Neal Nelson teaches out of Mark 8:21-9:1 to help us better understand the costs and blessings of being a follower of Christ.
On 02.22.10, In Sermon
On 02.15.10, In Sermon
This week Phillip Williamson teaches us about the most central belief of Christianity-Jesus Christ. Phillip takes an in depth look at John 1 to help give us a better understanding of the incarnate God.
On 02.15.10, In Focus
Many thanks to Philip Williamson for teaching for us yesterday. We will continue the rescue theme this week as Neal teaches on what it means to follow Jesus as a disciple.
There will be a Connections Class on Sunday, February 28th right after the second service. Please tell anyone interested in attending the class to contact Scott Jackson (jacksons@obu.edu).
This week begins Lent in the Christian tradition. Lent is a period of about forty days when believers prepare themselves to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus.
We talked last night in our k-group about what “incarnational ministry” might look like. As God’s agents and representatives in this world, how should we enter the world of people who need to know the Lord in order to bring hope and life? Definitely something to pray about. How is the Spirit leading you and your k-group to carry out incarnational ministry?
-sd
On 02.08.10, In Sermon
Scott Duvall teaches on the freedom that we find in Christ’s death and resurrection. As we learn from Romans 8, there is no condemnation for those in Christ. We are free and redeemed!
On 01.31.10, In Sermon
Scott Duvall teaches out of Matthew 4. We examine Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and attempt to understand the ways that Satan tries to attack us and attempt us. Scott gives us practical advice on how to avoid temptation and to confront Satan when tempted.
On 01.31.10, In Focus
Good morning Fellowship Church,
We hope today is a powerful day of worship for you. Although gathering for worship may at times see routine, worship is actually transformative. The experience changes us. As we sing praises to our Lord, submit in prayer, hear His Word, and so on, something happens to us. We’re not the same people going out as we were coming in. No, we can’t remember everything that happens in worship in years gone by, but we are changed nevertheless. (We can’t remember what we ate on this day last year either, but that meal still changed us in some way.)
Today, we will focus on fighting spiritual battles as we learn from Jesus’ own experience recorded in Matthew 4:1-11.
Numerous times I’ve heard people say after moving away from Arkadelphia and FC that they wish they could replicate the k-group experience. Our fellowship groups are a huge privilege.
Continue to pray that the Spirit would lead us to make a difference in our community. It’s hard to believe but God really wants to use FC to change the neighborhoods surrounding our worship center. As we pray, our hearts will become even more compassionate toward people in need.
We are beginning to have more community visitors. Please be sensitive to people coming to FC for the first time and make them feel welcome. First impressions run deep.
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thess. 2:16-17).
On 01.29.10, In Sermon
Doug Nykolaishen gives us insight into the relationship between Satan and Sin and how it affects our every day life. He is teaching out of Genesis 2.
On 01.20.10, In Sermon
Scott Jackson reports on the state of our church from 2009. He shares about our ministries and their effectiveness. He also addresses some growth areas from the book of Acts for the Fellowship Church to work on during 2010.
On 01.15.10, In Focus
First off, I’m sure you are heart broken about the disaster in Haiti. If you want to give money to help out, you can do so through the Southern Baptist disaster relief at the following location:
There are also many other reputable organizations that are taking donations – for example:
- Compassion International – www.compassion.com
- Samaritan’s Purse – www.samaritanspurse.org
In keeping with Neal’s message from Haggai, we should all be “giving careful thought to our ways.” One thing we know for sure, Jesus wants us to love him and love others with all of our resources, abilities, and energy. This means that we must turn outward with a servant’s mindset (Phil. 2:1-11).
The Leadership Team will have a retreat this Sunday night to talk about how best to do that very thing as a church. Please pray for us as we seek the mind of Christ on the direction for FC.
We will return to our regular worship service schedule this week (9:00 and 10:30). K-groups will not begin this week (17th) but next week (24th).
Beware of theologians who are quick to pronounce God’s judgment on the Haiti victims and slow to extend compassion. The “last days” or “end times” extend from the first coming of Christ to his second coming. Jesus warned his original disicples about what they would experience in “these last days,” meaning that they themselves were living in the “end times” (see Acts 2:17 for instance).
Listen to the words of Jesus (Matt. 24:4-14):
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famine and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
There is no need to fear. We have plenty to keep us busy and much to be grateful for as we walk with the Lord this day.
We look forward to a wonderful day of worship on Sunday as we hear a message about the “state of the church” from Scott Jackson.
Blessings,
sd
P.S. If you want to learn more about biblical prophecy, see J. Daniel Hays, J. Scott Duvall, and C. Marvin Pate, Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy and End Times (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007).
On 01.07.10, In Focus
If you get serious about reading God’s Word this year, here is a very helpful and reliable web site with some practical resources: http://bible.org/get-connected. There is nothing like immersing yourself in the Great Story to change your life. We must be intentional about becoming like Christ; it simply won’t happen otherwise.
We have one more Sunday on our holiday schedule (one service @ 10:30).
Continue to pray about how God wants Fellowship Church to connect with our community. Pray that we will be wise and courageous in following him.
A thought about intimacy with the Lord from Oswald Chambers:
When once we get intimate with Jesus we are never lonely, we never need sympathy, we can pour out all the time without being pathetic. The saint who is intimate with Jesus will never leave impressions of himself, but only the impression that Jesus is having unhindered way, because the last abyss of his nature has been satisfied by Him. The only impression left by such a life is that of the strong calm sanity that Our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.
“Strong calm sanity” – sounds good to me. May God’s peace reign in your heart this cold and beautiful day, sd
If you get serious about reading God’s Word this year, here is a very helpful and reliable web site with some practical resources: http://bible.org/get-connected. There is nothing like immersing yourself in the Great Story to change your life. We must be intentional about becoming like Christ; it simply won’t happen otherwise.
We have one more Sunday on our holiday schedule (one service @ 10:30).
Continue to pray about how God wants Fellowship Church to connect with our community. Pray that we will be wise and courageous in following him.
A thought about intimacy with the Lord from Oswald Chambers:
When once we get intimate with Jesus we are never lonely, we never need sympathy, we can pour out all the time without being pathetic. The saint who is intimate with Jesus will never leave impressions of himself, but only the impression that Jesus is having unhindered way, because the last abyss of his nature has been satisfied by Him. The only impression left by such a life is that of the strong calm sanity that Our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.
“Strong calm sanity” – sounds good to me. May God’s peace reign in your heart this cold and beautiful day.
-sd