Bravely Onward!

Hello Church Family,  Just a few items to share with you as we prepare for worship this weekend:  A Psalm of Repentance- This Sunday we continue our series, Psalms- Let Us Worship Together: Relating to God in the Highs and Lows of Life. This Sunday we will look at Psalm 51. I encourage you to read it over a few times before you come on Sunday. Ask the Lord if there is any sin in your life that you need to turn from. My prayer is that our worship will be rich as we consider how Christ frees us from our sins.   Let’s Finish Financially Strong- I am always amazed at how God provides for our needs to do His work. Through the faithfulness of the many households that make up our church, we receive almost $600,000 in contributions to the ministry budget each year to the Lord’s work! This is something special- Thank you to those who give and glory to God! September marks the last month in our fiscal year and thus far we have received much of the amount we need to function ...

 Hey Church Family,  This is going to be a beautiful weekend with a lot of sunshine! I hope you have plans to get outside and enjoy it! I'd like to share with you a few items about First Baptist Harrah's Weekend Plan.  Discipleship Coach Training- This Saturday at 8 AM in M01 our discipleship ministry will host a refresher training for discipleship coaches who will soon be leading starter discipleship groups. If you would like training to know how to teach new believers how to know and follow Jesus. We will only meet for 45 minutes. Any ladies can stick around and be first in line for the women's ministry breakfast which begins at 9 AM. Edna McMillan State Missions Offering, Church-wide Goal: $500- As Baptists, we value partnering for missions. This month, the missions ministry is challenging our people to give above and beyond the tithe toward the Oklahoma State Missions Offering. These funds go to support our many Baptist ministries in Oklahoma ( What ministries does...

 Are you a new believer? Have you been a Christian for a long time, but you've never received basic instruction in the faith? Are you a believer who wants to be able to reach and disciple others? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will want to sign up for FBC Harrah's Spring New Christians Class.  Mark your calendar for 6-8 PM on the following Sundays: March 27, April 3, 10, 24, May 1, 15, & 22. This class will walk you through beginning steps to help you grow in Christ. It will also equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to start obeying Jesus as Lord. This class will be a good review for even experienced believers. There will be a track for K-5th graders and childcare for pre-k kids. Students (6th-12th) are welcome to join in the main class. Be sure to bring a pen, notepad, and Bible. We will hold the class in M04 in the upstairs education building. We will provide class material at no cost to you.  Scan the following QR code to register:

So many of our families are struggling. We struggle to get along with each other. Our family members make choices which are not pleasing to the Lord. It's difficult to feel that our families are growing close to Christ and to one another.  We go to church and listen to sermons and Bible teachings, but often we feel it makes little difference in our families, especially as we face so many powerful influences elsewhere.  What do we need to do to see our families benefit from a growing faith in the Lord? God's answer to this question is in Deuteronomy 6:4-7 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." God taught the Israelites that ...

  It's estimated that 1,380,000 Oklahomans are Dechurched . This means they attended church at some point in their lives, yet they have not been a part of a church for a long time. These are people who often hold beliefs consistent with Christianity, but they don't have an accurate view of the gospel or a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. These are people who are either not yet saved or believers who have not yet been discipled.  There is another group called the Nones . These are those with no religious affiliation of any kind and they have never attended a church. It's estimated that 920,000 Oklahomans fit this description (that's 23.5% of the population of OK!).  Taking a broader view, there are 366 million people in North America. Missiologists estimate that 275 million of these do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  The need is clear. We need churches, faithful Christians, and missionaries who are willing and able to communicate the gospe...

 This weekend is Impact Weekend for our students! By Sunday they will have had a weekend full of fun, food, and looking into the Scriptures. As with all of our youth ministry events, it is important that the students have the support of the rest of the church. Certainly, the church family supports them through our giving which funds the youth ministry. We also support by volunteering in a variety of roles in the youth ministry. Today, however, I want to invite you to support them in one of the best ways, with prayer. Here are some things you can pray for as students participate in Impact Weekend 2022! Pray that some of the students attending to hear the gospel and trust their lives to Christ and be baptized. Pray for Pastor Tim and his family as this is his first big youth event here at FBC Harrah. Pray that our students will learn to love the Word of God.  Pray they will make the connection between the Word of God, how He wants them to believe, and how He wants them to live....

  One of the things that happens when we follow Christ is that our worldview becomes different from those around us. As we study His Word, our perspective aligns with the Lord's. Our affections and interests change. A lot of the time this creates distance between us and our families. It can cause our friends who do not follow Christ to reject or even mock us! Jesus taught us that people would reject us because of Him (John 15:18-25). Sometimes being a Christian can be a lonely road. This is one of the big reasons for the local church. Church members share a common view of Scripture and have a shared belief that Jesus Christ is Lord. We come to realize just how important it is to be with people who share our most treasured beliefs, who see the world with a similar world-view.  The Bible uses the term fellowship  to describe this affinity and friendship between fellow church members. Though Christians may not share the same DNA or background, there is a kindred spirit ...

 Last week my family read a fictional story about children who visited a palace in ancient Egypt. The children were stunned by the wealth and magnitude of the home. Seeing the luxury that the wealthy Egyptians enjoyed, they asked one another, "Would you wish that you could live here in such extravagance?" One of the children replied, "Not at all." The others were surprised at the response and asked, "Why not?" The child who answered spoke up and said, "Have you seen the sad faces of the Egyptian children? They have everything in the world, but it's still not enough. They never lift a finger. Only servants tend to their clothing and belongings. The servants cook all their meals. The children look bored and dissatisfied."  Christians today can suffer in the same way as these Egyptian children. Many Christians see their faith as a religion where God exists to give them what they want. They see the church as a place to go to receive goods and ser...

2021 was a fruitful year in the life of our church. So many in our congregation were bold for the gospel and took leaps in their obedience to Christ (e.g. 83 people in our church shared the gospel 918 times). Looking to 2022, there is another opportunity for dramatic growth as we serve the Lord together.  For the sake of Christ and for our spiritual growth, I want to give you a big ask. Would you commit to do the following list with me? For many, this list will be uncomfortable and probably unpopular. For others, it may be one of those lists that we will give a nod to, but then hope everyone forgets about it. Yet, those who commit to reach for it will likely experience profound growth in Him.  Living out the lifestyle outlined below will only be possible by the power of God in us through Christ. We will need each other and accountability for the items listed below to become habits and convictions. But will you try with me? Will you commit to live this out with me? I hope you w...

Just recently I heard the following song "All Glory Be To Christ" sung by a Branson blue grass group named The Petersens (written by Kings Kaleidoscope). You can hear it at  https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ch-99N24fc4&feature=share . You can read the lyrics here (it goes to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne."):  Should nothing of our efforts stand No legacy survive Unless the Lord does raise the house In vain its builders strive To you who boast tomorrow's gain Tell me what is your life A mist that vanishes at dawn All glory be to Christ! All glory be to Christ our king! All glory be to Christ! His rule and reign will ever sing All glory be to Christ! His will be done His kingdom come On earth as is above Who is Himself our daily bread Praise Him the Lord of love Let living water satisfy The thirsty without price We'll take a cup of kindness yet All glory be to Christ! All glory be to Christ our king! All glory be to Christ! His rule and reign will ever sing...

This weekend we give gifts to one another in honor of the birth of Christ our Savior. This is one of the most exciting parts of Christmas, especially for the kids. Last week, a little girl told me that she hopes to get a pony for Christmas and I know a little boy who wants a fiddle. We all like to receive meaningful and special gifts, however we must realize that no material gift can compare to the gift of Christ.  The richness of Christmas comes with understanding what we receive through faith in Jesus Christ. We receive pardon of our crimes toward God. We become adopted into God's family and become heirs to the inheritance of heaven. We also receive eternal life and the promise that we will be with God forever, enveloped by His goodness and glory. There are many other rich and substantial blessings we receive through Christ, the greatness of which we cannot fathom. Really, there is nothing under that tree that comes close to what we receive in Christ. It is also rich to consider ...

As Christians mature they become less focused on themselves and more concerned with others. This is the Christian way. This is at the core of Christ's teaching and life.  Jesus taught this: " Do to others as you would have them do to you ."   (Luke 6:31) " Love your neighbor as yourself ."  (Mark 12:31) Jesus demonstrated this:  "By this we know love, that He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers ."  (1 John 3:16) Paul taught this:  "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor...Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality...Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another . " (Romans 12:10, 12, 13, 15, 16) It's a beautiful thing to watch believers grow in love and care for one another. God puts in our heart the desire to do this. He also provides the church as a context to practice caring for one anot...

Imagine this: Crisis strikes your family. You are unsure how things will turn out, but one thing you do know is that you need the Lord's help. Who do you call for prayer? For some, this may be an easy question. For others, this question draws a blank because you don't have a lot of praying friends or family.  This scenario is one of the reasons why it is so important for you to be engaged in a growth group. Growth groups provide an opportunity for Christian community, and this involves praying for one another. You will know if you are in a good group if the members take prayer seriously and regularly and fervently pray for one other (and not just during emergencies). Prayer is talking with God. Prayer is expressing faith. When we pray for each other, we are talking to God for one another. E.M. Bounds says, " Talking to men  for  God  is a great thing, but  talking to God  for  men  is greater still."  When we pray for one another, we show we ...

Church Family,  Tomorrow (Wednesday, December 1st), the supreme court of our country will hear oral arguments for the case of  Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health , which is a challenge against the State of Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban. Those of us who mourn the reality of legal abortion in our country hope that the ban is upheld by the court. Further, we view this case as an opportunity to return decision-making regarding the legality of abortion to the states. Once returned, states could decide for themselves, throug h their own legislative processes, if abortion should be allowed and to what degree. We hope that the decision of the court will allow states to make abortion illegal and save the lives of millions of unborn children.  As believers in Jesus Christ, who trust the Bible for what to believe and how to act, it is clear that children in the womb belong to the Lord and are the result of His creative work. Psalm 139:13-14 says:        ...

Growth is difficult work! This is true if you are trying to learn a new skill, become an expert about some topic, or get in shape. It is very hard to overcome the status quo and rise to new levels. We face tremendous resistance to personal growth because of our comfort. For this reason, many of us fall short in our desires to grow. We are more likely to grow in something if we have accountability built into the process. This is the reason why schools reward grades for performance on assignments. GPA is a great motivator and it helps students to learn. There is a reason why Weight Watchers  works for so many people. Weekly weigh-ins are a part of the program and they compel participants to exchange their comfortable eating habits for ones which support health and wellness. Caring and non-judgmental accountability is an important ingredient for growth. Accountability is also necessary if we want to grow spiritual as Christians. You could argue that this is one of the primary reasons ...

One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is Acts 9:26-30. In it, the apostle Paul is a young believer, having been miraculously converted on the road to Damascus. One problem Paul ran into as a new Christian was that the Christians in Damascus were afraid of him. The reason is obvious, he had been hunting down Christians until his sudden conversion to Christ. Believers were hesitant to believe he was really a changed man. His conversion could have been a trick to lure them out of hiding. When Paul came to Jerusalem to join with the disciples, he ran into the same problem. The Christians did not believe he was a changed man. Paul was stuck. Yet, God brought a person into his life to help him past the obstacles he faced. Barnabas was a generous and godly believer from Cyprus who was well respected in the Jerusalem church. God led him to advocate for Paul.  Barnabas took Paul under his wing, encouraged him in his young faith, and lent him credibility. Ultimately, Barn...

So when we think about small groups, we usually think Bible study first. This is appropriate. In fact, for years people have called small groups Sunday School . A lot of churches simply refer to them as Bible study .  School and study imply learning. In small groups, we learn about the Bible. For those of us who have grown up in church, we would expect that studying a passage of Scripture should be the primary purpose of a small group.  Small groups are the best place to learn to know the Word of God. Most likely you will grow more in your knowledge of the Bible in small groups than you will by only attending the worship service. The reasons for this are that small groups allow more time for digging into passages for meaning and they allow for questions and discussion. Consider that when Jesus taught the crowds about the parable of the sower, the disciples understood it only after they were able to ask Jesus questions in a small group format (Mark 4:1-20). Another benefit of s...

When I pastored in Colorado, I remember visiting one of the families in our church.  The wife and children were very involved on Sundays and throughout the week. On Sunday mornings, they came early to be a part of Sunday school classes (this was our small group ministry). Then they stayed for the worship service.  The husband, however, never participated with the small group ministry. He never was a part of a Sunday school class. Rather, he came later and joined the family in the large-group worship service. While I was at their home, I asked him, "Have you ever thought of joining a small group?" I'll never forget his response. He said, "No, I'm just not a Sunday School guy."  In the years since this visit and the husband's response, I've met countless people who think that small groups are unnecessary in their Christian lives. I've always been baffled by this. The reason is that the New Testament demonstrates that small groups were clearly and r...