Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church Ferguson Avenue Savannah, Georgia 31406

Transcription

1 February 17, 2019 Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church Ferguson Avenue Savannah, Georgia Bob Dimmitt Pastor Tim Wade Assoc. Pastor/ Youth Tom Keller Assoc. Pastor/ Senior Adults Church Phone: Where Christ Is Exalted and the Fellowship Is Exciting Announcements Wednesday Night Dinner is Catfish. Please sign up in the hall. Senior Saints Lunch On Tuesday, February 19, the Senior Saints will meet at the church at 10:30 a.m., travel by bus to Sweet Potatoes restaurant for lunch, then tour Byrd Cookie Company. The tour costs $7.00. Senior Saints Bible Study Thursday, February 21, at 10:00 a.m., in the Fellowship Hall. Tom Keller just began the Attributes of God study last week! Young Adult Bible Study Thursday, February 21, at 6:30 p.m., at the Sheffields. Deacons & Elders Retreat The Deacons and Elders will have their annual planning retreat on February 22 through 23. If there is anything you would like them to discuss, please contact Jimmy Kicklighter or Bob Dimmitt. 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. Joy Class Their next meeting is Tuesday morning, February 26, at 9:00 a.m. All ladies are invited. Cont. on p. 5 This Week at FABC Today Coffee Fellowship 9:00 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Choir Practice 4:00 p.m. Easter Cantata Practice 4:45 p.m. Evening Worship 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Dinner: Catfish 5:45 p.m. Youth & Awana 6:30 p.m. Prayer & Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Thursday Senior Adult Bible Study 10:00 a.m. FABC Deacons Shawn Champion Ron Fowler Jimmy Kicklighter (CH) Jack Moore Joe Morris Jay Rowe John Sumner Michael Walker

2 February 17, :30 a.m. Welcome and Announcements * Opening Chorus & Greeting There Is a Redeemer Words are on the back of the bulletin * Call to Worship Psalm 29:1-2 * Hymn #15 Brethren, We Have Met to Worship Prayer of General Confession John 17:20-26 Special Music Scripture Reading Exodus 4:1-17 Shawn Champion Receiving of Tithes And Offerings * Hymn #125 Jesus Paid It All 6:00 p.m. Welcome and Announcements * Hymn, bulletin pp. 6-7 Psalm 63: O God, Thou Art My God Prayer Receiving of Tithes And Offerings Hymn #441 Love Lifted Me Hymn #452 My Savior s Love Hymn, bulletin pp. 8-9 His Mercy Is More Message Bob Dimmitt Provoking & Training Ephesians 6:1-4; Ephesians 6:1-4 * Hymn, bulletin p. 10 Now Unto Him Message Bob Dimmitt Ecclesia, Part 3 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 1 Corinthians #5 2 * Hymn, to right Doxology Old Hundred tune * All those who are able, please stand. 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

3 A.M. Notes Ecclesia, Part 3 1 Corinthians #5 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 I. A True Church is a body of believers A church is not simply a refuge for those who are religious, those who want to help others, or those who desire to help themselves. II. A True Church is A Body of Visible, Resident Believers III. A True Church is a Body of Immersed Believers In Acts 2:41 the order is given: salvation, followed by baptism, followed by church membership. IV. A True Church is a Body of V. A True Church is a Body of 2 Tim 2:17-18 NT churches had: Doctrinal standards Moral standards 2 Thess. 3:6 3

4 P.M. Notes Provoking & Training Ephesians #118 Ephesians 6:1-4 Parents provoke their children to anger by not practicing biblical love, not considering their children as more important than themselves, and not dying to self to become a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ-John Broger I. You can provoke your child to anger when you fail to demonstrate biblical love to your child through - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a A. Impatience (not waiting for your child to finish a task or hurrying your child to do something that is beyond his capabilities) B. Unkindness (not providing for your child s physical needs because you are too busy with your own interests) C. Jealousy (trying to prove to your child that you can do something better than he can) James 3:13-18 D. Proverbs 27:2 E. Romans 1:28-30 F. Un Ephesians 4:29 4 G. Seeking to have Philippians 2:3-4

5 Continued from p. 1 Youth & Family Series Reserve March 1 for Tim Wade s next installment of the Youth & Family series, St. Patrick and the Papal Puzzle. Beginning time is 6:00 p.m. Dinner is included, and the presentation and discussion are always enlightening and thoughtprovoking. All are invited! Homeless Ministry Tom Keller preaches and serves lunch at the Old Savannah City Mission on the first Saturday of each month. March 2 is the next date. Contact Tom if you would like to help! Missionary Update Harry Fletcher, Global Ambassador thr Good News Jail & Prison Ministry will be preaching Sunday morning, March 3. After Church Lunch There is an After Church Luncheon after morning worship on March 3. Please bring a covered dish to share. Let the office know if you would like to help serve! Savannah Sacred Harp The Savannah Sacred Harp Singers will meet to sing on Saturday, March 9, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., in the piano side overflow room. Loaner books are available, and it is a lot of fun! Talk to Dawn Stanford if you have questions. Weekly Catechism Question Question #91: What does every sin deserve? Answer: Every sin deserves God s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Scripture: Ephesians 5:6; Galatians 3:10; Proverbs 3:33; Psalm 11:6; Revelation 21:8 Save These Dates! D3 Youth Camp June Vacation Bible School June Children s Camp July Biblical History Center and Callaway Mansion Tour April 9-10, 2019 $53 for tickets to both attractions; lunch included $89 for hotel room; breakfast included You will need money for 2 other meals. Meet at church at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 9 We will return to the church on Wednesday, April 10, by suppertime, so sign up for dinner! Sign up in the hall. Money is due on April 1 - No Joke!! 5

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11 Articles New York State Introduces Molech-Honoring Law Legalizing Abortions up to Birth by Lita Cosner - February 2019 In ancient Canaan, the inhabitants of the land had a particularly horrific practice of worshiping a false god named Molech by burning their infant children alive. Sacrificing a precious child was supposed to ensure this god s favor. When God brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, He specifically told them not to participate in this murderous ritual: (Leviticus 20:1 5). Israel failed to follow this command, and the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed God s judgment against Israel for their sin: (Jeremiah 32:35) In Scripture, God seems to reserve special anger for idolatrous worship practices that destroy innocent infant life. The unnatural act of a parent sacrificing the helpless baby for something deemed more valuable is so abhorrent that in ancient Israel, anyone caught doing it was supposed to have received the death penalty without mercy. Modern day Molech worship Today, there is a growing trend of not just being reluctantly pro-choice characterized by the wish for abortion to be safe, legal, and rare but actively pro -abortion, celebrating the right of a woman to murder her child for any reason and at any stage of the pregnancy. People who object to a child being poisoned, burned with saline, or dismembered in the womb are said to be anti-choice, opponents of women s health care, and religious fundamentalists. New York has recently rushed legislation through that makes it legal to abort a child at any point in the pregnancy, for any reason, up to birth, changing the previous law that banned abortion after 24 weeks, when a child is considered viable outside the womb. This is a far more radical policy than exists at most places in the world. Late term abortion is not better for a woman s health Given that a child can routinely survive as early as 22 weeks into the pregnancy, and late-term abortion is very risky and hard on the mother s body (though not as damaging as it is to the baby s), if ending a pregnancy in the third trimester is done for a medical reason, by far the fastest and safest option for the mother is delivering the baby prematurely. This also means that the baby is preserved alive. But abortion requires the baby to be killed inside the mother s body. This is most often done by injecting the child with poison into his abdomen or head, causing a very painful death. Then the woman must deliver her dead baby, either in a hospital, or often into the toilet at home. Think of the horrific irony that a state that has banned lethal injection of criminals has allowed the lethal injection of unborn babies. Cont. on p

12 Cont. from p. 11 Abortion is never a safe procedure for the mother in that even first-trimester abortions can have negative effects. But it becomes more and more medically risky as the pregnancy goes on. And it is difficult to see how someone who cares about the mother s health would recommend going through labor to deliver a dead child after having him or her killed via lethal injection, rather than safely delivering a live baby, who could then be adopted by parents, if the birth mother feels unable or unwilling to raise the baby. Late term abortion law threatens women s safety Pregnant women are often targets of violence, particularly of men in their lives who do not respect their choice to carry a child the man wants her to kill. Many states have laws that recognize the unique evil of violence against a pregnant woman to kill her wanted child if a pregnant woman is killed, the perpetrator can be charged with two murders. If violence results in her baby dying, the perpetrator can be charged with murder. New York s new law removes protections for pregnant women who are victims of domestic or other violence. A case in point is the sad story of Livia Abreu, who was stabbed by her ex-boyfriend and left for dead. She survived, but she lost her unborn daughter. Because of New York s new law, the ex-boyfriend may face a significantly lighter prison sentence, because the state will no longer recognize the murder of her daughter as a separate crime. Women do face some unique health care needs because of our sex-specific biology, just like men have some unique needs because of theirs. Women s reproductive health is also an important concern, and preserving access to genuine health care should be something everyone can agree about. But the question is: does abortion fall under the category of women s health care? First, there is no instance in which abortion is the best treatment to preserve a woman s physical or mental health. In fact, abortion at all stages of pregnancy is dangerous for a woman s physical and mental health. When an abortion advocate talks about women s health care, challenge them as to what they mean by this. Do they mean that we need further research to explore the ways in which women respond to medication differently than men? Do they mean we need to make sure women receive affordable prenatal screenings, meaning that women do not face purely economic pressure to abort their children? Do they mean we need to investigate why black women in America face perinatal complications at a much higher rate than other populations? In fact, they mean none of that. They mean only that abortion should be made as available as possible to anyone who wants one for any reason, disregarding the most common-sense restrictions based on parental consent for their underage daughters, informed consent including the option to see an ultrasound of the baby, counseling with a waiting period, and ability of the baby to survive outside the womb. This seems less like a policy based on concern for women, and more like fanatical baby slaughtering. For decades, political conservatives have been trying to overturn Roe v. Wade, the decision that overturned state-level laws outlawing abortion. But nominating conservative judges to the bench has not yet reversed that horrific 1973 decision. Fight- 12

13 ing the legislative battle at the state level to chip away at this abomination, though achieving some incremental gains is also not likely to remedy the problem without an accompanying heart-change on the part of the American people. In ancient Rome, it was common practice to expose unwanted babies leaving them to die from the elements or wild animals. One letter from a Roman man to his pregnant wife explicitly told her that if their baby was a boy, she was to let it live; but if it was a girl, she was to expose it. This was an accepted and celebrated part of their culture. But as Christianity spread, there was immediate opposition to this practice. Converts to Christianity recognized that the murder of infants was antithetical to their profession of faith in Christ, and they even went as far as to adopt children they found exposed even though this was illegal. Their care and concern for the weakest and most vulnerable distinguished them, and eventually led to transforming the culture s view of the value of infant life. Just like the early Christians were willing to face sanctions and ridicule for the value they placed on worthless infants, today one of the clearest contrasts we can make with the culture is to vocally oppose the slaughter of infants. Every Christian should be pro-life We should confidently proclaim the Gospel of God s grace to all people, including women who have had abortions. We should be very careful about what we demand that every Christian believe. We cannot add to Scripture and require things that God does not require. However, the prohibition on murder, and the special emphasis on the abomination of child murder, means that we can include being pro-life and anti-abortion as a requirement for all Christians. Some Christians are not yet pro-life because they are immature, they have not yet learned about this issue, or for other reasons just like the Trinity is a required Christian belief that some Christians do not yet understand correctly, and we make allowances for this. But no Christian can reject pro-life teaching and remain consistent. Likely some will think this is too harsh, or unloving to women who may be in hard circumstances. While acknowledging women may face hard circumstances, we must also have compassion for the helpless child who is the victim of abortion. At the same time, we should confidently proclaim the Gospel of God s grace to all people, including women who have had abortions. S omething to consider: We are, no doubt, all familiar with the statement, Your actions speak so loud that I can t hear a word you are saying. There is a LOT of truth in this statement. Yet, how often do we consider that the opposite is often more applicable: The way in which you speak makes it impossible to hear your words or appreciate your actions. Our speaking is very often more damaging to us than we fathom. Yet, we excuse ourselves with statements such as, I tell it like it is, or, I believe that I should say what I think. In all truth, people aren t able to hear what we are saying because they pick up on our spirit when we open our mouths. What s more, they avoid conversing with us because they don t want to be around divisive conversation any more than they want to be around divisive actions. Pastor Moses Toole 13

14 Missionary of the Week Good News Jail & Prison Ministry International Pakistan and Tyumen, Siberia, Russia For many years, we have been supporting jail chaplains working in several different countries. We received a summary report from one field which contained this testimony of a prisoner who was ministered to by one of our chaplains. 14 I m Muslim, married with 3 sons. I worked for a plastic furniture company. My colleague and I were dealers; delivering goods and receiving the funds. When we saw money in thousands on a daily basis that we had to hand over to the cashier, we thought they earn a lot and pay very low. One day my colleague and I decided not to turn in the money but to make up a story instead. I was not a good man. I drank, beat my wife and now I was headed to prison for fraud. In prison, one day I was sitting in a sad mood when a Christian man said our Pastor is here and will see you. I don t know why I went. I forgot that I hate Christians just like other Muslims. The man was preaching on John 8:32-36 And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free... I shouted at him but he was calm and treated me very patiently. I was frustrated when I went back to my cell and said I would not see him again but two days later he was back and I was with the others to hear him. After some time I could not stop myself to confess that I love Him Who died for me, whose love is for me and who always cares for me. Now I know the truth and I feel bad for my past. Chaplain Shakeel is helping me to grow in my faith and to become a strong believer so I can be strong with my family and share the Lord with them. I believe God will teach me. I plan to go into prison work when I get out in a short time. We also support 6 chaplains in Russia Tyumen. The director there is Armen Mkrtumyan. Please pray for: 1. The boldness and safety of these chaplains in this country hostile to Christianity. 2. The inmates willingness to meet with these chaplains. 3. This particular inmate to follow through to work with others in the prison. 4. God s provision for this man s family, and that they would come to know Christ through his testimony 5. Armen in Tyumen. Several projects in the works there are A/V equipment for a prayer room, repair of chaplain vehicles, and medicine for some inmates. Harry Fletcher will be with us the morning of March 3 to update us on this ministry!

15 Sunday School Classes & Descriptions Adult Revelation - Organ Side Overflow Room: Matt Coleman Chronological Survey of the Bible - Fellowship Hall: Bob Dimmitt Hebrews - Youth House: Steve Posner. Women Who Met the Master - Room 28: Tamera Smith. Women s Class. Students & Children Babies - Room 3: Kay Stanford & Saundra Bridges 1s & 2s - Room 24: Michael & Ruth Kleinpeter/ 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: 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 A real church as set forth in the NT is not a support group. It s not a social club or a counseling center. It s a family of redeemed sinners who have God as their Father through their union with Jesus Christ. It s a body knit together by the Holy Spirit so that together all are built up and strengthened and loved. Church is God s idea. The tongue is literally the only part of the human body that never gets tired. Bible Reading Schedule February Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Leviticus Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers 7 27 Numbers Numbers

16 There Is a Redeemer There is a Redeemer, Jesus, God s own Son; Precious Lamb of God, Messiah, Holy One. Thank you, oh, my Father, for giving us Your Son, And leaving Your Spirit til the work on earth is done. And leaving Your Spirit til the work on earth is done. T hrough the disciplined lifestyle of prayer, Jesus admitted the weakness of his and thus our humanity. If the Son of God needed to pray, how much more do we need to wait upon God. Dr. Paul Tautges M any Christians are thrown into prisons; we (here in America) build our own prison, walling ourselves in with our material possessions and boxing up our hearts with our greed. Eventually we can barely feel our faith anymore, while our persecuted brothers and sisters have only their faith to feel. 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 February 17 10:30 A.M. Babies: Mary Fowler, Kay Stanford, Pam Sarhan Toddlers - 4 year olds: Jimmy & Tammy Kicklighter/ Mike & Elinor Morris 6:00 P.M. Janice Donaldson, Ceci Sheffield, Sharon Boaen, Amy Keller Nursery February 24 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 February 17 10:30 A.M. Billy Waters, Johnny Bridges, Reggie Brown, Ron Fowlder 6:00 P.M. Ron Fowler, Cole Morris Ushers February 24 10:30 A.M. Bucky Lanier, Jack Moore, Mike Morris, Danny Roberson 6:00 P.M. Joe Morris, Jay Rowe Sunday Greeters - February 17 Lisa Rowe, Jeanie Groover February Lock-Up Deacons Jimmy Kicklighter, Jack Moore