News Letter. March/April Smith Valley Baptist. SVBC Services Sunday School: 9:00 AM Praise and Worship: 10:00 AM

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1 Smith Valley Baptist News Letter March/April 2018 SVBC Services Sunday School: 9:00 AM Praise and Worship: 10:00 AM Bring your family, friends and neighbors and visit one of our services. We offer Children s Church during the Praise and Worship service and we also have great nursery facilities. We would love to have your family be a part of our church family. (317) smithvalleybaptist@sbcglobal.net Our web address is: Become familiar with the website and as you do, please invite others to find out what s happening at Smith Valley Baptist Church!

2 pb s POST Here is a fitting illustration I found in a book written by a Biblical scholar, Dr. Earl Radmacher, I have appreciated from my experiences at Moody Bible Institute. Dr. Radmacher has gone on to be with the Lord; yet his work of salvation and faith through God s Word has been instrumental to the Body of Christ. The setting of this illustration is an encounter between a devoted Hindu, Rambhau, and a Christian missionary in India, David Morse. Morse has been witnessing to Rambhau and sharing about the free gift of salvation. Rambhau said he would crawl many miles on his knees to Delhi as a means of earning his salvation. However, before Rambhau planned to leave, he wanted to give Morse a small, but heavy box I have had this box for years, Rambhau said. I keep only one thing in it. Now I will tell you about it. I once had a son. A son? Morse responded. Why Rambhau, you never told me you had a son. My son was an excellent pearl diver. One day he found a most beautiful pearl, one of the largest ever found off the coast of India. But he had stayed under the water too long, and he died soon after he recovered the pearl. I have kept the pearl, and now I want to give it to you. Rambhau, Morse said, this is an amazing pearl. Let me buy it. I ll give you $10, for it, or if it takes more I will work for it. Sahib, said Rambhau, stiffening his whole body, this pearl is beyond all price. No man in all the world has money enough to pay what this pearl is worth to me. I will not sell it to you. You may only have it as a gift. No, Rambhau, I cannot accept that. As much as I want the pearl, I cannot accept it that way. I must pay for it, or work for it. The old pearl diver was stunned. You don t understand. Don t you see? My only son gave his life to get this pearl, and I wouldn t sell it for any money. Its worth is in the lifeblood of my son. I cannot sell this, but I can give it to you. Just accept it in token of the love I bear you. The missionary was choked and for a moment could not speak. Then he gripped the hand of the old man. Rambhau, he said in a low voice, don t you see? That is just what you have been saying to God. The diver looked long and searchingly at the missionary and slowly, slowly he began to understand. God is offering you heaven as a free gift. It is so great and priceless that no man on earth could buy it. No man on earth could earn it. His life would be millions of years too short. No man is good enough to deserve it. It cost God the lifeblood of His only Son to make the entrance for you into heaven. In a million years, in a hundred pilgrimages, you could not earn that entrance. All you can do is to accept it as a token of God s love for you, a sinner. Rambhau, of course I will accept the peal in deep humility, praying God I may be worthy of you love. Rambhau, won t you accept God s great gift of heaven, too, in deep humility, knowing it cost Him the death of His Son to offer it to you? Sahib, I see it now. I have believed in the doctrine of Jesus for two years, but I could not believe that His salvation was free. Now I understand. Some things are too priceless to be bought or earned. Sahib, I will accept His salvation. What a beautiful explanation of the FREE gift our Creator God has given to us through His Son Jesus Christ. We will be celebrating Easter soon. What Jesus did on the cross for you and I is so vitally important for us to understand, yet, AC- CEPT because it depends on our eternal salvation. The world has glamorized this verse, but it is SO true what Jesus said in John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Likewise, in Ephesians 2:8-9 the Apostle Paul explains our FREE gift this way For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. It is my prayer each of us cling to this promise this Holy season! In Christ Love & Service, Pastor Bob

3 Pastor Lori A guilty conscience can t keep it s mouth shut Beth Moore / Entrusted We had a lengthy discussion about sin, guilt, and the finality of the cross at Women s Bible Study. Given that we all sin, handling that sin appropriately is essential as we strive to become more like Jesus. Dealing with sin requires we RECOGNIZE it, CONFESS it, REPENT of it, and then LEAVE it at the cross. All four of these actions are necessary in order to have a healthy spiritual life. If we don t grasp how serious of an issue our sin is and recognize that it cost Jesus his life, we cheapen his death. Similarly, if we mourn our sins so deeply that even after confessing & repenting of them, we are paralyzed by feelings of guilt, that too cheapens Jesus sacrifice. In the first instance we are saying we don t need the cross and in the second instance we are saying the cross isn t enough. The truth is, WE ABSOLUTE- LY NEED THE CROSS and THE CROSS IS ABSOLUTELY ENOUGH. Satan loves to use guilt to keep us from the abundant life God intended for us. We shouldn t help him by harboring feelings of guilt of our confessed sin. Sin was settled once and for all at the cross and so was guilt, LEAVE them there!! When we continue to beat ourselves up about things that we surrendered to the cross, we become the enemy s best weapon against our own selves. Sin is serious and it needs to be dealt with seriously. However, once we RECOG- NIZE, CONFESS, & REPENT, w e must LEAVE the guilt & shame associated w ith the confessed sin at the cross. Jesus never intended for us to go from being unsaved slaves to sin to saved slaves to guilt. We need to embrace our forgiveness from sin, accept our freedom from guilt, and freely serve THE LIVING GOD!! Hebrews 9: How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! 15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed In HIS Grip, Pastor Lori under the first covenant.

4 WISDOM FROM GOD S WORD Possessions God gives us many promises in His Word, but most of them have conditions to them. God puts us to the test sometimes to see if we are really honoring Him with our money and our possessions. We are responsible to the Lord for ALL of our possessions He has placed in our care to manage during our life on earth. Proverbs 27:23,24 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than clothes? Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Read additional scripture references: 11 Corinthians 9:6,7 Proverbs 21:26 Acts 20:35 Proverbs 22:9 Proverbs 14:31 1 Timothy 6:10 Job 1:21 Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the way you provide and take care of us while we are on this earth. Use us to bless your ministries and to be a blessing to others. In Jesus name, Amen. Malachi 3:8-10 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, How do we rob you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse the whole nation of you because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord almighty and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

5 A Prayer For Our Country Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for the privilege of living in the USA. We have had an abundant life here in this country. However, we are concerned about the wickedness that is taking over our country. Lord we are asking you to help us Christians to get our lives in order with your Word so we can work together to bring our nation back to righteousness. A nation where good morals standards are kept along with good Christian values and where Bible truths are taught, accepted, and lived out in our lives. Lord, if you can use us in some way to bring this country back to a Christian Nation, please do so. May we obey your leading and give you all the Praise. Lord, please help us for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Praise the God in Heaven. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the Son of the Living God our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May they receive glory, honor, and power for they are worthy, Hallowed be your name. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer. We know you are the real deal - How Great is our God! In Jesus name, Amen.

6 Volunteer Schedules CHILDREN s /Jr. Church HELPERS for March Michelle Smogor CHILDREN s /Jr. Church HELPERS for April Shelby Ward March 4th Tina Wolfe Anita & Rachel Ward Emily Staab April 1st Tina Wolfe Anita & Rachel Ward Natalie Newlin March 11th Sally Ward Natalie & Blake Newlin Natalie Newlin April 8th Sally Ward Natalie & Blake Newlin Dyveke Cox March 18th March 25th Janet Hartson Emily Staab Dyveke Cox Michelle Smogor Martha Simcox Emily Staab April 15th April 22nd April 29th Janet Hartson Emily Staab Emily Staab Michelle Smogor Martha Simcox Natalie Newlin Tina Wolfe Anita & Rachel Ward Dyveke Cox DEACON OF THE WEEK OF March DEACON OF THE WEEK OF April March 4th March 11th March 18th March 25th Norma Boger Mike Bunch Vicki Hollander David Sinclair April 1st April 8th April 15th April 22nd April 29th Bob Gates Norma Boger Mike Bunch Vicki Hollander David Sinclair

7 March/April Birthdays and Anniversaries Vernon & Norma Anderson March 22nd, 1957 Evan Cox Janice McElroy Norma Boger Phillip Simcox Vicki Elmore Melanie Sweezy Gary Burden LaVonda Coffman Grace Cartwright Sarah Simcox March 7th March 11th March 19th March 19th March 23rd March 23rd March 26th March 28th March 31st March 31st Dave & Betty Dyer April 13th, 1963 Mike & Diane Bunch April 25th, 1970 Bob & Melanie Snow April 26th, 1980 Phil Elmore Tiffany Wolfe Earl Richardson Matt Simcox Brian Reed April 4th April 18th April 19th April 21st April 28th

8 The next meeting of Senior Saints will be April 17 at 11:30 AM. We are planning a brunch for lunch menu. After lunch we will play some brain teaser games. We need help: if you can help with the food preparation or donate a dessert please contact Sally Ward. Martha Simcox Sally Ward We hope to see you all there this spring. Martha Simcox

9 HELLO from the MINISTRY TEAM Well, spring is almost here. There are plenty of events coming up so PLEASE CHECK OUT our board and see where you would like to help. Just sign up. Thank You!

10 Stewardship team met 1/22/18 We spent most of the meeting working on 2018/2019 budget Mike Cox will check with Wayne Ott about putting hand rails in the men s bathroom. Proper location etc. We have let Chad Neiman go and hired Nick s Lawn Service to plow & salt parking lot. Mike Cox is revising our emergency procedure to include active shooter procedure. Ed Smith Brad Barney Mike Cox Ed Smith purchased one more 39 x 64 blind for PB s office. Yet to be installed.

11 MISSIONS This has been a very productive year for Missions. In addition to the various organizations we contribute to, we also supported the Southern Baptist organization that helped victims of the hurricane in Puerto Rico. We additionally collected items for the victims of the hurricane in Texas and Florida. Missions Team Melanie Snow Tina Wolfe Last summer, Dyveke Cox led a mission project in which we made clothing for children in Africa. Along with this, shoeboxes were collected in October for Operation Christmas Child. During December, we coordinated bell ringers for the Salvation Army. In January, we made tie blankets and pillows for foster children. We also purchased gloves for the children at Isom Elementary in Greenwood. It has been a true pleasure serving on the Missions team for the last three years. Tina Wolfe will continue to do great things for Missions. Melanie G. Snow

12 Announcements and Upcoming Events & Tuesday 7pm Sunday March 18th directly after church Please be in prayer