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Happy Easter
The Christian Index
April 2, 2015 | Reaching the World Through Mission Georgia | www.christianindex.org
The children in
Morris’ school
are from impoverished families
where abuse,
addiction, and
mental illness
are prevalent.
By J. Gerald Harris
Editor
FAIRMOUNT —
The Double HH Ranch
near Fairmount is known
as a ranch of hope and
healing, and that is
exactly what it is. Rebecca
Hampton, who owns the
property, is the driving
force behind the Cowboy
Church in Jerusalem, the
one-room schoolhouse,
and the horse therapy that
takes place on her ranch.
Hampton is an equine
therapist who has rescued
dozens of horses from
abuse and neglect. She
then uses the horses as a
means of helping troubled
youth who are otherwise
therapy resistant.
The goal
Equine therapists will
use their expertise to
show troubled youth how
horses learn, react, and
follow instructions. The
therapy includes involving
youth in activities such
as grooming, feeding,
training, and leading a
horse. The goal of horse
therapy is to help the
youths develop needed
emotional and behavioral
attributes such as confidence, accountability,
responsibility, self-control,
and purpose.
Through the years
children and teenagers
statistically do not succeed
in traditional forms of education. Morris is endeavoring to do the “impossible”
for these students who
come from impossible
situations. And she is not
struggling to find students.
In fact, she has 14 children
and teenagers on a waiting
list to get into the academy.
The children in Morris’
Rebecca Hampton, the driving force behind the cowboy church that meets on her property, and 11-year-old Madison Crawford enjoy
school
are from impoverlife on the Double HH Ranch. GERALD HARRIS/Index
ished families where abuse,
addiction, and mental illness are prevalent. Most of
them are from single parent homes. Each morning
they are fed a wholesome
have gravitated toward
office and is a tuition-free
age from 5 to16 in eight
style one-room schoolbreakfast and the school
Hampton and she became
Christian school.
different grade levels; and
house. The students come provides a good meal for
concerned with how
Morris started educatshe teaches all of them
from various levels of bro- the children at lunch.
impoverished and dising 15 children ranging in
together in a 19th century
kenness and poverty and
continued on page 2
advantaged they were.
Pickens County, where
the ranch is located, has
the dubious distinction of
Easter Greetings
having 51% of its girls getfrom the staff of
ting pregnant before their
19th birthday. The county
The Christian Index
also is among the counties
where the use of methamphetamines is extraordinarily high.
One student confessed
that she rarely sees her
grandfather because he
is addicted to heroine.
The needs of the county’s
youth have been enormous, but the solutions
have been minimal.
Down at the Double HH Ranch
Doing something
Hampton approached
Rebecca Morris, wife
of GBC Associational
Missionary Alan Morris,
about starting a school
for at-risk children and
low-income students in
the Pickens County area.
The school was started last
September by the North
Central Area Missions
2
Down at the
Double HH Ranch
Rebecca Hampton, owner of the Double HH Ranch, demonstrates her agility as she leads students from
Alaska in joining students from Pickens County in line dancing. GERALD HARRIS/Index
Rebecca Morris poses with some of her students who have made igloos out
of marshmallows. GERALD HARRIS/Index
Madison Crawford is at home in the saddle as she rides her favorite mount, Peanut.
continued from page 1
The school day is started with
prayer and Bible study. Scripture
memorization is a part of the
day’s lesson plan along with
reading, spelling, math, history,
and science. Morris has used
Christian material to build the
curriculum for the school.
The curriculum is taught four
days a week, but Wednesdays
are referred to as “Wonderful
Wednesdays.” On Wednesdays
Hampton teaches horse riding,
gardening, healthy cooking,
hygiene, clogging, etc.
Morris, however, is loaded
with responsibilities as the primary teacher for all the students
and essentially has to prepare to
teach seven subjects on eight different grade levels, grade papers,
GERALD HARRIS/Index
and serve as the school administrator. Hope Morris, Rebecca’s
assistant teacher, relieves her on
Fridays so that she is free to prepare lessons for the next week.
Madison Crawford, age 11,
stated, “This school has helped
me learn about God. I like the
Bible study at the beginning of
each day and the horse riding.
“Ms. Rebecca teaches us
about God and it is easy to tell
People called me nasty names
she is a good Christian. I have
and stole my stuff. Since I began
accepted Christ here and I am
coming to this school my grades
a Cowboy Kid.
have improved
That means
from Cs to As.
I am on the
Math used to be
praise, dance,
my worst suband drill teams
ject. Now I love
for the Cowboy
it. I feel like I
Church.”
am free. I have
At the beginno worries about
ning of each
being bullied
worship service
here.
at the Cowboy
“I love being
Church the
in the same class
horses and riders
with the smaller
line up along the
children, because
driveway to the
I have been able
church and then
to relearn the
perform certain
things they are
drills they have
being taught and
practiced for the
I enjoy helping
Keirsten Freeman, 14
Saturday serthem with their
vices.
studies.
Keirsten Freeman, age 14,
“I have accepted Christ at
explained, “I was bullied at
the Cowboy Church, and being
my school before I came here.
continued on page 7
“Since I began
coming to this
school my grades
have improved
from Cs to As.
Math used to be
my worst subject.
Now I love it. I feel
like I am free.
I have no worries
about being
bullied here.”
April 2, 2015
WWW.CHRISTIANINDEX.ORG
3
Seminary professor: Address youth
sexuality, same sex attraction
By Joe Westbury
Managing Editor
A topic rarely discussed in
church youth settings – but is
one of the most pressing concerns of today’s evangelical community – was discussed openly
at a gathering of Georgia Baptist
youth ministers in a recent
Spring Forum at the Baptist
Missions and Ministry Center.
Nearly 80 youth workers
from across the state attended
the March 19 session to explore
how to deal with same sex
attraction (SSA) issues facing
young people.
R. Allen Jackson, professor
at New Orleans Seminary, led
the discussion and fielded questions from attendees. Jackson
is professor of youth education
and collegiate ministry, director
of the Youth Ministry Institute,
and faculty advisor for the
Providence Learning Center at
the seminary.
The event was sponsored by
Youth Ministries of the GBC.
Jackson acknowledged that
youth ministers are dealing with
the topic on two levels – from
teens in church who are encountering it among their peers and
from those in church who are
questioning their own sexual
identify, whether it be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.
Youth ministers need to
develop a biblical response to
the issue and build a “Christian
script” to address the issue that
will not “go away” by ignoring
its presence.
that God’s design “for His
grand and glorious gift of sex
is this … that sex is a gift to be
indulged by one man and one
woman within the context of an
exclusive, monogamous, covenantal, life-long marriage. That’s
it, plain and simple.”
He then acknowledged “as
with everything else, we go and
mess it up.”
“Flee from sexual immorality”
Jackson further stated that
when the Bible commands
to any kind of sinful and
illegitimate sexual activity,
he explained.
He then said that
today’s elephant in the
room, what used to be
called deviant sexuality
is now normalized with
acrostics as LGBTQ, or
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, and
Questioning.
The church needs to
address the issue with
love and grace and help
Elephant in the room
“Sexuality is the elephant in
the room. America is talking
about it, watching it, surfing it,
dreaming it – pornography, same
sex attraction, polyamorous relationships …
“Teenagers are no exception – but they are exceptional
in [that] their hormonal hyperactivity” fuels the issue, Jackson
explained.
The Louisiana resident stated
Above photo, New Orleans Seminary
professor R. Allen Jackson directs the
discussion on same sex attraction and
its impact on Georgia youth ministry.
Resources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Homosexual Agenday by Alan Sears
Torn by Justin Lee
Washed and Waiting by Wesley Hill
Homosexuality and the Christian by Mark Yarhouse
Understanding Sexual Identity by Mark Yarhouse
Same Sex Partnership? By John Stott
Sexual Authenticity: an Intimate Reflection on
Homosexuality and Catholicism by Melinda Selmys
• The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert
by Rosaria Champaigne
• Video: WHY? Understanding Homosexuality
and Gender Development in Males
(http://livehope.org/resource/why-dvd/)
• Sexual Integrity Initiative (www.cpyu.org)
Jeff Harris, left, director of discipleship and youth at Parkway Baptist
Church in Evans, visits with Eric Lairsey, youth pastor at In Focus Church
in Augusta. Harris said he attended the session seeking help as he deals
with his youth group’s questions regarding sexuality. Lairsey, who serves
at his non-denominational church, said he was glad Georgia Baptists are
addressing same sex attraction and other pressing issues through such a
conference. JOE WESTBURY/Index
believers to “flee from sexual
immorality,” the word that is
uses is porneia, which means
“to practice prostitution, sexual
immorality, or fornication.”
That’s the word that the
Apostle Paul frequently used in
the New Testament in reference
teens find their footing from a
biblical perspective or they will
find it from a secular perspective,
he maintained.
“Either we will become
increasingly isolationists or will
acknowledge that there are stu-
Morton, Evers named to SBC
Committee on Committees
COLUMBUS, OH (BP)
— Georgia pastors Fred Evers
and Jeremy Morton have been
named by Southern Baptist
Convention president Ronnie
Floyd to serve on the SBC
Committee on Committees at
the upcoming annual meeting
June 16-17.
Floyd, pastor of Cross
Church in Springdale, AR,
announced the appointments
in accordance with SBC Bylaw
19, which calls for providing
notice to Southern Baptists of
the appointees no later than 45
days in advance of each year’s
Convention.
Fred Evers
Jeremy Morton
The Committee on
Committees will assemble
in Columbus just prior to
the SBC’s annual meeting
to nominate members of the
Committee on Nominations
who, in turn, nominate trustees
for the boards of SBC entities. SBC Bylaw 19 also provides that the Committee on
Committees “shall nominate
all special committees authorized during the sessions of the
Convention not otherwise provided for.”
The Committee on
Committees has 68 members,
two from each of the 34 states
and regions qualified for representation on boards of SBC
entities. Bryan Smith, pastor of
First Baptist Church, Roanoke,
VA, will serve as chairman.
dents in our community, both
inside and outside the church,
who are struggling with their
sexual identify. And we are called
to minister to them with the
grace of the Gospel.
“The gay community is too
willing to provide a ‘script’ for
the progression from same sex
curiosity … to embracing one’s
identity as a homosexual. The
church has been slower to formulate a response” but the time
has never been more urgent, he
added.
To view Jackson’s PowerPoint
presentation, visit http://
superwow.com/wp-content/
uploads/2013/09/Sexualityand-the-Gospel.pdf
Moments
Encourage your church to use one of the following Mission
Georgia Moments before the morning worship offering is collected, as part of a Sunday School opening comment, or in a Small
Group or WMU meeting. Each entry is not time-sensitive and
can be used on any Sunday of the year.
April 5
With almost 9,000 boys and girls making decisions for Christ
through the ministries of Vacation Bible School this past year,
Georgia state missionaries were enabled to train equippers for
$35 each. History demonstrates that as more equippers are
trained, more children come to faith in Christ.
April 12
Through the Mission Georgia Offering,
$2,000 per month is sent to help support
agencies that minister to victims of human
trafficking.
4
Editorial
F
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX
Should we support Israel?
EDITORIAL
midst of an otherwise totalior two millennia the Israel through a century
tarian Arab/Muslim Middle
that has seen the most horJewish people have
East. Ever since she has
rific anti-Semitic violence
been persecuted.
become a nation, Israel has
imaginable. We need not
Some contend that the persought peaceful coexistence
hold to a dispensationalist
secution is well-deserved
with neighbors dedicated to
view of the future restorabecause those first century
her destruction.
tion of Israel (and
Jews were guilty of deicide.
However, many
I don’t) to agree
They instigated the arrest
people across
that such supof Jesus when Jewish relithe nation are
gious leaders led the Roman port is a necessary
expressing conpart of a Christian
soldiers into the Garden of
cern about the
eschatology (and
Gethsemane to arrest Jesus
deteriorating relaI do).”
and advocated His crucifixtionship between
Interestingly,
ion when they said to Pilate,
the United States
one of the
“Let Him be crucified.”
J. Gerald Harris
and Israel. Jeffrey
United States’
But nowhere does the
Editor
Goldberg, writing
most worthwhile
Bible indicate that God has
in The Atlantic,
accomplishments
wanted vengeance to be
declared, “The relationship
has been its consistent
carried out on those who
between these two adminiscried, “Crucify Him!” Even regard for the plight of the
Jewish nation. No nation in trations – dual guarantors of
though those Jews standthe history of the world has the putatively ‘unbreakable’
ing before Pilate said, “Let
bond between the U.S. and
a better record of treating
His blood be on us, and on
individual Jews with respect Israel – is now the worst it’s
our children,” there is no
ever been.”
than does America.
reason to believe that God
On Feb. 13 the
The same can be said
consented to punish their
Vancouver Sun
children over the
stated, “It’s no
centuries. If He had
Since the establishment of the secret that there
committed Himself
is no love lost
to carrying out the
nation of Israel in 1948 the
President
curse they invoked
United States has supported the between
Barack Obama
upon themselves, He
Jewish state and considered the and Israel Prime
would have knowingly bound Himself nation of Israel to be its greatest Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu.
to violate His own
ally in the Middle East.
Commentators
law for centuries.
have claimed the
Nevertheless,
relationship hovers somefor our befriending Israel
no group of people has
where between distrust and
endured more maltreatment as a nation. America has
contempt, which doesn’t
committed many sins for
and torment than the Jews.
leave much space for comwhich we may well deserve
Perhaps the prime example
promise.”
judgment, but as a nation,
of their persecution is the
Tensions between the two
Holocaust in which approxi- we have been a consistent
national leaders have simmately six million Jews were friend of the Jews and the
mered on the back burner
victims of a systematic geno- nation of Israel, as well as a
since 2009. However,
cide by the Nazi regime and benefactor.
when Republican House
Since the establishment
its collaborators.
Speaker John Boehner
of the nation of Israel in
Dr. Russell Moore,
invited Netanyahu to
1948 the United States has
president of the Ethics
address the U.S. Congress
supported the Jewish state
and Religious Liberty
and considered the nation of several weeks ago the pot
Commission of the SBC,
boiled over. Since Mr.
has said, “Dispensationalists Israel to be its greatest ally
Obama was not consulted
in the Middle East. Israel
have served the church by
pointing us to our responsi- has been an oasis of Western about Netanyahu’s invitation to speak to Congress,
Democracy and Judeobility to support the Jewish
the White House called it a
Christian morality in the
people and the nation of
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Helping Georgia Baptists Share the Good News
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ing, the “chosen people of
God” and dearly loved by
Him. Another reason for
Christians to support the
nation of Israel is because
of the Abrahamic Covenant.
We read of God’s promise in
Genesis 12:2-3, “I will make
you into a great nation and
I will bless
you; I will
your
The declaration that “salvation make
name great,
is from the Jews” suggests our and you will
a blessimmeasurable debt to Israel. be
ing. I will
bless those
the peace of Jerusalem. The who bless you, and whoever
land of Israel is the cradle of curses you I will curse; and
all peoples on earth will be
our faith.
blessed.”
The nation of Israel is
In other words, those
very special to God. Moses
wrote: “For thou art an holy who bless Abraham and the
Jewish people will have God
people unto the Lord thy
as their advocate and those
God: the Lord thy God has
who curse the descendants
chosen thee to be a special
people unto Himself, above of Abraham will have God
as their adversary.
all people that are upon
From the biblical declarathe face of the earth. The
tions of God’s love and care
Lord did not set his love
for His chosen people, the
upon you, nor choose you,
nation of Israel, and from
because ye were more in
the history of nations being
number than any people;
destroyed because of their
for ye were the fewest of
evil dealings with God’s
all people: But because the
Lord loved you, and because chosen people, the Jews,
Christian believers should
he would keep the oath
give support to the chosen
which he had sworn unto
people of God.
your fathers, hath the Lord
The Bible warned that
brought you out with a
mighty hand, and redeemed conflict would always
characterize the relations
you out of the house of
between the descendants
bondmen, from the hand
of Isaac and Ishmael. Sadly,
of Pharaoh king of Egypt”
this conflict will continue
(Dt. 7:6-8).
until Jesus comes back to
God’s eternal purpose is
judge the nations and sets
to bless the world through
up His 1,000-year reign of
Israel. Already He has done
peace on earth.
so in measure, for “salvaBut we must look at the
tion is from the Jews” (John
“big picture” with a biblical
4:22).
The declaration that “sal- worldview. While we do not
have to support everything
vation is from the Jews”
Israel does as a nation, we
suggests our immeasurable
most definitely should supdebt to Israel. All that we
have worth having has come port Israel’s right to exist.
to us through the Jews. Our God will fulfill His promises
and covenants with Israel.
Bible is a Jewish book, and
our Savior is a Jewish Savior. God still has a plan for
Israel. Woe to anyone who
Let us never forget to pray
seeks to defeat that plan;
for God’s chosen people.
“whoever curses you I will
It is true that Israel,
curse” (Gen. 12:3).
today, is in the place of
rejection. The nation is a
secular, unbelieving (for
most continue to reject
Jesus as their Messiah)
nation; but “… at the present time there is a remnant
chosen by grace” (Romans
11:5). Some Jews are being
saved and are becoming
members of the body of
Christ through faith in their
Messiah.
Jews are, biblically speakbreach of protocol.
Regardless of the stressful
relationship that may exist
between the governmental leaders of the U.S. and
Israel, those who believe
the Bible are instructed to
befriend Israel, honor the
Jewish people, and pray for
April 2, 2015
r. Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern
Baptist Convention, has issued
a strong appeal to Southern
Baptists to come to the
annual convention meeting in
Columbus, Ohio, June 16-17.
In an email to state convention executives, dated February
22, Dr. Floyd emphasized the
need to get as many Southern
Baptists as possible to Columbus
for the annual meeting. His
challenge included this appeal:
“The more Southern Baptists
we can gather to Columbus, the
more we can encourage them
with our Great Commission
work and inspire them to give
more resources to finish the task
of advancing the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.”
There is no doubt in my
mind that those who attend the
Southern Baptist Convention
meeting, as is also true of the
Georgia Baptist Convention
meeting, gain a more accurate
perspective of the work and
ministries of the convention.
Further, one cannot help but
be inspired by the amazing stories of how God is at work and
people are being reached and
changed by the Gospel.
My favorite convention
meetings are those where we
have a good representation of
Baptists who come with hearts
wide open to receive the good
news of all that the Lord is
doing through our churches and
various entities. There is much
inspiration to be had because
there are so many amazing
things that are happening.
As I looked through the
planned order of business for
the SBC meeting in Columbus,
it is clear that Dr. Floyd has
guided the development of a
OPEN DOOR
D
J. Robert White
Executive Director GBC
program that is logically organized and geared for information and inspiration. You will
see this as you look
over the provisional
program listed above.
There are two specific sessions that I
would mention as particularly inspiring. The
Tuesday evening focus
is upon prayer and
spiritual awakening.
We long for spiritual
awakening and we know that
prayer is the key. As Southern
Baptists join our hearts in
prayer, I believe that God is
going to bring that revival we
have been praying for.
have to be referring to the great
awakening of one hundred years
and a decade ago. Why have
we not experienced great
spiritual awakenings in our
day?
I know that there are
pockets of revival. I hear
the stories, but I am praying for a mighty, sweeping
movement of God unlike
anything we have seen in
our lifetime. Do it again,
Lord! Do it again!
The other session I would
like to mention is on Wednesday
morning and the focus is upon
I know that there are pockets
of revival. I hear the stories,
but I am praying for a mighty,
sweeping movement of God
unlike anything we have seen
in our lifetime.
Don’t you want to see it? I
want to see a great awakening
in my lifetime. We should not
missions. As you can see, our
mission agencies will be reporting on their work and bringing
words of inspiration about our
planned responses to the Great
Commission. The Woman’s
Missionary Union report will be
during this session as well as a
missionary sending celebration.
It sounds exciting. I don’t
want to miss it. I hope you
will be making your plans to
be present at the SBC Annual
Meeting in Columbus, Ohio.
When I was a boy growing
up in the home of a Southern
Baptist pastor, going to the
annual convention meeting was
something we did without fail.
The whole family attended. We
would make an enjoyable family trip out of the experience.
Those times are truly precious
memories in my mind and
heart. I can’t really measure the
impact of attending SBC annual
convention meetings when I
was a boy, but I know that they
did have an impact on me and
had a lot to do with inspiring
my heart for missions.
There will be something in
Columbus for the entire family.
Make it a trip your family will
talk about for years.
Guest Commentary
Marcy’s hope was found in Georgia Baptist Children’s Home
By Beth Ann Williams
On a cold December day a
close friend called to share the
need of a 17-year-old young
woman that had entered into
her life.
Marcy* was
in a volatile
relationship
with her single mother,
was 10 weeks
pregnant,
and felt she
had nowhere
Beth Ann Williams
to turn. We
began to
brainstorm ideas and options to
help Marcy face her future with
hope.
The Georgia Baptist
Children’s Home immediately
5
came to the forefront of our
minds. With one phone call
the process began. My friend
worked alongside the staff and
Marcy’s mom on all the necessary details. Marcy took a tour,
met new friends, and within
two weeks
moved into
the residential
facility for teen
mothers.
She had
hoped that
someday she would have a safe
place to live and a chance to do
something positive with her life.
Marcy’s “someday” began the
day she moved to the Georgia
Baptist Children’s Home.
As I travel the state I always
enjoy hearing stories of how
Woman’s Missionary Union is
supporting The Georgia Baptist
Children’s Home. I learn about
scholarships that are being provided, school supplies that are
being collected, prayers that are
being lifted up, and volunteers
Marcy’s “someday” began the
day she moved to the Georgia
Baptist Children’s Home.
that are serving in many ways.
Last week I talked to a faithful
Georgia Baptist woman who
volunteers each month to teach
the girls how to knit, crochet,
and play the piano.
The issues faced by children
and teens in 2015 are even
more
complex
than one
year ago.
But what
remains
consistent
is the priority of the
Georgia
Baptist
Children’s
Home to
provide a Christ-centered, loving, and safe environment for
children and teens to thrive.
As we celebrate our
Children’s Home Day Offering
on Mother’s Day, May 10,
my prayer is that all Georgia
Baptists will give generously
as we partner together with
Children, s Home
Offering Day
Mother’s Day May 10
the Georgia Baptist Children’s
Home to enable a child’s
“someday” to begin today.
*name changed
Beth Ann Williams serves
as executive director-treasurer
of Georgia WMU & Women’s
Ministry.
6
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX
What insurance for bus drivers has
to do with bivocational ministry
end of the year. The potential
of what happens after, though,
is what has both Democrats and
Republicans speaking out against
the proposal.
Evans began driving a bus
just months after an April 2009
article in The Index highlighting pastors who drive school
buses for the insurance. He has
job skills and experience in other
areas such as glasswork and laying carpet, but says he greatly
enjoys the flexibility driving a
school bus has brought, complementing his church work.
By Scott Barkley
[email protected]
DULUTH — Governor
Nathan Deal’s budget proposal
eliminating health insurance for
approximately 11,500 part-time
employees of the state’s public
schools has caught the attention
of many Georgia Baptists.
Different positions within
the school systems would be
affected, with the main example
being bus drivers. That connection becomes more direct for
bivocational pastors and other
part-time ministry workers who
work on buses primarily for the
health insurance it provides.
“[The schedule] of driving a
school bus is a win-win for me,”
says Jimmy Evans, bivocational
pastor of Bethlehem Baptist
Church in Newnan. “It gives me
the chance to [perform ministry
responsibilities] like making visits
and attending funerals.”
In defending his action,
Governor Deal said it wasn’t
fair for bus drivers and cafeteria
workers to get health insurance
when thousands of other parttime school employees don’t.
Evans cited a major difference
in his position and the others,
though.
Popping Vitamin C like candy
“When you’re driving 50-60
kids with colds around, you’re
bound to catch it. I pop Vitamin
C pills like candy on top of getting my flu shot every year but
still get sick,” he says.
Loss of insurance means
loss of medication
Pastor Jimmy Evans of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Newnan fuels up for his other job as bus driver for Coweta
County Schools. Evans is among those across the state concerned that Governor Nathan Deal’s proposed budget
will eliminate health insurance for some 11,500 part-time employees in Georgia schools. JIMMY EVANS/Special
Western Baptist Association
ministry assistant Cynthia
Wilson, who has served as a bus
monitor for ten years, says losing the insurance would lead to
many quitting at a time when
there is already a shortage of
drivers. The likely result, she
contends, would be drivers doubling up on routes and some
children being on a bus for well
over an hour before getting
home. Evans estimates 80% of
his fellow Coweta County drivers took their job primarily for
the insurance.
Rep. Bill Werkheiser,
R-Glennville echoed those
thoughts in January, predicting that “80 to 90% of drivers
in rural Georgia won’t drive”
if the budget passes. And, the
logic follows that a large amount
of job openings would require
LifeWay campus under contract
By Art Toalston
NASHVILLE (BP) —
LifeWay Christian Resources
has entered into a contract
for the sale of its campus in
downtown Nashville. Contract
terms, including the sale price,
have not been disclosed pending closing of the sale in a few
months, according to a LifeWay
news release.
The contract is with Uptown
Nashville, LLC, a consortium
of local and national developers
formed specifically to develop
this property.
LifeWay president and CEO
Thom S. Rainer said in the
release he is excited about the
prospects for the property as
well as LifeWay’s future.
“Although the buyers are
still finalizing a master plan
for the site, I understand their
intention is for it to be a mixeduse development including
office, retail, residential, entertainment and hotel,” Rainer
said.
“And, the sale – when completed this summer – will provide the resources for LifeWay
to build a new facility, hopefully
in downtown Nashville, that
will support the technologies,
collaboration, and culture needed for today’s and tomorrow’s
successful national and international ministry.”
Uptown Nashville:
historic project
Janet Miller, CEO of Colliers
International, the brokerage
firm representing Uptown
Nashville, called the project
historic.
“Re-development of the
LifeWay campus is one of the
largest economic development
events in the recent Nashville
history,” she said.
“The project will continue
to create jobs and investment
in the downtown core, much as
LifeWay has done the past 120
years. This campus will be a
lynchpin in the future develop-
ment of downtown Nashville
and has the potential to become
a new gateway to the central
business district.”
LifeWay has previously
acknowledged that after a sale
is closed, they will lease back a
portion of the facilities until a
new building is finished.
The sale involves LifeWay’s
14.5-acre downtown Nashville
complex, including more than
1 million square feet of office,
warehouse, and parking space.
About 1,100 of LifeWay’s
employees work in the downtown offices, utilizing about a
third of the facility. The organization also oversees 186 stores
and 4,300 employees in 29
states.
LifeWay began a preliminary
feasibility study last August into
selling its campus to relocate
to facilities better suited to the
ministry’s future. The entity
was founded in 1891 as the
Sunday School Board of the
Southern Baptist Convention.
a large amount of training for
new bus drivers, making safety
an issue.
As it stands, health insurance
would be covered through the
Evans, 55, is in good health
but his wife has an underactive thyroid that requires daily
medicine. Wilson is facing the
possibility of no health insurance
as her husband struggles with
diabetes. “I don’t know how
we’ll afford his medicine or doctor visits,” she says. “I’m praying
the governor will be swayed [to
change his position].”
“This is just one of those
things that’s bad,” adds Evans.
“There are a lot of bus drivers
out there with health issues taking expensive medicines and if
they lost their insurance it would
be devastating.”
Registration opens for
SBC ‘Great Awakening’
COLUMBUS, OH (BP)
— Registration for messengers
and local hotels has opened
for the Southern Baptist
Convention annual meeting at the Greater Columbus
Convention Center in Ohio’s
capital city.
The June 16-17 sessions,
to be led by SBC President
Ronnie Floyd of Arkansas, will
be themed “Great Awakening:
Clear Agreement, Visible
Union, Extraordinary Prayer.”
Registration for the
Columbus meeting once again
will offer an online opportunity
for churches to register their
messengers at www.sbcannualmeeting.net.
Through online registration
at the website’s Messenger tab,
each messenger will receive an
eight-digit registration code to
present at the annual meeting’s
Express Registration lane in
Columbus, preferably a printout of the church’s credential.
The code will be entered into a
computer at the SBC registration area and a nametag will
be printed. The appropriate
church-authorized representative must complete all online
registrations.
Registration also is open
for preschool child care and
children’s and youth programs
in conjunction with the annual
meeting.
Floyd, in preparing for the
Columbus annual meeting, has
said it will be “a national gathering of Southern Baptists to
pray for the next great move of
God in America and to reach
the world for the Gospel of
Jesus Christ.”
Distinctive facets of the
annual meeting will include:
➤ a Tuesday evening session to be permeated by
prayer, building on the convention’s Great Awakening
theme.
➤ a Wednesday morning
“church and missionary sending celebration” of Southern
Baptists’ work toward fulfilling
the Great Commission – and
a call to heighten their efforts
even more to reach the nations
for Christ.
➤ a Wednesday afternoon
panel discussion on “The
Supreme Court and SameSex Marriage: Preparing Our
Churches for the Future.”
For a detailed overview of
the schedule, go to sbc.net.
WWW.CHRISTIANINDEX.ORG
April 2, 2015
7
Down at the
Double HH Ranch
continued from page 2
here has helped me grow in my
faith. Ms. Rebecca is the sweetest person. She not only gets us
prepared for tests, but she is getting us prepared for life. Anyone
would be blessed to have her
as his/her teacher.”
The Cowboy Church in
Jerusalem meets on the 1st,
3rd, and 5th Saturday each
month and hosts a significant
number of events and activities. Each year the church has
an International Day on the
Saturday prior to the Fourth
of July. Last year the church
had seven nationalities present
for the service. Alan Morris,
the associational missionary for
the Etowah –North Central
Area, is the chaplain for the
Cowboy Church and is a regular
preacher for their Saturday gatherings.
Since the church was founded
three years ago there have been
110 professions of faith recorded
and 80 have been baptized
in the horse pond on the
HH Ranch property.
Recently a team of
high school students from
Grace Christian Academy
“This school has
helped me learn
about God. I like the
Bible study at the
beginning of each
day and the horse
riding.”
Madison Crawford, 11
in Anchorage, AK gave up
their spring break to come
to Georgia in an “Alaska to
Appalachia” mission trip to
assist Morris and Hampton
in tutoring and mentoring
the students, working at the
Cowboy Church and mending fences.
Elizabeth Bailey, 11, at left, sits with an igloo she created out of marshmallows. Above, students who struggled in the traditional educational setting
are flourishing in the 19th century-like one room schoolhouse under the
teaching of Rebecca Morris. GERALD HARRIS/Index
Pickens County, at a glance
29,584
80.8%
22.5%
$26,686
Population
High school graduate
Bachelor’s degree or higher
Per capita income
quickfacts.census.gov
It takes an enormous amount
of work to accomplish what is
being achieved at the Double
HH Ranch, but the fruit being
produced is amazing.
There are hundreds, if
not thousands of churches in
Georgia that sit idle all week
long with scores of at-risk children within a shadow of their
buildings and yet these churches
are not doing anything to break
the cycle of abuse and poverty
that often exists in traditional
education.
Visit us online at
christianindex
.org
GEORGIA BAPTIST
EVANGELIST/REVITALIZER
STEVE FRANZ
“Proper Revival Preparation
results in Fruit that Remains”
stevefranzministries.com
678-521-1627
[email protected]
8
People & Places
‘Since you asked …’
Deaths
Longtime evangelist John
E. Hull, 90, of Marietta, died
March 12.
The Tennessee native served
as a minister for more than 65
years, serving in churches as
both a pastor and evangelist.
He was related to Cordell Hull,
Nobel Peace Prize recipient and
former Secretary of State under
President Franklin Roosevelt.
In 1948 he began the Back
to Bethel Hour, a weekly Bible
teaching program still in existence. In 1951 he founded the
music trio The Joymakers, which
performed across the South in
churches and concert halls and
recorded a dozen albums.
He and his wife, the former
Agnes Holly, were married in
1950 and had a daughter, Jo,
and son, John David. The family
Sue Ezzell, left, and Sara Calhoun, right, were recently honored for a
combined 100 years of service at First Baptist Church in Bremen for their
leading worship on the piano and organ. “For more than 22 years I’ve
been blessed by their ministry,” said Pastor Herman Parker. “One hundred years of playing together for the glory of God is incredible!”
Classified Ads
The Christian Index welcomes classified advertisements. Rates: $33 for 5 lines of copy;
additional lines $6.60 per line. $33 minimum payment. Advance payment is required
for first-time, non-church advertisers and all out-of-state advertisers.
Deadline is 14 days prior to publication date.
Ads are accepted by mail, email [email protected], or fax (770) 936-5595.
continued on page 9
Employment-Churches
EMPLOYMENT
CHURCHES
Ball Ground First Baptist Church is
seeking a full-time Pastor. We are
a small traditional church with an
average of 50 people in regular
attendance. SBC seminary and pastoral
experience preferred. Please submit
resumes to Ball Ground FBC, Pastor
Search Committee, PO Box 328, Ball
Ground, GA 30107 or pastorsearch@
ballgroundfbc.org.
Fayetteville First Baptist Church is
seeking a full-time Pastor of Senior
Adults. If interested please send
resume with cover letter and references
to: [email protected] or 205
E. Stonewall Ave., Fayetteville, GA
30214, Attention: Dr. Jim Thomas.
Fortified Hills Baptist Church of Dallas,
GA, is seeking a full-time Senior Pastor.
Seminary and pastoral experience
preferred. Please include a brief
testimony, statement of faith, and
ministry philosophy in your resume.
Send cover letter and resume to
[email protected].
FBC, Jackson, GA is prayerfully seeking
God’s man for the position of Minister
of Music. If interested, please contact
us at jacksonfbc.com, (770) 775-3102,
or 1227 W. 3rd St., Jackson, GA 30233.
First Baptist Church of Lakeland is
seeking a full-time Pastor. Send
resume to: FBC, Lakeland, PO Box
427, Lakeland, GA 31635 or email to
[email protected].
Lizella Baptist Church is seeking
a vibrant, energetic, enthusiastic
full-time Children’s Pastor who is
passionate about seeing kids and
their families changed by the Gospel.
Interested candidates will find a full
job description with instructions for
applying on the staff page at www.
lizellabaptist.com.
Church Administrative Assistant Position
Available – Mt. Tabor Baptist Church
in Duluth is looking to hire a part-time
administrative assistant. Basic computer
& office skills needed. We are a small
congregation, looking for a support
person for our office and organizational
tasks. For more info and to send
resume: [email protected] with subject
line “Resume”.
First Baptist Bremen
duo celebrate
100 years of music
Neel Road Baptist Church of Salisbury,
NC has completed its Intentional
Interim Pastorate Program and is now
looking for a full-time Senior Pastor.
NRBC is a Christ-centered, spirit-filled,
Bible-believing church dedicated to
sharing God’s love by joyfully reaching,
teaching, and serving all people. We are
searching for the right pastor to lead
and participate in this vision. We are
looking for candidates with a four-year
undergraduate degree and seminary
degree and 5 years of senior pastor
experience in the Southern Baptist
tradition. Salary range is from $5055K. Please send resumes to Cyndii@
neelroad.org or mail to 135 Neel Road,
Salisbury NC 28147.
Oxford Baptist Church in Oxford, GA
is seeking a Minister of Youth. For
more information go to http://www.
oxfordbaptist church.com/youthminister-search/ or send resume to
[email protected].
Music director needed for small Southern Baptist church in Thomasville. Duties include leading adult and children’s
choir programs and all musical worship
related activities. A strong background
in music desired along with the ability
to manage and inspire others to excel
in praising God in song. Call (229)
403-6222 to set-up an interview for this
part-time position.
First Baptist Church of Rincon, GA is
seeking resumes for Senior Pastor.
Strong pastoral experience and
Southern Baptist seminary preferred.
FBCR is a 1,500-member church
in a fast-growing, family-oriented
community. Please submit resumes to
[email protected] or FBC
Rincon, 201 East 6th Street, Rincon, GA
31326, Attn. Pastor Search Committee.
Twin City First Baptist Church is looking
for God’s man to lead and grow our
active, small-town, and mission-minded
church. He must have a shepherd’s
heart and a servant’s spirit and preach
from the Word of God. Please submit
your detailed resume electronically
to: [email protected], or by mail
to: First Baptist Church, Pastor Search
Committee, PO Box 298, Twin City, GA
30471.
Employment-Other
EMPLOYMENT
OTHER
Mallary Baptist Association of Albany,
Georgia is seeking a Director of
Missions. The association presently
serves 50 churches and missions in
the counties of Dougherty, Lee, and
Worth. Qualified candidates must be a
committed Southern Baptist Christian
who demonstrates a sense of call
to mission service and evangelism.
Previous experience as a director of
missions, pastor, church staff member
with specific mission responsibilities, or
other association staff position desired
with supervisory and administrative
experience. Candidate must understand
Baptist denominational issues and
have the ability to work with diverse
congregations. A degree in pastoral
or educational ministries from an
accredited Baptist seminary preferred.
Resumes will be accepted through
May 31 and may be mailed to Mallary
Baptist Association, ATTN: DOM Search
Committee, PO Box 50593, Albany, GA
31703 or emailed to minassistant@
mallary-baptist.org.
For Sale
FOR SALE
1997 Dodge 3500 Ram Maxi 15
passenger van SLT. Clean, good
condition, regularly serviced, 119,000
miles. One owner – Calvary Baptist
Church, Jesup, GA. Asking price
$4,600.00. Call Church office (912) 4272366 or Mike Gordon (912) 294-1605.
Needed
NEEDED
Pilgrim Ministries is in need of a 15
passenger bus or van for transportation
for the men in our ministry. We are
a 501 (c) (3) non-profit discipleship
ministry helping men gain freedom from
the bondage of drug/alcohol addiction
through a relationship with our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Please contact
Director Andy Pilgrim at (706) 4904613 or pilgrim.ministries.info@gmail.
com if you have any questions or need
additional information.
Travel
TRAVEL
Historic Church Tours of Savannah.
Great Spiritual experience. Very little
walking. Discount to church groups. 9
churches-most over 200 years old. Call
for information, pricing, and to book
your tour-Phones (912) 661-0825/(912)
306-5543.
Question: Why have
exercise as we contemplate
you spent almost a year of
what Shakespeare called “the
Wednesday nights exploring
undiscovered country.” We
life after death?
have just had fun asking and
Answer: Right on the
answering (as best we can) a
heels of a yearlong study of
host of questions from heaven
Revelation I took our
to hell, cremation and
Wednesday evening
resurrection, being
congregation into a
bored and having pets!
subject I must conI have not had more
fess to have neglected
fun on Wednesday
throughout my minnights! I heartily comistry. I had taught the
mend it to every pasBook of Revelation
tor and church!
four times, but not
Second, exploronce had I sought to
ing life after death
explore the subject of
corrects ideas that
Paul Baxter misinform and mislead
life after death.
Oh, I had referred to it
us! We live in a time when
every time I conducted a
our world is being shaken by
funeral and alluded to it every
fanatic Muslims eager to die
time I taught or preached
in an unholy war so that they
about the end times and, even
can be spoiled rotten in an
though I had written a devoIslamic paradise. How sobertional book for a funeral home ing to think that barbaric and
on how life is not over, I had
utterly inhumane evil is taught
never taken a serious and stuas a ticket to paradise! What
dious look into life after death. nonsense.
Meanwhile,
It is also
pop books
scary to see
claiming to
how much
know about
untruth is cirlife after death
culating withsoared to
in the minds
become bestand hearts
sellers while
of people we
Christian
know. We
theologians
need a prayercautioned
ful and careful
readers about
biblical study
unbiblical ideas
of life after
and images.
death.
Finally, I came
Third,
to realize that
exploring life
I needed to
after death
invest the last
comforts us
year of my pasduring disaptorate in LaGrange prior to
pointments, disasters, disabilimy retirement in exploring
ties, decline, and death. Every
life after death for at least four
pastor knows the need for
good reasons!
helping our people prepare for
First, exploring life after
such times.
death confronts our quesI realize now more than
tions and notions arising out
ever before how having a
of natural curiosity! While
healthy and well informed
prophecies about the future
understanding of life after
are ever so captivating, I have
death is of crucial importance.
found myself slipping and slidToo often we may have
ing into the wee hours of the
been conditioned not to be so
morning many a night because heavenly minded that we are
I was still seeking to answer a
no earthly good; however, that
beguiling or intriguing quesis so untrue. We need to focus
tion about life after death! It
more on our life after death
is so good to exercise our little for not only there and then
grey cells in seeking to underbut the here and now! This
stand what God has planned
brings us to the fourth and
for us beyond death.
final reason for exploring life
It is so reassuring to read
after death.
a Who’s Who of Believers in
Fourth, Exploring life after
life after death. As we strive to
death challenges us to live a
answer the skeptic or doubter
life that prepares us for eterwho asks, “Why do you
nal life. My hope and prayer
believe in life after death?” it is is that during my retirement
thrilling to compile eight com- from the pastorate I can conpelling reasons which actually
tinue to preach the Gospel and
take my own breath away!
teach such truths as often as
It is eye-opening for believ- possible during this troubled
ers and seekers to think about
time in which we live!
what happens after we die but
before Christ returns and crePaul Baxter serves as pastor
ates a new heaven and a new
of First Baptist Church on the
earth. What a mind-expanding Square in LaGrange.
It is eye-opening
for believers and
seekers to think
about what happens after we die
but before Christ
returns and creates
a New Heaven and
a New Earth.
Devotionals
Daily Devotions
Friday, April 3
Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19
Luke 10:13-37
Psalm 75:1-10
Proverbs 12:12-14
Saturday, April 4
Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26
Luke 10:38-11:13
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 12:15-17
Sunday, April 5
Deuteronomy 28:1-68
Luke 11:14-36
Psalm 77:1-20
Proverbs 12:18
Monday, April 6
Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20
Luke 11:37-12:7
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 12:19-20
Tuesday, April 7
Deuteronomy 31:1-32:27
Luke 12:8-34
April 2, 2015
Psalm 78:32-55
Proverbs 12:21-23
Wednesday, April 8
Deuteronomy 32:28-52
Luke 12:35-59
Psalm 78:56-64
Proverbs 12:24
Thursday, April 9
Deuteronomy 33:1-29
Luke 13:1-21
Psalm 78:65-72
Proverbs 12:25
Friday, April 10
Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24
Luke 13:22-14:6
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 12:26
Saturday, April 11
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Luke 14:7-35
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 12:27-28
Sunday, April 12
Joshua 5:1-7:15
Luke 15:1-32
Psalm 81:1-16
Proverbs 13:1
Monday, April 13
Joshua 7:16-9:2
Luke 16:1-18
Psalm 82:1-8
Proverbs 13:2-3
Tuesday, April 14
Joshua 9:3-10:43
Luke 16:19-17:10
Psalm 83:1-18
Proverbs 13:4
Wednesday, April 15
Joshua 11:1-12:24
Luke 17:11-37
Psalm 84:1-12
Proverbs 13:5-6
Thursday, April 16
Joshua 13:1-14:15
Luke 18:1-17
Psalm 85:1-13
Proverbs 13:7-8
Birthdays
April
3 – Marie Conger, retiree
6 – Josie Aderholdt, retiree;
Nancy Jinks, retiree
7 – Eric Meyhoeffer, GBCCToccoa;
Jeannine Wootan, retiree
10 – Grady Rockett, Georgia
Baptist Foundation
12 – Michelle Eller, Vice
President for Operations
13 – Elizabeth Locke,
Communications
14 – Louis Crawford, retiree
15 – Butch Butcher, New Church
Planting;
Jerry Meister, GBCCNorman Park
16 – Christopher Bryan, BCM
Georgia Regents
University
People & Places
continued from page 8
lived in Fort Payne, AL and
Jackson, MS, before settling in
Marietta in 1972.
While in Marietta, Hull was a
frequent evangelist in Noonday
Association and Georgia Baptist
churches statewide.
He is survived by his wife,
Agnes Hull of Marietta;
daughter, Jo Hull Minor of
Chattanooga, TN; son, John D.
Hull of Alpharetta; two grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
Throughout his ministry
he maintained his membership at his hometown church in
Tennessee. Services were held
at Faith Baptist Tabernacle in
Jamestown, TN with internment
at Fellowship Church Cemetery
in Allardt, TN.
Ordinations
Bruce Igou and Chris
O’Quinn were recently
ordained as deacons for Zoar
Baptist Church in Baxley.
Ministerial Moves
Darrell Alexander was
welcomed as pastor of New
Zion Baptist Church in Bethel
Association on Feb. 8. He is
joined by his wife, Sondra.
Justin
Carter was
named pastor
of Bellview
Baptist
Church in
Rockmart
on March 1.
Previously,
he served as
Justin Carter
youth pastor
at the church
until May of last year.
Sonoraville Baptist Church
has called Andy McLeod as
minister of music. A graduate
of Shorter Univesity, McLeod
teaches music at Calhoun
Elementary School and is a
member of the Atlanta Master
Chorale and the Chattanooga
Symphony.
Revivals
Milstead Baptist Church
in Conyers held revival services
March 1-4. Evangelist Jon Reed
preached while worship was led
by Joe and Kim Stanley. Pastor
Doug Craver reports 25 professions of faith with eight members
added to the church.
CHURCH FURNISHINGS
New Pews · Pew Upholstering
Pew Refinishing · Pulpit Furniture
Bennett’s
Church Furniture, LLC
Sumter, South Carolina
1-803-494-2450
www.bennettschurchfurniture.com
[email protected]
“Serving Churches Since 1985”
9
PLAN OF
SALVATION
Becoming a Christian
n To become a Christian a person
must first realize that he or she
is “lost” – totally estranged from
God, separated from God by a
sinful nature. Locate a Bible, the
history of God’s relationship with
humankind, and read from the
chapter titled Romans. Romans
3:23: For all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God.
n A person alone cannot
reconcile the lost relationship
between himself or herself and
God. To provide a remedy, God
sent his only Son, Jesus, to live
the perfect life God demands.
Romans 6:23: For the wages
of sin is death; but the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
n Although humanity through
sin has separated itself from
God, the sacrifice of Jesus
on the cross bridged that
gap. Romans 5:8: But God
commendeth his love toward
us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
All that God asks is that a
man or woman repent of his or
her sins, turn from them and
accept the sacrifice Christ made
on the cross for those sins.
Romans 10:9: That if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be
saved.
n
n God
promises in the Bible that
anyone who accepts Jesus as
Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:13: For whosoever
shall call upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.
The way we call upon Him
is through prayer.
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that
I am a sinner. I also know that
You died on the cross for
my sins and that You were
raised up from the dead.
I turn from self and sin and trust
You to be my Savior and Lord.
Please forgive me of my sins.
Take control of my life and
help me to be the person
that you want me to be.
Save me now and save me
forever. Thank You, Lord,
for hearing my prayer
and saving my soul.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
n Baptists
believe that a
person who accepts Christ
as Savior will want to follow
Him as Lord and be baptized
by immersion and join the
fellowship of a local church
of like-minded believers.
Bible Study
In 45 years of ministry I have
seen many church members
struggling as they attempt to
live the life of a Christ-follower.
They often word their dilemma
with something like, “I just
can’t do it” or “I am just serving Jesus in my own way.” They
need to learn the joy that comes
in living and serving in His
strength and in the power of the
Holy Spirit.
I have observed that one of
three situations exist when there
is a struggle to live the Christlife. First, they are immature followers who have yet to discover
all that is available to them in
Christ. Second, they are carnal
and have allowed the flesh (sin)
to take hold in their life. Thirdly,
they have never really become
followers of Christ. They may
have become church members,
but never genuinely become followers of Christ.
When we repent of our sin,
confess Jesus as our Savior, and
receive His free gift of salvation,
we receive a full package. We
have eternal life. We receive the
Holy Spirit and He empowers
us to live and serve. We receive
spiritual gift(s) as He wills for
Kingdom service. Finally, He
gives us the fruit of the Spirit to
enable the character of Christ to
be demonstrated in our life.
We need to open the package
and celebrate the gifts that He
has given us to accomplish His
will in His power for His glory.
Equipped to be His disciple
Acts: 1:1-3
Paul is giving Theophilus “the
exact truth about the things you
have been taught” (Luke 1:4).
He began by the statement of the
resurrected Christ “giving orders
to His apostles.”
Over a period of 40 days and
nights Jesus completed equipping
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX
very clear that when you receive
His disciples for the task and
the Holy Spirit, you would
challenges that would be theirs.
receive power and you would be
They were hearing with a new
His witnesses. The Holy Spirit
understanding on this side of
would enable them to live and
the resurrection. Jesus was leavwitness in power to the risen
ing no room for them or us to
be unprepared or ignorant of the purpose He
A
had for His followers to
Ascended Like
accomplish.
No Other
The Jewish priests had
Acts 1:1-11
tried diligently to spin
the event of the resurBible Studies for Life, April 12
rection as some kind of
scam. They were unsucJohn O. Yarbrough
cessful because of the
Assoc. professor of Christian Studies
presence of the risen
Truett-McConnell College
Christ for over 40 days
and nights following His
Lord.
resurrection.
In Acts 2, the coming of the
Holy Spirit, you discover that
Followers empowered
the result of the coming of the
Acts 1:4-8
Holy Spirit was, as Jesus had
The promise of receiving the
promised, witnessing. They were
Holy Spirit was to assure His
witnesses and the results were
followers that the task He comthat “about three thousand
manded them to accomplish
souls” (2:41) were saved and
would be possible in the power
baptized.
He would provide. There are
The Holy Spirit empowers
many strange teachings about
tools for witness of the risen
this empowering and even the
Lord, not toys for the self-exalapostles did not understand
tation of the follower.
Jesus’ statement in verses 4
and 5. Even after all the teachJesus will return
ing Jesus had done, they were
Acts 1:9-11
still expecting the “restoring
the kingdom of Israel” by Jesus
Jesus had accomplished all
immediately.
He was to do at this time. He
They presumed that the Holy had finished teaching and giving
Spirit would provide the power
“orders” to His followers. He
for the restoring of the kingdom ascended to the Father, knowof Israel from the hands of the
ing that His followers would
Roman occupiers. Jesus clarified
soon be empowered by the Holy
the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s
Spirit and be His witnesses until
coming when He responded to
their concern by informing them
that “the Father has fixed” the
timing and it was not for them
to worry about.
He went on in verse 8 to tell
them why they would receive
the Holy Spirit. “… you shall
be My witnesses.” Jesus made it
BIBLE STUDY
10
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Phone: 678-796-8578
His return.
The followers continued
“gazing” at the cloud that had
taken Jesus out of their sight.
They were amazed and perhaps
wondering, “Now what?” The
messengers of God
challenged His followers to stop staring.
Jesus had not called
them to the Mount of
Olives to camp out, to
await His return. They
were to wait for the
power provided by the
Holy Spirit and then
to do what He had
“ordered” them to
do, be witnesses to the
“remotest part of the earth.”
The messengers assured
them of what Jesus had already
promised them, that He would
return! He is coming again!
Many of us believe that we
are living in the last days. The
expectation of the return of
Christ should not cause fear,
but should give comfort. The
promise of His return was a
comfort for these early followers,
knowing that He would be back.
However, it would also serve to
encourage them to get to work.
We should experience the
same in our day by being comforted that Jesus is coming
again. However, it should also
challenge us to be even more
urgent about the task He has
given us to be His witnesses to
the ends of the earth.
If the fact that Jesus is coming again brings you fear, it may
be that there is something in
your life that you need to deal
with to be ready. It could be
today!
Live it out:
Walk – Answer the question,
“If you knew Jesus was coming
tonight, what would you do different today?” Once you have
answered the question, do what
you have said you would do.
Run – Do an inventory of
your salvation package. You have
eternal life; you have the power
of the Holy Spirit; you are using
your spiritual gift(s) and the fruit
of the spirit are evident in your
life. How does your inventory
look? Ask God to show you the
areas that need attention.
Soar – How is your witness?
“...You shall be witnesses.” Ask
God to put people in your path
each day that you might be a
witness to the risen Lord. If you
are not the witness you should
be, maybe there is a power prob-
ANSWERS
Bible CROSSWORD
from page 11
©2010 Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Bible Study
Unity to all things
Ephesians 1:7-10
Paul reminds us of our
blessed redemption through
the blood of Jesus according
to the riches of His grace. Paul
celebrates this common experience of grace to all followers of
Christ. We identify with mankind in our sin (all have sinned)
and we identify with our fellow
followers of Christ in the forgiveness of our sin through the
grace of God.
The truth of all things finding unity in Christ is expanded
Bible Crossword
in Colossians 1:16-20: “In Him
subject to Him.
were all things created, that
Chris Anderson, pastor of
are in heaven and that are in
Chattahoochee Baptist Church
earth ... all things were created
in White County, Georgia, said
by Him and for Him ... and in
that the most Googled word on
Him all things consist. It pleased the Internet is “hope.” There
the Father that in Him should
are 1,970,000,000 sites dealing
all fullness dwell, and
... by Him to reconcile
Exalted Like
all things to Himself ...
No Other
whether things on earth
Ephesians 1:7-10, 18-23
or things in heaven.”
In the creation He creBible Studies for Life, April 19
ated all things “good.”
However, as sin entered
John O. Yarbrough
the world creation also
Assoc. professor of Christian Studies
needed Jesus to bring
Truett-McConnell College
unity. In the blood of
Jesus that unity will be
restored in the “fullness of time” with hope that come up when
to the created in heaven and on
you Google “hope” on the
the earth, the seen and unseen.
Internet.
The unity of all things is found
There is a hopelessness in our
in Jesus.
culture. People are looking for a
hope. For those of us in Christ,
our hope is secure in Him. This
Jesus reigns over all
hope is more than a wish, or
Ephesians 1:18-21
maybe, it is a certain hope in the
Paul desires for us to see
perfect power.
beyond the visible, with the
BIBLE STUDY
Many Christ-followers
attempt to live segmented lives.
They have their spiritual life,
their work life, their family life,
their hobby life, and so on. This
segmented life brings frustration
and disappointment. It is impossible to know the fullness of His
peace if He is relished to only a
portion of our lives.
Perhaps you have heard the
expression, “He is either Lord of
all or not Lord at all.” The truth
is we are to honor Him and live
for Him through every area of
our life.
Paul spent three years in
Ephesus on his third missionary journey. He is writing to
them and to us to emphasize the
blessings we have in Christ and
the position we have as the body
of Christ.
April 2, 2015
“eyes of our heart” that are
opened to the great “hope” that
is ours in the awesome redemption we receive through Christ.
We can find confidence in His
might that Jesus is at the right
hand of God in the true holy of
holies. He is more powerful that
any ruler or leader on earth then
and now. Our “hope” is secured
by His power and everything is
Jesus leads the Church
Ephesians 1:22-23
The body of Christ is a metaphor used by the Holy Spirit
to help us understand the unity
that is in Christ and the fact
that while we are the “body
of Christ” He is the “head” of
that body. Paul responds on this
metaphor in I Corinthians 12
and Romans 12.
I love this analogy. The head
instructs the body. When there is
a problem with the body, we say
that person has a physical challenge.
There is often a spiritual challenge in the body of
Christ, the Church.
I see churches where
there is disunity –
parts of the body
attacking other parts
of the body, parts of
the body that simply
do not function, and
other parts of the
body that are missing. This explains
why the church is often a poor
representation of Christ to a
watching world.
Have you ever had part of
your body go to sleep while you
were awake? I remember a time
my leg went to sleep in a meeting and I was called to go to the
podium to lead in prayer. I drug
my sleeping leg to the podium
and the congregation was concerned for me. During my prayer
my leg awoke and I was able to
walk off the podium normally. I
have seen churches with sleeping
body parts that need to be awakened to the purpose of the body
of Christ.
The answer: Jesus is interceding for us before the Father. He
is exalted above all things. He
11
prayed for our unity in John 17
and according to Hebrews 7:25
and 9:24 and 1 John 2:1 He is
our advocate before the Father,
interceding on our behalf now.
When we deal with our sin
properly through confession in
Christ, we are positioned properly in Christ and there is unity
in the body.
Live it:
Walk – What is your “hope”
and why are you confident in
the source of that hope? Does it
line up with Scripture?
Run – What part of the body
are you? Are you a productive
part of the body? How can you
assist the church that you are a
part of to be a better representation of Christ to a watching
world? Talk with your pastor and
ask him how you can assist. Go
to a hurting part of the body
and offer encouragement and
help.
Soar – Make a list of people
in your circles that seem to be
hopeless. Pray through the list
and ask God to give you the
opportunity to witness to the
unsaved on your list; they are
truly hopeless without Christ.
Ask God to give you the opportunity to encourage people on
your list who are in the body
of Christ, but have lost “heart
sight” of their hope in Christ.
©2010 Barbour Publishing, Inc. PO Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio, 44683
Answers on page 10 (upside down)
ACROSS
1. “He … put them under ___”
(2 Sam. 12:31)
5. Black
9. Samson’s riddle was this
(Judg. 14:12-13)
14. Noted persecutor of early
Christians
15. Opera solo
16. David and Bathsheba found
they were not ___ God’s law
17. Mil. branch
18. Careen
19. Bathsheba bore Solomon,
“and the Lord ___ him”
(2 Sam. 12:24)
20. Terra-___ (type of clay)
22. “___, thou desirest truth”
(Ps. 51:6)
24. U.K. driver’s concern
25. Beetle
27. Time periods
31. Opposite of David and
Bathsheba’s attitude when
accused of sin
32. Zero
34. A psalm, perhaps
35. A prophet accused David of
this (2 Sam. 12:9)
38. Movie bio with Will Smith
40. Israel’s enemy (2 Sam. 11:1)
42. Uriah ___ his life in battle
(2 Sam. 11:17)
44. “Little ___ lamb”
(2 Sam. 12:3)
46. “A thousand ___ in thy sight are
but as yesterday” (Ps. 90:4)
47. David was this while his men
went off to war (2 Sam. 11:1)
48. The rich man had many, the poor
man had ___ (2 Sam. 12:3)
50. Prophetess at the Temple
(Luke 2:36) (var.)
51. Pseudonym
52. Roman trio
55. Adultery is this
57. Bathsheba to Solomon
(2 Sam. 12:24)
59. Metal
61. Corn holder
64. Relating to the brain
66. Bathsheba’s baby would ___ her
guilt
68. Joab would ___ the men to put
Uriah up front (2 Sam. 11:15-16)
71. Sinai’s Peninsula
73. Musical composition
74. Cabled
75. Nathan’s story had David on the
___ of his seat
76. ___ Accords, 1993 agreement
77. David ___ as Bathsheba bathes
78. David tried to cover up his guilt,
so he did this (2 Sam. 11:25)
79. David to Uriah: “Go…wash thy
___” (2 Sam. 11:8)
DOWN
1. David and Bathsheba had done
this while Uriah was gone
2. “Ant and Grasshopper” author
3. David and Bathsheba brought
about God’s ___ (2 Sam. 11:27;
2 Sam. 12:7-12)
4. David’s accuser was not this
(2 Sam. 12:1-7)
5. David would not do this while
Bathsheba’s son lay dying
(2 Sam. 12:17)
6. Joab knew the truth, but was
probably this
7. Tanker
8. Accused David (2 Sam. 12:1)
9. “They would shoot from the
___?” (2 Sam. 11:20)
10. “Uriah ___ in Jerusalem that day”
(2 Sam. 11:12)
11. State official (abbr.)
12. She talked to a serpent
13. David’s face may have been this
when he recognized his sin
21. Communication method
23. Kimono sash
26. Spy org.
28. Paul’s citizenship (Acts 22:25)
29. A bride may ___ herself with
jewels (Isa. 61:10)
30. “They read…distinctly, and gave
the ___” (Neh. 8:8)
31. Gaiety
33. David took Bathsheba, and “he
___ with her” (2 Sam. 11:4)
35. Bathsheba’s dad (2 Sam. 11:3)
36. Popular spirit in Russia
37. Religion promulgated in the
7th century
39. ___ Jima
41. David prepared this for Uriah
(2 Sam. 11:8)
43. ___ Lanka
45. Preservation by silo storage
49. Flightless bird
53. Rich man could give one of these
to poor man (2 Sam. 12:4)
54. Uriah said: “___, and Judah, abide
in tents” (2 Sam. 11:11)
56. Referee
58. “David’s ___ was greatly kindled”
(2 Sam. 12:5)
60. ___ Gras
61. Thicket
62. Plant seed
63. Bathsheba’s beauty would do
this to David (2 Sam. 11:2)
65. Tails
67. Where Bathsheba bathed
68. Punching tool
69. Uriah would not ___ with his
wife (2 Sam. 11:11)
70. David’s feelings for the rich man
(2 Sam. 12:5)
72. “David arose from off his ___”
(2 Sam. 11:2)
12
Telling the Cooperative Program Story
New churches show
ethnic, geographic diversity
Today, they rent space on
DULUTH — Fifty-two
Sunday from a Seventh Day
churches and missions joined the Adventist Church and host
Georgia Baptist Convention in
about 58 people in worship.
the previous church year, growCoronado said the church is
ing the net total to 3,587 stateself-sustaining and has develwide for the 2014 calendar year.
oped about eight leaders.
Measuring
After
church plantEmmanuel
ing activity in
reached 40 memthe Nov. 1,
bers, Coronado
2013, through
determined
Oct. 31, 2014
that the Athens
church year,
area needed five
new churches
more Hispanic
and missions
churches. A
started primarHispanic comJesse Huthinson, pastor
Grace Christian Communtiy Church
ily in metro
munity exists 15
Atlanta but also
minutes away in
emerged elseHull. Partnering
where including
with Hull Baptist
in communities like LaGrange,
Church, Coronado started
Metter, Albany, and Claxton.
another mission in Nov. 2014.
Perhaps more impressive is
He preaches in Eatonton on
the ethnic diversity of the new
Sunday mornings, in Athens on
churches.
Sunday afternoons, and in Hull
While 50% of the new
on Saturday evenings.
churches and missions were
predominantly Anglo, AfricanGarden of Grace
American church plants account- Christian
ed for 33% of the growth with
Community
17 new works. Other ethnicities
In southwest
represented include Korean,
Atlanta, Jesse
Haitian, Zomi, and Arabic popu- Hutchinson finds
lation segments as each started
many people in
one new church or mission,
the community
while Hispanics reported three.
who have heard
There were two new multiethnic the Gospel, but
congregations.
they haven’t
Behind every statistic is a
received the
church-planting story that the
Gospel.
Cooperative Program helped
“They aren’t
make possible.
walking in a
By Jim Burton
“I wanted to plant
a church to do
something a little
different.”
Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel
During seminary studies in
Mexico, professors challenged
Neftali Coronado to go where
the need is. After years of ministering across Mexico, he discovered a need in Georgia.
He came to Greensboro
about 15 years ago and started a
church then that grew to about
60 members. When Coronado
lost sponsorship and assistance
in Greensboro, Heritage Point
Ministries at Marshall Memorial
Baptist Church in Eatonton
offered him a building. Iglesia
Bautista El Buen Pastor
(“The Good Shepherd Baptist
Church”) emerged not just to
serve Hispanics in Eatonton,
but also as a launching point for
more Hispanic church plants.
In January 2012, Coronado
started Iglesia Bautista
Emmanuel (“Emmanuel Baptist
Church”) in an Athens parking lot with six to eight people
who hosted a small block party.
M28 Church planter and lead pastor Matt Dye addresses the congregation during a Sunday morning service. M28
meets in a Midtown business. JIM BURTON/Special
relationship
with God,”
Hutchinson said,
who like most
church planters,
brought his own
creative touch to
the process.
“I wanted to
M28 Church planter and lead pastor Matt Dye, right, serves the Lord’s Supper to Taylor
plant a church
Carbonetto at the new church’s Sunday morning worship service, which meets in a
to do something
Midtown business. JIM BURTON/Special
a little different,”
Hutchinson said.
While growth has been
munity.”
“We’re in a warechallenging
as they now
He
lives
two
minutes
from
house.”
average about 52 in Sunday
the church.
That warehouse space is now
morning worship, he is see“As a pastor, I have to be
a sanctuary in which Garden
ing breakthroughs in people’s
accountable to every person in
of Grace Christian Community
lives. Many attendees previthis
church,”
he
said.
held its official launch Jan. 25
ously identified loosely with a
with 45 in attendance after
church tradition. For one parM28
Church
meeting in Hutchinson’s home
ticular couple, the husband
One of Georgia’s most afflufor much of 2014. Two people
was a liberal Presbyterian.
ent
areas
–
Midtown
Atlanta
–
is
made professions of faith at the
“We’ve never been around
also one of its most challenging
launch.
people whose faith informs
missions fields. Church planter
While the venue is difMatt Dye doesn’t find negativity everything they do,” the couferent from most churches,
or hostility toward the Gospel or ple recently said to Dye. Now,
Hutchinson said the real difthat couple attends a missional
M28 Church. Instead, he meets
ference is “that we are part of
community (small group).
indifference.
a community and in the comDye challenges the M28 mis-
sional communities throughout
Midtown to reach the residents
in the buildings where they live
and meet for small groups. The
oldest couple in the church are
in their sixties. They just moved
from Mableton to a Midtown
high-rise condominium. They
want to reach their building for
Christ, which represents M28’s
urban church planting multiplication strategy.
Thank you for
sending your gifts to:
Georgia Baptist Convention
6405 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, GA 30097