Tag Archives: pastor

Scripture at Sunrise 8.25.09

“I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.”  -Ezekiel 34:15

Under the divine shepherdry saints are fed to the full. Theirs is not a windy, unsatisfying mess of mere human “thought,” but the Lord feeds them upon the solid, substantial truth of divine revelation. There is real nutriment for the soul in Scripture brought home to the heart by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself is the true life-sustaining Food of believers. Here our Great Shepherd promises that such sacred nourishment shall be given us by His own self. If, on the Lord’s Day, our earthly shepherd is empty-handed, the Lord is not.

When filled with holy truth the mind rests. Those whom Jehovah feeds are at peace. No dog shall worry them, no wolf shall devour them, no restless propensities shall disturb them. They shall lie down and digest the food which they have enjoyed. The doctrines of grace are not only sustaining but consoling: in them we have the means for building up and lying down. If preachers do not give us rest, let us look to the Lord for it.

This day may the Lord cause us to feed in the pastures of the Word and make us to lie down in them. May no folly and no worry but meditation and peace mark this day.

[from Faith’s Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon, August 25 entry]

Scripture at Sunrise 3.16.09

Another wonderful day in the Lord at NLBC!  I tried to summarize my notes, but it was really hard because I’m on spring break and my brain is definitely not in summarize mode. 

Sunday School by Randy Thomas (Ezra 7-8)
 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.”  -Ezra 7:27-28

  • Ezra, a man of God, student of God’s Word and scribe, recognizes the hand of God upon his life and realizes it was all of the grace of God. 
  • He only knew of the homeland through the Word of God. 
  • The hand of the Lord gives him credit (seen throughout Ezra 7-8).
  • Ezra’s Lineage: Priestly (one of the neatest things to note here is that one of his ancestors was Hilkiah, the priest who found the books of the Lord during Josiah’s reign…2 Kings 22:8)
  • Pray for a heart to study and a desire to obey.  (Ezra 7:10)
  • Ezra was on a long, dangerous journey, traveling 800-900 miles to Jerusalem in 4 months with $31-million worth of jewels and 7 tons of gold and silver. 
  • Ezra was a humble man of prayer who relied on his faith and knew his blessings came from God. 
  • Do what you can with what you’ve got where you are and God will bless that. 

Sunday Morning Pastor Steve Wainright (Colossians 2:1-5)
“…to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…”  -Colossians 2:2b-3

  • conflict=struggle=agon (same word as in Colossians 1:29), like an athlete training
  • Do we struggle for others in our church? 
  • Passion for people never met…spiritual bond; weighted down=compassion=burdened.  (vs. 1)
  • Struggling and agonizing in PRAYER.  (as seen in Colossians 4:12, laboring fervently=agonizomai)
  • Paul lived and breathed prayerfully and was constantly in prayer for these believers. 
  • How would your life change if you were constantly in prayer? 
  • A great heart opens their heart to others, which presents a greater possibility to get hurt, but an even greater possibility to experience great joy. 
  • vs. 2-3: What Paul is praying for the believers. 
  • The key to a fruit-filled, Christ-honoring, bubbling-over-with-joy life is to grow in the knowledge of Christ. 
  • Focus on Christ. 
  • Don’t isolate yourselves: fellowship is needed. 
  • parakaleo=others come alongside; share burden; encouraged; KNIT TOGETHER=not caught by false doctrine
  • “in love”- experiential knowledge
  • We share the love of Christ when we minister to one another and pray for one another. 
  • understanding=putting together all the facts in such a way that assuring truths can  drawn: begins with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
  • If you lack assurance, meditate on the Gospel. 
  • In whom or what are you trusting?  Is there proof in your life that you are saved?  (Read 1 John)
  • When you experience salvation, you grow in knowledge of Him and become satisfied in Him. 
  • vs. 3: fullness of satisfaction=in Christ  (Is it well with your soul?) 
  • vs. 4: reason for Paul writing this: so they won’t be drawn away with enticing words
  • Follow hard after Christ! 

Sunday Evening Pastor Steve Wainright (Exodus 29:22-46)
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.”  -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

  • God provided for His priest through His people. 
  • vs. 35-37: Priest killed a bull every day.  Why?  Because of sin.  Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. 
  • The Jews have no altar today because the Temple was destroyed.  That means they have no sacrifice and therefore no atonement. 
  • vs. 38-42: Priestly Duties: offer a lamb in the morning; offer a lamb at night
  • Ephesians 5:2- Christ=fragrant offering; sacrifice
  • vs. 43-46: Detail because God had to consecrate where He was going to dwell with His people because He wanted to reveal His glory. 
  • All this points to Christ.
  • Exodus 6>Exodus 29
  • 1 Corinthians 3:16-17- I am a temple. 
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20- purchased, cleansed, Holy Spirit dwells…Why?  To show forth His glory.  (The very same reason seen in Exodus 29). 
  • If it’s questionable, don’t do it.  (Romans 12:1-2)

Scripture at Sunrise 3.2.09

Happy 12th Anniversary! 
Here’s just a little recap of what the Lord taught me while His word was expounded yesterday. 

Sunday School (Steve Dawson-Ezra 1)
“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing…” -Ezra 1:1
This verse encouraged me to pray for our President (a command in I Timothy 2:1-4) because it truly is the Lord that turns the heart of the king (Proverbs 21:1) and He has before, so why not now?! 

Morning Service (Pastor Steve Wainright- Colossians 1:23-25)
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church…”  -Colossians 1:24
Paul is suffering in prison because of his great love for Jesus Christ that has produced a deep love for the Jews (Romans 10). 
It is not how broad your mission field is, but how DEEP it is. 

Evening Service (Roger Harden – Romans 1:14-19; 5:8-11)
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”  -Romans 1:16
vs. 14- Paul is in debt to the guy picking up the garbage and in debt to a professor at UK.  The Gospel is not a respecter of persons.  Paul will share the Gospel with Agrippa or with his cellmates. 
Some of Bro. Roger’s Quotable Quotes
We as believers sometimes forget just how wretched we really are. 
We don’ walk away from the cross at our conversion.  We need to continue to gaze upon it. 
The Gospel doesn’t need to be dressed up. 
Rejoice in your salvation! 
Though we are not experiencing what saints in Heaven are right now, we are just as secure as they are! 

Make the world background music and focus on glorifying God. 

For those who are wondering, the pictures from yesterday will be up ASAP!  Praise the Lord for such a wonderful day celebrating His finished work on the cross and the work He has done at NLBC!

Scripture @ Sunrise 2.2.09

It was another great Sunday at New Life Baptist Church (always in the Lord)!  Here’s your brief recap, which by no means does the day any justice.  Get a CD if you had to miss it for some reason. 

Devotion (Steve Dawson)
The Character of Genuine Saving Faith
There’s not a verse that sums it up, they’re all sooooo good! 

Sunday School (Steve Dawson)
“It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.” -John 18:14
The reason Christ was born was to die.

Sunday Morning Sermon (Pastor Steve Wainright)
“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy…” -Colossians 1:10-11
*Know God’s Word if you want to be filled with the knowledge of His will.
*How can we walk worthy of God? (I John 2:6; I Peter 2:21)

Sunday Evening Sermon (Pastor Steve Wainright)
“For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility…”  -Ephesians 2:14
*Tabernacle: Courtyard (People)>Holy Place (Priest)>Most Holy Place (High Priest)
God tore down the middle wall through Christ!
*Before you can approach GOd, you have to deal with your sin. 
*The altar represents God’s holiness, His justice, His hate for sin.
*At the altar, you’d probably see blood, representing God’s wrath. 
*There must be a sacrifice to approach God. 
*Christ is the propitiation for our sins. (Romans 3:25)
*The Perfect Lamb became the Perfect Priest and also became the Perfect Altar!
*Since He has done so much for us, how then shall we live?  (Romans 12:1) As living sacrifices. 

AMEN and amen!  Happy Monday!  :o)

Monthly Manna from the Pastor’s Family Table

We want to share some of our favorite recipes from our family table with you each month.  Many of our fondest memories and happiest moments have been spent sharing food and conversation around our table.  Whether it be among our small family of three, friends and relatives, or those who God has sent our way who have become just as close as family to us, we have been blessed to learn about various cultures and hear countless stories of days gone by.  This month’s featured recipes are not only palate-pleasing, but they’re quick, easy, and easily doubled to serve a crowd.  

Our Family Table

Menu
Chicken & Rice Casserole
Orange-Almond Salad
Steamed Broccoli
French Bread with Dill Butter
 

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Chicken & Rice Casserole
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 box long grain & wild rice (not the quick-cooking kind), uncooked
1 can cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
1 can cream of celery soup (undiluted)
1 soup can of water or milk
½ stick butter or margarine (4 TBSP), melted
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Preheat oven to 350º.  Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine soups, water or milk, seasoning packet from the rice, and melted butter and stir with a wire whisk until well blended.  Pour one-third of the soup mixture in the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula.  Sprinkle the dry rice evenly over the soup mixture.  Pour another third of the soup mixture over the rice and spread gently to cover.  Place chicken breasts on top of this layer and cover with remaining soup mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, as desired, and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
*To prepare ahead, put the casserole together up to the baking point, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until baking time.  This is a good recipe to prepare Saturday night to put in the oven Sunday morning before church!  (Just be sure to take the plastic wrap off before baking!  haha!) 

Orange-Almond Salad
Salad:
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 bunch Romaine lettuce, washed, drained, & torn
2-3 green onions, sliced, including tops (optional)
¼ C. sliced almonds, toasted (to toast, place on baking sheet and broil until light brown—-watch closely!)

Combine all ingredients in large salad bowl.  Add dressing (see below) and toss.  Serve immediately.  Yield: 4-6 servings.

Dressing:
½ C. vegetable oil
3 TBSP vinegar
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. onion powder

Mix vinegar, lemon juice, and dry ingredients together with a wire whisk in a small bowl.  Add oil and mix well.  Pour mixture into a jar or salad dressing cruet.  Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.  Shake well and pour over salad just before serving. 

Steamed Broccoli
1 bunch fresh broccoli

Peel and trim stalk, remove leaves, and cut into spears.  Place a steaming rack in bottom of a large pan.  Place water up to the level of the rack.  Bring to a boil.  Add broccoli spears.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until broccoli is to desired tenderness.  Season broccoli to taste with butter, salt, and/or lemon juice.  Serve immediately. 

French Bread
Buy at the store and follow package directions! 

Dill Butter
½ C. softened butter
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1-2 tsp. dill weed

Put above ingredients in a small bowl and mix together with a fork or spoon until well blended. 
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Blessings from our family table to yours! 
We would love some “feed”-back from you!  :o)

Our Family Table