IN THIS ISSUE

New Year Prayer Page 2

Upcoming OpportunitiesPage 2

Keep AskingPage 5

First Baptist sevierville | January 2016

Volume 108 , No. 6

First Baptist Church of Sevierville’s Monthly Newsletter

Upcoming OpportunitiesSteve Brewer

As we look to the close of 2015 (wow that was quick) we look forward to an exciting new year. I’m excited about the Life Change University classes we will be offering beginning in January 2016. There will be Bible studies, mission training, lesson discussions for teachers, financial classes, power point instructions, a study of things to come and a women’s study. Keep an eye on your bulletin or go to our website for more details. I hope you will make plans now to attend one of these opportunities.

Speaking of opportunities, have you considered what gift you could bring to Jesus’ birthday? We have had a need in our children’s classes for some time now. We need two teachers in our 3rd grade class and three teachers in our 4th grade class. Would you pray about serving as one of those teachers? Working with and strengthening children spiritually grows more important by the day. It would be a great gift to our children and a great birthday gift as well!

Page 2 | First Baptist Church of Sevierville

Dear Church Family, At the beginning of this new year, I want to request your prayer for three things:

1. Search Committee for Associate Pastor of ChildrenAt some point in 2016 we will welcome a new associate pastor to our church family. His ministry will be very important as we endeavor to disciple our elementary children. The task of our Search Committee will be to seek God’s will and God’s man for this key role, and I know they will be counting on us to undergird their work with prayer. The committee is Bryan Atchley (chairman), Sarah Green, Kevin Hedrick, Lisa Knight, Ronnie Marshall, Linda Mills, and April Warren.

2. A revival of biblical stewardshipPlease pray for spiritual revival in the area of stewardship -- a real move of God that will turn complacency and stinginess into Christ-like generosity, move the uncommitted and undisciplined to a place of faithful giving, and fully fund everything we feel led by God to do.

3. A renewal of evangelistic zealWe need to renew our zeal for seeing people saved. Pray for every member to be a witness and every ministry to fulfill the Great Commission.

May God be glorified in 2016!

Happy New Year,

Dan Spencer

UP 6th Grade WeekendApril 30th and May 1st

Sign up in Sunday Schoolor call the church office

2 Cor. 5:17

Sonrise SeniorsTuesday, January 5; 9:00am/Parlor

Triple L LuncheonTuesday, January 12; Noon/FLCSpecial guests; Pat Corn and friends. Jarrod Wilson. Please bring a side dish or dessert.

PEP MomsFriday, January 15; 9:15am/ParlorYou can register online. Email Tammy Rice attrice@fbcsev.org if childcare is needed.

Singles of FaithFriday, January 15; 6:00pm/ParlorSingle and 35 or older? Please join us for our monthly fellowship, we will have soup and sandwiches. Special guest; Kim Delozier

Upcoming Events

Special AnnouncementsChurch Office Holiday HoursClosed New Year’s - January 1

Grief ShareThe new session will begin on Monday, January 11 in the Good News Building. There will be two time slots to choose from; 3:00pm and 6:00pm.

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Text Giving is Now AvailableRegister through the church website; https://e-giving.org/fbcsevFollow prompts in the “Texting” tab of the Member Profile section to register.

Serve at The BridgeVolunteers needed to help provide excellent environments. If you are interested in serving please contact nmiller@fbcsev.org

Bible DrillBible Buddies, Children’s Bible Drill and Youth Bible Drill will resume January 10.

Jan. 2016

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Cindy TownsendBetty Dodgen Richard & Carol AtchleyBryan Blalock Jo BlalockBuddy Glenn Josephine OsborneMy parents, Clarice & Mel

Jackson’s Christmas Eve Wedding Anniversary

Debbie Gibbs & familyBonnie CraftBilly Jenkins Marie TempleCarl Corrado Darlene CorradoFred & Jama CateEvelyn MatthewsAaron & Iva Atchley JB & Shirley MatthewsLOTTIE MOONHoney Gregg & Tracy PriceBryan Blalock Jo BlalockRev & Mrs. George

Watson and Beulah & Amos McCarter

Bob & Diane McFarlandBonnie CraftMary AtchleyFelix & Laurinda Ogle Ben & Connie OgleCleo McGahaBeuena Ownby Mike & Beverly OwnbyJim Miller Theresa MillerRobert Delozier &

our parents Melba DelozierThomas Morgan Joyce MorganDwight & Roger McMahan Beulah McMahanDwight & Roger McMahan

and Bill & Billy Berrier Michael & Linda Berrier

uPWARDBonnie Craft Larry & Lou LafolletteHELPING HANDSJean WhiteLarry Sims Jimmie Faye Trotter

PARk ROAD PROJECTCindy Whaley TownsendRoss Summitt Jo BlalockSPECIAL FRIENDSDude Johnson Ray & Tammy JohnsonLIBRARyLuella JohnsonFrancis WatsonShirley BreedenIlene MartinShirley MallicoatMary BivensRobert SimpsonCindy TownsendLucille WatsonBetty OgleDorothy CokerRay HendersonJean WhiteBJ Franklinken TaylorBonnie CraftBilly JenkinsLouise LequireDorothy CarverMarshall BohananSue Marceil PhillipsDelia Vaughan

IN hONORHELPING HANDSBobby & Janice Castle Larry & Charlene CastleLOTTIE MOONMy mom, Lana Ogle Caleb Scott OgleLynn & Bonnie Abbott Larry & Charlene CastleDaniel Roberts Elijah FrankMuSIC MINISTRyHelen Ownby& Scott Andrews Steve & Vickie Ownby

TribuTedGivinG

Attendance Report 11/22/2015 11/29/2015 12/6/2015 12/13/2015 8:00am Worship 537 477 465 441 9:30am The Bridge 457 510 443 579 11:00am Worship 814 601 661 729 11:00am Bridge Kids 135 116 146 143 6:30pm Worship 244 155 748 379 Life Groups 1210 1182 1209 1209

Biblical Stewardship 11/22/2015 11/29/2015 12/6/2015 12/13/2015 Total Weekly Needs $ 99,870.00 $ 99,870.00 $ 99,870.00 $ 99,870.00 Tithes & Offerings 70,903.47 55,677.31 148,476.63 139,468.68 Building Fund 681.00 881.00 2,046.00 820.00 Designated Fund 11,816.25 2,976.00 27,183.42 31,983.03

New MembersPat Auten

Daniel & Leslie Yossarian

Brenda BurchfieldKadie BremerMichael & Stephanie OakleyGary horn, IIIAaron OgleJason, Karen, Daniel & Graham Patrick

Recently HospitalizedRuth houser

Julie Vanover

Phil Keefer

Carl McCarter

Kathy McGuire

Sherryl Linnert

Sue Rolen

Ina Weeks

Laura Metcalf

Deana Johnson

• Allison Pelham, Rebecca Latta & Mike Craft in the passing of their mother, Bonnie Craft

• Sandy Tharp houser in the passing of her daughter-in-law, Angie Tharp

• Family and friends in the passing of Billy Jenkins

• Mike Lequire in the passing of his mother, Louise Lequire

• Johnnie Carver in the passing of his sister, Dorothy Carver

• Rowena McFalls in the passing of her brother-in-law, Bob McFalls

• Sue Rolen in the passing of her brother-in-law, Richard Parrott

• Rick Bohanan in the passing of his father, George Bohanan

• Marshall Stanger in the passing of his grandfather, Bill Carmichael

• Jerry Reed & Everette Mashburn in the passing of their mother/sister, Sue Marceil Phillips

Sympathy to

IN MEMORYBuDGETHoneyBilly Jenkins Gregg & Tracy PriceCindy Townsend JB & Shirley MatthewsBilly Jenkins Conley & Carolyn

MurrellBonnie CraftGlenda Johnson Ray & Tammy JohnsonNell HardinRay Henderson Melba DelozierBonnie Craft Jack & Patricia PalmerTeresa Pyles Claudette PridemoreDorothy CokerMarshall Bohanan Wilma heltonTV MINISTRyBilly Jenkins Joe Woods SS Class TN BAPTIST ADuLT

HOMESOur fathers, William

McGaha & Clyde Ownby

Mike & Beverly OwnbyCHRISTMAS STOREMy parents, Milo

Connatser & Mable Connatser Lowe

Ruby MaplesBill Allen

Keep AskingMisty Hedrick

Have you ever gone to God with a request, and He answered affirmatively—and you were shocked? You weren’t really expecting Him to do the thing, or grant you that request. Maybe you’ve been asking for it repeatedly, and you wonder: why now?

That’s kind of like an ongoing conversation at our house. It usually goes like this:

Kid: Mom, I want to ask you something, but I know you will say no.Mom: Well, that’s not giving me a fair shot, is it? You’re starting from a defeated position. Why ask, when you don’t believe I will do it?Kid: Well, I still want it. But I’m afraid to ask because you said no before.Mom: I don’t get mad when you ask for things, so you shouldn’t be afraid to ask. And even if I said no before, that doesn’t affect your chances now. Before, circumstances were different. Maybe you were too young, or misbehaving, or we had something else planned. Now you don’t have because you haven’t asked.Kid: So you will say yes?Mom: I didn’t say that. I still don’t know what you want. If it’s not good for you or for our family, I’ll still say no. But if you don’t ask, you will never know.

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Send questions ormments to newsletter@fbcsev.org

never come near to Him. We must come as we are.

Don’t plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? “Love…thinks no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all of our work from its standpoint.

Don’t plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:1). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command— “Let not….” To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one

You know, it makes me sad when they ask for things that way. It tells me they don’t really trust me. They don’t trust me to do good things for them, or trust that I want them to enjoy life and give them freedom to do fun things.

It also tells me they expect discipline from me, and that’s ok. As parents, we have to discipline—sometimes a lot. It’s our job. Even if it is just as painful for us, we do it because we love our kids. We know what can happen if they disobey us now—or if they disobey God in the future, when the stakes are much higher and we’re not there. Sometimes we have to let our kids fail too, which is really hard for parents but we know they have to learn to deal with failure now if we want them to succeed later. We love our kids, and we want good things for them. We aren’t trying to kill their fun. It gives us no joy to say “No.” And as they grow, we want to see them enjoy new and greater freedom. (Safely, of course.) Our kids will know we love them. And they will know we want the best for them, even if they don’t like it. Eventually, they may even admit that mom and dad do know best. But we’ll never be perfect parents.

But guess what: God is. He’s the perfect Father.

Yes, He disciplines us. Hebrews 10:5-11 He may let us fail, go through something difficult, or wait. But He will never leave us. And He will say no to things we think

we want that will only harm us. But He also gives us good things, at just the right time. And He wants us to enjoy life and freedom in Him. He knows exactly what we need and when. Matthew 7:7-11, James 1:5-6

Sometimes, however, we have not because we ask not. James 4:2b-3 And sometimes, we don’t even know what to pray for, so the Spirit prays for us. Romans 8:26

The next time you pray, put your trust in Him, just like your children trust in you. Don’t come to Him from a position of defeat. Because of Christ, you can come to Him victoriously—as a son! Romans 8:15, 31-38

He truly is a Good, Good Father. He loves you. He hears you. You can trust Him with your life. Keep asking.

times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. —Psalm 37:5

Don’t Plan Without GodDon’t plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him— that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.

In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our “spiritual face” before we can come near to God, then we will

Published monthly by First Baptist Church of Sevierville.Periodical postage paid at Sevierville, TN | 317 Parkway, TN 37862RETURN POSTAGE REQUESTEDPostmaster send form 3579 to “First Word,” 317 Parkway, Sevierville, TN 37862(865) 453-9001 | FAX (865) 428-3920 | fbcsev.org

(USPS 661-090)

Rev. Dan Spencer Senior Pastor

Scott AndrewsAssoc. Pastor of Worship

Jerry HyderAssoc. Pastor of Adults

Scott CarterAssoc. Pastor of Youth

Address317 Parkway Sevierville, TN 37862

Office HoursMonday- Friday8:00am - 5:00pm

Office Phone(865) 453-9001(865) 429-6309 (fax)

Craig MintzAssoc. Pastor of Equipping

Steve BrewerAssoc. Pastor of Discipleship

Clark ByramAssoc. Pastor of Stewardship/Administration Contact UsSenior Staff

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info@fbcsev.org

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Pastor on Call(865) 453-9257

Prayer Line(865) 429-PRAY