I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
John 8:12
The Lamplighter
March, 2009
2009 Prophecy Campaign
50 Days to Live!
What would
YOU
do?
Maybe you would follow the example of the two actors in
The Bucket List who traveled the world and sky dived and did other
daring things that they had always dreamed of doing, but never found the
time. Or, maybe you would spend
the time with family and friends to enjoy their love and friendship.
Others might think, “I need to get ready to see my Lord and make sure
everything is right in my relationships here on this earth.”
50 Days to
Live!
is the name of a prophecy campaign here at
Please be in prayer for Pastor Steve Hokuf as he
presents these messages and help us spread the word about the campaign.
We hope to promote the campaign on highway billboards, flyers and
newspaper advertisements.
So, what would YOU do if you knew you only had 50
days to live on this earth?
Maybe some of the petty things we let bother us and cause division in our
relationships would be put aside in order to do all you could to hear those
words that will ring in your ears for all of eternity, “Well done, good and
faithful servant.” It’s
something to think about.
Pastor Dan Mohler
Picture this:
Jesus
Laughing
by Pastor Dan Mohler
I
have
this new picture in my office entitled Jesus Laughing.
I invite you to come in and take a look at this artist’s rendering of
how Jesus may have looked enjoying a great laugh.
And then, consider that we were made in His image and therefore the
only reason we have a sense of humor is because He has a great sense of
humor.
I imagine Jesus with a great smile and laughing
with the children as they climbed up into his lap.
I can almost see Him wrestling with the boys.
Children have such a quick perception of a person’s character and of
their welcome. Others, who may
have been hesitant, saw how Jesus leaned over, got down on one knee and
looked into their eyes and then smiled that great smile which was a little
too big even for His face and opened His arms and they immediately ran into
His embrace; and oh, what an embrace it was, squeezing all the hesitancy out
of them and overwhelming them with wonderful love and acceptance.
How about you?
Have you been hesitant to really trust Him, to climb up into His lap
and play and laugh with Jesus?
We are kind of funny sometimes.
We forget that He is sovereign and joyful.
He is not worried about the condition of the world.
He is not surprised. The
hearts of all the kings of the earth live within His sovereignty.
And, He laughs at men who plan their schemes against Him.
And through it all He doesn’t lose His sense of humor.
It is good to laugh with the sovereign Lord.
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“We must sow down the gospel . . .”
Week of Prayer
for North American Missions
March 8-15
Our Annie Armstrong Easter Offering goal will be announced soon.
Message from Geoff Hammond
North American Mission Board President
Very
few would debate that North America is a mission field.
Open today’s newspaper or your Web browser to a new page, and you’ll
see evidence of lives in sin and sorrow.
People need Jesus Christ!
Jesus died on the cross for each person living in this land, but so many
have never heard or responded to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Many are putting their trust in money and in man, and are learning
the disappointment of doing so.
Christians know our trust and hope is in
Jesus alone.
We must sow down the gospel together to ensure that there is a
harvest of souls won for Christ.
The task before
us requires urgency. No
procrastination. No excuses.
Just bold and determined dedication in word and deed.
This is a spiritual battle that we cannot lose!
Joining with
churches in the harvest field are a mighty force of fellow sowers—more than
5,600 North American Mission Board missionaries.
God is stirring in the hearts of an increased number of people who
are responding to the call to career missions in
As you
participate in this North American Missions Emphasis, I urge you to do more
than just watch and listen.
Please pray fervently for North American missionaries.
Please give generously to North American missions through the Annie
Armstrong Easter Offering.
Please join us this urgent mission of sowing together for harvest!
—Dr. Geoffrey
Hammond
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Looking for 12 good men
Once
again “JESUS” is looking for twelve good men—men that will dedicate
a couple Sunday afternoons (12:15-1:15pm) for drama practice. We
still need four more men to help out with Palm Sunday’s Re-enactment
of the Lord’s Last Supper.
It’s always a good idea to have some understudies, as well—men
willing to cover for our actors in case of sickness.
Please prayerfully consider joining us this year.
“YES,” it will take some men out of their comfort zone; but, “We can
do all things through Christ who strengthens us.”
Practice
schedule:
Sun., Feb. 22, 12:15-1:15pm
Sun., March 8, 12:15-1:15pm
Sat., March 28, DRESS REHEARSAL, 10am-12noon
Sat., April 4, FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL, 10am-12noon
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SEEKERS Class
—led by
Pastor Dan Mohler
—held in Dr. Hokuf’s study
—Sundays, starting March 1
9:45am
Open to those interested in Christianity and/or
becoming a born-again Christian.
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NEW!
The Daily Grind
Sundays @ 5 pm
For ages 18-29
Join the group for coffee and Bible Study.
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Children’s Worship
“Love It” and “Live It”
Children’s
Worship team leaders are making final preparation for our space exploration
starting in March. It will be an
exciting adventure as each week we’ll help the boys and girls experience God
as creator of all things.
Through Bible stories, games, crafts, and music, we’ll learn that the Bible
is uniquely God’s Word and God is absolute authority.
The children will learn to “Love It” and Live It.”
Year after year the media and textbooks tell them
that Biblical truth including the resurrection of Jesus is fiction.
Nonetheless, we’ll continue to teach Biblical truth. We pray this
will be a life-changing experience for our boys and girls.
The count down has begun—10-9-8-7 . . . BLAST OFF!
Patricia Culver,
Team Leader
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HATS OFF!
The youth have been receiving rave reviews for the super
Valentine’s Banquet they put together for about 50/60 people.
The youth worked together marvelously and dressed very
“COOL” for the evening.
It’s been requested that they do another banquet soon!
We need some great pictures of mothers
We'd like to put together a slide show to honor mothers for Mothers’ Day. We
would love to include any pictures you have of your mother or a mother you
know. We can scan the pictures
in the church office and your picture/s will not be harmed in any way.
Take a few moments and look through pictures you may have.
We would especially like to have pictures of moms doing regular,
ordinary activities, like playing with the kids or doing things around the
house. You know, the kind
of things that get taken for granted, but the things that really mean the
most after all!
Hey guys! This is the perfect
opportunity to recognize your wife and/or mother.
Start looking through those pictures and get them to us A.S.A.P.
Here are instructions for submitting a picture:
Please write a brief description of who’s in the picture/s
&/or a brief explanation of photo.
CLEARLY IDENTIFY EACH PICTURE.
Please write information on a separate paper (or, use a post-it
placed on the back of the photo).
Please put the picture/s you submit in an envelope with
your name on the envelope and place it the offering plate.
You may also email pictures to the church office:
Deadline for submitting pictures is May 1.
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Calling All Cooks!!!!
The
Women on Mission group is sponsoring a church cookbook. We need all of your
favorite recipes! We need recipes for the following categories:
Appetizers & Beverages, Soups & Salads, Vegetables
& Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads & Rolls, Desserts, Cookies &
Candy, and This and That (for the recipes that don’t fit the other
categories).
There are two boxes to place your recipes in. One
box is in the vestibule and one is on the table by the library. Or, you may
give your recipes to Chrissy Jackson or email them to her at
kidchrissy@gmail.com . Or, you may
submit your recipe/s on line at www.fbne.net .
Our goal is to get 500 recipes. You may share as many recipes as you
like.
Don’t forget to put your name on the recipes. We
will be adding your name in the cookbook to give you the credit. PLEASE
don’t forget to share the recipes that people request the most at fellowship
meals!!
In order to have our books ordered and processed in a timely manner, the
deadline for the recipes to be in is March 1st
Stuck with sticky feet
I was fixin’ to take my annual bath (in the church
baptistry—S-H-H-H!) and found myself stuck with sticky feet—like stuck in
mud. Let me explain.
The first thing I noticed was Duane Combs, Gerrit
Hopman, Eric Jackson, and Lib Lewis tacking up all this plastic around the
baptistry for a big sandblasting project.
It’s my understanding that Mrs. Kathy Gray absolutely did not want
any dust or sand going into the church office.
And, heaven forbid, all that “stuff” going into God’s house.
The next morning I noticed almost all the plastic
had fallen down. (It was just
like a dream where you wallpapered a room and dreamed it had fallen down.
But, this was for real.) Then,
there was Plan B—Lib and Duane, tacked up the plastic again.
Next, the sandblasting contractor was called in.
He worked all day until late evening blasting away the rust, dirt and
grime from the baptistry tank. He didn’t even take a lunch break (No crumbs
for me—just my luck). The
project turned out to be much more than expected.
Lib and Duane shoveled 600 pounds of sand and saved
some for the parking lot—for icy days.
Smart guys! Then the next day Lib and Duane did a lot of wiping down
and vacuuming up more sand and dust.
Dave Bibey, the painting specialist, enters the
picture. He puts on a base coat.
It dries. Then he puts on
the special paint. Here’s the
kicker. How do you paint so that
you don’t paint yourself in a box? There was no other way other than
painting backwards while backing up one side of the baptisty steps—kinda
like a Houdini move. Dave, of
course, figured it out; but, almost too late.
He’d left just a little space and unknowingly stepped in paint in
stocking feet. When he got home
he realized there was something weird with his feet—took his shoes off and
sure enough he’d stepped in paint.
He had to very carefully peel his socks from his feet.
He said after all his years and experience with paint he’d never seen
anything like it. You folk
better pray the paint works that well in the baptistry, too.
You don’t want to repeat this project any time soon.
This job is BIG!
Then, Craig Hudler gets his hands in the action.
He figured out how to not get boxed in the baptistry and went to town
painting a second coat of paint.
Then there was another coat on the most critical
parts of the baptistry. All the
time the fans were blowing, blowing, blowing, to keep the fumes down and
help dry the paint.
Well, here’s where I come in the story.
As I mentioned before, I was headed for my annual bath in the
baptistry and was very careless.
I started down the steps and suddenly came to a dead stop.
I couldn’t move. All four
of my mouse feet stuck in the wet paint. I was up the creek without a
paddle. I should have known
better. I knew they’d been
painting; BUT, I thought the paint was dry.
I was just in a hurry to try the NEW baptistry.
Thankfully, Brother Mouse heard my S.O.S. and called in a host of
church mice to come to my rescue.
It was no easy task. The
last thing I remember is them throwing me a candy Lifesaver for me to catch
and they’d pull me free. I
fainted during the rescue mission and woke up with all my mice friends
surrounding me on their knees praying for my recovery.
It may be two years before I take my next bath.
Kat, The
P.S.
Lib, Duane, and Rick Wright are already busy with the next phase of this
project by refurbishing the two changing rooms on each side of the baptistry.
P.P.S.
Mr. Field Mouse came by to visit Brother Mouse.
He said Eric Jackson was moseying around the church property with a
wheelbarrow. Field Mouse didn’t
know exactly what he was doing; but, he was up to something.
He was coming from the direction of Jesus Loves Me Childcare Center’s
playground. Eric’s wife,
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What do missionaries say?
The Annie
Armstrong Easter Offering (AAEO) is the avenue God uses to fund our
ministry. Without this offering, our ministry would not be possible. Because
of the generosity of Southern Baptists, we are able to reach out into the
dark place and shed the Light. —Jeff Hughes, Baptist Collegiate
Evangelist,
Your giving
through the AAEO helps us to buy Bibles in the Inupiaq language to give out
to the Eskimo people in the Arctic of Alaska, which are given out all the
time. Thank you for your giving.—John T. Forrester, Church Planting
Missionary,
Annie Armstrong
grew up in
When you hear of
a crisis center, many people think of an inner city ministry. But, here in
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