Bethlehem Small Group

Hello,

It’s about that of the year again for the BIG church round-up. Some members have been MIA for summer vacation and getting kids back into school. Well, we are calling all members of Northwest Baptist Church (and visitors) to come out this October for Harvest Days!

We will have various activities for adults and youth, plus there will be two service times! 9:45AM and 11:00AM. Please come out and celebrate in the name of the Lord with Northwest Baptist Church!

23845 Middlebelt Rd.
Farmington Hills, MI. 48336
Jon Jackson, Pastor
www.nbcfh.org
248-474-3393

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”
~1 Peter 2:21

This message is a challenge to all of my Twitter family. Fridays on Twitter is the day when we ask all of our followers to follow others; #FF, a.k.a Follow Fridays. We spend a portion of our Friday typing out who we think that people should follow. Why as Christians don’t we tweet to our followers to follow Christ?

My challenge to you is to flip the script this Friday. Instead of #FF, let’s advise our followers to #FJ; Follow Jesus! This is a great opportunity to simply spread the name of Christ. It could turn into an opportunity to evangelize. Have at it this Friday, and let them know who YOU follow.

God Bless, and good night.

P.S.

Facebooker’s – Post it!
Texter’s – Text it!
No Technologist’s – Smoke signal it!

“You are so heavenly bound, that you are no earthly good…”~Baptist Preacher

Do you remember when you were a sinner? Do you remember when you were once a “back-slider?” How about when you used to cuss like a sailor? Well, if you can’t remember, you just lied to yourself, which is a sin as well…

As Christians we tend to look down at sinners as “those people,” when we should look at them as “our lost Brothers and Sisters.” We tend to forget who we once were, and put on the suit and cape with a big “SC” on the chest for “Super Christian.” The suit is nothing more than a mirage that block the salvation of others who could  be saved by our influence through Christ. Instead, we knowingly or unknowingly lead them astray.

What is a difference between a sinner and a Christian? As the song says, a Christian is nothing more than just a sinner who fell down, but got up. Don’t put yourself on such a high pedestal that you cannot reach down to help someone in need. As Christians we need to let sinners know who we once were, and how Christ has influenced our lives. Honest conversations with others can lead to salvation for many people. Remember, as Christians we need to decrease the “I” and increase the “He” that is within us.

May God bless you. Good night.

Dedication. Service. Attitude. Love. Servants. JESUS. Some Christians go to Church to warm their church chair. Some go for the particular type of church music. Some go for the Preacher. All should go because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. I believe some Christians have “chained” themselves up and serve God half-hearted. What if you “unleashed” yourself and went all out like a crazed maniac. You’ve seen fans at  Sports games as they yelled and spit all over the person sitting in front of them. They look like they have lost their mind and went insane. Why, because of their team, they love their team! Then, all of a sudden, everyone becomes singers and dancers, as they sing the songs over the loud speakers. Nuts. Crazy but fun. Excitement builds from things that we like. How much do you like Jesus? How much do you LOVE Jesus?  Become an unleashed Christian!

Roots can be annoying and nasty. Let me tell you a funny story to back up this statement. My Great Grandpa called me up one day needing some help. He mentioned that his drains in the bathroom were clogging up. No big deal, right? Just a little Draino or a plumbers line should do the trick. Wrong! After about 30 minutes of useless attempts nothing was working. Great Grandpa says, “well we are going to have to dig up the drain pipes to see what is going on.” What a nightmare. One million shovel-fulls later we found the problem. Roots. Roots had grown into the pipes, cracked them, and clogged up the pipes. After chopping them out, we replaced the pipe and they lived happily ever after.

Colossians 2:6-7 says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. ROOTED and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

If you are one of those Christians who has never gone through a tough time in your Christian growth experience, I am scared of you! That rarely happens and truthfully never has happened. We all go through “dry”, “scary”, periods that leave us doubting or questioning what we are doing or why something is happening. Here is good news, we can be “ROOTED” and “built” up in Christ! Instead of having those annoying roots of doubt that the Bible speaks about, we can have positive roots in Jesus. Become established in Jesus.

Have you ever heard that old song, “Jesus on the Mainline?” The song basically illustrates that we can talk directly to Jesus, just as if we were talking to Him over the phone. This is my question to you, have you talked to Him lately? Cute song, strong message. Communication with Jesus is very vital for our Christian life experience. Some Christians talk a lot to Jesus. Some talk a little. Some casually. Some never. If it’s been awhile, then use today to catch up. Imagine the impact Christians could make on our Nation if we all actually DID pray instead of just talking about it. Anybody can smack their gums together but it is something else to follow through. When is the last time you picked up the phone and said, “hello, Jesus?”

Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. As Jesus ascended back into Heaven His last words spoke of  being an evangelist and spreading the Gospel. Let me encourage you with this one quick and easy thought, tell someone about Jesus. If you are a Christian, your whole life should consist of Jesus. You should eat, drink, sleep, Jesus. If your whole life revolves around Jesus than it will just be a habit to tell others about Him. Bethlehem, who will you help to find the heavenly kingdom!

Mo Seats 4 Yo Peeps. The American local church. Hmmmm. A visitors thoughts before deciding  to attend the average American local Church. What do I wear? What should I say and not say? How about my skin color? Will they say I am going to hell because I struggle with the same-sex attraction? Will I be loved and accepted? I have a drug addiction, will they judge me? My marriage is on the rocks, will they help? Sad to say many of these types of thoughts, filter through the minds of most church visitors as they choose a church to attend. What is even worse is that a lot of these types of visitors will have their fears verified. They will NOT  be accepted, they WILL be judged, and will ultimately be turned OFF to church and Christianity. According to Jesus, through His Word, this was not His idea of the church and it’s duties. Jesus (who is the chief cornerstone of the church) set the local church up as a salvation station, a spiritual hospital, a Christian growth center, a place of fellowship, somewhere  to send out church planters, and a definite place the poor and needy should find food and rest. The idea that non-believers have these fears should make christians hang there heads in shame. Jesus accepted everyone and still does. Jesus scolded those who shut out people from following Him because of their traditions and hypocritical ways. In Matthew 23:12-15 Jesus said these words, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees! For ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men: For ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widow’s houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves!” These are some pretty tough words from Jesus! Needless to say Jesus takes accepting others really serious. Let me encourage you to break out of your mold and help someone just like Jesus did! Encourage, help, guide, lead, and strengthen someone this week. Mo Seats 4 Yo Peeps is exactly what this type of attitude is all about! Invite everyone you know and embrace the “come just as you are” attitude!

Lifting Jesus Higher,

Pastor James