Sunday Summary

This morning was cold outside, but our church family extended warm hearts to many who were visiting in our services today. It was good to have the visitors, as we have many who are battling illnesses. God did some wonderful things are Emmanuel again this week

• We had a child saved this past Wednesday and one lined up to be baptized next Sunday. David is doing a great job with our kids!

• Cindy, the young lady who was saved last Sunday, was baptized and joined our church family today! She also brought her sister to church today!


• Five babies/children were dedicated to the Lord today. Realizing these children are gifts from God, their parents followed the example of Hannah and dedicated them back to God. They committed to raising them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord! Our church committed to come along side these parents and to provide godly examples from the nursery through the youth department as these children grow. We also prayed for their salvation and fulfillment of the purpose for which God created them.


• I continued the series on worship. We have discussed the distractions to worship, the problem with worshipping worship, the benefits of worshipping God, and today we examined the reason we worship.


• This morning, God led 7 adults to become part of our church family. He continues to bring some incredibly godly people into the fellowship of our church and I'm eagerly anticipating what He's getting ready to do at Emmanuel.


• Please continue to pray for our missionary Ken Best who continues to battle parasites. Our church prayed for you this morning Ken.


• This morning, I announced to our church that we will be helping to start 3 crisis pregnancy care centers within the next year. They will be in Hartsville, Darlington, and Florence. Pray for God to raise up volunteers and the finances needed to launch this ministry.

• We observed communion tonight. I used 1 Cor. 11:17-34 as our text. It gives a great reminder about unity, equality, and service within the church. It also reminds us of Christ's sufferings that were required for our salvation. I'm always moved by the opportunity to "serve" the Lord's Supper to our Deacons.

• Joseph continued our study in Genesis tonight by covering chapters 32-34. Wow! He was flying!

• Finally, join us in praying for Emmanuel Christian School. We have 100% of our teachers/faculty stating their intentions to return for 2009-2010. Our pre-enrollment is running approximately 40 ahead of years past, we have a great candidate for our new Headmaster, and ECS Day is coming March 8.

Sunday Summary

This morning's message continued with thoughts on worship. I opened Psalm 103, which is full of "benefits" or reasons why God is worthy of our worship. If anyone left our service without be excited about God... they were either unsaved, backslidden, or physically dead! God IS worthy of our worship!

Following the message, a young woman responded to the invitation and invited Jesus to be her Lord and Savior! She was invited by a friend who loved her enough to care about her soul. She plans to take the step of baptism next Sunday. Congratulations Cindy and welcome to the family of God!

We started our service with 5 baptisms. The Jordan's were saved just 2 weeks ago and the Powell's were introduced to Emmanuel by their godly employers. Their daughter was saved during Judgement House 2008 and the parents were previously saved, but today took the step of baptism. It was exciting to have three family members in the baptistry at once! These 5 also decided to join the fellowship of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Each year on the Sunday closest to Valentines Day, our church incorporates a Marriage Recommitment time into our morning service. We invite couples to come to the altar, join hands, and renew their marriage vows. We give them a certificate that they sign and display as a reminder of their recommitment to each other and before our Lord. Today, we had couples across the front and down the aisles taking part in this service.

In keeping with the Valentines / Couples theme, tonight we showed the movie Fireproof. Our teens and singles provided the childcare, so all couples could participate in the movie. Interesting, when the film was duplicated on DVD, there were problems with the DVDs skipping. When we bought the rights to show the film (Yes... we did it legally!), the company noted the problem and sent an extra DVD that was a recent duplication. Both DVD's skipped during the showing and both skipped the MOST IMPORTANT SCENE! It was the scene regarding salvation. Call it a coincidence... BUT I think it was spiritual warfare!

Today was another exciting day in the Lord's House and I just can't believe He keeps blessing and using us like He does! We are in a very "small" town with 114 churches, yet God is still allowing us to make an eternal impact. Thank you, Lord!

Sunday Summary

I told you previously that people wait with great anticipation to see what God is going to do in the services of Emmanuel. Today was another good reminder and it really is hard to believe that any church in such a small town can have so many exciting things happening on a regular basis. Let me share a few with you...

• This week, we had 2 people saved and both plan to be baptized next Sunday.

• We also have a family that recently moved to our area that will be baptized next Sunday and they plan to make EBC their church home.

• Tonight, a young boy walked up to me and handed me a note. It said, "I want to be baptized." We talked about baptism and I introduced him to our Children's Pastor, who also talked to him. It's exciting to see children taking spiritual steps. David also focused the Children's Church message on explaining why we give an invitation. Many children responded and some godly adults were there to deal with each need.

• I continued the sermon series on Worship and pointed out how many people have started worshipping worship, rather than worshipping God. Too often, it is the "style" of worship that divides a church. People argue over songs with Christ-centered lyrics, then get in the car and listen to Country, Hip-Hop, etc. That's ridiculous! Church-goers argue over what they like and don't like in church, then go watch some movie with profanity, vulgarity, nudity, and alot of other "tease"' in there. It's no wonder the unsaved world thinks we're crazy. Some in our churches are!

• Just before this entry, I posted an article I wrote back in Feb. 2003, entitled, "What Type of Worship Does God Prefer?" I encourage you to read it slowly and carefully. At the end, you might want to join Matt Redmon in saying, "I'm coming back to the heart of worship... I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it... It's all about you, Jesus!"

• Lori showed a great video clip on worship. You can view it at http://www.tangle.com/ and it's entitled "The Gift of Worship."

• This afternoon, our adult basketball league started with 31 adults showing up and several others that plan to join in, but could not be here today. Thanks to Justin for coordinating this effort.

• Tonight, we hosted a "Night of Praise," which is a musical worship experience that included instrumentalists, soloists, groups, our adult choir, children's choirs, and congregational singing. It was a great way to culminate a day focused on worship. Thanks to everyone for the time you spent preparing.

• Thanks to Paul for sharing his testimony with our church. Paul was a flight mechanic, living in Texas, and running from God. He was riding a motorcycle, but not wearing a helmet when he hit a deer. That accident changed his life forever. Paul was in a coma for six months and God spared his life. Paul sings in our choir and is looking for how God might use his painful experience to encourage others. Paul has a great sense of humor and never meets a stranger. If you know of any person or group that Paul might be able to help, or if you know of an opportunity for him to share his testimony with others, please contact our church office and we'll link you to Paul. He wants God to use him!

• Finally, Emmanuel Christian School is also experiencing God's blessings. Our basketball teams will be heading to the playoffs, our drama department is preparing the spring play, our fine arts department is preparing for ECS Day on March 8, and our enrollment keeps climbing and is way ahead of years past -- in spite of the recession. It's good to see that families are committed to Christian education.

WHAT TYPE OF WORSHIP DOES GOD PREFER?

Yesterday, I preached part 2 in a sermon series on Worship. Included in the sermon, I read the article that follows, which I wrote back in February 2003.

Have you heard the “catch phrases” that are used to describe today’s worship services…traditional, blended, contemporary, seeker sensitive and seeker driven? Some worship services feel stiff and formal, while others have a club atmosphere. Some appear “churchy,” while others have the appearance of a Broadway show. These services are held in everything from pristine chapels to storefront buildings. In spite of the different atmospheres and meeting places, they have a common purpose – to worship God.

Have you heard the terms used to describe today’s worshipers…Senior Saints, Seekers, Boomers, Busters and Gen-X? Other terms include formal, free, rigid, and relaxed. Some of these worshipers wear suits and ties, while others wear jeans and T-shirts. Some like hymns, some like Southern Gospel and others like contemporary music. It’s amusing to hear people debate the various styles and defend their preference as the one that most impresses God. Although the worshipers are very different, the object of their worship is the same – God.

Too often, these worshipers begin to focus on their different worship styles, rather than on their common purpose. They begin to look at each other, rather than looking to God – the object of their worship. Those who are more formal in their worship wonder why the free crowd is so irreverent and lack respect in the way they approach a holy God. Those who are more free in their expression of worship wonder why the formal crowd is so dead and show no enthusiasm about their salvation. Many ask which style is right; but when given a biblical answer, the facial expressions are perplexing. People seem to be looking for someone to advocate their preferred style. So let me ask you, “Which approach to worship is the right one – formal or free, rigid or relaxed?”

Before we can answer this question, it is necessary to understand what the Bible says about worship. Consider Deuteronomy 5:7-9, Hebrews 1:6, Matthew 4:10 and Revelation 4:10, just to name a few. The Bible teaches that the object of our worship is God and that He is to be the central focus of our worship. Worship is the response of an individual as he is being transformed into Christ-likeness. It is the believer’s response of all that he is to all that God is and says and does! It carries with it the idea of submission… of one who places himself beneath another who is greater. The original Hebrew word for worship conveys the idea of a little dog humbly approaching its master and gently licking his master’s fingers. In its purest sense, worship is the submission of the human soul to its Creator.

Although it would seem that real worship should bring God’s children closer to each other as they focus on their Heavenly Father, the issue of worship has and continues to divide many “believers.” Churches have bought into Satan’s lies and confusion. They prefer to focus on “how” one worships, rather than on “Who” he worships. Some “believers” have divided Christ’s body over issues of dress, musical styles, types of instruments, orders of service, times of service and less. They seem to have forgotten that God’s chosen people wore tunics, danced, lifted their hands and used a variety of instruments including drums, tambourines, cymbals, lyres, harps, flutes and more. Some Christians are arrogant enough to say that God only likes one dress style, one musical style and one Bible version… and it just so happens to be their preferred style in each of the above mentioned categories! Formal and free styles are not why we worship; rather they are just means to worship. Worship is not about what we like; it is all about Who we serve! God is the object of our worship! Stop for a moment to consider who receives glory when God’s children fight over how we worship. God is not blessed by our selfish bickering. He is not the author of confusion, so we must conclude that Satan is ecstatic over his success in dividing God’s family.

So which style, formal or free, is God’s preferred style? The answer is both! Worship involves a sense of awe, respect and reverence, as seen in Job 42:5-6; but it also involves a sense of joy, gladness and exuberance, as seen in Acts 2:46-47 and Psalm 100:4. Those from a more formal background base their style on verses such as Hebrews 12:20-29 and Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God...” Those who are more free base their style of worship on Psalm 47:1, “Clap your hands…shout unto God” and Psalm 5, “…be glad and sing for joy.” The fact is that we need both formality and freedom in our worship, if we are going to experience true, biblical worship.

One can assume that variety honors God. Just look at the variety found in the plant and animal kingdoms, and then look at the diversity He created among human beings. Examine the diversity of the disciples and those found in the genealogies of Christ. Pastor Chuck Swindoll stated, “Legalism requires that we all be alike, unified in convictions and uniform in appearance. Grace finds pleasure in our diversity, encourages individuality, and leaves room for differences of opinion.” As we consider the differences in our worship styles, realize that God does not desire that we become “cookie-cutter” Christians. The church should enjoy unity and diversity in worship. It should not only incorporate a diversity of gifts (1 Corinthians 12), but it should also tolerate a diversity of opinions (Romans 14).

Putting the issues of style aside, true worship should impact the worshiper in at least five ways. Our worship ought to inspire us to SERVE God, to LIVE for God, to GIVE to God, to SHARE God and to DESIRE God. In every case, true and authentic worship will cause us to take our eyes off of ourselves and to focus them on God. The more we focus on Him, the closer we will be drawn to Him. The less we demand that things be done in accordance to our preferences, the more we will begin to understand the truth of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” in all of its diversity. In the midst of all the diversity, the object of our worship remains the same – God and God alone! For you see, worship is NOT about us… it’s ALL about Him!

Men's Breakfast

We just finished a wonderful men's breakfast prepared by volunteers from our "Living Hope Class." Thank you Blake, Cooper, Dick, James, Jerry, Mike, Sherman, and Justin for a GREAT meal.

The theme for our Men's Ministry this year is "Bridge Building." We are focusing on bridging the generation gap, as well as, the longevity of membership gap. Today, we had attendees ranging in age from their teens to seventies and some who joined the church just weeks ago to some who had attended for over 60 years! The men introduced themselves, told us how long they attended EBC, and shared a bit a trivia about themselves. We just thought getting to know each other would be the first step toward crossing any bridge.

I used the story of Elijah passing his mantle to Elisha (1 Kings 19:11-21) as the text for our bridge building theme and left the men with these thoughts:

• Someone said, "There is no success without a successor."
• Just because a church experienced successes in the past, there is no guarantee of future success... unless we train others to do the work of the ministry.
• Older men should be looking for someone to pass their mantle to.
• Younger men should be receiving the mantle and learning from the older men.
• Both older and younger men are necessary in order to build a strong church.

We've got some godly men at EBC and I'm praying that God will lead some to develop Elijah - Elisha relationships with other men in our church. Please join me in praying for that.

Sunday Summary

God blessed us with another exciting day at Emmanuel. Someone told me this week that we NEVER have a "normal" Sunday at EBC and they wait with eager anticipation to see what God is going to do each Sunday. That's the way church ought to be!

• This morning started with someone handing me an envelope with a financial gift inside. Not for me -- I was just the delivery person. It was being given to help one of our church families with a financial need. The person said, "They don't need to know where it came from." It is exciting for any pastor to see people loving one another, helping one another, and not caring about getting any credit for doing it. It reminds me of Acts 2:44-47.

• Today, we had 3 baptisms - 1 man and 2 children. Our youth pastor (Justin) and I tag teamed the baptisms, while our children's pastor (David) called all of the children forward to explain baptism and watch their friends take that step of obedience. The kids sat across the platform steps and kept inching forward as if to see who could get to the drums or jump in the baptistry first. We had over 80 children 4 yr-5th grade today.

• Charlie led us in prayer for the sale of David and Heather's house in GA. I ask all of you to join us in prayer for this need.

• Had two families join our church family this morning and WOW are they quality families. Welcome Padgetts and Knocks -- It's an honor to be called your pastor!

• Michael, one of our very talented teenagers, is on the list of the final 50 candidates for a musical scholarship to Liberty University. Today, we helped Michael record a DVD as part of the final application process. He led our morning worship service and did a GREAT job! Michael has the potential to be a tremendous worship pastor, as long as he remains faithful to our Lord

• Today, our Sunday radio program expanded from 30 minutes to 60 minutes on WHEZ in Hartsville. Our thanks to our underwriter! I've also learned a lot about meeting all of the legal requirements for using songs, illustrations, etc. in a broadcast venue. Thank God for bringing Lori to EBC. Lori serves as our Worship Coordinator... when she is not practicing law. She is a tremendous resource to help keep us out of trouble.

• This morning's message was on worship. I have great concerns that too many church-goers have never experienced true worship. Many simply worship their traditions, denomination, pastor, song styles, and even their buildings (that's why churches with 10 people won't just close their doors and combine with another church). We looked at John 4 and examined what Jesus taught the woman at the well about true worship. While the disciples were satisfying their physical need for food, Jesus was meeting the spiritual needs of this woman. He was politically incorrect, confronted her sin, and changed her life. She left her religion to become a Christ-follower!

• We held our first new members luncheon today after church. We had 70 new members join EBC in 2008. (Pastors take note: 50 of the 70 came after we finally dealt with a sin issue that had been plaguing our church for 18 months.) Our church family provided lunch for the new members and they had the opportunity to meet our staff, deacons, other new members, etc. We also took time to make sure these folks were getting involved in LIFE Groups, ministry opportunities, making friends, etc. We want them to truly feel that EBC is their "family." I look forward to serving them and serving with them for many years to come.

• Tonight, we had EHOPs (Emmanuel Houses of Prayer). This is something we do periodically to encourage fellowship and prayer among our LIFE Groups. Tonight, there were at least 10 groups meeting around town in various homes. My wife and I managed to get around to 6 of them, but didn't eat at every home -- I don't want to look like most preachers. The Super Bowl provided a natural opportunity to invite some new friends to meet those in the LIFE Groups and spend some time with them.

• I was also told Friday that Emmanuel Christian School is at 300 pre-enrollments for the 2009-2010 school year. That is 70 ahead of normal for this same time. We have at least one full class in most grades and are now working on filling a second class in each grade. Once those fill -- that's it, so don't delay! The early-bird registration discount ends on March 31.

• PRAYER NEEDS:
• Our pastor friend at Liberty Hill is going in for a heart procedure this week.
• Marcia and Buddy also need your prayers for health issues they are facing.
• Tyler (Dan & Amy's son) is going in for another major procedure this week at MUSC. (The Ronald McDonald House was full, so they are having to pay for a week in a hotel room and Dan is temporarily laid off. They can use some help with this need.

• Lord, thanks for another God-blessed day. I don't take credit for anything mentioned above, and I give You all the honor, glory, and praise for Your blessings. You always exceed my expectations.