Hello FBC Friends!
And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.
(1 John 2:28)
The apostle John gives us a great reminder here, that as little children (Jesus said we must have faith like a child) the key to confident Christian living is abiding in Christ. In his gospel account, the book of John, he emphasizes the same thing. We are told that if we abide in Him and His Word abides in us, we will bear much fruit. He is the vine, we are the branches. Apart from Him we can do nothing. John here also reminds us of Jesus’ 2nd advent (“when He appears,” and “at His coming”). We are in a season right now in America where we are remembering His 1st coming, which is a good thing to remember. But may we never forget what He accomplished around 33 years after His birth – His propitiating death on the cross! His resurrection from the grave! His ascension back to Heaven! And may we live our lives looking forward with great anticipation that great day when He will come again! The way to be ready for His coming is to abide in Him. May we all do that well in the days ahead.
This Sunday I will conclude our brief series, “The Chronicles of Prayer” with a message from 2 Chronicles 6:12-42, entitled “House of Prayer”. God’s house was intended by Him to be a house of prayer for all peoples. Now we as His church are to be built up as His house (the people, not the building), and we too are to be a “house of prayer” for the world. Please read 2 Chronicles 6 prior to Sunday morning and be in prayer that the Lord will teach us more about prayer and motivate us to become a true house of prayer!
As you prepare for the celebration of Christ’s first coming, we have a number of opportunities at FBC to help you enjoy a blessed Christmas season.
December 13 – 10:30am – Rumor has it we will enjoy a visit from one of the shepherds who were “out in the field, watching their flock by night”! It will be interesting (hopefully!) to hear the eyewitness account from such an unlikely source. Join us and invite a friend for “A Shepherd Shows Up to Church!”
December 13 – Noon (after the worship service) – FBC Family Christmas Dinner, followed by our annual meeting. Join us for a celebration of God’s work in the year 2015 in and through FBC, and preparations for His continued work in 2016.
December 16 – Noon – Christian Adventurers (55+ group) Christmas Banquet. This is sure to be a delight as the meal will be provided, just join us and bring your Christmas spirit! (please sign up on the board in the foyer)
December 20 – 10:30am – FBC Children’s Christmas program. This is going to be a fun morning! Come support our kids, enjoy a great reminder about the true meaning of Christmas, and even meet some families that may join us who don’t normally attend!
December 20 – 6pm – “Christmas by Candlelight”, our annual candlelight service is a beautiful time of reflection on the joy brought to us by the Light of the world. It is an intimate, quiet time of remembrance. Bring friends and family and prepare your heart to receive a blessing, so you can be a blessing to others.
Let us abide in Him as we celebrate His 1st coming and anticipate His 2nd!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael