I left my bag with the recorder in it at the church. It may be next week before I get it. I am sorry.
Larry
Message for July 30: The Shepherd King
Blessings to you, family and friends. Here’s your weekly update.
We had a wonderful time last week! We saw some faces we haven’t seen in a while. It was especially good to have Debra able to be back with us. Kim was also able to join us! Some friends of the Pastor, John and Nancy Vargas, came to visit and brought along cookies to share with everyone. We spent time praying for each other during Priscilla’s Sunday school lesson and Pastor David spoke about the necessity of repentance. We were still missing some people. Peep everyone in your prayers. I don’t know anyone in the church that isn’t facing some difficulty right now.
This week Linda and I have the honor of speaking to you again. I want to talk about King David. I don’t know, but I think he’s probably the best known Bible character besides Jesus Himself. From childhood we hear about how he killed Goliath. He is called a man after God’s own heart. He becomes the king of Israel and God promises him that His kingdom will last forever. Yet his record is not without blemish. We also know the story of Bathsheba. He was a warrior, prophet, singer-songwriter, musician, shepherd, and king. I think anyone alive today trying to claim “most interesting man in the world” faces some stiff competition from King David. His bio reads like an adventure novel. But what makes David so important is not the life he lived. It is that God chose him to fulfill the promises He made to Israel. Our theme is drawn from 2 Samuel 7:8-16. King David pre-figures Jesus for us in some very special ways. I hope you’ll come and join us as we look into the awesome work of God through his story.
Larry
Message for July 9: What If God Gives You What You Want?
Blessings to you. i hope you were able to enjoy the celebrations this week and to take a moment to reflect on what it is that we are celebrating. We’ve had rain, but it is as if God worked it around all the firework displays. It always came late night or early morning.
I enjoyed our time together last week. Linda challenged us to study our Bibles during the Sunday school time. The songs Don chose flowed right into Pastor David’s message about the source of true freedom in our lives.
This week I’m going to talk about Saul. He doesn’t exactly fit the deliverer pattern we’ve been following. One of the commentators I read called him a type of the antichrist instead of a type of christ. Saul was Israel’s first king. He was appointed for them by God at their request, even though their request was a rejection of His kingship over their nation. He tells us so in our focus scripture, which comes from 1 Samuel 8:4-9. What was wrong with their request? Why would God grant it? What was the result? There are so many lessons we can learn here. I hope you’ll join us.
We got a report from Brenda today that Don’s kidney function was much better than what he was told before. Thank God for answered prayer! Keep praying for each other and remember especially the requests that have been made. You can always refresh your memory from the Praise and Prayer Requests page.
See you Sunday!
Larry
Message for June 25: Are You Listening? – Lessons from the Life of Samuel
Blessings to you, family and friends of Bartimaeus Baptist Temple. Here’s your update for this week.
We had a short service last Sunday because Priscilla was with Kim after her fall and Pastor David wanted to get back to them. Keep praying for her recovery. Pastor David taught us about the goodness of our Father God through the story of Hagar and Ishmael.
This Sunday, I want to continue a series of lessons I’ve been working on over the past couple of years that show us how the stories of many of our Old Testament heroes point to Jesus. I am going to talk about Samuel. I struggled a little with how to present his story in light of the overall theme. Though he did preside over a defeat of the Philistines after the nation repented in the pattern of the judges who came before, that is not how most would remember him. If you grew up in Sunday school, you probably learned how he came to the temple as a young boy and heard the call of the Lord, first thinking it was Eli the priest. As long as you stop before the actual message, where the children’s story typically does, it’s a cute story. It is found in 1 Samuel 3:1-10. I think it illustrates Samuel’s defining virtue. He learned to hear the voice of God and to speak what God told him.
Are we listening for the voice of God? Are we willing to obey? Are we willing to share the message He gives us, even if it isn’t pleasant? Join us as we examine the life of Samuel.
Message for May 21: How to Have a Happy Heart
Blessings to you, family and friends of BBT. I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day last Sunday and got to bless your moms. We had a good service. Priscilla led us in a time of prayer and healing for people who had unresolved issues relating to their mothers. Pastor David covered my favorite subject as he talked about love. I thought the Sunday school time might bless someone if I posted it, but in keeping with our desire to maintain privacy regarding anything that someone might not want to share with the whole world, I held back. If you were involved and don’t mind it being shared let me know and I will post the podcast
I bet Linda is rolling her eyes at my topic for this week. I don’t think I’m an unhappy person, but happy has never been my word and probably isn’t the way others would describe me. So you might say this message is for me too. maybe we can learn together.
In the New American Standard Bible, Proverbs 15:15 says, “All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Depending on how we read that, it might be kind of depressing, especially if we think of ourselves as afflicted. But maybe how we think is the point. Regardless of our circumstances, joy comes from the heart. Your version might even seem to say something totally different. We find that more frequently in Proverbs than other places. There are reasons for that, but what’s really important is the basic truth behind the text. That doesn’t change. Let’s dig a little deeper here and see what we find. I’ll be happy to see you on Sunday!
Larry
Message for April 30: Who You Callin’ a Fool?
Blessings to you, friends and family of Bartimaeus Baptist Temple. Here’s your weekly update.
It was great to have so many back with us last Sunday. We were still missing a few, but we’re thankful for all of you. We miss you when you’re not with us. Priscilla and Kim spoke on the difficult subject of suicide. They reminded us of God’s love for us and that this is never the answer. Pastor David encouraged us to take up the mission that Jesus gave us before He ascended back to Heaven. We wrapped up the service with a prayer of blessing for Shannon, who has completed her time of service with us through the Agape Program at Dallas Theological Seminary.
I’m looking forward to sharing with you this weekend. To tell the truth, I’m not sure yet exactly where my study of Matthew 5:21-24 will lead us. Every time I have read it over the years, it kind of scared me a little. Verse 22 seemed like a really harsh thing for Jesus to say. I didn’t set out to address that particular passage, but it came to mind as soon as I set out to explore my original subject, so I read it. I think the Lord is bringing me to a better understanding of what He is saying here. As always, we need to consider the context to understand. This is about what is in our hearts. Jesus shows us how we can progress from offense to contempt to complete rejection of those whom we aught to love. This is becoming a very personal study for me, and I pray that the fruit of it will strengthen you as well.
Remember those who need our prayers and support. Keep an eye on the site for updates as they come to us. And as I always say when I post the prayer requests, let God show you how to be an answer to someone’s prayer. He can certainly step in and do miracles, but he gives us the honor of performing His work. What a joy to be a carrier of God’s blessing!
See you Sunday!
Larry
Message for April 16: Blessed Are They Who Did Not See, And Yet Believed
Blessings to you, family and friends of BBT. I hope you’ll join us for our Resurrection Day celebration this Sunday. Here’s your weekly update.
We had a great crowd last Sunday. It was good to have so many back with us. We appreciated having Edith back to play for us. Recordings just aren’t the same. Linda taught us the value of devotional by example and Pastor David gave a great message on how we should pray. Check out the podcast if you were not able to be there.
Is there a person in the Bible that you especially identify with? Maybe you feel you understand something of where they were coming from. Maybe you are encouraged by seeing how God used them despite their flaws. I’m encouraged by many of them for different reasons, but one of my favorites is Thomas. Yes, “doubting Thomas.” We’re not told a lot about him, but I think if I lived back then, that would be me. So I studied with interest the exchange between Jesus and Thomas after His resurrection, recounted in John 20:24-29. What I found was a blessing for all of us who believe in Jesus today. I look forward to sharing it with you this Sunday.
We’ll be having a dinner after the service. I know there will be plenty of everything, but I know for sure there will be more than enough dessert. Come celebrate with us!
Larry
Message for March 19: Oh Lord, It’s Hard to Be Humble
Blessings to you, family and friends. Here’s this week’s update.
It was a small crowd again last Sunday. Only once before since we’ve been coming do I remember Don and Brenda not being there. We missed Edith too. Keep her in your prayers that she will get better. I was looking forward to working with her on the songs. A live musician is always better. But I was able to pull together some background tracks and we made it through. Pastor David took us back to the basics, reminding us of the core of our faith. We must be born again.
While I was preparing, I kept reminding myself, “Your job is to direct the people to worship God, not to take glory for yourself.” That’s what got me thinking about the topic for Sunday’s message. Humility doesn’t come naturally for us. We might even have a low opinion of ourselves, but we want everyone else to pump us up. Pride and humility are both attitudes of the heart.
I was going to call this message, “It’s Not About You.” Linda asked me if I hadn’t already used that title, and sure enough, Back in October of 2015 I did, and even used the same passage we’re going to study this Sunday. It seems I needed a little humbling. 🙂 When I compared what I did before to what I have just prepared, I found it is really a very different message. It is a testimony to how God’s living word can reveal something new from the same text every time you read it. So we’re going back there. Explore with me one more time from Paul’s letter to the Philippians, Chapter 2, verses 3-11.
See you there!
Larry
Message for February 19: Is God in Your Business?
Blessings to you, family and friends of BBT. Here’s this week’s update.
We had a small crowd last Sunday. Some were sick and others had other obligations. I hope you know we miss you when you’re not with us. We love you and want you back! Priscilla shared a moving lesson about leaving a legacy of God’s love behind us. Pastor David spoke on properly handling our anger. Check out the podcast if you missed the service.
This week, I have a question for you. Is God in your business? When you walk out the door of the church, does He come with you, or is He supposed to stay out of sight so you can go on with the rest of your life? We know the answer to that question. When we turn our lives over to Jesus, it’s a lifetime commitment. We’re not just committing to go to church on Sunday, maybe give a little money once in a while, and maybe do something nice when we feel like it. We’re committing to give Him everything!
That means that every area of our lives is subject to Him. It doesn’t mean we need His express approval for every move we make. He is gracious and merciful. He loves us and gives us the freedom to direct our lives as seems best to us. But we should never forget that He is God. We should at least be asking Him to guide us in our decision making. We must be willing always to allow Him to redirect us. To presume that we know best is the height of arrogance and can lead to big trouble. Our text will be from James 4:13-17. I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this one, but ask Him if you should join us this Sunday. 🙂
Message for January 29: No Apology
Blessings to you, family and friends of BBT. Here’s this week’s update.
We were still missing a few folks last Sunday, but it was good to have John and Michael back with us. I hope everyone can be back next week. We welcomed another student from DTS’s Agape Project, Shannon, who will be joining us for at least the next few weeks. Priscilla taught us not to let our circumstances become stumbling blocks in are walk with the Lord. Pastor David encouraged us to start the new year with the knowledge that God knows everything we are going through and is still in control.
This week, I want to share something with you that will bless you and may help you as you teach your children and grandchildren about God. It is estimated that 3 out of 4 young people raised in the church leave it while in college, in part because of the intellectual challenges they find there. No one explained to them the facts that actually support our believe. When they encounter atheist professors, they have no defense. In too many cases, adults have never really thought through their belief either, so how could they share with their children? Scientists with lots of knowledge and ego to match look down their noses and call us foolish for believing in a creator, but if we look at the evidence, it takes more faith to believe there isn’t one.
Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “From the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” (1:20 HCSB)
We’ll cover at a high level some of the reasons why belief in God is completely logical, and I’ll share some resources with you that you can study for yourself and share with others. I know how much it helped me when I began to discover that one doesn’t have to check in one’s brain at the door of the church. Following Jesus requires faith. There are some things we cannot know and yet we must trust Him. But there is much that we can and should know so that we can effectively stand against the enemy’s deceit and help others to stand as well. Join us and be encouraged!
Larry