Worship with us!

We have started a new service on Sunday evenings. We are calling it Pursuit. We are seeking to pursue God in all of our services, but this evening service is one that is non-traditional. We use guitars and a keyboard. Tonight's service was great! I truly feel God is going to bless us as we reach out to our community.

Upward Soccer is going to be great! Come watch the kids as they play September 29th.

Helping Hands will be working again, probably on the 22nd, of this month.

Exciting things are happening at FBC. Invite a friend and be a part of what God is doing!

Keep praying!

Brought thoughts to my mind...

I received this book as a review copy from Tyndale. I usually don't read books like this and consider them "alarming" in nature. I have enough to worry about in this world and don't need one more thing. Ah, but as I began to read I found this book very balanced in views and, although alarming in nature, a good, thought provoking read. He handles the subject of the state of our country very well. After stepping through the situation our nation is in, he very carefully lines out a path of action for the church and individuals.

As I wrote, there are many alarmist books out there which I choose to ignore because they are very biased in one direction or another. This one is an exception to what has become the rule and I enjoyed it.

If you want a well thought out book dealing with the state of our country and how things can change for the better, read this book.

What does God have for us next?

Pray for our church as we seek a new music leader for worship. Pray God helps us to have eyes as to who He wants for us to have. 

Worship is not to be taken lightly. It's our purpose of gathering as His family on a given day. Pray we lean on His guidance in all things. 

Many thanks for the many years of service that Mrs. Carolyn Thomas gave to God and to His church in Winnsboro. She has put countless hours in preparation and thought. There is a special place in the soprano section of God's choir when the time comes. I'm convinced of that! Thank you Mrs. Carolyn for ALL you have done! To God be the glory!

Helping Hands

So we had a work day at the church on Saturday. Had a great group show up. Got things done! Love our church! Topped the weekend off with two baptisms and a great camp report from Ridgecrest. What a weekend!

Even got spots off the ceiling!

Yes, everyone matters.

First Baptist Church of Winnsboro.

People matter. You matter. Winnsboro matters. Our mayor matters. No matter what you think of our mayor or our city council, they should matter to us. If they truly matter to us then we won't sit back and critique their actions, we'll try to help them to be their best. I have come to the conclusion that is our role as Christians. As ambassadors of Christ we do something about what we see happening. We don't just sit back and complain. In short, we are to be part of the solution rather than simply spectators or part of the problem.

What is your role in being a part of the solution? What can you do to help our city be the best city in the surrounding parishes? What can you do to help build up our city? Think. Pray. Do.

Crazy

Life has been crazy lately. We have had do many with health problems or who have lost loved ones. It's tough going. Keep praying we will all get better.

Easter–Celebrating the Gift.

Our Easter Cross at FBC.

Easter at First Baptist Church was an awesome time of celebrating the risen Lord. I do believe this Easter has been more meaningful and real to me than any other year. Is it because I'm growing up? I'm not sure. Whatever the case is, this Easter was just great! God is so good. We really don't deserve the gift which God has given us.

Maundy Thursday–a time of reflection.

It's here. This is the time of the year where we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. This past Maundy Thursday service was very moving and helped us to truly concentrate for 35 minutes of our busy lives on what Jesus did for us. There is some sort of connection with God which occurs when we spend time with Him. I guess that is no revelation, but to have it occur sure reminds us of how much we do need to spend time with Him. 

The service is available on DVD if you missed it. I would advise you to get a copy from the church office. Our lives are too full of situations and issues which pull us away from God, this service sure helped me to draw closer to Him. That is what true worship is. It's not about preferences in music or in oratorial style. It's about focusing on God and His presence. 

I hope your Easter Sunday is a great time of worship and celebration. God is great and He loves us! Amazing love!

It's amazing what happens when Christians choose to love.

I read this story and was so pleased. THIS is what we, as Christians are to be like. THIS is what it means to look past what we see with our eyes and see a person's heart in need of the love of Christ. THIS is it. Read this story. I think it will amaze you. God is a big God and we can share His love if we'll simply look past what we see with our eyes and look at the need of a person's heart. There are many broken hearts in need of His love. Some even live in Franklin Parish.

Revival

Rev. Charles Finney

So, I ran across this quote by Charles Finney, "A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God." How true that is. Revival is when we refocus and begin obeying God as we used to. It's an awakening of the sleeping spirit to one which is alive, aware and ready to serve. Be praying for revival services at FBC, Winnsboro. Pray we'll be awakened to God's power and God's voice.

The Miracle of Jen

Wow. What a book! This book, a complimentary copy which I obtained from Tyndale publishing for review, was great. It tells the moving story of Jennifer Barrick and her recover after a horrible automobile accident. The book focuses on Jen and her recovery, but you do get a grasp at how the entire family dealt with her recovery. I was concerned we would not get a true picture of how everything went after the accident. In some Christian books, there is a lot of fluff and no real evidence of struggle with the reality of the pain and suffering. I was relieved to find that Linda shares all in this book. She is up front with her readers and does not hide any of the difficulties of recovery. Recovering from a horrible accident is not a walk in the park and Linda does not paint it as such. For that I am glad. I have read too many books and seen too many Christian movies where the reality of pain and suffering are not dealt with in a realistic way. Overall, this book will bring you into the hospital room and put you right alongside Jen as she recovers. Great writing and a wonderful true story of triumph and personal growth for the mother, Linda, and for the reader. For more information you can go here http://www.miracleforjen.com/ 


By the way, exciting news! I have a certificate to get a copy of this book for free if you can name my favorite Star Wars character. The first one to answer correctly gets the certificate. You take the certificate and redeem it at your nearest Christian bookstore.

Ecclesiastes, nothing new under the sun

Well, we finished the January Bible Study. Ecclesiastes was a great study that reminded us that without God, life is meaningless. What a study!

I've never been applauded for doing a Bible Study before. There is a first for everything. The people I pastor at FBC, Winnsboro are awesome!

On a sad note, our Uncle Willie passed away today. He had had a stroke and had pneumonia. Sad.

Reflection time/Lights went out...

Happy Birthday to me. Well, it's my birthday today. Did I do anything special? Not really. I went to the office. The day continues  by like any other with the exception of over 100 Happy Facebook Birthday greetings, a container of strawberries, a card and a gift certificate to San Marcos Mexican Restaurant. I also received some cologne, sleeping pants and sweat pants from my family. Oh, also cake and ice cream! Lol. Yes, I guess it was special. As I begin to age, I have found an urgency to make a difference in this world. I have taken some time to reflect and ask myself the question, "If I died today, would the world be a better place because I was here?" It's a question I find myself asking more and more.

Lights went out
 Sunday evening the lights went out. Close to 1,100 people in our area were without electricity. Remember what Sunday was? Yes, it was Super Bowl Sunday. The power went out around 5 p.m. I was supposed to be sharing the January Bible Study at 6 p.m. People came and left. After they left, at 6:05 p.m., the power came back on. Why did God allow this? Is He REALLY a football fan? I have my doubts. I question why it would happen to come on just after everyone left. Amazing.

Had to laugh.

Too funny!

The Louisiana Baptist Singing Ministers

Went to hear them and was very pleased. Wish all of you could have been there. They sang at FBC, Columbia, LA. Ran into a lot of old friends. Good to see them.

When winning just doesn't happen.

Well, I watched the Saints lose. I watched and could not believe what I was seeing. We tried, but we had a team that seemed to want the win a bit more than we did.

I then watched the Miss America Pageant. Wow. So subjective. Hope Anderson should have won. It was an odd pageant. She is a winner in all of our hearts. We are so proud to have her as our Miss Louisiana. I think God has big plans for her.

Sometimes winning doesn't happen. Sometimes it's not time. When winning doesn't happen, what do you do? I am disappointed. I am down. I try to convince myself that it wasn't meant to be. I sometimes believe myself. I really should. I don't know who needs what when. I don't know "all." Ah, but I do know the one who does. I am still learning to trust Him in all things. He has His timing and we have ours. Ours is not right, His always is.

In spite of the lack of wins recently for our state there are a great number of churches who are praying through the 21 days. Ours is one of them. It's an awesome experience and one I hope will change our lives for the better. Spending time with God is never a losing proposition. We are winners each second we spend with Him.

As we continue to pray, let God speak to you. Take time to listen to Him. If there is any time we need to be closer to God and have direction in our lives it's now. If there is anytime we need to rise up and live out our faith before mankind, it's now. Our nation needs a spot of Hope. Our state needs a spot of Hope. Let's share the Hope of Christ with those who need it.

The Search Committee, by Tim Owens: A review

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from Tyndale House. The book, in short, is a hilarious, but serious look at a seven member committee charged with finding a new pastor for their small church. It has a "Jan Karon Mitford series" kind of ring to it. That brought a smile to my face. Tim is not copying Jan, but his book falls in the same vein and is much appreciated by those looking for such a ride that this book takes you on. 

Having only been on the Pastor end of such a situation I do feel that this book truly "tells it like it is" when a committee heads to a church to hear a prospective candidate. 

The characters are well developed and truly human. One gets the feeling one knows them. There were some unexpected incidents that truly made the story believable. I highly encourage all church members to read this book, even if you haven't served on a search committee. It's a light and easy read, but has enough depth to make you want to look for another book by Tim Owens. I certainly hope he is working on another.

15 years, two boys and two dogs later…

Fifteen years ago I stood in the auditorium and repeated vows that I have a hard time remembering to a girl I truly loved and still love. It was a cold day. Hot Springs in Arkansas froze over. A ficus tree died at Southwayside Baptist Church. Craig Anderson and Lisa Watson sang. Dr. Bob Beck and my own father performed the wedding. Close friends were present. Family was present. Cake was eaten and appreciated. Cathy Drewry and many others helped in many ways. Terry White even videoed the wedding. A gift we treasure to this day. A Rolls Royce took us to the Seminary for the reception. I was dumber than I am now. Susanne couldn't get any smarter.

We now have two boys and two dogs. Two boys are great. Two dogs…well. We've served God at three churches including the one we serve now. It's been a great journey learning about how each other thinks and feels about issues and life in general. I am thankful for Susanne. She is smart, speaks French, Spanish and English and cooks oh so well. She is a great mother and wife. She laughs and likes to have fun.

I have discovered that a relationship involves a great deal of forgiveness and realizing that some things just aren't as important as we think they are. The key to a happy marriage? Well…like my father says, "forgive, forgive forgive." After a while you overlook stuff that doesn't matter. Our marriage isn't perfect, none exist that are perfect. Enjoying just being around each other sure helps.

Not sure what my point is here. I just felt like sharing a bit.

@FBCWinn and "Does my child need a mobile phone?"

I decided I could handle doing twitter and facebook for our church family. Is it too much? I don't think so. There are so many tools available to communicate with each other that it has become an easy task to do so in under a few minutes. Hootsuite is such a tool. It allows me to post to facebook AND to twitter at the same time. Not bad.

"Does my child need a cell phone?"
As I visited a local school I noticed a few baskets in the office full of mobile phones. I thought, "Wow, someone could make some money selling those." Then it hit me. These were phones which were collected at the beginning of the day from students who brought them to school. Some of these phones belong to students as young as 3rd or 4th grade. My questions are, "Really? Do who do these kids need to contact at school? Who do these kids ever need to call? How many of them are driving? At this age, do they really need a mobile?" I posted a similar question on facebook, but no one responded. I am wondering, just wondering, why does a young child need a mobile phone? I am not judging anyone, but just want to know why some feel a child needs a mobile phone?

Pre-Teen Invasion/21 days of prayer

As you read this I may still be in Pineville at the Pre-Teen invasion. Pray for us as we are here with some of our smaller First Family members. Pray we learn more about God and have some fun along the way.

How is the 21 Days of Prayer going for you? It's quite challenge. Hang in there. Be open to what God wants to do in your life. He wants to use you in a mighty way. Draw close to Him and listen to what He is saying to you. I'm praying for all of us during this time of prayer.

Praying for 21 days…

Wow. That seems like a tall order. Actually, it's not. When it comes to drawing closer to God one should never become satisfied where one stands with Him. Just when a person feels he's doing ok, he realizes he is not as much like Jesus as he'd like to be. The process of becoming more like Christ takes time. In fact, it's going to take an entire lifetime.

The question I have is, "How much more like Christ am I today than I was yesterday?" That is a great question to ask oneself every day. Don't spend time asking if so and so is more like Christ. Take an inward look at yourself and ask yourself the question.

Spiritual awakening is not going occur in my life or anyone else's life automatically. It will occur when our heart is a receptive position. Is you heart in the "receptive position?"

Happy New Year folks!

As we begin this new year we begin it in prayer. On Monday, as we pray for spiritual awakening, I pray also that you will join with us in your prayer journal. Prayer journals will be available in the foyer. Seek God's face and renew your relationship with Him. We all are in need of a spiritual awakening. It's time.