First Baptist Church
Rutherfordton, NC
August 6, 2017
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.............................. Chris O
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August 13
................. Debbie M
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........................... Penny P
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............................ John Blanton
.............................. Kim
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......................... Stan C
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH STAFF
Tim Marsh
Pastor
828-755-1616
Beth Heffner
Minister of Music and Families
828-980-2761
John Miller
Minister of Youth and Outreach
704-472-5860
Jeannie Smith
Interim Organist
Alison Moore
Pianist
Debbie Turner
Secretary
Garry Cuthbertson
Custodian
George Hughes
Grounds Maintenance
ACOLYTES
August 6.................... Natalie Marsh
.......................... Melanie Huneycutt
August 13 ................ Jeremiah Craig
..................................... Abby Miller
BIRTHDAYS OF THE WEEK
August 6................... Jean Carpenter
..................................... Peter Moore
August 7.................... Sharon Reece
............................... Michael Martin
................................... Todd Beheler
August 8................... Mindy Walker
................................ Charles Moose
August 11 .................... Wes Camper
........................................ Bob Giles
....................................... Joey Revis
August 12 .................... Linda Marsh
USHERS FOR AUGUST
Team 1: George Hughes, Todd
Hodge, Jamie Knox, Rusty
Washburn, Bruce Bone, Griggs
McKinnon, John Henry Deaver
DEACON AT THE DOOR
J Deaver
COUNTERS FOR AUGUST
Meryl Lawrence
Ronnie Wilson
Martha McGinnis
WELCOME TABLE
Our Mondays are August 7 and
August 21. Look for sign-ups in the
vestibule. We always need desserts
and volunteers. It’s a truly reward-
ing time of fellowship for us all.
Prayerfully consider how you might
plug into this vital ministry of our
church. Questions? Nell Bovender
or Billy Honeycutt.
BIRTHDAY WISHES
Marie Barton will be celebrating her 90th birthday on August 20. If you
would like to send a card, her address is: 1281 Woolf Valley Ct., Acworth,
GA 30102.
Linville Picnic and Ball Game
Thursday, August 24
Bus will leave at 10 AM
Business meeting at 12 and lunch will be at 12:30. Meat, bread, and
drinks will be provided. Sign up for side dishes in the hallway outside the
Fellowship Hall.
CANNED FRUIT FOR YOKEFELLOW
May—July Goal: 90
May—July Donations: 96
August Goal: 30
August Donations: 4
Our May—July goal has been surpassed by 6 cans! Aren’t we proud?
Please continue to add several cans to your cart as you shop. Fruit is a spe-
cial rare treat for many people, but please check the cans for dents before
purchasing them. This will be our last month for canned fruit. Thank you!
WOMEN ON MISSION
WOM will meet August 8, 3 PM at the home of Linda Harris, 127 Green
Meadows Drive. Meet at the church at 2:30 PM to carpool.
Remember to bring dues, pennies, tabs and fruit.
CALLED CHURCH CONFERENCE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 6 PM
We will have a called church conference on Wednesday, August 9 at 6
PM in the Church Welcome Center for two purposes. First, we will vote on
proposed changes to the church constitution, affecting the children’s minis-
try and Personnel Committee, which were presented in the previous church
conference. Second, we will vote on a change order presented by the Build-
ing Committee, which will address the re-landscaping of the Memorial Gar-
den, a well as the drainage issue. Your presence and prayerful participation
are much appreciated.
Records for July 30, 2017
Sunday School Attendance ....... 127
White Oak .......................................
Restwell Rest Home ................... 13
Total ....................................... 140
Morning Worship Attendance .. 175
Budget Requirements...... $9,638.00
Budget Offering .............. $5,853.00
Special Offerings ............... $300.99
Total ............................. $6,153.99
Budget to Date
Required by 7-30-17 ... $414,434.00
Received by 7-30-17 ... $383,947.45
Building Fund
Received ................................ $1.00
Capital Campaign .............. $200.00
To Date ....................... $391,593.71
PASTOR’S COLUMN
Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the
altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to
completion by the works. Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of
God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Likewise, was
not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers
and sent them out by another road? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is also dead. (James 2:21-26, NRSV)
Due to time (I hate that!), I did not cover these verses on Sunday, which make an
important point about James’ argument that we are justified by works. He cites two
Old Testament examples – the patriarch, Abraham, and Rahab the prostitute. While
both of these are held as exemplars of what it means to be faithful, neither lived perfect
lives.
Consider Abraham. When Abraham (then Abram) led his family to Egypt to escape a
famine, the Pharaoh found Sarah (then Sarai) attractive and asked to take her as his
wife. Abraham said that Sarah was his sister, and not his wife. He did this to protect his
family. When Pharaoh married Sarah, the LORD afflicted Pharaoh with a disease of
boils. He gave up his wife, thinking he needed to in order that he and his family would
be safe. More than that, instead of trusting God to give him a child through Sarah,
Abraham fathered a child by Sarah’s servant, Hagar.
Abraham was not perfect. However, when the LORD called him to follow, Abraham
obeyed, even though the call was vague and the promise was improbable. When the
ultimate test of faith came, to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham followed through,
trusting that the LORD would make this right and bring life where there had been
death. James reasoned that it was because Abraham trusted the LORD, and obeyed,
that he was justified, not because he was perfect.
Rahab is an interesting case. She was a prostitute. On the one hand, prostitution was
a sinful lifestyle. On the other hand, women were forced into prostitution by men.
When she took in the two spies from Joshua, she lied to authorities to protect the spies,
even though it could cost Rahab her life. Though Rahab lived in sin, she was justified
by saving the lives of the spies.
Our relationship with God is based upon what God has done for us and how we, in
turn, respond to God. We are neither called to be perfect, nor to live a life of inten-
tional sin. We should never quake before God, wondering if a habit, a fear, a thought,
or a mistake could permanently damage our salvation. Nor should we ever take for
granted that “we are saved” and neglect our obedience to God, our calling to follow
Jesus, and the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Religion that pleases God is
one that, even though we will never be perfect, still gives all to be the presence of
Christ and to do the things that give the world a witness of his reality. It’s from wher-
ever you are, regardless of, or maybe because of, where you’ve been, what you’ve
done. God can take any life and use it for his glory. And, in allowing God to use our
lives, to follow Christ, to love the people he has given us to love, that we are justified.
I like to think of it this way. If you come to a fork in the road to your destiny – to
God – you can take the correct road and still stumble, encounter obstacles, sit down to
rest, speed up or slow down, and still reach your destination. But if you take the wrong
road, you’ll never arrive.
Take the right road, and you’ll know that you are justified in God’s eyes.
Grace and peace,
Tim
WELCOME!
The church is delighted to welcome for baptism and church membership
Madalyn and Mackenzie Hughes, twin daughters of George and Janet
Hughes. They are rising sixth graders attending R-S Middle School. Mada-
lyn plays the guitar, and they are both students at Dancing Stars Studio.
They also enjoy swimming and fishing with Dad. The girls are very studi-
ous and they are looking forward to baptism.
KEEP THOSE CHECKS COMING BUT…
The Counting Committees are asking for your help. In order to receive
proper credit for your donations, please take time to put your check in a
church envelope which is marked with your name, designation, and amount.
The office manager does not have access to the checks because they go di-
rectly into the bank after being counted. If there is no envelope, the Count-
ing Committee has to fill out one for you or you do not receive credit. Enve-
lopes are available in the Fellowship Hall on the table near the sound crew.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
MEMBERS RELOCATING
Drs. Scott and Jane Kirkpatrick have completed their move to Savan-
nah, GA, as Scott begins a new chapter in his career as an anesthesiologist
at a local hospital, and as a partner in the practice. Please continue to re-
member Scott, Jane, Ellen and Will during this time of transition. We sin-
cerely appreciate all that they have meant to our church. Their new address
is: 40 Romney Place, Savannah, GA 31406.
YOUTH MINISTRY NEWS: WEDNESDAYS IN AUGUST
August 9: Extreme Game Night (Emoji Theme)
Prize for best dressed/outfit!
August 16: Extreme Game Night (Soaked Theme-wear clothes you
don’t mind getting dirty)
August 23: 6th Grade Orientation!
We invite all youth and parents to participate to make this a
memorable night. All rising 6th graders and their families are
invited to come to this special service in the youth basement
from 6:00—6:45 PM
August 30: No Youth Activities
RS CENTRAL OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY
Our church will be working concessions for three games this fall during
RS Central football games. This is an excellent opportunity to represent
Jesus and FBCR to our community! If you’d be able to help out, please sign
up in the hallway leading to the office. Thanks!
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
RUTHERFORDTON, NORTH CAROLINA
SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE
August 6, 2017
10:55 AM
FELLOWSHIP HALL
Sermon Series—Too Hot to Handle: Hot Topics in the Book of James
CALL TO WORSHIP
Greetings and Announcements Tim Marsh
Leader: The Lord is Risen!
People: He is Risen indeed! Lighting the Acolyte Candles
*Hymn 354 “Praise Him! Praise Him! JOYFUL SONG
*Invocation J Deaver
REMEMBER AND GIVE THANKS
Children’s Message John Miller
Morning Prayer/The Lord’s Prayer John Miller
Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.
*Hymn of Offertory 640 “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” SHOWALTER
*Scripture and Prayer of Offertory Luke 12:15 Mackenzie Hughes
Offertory
HEAR AND RESPOND TO THE WORD
The Written Word James 1:26, 3:1-12 Tim Marsh
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Message in Song “I’ll Talk to the Father” The Nelons
Gayle Youngblood, Soloist
The Spoken Word “Our Words: Sparks for Forest Fires” Tim Marsh
*Hymn 499 “I Surrender All” SURRENDER
(We invite all who desire to make public professions of faith or transfer
church membership to do so at this time. And, we encourage all with
special prayer needs to pray with the pastor or pray silently at the altar
for personal or intercessory prayer needs.)
GO FORTH TO LOVE AND SERVE
*Benediction Tim Marsh
*Departing Song (512) “We Go in Peace” EDWARDS
We go in peace, we go in love,
We go with grace and mercy from the Lord above
To tell the world this very thing:
That Jesus Christ is Lord and King, Jesus Christ is Lord and King! CCLI#1858884 *Postlude
*Congregation Standing
**Please remember to silence your cell phones or electronic devices**
***There is no nursery offered this morning.***
PRESCHOOL BIBLE FUN DAY
Saturday, August 12
9:00 AM—3:00 PM
FOR CHILDREN AGES 3—AGE 6
IN THE NEWLY RENOVATED CHILDREN’S AREA!
Come for a fun and exciting fun time together where we will hear excit-
ing Bible stories, and participate with fun games, snacks, crafts, and
lunch—followed by an outing! Mark it on your calendars! Let Beth Heffner
know if you plan on coming and invite all your friends! More info to follow
later.