The Rocky Hock Anchor

Transcription

1 MARCH 2016 VOLUME 20, ISSUE 3 The Rocky Hock Anchor The Mission of Rocky Hock Baptist Church is to magnify Christ and make disciples of all people. What a blessed assurance salvation is by God s grace through Jesus Christ! Knowing that only saving grace in Jesus Christ will save you, if Jesus Christ called for your soul today, what would happen to you? Are you resting in His grace? Would you be able to proclaim in confidence as did Paul what God s judgment of your life would be?... for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day (II Timothy 1:12). In His grace, the church of Paul s day met daily to read the Word of God and take communion. They lived faithfully, serving and expecting and hoping for Jesus to return soon. It s important to know and be found in Christ s righteousness because there is no other salvation. Is the same faithfulness and loyalty of Paul and the early church Christians found alive in your heart? Easter is about this amazing grace and power. Revivals are about examining ourselves regularly and focusing on God s glory with refreshing in the Holy Spirit. Many see salvation as something they experienced as a child or teenager but no longer see it as a relevant part of their everyday life. Others view it as a principle by which they accept who God and Jesus Christ are, but without any sense of daily submission and service. There are others who think salvation is based on a prayer prayed, a baptism received, and a membership of a church. Saving grace is that which convinces, convicts, and converts. We are saved at different ages, believe in the precepts of Jesus Christ found in Scripture, pray and repent of sin, and experience baptism and join a church. But these are not done to be saved, rather to express the salvation Jesus Christ has already worked in us. Listen as God explains biblical salvation (faith). 19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. 26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES (Hebrews 10: 19-27). What is your level of certainty of your faith? Listen to the continuing clarity God gives and the certain judgment of all who are not saved according to His grace in Jesus Christ. For if we go on sinning (not faithful in spiritual submission; biblical instruction; regular worship; and perseverance until death or Jesus Christ s return) willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. And again, the Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (emphasis added; Hebrews 10:26-31). Salvation is by grace entering the holy place by the blood of Jesus in a new life and new way of living. We have the penalty of our sins paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the power of our pure and holy lives that follow are in the new life of Jesus Christ s resurrection Spirit. Therefore, we cannot remain in willful sin; or return to a willful, sinful lifestyle; for when we do, we trampled underfoot the Son of God and regard His sacrifice as worthless. We cannot determine for ourselves what kind of Savior and Lord Jesus Christ will be for us. We can t determine for ourselves what is right worship and service. Jesus tells all who desire to follow Him for salvation to count the cost (Luke 14:25-35). Ephesians chapter four and chapter five gives us instruction in detail. Does your life reflect these instructions? If you were to die today, what would God s verdict be? Let me encourage you to trust in His amazing grace, remain in faithful service and worship all the days of our lives persevering to the end, so that when He comes for us we will know the glory of salvation and the hope of eternal glory! Dr. Horton

2 THE ANCHOR PAGE 2 From our Minister of Spiritual Vertigo Youth & Children Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6 John F. Kennedy, Jr. died in a single engine plane accident in It was believed the cause of the crash was the pilot suffered disorientation called vertigo. The human mind is wired to navigate naturally on the ground, but a pilot surrounded by clouds, darkness, rain, or storms may experience confusion when sensory nerves send misleading information to the brain. Kennedy s crash, and others like it, may be the result of vertigo. When these mixed messages are sent to the brain, the pilot loses sense of which way is up and which is down. A pilot who has vertigo may lose his sense of balance and try to fly a plane by feeling. When he is in a storm or dense clouds, he may begin to think up is down and north is south. If he doesn t trust his instrument panel, he ll be flying by the seat of his pants. Any seasoned aviator knows the warning signs of vertigo and knows how to reduce the danger: avoid flight conditions that cause vertigo, never take it lightly, be familiar and proficient with the plane s instruments, and most importantly, trust the plane s instrument panel. If we are not careful in our walk with the Lord, we can be vulnerable to spiritual vertigo. Sometimes we are surrounded by problems: an account we lost, a troubled marriage, or a rebellious teenager. We don t know which way is up. We feel like we are not on solid ground, we begin making all kinds of poor decisions and our life spins out of control. We need to be like a seasoned pilot who doesn t give in to the confusion of vertigo. That means we need to avoid situations where we could lose our spiritual focus, never take lightly the continual temptations around us, compromise of spiritual truth, be familiar with biblical principles and always above all else trust the Bible. This is the spiritual instrument panel that will guide us safely home. Avoid spiritual vertigo by staying grounded in the Word of God on a daily basis. For more encouragement, read Psalm 46. Pastor Mike Events & Opportunities for Youth Sunday, March 6 & 6 PM - INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) Wednesday, March 2, 9, & 7 PM - INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) Wednesday, March 7 PM - Church-wide Prayer Meeting - Sanctuary Sunday, March 20 - Wednesday, March 7 PM - Revival (Sunday, March 20 is Youth & Children s Night) Saturday, March 7 PM & Sunday, March 10:30 AM - Easter Drama - His Love Ran Red

3 PAGE 3 THE ANCHOR From Our Minister of Music & Education Sunday School classes and believers working together should be something that is in the forefront of each and every believer s mind. The Lord has called us to be groups of believers to share the gospel. We also should work together to better the kingdom of God. Sunday School classes are great things that have come about in the church. Sunday School classes should use the verse from Matthew 28:19-20 which says, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (NKJV). By Sunday School Classes developing each member of the group and helping nurture the relationships, they can focus on the biblical instructions given to us from the word of God. They can spend time in prayer for each other as a group and as individuals. The class also spends time in fellowship with each other, which helps everyone in the group grow closer to Christ. In Sunday School, people will emerge as leaders and be identified so that they can leave the current group that they are in and set out to create another class. Sunday School classes are usually formed by people who have the gift of leading others in their walk with the Lord. Each class should have a leader that will walk the other members of the group through practical biblical instructions, teaching and sharing the scriptures that God has laid upon their hearts. The way that the leader should do this, and the class should do this, is by learning the scripture of God s Holy Word and applying it in their everyday life. The main point of doing this step in the Sunday School is so that each member will think about the scripture that they have learned and apply it biblically to their life everyday. This normally involves walking through the Word of God and talking about explanations of God s truth in the way that He is teaching us. The way the class should walk through the scriptures is by sharing passages that speak to the situations that the members of the class are going through. This will help the members apply what they have learned to be disciples of their own and help people with the problems that everyday people are going through. The class needs to make sure that they are using obedience as they walk through the scripture so that they are positive they understand the true, clear meaning that Christ has said to us in His teaching. One of the best tools that the class can use is the fact that there is going to be disagreement between the members of the group about certain verses in scripture. This is a great time for the members of the group to grow closer in the Word together, as they dig deeper and deeper in the Word of the Lord. The class needs to make sure they spend time in fellowship with each other. The reason for this is so they spend time with each other practicing the things and ways that they have learned on each other. The members of the class will grow in love for the other members of the class through this process. Through these steps and things that a Sunday School class should do, they will help each and every member of the group become a better disciple of the Word of the Lord and help lead non-believers to Christ. The tools that the class learns helps them grasp the scripture better so that they can use it in the mission fields, which for us, here, is the Rocky Hock community and Chowan County. The fellowship skills that the group learns will help the members learn people skills and different ways to relate to the people that they will run across while they are out in the world, sharing the gospel. Sunday School classes are wonderful because it is a smaller setting than a large congregation setting. The small group is more one-on-one teaching that can pay off greatly when teaching people how to become a better disciple. The small group makes authentic disciple-making easy because of the personal teaching of the Word. I challenge you to stay faithful to your Sunday School class and attend on a consistent basis to help deeper your theological knowledge, grow as a disciple, and prepare yourself for the mission field to live out Matthew 28: If you are not part of a Sunday School class, I challenge you to find a class that fits for you. We have classes from Birth through Senior Adult. Sunday School is where you can learn the most because you can break things down and ask questions with other believers. My prayer is that we see our Sunday School grow here at Rocky Hock. Pastor Tyler

4 THE ANCHOR PAGE 4 Baptist Women A Message from Belva Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Who should I send? Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me. ~ Isaiah 6:8 Annie Armstrong was born into a long-time Baptist family. At age 19, she became an active church member of the Seventh Street Baptist Church in Baltimore. In February 1871, along with 117 others, she left Seventh Street and helped plant Eutaw Place Baptist Church, where she taught the infant class for 30 years. She led in framing the constitution of Woman's Missionary Union, which made the organization auxiliary to the Southern Baptist Convention instead of an independent body. In 1888, she began her service of corresponding secretary. A prolific letter writer on behalf of the WMU and its mission, Armstrong once wrote more than 18,000 letters in one year, encouraging others to support missions. In 1895, the Home Mission Board, now called North American Mission Board, was $25,000 in debt. That meant the missionaries would have to leave their fields and Annie could not let that happen. She led the Woman's Missionary Union to pray and contribute $5, Annie Armstrong served as WMU secretary from She would not accept any pay for her work. She was involved in ministries to children, poor and sick people, but also felt burdened that the church should do more to evangelize the world. She wrote many letters encouraging people to give to missions. Annie used her hands to write letters, and she also used her hands to hold her Bible and learn more about how God wanted her to show His love to others. She also folded her hands to pray for people who needed to know about Jesus. Your prayer support is vital to the ministry of the Servants of the Lord. They share the love, hope, joy, and peace that can only be found through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ with the lost and hurting of the United States and Canada. The "here" may be different for each, but the heart and message are still the same. This year s Annie Armstrong Easter Offering goal of $70 million will be used to support more than 5,000 missionaries and their ministry. Please commit to praying daily for church planters who are far away from home. Pray about Your gift to the offering so that we can support our missionaries as they answer the call to serve, sharing the message of Jesus. RHBC s goal this year is $11,000. Our Annie Armstrong Easter Walk Offering will be on Sunday, March 20th during our morning worship service. However, you may give toward our goal throughout the month of March. Bap ist Men Baptist Men s Breakfast Sunday, March 20th at 7:30 AM in the Special Function Room We are instructed in scripture to, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt. 28:19-20). This is the motto verse for CREW. By participating in this outreach, you will experience how to become a better disciple and how to grow new disciples. If you have not been to CREW before, I challenge you to come this month on March 31st at 7 PM to the Special Function Room. Let s strive to see this ministry take off for one reason, and that is to build the kingdom of God!

5 PAGE 5 THE ANCHOR Easter Maze Find the way to the empty tomb! Church Bible Drill Sunday, March 6 PM in the Sanctuary Associational Bible Drill Sunday, March 6 PM in the Sanctuary Easter Experience (Activities, Games, Lunch) Saturday, March 19th from 11 AM - 1 PM in the Multi-Purpose Building Fun for the whole family! Children s March Madness (Laser Tag) Friday, March 4th from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Multi-Purpose Room Children s Summer Camp Monday, July 25 - Friday, July Gardner-Webb University

6 THE ANCHOR PAGE 6 spring with Dr. J. Chris Schofield BSCNC Director of the Office of Prayer Sunday, March 20 - Wednesday, March 23 Sunday, March 20-10:55 AM - High Attendance Sunday - 7 PM - Youth & Children s Night - Music by the Children s Choirs & Praise Band Monday, March 21-6 PM - Family Supper for Last Names beginning with A - E - 7 PM - Men s Night - Music by the Sanctuary Choir Tuesday, March 22-6 PM - Family Supper for Last Names beginning with F - O - 7 PM - Women s Night - Music by the Senior Adult Choir Wednesday, March 23-6 PM - Family Supper for Last Names beginning with P - Z - 7 PM - Family Night - Music by our Youth Trio Dr. J. Chris Schofield serves on the BSCNC staff as director of the Office of Prayer for Evangelization and Spiritual Awakening. This Office assists churches, associations, and entities in the development of prayer strategies, ministries, networks, and conferences that focus on global evangelization and awakening. Prior to coming to North Carolina, Chris served with the North American Mission Board, SBC, as Manager of the Prayer Evangelism Unit from His heart s desire is to equip and encourage believers and churches to walk with Jesus in a life of prayer toward global evangelization and awakening. Chris also enjoys writing and speaking on the topic of prayer and is actively involved in a preaching and teaching ministry, which includes prayer revivals, prayer conferences, and evangelism training. He has pastored two churches full-time and serves as an adjunct professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Chris and his wife, Tamee, have four grown daughters, two sons-inlaw, and two grandchildren and they live in Wake Forest, NC.

7 PAGE 7 THE ANCHOR Senior Adult Trip to Charlotte, NC Note Date Change: April (2 days, 1 night) $199 per person double occupancy Package includes: 1 Night s Lodging at Sleep Inn University Place 1 Breakfast 1 Lunch at Cracker Barrel Narroway Productions Dinner Theater ( Samson ) The Billy Graham Library Levine Museum of the New South Souvenir gift Luggage handling All taxes and meal gratuities Motorcoach transportation Deadline: 1st deposit of $100 due February 21 Balance of $99 due March 6 For more details, call Peggy Weiss at Sign-up sheets are in the Connecting Corridor You don t want to miss being included in our New 2016 Church Pictorial Directory! Photo Dates are set for: March 31 from 2-9 PM April 1 from 2-9 PM April 2 from 10 AM - 5 PM and April 14 from 2-9 PM April 15 from 2-9 PM April 16 from 10 AM - 5 PM Be sure to get your pictures taken! in the Multi-Purpose Room

8 THE ANCHOR PAGE 8 Serve the Lord with gladness... ~ Psalms 100: 2 Deacon Officers for 2016 Deacon Greeters Allen Peele, Chair Steve Evans, Vice Chair Keith Nixon, Secretary Deacon Ministry Teams 2/28/16 3/5/16 Donald Bass, Carroll Evans, Chris Turner 3/6/16 3/12/16 Wayne Bunch, Jack Evans, Mike Evans 3/13/16 3/19/16 Keith Nixon, Scott Noble, Phil Smith 3/20/16 3/26/16 Russell Byrum, Col. Bill Smith, Chris Sykes Sr. Adult SS Center: Jack Evans Sanctuary Main: Phil Smith Connecting Corridor: Scott Noble Multi-Purpose Main: Bill (Janet) Smith Offering Lee Bass (Chairman), Donald Bass (Co-Chairman), Wayne Bunch, Allen Peele, Bill (Janet) Smith, Phil Smith 3/27/16 4/2/16 Wayne Howell, Ted Peele, Bill Smith Ushers Joey Byrum, Billy Elliott, Jasper Evans, Danny Lewis, Nancy Noble, Phil Smith, James Tynch Counting Committee Kermit Harrell, Ed & Judy Hughes, Willis Ray Peele Collecting in March Underwear, Boys and Girls, Sizes 2-14 Needed for March Canned Tuna

9 PAGE 9 THE ANCHOR Nursery & Pre-School Workers During Sunday School 1st Sunday Penny Byrum Linda Layton Lisa Smith 2nd Sunday Ashley Byrum Kristia Noble Michelle Tynch 3rd Sunday Mary Jo Bass Amanda Howell Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Bonnie Bond Holly Evans Marcia Evans 5th Sunday Arlene Bass Betty Bunch Beth Evans * indicates teachers of the week 1st Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Catina Byrum Faith Byrum Molli Riddick Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) *Joey & Ashley Byrum Amanda Howell Laura Turner *Mike & Heather Denny Sunday AM Worship (Nursery) 1st Sunday Maryann Bunch Kim Forehand Kimberly McPherson Denise Nixon Lindsay Smith 2nd Sunday Alanna Bass Melissa Chappell Lauren Smith Peggy Weiss 3rd Sunday Amanda Goodwin Jessica Hoggard Kristia Noble Tanya Turner Michelle Tynch 4th Sunday Laura Bass Dawn Bunch Gloria Horton Amanda Howell 5th Sunday Claire Evans Karen Miller Kristia Noble Mia Noble 2nd Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Regina Copeland Kim Forehand Chelsea White Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) Gloria Horton *Jay & Felicia Parrish Lisa Bullock Sunday AM Worship (2 year olds) 1st Sunday Louvenia Stewart Amanda O Kelley 2nd Sunday Holly Evans Dawn Bunch 3rd Sunday Hope Gosser Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Anna Evans Karen Smith Logan Smith 5th Sunday Kimberly McPherson Denise Nixon Children s Church 3rd Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Melissa Chappell Claire Evans Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) Trey & Alanna Bass Wayne & Donna Harrell *LeAnn Nixon *Mike & Heather Denny Sunday PM Worship 1st Sunday Sue Hoggard Elizabeth Riddick 2nd Sunday Megan Bass Karen Miller 3rd Sunday Karen Miller Susan Sykes 4th Sunday Donna Harrell LeAnn Nixon 5th Sunday Ashley Byrum Michelle Tynch 4th Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Alanna Bass Sherlynne Smith Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) *Debbie Bicknell Sharon Nixon *Chris & Susan Sykes Wednesday PM Worship 1st Wednesday Leslie Peele Elizabeth Riddick Mission Friends Chris & Susan Sykes 2nd Wednesday Rhonda Bass Laura Turner Mission Friends Kim Forehand Sherlynne Smith 3rd Wednesday Ashley Byrum Linda Layton Mission Friends Alanna Bass Molli Riddick 4th Wednesday Alanna Bass Molli Riddick _Mission Friends Michelle Tynch Laura Turner 5th Wednesday Gloria Horton Elizabeth Riddick Mission Friends Sallie Chappell Clara Peele Molli Riddick 5th Sunday Son Seekers (3-4 year olds) Allen & Sarah Nixon Clara Peele No Children s Church for Kingdom Kids (K-5th Grade) on 5th Sunday

10 Rocky Hock Baptist Church 113 Rocky Hock Church Road Edenton, North Carolina Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID EDENTON, NC PERMIT NO. 127 Check us out on the web at Weekly Church Activities: Sundays: 9:45 AM - Bible Study for all ages Designated Sundays: 6:00 PM - Ignite & Jr. Ignite 10:55 AM - Worship (Contemporary Children s Worship) 5:45 PM - GROW - Kids In Discipleship (K.I.D. Groups) 6:00 PM - Adult Bible Study; INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) Tuesdays: 10:00 AM - Adult Bible Study 4th Tuesdays: 7:00 PM - Prayer Shawl Ministry 7:00 PM - Senior Adult Choir Wednesdays: 7:00 PM - Adult Bible Study; INCREASE (Youth); GROW (Children - Mission Friends, GA s, RA s) 8:00 PM - Sanctuary Choir Dr. James Horton, Senior Pastor jhorton@rhbce.org Pastor Mike Denny, Minister of Youth & Children mdenny@rhbce.org Pastor Tyler Cone, Minister of Music & Education tcone@rhbce.org Mr. Allen Peele, Chairman of Deacons Mrs. Linda B. Bunch, Administrative Assistant lbunch@rhbce.org (Home) (Cell) (Cell) (Home) (Office)