First Baptist Church Richwood

We are beginning a new sermon series this week on The Fruit of the Spirit based out of Galatians 5:16-26.  In the first message of the series I am using this quote by Max Lucado from his book “When God Whispers Your Name.”

I choose Love…. No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose Joy…. I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical….. the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose Peace…. I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose Patience…. I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose Kindness…. I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God treated me.

I choose Goodness…. I will go without before I take dishonest gain. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose Faithfulness…. Today, I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love.

I choose Gentleness…. Nothing is won by force, I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I choose Self-control…. I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control.

I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.

To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His Grace.

Congratulations to Jim & April on the birth of their son, Jakob Max Ford on Tuesday,February 16, 2010.  Jakob weighed in at 8lbs. 7oz. and was 21 inches long.  Both mom and baby are doing well. We extend our congratulations to the entire Ford family and to big sister Chloe and now big brother Levi.

AWANA is canceled for Sunday, February 7, 2010.

We ARE having service @ 10:40am

Please use your best judgment on coming to church due to the snow and cold weather.

“The will of God will never take you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”

I’m not sure who was the first person to utter those words, but they were spot on.

* When God calls us to go somewhere, His grace goes with us.
* When He calls us to do something, His grace empowers us.
* When He calls us to endure something, His grace sustains us.
* When He calls us to say something, His grace speaks for us.

We can’t misinterpret grace as a guarantor of success. There is still risk in following the will of God. But in His grace, God can even turn our failures into His victories.

The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4, “We are fools for Christ…” (1 Corinthians 4:10a, NIV)

Oftentimes the will of God seems foolish to our world. And so, by following His will, we are viewed as fools. We will be criticized, mocked, laughed off, and condemned if we follow His will.

But when we are rejected for following the will of God, the grace of God shows up all the more.

Matthew 16:23 is such a great reminder for us all. Jesus warning Peter “Get away from me, satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s” When we look at life from a human point of view it becomes dangerous! We must look at life from God’s perspective!