Sauls SS Class
FBC Covington, 7/10/16 - Weekly Newsletter
PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THIS WEEK
- Robert Gentry (Dale's cousin's husband) - meningitis
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- Leo "Bubba" Mallard - continue to pray for him, Renee, and MacKenzie
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- Shelley Wisner (Ross' friend & neighbor) - in ICU at Rockdale Medical for over 12 days in a row now; complications from gallstone surgery; now has pancreatitis; has just come off ventilator; showing some responsiveness
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- Those traveling for summer vacations
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- Be praying for "The Main Event" (AKA Men's Conference) on July 22-23rd in Nashville.
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- Men & Women who are Public Servants - safety on a daily basis
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- Race relations in America
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- Our Country and the Election Process
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- We were a small but high quality group today and we missed those of you who were out! Scott even figured out how to connect his laptop to the Big TV today!
Five Words for Believers in the Midst of Tragedy by Cody H. McNutt
Like so many of you, I have closely followed the news of the last few days. I’ve watched the coverage of the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. I’ve read articles, scanned tweets, and listened to interviews. I’ve heard and watched the outrage escalate in Louisiana and Minnesota. As it always seems to occur these days, it was just a matter of time before things got worse….and then they did.
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Last night, I went to bed with knowledge that something had happened in Dallas. I woke to gut-wrenching, soul-horrifying tragedy.
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Growing up near Memphis, the nightly news consistently reported murders. Seemed like hundreds of them. Maybe that was when my heart began to grow cold to the reality of life lost in such tragic ways. Even though I was across the Mississippi River, the stories seemed a world away.
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Almost 20 years later now, leading a family and a church, the stories hit closer to home. I have to raise four girls in this world. I pastor decorated veterans, active duty soldiers, courageous police officers. Although my church is a very traditional Southern Baptist Church, I pastor young and old – black, white, and Hispanic – white and blue collar. The realities of recent days touch us all, but in different ways.
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There is so much that needs to be said, and so much we want to say, but in moments like this I think five basic words should reverberate in the lives of Christ-followers.
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1. Mourn - Paul told the church at Rome to “rejoice with those who rejoice” and to “mourn (or weep) with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
Now is not the time to speculate about what may or may not have led to any of these tragedies. This is not the time to pontificate. Now is not the time to point fingers. Now is not the time to let hatred, racism, and division further overtake us. Now is not the time to judge.
Now is the time to mourn. We weep for children whose fathers aren’t coming home, for wives who’ve lost their husbands, for mothers who’ve lost their sons. We mourn for a nation, indeed for a world in chaos.
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2. Pray – We are called to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This should be the normal posture of our Christian lives, but even more so in seasons such as this.
We should pray for all involved. For families and friends. For doctors and nurses. For first responders. For mayors and city officials. For our government. For our President.
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3. Remember – The Bible tells us that God created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). That means all of humanity. Black lives matter. Blue lives matter.
Remember that on His cross, Jesus purchased people from “every tribe and tongue and nation” (Revelation 5:9). The dividing walls of hostility have been broken down so that now, for those who are in Christ, there is one family, one body, one Lord, one faith.
Remember that Jesus loves the little children of the world…all of them…red and yellow, black and white.
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4. Fight – The church of the Lord Jesus Christ must lead the fight against injustice. This is part of the the heart and ministry of Jesus, the one who was anointed to “to bring good news to the poor… to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isaiah 61:1).
In time, we let justice proceed and prevail where it must, and where it can. But we also speak out, preach against, live in light of, and fight social injustice.
We must do so with theological wisdom and Spirit-filled grace. Scripture must be our guide as we winsomely seek to represent Christ and glorify God in all we say and do.
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5. Trust – Scripture is clear. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). We believe that God is sovereign over all things, and that ultimately, the “judge of all the earth will do right” (Genesis 18:25). We believe that He is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
We trust in our God and we trust in His gospel. Our ultimate hope is the power of the gospel. Only the foolishness of the preaching of the cross will make the difference in the hearts and minds of those who have been blinded by the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). We cannot be ashamed of the gospel for it is the “power of God unto salvation to all who believe” (Romans 1:16).
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We live in a world of increasing moral insanity. Yet even as the news scrolled over the last day, the rich theology and beauty of “This is My Father’s World” kept pouring into my head, and heart, and mouth.
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As you go throughout the next few days, remember these five powerful words with me…and perhaps keep the words and tune of this song in your soul:
This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
UNIQUE & WEIRD HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK:
Keep your week interesting and celebrate as many of these holidays as possible!
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13 Barbershop Music Appreciation Day
14 Bastille Day
15 Cow Appreciation Day- Go out and give a cow a hug
SACK LUNCH SATURDAY WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT, SO PLEASE SIGN UP NOW!
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SATURDAY JULY 23rd - SACK LUNCH SATURDAY
- Our class is responsible for fifty (50) complete Sack Lunches to be at the Kitchen in the Fellowship Hall before 11:00am on that Saturday
- A complete sack lunch includes the following: a drink, a sandwich, chips, fruit or dessert item
- We will need to get commitments for X number of lunches no later than the Sunday before this event
TODAY'S BULLETIN STUFF
SUMMER SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN SS
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Think about it, pray about it, and then let Scott know if you'd be interested.
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WHO'S UP FOR A DAY IN JULY OR AUGUST?
The Main Event, LifeWay's Men's Conference
Let's face it, at this point you're either already signed up to go (like Scott & Crew) or you're not going. So, there's no need to belabor this event.
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It's taking place on July 22-23rd in Nashville TN. Guest speakers are pretty awesome including Tim Tebow.
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The Sauls Family will be enjoying the pool and free breakfast at the Hampton Inn in Brentwood TN during their trip to the conference.
WIRELESS INTERNET AT FBC:
The Network Name for the FBC Campus is:
FBCLANNEW
The Password is Go9031FBC
IF YOU'RE INTO SOCIAL MEDIA, SO ARE WE:
Like Us On Facebook at @FirstBaptistChurchCovington or @FirstBaptistChurchGospelChildren or @FirstBaptistNorth
Follow Us On Twitter at @FBCovington
Join Us On Instragram at @fbccovington
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And if you can't attend, watch us "live" on the LIVEFEED of the 10:30am Casual Service available on the FBC website under MEDIA. NOTE: If you've tried to watch and it's not working, make sure you let the Front Office know so that it can be fixed.
FBC Covington Pastoral Staff
Dr. Cody McNutt
PRAY FOR OUR STAFF
Ralph Meaker
Tim Barnes
Matt Funk
Josh Cornett
North Campus Pastor
www.firstbaptistcovington.com
Dr. Cody H. McNutt, Senior Pastor, cmcnutt@firstbaptistcovington.com
Charles Reynolds, Pastor of Median & Mature Adults and Church Administrator, creynolds@firstbaptistcovington.com
Ralph Meaker, Pastor of Discipleship, rmeaker@firstbaptistcovington.com
Tim Barnes, Pastor of Worship, tbarnes@firstbaptistcovington.com
Matt Funk, Pastor of Students & Families, mfunk@firstbaptistcovington.com
Josh Cornett, Pastor of Missions & Families, jcornett@firstbaptistcovington.com
1139 Usher Street
Covington, GA 30014
770-786-9031
OFFICE HOURS:
Mon-Thur - 8:00am to 5:00pm
Closed Noon to 1:00pm for lunch
Fri - 8:00am to Noon
Note: Office is closed on Tuesdays from 9:00am to 12:00pm for Staff Meeting