Church guide

In keeping with Paul's command that "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people," we as God's people should be praying concerning the mass shooting in Virginia Beach. Pray that the victims' families would be comforted and find their hope in God! Pray for healing for those injured. Pray for strength and comfort for the emergency personnel. Pray for the office workers who were witnesses that God would be with them and give them strength and hope. Pray for guidance and wisdom for the city officials who have to deal with the aftermath of the shooting. Pray for the churches who will be ministering to all those affected that they would show the love of Jesus and proclaim the Gospel. Pray for the people of Virginia Beach who don't know God that their hearts would turn toward Him. Pray for ourselves that we would be God's witnesses to His love and grace through Jesus Christ for all those around us!

Baby Savings Day is THIS Saturday, February 23, from 10:30am-4:30pm at your local Walmart! Check it out for up to a 30% discount and coupons on important baby products! Parents will have the opportunity to "demo baby gear, talk to specialists, and take home a bundle of samples and coupons for their growing families."

So many people are worn out and discouraged. There is evil in the world and in politics which is often very great. But believers can be encouraged that in these evil days, Jesus is on the throne and rules over all things and will be victorious over all sin and evil. Paul prayed for the Ephesians in 1:16-23 in this way: I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. These are words of hope, not uncertain hope, but hope which has its foundation in the very Person of Jesus Christ. God's great power is at work in us; the same power by which He raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him at His right hand. He is above all other spiritual and earthly powers--good and evil. And Jesus reigns on behalf of His church, for the good of His people. This is great news; news which gives us confidence in the midst of all the evil. The evil cannot win. It may appear to be winning in this life. But Jesus will come again and all will be made right. Babies won't be aborted. Racism will be banished. Ungodly politicians won't rule any longer. Sin will be ended forever. I think of the words of two hymns: This is my father's world Oh, let me never forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong God is the ruler yet This is my father's world Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is king, let the heavens ring God reigns, let the earth be glad (Maltbie D. Babcock) and . . . A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing: For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; His craft and pow'r are great, and, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us; The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure, One little word shall fell him. That word above all earthly pow'rs, no thanks to them, abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth; Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever (Martin Luther). Praise God! Thank God! So we mustn't focus our gaze on the waves of evil around us, but on Jesus Christ. Don't be discouraged--be hopeful. God bless!

We were excited to begin our Ladies Bible Study using the book IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THIS WAY by Lysa TerKeurst. Please contact us if you’re interested in attending the next meeting!

We were blessed to be able to worship with Chalice Christian Church - Disciples of Christ for Thanksgiving! Thank you Pastor Greg and members of Chalice for your hospitality! God is good!

Thoughts on thanksgiving: 1) Be thankful to God because He deserves it. He is our Creator and Savior through Jesus Christ. "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything" (Acts 17:24-25). " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . . " (I Peter 1:3). 2) Giving thanks helps us to avoid arrogance and pride. When we have a thankful spirit and when we continually give God the thanks that is due Him, then we keep before us, we remember, who God is and what He has done on our behalf. And that protects us from pride and fosters within us humility. "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word" (Isaiah 66:2). 3) Giving thanks to God is important because it helps us to overcome anxiety and worry and discouragement. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). 4) Giving thanks to God is important because it helps us remember the needs of others. People who recognize the wonderful things God has done for them in saving them through Christ and in meeting their daily needs, people who are truly grateful, are more able to see the needs of others and are more willing to give for the needs of others. “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8). May God grant that we be thankful people today and all year long!

I read this article on the news the other day which I have posted below. It caught my attention because it has a provocative title (at least for a pastor who does not want people to quit church!). I encourage church members and attendees to read it. It cuts to the heart of the problem in many of our churches today. This morning I preached on the risen Christ's critique of the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2 and the fact that they had, in His words, "abandoned the love you had at first" (Revelation 2:4 ESV). The article below points this out about many of our churches and church members. The call of Christ to the church in Ephesus is the call of Christ to the church in America, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first" (Rev. 2:5). Let's listen to the words of the risen, reigning Christ and repent of where we fall short of having a fervent love for Christ, for one another, and for sharing the gospel with the lost. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/06/23/im-pastor-and-want-to-quit-church-now.html

In honor of George H. W. Bush’s 94th birthday, and in keeping with his Thousand Points of Light initiative, 900 members of the crew of the USS Bush served the community on June 18 in a variety of ways. We were especially blessed to have 25 servicemen and women help our church by painting our hallways and two bathrooms, digging out a ditch which regularly floods in heavy rains, pressure washing the exterior brick sign and our church building, scrubbing some floors, sorting food for distribution in our food pantry . . . as well as joining us for lunch! Our hallway walls take a beating due to the constant demands of our food pantry ministry, but our volunteers put in so much physical work every week that we are not able to manage the upkeep they did for us. What an amazing blessing! We praise the Lord and thank these wonderful, hard-working crew members for all that they did! We are so grateful to Captain Sean Bailey and his wife, Danette, who is a faithful and hard-working food pantry volunteer throughout each week. Thank you to each of our church family who prepped the work areas, provided and served lunch, and cleaned up. Special thanks to Ben Nelson, who managed the entire process, prepped walls throughout the building, was the main liaison with the sailors, provided supplies, food, and paint, cooked, and even cleaned the carpets afterward! Thanks also to Jeff Swaim, who assisted with managing tasks on the work day. Glory to God! https://www.dvidshub.net/news/281424/thousand-points-light-bush-sailors-volunteer-throughout-hampton-roads

We are so thankful and praise God for our newest members, Brent Nala Delozier, and their new baby, Grayson! And we praise God for Nala's baptism! Romans 6:3-4 says, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

The First Sunday of Advent 2017 at Brook Baptist "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means God with us). Matthew 1:23. We're praying that this Christmas season, you will come to desire more than ever before Jesus and the joy that can only be had through trusting in Him.

Wherever you are at noon today (your local time), take time to read or listen to passages from the Bible together with friends. Share the verses that encourage or inspire you on social media, and use the hashtag #BibleCelebration to help your Friends and followers discover this special day.

Halloween represents darkness. There are scary costumes, scary movies, and scary decorations. So much of what goes in the weeks leading up to Halloween and on the day itself point to evil and evil is darkness. People treat it as a "fun" holiday and fail to see the real evil that is in our culture and in the world, much less the spiritual evil of Satan and all his servants. The good news is that light overcomes the darkness. In fact, the gospel of John says that in Jesus was "life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (John 1:4-5). The following article from Desiring God is a helpful reminder of how to keep in biblical perspective darkness and the light of the gospel. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/don-t-waste-the-darkness

Here is an encouraging article from The Gospel Coalition: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/women-insecurity-and-the-self-help-gospel

"Christ the Lord is Risen today! Alleluia!' We as God's people rejoice today for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead almost 2,000 years ago. He suffered and died and His death means that we have forgiveness for our sins if we trust in Him. "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—" (Colossians 1:21-22). Christ's resurrection means He is King over all the universe. ". . . he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.. . . "(Ephesians 1:20-23). Christ's resurrection means we now live in the power of God to be the people He has called us to be--holy and blameless. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." (Ephesians 1:3-4). Christ's resurrection means that one day, all His people who trusted in Him will also rise again from the dead and will receive resurrection bodies that are imperishable and incorruptible. "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality." (I Corinthians 15:51-53). This Easter let's rejoice for what we have in Christ through His death and resurrection. Let's hope in Him with firm expectancy that one day we will be raised to life eternal. And let's live victorious lives. .

These are sobering times. We as God's people are called to reflect the character of our Savior! This article helps to point us in the right direction. http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-live-under-an-unqualified-president

God's people desperately need to hear and heed the message in this article. God bless you as you seek to live out the unity of people that Christ died for!