A Church After God s Heart

Transcription

1 Volume: 2 Issue:1 A Church After God s Heart I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will. Acts 13:22 Your Pastors Heart CHURCH MOTTO Endeavor to Dig Deeper, Stretch Wider and Reach Higher... By Dr. E.W.Bryant Beloved, my prayer this coming year is for Wildewood to become a House of Prayer. We must endeavor to be a safe haven in this community that truly operates in love by first endeavoring to Dig Deeper so we can strengthen our roots internally - understanding that we are all part of a living organism, made up of talents and giftings the arms and legs of Jesus Christ. Once we deepen our resolve internally, then we are all charged to go out to the community, and embrace those lost and broken souls and bring them into citizenship with the saints of God. Ephesians 2:19 states Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God... My brothers and Sisters, we all belong to God s own household, the household of every born-again believer of faith, where spiritual favor and blessings flow. If we are to become the church that stretches wider, we must first encourage and admonish one another in the faith. When we adopt those precepts, will begin to strengthen and build up our church as a sanctified body of believers. We must stretch wider into our local neighborhood, pluck up those that are walking in darkness, and tell them the story of the most glorious and reverend Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. An embedded sense of community will allow us to reach higher goals and overlay a measure of excellence which is required to allow the beacon of love and caring, of this church to shine on others. My brothers and sisters, all in the Church of God ought to be talking the same language and that is that God gave up His Son so that our sins are atoned and that we have salvation, eternal life because Jesus died at Calvary. We must encourage one another to leave some stuff behind us, in order to push forth into this New Year with renewed passion and praise Dropping last year s baggage of offenses, lost of faith, shattered hopes, unrealized dreams because God, is trying to lead you into a future and a hope that he has reserved for you - if only you would accept His gift. Stop quenching the Holy Spirit goodness in your life; stop grieving the Holy Spirit which makes your prayers ineffective; start studying more, praying more, forgiving more start learning to fall in love with Jesus all over again! Because my brothers and sisters; when you fall deeply in love with Jesus, you will be on your way to be changed from the inside out, with a renewed mind and embracing a new attitude that is good and acceptable to the perfect will of God for your life. Remember, your transformation into a consecrated saint of God does not come easy, it requires pressure from all sides to mold you and valley treading to move you and humility to constrain you, so that God can completed His perfect work, his masterpiece YOU So be encouraged my beloved and keep in mind that the darkest hour of the night is just before the sun shines and know in your heart, that I pray for you all daily. God Bless and Keep you in AMEN

2 Speak to the other person first. Don t wait for them to take the initiative. Pass on the look of encouragement in a generous smile... Pass on the kindness of encouragement in a thoughtful deed... And let the encouragement of Christ flow through you. CHURCH OFFICERS Rev. Dr. E.W. Bryant, Senior Pastor Ministers Rev. Eddie Ballard, Associate Minister Rev. Ralph Thomas, Associate Minister Rev. Barry George, Director of Parish Fellowship Rev. Curtis Liggins, Director of Christian Education Rev. Donnell Mathews, Director of Crisis Ministry Rev. Eddie Copeland Jr. Director of Evangelism Brother D. Wayne Lee Minister of Music Trustee Board Brother Michael Berry, Chairperson Brother Harvey Kimes, Vice Chairperson Deacon Board Brother John Hamilton, Chairperson Brother Freeman Wilson, Vice Chairperson Brotherhood Brother Wayne Williams, Chairman Women s Missionary Union Sister Frankie Brewer, Chairperson Youth Ministry Sister Iris Copeland, Director Sunday School Fulfillment Hour Brother Homer Evans, Superintendent Church Clerk/Office Personnel Sister Patricia Walker, Secretary Newsletter Editor: Sister Iris Copeland Services Sunday Breakfast 08:00-9:15 AM Fulfillment Hour 9:30-10:30 AM Call to 11:00 AM-12:30PM Bible Study 5:30-6:30 PM Communion Service First Sunday Wednesday Bible Academy 6:00 PM- 7:00 PM Saturday Brotherhood Mtg-2 nd WMU Meeting-4 th Church Address: 60 NE 60 th Street Oklahoma City, OK ORDER of SERVICE Dear Lord, cleanse and prepare our hearts to celebrate our Savior s birth Praise and Devotion/Purpose Statement Deacons Benevolence Offering Acknowledgement of Visitors Sister Pat Walker Musical Sections WWBC Choir Sermon Dr. E. W. Bryant, Senior Pastor Invitation to Discipleship Pulpit Minister Tithes and Offering Deacons Announcements Altar Call Prayer Pulpit Minister Benediction Depart to Serve

3 5 Things Your Pastor Wish You Knew 1. He works more than 3 hours per week- He doesn't punch a clock and work normal hours like you or I do, but he spends countless hours visiting shut ins and the ill, tending to grieving families, counselling soon-tobe-wed couples, helping families in the throes of crisis...etc, etc. 2. He is not Superman - He is human, just like you. One of the greatest gifts that you can give your pastor is the freedom to be himself. He'll be much better equipped to love you and be loved, when you remove the element of expected perfection. New Year s Day, 1, He is not an army of one - His calling was never intended to be carried out alone. Here is a thought, the next time you see something that needs to be done, do it, then tell your pastor about it! 4. What is yours is his - When you rejoice GOT PRAYER GOT POWER KICKOFF, 4, because your child gets saved at WBS, so does he. Many a night, he ends a phone call with you during a time of need, unable to sleep, just as you are, because he feels your burdens. And he does it gladly, it is a part of the call. 5. He is responsible to a much HIGHER authority than his church members - Is he going to do things the way that YOU think he should? Nope. He is going to do it the way that God tells him to. Junior Laymens Breakfast 8, EZCDA Men s Meeting 14, Except from Stacie Stamper, a Pastors wife The Speakers Engagement Pastor E.W. Bryant spoke a spiritually enriching message at First Bqptist Church in Cushing, OK. Pastor Williams and his wife celebrated 6 year s of faithful service. Our Pastor gave us spiritual advice, then he gave us the guiding princples of Christian based leadership then he blessed us women with information on what our Christian man needs from us to stay strong. Thank you Pastor for that Spirt-filled word of knowledge. GO YE THEREFORE... Women & Young Adult Prayer Retreat 14-15, Martin Luther King Jr. s Birthday, 17

4 ot DISCIPLE OR CHRISTIAN Part 2 Discipleship or spiritual formation is becoming a focal and vital necessity in the Christian community. Dietrich Bonheoffer a known advocate against the Nazi rule by Hitler s regime chided the church 2 generations ago. He said we were settling for what he called cheap grace. Practicing a brand of Christianity without a cross. In many circles it would seem that all that is necessary is to embrace certain tenets, such as I am justified by faith alone. With this type of understanding of the Christian life what is the need to have a transformed life. In many surveys of various Christian groups, people will readily identify themselves as Christians, but are quite reluctant to call themselves Disciples. Why might this be the norm? Because being a Christian is easy. The one thing required is that we acknowledge our need for a Savior and receive a gift that we cannot earn nor deserve. But if I identify myself as a Disciple, then I am making a statement about the depth of my being a follower. Being a Christian is a statement about what Christ has done for us and being a Disciple is a statement what I doing as a follower of Christ. There are many Christian leaders who have sent the message that it is acceptable to be a Christian without the commitment of being a true follower of Jesus, a Disciple. (Continued on page 5)

5 Song with a message? According to modern folklore, the song The 12 Days of Christmas was written to help young believers learn about their faith. Although no evidence proves that claim, some say the popular carol contains these codes: The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ. Two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love. The four calling birds are the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The five golden rings are the Law: the first five books of the Old Testament. The six geese a-laying represent the six days of creation. Seven swans a-swimming represent the gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership and mercy. The eight maids a-milking are Jesus eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing are the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The 10 lords a-leaping are the Ten Commandments. The 11 pipers piping stand for the 11 faithful disciples. The 12 drummers drumming symbolize the 12 statements of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

6 Advantages of Joining the Choir Christian Education Opportunity By Pastor Bryant 1. You never have to worry about what to wear. 2. You have excellent seats and are assured a reserved seat for Christmas and Easter. 3. From your advantageous seat, you can smile at, gawk at, ignore and otherwise enjoy the rest of the people in the congregation. 4. The pastor is nearly always looking the other way. 5. You re in a wonderful spot to see new members. Accepting Christian Truth ATTENTION: Each Sunday night from 5:30-6:30PM, our ministers have been presenting a training on Accepting Christian Truth. These sessions have resulted in some great information for study and frank and open discussions concerning the primary goal of all Christians and that is How do we become more like Christ? Handouts available. Please join Pastor Bryant and the ministry staff of the church for some real insight into the application of the word of God to your life. You ll Be Glad You Came The cost for all these benefits? Just one evening a week. Oh, yes, one more reason to join the choir: You re a leader in the worship experience.

7 Part 2 continued I believe we have done a miserable job of making disciples as commanded in the scriptures. In terms of moral values and lifestyle choices there is little distinction between Christians and non-christians. We have become compromised at the core of our faith. We must reaffirm that biblically that there is no distinction between embracing God s grace as a forgiven sinner and following Jesus as the primary shaping influence over our life. Christians and disciples are interchangeable as stated in Acts 11:26, the disciples were 1st called Christians at Antioch. Therefore we must reevaluate where we set the bar of discipleship. One key issue I desire to address in Part III of this series of writing is How are Disciples made? Have you made a decision for Christ today? If, so let us know, you can contact us by (INFO@ WWBCOKC.COM ) or phone. ( ) We will be happy to pray with you and help you begin your walk of faith in Christ. Praise the Lord for you. May God lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Peace out, Rev Eddie THE JOYS OF AGING I have become quite a frivolous old gal. I m seeing five gentlemen every day. As soon as I awake 1 Will Power helps me to get out of bed. When he leaves I go to see 2 John. Then 3 Charlie Horse comes along, and when he is here, he takes a lot of my attention. When he leaves 4 Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day. He doesn t like to stay in one place very long, so he takes me from joint to joint... After such a busy day, I m really tired and ready to go to bed with 5 Ben Gay. What a life. Oh, yes, I've also been flirting with Al Zymer! Submitted by Mother Lubertha Johnson First Baptist Church, Enid Oklahoma Youth are our future & their proper nurturing is our responsibility..

8 Greetings, The reality of Christ s birth should bring joy to the world. We were lost and there was no other means whereby we could be saved. Thank God for Jesus, it is so wonderful to have Christmas a few days before the celebration of the New Year. What better motivation for newness in our lives than the cause of Christ. If we cannot do it for Jesus I do not know what to say to us. So when you think of the New Year and resolution that are within our grasp please read 2 Peter for a little direction. If you read the Bible more, pray more and give more of your time talent and abilities in, When 2012 rolls around you will not be disappointed. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 God s Blessings...

9 IT S SCHOLARSHIP TIME COLLEGE or VOCATIONAL STUDENTS WILDEWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH BOOK SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DUE : February 6, Commencing on Jan 4, Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:00 am- 2:00 pm Call if you need transportation ESSAY TOPIC: Faith to Succeed Suggested Scripture: Hebrews Chapter 11 Application Must Include: Your Favorite/Inspirational Bible Grades or proof of acceptance Goals or Aspirations See Sister Sharon Smith for further details

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