on a wild adventure—with elephants and egrets, polar bears and penguins, cockatoos and crocodiles. As kids gather snapshots of exotic animals, they will also examine snapshots of Jesus in the Bible. John 20:31 (CSB) “But these are written so that you may believe that

Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” The Celebration Choir will begin working on the Patriotic Program in rehearsal on Sunday nights at 5:00pm. If anyone would like to join the Celebration Choir to salute God and country on Sunday, June 30, there is a place for you! Let’s join our voices together as we give a Patriotic Salute to God and country! In 1949, when Billy Graham was in Los Angeles for evangelist meetings under “The Big Tent,” Hamblen’s wife persuaded him to attend one of the services. Stuart Hamblen hosted one of the most popular afternoon radio shows on the West Coast and Stuart was known for his gambling and brawling. Early the following morning he requested an appointment with Graham - which was granted - and during their conversation Hamblen surrendered his life to be a follower of Christ. Carl “Stuart” Hamblen tells the story behind one of his songs: “I wrote the song one night, shortly after midnight. My wife and I had been visiting one of Hollywood’s most famous movie stars. We had gone over to his home just to fill him in on some of the things that had happened in his recent absence.” He continues: “Somehow the discussion got around to how people can solve problems within themselves. I remember making a statement such as, ‘It’s no secret what God can do in a man’s life.’ About two hours later, as we were about to leave the actor’s home he said, ‘Stuart you ought to write a song about it is no secret what God can do. That is a beautiful thought.’” After returning home, our hall clock began to “chime” the hour of midnight. I grabbed a pen and started writing, ‘The chimes of time ring out the news, another day is through’ and on and on until the song was finished. I then turned and glanced at the hall clock. It was only 17 minutes after midnight. I couldn’t believe it. I had never been able to write any musical composition in less than three or four hours. I thought the clock had stopped. I then looked and saw the big pendulum still swinging.” Hamblen’s song has been heard in every small city, town and hamlet in America and in countless places around the world - in more than 50 languages. Stuart’s neighbor, who made the suggestion about writing the song, was John Wayne. You better believe it, pardner! “It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you, It is no secret what God can do.” “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9

Under the Master’s Baton,

Bro. Chad

MAY CALENDAR

Family Night Supper — Celebrate Bro. Jason’s 50th Birthday with us May 1, 5:00 p.m. The menu is: Tacos,

Beef & Chicken Fajitas, Rice, Nachos & Cheese, Salsa, Birthday Cake & goodies. Kid’s option: hot dogs and chips. Sign up in the worship center or call the church by noon on Tuesday, April 30 if you plan to attend. The cost is $5 for adults; $3 for children 12 and under; $20 family maximum cost. Please remember that the food is purchased according to the number who signed up, so you will need to pay for your meal if you sign up and do not attend.

JOY Club — will go to Hoskins BBQ on Tuesday, May 7. Meet at the church at 10:45 a.m. to ride the bus. All “seenagers” are invited

to attend this fellowship.

BABY SHOWER For

RACHEL DIEFENBACH Sunday, May 19 1:30-3:00 pm

IT’S A BOY!

Registered at Target & Pottery Barn Kids

Friendship Mission Team — a team of volunteers from Friendship will travel to Port St Joe, Florida to assist Beach Baptist

Chapel with disaster relief efforts on May 5-10. Please pray for team members: Mike & Kathy Baucum, Keith Brown, Jason Browning, Kay Hutcheson,

Nathaniel Miller, Earl & Henrietta Mitchell, Frank Queen, Greg Simmons.

EVERYONE IS INVITED