Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church Ferguson Avenue Savannah, Georgia 31406

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1 Bob Dimmitt Pastor Tim Wade Assoc. Pastor/ Youth Tom Keller Minister to Senior Adults Church Phone: If you have any questions concerning the message from today, or are interested in obtaining information about church membership, please see the Pastor after the service, drop a note in the offering plate indicating your desire to talk with the Pastor, or call the church office. Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church Ferguson Avenue Savannah, Georgia Where Christ Is Exalted and the Fellowship Is Exciting Announcements November 18, 2018 Wednesday on Tuesday Night This week s menu features Fried Chicken! Please sign the list in the hall if you are joining us. The meal is on Tuesday this week. There is no Awana, and the busses will not run. There is Youth, Prayer, and Bible study. Tee Shirts If you did not get a tee shirt last Sunday, we have plenty of size large and extra large. If you need another size, talk to or Dawn Stanford. We will place another order this week. Thanksgiving Baskets Please place your contributions to the Thanksgiving baskets on the shelves in the foyer. They will be delivered tomorrow. Thank you! A Special Thank You for a Wonderful 50 th Homecoming If you participated in any way in our 50 th Homecoming festivities last weekend, you already know what a special weekend it was. The phrase that we have heard repeated over and over again in the past week is, It could not have possibly gone any better. However, that did not happen by accident. There were many people both behind the scenes and front and center working to make sure our 50 th Homecoming was a success. Our homecoming committee, consisting of Shawn Champion, Janice Donaldson, Cole Morris, Joe Morris, Steve Posner (Chairman), and Dawn Stanford, did a remarkable job planning and coordinating the fish This Week at FABC Today Coffee Fellowship 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Adult Choir Practice 4:00 p.m. Christmas Choir Practice 4:45 p.m. Evening Worship 6:00 p.m. TUESDAY Dinner - Fried Chicken Youth Prayer & Bible Study 5:45 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. Continued on p. 5 FABC Deacons Shawn Champion Mickey Fell Ron Fowler Jimmy Kicklighter (CH) Jack Moore Billy Morris, Sr Kelly Stanford John Sumner Michael Walker Ric Zittrouer

2 November 18, :30 a.m. Welcome and Announcements * Opening Chorus & Greeting Thou Art Worthy Words are on the back of the bulletin * Call to Worship Psalm 119:9-18 * Hymn, bulletin pp. 8-9 Psalm Beth: How Can a Young Man Cleanse His Way? Prayer of General Confession Isaiah 43:23-25 Special Music Scripture Reading Acts 24:22-25:8 Dean McCraw Receiving of Tithes and Offerings * Hymn #442 Praise Him! Praise Him! Message Bob Dimmitt Retributive Paradox Ecclesiastes 9:11-16, Ecclesiastes #48 * Hymn, to right Doxology Old Hundred tune * All those who are able, please stand. Doxology 6:00 p.m. Welcome and Announcements *Hymn #17 Come, Thou Fount Prayer Receiving of Tithes And Offerings Hymn, bulletin pp Psalm 75: Our Thanks We Offer, O God Hymn #393 Take My Life and Let It Be Message Bob Dimmitt Patria Potestas Ephesians 6:1-4, Ephesians #115 * Hymn, bulletin p. 7 Jude Doxology Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen 2

3 A.M. Notes Retributive Paradox Ecclesiastes #48 Ecclesiastes 9:11-16 Proverbs 24:5-7 The poor man s wisdom is despised, why? And what does that mean? In this instance the poor man s wisdom was not despised and his words were heard and attended to; but this was an abnormal case, occasioned by the extremity of the peril. Mark 6:1-3 Ecclesiastes 9:17-18 Proverbs 17:27 Retributive paradox = is the recognition that reality does not act-consequence structure, experience often creates a paradox. We must help them feel the despair that in this world there is no hope. Non-Christian thinking about the world is at odds with reality. Most people have not thought deeply about their non-christian beliefs 3

4 P.M. Notes Patria Potestas Ephesians #115 Ephesians 6:1-4 Lev 19:3; Deut 21:18; Prov 1:8; Prov 6:20-23; Prov 23:22; Prov 30:11; Prov 30:17; & Col 3:20 Obey = literally means to listen under with attentiveness and to respond positively to what is heard. It implies an inward attitude of respect and honor, as well as external acts of obedience. In the Lord If parents do not raise their children insisting that they (the child) obey them they (the parents) sin against God and the command of God. 8 points: 1. Requiring obedience of children is 2. Requiring obedience of 3. Requiring obedience should be 4. It takes effort to 5. You can break 6. Gracious parenting leads 7. Children whose parents 8. Requiring obedience is not 4

5 Continued from p. 1 fry, the morning worship service and meal, and all the work that had to be done in the weeks leading up to Homecoming to get our church in tip-top shape. Of course, it must also be noted that last weekend s celebration consisted of at least two different feasts, both prepared in very short order by Richie Mills and his undaunted helpers. Joyful feasting in remembrance of the Lord s faithfulness is a consistent pattern throughout scripture. It is good and right for us to participate in such feasting on special occasions, and Richie and his helpers made it possible for us to do so. Jack and Connie Moore also spent more hours at the church in preparation for homecoming than they did at their house over the same period of time. They cleaned, rearranged, set up tables, chairs, and decorations, and made sure that everything necessary for the weekend was in place. Of course, many hands make light work, and at some point or other almost everyone in the church lent their time and energy to making last weekend a success, even if it was only in showing up and participating in our worship service and fellowship. It would be impossible to note every individual who contributed to the cooking, cleaning, and preparation for our homecoming service, but for all who did, allow us to extend this hearty, Thank you! Let us also resolve to not let our energies be exhausted to only remember. Remembering is good for worship, but remembering should also have the effect of motivating us toward greater faithfulness in the future. Last weekend was an example of what can be accomplished when members of a church selflessly give of themselves for the sake of the community. As we go forward, let us apply the same zeal to the gospel mission of the church, to reaching the community that God has providentially placed us in, to raising the children of the church in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Such efforts are exhausting, but as we saw last weekend, the reward far outweighs the effort. So then, with our Homecoming behind us, let us set our sights on what lies ahead and continue to work together for the Glory of God and our love for one another. Weekly Catechism Question Question #79: Which is the eighth commandment? Answer: The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal. Scripture: Exodus 20:15 Gift to CMI Due This Week If you would like to add to the church s gift to CMI, then today, place your gift in the offering or send it to the office ear marked for CMI. Thank you for your love and concern for this important ministry. Directory Info to Add Please check the new directory and see if Dawn has made a mistake and/or left your entry out. Then give her the business about it, along with your current info. Also, please add to your new directories: Sonja Clements 1407 Atlantic Avenue Savannah, GA Joy Class The Joy Class will not meet this Tuesday morning. Their next meeting is November 27. Senior Saints Just a reminder of their weekly visitation ministry on Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. There is no Bible Study Thursday, November 22. Office Closed The office will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 22 and 23 for Thanksgiving. Young Adult Bible Study Thursday, November 29, 6:30 p.m., at the Sheffields. Called Congregational Meeting There is a called congregational meeting on Sunday, December 9, at 5:45 p.m. to vote for new deacons. The nominees are Joe Morris and Jay Rowe. 5

6 Upcoming Seasonal Events 6 Sunday, December 2 Cocoa, Cookies, & Carols Fellowship Hall 6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 8 Sacred Harp Singing: Selections for Christmas Piano Overflow Room 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 11 Joy Ladies Christmas Party Jeanie Groover s House 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, December 12 Christmas Banquet Fellowship Hall & Gym 7:00 p.m. Friday, December 14 Senior Saints Christmas Party Meet at church at 4:30 p.m. Monday, December 17 Youth Caroling 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 18 Senior Saints Tour of Christmas Lights Sunday, December 23 Adult Choir Cantata: The Glory of the Lord Sanctuary 6:00 p.m. Monday, December 24 Christmas Eve Service Sanctuary 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 31 New Year s Eve Activities Fellowship Hall Details TBA

7 Music Jude Doxology Cam Huxford Remember, Jesus brought you out of Egypt. Remember, He has sought you as His people. Remember, He has saved you from your sin. Remember, remember Him. Remember, Jesus brought you through the Red Sea. Remember, mighty miracles that you have seen. Remember, you were slaves and now are free. Remember, that He is king. To the only God, our savior, Jesus Christ. Be glory, honor, power, and dominion. Before all time, and now, and evermore! Remember, Jesus reigns above the heavens. He s coming, He is coming with his kingdom. Do not forget, He is seated on the throne. Remember what He has done. To the only God, our savior, Jesus Christ. Be glory, honor, power, and dominion. Before all time, and now, and evermore. Amen 7

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12 Articles How the Trinity Helps Solve the Problem of Identity Politics By Sean McDowell Identity politics are all the rage today. While it has brought some needed insight to the unique experience of individuals, it also threatens to fracture our society. The doctrine of the trinity can help bring needed balance. Let me explain. The first philosophical question people wrestled with is called the problem of the one and many: What accounts for both the unity and diversity in the world? As we reflect on reality, it is clear that we find both unity and difference. A team (unity) has many players (diversity). A tree has many branches. A company has many workers. And a body has many parts. Christians find the solution to the problem of the one and the many in the character of God Himself. There is one God (unity) and three persons (diversity). The word Trinity is meant to capture the biblical teaching that there is one God who eternally exists as three persons. Unity and diversity in the world are a reflection of our Creator. The motto of the U.S. is e pluribus unum, which means Out of many, one. The United States is one country (unity) that is made up of many states (diversity). It is one country with many citizens. Both unity and diversity are at the heart of the American experiment. If we lose sight of either our national unity or diversity, our country will fracture. This is what identity politics threatens to do. Identity Politics and Generation Z Essentially, identity politics classifies people according to various groups to which they belong such as race, age, generation, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. The positive aspect of identity politics is that it recognizes that the various groups to which we belong shape how we see the world. Millennials. Hispanics. Women. Elderly. Southerners. And so on. Group identity does shape how we experience reality. For instance, Gen Zers are growing up in a different world than Baby Boomers or Gen Xers. And as a result, many Gen Zers see the world differently than earlier generations. Learning the unique attributes of Gen Z can help older generations better understand and relate to them. The Downside of Identity Politics But there is a potential downside to identity politics as well it tends to isolate people across different groups. It subtly (yet powerfully) questions the unity that binds individuals together. If you belong to a different group than someone else, you simply cannot understand the other person s experience. People exist on individual islands, so to speak, based upon their group identities, and have no deeper connection to members of other groups. 12

13 When I give a lecture on Reaching Generation Z, I make the point that studies, trends, and statistics can help us understand young people today, but we must not forget that every individual has a unique story. Gen Zers are not simply members of a group they are unique individuals who each experience the world in distinct ways. And we have far more in common with them than we do difference. In other words, relating to members of a particular group, such as Gen Zers, requires recognizing both the distinct experience members of a group share, but the deeper unity that binds people together across generations. Identity Politics in the United States This is also true for a country. In his recent book Last Call for Liberty, Os Guinness claims that identity politics threatens to damage the national unity that once bound Americans together: Under the influence of multiculturalism and identity politics, America has become all pluribus with little or no unum, and a hurt and angry pluribus at that. The outcome is that America s sense of shared identity started to fray in the sixties, and has been fraying ever since (p. 228). For our nation to survive, we need a unifying principle that binds us together as citizens beyond identity politics, and we also need to protect and care for the rights of individuals. If we lose our commitment to both unity and diversity, our nation will perish. And the same balance is vital for other groups such as a team, family, church, or company. The Trinity and Identity Politics The doctrine of the Trinity teaches us that God is both one and many. He has made the world to reflect His character. This is why a team, family, and company require both unity and diversity. And the same is true for our nation. Identity politics recognizes diversity, but it fractures the deeper unity that binds us together as a nation and ultimately as human beings. Let us take a lesson from the Trinity before it is too late. I n the time of Constantine, Marcus Arethusus, had been key in overthrowing an idol temple; however, the new emperor, Julian commanded the people of that place to build it up again. All were ready to do so except Marcus, he simply refused. Consequently his own people, the very ones he had preached to, attacked him. They stripped him and abused his naked body and gave it up to school-boys to be lanced with their penknives. This failed to cause Marcus to change his mind so he was tied to the ground in the heat of the sun, his naked body covered over w/ honey so that he might be bitten and stung by flies and wasps. All this cruelty was done because he would not do anything towards the rebuilding of that idol temple, in fact if he had been willing to give only one penny towards it they would have released him, but he refused. Giving one penny would have saved his life but as a Christian he could not. As a true practicing Christian he knew he must choose to suffer the worst torments than commit the least of sins in which God would be dishonored, God s name blasphemed, the Christian religion reproached, his own profession of Christ scorned, and weaker saints discouraged. Hebrews 12:4, You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood. Amplified Version 13

14 Missionary of the Week Tony & Sharon Gould Sumter, South Carolina Tony and Sharon have spent their entire marriage in ministry. Tony pastored for years, and upon his retirement he and Sharon set off to South Africa to teach and work at a Bible School. That phase of their ministry over, from their home base in South Carolina, Tony fills a pulpit when needed and takes opportunities to speak and teach the Word whenever he is able. He teaches a Bible study every Wednesday night, with 40 to 50 attending every week. His passion for teaching is hard to match. Sharon, always the helpmeet and administrator, has worked to transfer all of Tony s recorded teaching onto CD so it can be used to teach today. She is active in their church and the local Pregnancy Center. From their most recent letter: Praise : For you, our supporters, who have been with us since 1990, Siabonga (In English) "Thank you very much" UBI is building another house for 2 married couples to study For our world wide family Prayer Requests: For our health issues which are common for our age For Tony to continue teaching one verse at a time. Sharon is involved as the Financial officer in the Advocacy Pregnancy Center where it ministers to clients in an unplanned pregnancy and teach Prenatal and Parenting classes. T here should be something about Christians (us) that the world can t quite understand. I don t mean that people would think of us as strange or weird but that they would certainly see something different about us. Instead we kind of blend in. There s nothing different about us. We are conditioned to think, talk and believe in the way the culture encourages us to think, talk, and believe, but we forget that our culture isn t a Biblical one. As Christians we ought to feel some discontentment here. We ought to feel like this world is not our home. YET many of us do feel at home here, at home in our world and comfortable in what we have. The Martyr s Oath 14

15 Sunday School Classes & Descriptions Adult Revelation - Organ Side Overflow Room: Matt Coleman Chronological Survey of the Bible - Fellowship Hall: Bob Dimmitt Church History - Youth House: Steve Posner The Power of Words - Room 28: Tamera Smith, Women s Class Students & Children Babies - Room 3: Kay Stanford & Saundra Bridges 1s & 2s - Room 24: Michael & Ruth Kleinpeter/Danny & Kamee Roberson 3s & 4s - Room 25: Emily Wise, Susan Su, Donna Martin Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade - Room 200: John & Pam Humphrey 3rd-6th Grade Boys - Room 202: Ric Zittrouer & Richie Mills 3rd-6th Grade Girls - Room 204: Mary Ann Fowler, Amy Horton Youth Guys - Room 206: Tim Wade, Bobby Deloach, Shawn Champion Youth Girls - Room 207: Sona Bailey, Jessica Dimmitt, & Lauren Wade T he Bible never asks for blind faith, it calls for a reasoned faith. Remember that if there is no God and we live in a strictly material, evolving universe, violence and suffering are just a part of the natural world with no inherent morality attached to them. In this case violence would not be evil; it would simply be a part of the evolutionary process. Without God compassion for others is nothing but chemical changes in the brain. Suffering is meaningless, violence is meaningless. Bible Reading Schedule November Hebrews Hebrews Hebrews James James Peter Peter 4-2 Peter Peter 3-1 John John 3-1 John John, 3 John, Jude 11 Revelation Revelation Revelation Revelation Revelation Revelation Romans Romans Romans Romans Romans Romans Corinthians Corinthians Corinthians Corinthians Corinthians Corinthians Corinthians Corinthians

16 Thou Art Worthy Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy, Thou art worthy, O Lord To receive glory, glory and honor, Glory and honor and pow'r. For Thou hast created, Hast all things created, For Thou hast created all things, And for Thy pleasure they are created, Thou art worthy O Lord. Q uestion: could it be that for some, maybe many, that we are simply using Jesus as a means to assuage our consciences as we live for ourselves? We self-medicate on religion so we don t feel quite so bad about our total selfcenteredness, our unabashed obsession with ourselves, our things, our future, and our lives. Which seems to naturally lead to this: According to a LifeWay Research study, while 80% of churchgoing Christians believe it is necessary to tell others about Jesus, less than 40% have done so in the last 6 months. Video and audio recordings of the messages are available for listening or downloading from For Hearing Impaired If you have difficulties hearing, we have listening aid devices available. Ask any of the ushers, or the technician in the sound booth, if you are in need of one of these devices. 16 Nursery November 18 10:30 A.M. Babies: Kay Stanford, Pam Sarhan Toddlers - 4 year olds: Jimmy & Tammy Kicklighter/ Mike & Elinor Morris 6:00 P.M. Janice Donaldson, Ceci Sheffield, Sharon Boaen Nursery November 25 10:30 A.M. Babies: Shelma Lewis, Jeanie Groover, Linda Walker Toddlers - 4 year olds: Lisa & Addisyn Rowe/ Lauren Rowe, Myri Hymon 6:00 P.M. Heather Schraeder, Tricia Sumner, Bethany Humphrey Ushers November 18 10:30 A.M. Bucky Lanier, Jack Moore, Ron Fowler, Kelly Stanford 6:00 P.M. Joe Morris, Kelly Stanford Ushers November 25 10:30 A.M. Jimmy Kicklighter, Mike Morris, John Sumner, Michael Walker 6:00 P.M. Jay Rowe, John Sumner Sunday Greeters - Nov. 18 Mary Fowler, Jeanie Groover November Lock-Up Deacons Ron Fowler, Jimmy Kicklighter