Once a Year Blog Post

Well, I guess if one is going to have a blog, one should post something once at year, whether one has something to say or not. Since I am usually a man of few words (unless it's a Sunday morning sermon), most often these days I am posting on Twitter. Chick here to follow.

A New Commandment

Jesus said: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35 ESV). I preached from this passage this past Sunday, July 5. (Click here to listen.) I encouraged everyone to focus on one point of the message each day for five days. Here are the questions for personal evaluation that I gave.

Day 1 -- Do I really consider loving my brothers and sisters in Christ to be a command? How am I doing at obeying the command?

Day 2 -- Am I trying to love in my own strength, or am I allowing the Holy Spirit to fuel my love? Do I love as Jesus loves - unconditionally, sacrificially, without limits, inexhaustibly?

Day 3 -- Do I consistently possess attitudes and undertake actions that promote good for others?

Day 4 -- Are there any Christians that I don't love for any reason? Are there exceptions in my love for others?

Day 5 -- Does a watching world know that I am Jesus' disciple because of the way I love my fellow Christians?

Jesus said, If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them (John 13:17 ESV).

Key Aspects of God-honoring Service

John 13 contains the account of Jesus washing His disciples' feet at the Last Supper. This past Sunday (June 28) I preached from this passage. We talked about six key aspects of God-honoring service. Toward the close of the message, I encouraged everyone to focus on one aspect each day for six days. Following are the key aspects we discussed from John 13:1-17 and some questions for personal evaluation.

Day 1 -- The motivation for service is love. (vs. 1) Ask: Is love really the motivation for my service (as opposed to guilt, selfish gain, sense of duty, pride, etc.)?

Day 2 -- Our model for service is Jesus. (vs. 3-5) Ask: Do I serve as Jesus did -- selflessly; humbly? Is any type of service beneath me?

Day 3 -- A prerequisite for service is humility. (vs. 5) Ask: Do I possess genuine, Christ-like humility? Do I truly put others ahead of myself?

Day 4 -- The scope of service includes every person. (vs. 2a, 11a) Ask: Is there anyone I refuse to serve for any reason? If so, what do I need to do to correct that?

Day 5 -- Jesus' command to serve is clear. (vs. 14-15) Ask: Do I understand and accept that service is not optional if I am to be obedient to Christ?

Day 6 -- The reward for service is blessing. (vs. 17) Ask: Does serving really make me happy? (It should.) Am I rejoicing in the blessings of service?

We are often tempted to make excuses for our lack of service. We need to remember that in reality we are offering our excuses to the Lord. When we imagine standing before Him and offering our excuses, we quickly realize how lame all those excuses are.

Where will you serve through the Lord's church this coming year? Jesus said, "If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:17 ESV).

Strategic Service

Speaking of Himself, Jesus said: "...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45 ESV). Think about it. If the King of glory, the Creator of the universe, came to this earth in the flesh in order to serve, what does that say to those of us who are His followers? It certainly tells us that we should be in the business of serving as well, doesn't it? And serving not only randomly and/or as opportunities arise, but also serving intentionally on an ongoing basis.

This coming Sunday (June 28) marks the beginning of an emphasis on Strategic Service in Petal FBC. Over the next several weeks, EVERY person who calls Petal FBC their church home will be encouraged to commit to serve on a Strategic Service Team for the next year (August '09 - July '10). What are Strategic Service Teams? Pretty much just what the name says -- they are teams of people who serve in specific ways to help us accomplish our strategy for making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Click here to find a copy of a Strategic Service Selection Form. We're asking you to prayerfully commit to serve on one of these teams from August of this year through July of next year. Specifically, we want EVERYONE (9th grade age and older who is physically able) to serve on a Sunday morning service team. Then, as you feel led, you may want to serve on other teams as well. If you're already serving and want to continue in your service area, we ask that you fill out a selection form to let us know of your desire to continue to serve in that area.

Our goal as Jesus' disciples is to be like Him; and so because Jesus focused on serving others, so should we. Where will you serve during the coming year?

New York Partnership

I want to update you on what is going on with our partnership with the Frontier Baptist Association in western New York state. (Sorry it has been so long since my last post.) In mid-April, two others from Mississippi and I enjoyed a great trip to the Buffalo area. We met some wonderful people including Mike Flannery and his wife Beverly. They were awesome hosts. Mike is the missions director for Frontier Association. The pastors and the people in the churches there obviously love Jesus, but the work is hard and the laborers are few. They are sowing the seed of the gospel on some hard soil. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in western New York. Pray that they will be encouraged and that God will continue to use them in mighty ways.

This past week I had the privilege to meet with Mike and Bev at the Baptist Building in Jackson. (They were in Jackson for Mike's re-appointment as a North American Mission Board missionary. Accompanying them on the trip was Bill Smith, a pastor from the Buffalo area.) During our meeting I felt led to commit Petal FBC to help in any way God leads with new church plants in their area of New York state. We're not sure what kind of help we may be able to provide or when, but we want to be available, again as God leads and provides.

I am extremely excited about how God may use us in this area of the world. I ask that you be in prayer as to how the Lord may involve you in this endeavor. Jesus said, "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8 ESV). May we be faithful witnesses in Petal, in Mississippi, in Dallas, Texas, in upstate New York, in Southeast Asia, and everywhere in between.

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

On my blog post dated March 9, 2009, I talked about a trip to western New York state to investigate potential connections/partnerships with churches and/or church plants that are affiliated with the Frontier Baptist Association. Well, the time for the trip has finally arrived. I leave today with two others from Mississippi. We will fly into Buffalo and be in the surrounding area through Monday. We will attend the mid-year meeting of the Frontier Association on Saturday. On Sunday we will be speaking/preaching in various churches. I will be preaching at the First Baptist Church of Silver Creek, New York. Silver Creek is on the shore of Lake Erie, about a forty-five minute drive southwest of Buffalo. We will also spend time getting a "feel" for the area and possibly meeting with other church and association leaders.

Please be in prayer for several things related to this trip. Pray that we will be sensitive and attentive to God's leading related to connections with the New York churches. Pray that we will have God's anointing as we speak and preach over the weekend. Pray for our safety as we travel and for the safety of our loved ones while we are away. Pray for Rocky as he preaches at Petal FBC in my absence.

"Let's Do Lunch" Update

We have a date for our first First Sunday Lunch. On Sunday, May 3, our plans are to have lunch immediately following the 10:30 AM worship service. We want you to stay and eat with us. The meal won't be elaborate, but it will be better than cooking and cleaning up. There will be a cost involved and our lunch service team is in the process of figuring out all those kinds of details. We also need you to make a reservation so we will make sure everyone has food. There are several ways to reserve your spot(s). You can use a Communication Card from your Sunday bulletin and drop it in the offering basket at the close of the worship service. You can call the church office at 601.545.3198. You can email us at petalfbc@megagate.com. You can register online at our website www.petalfbc.com. There is a link on the home page. The deadline for reservations is noon on Wednesday, April 29.

Please join us for a good time of visiting with old friends and making new friends. I look forward to us doing lunch on May 3.