The truth of God’s sovereignty in...

Sunday, June 4; 6:00 PM

Sunday, June 4; 6:00 PM

Monday, June 12; 6:00 PM

Sunday, June 18

June 19-24

July 2-9

Sunday, July 2; 6:00 PM

Tuesday, July 4

Saturday, July 8 & 15; 9:00 AM

July 17-21; 8:15 AM-Noon

Thursday, July 20; 6:00 PM

Monday, August 14; 6:00 PM

Sunday, August 27

Sunday, August 27; 5:30 PM

Thursday, August 31; 6:30 PM

One of the most common questions that I

receive is, “If God is sovereign over salva-

tion, what is the purpose of evangelism and

why pray?” The quickest response is that

God’s sovereignty is the basis for praying

for our lost family and friends. We are

acknowledging when we pray for the lost

that only God can work within a person’s

heart to bring about their salvation. But let

me share a few more specific things to help

answer this question.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Paul instructs Timothy

about praying for the lost. Paul had just

told Timothy in chapter 1 that God is

sovereign over salvation and then explains

how Timothy should pray in light of this

truth. In Paul’s mind, he sees an urgency to

be called to prayer if God is in control of

salvation. We need to understand the role

of prayer in the important work of

evangelism.

First, Paul tells Timothy that the church

should be earnestly praying for the salva-

tion of all men. In verse 2, Paul specifies

this to “kings and all who are in high

positions.” This would have been a hard

pill to swallow for these New Testament

Christians who were suffering great perse-

cution at the hands of political leaders of

that day. Nero, for example, was a vile and

debauched persecutor of the church, yet

they were still to pray for his redemption. If

God is sovereign over salvation, then we

can be sure that God can save even the

most outwardly vile of sinners. Evangelistic

praying that is grounded in the realities of

a sovereign God drives us to enlarge our

heart until it embraces the world, believing

in the power of God’s saving grace.

The truth of God’s sovereignty in salvation

and the doctrine of election does not bring a

coldness or apathy toward evangelism, but

brings a confident and fiery passion for the

lost. Paul says we are to pray for all types of

men, even kings and those in authority,

because God desires all people to be saved

and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

We simply are to be faithful to share the

gospel with others, and God will graciously

save people from all walks of life and all

types of displayed depravity. So, absolutely

no one is out of the reach of God’s grace.

This is consistent with Christ’s work of

atonement on the cross. To try and limit your

prayers for people to a group that you think is

either deserving of God’s grace or that you

think is reachable is to diminish the value of

Christ’s work on the cross. Paul says Christ

gave Himself as a ransom for all. Christ’s

death was sufficient to save anyone. His

death was sufficient to God for the satisfac-

tion of His justice for all. No one is so far

gone that they are out of reach of the saving

work of Jesus Christ. The point we need to embrace is two-fold.

First, develop a heart for the salvation of the

whole world. Don’t limit your prayers for

anyone. Take heart in the truth that God’s

power of saving grace is the only hope we

have for anybody to be saved, and we should

therefore pray for the salvation of all.

Second, expand your scope of evangelistic

praying beyond your friends and family. Pray

for the leaders of the world. There are no

impossible cases with God. Jesus said with

men it is impossible, but with God all things

are possible. Don’t let God’s sovereignty

make you weak in your prayers but bold and

courageous to come before His throne and

ask for the salvation of the nations.

Leading God’s people is a tremendous blessing that often comes with a

unique set of difficulties. 1 Timothy chapter 3 presents the qualifications for

pastors or overseers in the church. I would love to encourage you to let this

passage serve as a prayer guide as you think about how you can pray for

your pastors. In doing so, you will be praying for God to strengthen the

pastors in the areas of life that God commands them to be faithful.

1) Pray for our families: This passage not only requires that pastors be the

husband of one wife, but it also requires that pastors manage their own

households well. Pray that by God’s grace the pastors’ marriages would be

strengthened and would paint a gospel picture of the nature of the relation-

ship between Christ and his church. Pray also for our children, that they

would grow in Christ and be submissive to the Scriptures. 2) Pray for our

spirit as we lead in the church and proclaim Christ to the community. The

passage calls on pastors to be above reproach, sober-minded, self-

controlled, respectable, and hospitable. Paul goes on to inform Timothy

that pastors should not be a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrel-

some, and not a lover of money. Pray that our pastors would

continue to be men who exhibit these characteristics and depend on God’s

grace to grow in them. 3) Pray for our standing in the community: Verse 7

of Paul’s instructions states that the pastor: “must be well thought of by

outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”

Pray that this would be true of our pastors in our community. 4) Pray for

our faithfulness to the word. 1 Timothy tells us that the pastor must be able

to teach, and Titus 1:9 states: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word

as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and

also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Pray, above all, that the pastors in

our church would remain faithful to right doctrine and a pure gospel.

Luke 22:31-32: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,

that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith

may not fail.”

Jesus prayed for Simon Peter, and He has prayed for you. We observe

four things from the text. First, He knows your name. He has prayed for

you. Jesus knows the trials that you face. He has seen every hard and

happy event of your life. He knows your weak-spots and fault-lines. He

knows where you are prone to fall and He has prayed for you to be

strengthened. Second, the prayers of Jesus show the cares of Jesus.

You are on His mind. Psalm 139:17-18 (NET translation) says, “How

difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! How vast

is their sum total!” His thoughts of you are countless, and therefore He

prays for you. Third, Jesus knows things that you do not know. He is

aware of Satan’s requests, and just like how Satan demanded to have

Job, Satan demands to have Peter. Jesus knows about trials that will

come your way, and He has prayed for you ahead of time. Fourth, Jesus

knows what you need, and it is the same thing that Simon Peter needed:

that in the middle of your trial your faith may not fail. Notice that Jesus

did not say, “Satan has demanded to have you, and I have refused Satan’s

request.” Peter, like Job, was given over into the hand of Satan for a time,

but both were restored in the end. Jesus gives strength for the trial.

Remember that Jesus too was given over into Satan’s hand, and He knew

before His crucifixion that “this is your hour, and the power of dark-

ness” (Luke 22:53). Fellow Christian, after the cross is a crown of eternal

life, and the One who will give you the crown is the same One who has

prayed for you.

The short answer to the question above won’t surprise you:

pray! We are called to be active participants in corporate

worship in every respect: We consciously seek to understand

God’s word as it is preached (2 Tim. 4:2-4), we listen

intently as it is read (1 Tim. 4:13-16), we sing biblical songs

that teach and admonish one another (Col. 3:16), we see and

celebrate the word of God as we observe baptism and

communion (1 Cor. 11:23-26), and we pray God’s word

together in faith (James 5:13-15). The Bible encourages –

yes, even commands – our participation in these things.

The simple answer, “pray,” is a needed reminder. All of us

are guilty of passivity in corporate prayer from time to time.

After all, it’s easy to be passive when we close our eyes and

bow our heads. Does your mind tend to wander during

corporate prayer? Do you gravitate toward your own

personal prayer concerns instead of the corporate needs? Do

you think more about your plans for the day instead of

praying? Do you find yourself catching up on a few minutes

of sleep? We must tether our hearts and our minds to the

prayers being voiced in our gatherings as we seek to worship

together through prayer.

Here are a few things to think about as you participate:

• Remember that God’s word guides our prayers, so it’s

right to let the corporate prayers guide your heart and mind.

Your pastors go to great lengths to let God’s word inform the

prayers we pray, so participate expecting God’s word to guide

you, not just a man with a microphone.

• View prayer as a means of sanctification. When we

confess sin, view it as a time to grow in repentance. When we

intercede for the sick, foster a heart of concern for others.

When we pray for missions, ask God to help you be more

passionate for His global cause. When we praise God in

prayer, allow reflection upon His work and character to grow

your love for Him.

• Use physical expressiveness to help you participate.

Consider keeping simple notes in a notebook from the

prayers in our service, citing Scripture allusions or prayer

topics. Or perhaps you might quietly restate the prayers

being voiced in your own words. Or, if you’re so inclined,

nod your head in agreement or quietly agree in prayer by

saying “amen” (which means “may that be so”) or something

similar. These physical activities can help you stay engaged.

• Ask God to help you concentrate. This may seem kind of

circular, but we need the Lord’s help focusing in these ways

just as we need the Lord to bind our wandering hearts to

Him.

• Celebrate when prayers are answered. Refer to those

notes you kept during the services. Think back on how God

helped you conquer that abiding sin. Ponder how your

adoration for the Lord has grown over time. And then, thank

God in prayer again for His gracious work as he uses our

prayers in accomplishing His good purposes!

Thanks for all your prayer support for us. The year 2016 brought

many prayer needs for us. Your faithfulness in prayer has blessed us.

Joe recently got a cancer-free report from his doctor. Then I got a

great report on my blood levels—then I experienced a bad fall at

home. Now that is healing and dental work is coming. We have had

so much prayer mail from FBC we need to make a postage donation!

We love you all and thank God for your faithfulness. The cards, calls,

visits and food have helped so much. We love you for praying.

Carolyn and Joe Vincent

The plant you sent for Doris Barron’s memorial service is beautiful.

So thoughtful.

Thank you to Chris Dilley and Andrew Pressley—for your kindness

and help with the memorial service for Doris this past Saturday.

Please be sure to extend our gratitude to any others that were part

of this endeavor.

Nancy & Carl Barron

Thank you for standing with us in prayerful support. God is such a

strength and comfort.

We love our church family,

Linda & Dallas Holm

As one considers the various spiritual disciplines of the Christian

life, it becomes evident that many believers struggle with the

discipline of prayer. This is something worth pondering considering

prayer is foundational to faithful discipleship. Much can be said

about what prayer is, but at the most foundational level, prayer is

at least these two key things: 1) Direct communication with the

Creator God, our Father through Jesus Christ, and 2) A practical

demonstration of the believer’s ongoing trust in God for all things.

So, when we Christians neglect prayer, we are forfeiting the

opportunity bought by Christ’s blood to enter into the presence of

God through prayer, and we are not trusting the Lord with all that

we are. This is a serious issue. So why might Christians struggle

with prayer? Again, many things could be said here, but I would

argue that many Christians struggle with prayer simply because

they feel stumped. They don’t know what they should pray for. It

can be very easy for us Christians to get stuck in repetitive, rote

patterns of prayer where we focus primarily on earthly, temporal

things i.e., “ God, help me get rid of this cold,” “thank you for this

food,” etc. These aren’t wrong prayers, they’re important.

However, the Bible offers us a vast multitude of ways we can pray

and we must go to Scripture to inform our prayer life so that we

might know what to pray for when we feel lost.

Scripture is God’s eternal truth revealed to his people, the Church.

It only makes sense, then, that our prayers back to God would be in

response to what he has already revealed. So, if you find yourself

wondering what to pray for, start by praying Scripture. I think

sometimes Christians divorce the disciplines of Bible study and

prayer from each other when in reality, they should go hand in

hand. (Donald Whitney has written a great book on this topic

entitled “Praying The Bible.” I would also recommend D.A. Carson’s

book entitled “A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul

and His Prayers.” ) So, when searching what to pray for, we should

be informed by Scripture, for in it, God reveals to us who he is and

how he wants his people to glorify him. This doesn’t mean that

practical prayers for sickness or the loss of a job, etc., shouldn’t be

prayed, or that they are obsolete. Rather, it means that these

concerns should be filtered through the truth of God’s word that is

focusing on his eternal promises, how to fight against our sin, deal

with life’s trials in a biblical manner, etc.

I’ve also found it helpful to think of what I pray for in the context of

the primary way that God desires us to worship him. That is,

through the “greatest commandment” and the one like it found in

Matthew 22:34-40. In this text, Jesus says that we are to love God

with “all your heart, soul, and mind” and likewise, we are to “love

our neighbors as ourselves.” So, the next time you are struggling

with knowing how to pray, think about these commands of Jesus.

You might ask: “God, will you grant me the grace to love you more

than I love myself and my idols?” “God, I confess my mind has

wandered into unholy thoughts, would you help me to love you

with my mind?” “God, I want to pray for my brother/sister in

Christ, that they might trust in you during this difficult time in their

lives.” These are just some examples of spiritual prayers that focus

on loving God and loving others. Finally, try to think of your prayer

life in this order: (1) Prayers related to my relationship with God,

(2) prayers related to my relationships to others, and then, (3)

prayers related to my practical needs before the Lord. There are

many valid ways to pray, and I’m not proposing that this is the only

way, but I think it is helpful to focus on what God desires of us,

considering our love for God and others first. In short, emphasize

spiritual prayers which focus on our most important relationships

in this world. Whatever approach you take in prayer, be

encouraged that at the end of the day, if Scripture informs your

prayers, and not your subjective emotions, or the teachings of man,

you will be heading in the right direction.

Thank you for your prayers, calls and cards during my son Kirk’s

recovery from his accident.

Your prayers reached beyond all medical care. He is a walking

miracle, and I am so grateful. Thank you all so much from my heart.

Anne Hart Newsom

In A Call to Spiritual Reformation, author D.A. Carson says that “One of the foundational steps in know-

ing God, and one of the basic demonstrations that we do know God, is prayer – spiritual, persistent,

biblically minded prayer.” Carson observes that many Christians struggle with the discipline of biblical-

ly saturated, deep, meaningful prayer. This book explores some of the reasons why believers don’t pray,

and offers a detailed look at some of the Apostle Paul’s prayers in Scripture as models of how Christians

can approach prayer today. This is an immensely practical and devotional work on the vital discipline of

prayer in the Christian life.

Sundays 9:00 - 9:45 AM and 10:30 - 11:15 AM

“Effective prayer is the fruit of a relationship with God, not a technique for acquiring blessings.”

-D. A. Carson

1 6:00 pm

Committee on

Committees Meeting

2 3 7:00 am

Men's Breakfast

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Evening Service in the

NOFT Begins

6:00 pm

Excavate Begins

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Mother/Daughter

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NOFT

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Deacon's Meeting

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Senior Adult Game

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14 15 6:30 pm

Kitchen Committee

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18 Father's Day

No Evening Service

or Activities

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Student Camp Parent

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9:30 am

Senior Adult Playday

and Luncheon

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25 6:00 pm


NOFT

26 27

28

29 30

June 1: Jennie Richardson

David Edman

June 2: Mike Combs

Elliya Eyler

June 3: Copeland Taylor

June 4: Kelleigh Macevicius

Erik Swenson

Macy Simmons

Jordis Fleming

Ethan Dilley

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June 7: Jewell Matkin

Shawna Tunnell

June 8: Curtis Baker

Kaela Deslatte

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June 9: Kathy Campbell

Pydi Oliver

Colton Beeler

June 10: Carol Davis

Jill Spearman

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June 11: Paul Kling III

Annette Nelms

Kaley Nuss

June 12: Jennifer Taber

June 13: Brad Rauscher

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April Jordan

Trenton SirLouis

June 15: Vivian Cox

Donna Weems

Stephen LeBlanc

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Fallon Froebe

June 16: Ruth Ashcraft

Misty Kay

June 17: Amy Mills

Mae Smith

Frank Schultheis

Dave Stack

Melissa Hefner

June 18: Judah Eyler

June 19: Janette Buck

Patrick McClain

Cadi Van Cleve

June 20: James Parks

June 21: Ally Vent

June 22: Denise Fleming

Michael Pettiette

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June 23: Mike Moore

Danny Weesner

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June 24: Kyle Alexander

Brian Macevicius

Emma Deslatte

June 25: Todd Froebe

Ryan Taber

Lou Watkins

Chelsie Cagle

June 26: Tom Buck

Lyssa Stewart

June 27: Keely McLaughlin

Brayden Walker

June 28: Jerry Garner

Beau Kelly

June 29: Sandra Helmuth

Lydia Doyle

June 30: Lance Dudley

Amanda Allen

Collin McGee

Levi Brohard

Sundays

8:15-9:30 AM: Worship Service (WC)

9:00-9:45 AM: Library Open (EC-103)

9:45-10:45 AM: Sunday School (EC)


11:00 AM-12:15 PM: Worship Service (WC)

11:00 AM-12:15 PM: Children’s Church (EC-208)

5:30-7:15 PM: TwelveOne Student Ministry (SC)

6:00-7:00 PM: Evening Prayer Service (NOFT)

6:00-7:00 PM: Excavate (SC)

Wednesdays

6:00-7:00 PM: Instrumental Rehearsal (WC)


1 7:00 am

Men's Breakfast

2

6:00 pm

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Meal in the NOFT

3 4 Independence Day

Church Office

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6

7

8 9:00 am

Vacation Bible School

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9 PM Service and

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10 11 6:00 pm

Senior Adult Game

Night

12 13 14 15 9:00 am

Vacation Bible School

Workday

16 6:00 pm


NOFT

17

6:30 pm

Personnel Committee

Meeting

7:00 pm


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6:00 pm

Finance Committee

Meeting

19

20 6:00 pm

VBS Family Night

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22

23 6:00 pm


NOFT

24 25

26 27 9:30 am


and Luncheon

28 29

30 6:00 pm


NOFT

31

July 1: Janae Childs

Haley Taber

July 2: B. G. Irby

Don Davis

Walt Edman

Natalie Allen

Madison Caldwell

Tucker Brian

July 3: Sue Boykin

Marisa Sitton

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July 5: Tony Macevicius

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Ranger Burgess

July 13: Wanda Keller

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July 17: Jeremy Meier

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Jacob Erickson

July 19: Larry Routh

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Talon Ayres

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Candy Davis

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July 30: Peyton Long

July 31: Owen Kelly

Sundays










Wednesdays



1 6:30 pm

Benevolence

Committee Meeting

2 3 4 5 7:00 am

Men's Breakfast

Time TBA

Family Impact Event

6 6:00 pm


NOFT

7 8 6:00 pm

Senior Adult Game

Night

9 10 11 12

8:00 am

Senior Adult

Breakfast Out

13 PM Service and

Communion in the

NOFT

14

6:00 pm

Deacon's Meeting

15 6:00 pm

Finance Committee

Meeting

16

17 18 19

20 6:00 pm


NOFT

21 6:30 pm

Personnel Committee

Meeting

7:00 pm


Committee Meeting

22

23 24 9:30 am


and Luncheon

25 26

27 Promotion Sunday

5:30 pm

Members Meeting in

the NOFT

28 2:00 pm

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Party at Lindale

Healthcare

29

30

31 6:30 pm

Caroline Cobb Concert

Aug 1: Margie Boone

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Jeff Ward

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Jeff Jones

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Olivia Routt

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William Dillon

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Aug 10: Clyde Harper

Mykylie Meader

Aug 11: Heath Koonce

Greg Roach

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Michael Gregory

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Journey Fleming

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Deborah Prather

Kevin Simmons

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Cole Williams

Aug 17: Don Poe

Ron Poe

Brody Spearman

Aug 18: LeAnne Davis

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David G. Cooper

Toby Poe

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Stephanie Dilley

Langdon Froebe

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Willie Warren

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Jennifer Michel

Daniel Story

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Holli Dunn

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Scott Mollenhauer

Sheila Gilbert

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Jenna Fleming

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Anne Wulff

Bobbie Williams

Matthew Wulff

Aug 28: Don Williams

Luke Poe

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James Reeder

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Dian Whittington

Ed Watts

Randall Ricketts

Teresa Cannon

Allison Pettiette

Kinley Vent

Noah Hess

Aug 31: Dean Childres

Glenda Dintelman

Eddie Cates

Scott Fair

Christy Murray

Karen Allen

Hunter Kay

Sundays










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