Pastor Ricky Powell

Excuses for Missing Church

People have many excuses for why they don't attend church. What if you used those same excuses for why you don't attend ballgames? You would sound pretty silly.

Why I stopped going to ball games:
1. Whenever I go to a game, they ask for money.
2. The other fans don't care about me.
3. The seats are too hard.
4. Coach never visits me.
5. The referee makes calls I don't agree with.
6. Some of the games go into overtime and make me late for dinner.
7. The band plays songs I don't know.
8. I have other things to do at game time.
9. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
10. I know more than the coaches do anyway.
11. I can be just as good a fan at the lake.
12. I won't take my kids to a game either. They must choose for themselves which teams to follow.
Citation: Mike and Amy Nappa, A Heart Like His (Barbour, 1999), pp.182-183.

Stop making excuses and make a commitment to be present with God's people at church this Sunday!

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:19-25 (ESV)

"If I Die Before You Wake"--- A Memorial Day Tribute

(Jesus) "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

Fort Caroline Baptist Church Ministry Highlight: Celebrate Recovery

 

Celebrate Recovery (CR)is a Christ-centered, biblically based program for individuals and their family members who are dealing with addictions, compulsions, past hurts, and potentially destructive behaviors; what we call life's hurts, habits and hang-ups. Our groups meet on Friday nights.

Friday Night Schedule at Fort Caroline 

Celebrate Recovery meets in the Sandiford Education Building - Building "A"
 
600-6:45 p.m.  Dinner
7:00-8:00 p.m. Large Group Meeting    
Time of Praise and Worship and teaching/testimony
8:00-9:00 p.m. Small Groups - Separate men's and women's groups to share similar hurts, habit's, and hang-ups. 
9:00-9:30 p.m. Celebration Cafe
Dessert, coffee, and fellowship

Childcare
6:45-9:20 p.m. (Note- Childcare is available for all that attend the meeting from newborn through the 5th Grade) 

Fort Caroline Baptist Church Points of Contact for Celebrate Recovery Questions: Greg Herrin (904)708-0017 [email protected]

Continue Reading for an Overview of the Eight Principles of Recovery

Blessed By Bob Reccord

The “Becoming a Man of Valor” conference with Bob Reccord was the most enjoyable, challenging, inspiring, and motivating experience for men I have ever been a part of. Bob has a unique way of speaking into the lives of men that is biblical, relevant, and engaging. Our men are still talking about how God worked in their hearts and homes through this conference. In fact, 100% of our men who attended have agreed to form small groups that meet at various times during the next six weeks to hold each other accountable for becoming a man of valor! One of the men told me last night that he has been to many Promise Keepers conferences, but that the Man of Valor conference was the best! Another man’s wife came up to me on Sunday night and said, “My husband has not stopped talking about the conference since he came home Saturday afternoon!” Our church will never be the same because Bob came our way. We look forward to partnering with him again in the future. I also appreciate Pastor Joe Newton and Arlington Baptist Church for hosting this event. They did a great job! Let's rise up, men, and be heroes at home and warriors in the world!

The Wrecking Crew: A Parable For The Church Member

I stood on the streets of a busy town,
Watching men tearing a building down:
With a “Ho, heave, ho,” and a lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.

I asked the foreman of the crew,
“Are those men as skilled as those you’d hire if you wanted to build?”
“Ah, no,” he said, “no indeed.
Just common labor is all I need.

I can tear down as much in a day or two,
As would take skilled men a year to do.”
And then I thought as I went on my way,
Just which of these two roles am I trying to play?

Have I walked life’s road with care,
Measuring each deed with rule and square?
Or am I one of those who roam the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?
Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations : A Treasury of Illustrations, Anecdotes, Facts and Quotations for Pastors, Teachers and Christian Workers (Garland TX: Bible Communications, 1996, c1979).

Little Things

Love suffers long and is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4a).

As I reflected on Paul's description of love as being kind, I realized that it is often the little things that we fail to do for one another. This is especially true in marriage. We husbands are great at bragging that we would die for our wives, but we often fail to perform the little acts of kindness that are motivated out of love. It is so easy for me to take Donna for granted and fail to show loving kindness in the little things of life. As I thought about this I came across a great quote from Les and Leslie Parrott.

Les and Leslie Parrott are the co-directors of the Center for Relationship Development at Seattle Pacific University. Les is a professor of clinical psychology; Leslie is a marriage and family therapist. I have benefited from many of their books on marriage and counseling. Read their observation on the meaning of kindness. Then find a way to show your spouse a little kindness today.

"Kindness comes from small behaviors. We don't think of big donations or grand contributions as 'kind.' We call them 'generous' or 'benevolent,' but it's the small things we call 'kind.' Kindness, for example, comes when we turn down our partner's side of the bed before crawling into it ourselves. Kindness comes when we re-adjust the car seat after driving so our partner doesn't have to. Or when we load the dishwasher when it's not our turn. Kindness comes from a million small behaviors that enhance the life of the one we love. That's why Kenneth Wuest's translation of Paul's love poem underscores the gentle kindness of love as 'mellowing all which would have been harsh and austere.' Kindness sets aside fear that we'll be exploited. It relinquishes self-focus and is energized by the needs of another. Kindness causes us to pause from our own pursuits in order to augment somebody else's life. Once we remove kindness from a loving heart it's only a matter of time before the heart atrophies and love is lost altogether." Adapted from Love Is … (Zondervan, 1999).

What are some ways you show kindness to others? What are some kind things your spouse has done for you?

Becoming A Man of Valor: Get Your Tickets While They Last!

 

"Becoming A Man of Valor" conference is coming to the First Coast area May 15-16, 2009 and I want YOU to join me!  Special guest, Bob Reccord (keynote speaker for 2006 Promise Keepers), will challenge and encourage the men in our area to become a man of valor. I truly believe we will all benefit from the time we spend together during these few hours.

 

WHEN: Fri., May 15, 2009  - Sat., May 16, 2009

CONFERENCE LOCATION:

Arlington Baptist Church
6009 Arlington Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32211
Office Phone: 904.743.4100

Highlights:
Dinner on Friday – Begins at 5:30 p.m.
Program begins Friday, 7:00 p.m.

Great door prizes
Continental breakfast on Saturday morning – Begins at 7:00 a.m.
Challenging sessions from Bob Reccord
Conference notebook for each man and follow-up Bible studies for each men’s group
Great Praise & Worship
And most importantly, a great time of fellowship with other men!

The conference will conclude by 9:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.

You can purchase your ticket this Weekend at church or you can come by the church office during regular business hours (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). I have a limited number of tickets available at the reduced rate of $39! Get your ticket before the cost goes up! Buy one for a friend and bring him along. I would love to take 100 men (15 years old and up) to this conference! Wives, encourage your men to take some time for himself and attend this life-changing conference.

Building Loving Relationships (Message Series)

I deal with people having relationship problems on a regular basis. Whether it is marital problems, parental problems, vocational problems, or even congregational problems, people often have a difficult time consistently treating one another in loving ways. Many people don't even know what real love looks like. They believe love is an emotion, a feeling. But biblical love is more than an emotion, it is a self-giving, sacrificial series of actions performed for the benefit of the other person. True love as God expects and empowers us to have is not merely declared, it is demonstrated. I know a lot of people who say they love, but they don't "show" they love.

I am beginning a message series in May titled, "Building Loving Relationships." In this series we will look at a blueprint for love from 1 Corinthians 13. We will discover what true love looks like. We will evaluate our relationships to ensure that we are acting in loving ways. We will even discover the embodiment of love in Jesus Christ. Let me encourage you to be present for each message. I also hope you will invite someone to join you. We all know people who will benefit from this study.

Take some time to read 1 Corinthians 13 and reflect on what the apostle Paul was saying about love. Based on his description of love, tell me one way someone has demonstrated this type of love to you. I would love to hear from you!

May 3: Building Loving Relationships, Series Introduction 
May 10: Wounded: The Patient Needs Patience (vs. 4) 
May 17: Content with Your House and Your Spouse (vs. 4) 
May 24: Puffing and Parading in the Home (vs. 4) 
May 31: Love Assassins (vs. 5) 
June 7: Facing Moral Failures with Tough Love (vs. 6) 
June 14: Love that Lasts a Lifetime (vs. 7-8

Series Idea From: Jerry Gifford, 1st Baptist, Franklin, KY