APRIL 2016 VOLUME 20, ISSUE 4 The Rocky Hock Anchor The Mission of Rocky Hock Baptist Church is to magnify Christ and make disciples of all people. Now great crowds accompanied Him, and He turned and said to them, If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-33 emphasis added) We are told by Christ the Redeemer to count the cost; which speaks of understanding and total surrender and total allegiance to the call of Christ and His Kingdom. Many today are seasonal followers whose worship and service to the Lord is determined by the patterns of the world. Churches cancel Bible studies and discipleship training in the summer to seek personal interests and pleasures. Many professing Christians are participating in activities that take them out of church on Sunday. How many think Jesus Christ failed to be in the temple of God on the Sabbath? Such decisions are clearly addressed in the passage above. When we make decisions and live according to our own choices and will that come before worship and service of Christ, we reveal that we have not truly counted the cost of new life in Christ. The act of repentance causes us to submit our lives to Lordship salvation. Listen to the Word of God and you easily see that Christ must be everything or nothing (renounce all that he has)! Life is planned and lived with Jesus Christ as the center of life, the center of all our activities. Our days are filled with service to God in Christ. We gladly leave behind the desires and activities that would come before what we can do for Jesus Christ. The life that Christ provides by grace unto salvation is one totally absorbed in the Holy Spirit in growing in the Word and will of God that reveals our new man. We belong to God, bought by the great price of Calvary, given a new spirit that desires more the holy and heavenly things. And now, O Israel, listen to the statues and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you... Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children s children - how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, Gather the people to me, THAT I MAY LET THEM HEAR MY WORDS, SO THAT THEY MAY LEARN TO FEAR ME ALL THE DAYS THAT THEY LIVE ON THE EARTH, AND THAT THEY MAY TEACH THEIR CHILDREN SO. (Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 9-10; emphasis added) Salvation is the experience of revelation that changes us completely; mind, soul, and body (how we live and what and who we live for). But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that (continued on page 2)
THE ANCHOR PAGE 2 (continued from page 1) which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7 11) Being given righteousness through faith that trusts in Christ is the presence of a new spirit of person and power. All things before are gladly left behind and we reach for all new things which is our deliverance from death (Galatians 2:20)! Our lives are spent preparing as disciples to share the Gospel and making disciples of our children and all who trust Jesus Christ as Lord. The work Christ begins in us He finishes (sanctification) if we have truly counted the cost and accepted it! Nothing at any time is desired more than to be faithful to Christ! You say, but you re older now and without kids, it is easy for you to say this? I was saved in my twenties and was at the peak of my physical abilities. Eric was small and Jessica yet to be born. I walked away from all sports activities and social activities that conflicted with church or the word of God. Salvation was new life for me and His promises like the one above in Philippians 3:7-11 became real to me and not words on a page or a principle to be recited! We raised our children by the same standard, never allowing them to be involved in anything that conflicted with worship or following Jesus Christ. And because God is faithful to His Word (promises), He saved them and set them apart to Him! You see, Christ Jesus is everything to us or He s nothing at all. Consider the words of wisdom of C. T. Studd s poem... Only one life, twill soon be past, only what s done for Christ will last! And when I am dying, how happy I ll be, if the lamp of my life is burned out for Thee! Will He find you in forever worship and faithfully working in His fields, or will He find you like the prodigal son, squandering the inheritance of life given by God? The prodigal remembered the faithfulness and goodness and forgiveness of his father and returned, willing to be a servant. What will your life be when the Lord comes for you? See you in worship! Dr. Horton You don t want to miss being included in our New 2016 Church Pictorial Directory! Photo Dates are: 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 in the Multi-Purpose Room Be sure to get your pictures taken! You may sign up with the Directory Committee on Sundays & Wednesdays in the Bridal Room or on-line by going to the Church web-site (www.rhbce.org), scroll down to the middle of the page to Important Links and click on Schedule your church directory photos.
PAGE 3 THE ANCHOR Praying expecting God to act Mark 11:22-24 From our Minister of Youth & Children 22 So Jesus answered and said to them, Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. Attending Revival last week, God brought this matter of prayer to the forefront of my heart, being convicted that this is an area in which I need to be strengthened. I hope these words will help you in your prayer time as you seek the will of God for you and your family. The book of James addresses four attitudes that some believers had about prayer: doubt and doublemindedness (1:5-8); no expectation (4:1-2); wrong motivation (4:3); and confidence (5:13-16). Checking ourselves against the first three kinds of prayer could help us find our way to the fourth kind: effective, expectant prayer. The key lies in the motivation of our hearts and our faith in His ability to act. When it comes to prayer, we don t always get what we ask for. Even our kingdom-focused prayers aren t answered right away. How do we keep doubt from creeping into our prayers? The maybe He will, maybe He won t approach isn t the way the Lord wants us to pray. Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not who says it, our prayers do make a difference. Max Lucado We might want to check our motivation by asking ourselves whether or not our prayers reflect complete trust in God and in His provision. In other words, are we praying in a way that shows our desire for His kingdom to advance and His will to be done? It is crucial that we lean into God by spending time in His word, the source of our faith (Romans 10:17). We should cultivate the habit of giving thanks in all circumstances, even those that don t turn out as planned. We can show our gratitude to God for working His plan and for the opportunities we have to prove our faith genuine (1 Peter 1:6-7). Pastor Mike Events & Opportunities for Youth Every Sunday @ 6 PM - INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) - Youth Suite Every Wednesday @ 7 PM - INCREASE (Youth Bible Study) - Youth Suite Friday, April 1 @ 5 PM until Saturday, April 2 @ 8 AM - Youth Girls Lock-in - Youth Suite
THE ANCHOR PAGE 4 From Our Minister of Music & Education There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies There's a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide Where all the love I've ever found Comes like a flood Comes flowing down At the cross At the cross I surrender my life I'm in awe of You, I'm in awe of You Where Your love ran red And my sin washed white I owe all to You I owe all to You Jesus There's a place where sin and shame are powerless Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness Where all the love I've ever found Comes like a flood Comes flowing down Here my hope is found Here on holy ground Here I bow down Here I bow down Here arms open wide Here You saved my life Here I bow down Here I bow Chris Tomlin (Love Ran Red) I would like to give God all the glory for all of the things that He is doing in the Music/Creative Ministries ministry at Rocky Hock. These two ministries have a great group of people involved in them. Everyone is talented, dedicated, and committed to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This was clearly evident in the past couple of months as we were preparing for the Easter program, His Love Ran Red. Your dedication and commitment is what made this program the level that it was. I would like to thank each one of you in the congregation for your support of the music program. You all give encouragement to us as we use the talents that God has blessed us with to serve Him through singing each week and special programs. Singing in church is a way of praising God and it delights God to hear our praises. All through scripture, God calls on His people to sing, especially to God. For instance, Psalm 96:1 says: Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth and in Psalm 100, He says; Make a joyful noise unto the Lord...come into his presence with singing and Psalm 33 says: Sing joyfully to the LORD. Music is an integral part of worship and a prayerful response to the worship experience. The primary role of the choir is to lead the congregation in songs of praise and worship. The choir leads all of us to participate enthusiastically in the worship. What a privilege to lend your voice to be used by God for His worship purpose - praising God (continued on page 5)
PAGE 5 THE ANCHOR (continued from page 4) through song! Serving the Lord -- considering all He does for us, it's just a little giving back to Him. Music is in our lives from the moment we are born. Since the times of Plato, artists and scientists alike have been intrigued by the power of music to elicit strong emotional responses in humans. Research shows babies in the womb hear and respond to the sound of music; mothers sing lullabies to their babies; music is a part of community youth and adult social groups; soldiers in wars sang when marching; and music has always been a part of religious services and activities. Music is in all of our lives - enjoy it, and worship with it! I feel like music has always been a part of my life. I am thankful for music. I enjoy many types of music. One of my favorite worship songs right now is the one at the beginning of this article. It is actually where I got the title for this year s Easter program. It clearly depicts what Jesus did for us on the cross. I challenge you to find a worship song for this month and listen to it daily and see what God has in store for you and remember what the scripture says in Psalm 96:1 and Psalm 100. Love in Christ, Pastor Tyler Wedding Shower In celebration of the upcoming marriage of Pastor Tyler Cone and Miss Chandler Bass, everyone is invited to a Floating Gift Card Shower hosted by the Sanctuary Choir. This will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room on Sunday, April 17th from 3-5 PM. Please join us as we honor Tyler and Chandler at this special time in their lives. Suggested places from which they will enjoy gift cards are Target, Belk's, Wal-mart, Food Lion, and Lowe's Home Improvement. Rocky Hock Baptist Church 4th Annual fishing Tournament Saturday, April 30, 2016 Bayside Marina, Edenton, NC Pre-Registration begins @ 5:15 AM Tournament starts @ 6:15 AM (or first light) Weigh-in is @ 3 PM $50 donation per boat Trophies will be awarded All proceeds benefit NCBAM (North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry)
THE ANCHOR PAGE 6 Baptist Women A Message from Belva The children living at the Baptist Children s Homes understand what it means to be hungry. They had to depend on school meals to eat regularly. Other times, especially during the summer and holiday breaks, they searched for food wherever it could be found. At BCH, children are provided regular meals and snacks. Because of the Food Roundup, the BCH residents never have to be concerned about being hungry. BCH serves as many as 700,000 meals / snacks throughout the year. They operate care locations in twenty North Carolina communities, so you can imagine how much it costs to feed so many; the Food Roundup makes it all possible! During the month of April, we will be collecting food for the Baptist Children s Homes Food Roundup. A list of items needed can be found as an insert in this newsletter. Please help us as we support this ministry! Bap ist Men Baptist Men s Breakfast Sunday, April 17th 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 Thursday, April 21st 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! Senior Adult Trip Billy Graham Library - Charlotte, NC April 29-30 (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, meal gratuities, and Motorcoach transportation Senior Adult Sunday Our Senior Adults will be leading the Service. Sunday, May 1, 2016 @ 10:55 AM Worship
PAGE 7 THE ANCHOR State Bible Drill Sunday, April 23rd Berea Baptist Church, Pembroke, NC Children s Prayer & Praise Pajama Party Friday, April 29th @ 7:30 PM in the Multi-Purpose Bldg. Children s Summer Camp Monday, July 25 - Friday, July 29, 2016 @ Gardner-Webb University See Pastor Mike for more information!
THE ANCHOR PAGE 8 Serve the Lord with gladness... ~ Psalms 100: 2 Deacon Ministry Teams Deacon Greeters 3/27/16 4/2/16 Wayne Howell, Ted Peele, Bill Smith 4/3/16 4/9/16 Adam Bunch, Steve Evans, Allen Peele 4/10/16 4/16/16 Fenton Eure, Ruston Howell, Fred Smith 4/17/16 4/23/16 Lee Bass, Joey Byrum, Oscar White 4/24/16 4/30/16 Donald Bass, Carroll Evans, Chris Turner Offering Col. Bill Smith (Chairman), Fred Smith (Co-Chairman), Carroll Evans, Keith Nixon, Chris Sykes, Oscar White Sr. Adult SS Center: Chris Sykes Sanctuary Main: Oscar White Connecting Corridor: Col. Bill Smith Multi-Purpose Main: Wayne Bunch Ushers Richard Bullock, Billy Copeland, Lee Jordan, Jerry Peele, Ellis Tynch, Paul Ward Counting Committee Richard & Lisa Bullock, Phil & Rene` Smith, Aubrey Tynch, Ellis Tynch Collecting in April Socks, Children and Adult Sizes Needed for April Pork N Beans
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 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 *Mike & Heather Denny 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 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 *Mike & Heather Denny 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
Rocky Hock Baptist Church 113 Rocky Hock Church Road Edenton, North Carolina 27932 Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION US POSTAGE PAID EDENTON, NC PERMIT NO. 127 Check us out on the web at www.rhbce.org Weekly Church Activities: Sundays: 9:45 AM - Bible Study for all ages 10:55 AM - 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 - Young at Heart 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 Mike Denny, Associate Pastor: Youth & Children mdenny@rhbce.org 221-4948 (Home) 336-266-9493 (Cell) Tyler Cone, Associate Pastor: Worship & Education 252-903-2565 (Cell) tcone@rhbce.org Mr. Allen Peele, Chairman of Deacons Mrs. Linda B. Bunch, Administrative Assistant lbunch@rhbce.org 221-8814 (Home) 221-4133 (Office)