Isn’t it amazing what God can do? I was just thinking about some of the things God has done in our church over the past several months …

• Aaron was called to be our new Minister of Music with a unanimous vote. His ministry is already making a difference in the life of our church.

• A team of men traveled to New Orleans to help the Canal Boulevard Baptist Deaf Mission finish work on their fellowship hall so that they could worship in their building on Easter…I just got word that they had a wonderful service!

• Another team of FBCers traveled to Fort Worth to serve at Beautiful Feet Ministries sharing the love of Christ with the homeless in Fort Worth.

• Our budget receipts are running $28,000 ahead of this time last year and our mission offerings are up across the board.

• Both Sunday School and Sunday morning worship attendance is growing.

• Over 150 people are participating in our Wednesday and Sunday evening discipleship groups.

• Since GROW Outreach was started the first of March we have had over 100 people participate in outreach, making 75 visits, writing 104 notes and prayergrams, and making 80 phones calls to both visitors and members.

• The Youth Mission Trip to the Ukraine has been fully funded.

• At the Upward Basketball Awards night five people indicated that they made decisions for Christ.

• Our Family Ministry Center is being used more than ever by church and community groups. Each month an average of 40 people attend PowerLunch. Each week a group of downtown business men use the gym for pickup basketball games. We have also opened the FMC for use by the US Coast Guard, Friendships, EDS, ICCS and Hamilton Christian School.

This is all in addition to all the things our people do week-in and week-out to spread the Gospel and serve others. It is exciting to see the vision begin to become reality…a vision of a church that exists to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel and help them to become passionate and productive disciples…the vision is being fulfilled through the lives of selfless servants who are willing to do whatever it takes…who are willing to put their love into action…who are willing to step up…who are committed to seeing the vision become reality…who just keep on keeping on no matter what. That’s the kind of people that God has blessed us with…and those are the kind of people that God is going to bless in incredible ways in the days ahead.

As I was reviewing these wonderful blessings, I was also thinking about how easy it is to lose focus on what God is doing and start focusing on other things. A sure sign of loss of focus is stress and worry. We start fretting about things and getting frustrated because things are not working out like we think they should. So how do you keep your focus on Jesus and off yourself and other things? You do these three things:

Read God’s Word. God’s Word is a great stress reliever. Go through your Bible and underline verses that mean a lot to you. I have a study Bible that I use during my quiet times and sermon preparations, but I also have a stress & worry Bible as well. In this Bible I’ve underlined verses that remind me about God’s power and promises. Now when I get stressed or start worrying, I open up that Bible and read through the verses I have underlined.

Remember God’s goodness. Usually when we’re stressed, we’re focused on what’s wrong. And not only do we focus on the bad things in our life, but we exaggerate them. That’s exactly when we need to focus on the goodness of God. God is good. You need to remember that when you’re stressed out.

Oh brothers and sisters, remember we are in God’s hands. We can rely on Him.

Bro. John

THANK YOU…to all the many FBCers who participated over the past three weekends to help Friendships get ready for their upcoming trip to Central America.

MENS FRATERNITY…will start up again on Thursday, October 4, at 6:00AM in the FMC. This semester we will study Dr Lewis’ new material “Winning At Home and At Work.” This material deals with two of the most important areas in any man’s life. In it, Dr. Lewis applies biblical truths and principles to help any man become a winner in the things that really matter. The cost is $10 for a workbook. Mark your calendar and join your brothers on Thursday mornings for a great time!

A FAMILY AFFAIR…On Sunday night, October 28, we will host another joint service with Ford Street Baptist Mission. Our very special guest that evening will be Dr. Fred Luter, the pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. Dr Luter is an outstanding communicator of God’s Word and has spoken at the Southern Baptist Convention, the Louisiana Baptist Convention and numerous conferences across America. You do not want to miss this service as we continue to work to build bridges of friendship and understanding.

UPWARD BASKETBALL…will hold its annual recruitment and registration drive this month. This ministry depends on dozens of volunteers to coach, referee, train cheerleaders, keep score, pray, greet, sell refreshments, follow-up and do half-time devotionals. It depends upon our parents supporting it by enrolling their kids in our program. If you would like to help this year, sign up through the church office or contact Brian Smith or Jessica Gray.

DON’T GIVE UP…Mamo Walde of Ethopia finished first in the 26 mile marathon at the Mexico City Olympics on October 29, 1968. An hour and a half later, the last of the marathon runners were carried off to the first-aid station, exhausted. As the remaining spectators began to exit the stadium, those near the gates heard the sound of sirens and police whistles. Everyone turned to look as a lone figure, wearing the colors of Tanzania, entered the darkened stadium. His name was John Stephen Akhwari and he was the last participant to finish the race. He entered the stadium on legs all bloody and bandaged, severely injured in a fall, and he grimaced with each step. The remaining spectators rose and applauded him as if he were the winner. After crossing the finish line, Akhwari slowly walked off the field without turning to the cheering crowd. Seeing how he was injured and had no chance of winning the race, a reporter asked this young man why he didn’t just quit and get medical attention immediately after the fall. The runner replied, “My country didn’t send me seven thousand miles to start the race, they sent me seven thousand miles to finish it.”

You just don’t find a whole lot of folks these days with such a focused, die-hard attitude in whatever they do, whether it’s sticking with a job, playing sports, staying married, attending church or staying consistent in their walk with the Lord. Our society is training up and cheering on a quitter’s mentality of “when the going gets tough, quit” instead of encouraging people to stay the course, pay the price and finish strong.

I call those who stick with it “people of purpose.” They realize that life isn’t about short cuts, the easier way, or getting my way. They understand that every time they start something and don’t see it through to completion, they are developing a pattern of quitting that can impact their entire life and the lives of their loved ones as well. They believe that the purpose of life is to bring glory and honor to God and that nothing dishonors God like quitting the course that He has laid out before them. So the next time the going gets tough and folks around you start dropping by the wayside, remember these words from the WORD: And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish…Hebrews 12:1 (NLT)

Sticking to it …
Bro John

Minister of Worship update… Please keep our search process in your prayers. We desire nothing but God’s will and glory. We believe that God is leading us and our heart is to move in step with God’s timing. We recently invited a candidate to Lake Charles for an interview. He met with me, members of our Worship Team, and the Personnel Team. Everyone was very impressed with this man’s spiritual maturity, character and competence and agreed that we needed to pursue him further. Please be in prayer and hopefully before too long we’ll have some exciting news to share with you!

CrossWords update… Many of you shared with me the impact this recent series had on your lives, especially the message on words of forgiveness. One of the essential keys to maintaining long-term relationships is forgiveness. Forgiveness is not easy. It runs against our natural desire for revenge and selfdefense. Sometimes our words of forgiveness are not received. Sometimes the hurt is just too deep. But forgiveness is not an option; it is a command. And it is one of the most evident  signs that we are true followers of Christ. Let me recommend a book for further reading and study: Forgiveness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Mission Lake Charles… I want to thank all of you who participated in this weekend of missions. John and our Missions Development Team did an outstanding job planning and coordinating the projects.

Fall Discipleship Groups… Our fall schedule of discipleship groups will begin Wednesday, August 15. These groups are intended to provide an opportunity for spiritual growth and development. Some of the studies being considered are the newly revised Experiencing God, MasterLife, Managing Conflict in Your Marriage, God’s Way of Handling Your Money, Men’s Fraternity, and a new Beth Moore study. We’ll also be expanding our Wednesday night schedule to allow for more time for prayer and groups. You’ll find the new schedule elsewhere in this newsletter.

Finally… Do you know what the middle verse of the Old Testament is? It’s 2 Chronicles 20:17: “You will not have to fight in this battle.” This is a significant verse – and not just because it’s the middle point of the Old Testament. It’s significant because of what it says to those of us fighting a battle.

Who is God talking to in this passage? He’s talking to King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites. They’re about to be attacked by three enemies: the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites. I don’t know about you, but I’m not fond of three against one fights! This was a triple threat. Jehoshaphat had to be worried about how they could defend themselves in such a battle, but God knew what he was thinking. He said, "You will not have to fight in this battle." Now, that’s the kind of battle I like! If you don’t fight, you can’t get hurt. What God tells Jehoshaphat in this passage, and what He would remind us today, is this: "The battle is not yours; it's mine. You don't have to fight in it." It's God's problem. Let Him solve it.

The fact is, if you are God’s child, then your problems are His problems. And He’s much better at fighting your battles and solving your problems than you will ever be. Your job is to trust Him to work it all out. The reason why we have so many tired, fatigued, and discouraged Christians is they walk around with an Atlas complex. "I'm carrying the entire world on my shoulders! It all depends on me." The day you resign as General Manager of the Universe, you're going to find that it doesn't fall apart. You can relax in faith, trusting that God is able to run things without your help.

Twice in this passage it says, "Don't be afraid," and "Don't be discouraged." When you face a seemingly impossible situation, don't be afraid and don't be discouraged. Has God ever lost a battle? No. He doesn't lose battles. And because He’s never lost a battle, we should never be afraid. God has a reputation for winning. We are on the winning side. Regardless of the problems or difficulties or the barriers or the circumstances or the hang-ups or the delays, ultimately, we are on the winning side.

Bro. John

Minister of Worship Update… We have narrowed our search down to two candidates. We have received glowing recommendations on both of these men. I have talked with each one at length by phone. In addition, each man has responded to a questionnaire and has sent a DVD of their worship leadership. Please keep the Personnel Team and myself in your prayers as we take the interview process to the next stage.

Stewardship Update… Once again I want to thank each of you who responded so positively during our Stewardship emphasis. Your commitment to tithing has been so encouraging. April and May’s financial reports were very positive. I want to encourage you to continue being faithful in both your giving and attendance during these summer months.

Wednesday Nights… We kicked off our summer semester of discipleship studies recently and the response was great. More than 50 people are involved in the two studies in addition to the people who attend our Prayer Service. Don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to refocus and reconnect each week.

July 4th… This year we will be participating once again in the parade. As in past years we will be handing out free water along the parade route. We need a couple of thousand water bottles to hand out so any donations will be greatly appreciated. After the parade, our church family will gather with our community at the Red, White, Blue and You celebration at the Civic Center pavilion to enjoy an evening of fun, fellowship and fireworks together. There will be no activities on campus that night.

Mission Lake Charles… Mark July 13-17 on your calendars. This year’s Family Mission Trip will be right here in Lake Charles. Each day we will be doing a variety of mission projects around town and then regrouping each night at church for a time of worship. Mission projects include Friendships, nursing home visitation, home repairs, water giveaways, yard work, and window washing. In addition, on Sunday night, July 15, we will have a joint worship and fellowship celebration with our Ford Street Mission. Ford Street’s new pastor, Rev. Willie Mack, will be preaching that evening and afterward we will enjoy a time of fellowship. There is something for everyone to do…so don’t mission this opportunity to improve your serve!

Finally… Mark Twain once said that the only person who likes change is a baby with a wet diaper. Change is not always easy but it is a part of life…even the Christian life. Paul wrote in 2 Cor 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (NIV) The key mark of true conversion is change. As we walk with the Lord, He changes us. His attitudes become more and more our own. His actions become more and more a part of our lives. His words become a part of our vocabulary.

Change is also a part of church life. People and programs come and go. Music and ministry changes. Even our buildings and locations may change. Some changes last and some don’t.

Yes, we need to be discerning about the changes we embrace. Yes, change for change sake is rarely, if ever, a good thing. But we must always be very careful to not just reject a change simply because it is something new or not something we like for we may find ourselves in opposition to the work and will of God. It’s true that not all change is good, but some are of God.

Just something to think about,

Bro. John