First Baptist Church of Brownsville, Oregon

But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He thus fulfilled.  Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,… (Acts 3:18-20)

I really like what the Life Application Bible says about verse 19: “John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by preaching repentance.  The apostles’ message of salvation also included the call to repentance – acknowledging personal sin and turning away from it.  Many people want the benefits of being identified with Christ without admitting their own disobedience and turning from sin.  The key to forgiveness is confessing your sin and turning from it.” (Pg. 1949)  There is a great promise given to us when we do repent and turn to the Lord: times of refreshing will come from His presence!  Do you need spiritual refreshment today?  Repent.

This Sunday I will continue the “Family Matters” sermon series with a message entitled, “Communication or Conflict?” from Ephesians 4:25-32.  Please be sure to read that ahead of time.  I will specifically addressing communication within marriage, but of course these verses apply to every relationship, especially within the church.  We will look at some ways of communicating that we want to avoid (and the opposite ways which we want to pursue).  Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!

For those not involved in high school graduations this Saturday, there is an all-church workday from 9am-Noon.  We will be doing bark dust and other things to beautify our church yard.  Bring wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, gloves, and be ready to put in some “sweat equity”!

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Yes, it does say Love From Your “Pastor’s Wife!”

First of all I want to say I love that title. I love that God has allowed me the privilege to be joined together with a godly man of God who has been chosen to lead His people.(Might I add that I believe we are with the best group of people at FBC.) So here goes.

But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

This was my devotional thought for the day.  I have been on a journey the past few months and God is really challenging me to “engage” in His word not just read it.  This has led me to “walk by the Spirit.” However, that said, this last week I have been struggling with my flesh. My flesh wants to sleep in, watch TV, and eat what I want when I want! It is pure selfishness.

Another area of pure selfishness is related to this weeks sermon “Wisdom for Wives” – Ephesians 5:21-24 . Sure, I loved last week, but honestly God revealed to me more about myself than just my husband.  But submission is an area that I have always cringed at.  I like my way!

In preparation for this weeks sermon I want us to do three things. One, pray. Pray that God would soften our hearts and prepare us for His amazing encouragement into our lives. Be ready to be refined. Two, read. Read the passage this week and be still before the Lord. Let His word speak to you. Lastly, I want to encourage you to listen to a podcast I heard last Saturday on “Focus on the Family” (before I even knew the sermon topic). Sara Horn does a great job in sharing what both her and her husband “thought” was submission and how they were challenged to look at  God’s definition of Biblical submission. Their marriage was good, but Sara wanted more. She wanted the blessings to pour out on their marriage. What a great picture! God wants to pour out blessings on our marriages!

So, don’t stay home!!! Pray that the enemy will not hinder you from coming. Prepare your hearts to hear from God. Plan to be challenged and blessed.

Wow, this sermon thing is harder than I thought.

Love,

Your Pastor’s Wife (aka:The honorable, reverend Mrs.)

…for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. (John 12:43)

These religious leaders in John 12 apparently believed in Jesus, but were afraid to make that public because of their fear of what the Pharisees would think.  This is a common problem in our world – we worry more about what others think of us than what God thinks of us.  Don’t be a man-pleaser!  Be a God-pleaser!

This Sunday I will be speaking on Ephesians 5:22-33, especially focusing on 5:25.  The message is called, “Help for Husbands.”  Prayerfully read the passage in preparation for Sunday (especially husbands!)  Ephesians 5:25 is a verse we should all have memorized, guys, and we all need to ask the Lord to help us live it out!

I’m looking forward to a great Memorial Day weekend time of worship together.  Remember to thank the Lord for those who have laid down their lives for our freedom, and pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones in military service.  Thank a member of the military this weekend!

Don’t forget our new corporate prayer times  – Wednesday at 5am, 6am, and 7pm.  Let us pray!

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

Praise the LORD!  I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation (Psalm 111:1).

Amen and amen.  The LORD is worthy of our praise!  We have so much to be thankful for.  He desires praise and thanksgiving with our whole hearts!  Let’s EXALT His Name together.  Looking forward to doing that this Sunday – and I hope YOU will be here!

I will be continuing the sermon series “Family Matters” with a message from Genesis 2:18-25 called “Wedding Bells in Paradise.”  We will discover three principles upon which successful marriages are built.  Please read the passage ahead of time to prepare your heart for the message.  I will especially “zoom in” on verses 24-25, so chew on those a little longer as you prepare for Sunday.

I know I keep recommending sermons and messages I hear on the radio, but I heard part of another good one from Chuck Swindoll today on PRAYER (I have his “app” for my smart phone, so I plan to listen to the whole message some time today!).  If you get a chance try to listen to that on the radio, online (Insight for Living), or get the “app”!

Speaking of prayer – We have started 2 new corporate prayer meetings on Wednesdays: one at 5:00am and one at 7:00pm.  Praying together as a church family is absolutely one of the best things we can do.  I am fully expecting that the little room we are currently meeting in for these prayer times will at some point not be big enough, and we will have to move down the hall to the large room!  Please help make that a reality!  “The family that prays together, stays together.”

Don’t forget the AWANA BBQ and Awards night this Sunday at 5:30pm!  Come celebrate with us a great year of training boys and girls to know, love, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ!  You’ll be encouraged by how much of God’s Word these kids have learned this year.  Hope to see you there.

Love From Your Pastor,

Michael

Praise the LORD!  I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation (Psalm 111:1).

Amen and amen.  The LORD is worthy of our praise!  We have so much to be thankful for.  He desires praise and thanksgiving with our whole hearts!  Let’s EXALT His Name together.  Looking forward to doing that this Sunday – and I hope YOU will be here!

I will be continuing the sermon series “Family Matters” with a message from Genesis 2:18-25 called “Wedding Bells in Paradise.”  We will discover three principles upon which successful marriages are built.  Please read the passage ahead of time to prepare your heart for the message.  I will especially “zoom in” on verses 24-25, so chew on those a little longer as you prepare for Sunday.

I know I keep recommending sermons and messages I hear on the radio, but I heard part of another good one from Chuck Swindoll today on PRAYER (I have his “app” for my smart phone, so I plan to listen to the whole message some time today!).  If you get a chance try to listen to that on the radio, online (Insight for Living), or get the “app”!

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… but I give myself to prayer. (Psalm 109:4)

We are starting 2 new weekly prayer times at FBC Brownsville tomorrow!

1) Every Wednesday, beginning May 14, from 5:00 – 6:00 a.m.

2) Every Wednesday, beginning May 14, from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. (there is a possibility of changing this to 6pm in the future, but tomorrow it will be at 7pm for sure)

Come join us!  We will meet in Room 1 of the new classroom addition.  For the morning session, Lord willing, I plan to come early and have coffee ready.  So stop by the kitchen and get a cup if you want, then proceed to the classroom.  If the room gets too crowded (which would be fantastic!), then we will move down to Room 3 (the larger room).

We will pray for requests that people have written down on Sunday, for any requests you bring to us, for our missionaries, for people in our “oikos”, for our church leadership, for our church’s direction for the future, and for whatever else the Holy Spirit brings to our hearts.  I don’t intend for us to spend a long time discussing requests, but to spend the large majority of the time in prayer.  You can bring your Bible and pray Scripture.  You can come and just silently agree in prayer.  Or you can come and pray out loud.  We will pray short prayers, so everyone who wants to can have a chance to pray out loud.  We will pray loud enough for us all to hear so we can agree together in prayer.

Come thirsty! (John 7:37-38)

Hopefully we’ll see you tomorrow!

Love,

Pastor Michael

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John 5:24)

“Has eternal life is one of the most striking statements in John regarding the present possession of eternal life.  Eternal life begins immediately, in a partially realized but significant way, when one believes in Jesus.  Those who believe can face the last judgment with confidence (cf. 1 John 5:11-13)” (ESV Study Bible, pg. 2032).  Do you hear His word?  Do you believe?  If so, you have passed from death to life!

THIS SUNDAY IS MOTHER’S DAY!  Don’t forget to honor your mother (and/or your wife)!  Also don’t forget to join us for the Mother’s Day breakfast here at FBC from 8:30 – 10:00am in the Fellowship Hall.  The guys have a great meal planned to honor our ladies.  There is no Sunday School this week.

I will be preaching on John 19:24-27, a message titled, “Behold, Your Mother!”  The goal will be to recognize Jesus’ heart of care and compassion for His mother even in the midst of His great suffering.  Please read that in preparation for Sunday!

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Hi FBC Friends!

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember to do His commandments (Psalm 103:17-18).

I believe the heart of God burns with a desire for the truth of His steadfast love and righteousness to be passed on from generation to generation (“to children’s children”).  That’s what our hearts ought to burn with as well.  I am beginning a new sermon series this week entitled, “Family Matters“.  This series will include a Mother’s Day message, Father’ Day message, a message for wives, a message for husbands, a message about communication in the family, and more.  This Sunday the message will be “Religious Parents & Rebellious Kids” from Luke 15:11-32.  I would encourage you to read that ahead of time to prepare your heart for Sunday.  In fact, you should read the whole 15th chapter of Luke so you understand the context of the parable. I am hoping this message will help us discover the heart of God the Father for His lost children.

If you invited someone to come to church with you for Easter, this week would be a good opportunity to follow up with them and encourage them to come hear these biblical messages about family.

Focus on the Family is putting out a movie exploring the importance of family in our word today called Irreplaceable.  It will be in theaters one day only, Tuesday, May 6.  The closest theater that I know of that will be showing it is at Gateway Mall in Springfield, and it is showing at 7:30pm on May 6 only.  To watch the trailer, click on the link below:

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And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:39-46 ESV)

I know we just finished “Passion Week”, the focus on the last week of Jesus’ life on earth, the cross, and of course the celebration of His resurrection.  But the above verses from Luke 22 were part of our One Year Bible reading for today, and I continue to just be amazed at what our Lord Jesus endured on our behalf, even before He went to the cross!  Not only is there deep theological significance in the words of His prayer, but as always Jesus also sets the perfect example for our lives.  How refreshing it would be if we all came to God in fervent prayer, but ended with, “Not my will, but Yours, be done.”  His admonition to His disciples stands true for us today as well: “Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”  The best way to grow in Christlikeness, that is, being conformed to Jesus’ character, is to become a person of much prayer.  The best way to fight off temptation is through prayer, the Word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit (often along with much needed help from Christian brothers and sisters).  Let’s thank Jesus again today for being willing to drink the cup of God’s wrath against sin – the cup that you and I deserve to drink ourselves.  And let’s ask Him to help us grow to be more like Him each day.

REMINDER: Tonight is the kick-off of our Annual Missions Conference!!  The meal and special speaker is here in the Fellowship Hall beginning at 6:30pm.  The nursery will be available for little ones.

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And taking the twelve, He said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.  And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.”  But they understood none of these things.  This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.  (Luke 18:31-34)

These words are profoundly timely for us this week!  Jesus told His disciples (again) precisely what was going to happen to Him, and they were still not able to understand.  Their eyes and minds had not yet been opened.  That didn’t happen until after the Resurrection (Luke 24).  We have been praying and inviting people in our lives to come to FBC and hear the truth of the gospel and the power of the resurrection.  I have specifically prayed that people who do not yet know the Lord personally will be able to understand, that they will have their eyes opened, and have their minds opened.  Please continue to pray for that too.

I will be speaking on Luke 24, and we will see not only the marvelous scene of the empty tomb, but also incredible post-resurrection appearances of Christ to His followers.  Please read that before Sunday to prepare your heart.

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