Scripture at Sunrise 2.29.2012

 

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” -Psalm 23:6

A devout poet sings

Lord, when thou

Puttest in my time a day,

as thou dost now,

Unknown in other years, grant, I entreat,

Such grace illumine it, that whate’er its phase

It add to holiness, and lengthen praise!

This day comes but once in four years…. Up till now goodness and mercy, like two guards, have followed us from day to day, bringing up the rear even as grace leads the van; and as this out-of-the-way day is one of the days of our life, the two guardian angels will be with us today also. Goodness to supply our needs and mercy to blot out our sins — these twain shall attend our every step this day and every day till days shall be no more. Wherefore, let us serve the Lord on this peculiar day with special consecration of heart and sing His praises with more zest and sweetness than ever. Could we not today make an unusual offering to the cause of God or to the poor? By inventiveness of love let us make this twenty-ninth of February a day to be remembered forever.

[from Faith's Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Scripture at Sunrise 2.28.2012

 

“Knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.” Hebrews 10:34

This is well. Our substance here is very unsubstantial; there is no substance in it. But God has given us a promise of real estate in the gloryland, and that promise comes to our hearts with such full assurance of its certainty that we know in ourselves that we have an enduring substance there. Yes, “we have” it even now. They say, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” but we have our bird in the bush and in the hand, too. Heaven is even now our own. We have the title deed of it, we have the earnest of it, we have the firstfruits of it. We have heaven in price, in promise, and in principle; this we know not only by the hearing of the ear but “in ourselves.”

Should not the thought of the better substance on the other side of Jordan reconcile us to present losses? Our spending money we may lose, but our treasure is safe. We have lost the shadows, but the substance remains, for our Savior lives, and the place which He has prepared for us abides. There is a better land, a better substance, a better promise; and all this comes to us by a better covenant; wherefore, let us be in better spirits, and say unto the Lord, “Every day will I bless thee; and praise thy name for ever and ever.”

[from Faith's Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Scripture at Sunrise 2.27.2012

 

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:1-10

Sunday Morning | February 26, 2012 | Bro. Anthony Vance | Ephesians 2:1-10 | Sermon Audio
grace: undeserved saving kindness to judgment-deserving sinners

>Why do we need the grace of God? (vs. 1-3)- Before God, we are dead in trespasses and sins. Sin has not simply disabled us; sin has killed us. A dead person cannot do anything to make themselves right before God.

>What’s so amazing about the grace of God? (vs. 4-5) BUT GOD! It is amazing that God should love any of us. We who deserve God’s wrath are made recipients of His grace and everlasting love. Sometimes we cease to be amazed by grace…when was the last time you were made speechless and overwhelmed at the thought of grace?

>What are the fruits from the grace of God? (vs. 6-10) It will always produce at least two things: No more boasting and transformed living. We can’t even boast about our faith because even that was a gift from God. We will go about doing good works, which do not contribute anything to our good-standing relationship with God, but are evidences of His grace in our lives.

Grace is Jesus Christ. He is the grace of God.

Weekly Announcements (February 27-March 4)

Monday, February 27
Review the messages from yesterday and start applying some of the things you learned.
[Listen to "Why is Grace Amazing?"] [Listen to evening sermon on Deuteronomy 31] 
4:00-8:00 p.m.- Visitation for Beath’s sister, Sue Lunsford, at Kerr Bros. Funeral Home on Main Street. 

Tuesday, February 28
Pray for marriages in our church family, that the Lord would protect them and be glorified through them.
Happy Birthday to Beath Sparks!
10:00 a.m.- Funeral of Sue Lunsford (Beath’s sister) at Kerr Bros. Funeral Home on Main Street.

Wednesday, February 29
7:00 p.m.- Adults continue “Systematic Theology” Series.
- Our kids will conclude their Fruits of the Spirit series. (This week: Self-Control)
- Youth continue their new “Creation” series in the annex!
Pray for the children of NLBC today, that they will come to know Christ as their Savior and treasure Him above all things.

Thursday, March 1
Pray for your Pastor and your Sunday School teachers as they study to prepare for this weekend.

Friday, March 2
Pray for those at NLBC who are taking care of elderly parents at this time: strength to care for them, patience with them, and grace for the trying moments.
Happy 15th Anniversary, Church Family! 

Saturday, March 3
Pray for the services along with those who are preaching and teaching tomorrow.  Prepare your heart for worship.

Sunday, March 4
10:00 a.m.- Sunday School
11:00 a.m.- Morning Worship
6:00 p.m.- Evening Service
Ushers: Anthony Vance & Wayne Gabbard

Saturday, March 10
Our youth group will be going to WinterJam at Rupp Arena! The concert lasts from 6:00-10:00. Since it’s general admission ($10), we will be meeting at 4:00…place to be determined. For more information, see Bro. Wayne Gabbard!

Sunday, March 11
2:00 p.m.- Service at Thomson-Hood Veterans’ Center in Wilmore. See Bro. Wayne for details.

Sunday, March 18
Homecoming Celebration! {Celebrating 15 years!}
11:00- Bro. Bobby Lakes will be preaching in our morning service.
- Lunch to follow in the annex. (See Sis. Helen for details.)

BGBS Scholarship Fund
Over the past few months, we have been contributing to a scholarship fund for our members attending Blue Grass Baptist School. If you would like to contribute to their Christian education, please write “BGBS Scholarship” on your offering envelope. (You can choose either to designate to the general scholarship fund or to a specific student.)

Missionary of the Month

Jud & Raquel Hatcher in Manaus, Brazil
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Links of the Week:

• Where to Find Happiness
• Lovely music: “Hidden in my Heart”
• The Legacy of a Godly Home
• Psalm 111: Delighting in the Works of God
• Have you checked out the BFM blog?

Scripture at Sunrise 2.23.2012

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” -Matthew 28:19

“Every Christian is a missionary or an imposter.” – Spurgeon via Lecrae’s Twitter

Scripture at Sunrise 2.22.2012

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” -Romans 8:3-4

“The gospel in a nutshell: Humanity is incurably sinful, God requires sinlessness, and God in his grace has remedied this situation through the work of Jesus Christ.” -Frank Thielman

[HT: Of First Importance]

Scripture at Sunrise 2.21.2012

“He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.” -Psalm 115:13

This is a word of cheer to those who are of humble station and mean estate. Our God has a very gracious consideration for those of small property, small talent, small influence, small weight. God careth for the small things in creation and even regards sparrows in their lighting upon the ground. Nothing is small to God, for He makes use of insignificant agents for the accomplishment of His purposes. Let the least among men seek of God a blessing upon his littleness, and he shall find his contracted sphere to be a happy one.

Among those who fear the Lord there are little and great. Some are babes, and others are giants. But these are all blessed. Little faith is blessed faith. Trembling hope is blessed hope. Every grace of the Holy Spirit, even though it be only in the bud, bears a blessing within it. Moreover, the Lord Jesus bought both the small and the great with the same precious blood, and He has engaged to preserve the lambs as well as the full-grown sheep. No mother overlooks her child because it is little; nay, the smaller it is, the more tenderly does she nurse it. If there be any preference with the Lord, He does not arrange them as “great and small” but as “small and great.”

[from Faith's Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon]

Weekly Announcements (February 20-26)

Monday, February 20
Review the messages from yesterday and start applying some of the things you learned.
Take some time to pray for Babji and Rebecca Vejendla, missionaries to India, who are there visiting this week and making preparations to move there next year!

Tuesday, February 21
Pray for marriages in our church family, that the Lord would protect them and be glorified through them.

Wednesday, February 22
7:00 p.m.- Adults continue “Systematic Theology” Series.
- Our kids will conclude their Fruits of the Spirit series. (This week: Self-Control)
- Youth continue their new “Creation” series in the annex!
Pray for the children of NLBC today, that they will come to know Christ as their Savior and treasure Him above all things.

Thursday, February 23
Pray for your Pastor and your Sunday School teachers as they study to prepare for this weekend.

Friday, February 24
Pray for those at NLBC who are taking care of elderly parents at this time: strength to care for them, patience with them, and grace for the trying moments.

Saturday, February 25
Pray for the services along with those who are preaching and teaching tomorrow.  Prepare your heart for worship.

Sunday, February 26
10:00 a.m.- Sunday School
11:00 a.m.- Morning Worship
6:00 p.m.- Evening Service
Ushers: Anthony Vance & Wayne Gabbard
Nursery:

Saturday, March 10
Our youth group will be going to WinterJam at Rupp Arena! The concert lasts from 6:00-10:00. Since it’s general admission ($10), we will be meeting at 4:00…place to be determined. For more information, see Bro. Wayne Gabbard!

BGBS Scholarship Fund
Over the past few months, we have been contributing to a scholarship fund for our members attending Blue Grass Baptist School. If you would like to contribute to their Christian education, please write “BGBS Scholarship” on your offering envelope. (You can choose either to designate to the general scholarship fund or to a specific student.)

Missionary of the Month

Jud & Raquel Hatcher in Manaus, Brazil
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Links of the Week:

• Have you checked out the BFM blog since last week? There’s LOTS of exciting new letters from our missionaries!
• We Aren’t Simply Improving
• For the moms: The Gospel according to Motherhood
• Study the Word for more than words

Scripture at Sunrise 2.16.2012

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” -Colossians 3:16

“Be walking Bibles.”
(Spurgeon via Stephen Altrogge’s Twitter)

Scripture at Sunrise 2.15.2012

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” -Isaiah 55:9

God often makes confetti out of our big plans for ourselves and uses it to celebrate His better plans for the world. -Bob Goff, via Twitter