It's finally here! College football seasons begins tonight. There are several games on television tonight. South Carolina will play Southern Miss. Minnesota is playing Middle Tennessee. Marshall is playing Ohio State. Pittsburgh is playing Utah. And, the late game is USC and Hawaii. That's not even ALL the games that are being played tonight. Let the games begin!

I routinely get calls from Pastor Search Committees who are in the process of searching for a pastor. I also routinely get calls from pastors who are looking for new opportunities. Sometimes I can help facilitate those two groups getting together. Yesterday I had a call from a lady in Mobile, Alabama. She was on the pastor search committee for the church that I served when I was a Senior at Mobile College (the University of Mobile). The wake-up call was that she was in the church while I was the Student Pastor and she was in about the 7th grade. Now she is on the Pastor Search Committee. Life has a way of moving rapidly as we get older doesn't it!? I cannot believe that 13 year old little girl is on a Pastor Search Committee.

Speaking of getting older...Joy and I were in a restaurant the other day and this woman came up to me and asked me if she could take my picture. Obviously, I wondered why she wanted my picture. She said that I looked "just like" her father. Well, that concerned me a little because she didn't look all that much younger than me! She was certainly in her forties. She went on to say that her dad is 81 years old!  That's not a wake-up call...that's a kick in the gut!! I hope the picture turned out well.

Dottie Rambo wrote this song in 1979. It is a great one!

The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance; the stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise.
The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those awaiting; and we shall behold Him face to face
And we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him, face to face in all of His glory.
O we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him, face to face, our Savior and Lord.

The angel shall sound the shout of his coming; the sleeping shall rise from their slumbering place.
And those who remain shall be changed in a moment; and we shall behold Him, then face to face.
And we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him, face to face in all of His glory.
O we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him, face to face, our Savior and Lord.

The Word says:

"Look how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God's children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him. Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is." (I John 3:1-2)

Have a great Thursday!

Bruce

"Catch-Up" Sunday helped a great deal. Our ministry offering was $233,768 which is more than $100,000 above the same Sunday offering for the past several years. Thank you for your generous support of the ministries of First Baptist Church. As we give we are able to support our missionaries around the world, all of the causes supported by the Cooperative Program, mission projects here at home, the work of the Bledsoe Baptist Association, ministries of our church that touch people of all ages throughout Middle Tennessee as well as the day-to-day ministries of our church. Thank you so much. We are hopeful that the 20/20 campaign developed by our Finance and Stewardship Committee will help us throughout the remainder of the year. $20 more per week for the next 20 weeks would make an eternal difference in ministry opportunities! I am aware that some of our folks on fixed incomes are probably tithing and doing everything that they possibly can. But if the Lord directs you we would be blessed!

We are still in Acts chapter 3 tonight in the Pastor's Bible Study hour. I believe we will finish Peter's sermon in chapter 3 and move on into chapter 4 tonight. It is a great book to study. We are having some 400 people attend this Bible Study every week. There are many options available for you. There are some great discipleship classes and prayer groups and mission groups that meet every Wednesday night. I would enjoy being a part of some of those classes myself if I were not teaching. It doesn't matter to me if you go to the Pastor's class or to one of the other discipleship groups; but, get involved in one of them! You will meet some new friends, you will grow in your faith, and you will be encouraged.

Here is a simple worship song that speaks volumes of truth:

I will call upon the Lord
Who is worthy to be praised
So shall I be safe from my enemies.

The Lord liveth and blessed be the Rock
And let the God of my salvation be exalted.
The Lord liveth and blessed be the Rock
And let the God of my salvation be exalted.

The Word says:

"The Lord lives - may my rock be praised! The God of my salvation is exalted." (Psalm 18:46)

I hope to see you tonight. Have a great Wednesday.

Bruce

Have you noticed all the predictions that are going around for football season? All of the 'experts' are telling us who is going to win everything from the SEC West to the National Championship game in Arizona. I always find it interesting because they are seldom correct. They are the weathermen of the sports world and when their prediction goes haywire they just shrug their shoulders and go on to the next expert prediction.

The interesting thing is that it doesn't really matter what any of the experts think. They don't play the games, they don't coach the players, they don't control injuries. They are just making a living providing a little entertainment. Not only do they make their pre-season predictions about who will win the whole ball of wax, but they will also come back week-by-week and make their predictions about each individual game. Here is one thing that is for certain: there WILL be some upsets along the way. There will be weeks when the team that is favored and that all the experts agree will win the game will come in un-prepared or un-motivated and they will get beat. It is the nature of the beast. When you are dealing with 18-22 year old young men it gets a little un-predictable.

Let me make some pre-season predictions that you can take to the bank!

• God will love you whether your team wins or loses (and He will love your team, too!)
   
• God has a plan for your life.
   
• He has sent the Holy Spirit to help you as you make decisions day-by-day and as you live out your faith.
   
• When you invite Him into your heart He will be with you until the day you breathe your last breath on this earth.
   
• He has been preparing a mansion for you in heaven and, if you have trusted Him as your Savior, you will live there forever.
   
• One day He is returning to earth for a wonderful Second Coming!
   
• Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to the glory of God that Jesus Christ is Lord.
   
• He will reign forever and ever.

Now, how is THAT for a list of pre-season predictions? We have been singing this song for years and it never gets old:

Emptied of His glory; God became a man,
To walk on earth in ridicule and shame.
A Ruler, yet a Servant; a Shepherd, yet a Lamb;
A Man of Sorrows, agony and pain.
He is Lord, He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!

Humbled and rejected, beaten and despised;
Upon the cross the Son of God was slain.
Just like a lamb to slaughter, a sinless sacrifice;
But, by His death His loss became our gain.
He is Lord, He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!

Satan's forces crumbled like a mighty wall;
The stone that held Him in was rolled aside.
The Prince of Life in glory was lifted over all;
Now earth and heaven echo with the cry.
He is Lord, He is Lord!
He is risen from the dead and He is Lord!
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That Jesus Christ is Lord!

The Word says it very simply:

"Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death - even to death on a cross. For this reason God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow - of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth - and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

Have a great Tuesday!

Bruce

Everyone has a favorite time of the year. I guess I like every season for what it offers. Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall: they all have something that makes them unique. However, we are now moving into what is absolutely my favorite time of the year. The leaves will begin to change colors. The weather will turn a little cooler. The special holiday season is just around the corner. And...don't forget...college football begins this week! I love the fall of the year!

Yesterday was another good day at First Baptist! We celebrated with Rebecca McKinney on her 10th anniversary as the Preschool Ministry Associate and we celebrated with Denise Patton on her 10th anniversary as the Preschool/Children Music Ministry Coordinator. Thank you, ladies, for all you do! (It was also Denise and David's 23rd Wedding anniversary yesterday!)

I was told that there were a lot of people sitting outside the worship center during the 9:45 classic service. There is room in the worship center. Granted, it is a lot more crowded than it use to be but there is room for more people. So, if you see someone sitting on the chairs out in the foyer invite them to come in. I believe in "there is always room for one more" mentality.

Sometimes I refer to hymns. Sometimes I refer to worship songs or choruses. This song could fit in all of those categories. It was written in 1988 by Graham Kendrick. It is a little unusual for a song that new to make its way into the Baptist Hymnal. But, it has. People who criticize contemporary songs as being shallow should read the words to this song. Nothing shallow about this one!

Lord, the light of Your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness shining;
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us; set us free by the truth You now bring us.
Shine on me. Shine on me.

Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.

Lord, I come to Your awesome presence, from the shadows into Your radiance;
By the blood I may enter Your brightness; search me, try me, consume all my darkness;
Shine on me. Shine on me.

Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness so our faces display Your likeness,
Ever changing from glory to glory; mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story;
Shine on me. Shine on me.

Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.

The Word says:

"The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:9-14)

Have a great Monday

Bruce

Yesterday I suggested you go to the website of the "Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention". I inadvertently went back to an old name that we had used years ago and called them the "Ethics and Christian Life Commission." I hope you caught my mistake. Regardless, go to the website at http://erlc.com/4040/ and register your intent to take part in the 40 days of Prayer and the 40 hour prayer vigil. Prayer is the key!

Did you read the e-mail that is going around that said that tonight (assuming that the skies are clear) it will appear that the earth has two moons. The e-mail said that Mars will come within 34 million miles of earth and it will appear large enough to look like a moon. Usually when you read these kinds of things and then actually go outside to try to see them it is disappointing. Well, if you go out looking for it tonight you will REALLY be disappointed. According to http://www.snopes.com that e-mail that is going around is a hoax and it has been around for years. So, save yourself some frustration tonight and go to bed and get your sleep! Oh, according to the e-mail, the next time that it will happen will be the year 2,287. I'll bet it won't happen then, either!

This Sunday morning I am going to be preaching from James 4:6-10. We are going to study the pattern and plan that God gives us to find spiritual victory in our lives. It is a great passage filled with great spiritual truth and insight. I am looking forward to it and I hope that you will be here to worship and study with us at the First Baptist Church of Hendersonville.

I don't know what you call this. It's not a praise song. It's not a hymn. It's not a worship chorus. It's just something that we used to sing when I was a kid. Do you remember it?

Gone, gone, gone, gone,
Yes my sins are gone.
Now my soul is free and in my heart's a song.
Buried in the deepest sea
Yes, that's good enough for me
I shall live eternally
Praise God! My sins are g-o-n-e, gone!

The Word says:

"As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:12)

Praise God, our sins are gone! I'll see you Sunday.

Bruce