Challenge for the New Year
In Sunday School yesterday, I inivited the class to join Cindy and me in attempting to read the Bible thru in 2011 and in memorizing a new scripture passage each week. Completing a systematic reading plan on a daily basis and memorizing a new scripture passage each week will result in the Bible being read thru in 2011 and in the memorization of 52 new scripture passages. I trust you will join me in attempting to read God's Word this year and in hiding His Word in your heart through memorization. Let's try it together and let's hold each other accountable for our progress throughout the year.
I have attempted to send copies of these documents to each of you through the Sunday School e-mail list. If you did not receive it or if you were unable to download one of the documents, send me an e-mail to my home address, jimmycreel@suddenlink.net
I will try something else to get the documents to you.
Have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year.
Jimmy
Monday, December 20, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
A Sunday School Class Challenge for 2011
As we come to the end of 2010 and begin to look forward to 2011, it is appropriate to consider ways that we can strengthen our walk with the Lord. Psalm 119:1 says, "Thine word have I hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against thee." In order to "hide" God's word in our heart, we must READ His word and we must commit the principles and statements of God's Word to our hearts and minds....to our memory. Therefore, I am inviting our Sunday School class to join me in 2011 on a "Spiritual Odyssey" in which we attempt to systematically read through the Word of God and commit 52 scripture passages to memory. I hope you will use the "Read the Bible Through in 2011" plan to systematically read the Bible daily and to completely read the Bible in one year. In addition, I hope you will join Cindy and me in attempting to memorize one scripture passage each week for the next fifty-two weeks. I will send a copy of both documents, the Read the Bible Thru Plan and the 52 Memory Scripture Passages via e-mail to the class. We will talk about these plans more in Sunday School tomorrow. See you then. Remember, we have a potluck breakfast scheduled in the morning.
Friday, December 17, 2010
SUNDAY MORNING BREAKFAST--POTLUCK
Please bring your favorite breakfast dish (egg casserole, or breakfast tacos, or pastries, etc.) or just pick up a dozen donuts and join us for a Sunday School breakfast in our regular Sunday School Classroom this weekend (Sunday, December 19, 2010). We will provide drinks and paper goods and utensils.
This week, we will be making a plan for the coming Sunday School year and perhaps, reflecting on the past year. See you Sunday Morning.
Jimmy
This week, we will be making a plan for the coming Sunday School year and perhaps, reflecting on the past year. See you Sunday Morning.
Jimmy
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Our annual Sunday School Christmas Party is scheduled for this Friday evening, December 10, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. at Cindy and Jimmy's home at 8431 Turtle Rock Loop in College Station. We already have a good group signed up to attend. Please accept this message as a very special invitation to our members who are serving in other areas of Sunday School. We miss you guys and would love to have you join us for fellowship, fun, and food. If anyone can come and you wish to sign up to bring something, just give us a call at 979-695-1684 or you can just post a comment on this blog. Don't feel that you must be signed up to attend. Just come on over. We will have a good time together.
December 5--Muddy Water
Today's lesson was about simplicity. Andy Stanley used the analogy of a story about shark fishing to help us understand the dilemma that many people experience when they consider the Gospel Message. As Andy described, many people who say they reject Christianity are really rejecting some other aspect of religion that has nothing to do with the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. Andy says that we (Christians) have a tendency to make the Gospel Message complicated and that the complicated issues and answers to Biblical conundrums are often the things which cause people to reject "Christianity." He makes reference to some of Paul's writings that are indeed difficult to understand or to the Old Testament laws of the book of Leviticus. Even though there are many questions and many issues described in the Bible that are difficult to understand and decipher, Andy attempts to boil down the Gospel Message to a simple formula that we can share with others in today's lesson. He bases the lesson on perhaps the best known Bible verse in the New Testament, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
Andy suggests that the formula can be reduced to the following:
GOD LOVED
GOD GAVE
WE BELIEVE
WE RECEIVE
It really is a pretty simple solution and an easy formula to share with others. As Steven mentioned in class today, there may be questions about the meaning of "believe" or even about "receive", and certainly we can have a discussion about these terms and the different understandings that many people embrace for these terms. Andy tried to demonstrate the meaning of believe when he talked about putting one's full weight on a stool...in other words, depending completely upon the stool to provide support and foundation for one's body. Even so, there may be many different descriptions for this term and these various descriptions certainly detract from the simplicity of this message. Yet, as Christians, we probably can all agree that God sent His son and, as a result, He offered us an opportunity to live in His presence for eternity. Yes, this offer is contingent upon our "belief" and we all must define that word for outselves. Even so, this formula can be used to help us and those around us to understand in a very basic way the amazing Gift that God gave us at Christmas. We can be thankful that He loved us enough to give and that we simply must accept His gift through faith in order to benefit from the greatest Gift ever given to man.
Andy suggests that the formula can be reduced to the following:
GOD LOVED
GOD GAVE
WE BELIEVE
WE RECEIVE
It really is a pretty simple solution and an easy formula to share with others. As Steven mentioned in class today, there may be questions about the meaning of "believe" or even about "receive", and certainly we can have a discussion about these terms and the different understandings that many people embrace for these terms. Andy tried to demonstrate the meaning of believe when he talked about putting one's full weight on a stool...in other words, depending completely upon the stool to provide support and foundation for one's body. Even so, there may be many different descriptions for this term and these various descriptions certainly detract from the simplicity of this message. Yet, as Christians, we probably can all agree that God sent His son and, as a result, He offered us an opportunity to live in His presence for eternity. Yes, this offer is contingent upon our "belief" and we all must define that word for outselves. Even so, this formula can be used to help us and those around us to understand in a very basic way the amazing Gift that God gave us at Christmas. We can be thankful that He loved us enough to give and that we simply must accept His gift through faith in order to benefit from the greatest Gift ever given to man.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
November 14, 2010--"Fish Guts"
We had a nice diaper shower for the Collins' and a nice breakfast this morning. Thanks to everyone who prepared dishes.
We had the pleasure of having two couples join us in Sunday School today. Welcome to Chris and Rene Lawrence and to Mark and Kelli Thornton. Mark and Kelli visited a couple of weeks ago as well. I appreciate everyone in our class making every effort to make our visitors feel comfortable and welcome.
In today's lesson, Andy Stanley continued his theme of "Fishers of Men." Today's lesson came from Acts 4:23-30. He called the lesson "Fish Guts." While the title doesn't sound good, it is designed to help us understand the basic, intimate role that God has for each of us in His plan. Acts 4:23 begins the description of a prayer voiced by Peter and John as they became aware of God's sovereign plan and as they understood the opportunities that they had missed because they did not recognize God's hand at work.
Andy said that John and Peter's prayers before this time were much like our prayers. Oh, Lord, bless me, protect me, guide me, and take care of those whom I love. Think about it. If you were listening to your prayers, would you describe them as self-centered? Would you say that you were asking God for things that you wanted to see happen?
In this prayer, John and Peter open the prayer with the salutation, "O, Sovereign Lord." Andy describes this phrase as an admission that "God is large and He is in charge." The prayer goes on to recognize all of the recent events in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the perfect fulfillment of the predestined Will of God. In some cases, John and Peter recognized, they had actually been praying against the will of God. For example, when the crowd confronted Jesus, they were likely praying, "God, deliver Jesus and us from this threat." Yet, now they recognized that Jesus' death and resurrection was exactly what God had preordained and had orchestrated from before the creation of the earth. They recognized that God's sovereignty was at work and that He had simply provided opportunities for them to be "players" in His grand plan.
Andy makes the point that you and I have the same opportunity today. God is still large and He is still in charge. He is still active and his preordained plan is still being implemented. You and I should be praying for God to enable us to speak boldly on His behalf. I hope you will join me this week in making this our prayer.
Thanks to Beth Miles who has agreed to facilitate the Sunday School discussion next week. If things go as planned, I will be out of town on Sunday. Also, please remember that we will not have Sunday School on the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend--November 28.
Finally, how about that artist in church today? He looked like he was just throwing paint up on a wall and then, it looked like Jesus. Amazing. For people like me who have not ONE artistic bone in my body, this kind of talent is just phenomenal.
Have a great week.
Jimmy
Have a great week.
We had the pleasure of having two couples join us in Sunday School today. Welcome to Chris and Rene Lawrence and to Mark and Kelli Thornton. Mark and Kelli visited a couple of weeks ago as well. I appreciate everyone in our class making every effort to make our visitors feel comfortable and welcome.
In today's lesson, Andy Stanley continued his theme of "Fishers of Men." Today's lesson came from Acts 4:23-30. He called the lesson "Fish Guts." While the title doesn't sound good, it is designed to help us understand the basic, intimate role that God has for each of us in His plan. Acts 4:23 begins the description of a prayer voiced by Peter and John as they became aware of God's sovereign plan and as they understood the opportunities that they had missed because they did not recognize God's hand at work.
Andy said that John and Peter's prayers before this time were much like our prayers. Oh, Lord, bless me, protect me, guide me, and take care of those whom I love. Think about it. If you were listening to your prayers, would you describe them as self-centered? Would you say that you were asking God for things that you wanted to see happen?
In this prayer, John and Peter open the prayer with the salutation, "O, Sovereign Lord." Andy describes this phrase as an admission that "God is large and He is in charge." The prayer goes on to recognize all of the recent events in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the perfect fulfillment of the predestined Will of God. In some cases, John and Peter recognized, they had actually been praying against the will of God. For example, when the crowd confronted Jesus, they were likely praying, "God, deliver Jesus and us from this threat." Yet, now they recognized that Jesus' death and resurrection was exactly what God had preordained and had orchestrated from before the creation of the earth. They recognized that God's sovereignty was at work and that He had simply provided opportunities for them to be "players" in His grand plan.
Andy makes the point that you and I have the same opportunity today. God is still large and He is still in charge. He is still active and his preordained plan is still being implemented. You and I should be praying for God to enable us to speak boldly on His behalf. I hope you will join me this week in making this our prayer.
Thanks to Beth Miles who has agreed to facilitate the Sunday School discussion next week. If things go as planned, I will be out of town on Sunday. Also, please remember that we will not have Sunday School on the Sunday of Thanksgiving Weekend--November 28.
Finally, how about that artist in church today? He looked like he was just throwing paint up on a wall and then, it looked like Jesus. Amazing. For people like me who have not ONE artistic bone in my body, this kind of talent is just phenomenal.
Have a great week.
Jimmy
Have a great week.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
November 7, 2010--WHY FISH?
Here are the announcements and prayer requests from this morning:
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Please remember that we will be honoring the newest arrival in the Collins’ household next Sunday morning with a diaper shower and breakfast during Sunday School. Please bring diapers and a breakfast item.
David Phelps will be in concert here at Central Baptist for a Christmas Concert on December 5, 2010. Tickets can be acquired at www.davidphelps.com or www.itickets.com .
An N-Vision Missions Conference is scheduled for November 12-13.
An adoption/foster care informational lunch is scheduled on Sunday, November 21 right after the worship service. Please e-mail Lisa at lmcdougald@cbcbryan.org if you plan on attending this luncheon.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
PRAISE: Jessica reported that her blood clot is gone. Thank the Lord for answered prayer. Please continue to remember Jessica in your prayers this week.
Craig and Tracey’s daughter Hallie is ill. Please remember her and her parents this week in prayer.
Bo has a construction superintendent whose father-in-law has melanoma. The father-in-law’s name is Clayton Ford. Please pray for Mr. Ford and for his entire family and for those who are ministering to him as it appears that the cancer is consuming his body.
Kerri’s mom, Ginger has Multiple Sclerosis and seems to be losing ground. Please pray for her this week.
Please pray for our daughter Jennifer as she makes final preparation to take the Physician’s Assistant Board Exams on November 17. She is nervous about the test and she is making every effort to be adequately prepared to do well on the exam.
Please pray for our youngest daughter Brittany as she is dealing with housing issues in Austin, Texas for the remainder of this semester.
Please pray for our country and our leaders.
Today's lesson asked the question, "Why Fish?"
Since we began the series last week, Andy Stanley addressed the question of why Christians should be "fishers of men" this week. Andy makes the point that early Christians such as Peter and John were sharing experiences that they had seen and heard and that contemporary Christians should also be sharing experiences in the Lord that we have seen and heard and felt first hand. As such, it should be difficult for us not to talk about our experiences and the things that we have seen God do. Andy points out that our beliefs are based on a point in history, on a significant event, on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Christianity did not begin as a new belief system. It began as an event in history that is well-documented and described by eye-witness, first person narrative terminology. Andy also makes the point that Christians need to talk about Jesus because the message is so counterintuitive--if nobody tells them, they won't know. Lord, please do not let us be guilty of withholding the truth about Jesus from anyone with whom we come into contact. Help us to have the courage to share our own personal experience with Jesus with those around us. Here is the directive left with us by Jesus before he returned to heaven:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19
This is what God expects us to do. Will you "fish" this week? Let's all be prepared to share our own personal experiences with Jesus Christ when the opportunity presents itself this week.
Have a great week.
Jimmy
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Please remember that we will be honoring the newest arrival in the Collins’ household next Sunday morning with a diaper shower and breakfast during Sunday School. Please bring diapers and a breakfast item.
David Phelps will be in concert here at Central Baptist for a Christmas Concert on December 5, 2010. Tickets can be acquired at www.davidphelps.com or www.itickets.com .
An N-Vision Missions Conference is scheduled for November 12-13.
An adoption/foster care informational lunch is scheduled on Sunday, November 21 right after the worship service. Please e-mail Lisa at lmcdougald@cbcbryan.org if you plan on attending this luncheon.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
PRAISE: Jessica reported that her blood clot is gone. Thank the Lord for answered prayer. Please continue to remember Jessica in your prayers this week.
Craig and Tracey’s daughter Hallie is ill. Please remember her and her parents this week in prayer.
Bo has a construction superintendent whose father-in-law has melanoma. The father-in-law’s name is Clayton Ford. Please pray for Mr. Ford and for his entire family and for those who are ministering to him as it appears that the cancer is consuming his body.
Kerri’s mom, Ginger has Multiple Sclerosis and seems to be losing ground. Please pray for her this week.
Please pray for our daughter Jennifer as she makes final preparation to take the Physician’s Assistant Board Exams on November 17. She is nervous about the test and she is making every effort to be adequately prepared to do well on the exam.
Please pray for our youngest daughter Brittany as she is dealing with housing issues in Austin, Texas for the remainder of this semester.
Please pray for our country and our leaders.
Today's lesson asked the question, "Why Fish?"
Since we began the series last week, Andy Stanley addressed the question of why Christians should be "fishers of men" this week. Andy makes the point that early Christians such as Peter and John were sharing experiences that they had seen and heard and that contemporary Christians should also be sharing experiences in the Lord that we have seen and heard and felt first hand. As such, it should be difficult for us not to talk about our experiences and the things that we have seen God do. Andy points out that our beliefs are based on a point in history, on a significant event, on the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. Christianity did not begin as a new belief system. It began as an event in history that is well-documented and described by eye-witness, first person narrative terminology. Andy also makes the point that Christians need to talk about Jesus because the message is so counterintuitive--if nobody tells them, they won't know. Lord, please do not let us be guilty of withholding the truth about Jesus from anyone with whom we come into contact. Help us to have the courage to share our own personal experience with Jesus with those around us. Here is the directive left with us by Jesus before he returned to heaven:
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19
This is what God expects us to do. Will you "fish" this week? Let's all be prepared to share our own personal experiences with Jesus Christ when the opportunity presents itself this week.
Have a great week.
Jimmy
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