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Contact us
950 Self StreetFranklinton, LA 70438
Phone: (985) 839-3427Fax: (985) 839-3572
Prayer Line: (985) 839-3337
Office E-mail:[email protected]
Prayer E-mail:[email protected]
Website:www.fbcfranklinton.org
Service Times:Sunday Services
8:15 a.m., 10:45 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.Bible Study Groups
9:30 a.m.Wednesday Evenings
5:00 p.m. Family Dinner 6:00 p.m. Evening Services
The Bridge April 2015Monthly Newsletter of First Baptist Church Franklinton
Photos from Be the Church Sunday...Courtesy of Mrs. Carolyn McElveen
Paul Watts, Pastor
A Cup with Pastor Paul http://acupwiththepastor.blogspot.
com
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The Power and Centrality of The Resurrection....The Christian faith has characteristic aspects common to many world religions. Most faiths believe in some higher life source, personal or impersonal. Most have prophets whose writings reveal a certain ethi-cal framework for life and blessings. Almost all world religions offer some explanation for the creation and some hope of what comes after this life. While there are a few common characteristics, the Christian faith has many claims that reveal its distinctive teachings about God and the exclusivity of the one way He has prepared for our salva-tion/reconciliation through His Son, Jesus Christ. The Incarnation (God becoming flesh in the person of Jesus Christ in order to reveal Himself and serve as the blood sacrifice for sin) and the bodily res-urrection of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ are two teachings that are essential to genuine Christianity. A disbelief of either of these teachings would necessarily place an individual outside of the Body of Christ and the salvation God freely offers. The physical resurrec-tion is the lynchpin of the Christian faith.
Jesus stated the resurrection was an integral part of the purpose for which He came. This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father, John 10:17-18, HCSB. Jesus predicted His death and resurrection on numerous occasions. The resurrection was the proof of Jesus’ divinity, obedience and perfect accomplishment of His purpose in defeating sin and death. He also went to great pains to demonstrate the physicality of His body after the resurrection. He walked, spoke, broke bread and even ate with his disciples.
The Apostle Paul was adamant concerning the literal nature of the resurrection. He stressed the veracity of the resurrection of Jesus al-most to the point of redundancy. Romans 10:9 leaves little doubt that Paul saw belief in the resurrection of Christ essential to saving faith: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved, Romans 10:9, HCSB. Paul’s emphasis on the resurrection in so many of his letters may seem repetitive to those of us who have grown up hearing the resurrection story, but just as in Paul’s day, many struggle to believe Jesus rose from the dead and one day His followers will do the same. These usually also struggle to be-lieve in the creation story as we have it in Genesis, the miracles of the Old Testament and the miracles of Christ. Many go to great lengths to explain these things away or somehow make them fit into some other naturally occurring phenomenon. What type of God would we serve if He were bound by the laws of nature? His power and identity are demonstrated when He does things that are “supernatural.”
We have cause to celebrate on Easter, not only because our Lord and Savior is alive, but also because His resurrection is a foreshadow of our own. Paul said, If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep, 1 Corin-thians 15:19-20, HCSB. Many Christians have died in faith. Many will be alive when Jesus comes again. Both groups will receive glorious resurrection bodies at the return of Christ. Christ’s resurrection is central to our faith and our hope of eternal life with God. In the words of Paul, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins, 1 Corinthians 15:17, HCSB. May we celebrate the resurrection this Easter and all of its ramifications! Let us shake off any doubts or fears and praise God for His wonderful plan of redemp-tion!
Join us for Carry the Cross!It will take place
Good Friday at 9:00 a.m. We will meet in the
parking lot of Dirt Cheap.This is a walk carrying the
cross from there to the Fair Grounds. We will partake
of communion as a group when we arrive at the
Fair Grounds.
Dale Parker,
Minister to Senior Adults& Discipleship
Sometimes when we read the ac-count in Exodus of God speaking to Moses from a burning bush, we are tempted to think, “I wish God would speak to me in a burning bush, that way I would be a better Christian, or that way I would know what God wants me to do with my life.” But the same God who spoke to Moses, Joshua, Elijah, David, Solomon, and Paul has spoken and is speaking to us through His word today. It’s humbling to think that the God of the universe would stoop down to reveal Himself to us through His word. He could have left us alone and in the dark with our imaginations, and we could have become religious (like anyone else without God), but we would never know Him or our desper-ate need for Him. In giving us His word, God demonstrates a portion of His love for us.
In the late 1700’s, a pastor named Charles Simeon reminded his con-gregation of the great treasure they possessed in the Bible. He wrote:
“Let us suppose that Jesus Christ were now to come amongst us, and to teach us in our Churches, as once He did in the streets and the syna-gogues of Judea; should we not, if we knew Him to be that very Jesus, listen to Him with deepest atten-tion? If we could suppose Him now addressing us from the cross, and appealing to His sufferings as an unquestionable demonstration of His love, and an irresistible argu-ment for our adherence to Him; should we not be melted to tears? Or, lastly let us suppose that we saw the heavens opened, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; let us suppose He spoke to us now; as once He did from Mount Sinai, with thundering, and lightnings,
and earthquakes, and the sound of the trumpet waxing louder and louder; should we not tremble? Were we to hear Him speaking to us in any of these ways, the word would not more certainly be His, than this word is which we now possess; and therefore whatever sentiments of fear or love or grati-tude we should feel on account of such revelations of His will, we ought to feel in reference to that sacred volume which we have in our hands; whenever we look upon it, we should say, ‘This word of Him who came down from heaven to instruct me; of Him who died upon the cross to save me; of Him who now sits enthroned in glory; and will hereafter fix my doom accord-ing to it.’”
Recently Margie and I were at a Voice of the Martyrs conference in Lake Charles. One of the presenters showed a video of some Christians in China who received a suitcase of Bibles. Many of them were crying with joy, some were kissing their Bibles, some were hugging their Bibles, and many of them opened them and immediately began read-ing them.
Do you treasure your Bible? Do you read it, meditate on it, and try to memorize it every day? Do you open it like a medicine chest search-ing for a “pill” to fix what ails you, or do you prayerfully open the Bible and say, “God, reveal Your-self to me today.” When you read the Bible, do you instantly go to the familiar verse(s) in the passage, or do you read around the verse to see God? Remember, reading and studying the Bible is a privilege God has given us.
Memory Verses for the Month of April
April 5: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13 April 12: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 April 19: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior to-ward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regenera-tion and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abun-dantly through Jesus Christ our Sav-ior.” Titus 3:4-6 April 26: “These things I have writ-ten to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:13
Cody Thomas, Student Minister
Reaching In . . . . . Reaching Out
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God was a gardener. Not just any gardener either but, the perfect creator of all things gar-dening; He created plants! Gen-esis 2:8, And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Genesis 2:8 says God planted a gar-den in Eden. I’m not 100% posi-tive that God got out in the dirt with His straw hat and overalls and physically planted a garden, but it is cool to know that God is a gardener. I like to think of my-self as a pretty good gardener. (I gave myself the title “pretty good gardener” after people started asking me questions about gar-dening). One of my favorite gar-dening verses is Galatians 6:7, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. This verse applies to both physical gardening (if I sow to-matoes, I will most likely reap to-matoes) and spiritual gardening. The Apostle Paul, though writing to the church in Galatia, is refer-ring to spiritual gardening. Whatever we sow spiritual ly,that is what we shall reap. If we are continually seeking the Lord in prayer and Bible study (sow-ing), we will grow in our under-standing of who God is and then in return experience Him on a greater level (reap). If we take the commandment, Go and make dis-ciples seriously (sowing), then the Lord will use us in mighty ways throughout the world, and disci-ples of Jesus Christ will be made (reap). If our level of Christianity extends to mere church on Sun-day morning (sowing), then we are missing out on truly experi-encing the magnificence of the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth (reap).
Think about your life; what are you sowing? Are you sowing a life that God approves of? Are you sowing a relationship with Christ through daily submis-sion to Him? If you are sowing things in this world that are con-trary to the life God desires for you to sow, repent, turn to Christ for strength, and follow Him. Al-low the great Gardener to pluck away the impurities in your life and sow within you His Spirit.
I found this written in the back of my mother’s Bible, and I’d like to share:
“Everyone is thinking of planting a garden this time of year. Here is a suggestion of how to plant a most successful garden. I plan to dig in and get mine started. Per-haps you’ll want to do so, too!!
Plant four rows of peas (P’s)- Prayer- Promptness- Patience- Preparation
Plant four rows of squash- Squash Gossip- Squash Indifference- Squash Criticism- Squash Negative Thinking
Plant four rows of turnips- Turnip for church services- Turnip for whatever needed- Turnip with a friendly smile- Turnip with determination to seek the Lord ”
Cultivate well, keep saturated with love and reap a harvest of peace and happiness. Lots of good luck in your garden this year.
Guys’ CampoutFriday, April 10th
Meet up at the church at 4:00 p.m.
Youth Sunday School Preparation
April 12th and/or April 19th9:30 a.m.
Youth Sunday Service Preparation
Wednesday, April 22nd at 6 p.m.
Youth SundaySunday, April 26th both services
Butch Reviere Minister of
Note from Brother Butch Question:Who told the earth to “go green” about this time every year? Who told the ornamental pear trees and the cherry trees to go first? Who told the pecan trees they could sleep a little lon-ger before beginning their Spring ritual? Why are there 365 days in a year? Why not 300…or 500? Of course, it’s because the earth is spinning away on its axis while making its annual trek around the sun. Fewer days in a year would mean we all get fried during the day, and more days would mean we all turn into popsicles, especially at night! The skeptics, the atheists, the disbelievers would all say the answers lie in some cosmic accident. You and I know the answers lie in the creative excellence of Almighty God, Who spoke into exis-tence the earth and all that is on it, plant and animal, with we humans being the cli-mactic demonstration of His Divine cre-ativity. Everywhere we look, especially this time of year, there are reminders of the intricacy and precision of our Creator. How can we not be amazed and thrilled and overflowing with praise continually? I wonder sometimes whether my vision of Him has been clouded by focusing too much on the mundane and the ordinary. Maybe even my attention to that which is legitimately important is out of order, leaving me wrestling in my own strength with life’s issues, though I am surround-ed by Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence; and He is ready to guide me into joyful solutions to all challenges. How can I (we) not praise Him? The Psalms are filled with admo-nitions to give Him praise. The 146th is a great example: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.The Psalmist continues by listing some of the blessings God gives to His own: truth, justice, food (provision), free-dom, healing, encouragement, love, pro-tection, hope. This Psalm ends with…
you guessed it: Praise the Lord! Should we not be constantly praising Him? Creation forever demonstrates His glory, and the blessings all around us declare that He is worthy of our praise. More than all of that, the greatest and most profound reason for our humble thanksgiving and unending praise we will celebrate in just a few days. The darkest Friday in history tried to snuff out the Light; but, three days later, the Light was unleashed to rain light and truth upon on all who would receive it. The price for our sin was paid. Our debt was canceled. The shackles were unlocked. The bound were set free. The broken were healed. The rev-elation by God the Father of Himself to all mankind was completed in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus, the Christ. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (II Corinthians 5:21) “…who Him-self bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righ-teousness—by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (I Peter 2:24-25) Nicole C. Mullen put it this way in her song, “My Redeemer Lives”: “The very same God that spins things in orbit runs to the weary, the worn and the weak. And the same gentle hands that hold me when I’m broken, they conquered death to bring me victory. Well I know my Re-deemer lives. I know my Redeemer lives. All of creation testifies; this life within me cries. I know my Redeemer lives.” As we celebrate God’s revelation of Himself from Creation to the Cradle to the Cross to the Empty Tomb to the present, may we determine again to live boldly for His glory and to “make His praise glorious”.
As we celebrate God’s revelation of Himself from Creation to the
Cradle to the Cross to the Empty Tomb to the present, may we determine again to live boldly for His glory and to “make
His praise glorious”.
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Kelly McElveen Director of Preschool/ Children’s [email protected]
Happy Birthday!Logan Jenkins - 6thDaisy Trosclair - 8th
Sawyer McCune - 17thLuke Burris - 21st
Braxton King - 23rd
Are you in 6th grade or below? Let me know so I can add
you to my list!
Have you ever looked for something that you absolute-ly know you have, find something else along the way, and become completely sidetracked with what you were originally looking for? That happened to me earlier in the month as I was looking for one picture, found an-other and then just became caught up in the memories! It wasn’t long before I realized the time, had to lay the other picture aside and get back to what I had started to do in the first place.
This sometimes happens to me in my walk with the Lord, too. I’ll be headed down one path, knowing that this is the direction He has for me, become just a little distracted by something else, and before long I feel that nudge to get back to where I was headed in the first place!
Thankful for having a task to do, small moments of accomplishment, sweet memories, and the gentle nudge of the Savior leading me!
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. -Proverbs 4:25
The picture from Christmas 2003 or 2004 that got me sidetracked
From left, Gentry, Katherine, Mary Anne, Mallory, McKinley, Sydney, Kaitlin, CrockettIn back, John Michael & Nick
Have a Blessed April,
Kelly McElveen
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PlaySchool News
PlaySchool registration always seems to sneak up on me! I don’t know if I just try to avoid the date that I have marked in my calendar because I know that Commencement comes right on the heels of registration, or if I am just a little nervous about starting a whole new year. I really think it’s the saying good-bye that makes me put registration off as long as possible. I was blessed this year with a large number of returning PlaySchool friends, which only means that it will be that much harder to let go in May! However, I followed through and got new registration forms in the mail during the week I had planned to. If you know of someone with a small child who might enjoy this ministry, please let me know! I would love to talk to them about the PlaySchool program! PlaySchool begins its approximate 42nd year in the fall, and we would love to have lots of new friends in September. Some key points about PlaySchool that you may want to know when talking to someone about this ministry:*PlaySchool is for children who will turn 3 or 4 years old by the end of the calendar year.*PlaySchool has 2-, 3- or 4-day programs. Each runs from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.*PlaySchool is tuition based, but the tuition is low cost (between $40-$80 a month!).
Leslie Westmoreland WINGS Coordinator
WINGS Ministry
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Ladies Tea Saturday April 18th, 2015
Speaker: Laurin StackEntertainment: Cara Williams
Tickets on Sale at the office
and by each hostess
April News
Women in God’s Service
New WINGS Shirts are coming soon!
To get yours, sign-up on the WINGS Bulletin Board. Cost is $15 each.
Women of Hope Conference at St. Timothy’s Methodist Church in
Mandeville. Cost is $25.00April 24th 7:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m. and
April 25th 9:00 a.m.-12:30 a.m. Speaker: Jennie Allen and
Music: Ginny Owens
Ladies’ Night with Lysa Terkerst at the Church of the King in Mandeville on April 21st
This is a free event. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.,
event at 7:00p.m.
Children’s Church
Month of April
for ages 3 to
KindergartenWe will be meeting in
Mrs. Cindy’s Kindergarten Sunday school room in the
Preschool Department
Sunday Night Supper4/5Easter - No Evening Services
4/12
Bell, Keaton, Lebo, McElveen, Schilling, Thomas, Varnado and Watts
4/19Bankston, Burris, Galloway, McElveen, Sandifer, Schilling and Waskom
4/26Cooke, Creel, Mobley, Morgan, Owen, and Sylvest
4/5 Joe Sandifer & Lance Schilling
4/12 Tommy Wood & Richard McElveen
4/19Richard Knight & Matt Westmoreland
4/26Howard Gibson & Mike Hickman
Sound Schedule(Please note schedule changes)
4/5 Mack McElveen
4/12Matt Westmoreland
4/19 Stephen McElveen
4/26Darren Schilling
Wednesday Night Supper4/1 Group B - Fried Chicken
4/8 Spring Break No Evening Services
4/15 Group C - Meatballs & Spaghetti
4/22 Group D - Country Fried Steak
4/29 Group E- Chicken Rotel
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Our April VOLUNTEERS
Nursery Schedule
4/5 Pauline Bankston & Hazel Varnado
4/12 Brenda Allen & Dianne Cruce
4/19 Tana Burris & Leslie Westmoreland
4/26Emily Phelps & Linda Crain
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Operation Christmas Child
April Items to Collect: - Combs, Brushes & Hair Accessories
Missions
Our Goal is $10,000Received to Date: $2,757.00
Missions Opportunity: Mission India October 17th-30th, a group from our church will be heading to India to share the Gospel with Darzi Muslims. The Darzi are an unreached, unengaged people group. Please pray the Lord will burden those He would have take part in this trip. Prayerfully consider whether the Lord may want you to step out in this way.
Please contact Brother Paul if you have any questions or would like to sign up for the trip.
Help Center of Churches Items to Collect:
- Spaghetti Sauce
International MissionsNorth American Missions
Here is a link to the Engineering Ministries International website showing the EMI project to design a master plan and mission house for Ignite Missions in Honduras. EMI is now recruiting for the design project team. If anyone is interested, this page will tell you how to apply.http://www.emiusa.org/projects/projectprofile_5645.php
Engineering Ministries Mission Trip Dates: June 6th - June 15th
Honduras Mission Opportunity
On-Going Missions
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Jimmy Morgan, Jr., Alicia Morgan & Chrissy Dkyes
Seven-Fourteen Prayer Ministry
In preparation for the National Day of Prayer on May 5th, you are encouraged to be a part of the “Seven-Fourteen Prayer Ministry from March 4th to May 4th, simply by praying for at least 21 minutes each day.
When you pray, focus in two directions. First: Praise and Thanksgiving for What He is Doing. Spend about 7 minutes.
Second:Intercessory Prayers, Prayers for our church, our school, our community, our nation and leaders, and oth-ers that God brings to your mind and heart. Spend about 14 minutes.
You may find that designating either 7:14 a.m. or 7:14 p.m. as your prayer time helps you to be faithful to pray. Select the best time of day for you to
spend in prayer with God and commit those 21 minutes to prayer.
Can you imagine what God can do in our hearts and lives, in our church and schools, in our commuity and nation, if we obey 2nd Chronicles 7:14?
Let’s Pray.
“If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and
will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2nd Chronicles 7:14
Jimmy Morgan, Sr. Patrick & Jennifer McNutt Family
Marvin Magee Gilda McCain Peggy & Ralph Parks
Kandis Simmons
Welcome to Our Church Family New Members
International Missions
PRSRT STDNONPROFIT
ORGANIZATIONUS POSTAGE
PAIDPERMIT NO. 27
April 2015
950 Self StreetFranklinton, LA 70438www.fbcfranklinton.org
First Baptist Church Franklinton
