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The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door,
and deny Him by their lifestyle.
That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.
-Brennen Manning
The following is a true story that happens every Sunday:
Bo and Maddie are twenty-somethings with almost no church experience and all they really know of Christianity is what they have seen in media and from a few of their friends from their college days. But one Saturday night, during the resolution of a horrific argument that left them both in tears, Bo suggested, “Maybe we should try going to church.” But which church? They Googled “churches in Panama City” on their iPhones and began sifting through the results. They looked at 25 churches but they finally agreed on the one that had the best, easiest to use, most up-to-date website.
Pulling into the parking lot the next morning Maddie noted that the dirt was going to ruin her shoes. The lot had “Guest Parking” but they were all taken. “Really?” Bo said, “All of their guest parking is taken?” They both looked at the grass and shrubbery around the property, “Looks like some-one needs a lawn care service.”
“I hope the inside looks better than the outside.” It did not.
They eventually parked and began making their way to-ward the buildings. “Where should we go?” asked Maddie. Bo replied, “How should I know?” They followed a smattering of people walking toward the largest building, hoping that it was the right one.
Before walking in, Bo laughingly but completely seriously said to Maddie, “If these people are nuts, we are getting out of there! Our safe word will be ‘rattlesnakes.’ If you hear me say, ‘rattlesnakes’, run for the door!”
“Oh, yeah, don’t give them our address or any personal information. We don’t want them putting us on some list or showing up at our house every Saturday.” They took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The first thing Maddie noticed was that they were both
way underdressed. “I didn’t even THINK about what we should wear? These folks look like they are here for a wed-ding. I am not staying, I’m embarrassed.” Bo refused to leave, “let’s tough it out. After all they don’t even know us. Let’s just sit down.”
Sit down, but where? There were rows and rows of pews. Maddie grabbed Bo by the arm and shrunk down in a pew near the back. They had just begun to get comfortable when someone tapped Bo on the shoulder, “I’m sorry, but you are in my seat.” Bo apologized, “I didn’t know there was assigned seats.” Bo and Maddie moved.
Just then the organ began to rumble the ceiling rafters which they took as a signal that things were about to begin. “I was wrong,” Maddie said, “they aren’t here for wedding, it must be a funeral! Look at these people, talk about depress-ing.”
“Yeah, now I know why we have never come to one of these places before.”
(Short ending) Things went downhill from there. They didn’t understand the words to the music. They were unim-pressed by a choir that was willing to sing but not ready or eager to sing. They didn’t know what to do when the offering was taken so Bo tossed in a few bucks. They didn’t have Bibles nor did they know how to find book of Ezekiel. The sermon was clearly the political rantings of the pastor, but the church people seemed to really like it. When the final benediction was given, Bo and Maddie made it to their car in 5.2 seconds.
“Where do you want to eat lunch?” Bo asked. “How about Chili’s?” Maddie replied.
“And what about next Sunday, what do you want to do next Sunday?”
Maddie answered, “How about the beach?” Luther Stanford, Lead Pastor
April 2015
New Members
Phillip & Courtney Mallory
JP & Erin Coon
Friday & Saturday, April 17-18
FollowshipA leadership conference for Leaders and Volunteers
Friday5:30 pm - Dinner6-9 pm - Sessions Begin (Large Groups & Breakout for Ministry Teams)Saturday8:30 am - Breakfast9 am to noon - Sessions Resume (Large Groups & Breakout for Ministry Teams)
A leadership conference for Leaders and VolunteersFriday5:30 pm - Dinner6-9 pm - Sessions Begin (Large Groups & Breakout for Ministry Teams)Saturday8:30 am - Breakfast9 am to noon - Sessions Resume (Large Groups & Breakout for Ministry Teams)
Music Ministry
Notes
New Books- Twisted Innocence, Terri Blackstock (Moonlighter
Series, Bk. 3)- The Trouble With Patience, Maggie Brendan (Vir-
tues Vices from the Old West, Bk. 1)- By Your Side: Crisis Team, Candace Calvert- The Lady From Bolton Hill, Elizabeth Camden- Vines of Entanglement, Lisa Carter- The Last Heiress, Mary Ellis- Hand Me Down Husband, Rosanna Huffman- Checkmate, Steven James (The Bowers Files, Bk. 7)- Heaven Help Heidi, Sally John ( Family of the
Heart, Bk. #2- Gifts of Grace, Sharlene McLaren (Tennessee
Dreams, Bk. 3)
- A Harvest of Hope, Lauraine Snelling (Harvest of Hope, Bk. 2)
-Doctor’s Lady, Judy Hedlund (Hearts of Faith, Bk. 2)- After a Fashion, Jen Turano (A Class of their Own,
Bk. 1)- A Deadly Business, Lis Wiehl (A Mia Quinn Mys-
tery, Bk. 2)- Paper Hearts, Courtney Walsh
New DVDs- 12 Words of Christmas- Alexander the Terrible- Season of Miracles- Summer Snow- Welcome to Inspiration- Mr. What? A Journey to Redemption
Media Center
Lightning Bug Christians One of my favorite activities as boy in Florida was to catch lightning bugs in my backyard. Many eve-nings after supper, my dad and I would grab our hats and go outside (our hats served as bug nets). We would laugh and chase those bugs all over the yard. It was a challenge to capture the little guys because you could not see them but for a moment when they lit up. They would dissolve into the dark night in an instant. I would never know where they would pop up. Every now and then I would get lucky and catch one.
I believe God put the lightning bugs in life to illustrate how Chris-tians look to the world when we fail to witness in our words and in our walk. The world in which we live is in a state of twenty-four-hour, spiritual darkness. It is to this dark world God calls us to be children of light. Our lights must shine bright and let the whole world know where we stand and with Whom we stand. We ought not to be like the lightning bug that lights up momentarily and only to disappear in an instant. Jesus is the Light of the world (Jn.8:12). He fulfilled God’s plan by not only becoming the Light, but also by becoming the Way. Now, Jesus has passed the responsibility of sharing the light of God’s truth to us—the Church (Matt.5:14). We can fulfill this task by the witness in our life. As we allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate our heart and life, God uses us to light the way of life in the midst of a dark and dying world. This Easter, I encourage you to rekindle the Light in your life by resolving to continue to grow in the knowledge of His Word, obedience to His will and walking with Him every day of your life until He calls you home. His light will shine through you and your life will make a difference.
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”(Matt.5:16, NASB)
Media Center HoursSunday
8-8:15 a.m.
9:15-9:30 a.m.
10:30-10:45 a.m.
Wednesday
5:30-6 p.m.
APRIL INFO!
CAKE AUCTION SEND STUDENTS TO CAMP! The time has arrived for our annual CAKE auction for Restore
Student Ministries! This year we have made a few changes to help
more students attend camp. The cake auction and spaghetti will be
on April 8th during our Wednesday night services! If you would like
to donate a cake please see Chaise Logan for details or sign up
Disciple NOW! When: April 24-26th
CentriFuge Camp will be here
before you know it! June 15-20! PLEASE sign up and have your
deposits in IMMEDIATELY!
Associational VBS CLINIC
APRIL 9TH
VBS is quickly approaching and we need many volunteers during that week to accomplish our goal of teaching the truth and love of
Jesus to the many who will a�end!
FREE T‐shirt for those that a�end... Please sign‐up at The HUB!
Big Splash Followship W eekend ATTN: All Preschool & Children’s Volunteers
Please make plans to a�end this awesome weekend! Pastor Luther will be leading our Main Sessions and then we will have Breakout Sessions for BOTH Preschool & Children’s Ministries.
Childcare is Available for Babies thru 5th Grade...sign up at The HUB!
Dinner & Breakfast Provided See Followship Page for Details!
Final Payments Due on Sunday, May 3rd. We will also have a PARENT MEETING for those a�ending camp and will
go over details of our trip!
Have Ques�ons??
Contact Aus�n Rhodes at the Church Office or at [email protected]
SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!
We will have plenty of opportuni�es to have fun together as a group and grow closer to one another this coming Summer! It will be a �me for the kids to build rela�onships that will last longer than a weekend and friends that they
can trust. Here are just some of the ac�vi�es for your children this Summer:
CHILDREN’S MUSICAL ~ May 17 Preschool Ice Cream Party ~ June 10 VBS Week ~ June 22‐26 Preschool Water Day ~ July 19 CentriKid Camp ~ July 24‐26
Associational VBS CLINIC
APRIL 9TH
VBS is quickly approaching and we need many volunteers during that week to accomplish our goal of teaching the truth and love of
Jesus to the many who will a�end!
FREE T‐shirt for those that a�end... Please sign‐up at The HUB!
Big Splash Followship W eekend ATTN: All Preschool & Children’s Volunteers
Please make plans to a�end this awesome weekend! Pastor Luther will be leading our Main Sessions and then we will have Breakout Sessions for BOTH Preschool & Children’s Ministries.
Childcare is Available for Babies thru 5th Grade...sign up at The HUB!
Dinner & Breakfast Provided See Followship Page for Details!
Final Payments Due on Sunday, May 3rd. We will also have a PARENT MEETING for those a�ending camp and will
go over details of our trip!
Have Ques�ons??
Contact Aus�n Rhodes at the Church Office or at [email protected]
SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!
We will have plenty of opportuni�es to have fun together as a group and grow closer to one another this coming Summer! It will be a �me for the kids to build rela�onships that will last longer than a weekend and friends that they
can trust. Here are just some of the ac�vi�es for your children this Summer:
CHILDREN’S MUSICAL ~ May 17 Preschool Ice Cream Party ~ June 10 VBS Week ~ June 22‐26 Preschool Water Day ~ July 19 CentriKid Camp ~ July 24‐26
Big Splash Followship Weekend
The Young at Heart Luncheon will be held on Thursday, April 16 at 11:30 a.m in the Fellowship Hall. This event is for ages 55 and up and is held
on the third Thursday each month. All are invited to join the fun!
Will begin April 15!!...Sign up for your class in the Hub!!
Vacation Bible School Clinic
Thursday, April 9, 2015
5:30 p.m. Bookstore Open & Snack Supper
6:00 p.m. Clinic begins
Northside Baptist Church
Save shipping charges and support the Association by preordering your VBS materials. You can pick them up at the clinic on April 9th. Fax your order to the Ft Walton
Lifeway Store. 850-269-0590 no later than April 1. Be sure to mark the order "pickup for NW Coast
Association Clinic-April 9th."
Vacation Bible School ClinicThursday, April 9
-5:30 p.m., Bookstore open & Snack Supper
-6 p.m., Clinic beginsAnyone participating will receive a free T-Shirt. Please sign up in the Hub now!!
I am a Church MemberTaught by Mike Dawson
This bestselling book by Thom Rainer, discusses the attitudes and responsibili-ties of church members. Rainer addresses in detail what congregations should really be focusing on--praying for church lead-ers, being a functioning member, treasur-ing church membership, and more.
Desperate: Hope for Moms Who Need to Breathe
Taught by Trinity StanfordDesperate is for those who love their children
to the depths of their souls but who have also curled up under their covers, fighting back tears, and begging God for help. It’s for those who have ever wondered what happened to all their ideals for what having children would be like. For those who have ever felt like all the “experts” have
clearly never had a child like theirs. For those who have prayed for a mentor. For those who ever felt lost and alone in motherhood.
In Desperate you will find the story of one young mother’s honest account of the desperate feelings experienced in motherhood and one experienced mentor’s realistic and gentle exhortations that were forged in the trenches of raising her own four children.
Whether you are a first time mom, or an experienced mom, Desper-ate will inspire you to be a part of the ultimate goal of the book, to be a part of the no-more-desperate-moms movement.
To Live As Christ Taught by Kyle Steen
The short book of Philippians is one of the most quoted in the Bible, yet Paul wrote it not for the popular sound bites, but to paint a picture of a mature Christian faith. While many give their lives to Jesus, few then go on to live a life of truly vibrant faith.
In this disruptively inspiring book, Matt Chandler offers tangible ways to develop a faith of pursuing, chasing, knowing, and loving Jesus. Because if we clean up our lives but don’t get Jesus, we’ve lost! So let the goal be Him. To live is Christ, to die is gain—this is the message of the letter. Therefore, our lives should be lived to Him, through Him, for Him, with Him, about Him—everything should be about Jesus.
The Call to Follow ChristTaught by Scooter Ward
The Call to Follow Christ: 6 Disciplines for New & Growing Believers is a foun-dational discipleship resource that will guide new and growing believers to un-derstand and begin implementing six dis-ciplines into their daily lives. One week is devoted to each of the six disciplines to
ground new believers in habits that will last a lifetime.
Into the Clear: Journey through hard passages of the Bible
Taught by Luther StanfordThe Bible can be hard to understand.
Let’s just say it out loud. In fact, the diffi-culty of the Bible is the number one rea-son people don’t read it. We don’t neglect the Word because we are lazy or because the Bible is boring. We neglect it because
Into the
Clear
understanding the Bible can be hard work. Certainly not all of it; but certainly at least SOME of it. In his newest DiscipleLIFE study, Pastor Luther will tackle some of the stickiest scriptures that trip up Bible readers. “Into the Clear” is a study of 8 of the most confusing and misunderstood passages of Scripture. You will learn, not only, how to understand these passages, but how to read problem passages and how all of God’s Word is both reliable and true.
4 p.m. Annex Opens4:30 p.m. Supper6 p.m. Community
LIFE 7 p.m. Choir
Rehearsal
Austin Rhodes & Alex Masso
Wedding, 4 p.m., Worship Center
8:15 a.m. Worship9:30 a.m. CClasses10:45 a.m. Worship
6 p.m. Zumba, FH
4 p.m. Annex Opens4:30 p.m. Spaghetti
Dinner6 p.m. Youth
Fundraiser Bake Auction
7 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
6 p.m. Association VBS Training
6 p.m., Heartstrings Support Group, Annex
8:15 a.m. Worship9:30 a.m. CClasses10:45 a.m. Worship1:15 p.m. Steward,
ED2172:15 p.m. Deacons,
ED20
6 p.m. Zumba, Children’s Church Room
4 p.m. Annex Opens4:30 p.m. Supper6 p.m. RESTORE
Youth, Annex6 p.m. DiscipleLIFE
Kickoff7 p.m. Choir
Rehearsal
11:30 a.m. Young at Heart, FH
8:15 a.m. Worship9:30 a.m. CClasses10:45 a.m. Worship
6 p.m. Zumba, FH
4 p.m. Annex Opens4:30 p.m. Supper6 p.m. RESTORE
Youth, Annex6 p.m. DiscipleLIFE7 p.m. Choir
Rehearsal
8:15 a.m. Worship9:30 a.m. CClasses10:45 a.m. Worship
6 p.m. Zumba, FH
4 p.m. Annex Opens4:30 p.m. Supper6 p.m. RESTORE
Youth, Annex6 p.m. DiscipleLIFE7 p.m. Choir
Rehearsal
AprilSun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
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19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
Easter
{--------------------Followship-----------------------}
{--------------------DNOW-----------------------------
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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP —VISION, Northside Baptist Church (USPS 001856 & NPA #244617) is published monthly by Northside Baptist Church, 530 Airport Road, Panama City, Florida in-house. Management is listed above. Postmaster: Send address changes to VISION, Northside Baptist Church, 530 Airport Road, Panama City, FL 32405-4096.
PeriodicalU.S. PostagePAID ATPanama City, FL32401
530 Airport Road Panama City, FL 32405
(850) 785-6137www.northsidepc.org
or
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Contact Us Church Staff Rev. Luther Stanford, Lead Pastor
[email protected] Logan, Student Pastor
[email protected] Ward, Worship Pastor
[email protected] Rhodes, Children’s Pastor
[email protected] Seaborn, Preschool Director
[email protected] Davis, Ministry Assistant
[email protected] Wuttke, Financial Secretary
[email protected] Brewer, Church Hostess
[email protected] Street, Building Superintendent
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