Messages

Pastor’s Message

A friend of ours recently shared with us a verse that he and his wife have clung to while going through a difficult and challenging time.  That verse is Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;” As I read that verse, I noticed God gives us three things every Christian ought to remember and put into practice:  First, “Rejoice in hope,” Paul says.  Let the hope that you have in God cause you to live with great joy and delight.  Our hope of being right with God through Christ, our hope of heaven, our hope in the promises of God, and so much more, are reasons to live as people of hope. This hope we have is stronger than the times of uncertainty and fear we all encounter from time to time. 

Second, “Be patient in tribulation,” Paul says.  Are you in a difficult time of life?  Be patient.  That’s easier said than done, right?  How do we remain patient?  By knowing and trusting that God is in control, His timing is perfect, and He does not make mistakes.  God is for you.  Trust Him.  Be patient and rest in Him. 

Third, “Be constant in prayer,” Paul says.  All too often we pray only as a last resort, when all else has failed.  For the believer, prayer should be our starting point, not our last resort.  In prayer, we acknowledge our dependence upon God and our inability to carry on without Him.  We have the ability to communicate with the God of the universe, and yet too often we fail to use that privilege. 

All three of these things are extremely practical.  When the difficult times come, the thing to do is to begin with prayer.  If you are faithful in prayer, you will be able to be patient in tribulation.  You will hang in there, waiting until God, in His own time and in His own way, works things out in the way He has in mind.  That will make you rejoice in hope, because as you know 

“…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4).  Have a great week and let your light shine for Jesus this week!

Pastor Rick

Message From Andy (Youth Minister)

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
–        Proverbs 22:6

Summer 2022 is here, and as you probably know, summer is one of my favorite times of the year!  Kristy and I cherish the time we get to spend with Luke and with our family during the summer, and it gives us a needed recharge from the school year.

One of my favorite parts of summer is Vacation Bible School.  It’s exciting, exhausting, and a whirlwind of preparation, but I believe it is worth every minute.  Luke still talks about our VBS last year and how excited he is for VBS this summer.  It’s a time like no other when we get to glorify God and share The Gospel with children and youth in our church and in our community.

An aspect of our VBS at Lynn Garden Baptist that I particularly appreciate is our involvement of middle and high school students.  Our youth are actively engaged in VBS whether serving as a volunteer with one of the children’s classes or participating in one of the youth Bible Study classes.  Last year we incorporated a worship time specifically for our youth following the worship rally.  I’ve noticed this year that several churches are having a “Youth VBS,” and it encourages me to know that our youth already have a part in VBS at Lynn Garden Baptist!

Will you join me in praying for our children, youth, volunteers, and everyone involved as we prepare to kick off VBS 2022 on June 12th?

Church Family, I’m excited for us to GLORIFY, GROW, GIVE, and GO as we GROW GOD’S GARDEN together in Summer 2022!

Andy

 

James’ Corner

I guess all the things we see going on in our world today makes us think more about the way things used to be in the “good old days.”  We see so much evil today.  Things we never thought we would see happening are taking place.  People are turning from God in large numbers.  All of this makes us think how life used to be years ago.  But times were hard then.  Women would get up early and build a fire in the kitchen stove so they could prepare breakfast – biscuits made from scratch, meat and eggs fried.  The men would get up early and head out to the barn to milk the cows and feed the animals.  This was done regardless of how cold it was outside.  So was the beginning of another day in the “good old days.”  God has blessed us with much easier times today.  I really do not want to live in the “good old days” again.  Today we need to pray for our days to be “good old days” that are pleasing to the Lord.

Bro. James Meade

Note from Kevin (Music Minister)

“For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”
Isaiah 61:11.

As we begin to feel the weather getting warmer and see buds start to form on the trees, we are reminded daily that God can renew our spirits just as He renews the plants to regrowth. The long, dreary winter months are coming to a close and we should rejoice in the hope of the newness of Spring around the corner. Allow God to renew your spirit and spring forth with freshness and rejuvenation. Praise Him joyfully, every day! “… Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine with ten thousand beside!”
 
Blessings through song,
 
K

Message From Franklin Graham

We Cannot Remain Silent!

The Equality Act is a dangerous threat to our nation.

I am writing to you about a very dangerous piece of legislation — the Equality Act. The administration is wanting to pass this act soon. I cannot say this more emphatically — for people, for businesses, and for ministries of faith, the Equality Act is a threat to life as we know it in our nation today. It’s a real game-changer.

The House has already passed this legislation one time previously, so it will likely pass in the House again before moving on to the Senate. We need you to contact your congress member and U.S. senators and ask them to vote NO. I also encourage you to let the White House know about your strong opposition to this bill. The progressive Left is zealous about this issue and will pull out all the stops to try to make it the law of the land.
    • The Equality Act designates schools, churches, and healthcare organizations as “public accommodations.” With this, schools, churches, and hospitals could be forced to accept the government’s beliefs and mandates about sexual orientation and gender identity. That would be highly intrusive and incredibly far-reaching. It will threaten everyday speech where people can be fined or lose their jobs for using the wrong name or pronouns.
    • The Equality Act will use the force of law across all 50 states to strip Christian and other religious ministries of their right to hire people of shared faith to pursue a shared mission. Can you imagine a Christian organization being forced to hire people hostile to its deeply held beliefs who have no passion for its beliefs, teachings, and mission? That doesn’t work.

These are just a few examples. Friends, this is a pivotal time for our nation. The impact of this legislation is immense. We must not remain silent and accept what we know is wrong.

People of faith need to PRAY. Churches need to recognize the significance of this and pray corporately, asking for God’s intervention and mercy to extend the religious freedoms we have been blessed with for so long.

We also must get to work now, in these fleeting days before the Equality Act comes up for a vote again. As individuals, churches, and organizations, we need to let our representatives in the U.S. House and Senate know how important this is to us, and that we are asking them to vote an emphatic NO to the Equality Act.

Link to contact our representatives: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Sincerely,

Franklin Graham

Message from Steve (SS Director)

How’s your knowledge of Scripture: 1) Extensive, 2) Above Average, 3) Average, 4) Below Average, 5) Minimal? Can you name the four gospels? How many of Jesus’ disciples can you name? According to the data from the Barna Research Group, 60% of Americans can’t name five of the ten commandments. Why do we believe what we believe about the Lord? It’s because of Scripture. However, if we don’t know it, how can we be sure of what we believe? Let me give a couple of examples. “The Lord helps those who help themselves”, is a statement we sometimes here, and according to 82% of Americans, it is a Bible verse. How many of us can correctly discern that it is not? A majority of adults think the Bible teaches that the most important purpose in one’s life if taking care of one’s family. Would you be able to refute that? So many false doctrines gain traction in churches because the members because can’t discern what is true and what is a lie.
 
In a recent Lifeway Research study, the following was revealed about Bible reading habits among those who attend church: 1) 19% – every day, 2) 26% – a few times a week, 3) 14% – once a week, 4) 22% – at least once a month, 5) 18% – rarely or never. Which category to do fit in? Are you surprised by # 5?
 
The point I’m trying to make is that biblical illiteracy is a big problem in churches across America. How can we really know the Lord if we are not avid students of His Word? A great way to get more familiar with the Word is by getting involved in a Sunday School class. You’ll get into God’s Word and you’ll learn more about who He is, what He desires, and what pleases Him. You’ll discover the timeless nature of this most unique of all books, and how the teachings contained in it apply to our daily lives. You’ll come to understand the importance of being in God’s Word on a daily basis, and be able to better discern truth from falsehood.
 
Not sure what class might be the best for you? Let’s get together and we’ll find one that is right for you!
 
Blessings in Christ!
Steve Byrd
LGBC Sunday School Director