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Sometimes people just don’t listen. We as your church staff try to communicate everything to everyone as much as possible, using as many outlets as we can to get information to people, but sometimes things just seem to pass right by people, completely unnoticed. We work hard at it, employing every outlet available to us—verbal announcements on Sundays and Wednesdays, PowerPoint projected prior to the services, printed announcement sheets, emails, the website, ministry newsletters, brochures, posters, bulletin boards, flyers and cards in our Sunday bulletins, direct mailings (letters and postcards), word of mouth and, of course, The Witness. Yet, without fail, someone will always say about an event, emphasis, or deadline —“Hey, I never heard about it!” I know it’s true, because things can fly right by me too, even though I’ve also had the information supplied to me in multiple formats and serve as the pastor of the church! When that happens to me, I always get a little frustrated with myself because I failed to educate myself about the goings-on at LPBC. That’s why, as a staff, we’re always looking for better ways to “get the word out”—ways that are more creative, eye-catching or attention-getting, so people will see, hear, and respond. But I know that, in spite of our efforts, there will always be someone who says, “I never heard about it!” Likewise, although it seems that we are inundated with information about the Gospel in this country—through the radio and TV airwaves, printed media, websites, billboards, word of mouth; if it can be used to communicate the Gospel, it’s out there—there are always those individuals who just don’t seem to hear it. I know, because I’ve had people on numerous occasions tell me, after hearing the Gospel, that they had never heard before about God’s love for them, His offer of salvation in Jesus Christ, and how you can receive it through faith. That’s why we as a church are working to provide unique opportunities to present the Gospel message to people who might not otherwise hear it. Two of those opportunities will be happening in the next couple weeks. First, we have the annual mission trip to Damascus, VA, to witness to people who will be participating in the Trail Days event that focuses on the Appalachian Trail. People from all over the U.S. and the world converge on this little town, and we have the opportunity to tell them about Jesus! By the time you read this, our people, along with others from Brookwood Baptist church, will be in Damascus, telling the truth. Pray that people will hear and will receive Christ. The second opportunity to tell will be on Sunday, May 25th, as LPBC, Brookwood Baptist and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes team up to provide two worship services (in addition to the regular services at both churches) for a huge girls’ softball tournament happening at the Liberty Park Sports Complex. At 7am and 9:30am, we will offer coffee, music, and Bible teaching for around a thousand people who will be participating in the tournament. If you’d like to join us, or even help out, call the church or just show up that morning, and we’ll put you to work. Once again, pray that people will hear and will receive Christ. Sometimes, you just have to say it a different way for folks to hear.
Latest Sermon Notes
“What Would I Do If Jesus Really Showed Up? I Would Ask Him the Hard Questions!” Liberty Park Baptist Church, Vestavia Hills, Alabama Dr. Scott Guffin, Pastor John 11:17-44 1. I would ask Him about His timing. “How long, O Lord ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” - Psalm 13:1 “You say, ‘I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly.’” - Psalm 75:2 “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” - Psalm 90:4 2. I would ask Him about His purposes. “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” - Isaiah 55:8-9 “The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.” - Isaiah 57:1 “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me… ” - Psalm 138:8 3. I would listen carefully to His answers. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” - Jeremiah 33:3 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” - Job 42:4-5 “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” - Psalm 13:5
He really IS here—what will we do? “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” - Matthew 18:20 5/11/08
This page last updated on Monday May 12, 2008. |
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