Preparing For Sunday

As we prepare for Sunday, will you join me in the following three activities?

1. PRAYING

Let's pray for God's presence to be evident as we gather to worship on Sunday.
Let's pray for the Spirit's anointing on the worship service.
Let's pray for all who have been invited to come and join us for a service on Sunday.
Let's pray for Melanie Ingle-Myers as she prepares to minister to us on Sunday night.

2. PONDERING

Take some time to ponder the following verses. By doing so we are preparing our heart for the message God will have for us on Sunday.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Ezekiel 11:19-21 (ESV)
And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Revelation 21:5 (ESV)
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

3. PURSUING

It is never too late to continue to pursue after those we would like to see join us for Bible Study and Worship. Just remember they will not come if you do not ask them to. The souls of our friends are worth the pursuit.

As we do these three things we will find a sense of divine expectancy building in our hearts for Sunday.

Praying, Pondering, and Pursuing with you,
Pastor Mike

Adventures Unlimited

Come and Have a Blast on the Ocoee!

On Saturday, August 15, an adventurous group from Salem Baptist Church will head out for a fun filled rafting trip on the Ocoee River. Marilyn and I are looking forward to this exciting event.

If you would like to go just contact Paul Sneed and he will give you the info on how to sign up for this trip. Remember this is also a great activity for your friends to be a part of; so be sure to invite them!

I hope many of our young adults can join us on this trip (along with those of us who still think we are young :-) )

Looking forward to a FUN TIME on the river,
Pastor Mike

Awesome August is Just a Few Days Away

1. __________________
2. __________________
3. __________________
4. __________________

Whose names are on your list for this week?

The young lady at the checkout. The old friend you bumped into at the grocery store. That church member you haven't seen in a long, long time. What about inviting your next door neighbor once again? Does the person at the dry cleaners know you would love for them to be your guest at church this week? Did you need to take your car to the mechanic because it broke down or did God orchestrate a divine appointment so you would have an opportunity to say "come and see."

When we open our eyes we will discover that we are SURROUNDED by men, women, boys and girls who need someone who cares enough to be friend and invite them to attend Bible Study and worship with you. Yes, we would LOVE to have them attend Bible Study with you at 10:00 AM on Sunday. It is in these small groups that they can make connections and be made to feel welcomed. BUT if they can't be at Bible Study we would love for them to visit our 11:00AM or 6:00PM Worship service.

Our theme for the month will be "New." In Isaiah 43:18-19 God declares "Behold, I will do a new thing;" and we are believing that God desires to do a "New Thing" at Salem Baptist Church and in Gordon County. Of all that God can and will do the greatest is that He can give us a New Heart. Let's pray that He will show us how important that is as we gather to worship on Sunday!

I also want to see us have a great turnout on Sunday night at 6:00PM. I KNOW you will be blessed by the Chalk Artist that will be with us for our service.

So keep your eyes and ears open to all the contacts the Lord puts in your path the remainder of this week. And remember this can truly be an "AWESOME AUGUST" for someone God gives a "New Heart" to and YOU can be a part of the process by simply saying "Come and see" to those you meet this week.

Praying for August to be Awesome far beyond our Expectations,
Pastor Mike

Bowing is NOT an Option

Dr. John MacArthur is the pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley California. Perhaps like me you have read one or more of his many books. You can hear his radio teaching ministry on WMBW, 88.9 FM each weekday at 10:30AM. He preached a sermon on July 19 that I believe every professing believer needs to read or hear.

Here are the opening paragraphs from the message entitled "We Will Not Bow."


"This country talks a lot about terrorist attacks—and rightly so. Almost anybody in America can give you some kind of a listing of the most destructive acts of terror that have happened in our country. But let me suggest to you this: The two greatest attacks of terror on America were perpetrated by the Supreme Court. Not by any Muslim, but by the Supreme Court of the United States. The first one was the legalizing of abortion. Subsequent to that, there have been millions of babies slaughtered in the wombs of their mothers. It’s incalculable to even comprehend that. The blood of those lives cries out from the ground for divine vengeance on this nation.

The second great act of terror perpetrated by the Supreme Court was the legalization of same-sex marriage. The destruction of human life in the womb—in a sense, the destruction of motherhood—and now the destruction of the family itself. No bomb, no explosion, no attack, and no assault on people physically can come anywhere near that kind of terrorism. Our country is being terrorized by the people most responsible to protect it—those who are to uphold the law.

Just a few comments beyond that. No human court has the authority to redefine morality. But this human court has said murder is not murder; and marriage is not marriage; and family is not family. They have usurped the authority that belongs only to God, who is the creator of life, marriage, and family. Any and all attempts to define morality differently than God has is a form of rebellion and blasphemy—blasphemy against God, against His holy nature, and His holy law, and His holy people."


I believe it will be worth your time to read or listen to the entire message. You will find it HERE.We must pay careful attention to this message. Dr. MacArthur is clearly and compellingly setting before us the realities of the world in which we live. We can not and we must not ignore these truths.

I certainly want to encourage you to take the time to read or listen to the message. I think it would also be wise for you to share this message with your friends. "We Will Not Bow" is a message we all need to hear.

Standing firm by His Grace, for His Glory and for the Good of others,
Pastor Mike

Sunday Summary (July 26, 2015)

We enjoyed a blessed day of worship yesterday!

I am both excited and grateful that we already exceeded our goal for the first Sunday in August. We are working together to reach 600 people in Sunday School for the month of August. To do that we will need to have 120 in Bible Study each Sunday in August. Well, we had 122 in attendance yesterday! Praise the Lord!

I know we had guests with us yesterday. I know many of you have already been inviting friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors to come, as your guest, for one of our "Awesome August" services.

This week I hope every one will work to make four contacts. We can each call, text, mail a note card, make a visit, post an update to social media and invite four people to come and join us for "Awesome August." If we all do that there will literally be hundreds of invitations given this week. I believe we will see the results of those invitations in the coming weeks.

Yesterday morning we focused on Acts 20:17-38. Here Paul was meeting with the Ephesian elders to say "goodbye." Verses 36-38 are filled with emotion. Why did Paul make such an impact on the elders from Ephesus? How can we impact those we are around on a regular basis? There are at least 6 qualities in this passage that we can learn from and seek to exhibit in our lives if we want to impact the lives of others.

1. Closeness (vs. 18)
Paul was close to the people he served in Ephesus from day one. You cannot impact lives from a distance. If we want to make a difference in our homes, at our jobs, and among our friends we must get close to people. We will be close to those we really care about.

2. Character (vs. 19)
Paul served the Lord "with all humility of mind" and we should do the same. Knowing we serve the Lord should produce in us a humility of mind and of action. We are able to serve because the Lord has given to us the ministry that we have and that reality should breed humility in us. Also knowing that the church was purchased with the blood of Jesus enables us to serve with humility. Humility describes the character of all who serve the Lord effectively.

3. Compassion (vs. 19 & 31)
Compassion makes a difference! Paul was a man of tears and compassion. He wept for those who did not know Christ (Rom. 9:2-3). He shed tears for those who were struggling and immature believers (2 Cor. 2:4). The threat of false teachers brought tears to his eyes (Acts 20:29-31). Our tears and compassion can make a difference in the lives of others (Jude 1:22).

4. Conflicts (vs. 19)
None of us enjoy conflict but it is often conflict that teaches us the best lessons and often bonds our hearts together with those we serve alongside. In ministry there are internal conflicts and external conflicts. May we never be the source of these conflicts through our pride or selfish ambition. May we grow through the conflicts and be better equipped to love and serve others.

5. Commission (vs. 20-21)
The Apostle Paul had a purpose and passion in ministry and that is no doubt a reason people rallied around him. His passion was to fully share with them the Word of God. He "kept back nothing that was profitable to" them. Could our friends say the same thing about us? Do they know it is our passion to share with them the Life Changing Word of God? The great commission is our mission!

6. Commitment (vs. 22 and 24)
Paul was committed to "the ministry he had received of the Lord." If we desire to make a difference in the lives of others we must be committed to Christ, His Cause and the Church.

I pray we will each think through these qualities and seek to practice them this week for the Glory of God and the good of others.

I am Committed to making a Difference,
Pastor Mike

I'm Board

Yes, I know how to spell "Bored" and no I am not bored. I am at a Board Retreat today with fellow Board Members of Unity Christian School in Rome, GA.

Some think Christian education is costly; I think it is valuable! We invested in Christian Education for our children for their elementary years and home schooled them for their high school years. We believe that was a good investment.

No matter where your children go to school it is vital that you as parents invest both quality and quantity time in them. It has been said that children spell love, T I M E. Be sure to make time to invest in the life of your child. That is an investment that has long lasting rewards.

I'd be grateful if you would take a moment to pray for us at the Board Retreat. Pray for the plans and decisions we will be involved with during our time together.

And if you happen to be "Bored" today then just plan to join us for worship tomorrow at Exciting Salem Baptist Church; I don't believe you will find it boring at all!

Far from bored at a board meeting,
Pastor Mike

Getting Ready for Sunday

I know it is just Friday, but this is a great time to think about getting ready for Sunday. I'm not thinking about what to wear, or what to have for breakfast, or where you will eat for lunch. Let's focus on preparing your heart for Sunday. Is it possible that you will get out of Worship what you put into preparing for worship?

There is only one way to find out.

Here are a half dozen activities to help us each get ready for Sunday.

1. Pray for your Pastor as he continues to prepare himself and the message for Sunday.

2. Pray for the proclamation of the Word to be anointed by the Spirit.

3. Read over Acts 20:17-38 to prepare your heart for the reception of God's Word that will be preached on Sunday.

4. Pray and ask God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear what He has for you.

5. Ask God to prepare your heart to be receptive to the Word.

6. Go to bed at a good time on Saturday night so you are awake and attentive and eager to enter into Worship on Sunday.

"I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1)

I will be glad to see you on Sunday and I am praying you will be glad for the time you spend in worship.

Getting Ready for Sunday,
Pastor Mike

It is going to be AWESOME!!

Last night at Prayer Meeting I shared how we can all get involved in preparing for "Awesome August." I thought it would be good to post some highlights today.

First, "Awesome August" is a church wide emphasis. While we are seeking to reach 600 in Sunday School for the month we are also planning for each service to be a special service. This is a GREAT time to invite folks to attend church with you. No matter what service they attend it will be a blessing and encouragement to them.

Jesus invited the burdened and weary to "Come to me," (Matt. 11:28). When Andrew heard John speak about Jesus he went and found his brother Simon Peter and told him "We have found the Messiah." (John 1:40-42). We too should invite people to "Come" to Jesus, to church, to find true relief for the burdens they carry.

"Awesome August" provides a great "special event" to invite friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors to come and visit a worship experience with you.

A survey conducted by LifeWay revealed that 50,000 people said "I began attending because someone invited me." Now the next fact is what knocks the wind out of me (and I hope it does the same to you) "7 out of 10 unchurched people HAVE NEVER BEEN INVITED to church in their whole lives."

There is something wrong about that! And there is a challenge before us to change that. Let's invite anyone and everyone we meet to come and visit with us at Church.

There are four steps I outlined on Wednesday night to help us be more effective at inviting people to be our guest at Church.

1. Intercession
We should PRAY earnestly for opportunities to invite others and the boldness to do so (Matt. 9:38)

2. Intentionality
We have to be intentional about inviting others.
Decide now that you will make a minimum of 4 contacts each week of August. A contact can be a phone call, a personal visit, a note card, a text message, an e-mail, a Facebook post, a smoke signal (OK maybe not a smoke signal). Just contact someone and say "Hey, I would love for you to join me at Church on Sunday." If you are really feeling daring and wanted to build a caring relationship you could add "And let's plan to have lunch together after Church."

3. Interest
Remember, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Please don't invite people to visit to help us reach our goal. Our goal is to motivate us to go get 'em. The real motivation should be that we want our friends to have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus.

4. Invite
Here is where the rubber meets the road. Just INVITE someone! Invite your hairdresser, invite the checkout person at WalMart, invite the server at the restaurant, invite the receptionist at the Doctor's office, just invite someone. Ask God to give you sensitivity to see ALL the people He puts in your path that you can invite to be your special guest at Church.

"Well, what if I invite someone that some other Church member has already invited?" THAT would be awesome!! Imagine the talk in the break room if people were saying "You know I have been invited by 4 different people to visit Salem Baptist Church. Something MUST be going on up there." Wow, that would be AWESOME! Imagine church absentees saying; "I don't know what's going on at Salem but something must be happening I have heard from 6 members this week asking me to come and join them for something they are calling "Awesome August."

I hope you get as excited reading that as I do typing it.

I am PUMPED about "Awesome August" and I am praying that we would see God do only what He can do .... Awesome things in our midst!

So on August 2, we will work to see 120 (or more) in Sunday School. We will have a message on God declaring "Behold, I am doing a new thing;" (Isa. 43:18-19). At 6:00 PM we will see and hear a powerful Gospel message through an amazing Chalk Artist.

Now, who wouldn't want to be a part of all that will happen at EXCITING Salem Baptist Church on Sunday August 2?

Together, by God's Grace and for His Glory we will experience an "Awesome August!"

With Anticipation,
Pastor Mike

Prayer Meeting Tonight

Hey Salem Family,

I am looking forward to seeing and visiting with you tonight at prayer meeting.

Stop back by here tomorrow to get the highlights of what I am planning to share tonight.

See you when the Church gathers to pray and study God's Word tonight at 7:00.

Anticipating Awesome August,
Pastor Mike

Good Questions for Spending Money

Money.

We earn some, save some and spend the rest.

That's a very simplistic view of money.

What if you and I asked ourselves some thought provoking questions about how we use our money?

Here are a couple of questions to get you thinking about your use of money:
1. “In spending this money, am I acting as if I owned it, or am I acting as the Lord’s trustee?”
2. “What Scripture passage requires me to spend this money in this way?”

These are not questions I came up with. It is said that John Wesley penned these questions and a couple others to go with them.

If you want to read more about this and stretch your thinking on how you handle your money just click HERE to read a helpful article by Tim Challies.

Hope all of this makes "cents" to you,

Pastor Mike

That was a GREAT "Called Conference"

We had a GREAT called conference at Church last night? 

What? 

Now you may be wondering if I was at the same meeting that you were at last night. I was and here is why I think it was a great meeting.

1. It is clear that we all see the need to have some type of fellowship space.
   
2. Brother Charles, on behalf of our deacons, presented a great design for a fellowship building.
   
3. Church members shared thoughts, questions, and concerns with grace and clarity.
   
4. We experienced that we can have differing opinions without being obstinate or opinionated.
   
5. Asking good and thought provoking questions can lead to even better answers and solutions to the challenges that lie before us. We heard some good questions and concerns expressed last night that I believe will lead us to some very good answers and plans for the future.
   
6. I read last week “Healthy disagreement is needed to arrive at the best possible solution. Conflict develops when people take the disagreements personally.” – Joel Manby, CEO of SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment.
   THAT is some excellent advice for us to take to heart at this time.

Satan, would like nothing better than to disrupt and destroy the unity of God’s people. This is our call to rise up and get along “with one another in love, eager to maintain the UNITY of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Eph. 4:2-3). By God’s grace we can do that!

I woke up EXCITED this morning because I believe there are some great options that we can pursue to accomplish the building of a fellowship building that everyone will be excited about and thrilled to see built in 2016.

Now, is the time to pray for our sensitivity to the Lord’s leadership, our unity, and the fulfillment of the plans and dreams that I believe God has placed in our hearts.

We can do this by His Grace, for His Glory and for our Good.

Together we will build!

Pastor Mike

What's Up with ESBC Pastor?

That is a great question. From the looks of my posts it would be easy to imagine the answer to that question is "not much." In reality, there has been a LOT going on especially over the past couple of months!

We have been in the midst of a significant transition. God has been at work to relocate us to a new area of service. I sure did not go looking for this change, but it came looking for me. I have been blessed to serve the Everett Springs Baptist Church family since May of 2008. We just finished 7 years of ministry together. The Lord's blessings during those seven years have been abundant. Over the past couple of months we have sensed the Lord at work in redirecting us. At first, we were not sure of this potential change in ministry. Through His Word, prayer, good counsel and the witness of the Spirit we have come to clearly see His hand in this move. On Sunday, July 19 I will preach my last service at Everett Springs. The Everett Springs Church family has been a model of how to release a Pastor to a new area of ministry. The expressions of love and encouragement have been many, for which we are most grateful. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them, as they too will be in a time of transition searching for a new Pastor to lead and shepherd them.

On July 26 I will preach in my first service as the Pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Calhoun, GA. We are looking forward to seeing the Lord at work in this new area of ministry for us. You may keep up with us through this blog which will now be focused on the ministry of the "Exciting" Salem Baptist Church (so ESBCPastor will still work :-))

We plan to hit the ground running with "Awesome August" at Salem Baptist. We are praying and working to have 600 in Sunday School for the month of August. Along with an emphasis on our Sunday School attendance I will be preaching a series of messages with the theme of "NEW." Our theme verse in Isaiah 43:18-19... “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." I am believing God is still "doing a new thing" for His people. Each Sunday we will be challenged from the Word with the New Things that God has in store for us. But that is not all!

Every Sunday night in August will be a special time of worship. Mark your calendar and plan to be with us on....

• August 2 at 6:00 Chalk Artist Melanie Ingle-Myers will be with us. It is going to be great!
• August 9 at 6:00 we will enjoy a concert with Jason Taylor. Jason is a good friend and a great singer. We will be blessed by his ministry to us.
• August 16 at 6:00 we will go back in time by viewing the film "Sheffey" Our hearts will be challenged as we ride the circuit with this traveling preacher. This is the true story of an unusual servant of God, who as a rowdy young man followed his friends to a revival meeting and there found the Lord. A man of prayer, tireless service, and great compassion, "Brother Sheffey" rides through the Appalachian Mountains spreading the gospel.
• August 23 at 6:00 we will enjoy a church wide picnic. Plenty of food, fun and fellowship will be available for everyone!
• August 30 at 6:00 we will have a soul stirring, toe-tapping "Singspiration" The Salem Baptist Church choir and church family loves to sing and we are going to have a singing on August 30 that you will not want to miss! 

So now you know "What's Up" and "What's Coming Up" for ESBCPastor.

I look forward to meeting you at "Exciting" Salem Baptist Church!

Pastor Mike