L I F E AT I M M A N U E L JANUARY//FEBRUARY 2016
FROM O U R PASTO R ’S HEA RT DR. GARY HOLLINGSWORTH
Hal Seed is the pastor of New Song Church in Oceanside, California. He has written a book entitled, I Love Sundays…Making Sunday the Best Day of Your Week. I have asked Hal to preach for us in March of this year so you will be hearing more from him soon! While the most important part of worship is honoring God, Hal mentions some practical benefits of regular Sunday worship attendance. Researchers have discovered that regular worship attenders… • Live 7.5 years longer than non-worshipers • Are 37% less likely to get divorced • Are 56% more likely to have an optimistic outlook • Have higher levels of marital satisfaction • Are 27% less likely to be depressed • Achieve higher levels of success in school and jobs Let me reiterate, these are by-products and not the main reasons for making Sunday the best day of your week, but they are worth noting. The reality is that from the beginning of creation, God set aside a day of worship and rest and as our Creator, He knows why this is important. So, let me ask you. Is Sunday the best day of YOUR week? If not, why not? Hal has a great quote in the first chapter. He says,“The key to Sunday isn’t the preacher, the service or the people. The key is you!” How true! Our preparation before Sunday sets the tone for what we experience on the Lord’s Day. If Sunday is the best day of your week, why don’t you invite someone to experience it with you? I look forward to seeing YOU on the best day of the week! Blessings, Pastor Gary
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GROWING IN GOD’S WORD MARK CARTER// Associate Pastor for Discipleship
In my formative years (even though some would say I’m still there), I tried to read the Bible. Like any book, I picked it up and began in Genesis. Genesis was great, because it was basically the story of the beginning of man and I like stories. Exodus was equally good, unfolding this chapter of the story of God through the life of Moses and the Israelites. Then I hit Leviticus. Let’s just say that the story took a detour and I didn’t have Siri to help navigate the path. I never could get past Leviticus, so I stopped reading the Bible. Yes, I still read some in the New Testament, but generally I never put together the Scripture as the complete story of God. I read it in snippets and it just didn’t seem to practically apply to my life. I kept failing at the parts that I could understand, and so instead of continuously reading about how much of a failure I was, I stopped reading. Fast forward to the late 1990’s. God began a work in my life to unveil the fact that there was so much more to following Jesus than I had understood. God connected me to a man, Stan Parris, who began to show me what the words in the Book looked like in a person. God, through Stan, initiated my participation in a small group study entitled MasterLife, and here I began to read the Bible in earnest. It was in this study that I learned the fact that Christianity was not a faith of “do’s & don’ts,” rather a relationship founded upon a big “done!” In other words, Christ has done everything necessary for my life and salvation on the cross and through the resurrection, and my job was to simply live in
relationship with Christ so that He could lead me in a lifestyle of obedience. In order to follow Jesus, I needed to be able to know what He was saying, what His plan was, how I fit into this plan, His commands, etc. Most importantly, I needed to know Him... a lot better than I knew Him at the time. I figured out that this is a relationship, and relationships include twoway communication. As I began to read the Bible (I did get past Leviticus), I realized that nowhere in the Bible did God have any problem communicating to His people when He wanted to get something across to them. So, based upon faith and trusting Him to do the same for me, I began reading the Bible and trusting Him to speak to me through His Word. I also learned that I had a Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:26 & 16:13-15). With these two major assets, I continued on a journey with Jesus that has been amazing. I did, however, learn one key truth. Jesus said that truth is revealed (see John chapters 13-17), and this revelation is based upon obedience (see John 8:31-32). When I obeyed Jesus’ teaching or command, I had greater understanding of truth. When I disobeyed, I seemed to lose a step in my faith journey. I have often told people that I cannot see how you can follow Jesus [well] without daily feeding on His Word. It is a treasure trove of truth, wisdom and understanding. More significantly, it is the gateway into the personhood of God. Make an effort to discover Him through His words, the Bible.
COACH DADDY BRIAN SPIGNER // Associate Pastor for Recreation For as long as I can remember sports have been a huge part of my life; whether playing or watching, I enjoy sports. Sports taught me many valuable life lessons, but the greatest benefit they gave me is a strong relationship with my father. The first teams I ever played on had one constant: my father coached my team. No matter the sport - basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis, racquetball, snow skiing and golf - it was my dad who first coached me. Two of my fondest sports memories happened on the basketball court. When I was in the third grade, we were playing an undefeated team in the final game of the season, and I ended up making the game winning shot as the final buzzer went off. As soon as the ball went through the net, I turned to my dad and sprinted straight into his arms and we celebrated together. The second took place my senior year in high school while I was playing for a state championship. I started as team captain and wound up being the one holding the ball when the clock hit zero. The first person I turned to was my dad. When I registered Slayton for T-ball this past spring, I told the league commissioner I wanted to coach his team. My mindset was if Slayton is playing sports, then I want to coach him just like my dad coached me. At our first practice Slayton started to call me “Coach Daddy,” and I have to admit, it
is the best thing I have ever been called by another human being. The time I got to spend with Slayton on the baseball diamond was priceless, and the greatest sports memory to date is when he called me “Coach Daddy.” The example my dad was for me, I am now trying to duplicate for my boys Slayton and Weston; I hope one day to see them do the same with their children. This is creating a legacy. As a father, I find myself doing some of the very things my dad did with me during my formative years. While my parents placed within me a love for sports, they also put the highest value on following the Lord. That legacy is being played out in my house now. Every evening Slayton knows before bedtime we read the Bible, sing, and pray together (Weston will soon, but first he needs to get over the new found discovery of his hands). What we model to our children will become their actions, Proverbs 22:6 makes that promise. Ephesians 6:4 instructs, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” What are you modeling to those looking up to you? What actions are going to come about because of your example? Take some time to evaluate your life and the message you convey, as you commit to transferring the “instruction of the Lord” to those who you look to you for guidance.
FA M I LY WEDNESDAY ACTIVITIES RESUME
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 We hope you had a great holiday season! Our Wednesday activites for Preschoolers, Children and Students will resume on January 6! We hope to see you there!
SWEETHEART’S NIGHT OUT
FEBRUARY 9 // 6-9PM // BABIES-5TH GRADE Hey parents! Let us watch your kids so you can take your sweetheart out for a date! We’ll have fun games, crafts and food for your little ones to enjoy while mom and dad get some time together! Reservations required. Visit the Now At Immanuel page at www.ibclr.org for more info soon!
ACTEENS MEETING
JAN. 10 // FEB. 21 // 12-2PM Calling all Middle & High School girls who care about missions! Join us for our January and February Acteens meetings! Contact Melissa Sponer for info!
PARENT-CHILD DEDICATION
FEBRUARY 28 // 9:00 & 10:30 AM SERVICES At Immanuel, we believe the journey of discipling your children begins with dedicating both your child and yourself to the Lord. Join us on this special Sunday to witness some of our families dedicate their children back to the Lord. If you would like to be a part of the service, please contact Susan McClanahan. Participants are invited to a luncheon in Horne Hall at 11:30 following the 10:30 service.
DNOW//BY DESIGN January 15-17 | Middle School & High School God has uniquely designed all of us. Likewise, He has a specific design and purpose for men and women which is missing in our culture today. This year at DNOW, in small groups and in worship (led by We the Union and Danny Hinton), students will learn what it means to be a Biblical Man and a Biblical Woman--By Design. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about all the fun students will have with peers along with opportunities to serve our community. REGISTER AT WWW.IBCLRSTUDNETS.ORG Now-January 6: $70 | January 7-13: $85
A D U LT S XYZ SUPPER CLUB
JAN. 19 // FEB. 16 // HORNE HALL // 5:00 PM Senior Adults! Join us for dinner and entertainment at our XYZ Supper Club! Contact Mary Elizabeth Johnson at 225-0352 for reservations.
WIDOW & WIDOWERS LUNCHEON
FEBRUARY 21 // HORNE HALL // 11:30 AM If you are a widow or widower, our deacons would be honored to serve you at this special luncheon. Contact Elizabeth Campbell for more information.
WILD GAME DINNER & MAN CHURCH
WILD GAME DINNER: MARCH 1 // MAN CHURCH: MARCH 6 Save the date for our annual Wild Game Dinner! We’ll have REAL wild game cooked up just for you and your guests! We always have a great speaker and some awesome door prizes! This year we’re following up the dinner with “Man Church” Sunday night! Visit the Now At Immanuel Page at www.ibclr.org for more information soon!
GO GALLERY
SAVE THE DATE // JANUARY 24
NIGHT OF POWER & EXCELLENCE
SAVE THE DATE // JANUARY 29
GROW CLASSES Beginning Wednesday, January 13 At Immanuel, one of our core focuses is discipleship and spiritual growth. One of the ways we do that is through Grow Classes. If you’re looking for a place to grow spiritually with other believers, join one of our many Grow Classes where you can learn about a variety of topics from discipleship basics, to missions, to the life of Christ. Sign up at www.ibclr.org or call Traci Hogue at 396-3347.
CARING FOR YOUR TEMPLE BARBARA BOWMAN // Immanuel Member
It is the time of year again when we resolve to lose weight, get fit and eat healthier. We all seem to know we need a healthy diet, we need to be at a healthy weight and we need daily exercise. We all know that. Right? But it’s hard. It takes time. And veggies are not cake, no matter how much you try to dress them up. Did I mention it’s hard?
Now let’s apply this to our bodies as a temple of the Holy Spirit. How are you doing with your maintenance? Do you need to hire someone to help you? Are you taking pride in ownership? Are you being respectful to your body?
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
We glorify God in our bodies when we take care of them in a way that we have the energy and stamina to serve Him more fully. A healthy lifestyle promotes more energy and mental clarity to work hard at our jobs, take care of our home, diligently teach our children, love our spouses and serve God’s church! All of that is glorifying to God!
1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20 (ESV)
As you ponder our bodies being the actual temple of the Holy Spirit, think about it in terms of our own church. How thankful and grateful are we for our beautiful church. When we drive onto the campus the parking lot is maintained. The grass is cut. There is mulch around the trees and landscaping. The building is maintained. There are no crumbling sidewalks or broken windows. When we come inside the building everything is clean, fresh and well maintained. You don’t see holes in the wall or faded paint, dirty carpet or over flowing trash cans. We have a wonderful staff that takes care of this. We, as a congregation, also take pride and ownership in our church. People pick up trash from the parking lot as they are coming or going, in general being respectful of the building.
Here are three simple things that you can start right away for a healthier new year.
1. Start the day with a healthy breakfast. 2. Drink water. Aim for half your body weight in ounces. 3. Walk. Set a goal of 10,000 steps per day So as we enter 2016, remember that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and commit to keep it up as well maintained as the physical building in which we worship!
WHY I GO MARK GUINEE // Immanuel Member I have been asked to explain why I am so passionate and interested in the Go Ministry at Immanuel Baptist Church. In fact, Our family has intentionally made the decision to use vacation dollars and vacation leave time from work to participate in Go Trip opportunities when available; in lieu of family vacations. So these are my thoughts on this subject from my heart. I could say that it is because there are so many interesting travel destination opportunities that are offered; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go. I could say that it has always been a blast and great fun to accompany the students on a Student Ministry Go Trip; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go.
I could say that it has always been fascinating to experience the different cultures and people groups on these trips; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go. I could say that our On-Site partners are wonderful people who love the Lord, and HE has called the best and brightest to the field; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go. I could say that I am always the one who is blessed the most by the experience, more than those I serve; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go. I could say that my heart is broken for a specific people group, whom have broken the
heart of our LORD; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go. I could say that we have a great ministry staff in Pastor Gary and Mark Aderholt who have followed the Lord’s vision concerning going; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go. I could say that it has been my privilege and opportunity to see the world from a perspective that I would never have been able; but I will not claim this reason as to why I Go. Ok, I will stop. I think you get the idea. I could keep going, but there is limited space for this article. The reason that I Go is very simple. BECAUSE I AM SUPPOSED TO GO. He came for us. Now we MUST Go for HIM. To borrow the phrase, “Just do it”. I go because I want to be obedient to HIS command to GO. Yes, I have been blessed to experience all of the above reasons; but I go because I am supposed to Go. We are all commanded to go. Sometimes my trips have been around the world. Sometimes my trips have been to
GO Horne Hall to pack shoeboxes. Sometimes my Go Trip has been across the driveway to the Kroger parking lot!! Wherever, He has given me an opportunity to go; I have tried to listen and obey. You can as well. We have all been commissioned as His ambassadors. I do not claim to be perfect and I do not claim any honor or accolade for this decision. I consider it my duty and my privilege to be obedient to HIS call. It is just that simple. So, I encourage each of you to do the same, because the time is short and we must go to tell the “Good News”, that HE came for us.
B U T T H E G R E AT E S T OF THESE IS ... O R T H O PAT H Y ! MIKE RAINWATER // Immanuel Member
We Baptists have a passion for truth. In fact, we often capitalize it to make sure there is no misunderstanding. We stand for the “Truth” of Christianity. And, well we should. The question, though, is whether we forget to love with a capital “L” those with whom we disagree. Do we slip into an unbiblical orthopathy in our zeal to present and defend our biblical orthodoxy or orthopraxy? The integration of orthodoxy, orthopraxy, and orthopathy is a way of describing the dynamic by which the Holy Spirit enables us to think and live scriptural Christianity. The Greek word ortho means straight or correct. Doxa means truth. Orthodoxy means straight or correct truth. Praxy means practice and pathy meanings feelings. Orthopraxy and orthopathy are straight or correct practice and feelings, respectively. Doctrine determines the disciple’s duty. And, the disciple’s orthopraxy is not to ignore the truth that orthodoxy declares. But, neither doctrine nor obedience are ends in themselves. The Bible requires not only that we speak truly about God (orthodoxy) and that we truly obey Him (orthopraxy), but that we truly love Him (orthopathy). In the parable of the good Samaritan the lawyer testing Jesus answered his own howdo-I-inherit-eternal-life question with the recitation of two Old Testament verses: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Deu 6:4) and “Love your neighbor
as yourself ” (Lev. 19:18). Jesus said, “Correct, now do this and live.” At that point, the lawyer (apparently not liking that answer and looking for a legal loophole) asked Jesus a follow-up question. “So, ... who is my neighbor?” Well, you know the parable. Jesus said a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by robbers and left for dead. He was passed by a priest, and passed by a Levite, but helped by a Samaritan. Flipping the lawyer’s who-is-my-neighbor question, Jesus asked the lawyer which of these three was a neighbor TO the bleeding man. Trapped, the lawyer answered: “The one who had mercy on him.” In The Mark of the Christian, Francis Schaeffer reminds us that Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christian. “[A]s the Samaritan loved the wounded man, we as Christians are called upon to love ... Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father.” Id., p. 35. Our orthopathy is Love. Was Jesus telling us that orthodoxy (the priest) and orthopraxy (the Levite) passed the bleeding man by? Was it only orthopathy (the Samaritan) who “neighbored” the bleeding man? Are we to love our neighbor, or are we to neighbor – with the capital L kind of love – all who need to know God’s love? Clearly, as disciples, our orthopraxy must be to “neighbor” those who we find “bleeding” from wrong beliefs leading to wrong practices. The 1 Cor. 13 Love Chapter, which tells us Love is patient and kind and all the rest,
ends with: “[T]he greatest of these is love.” The greatest of what? Well, the greatest of the three orthos, of course. It is greater than faith (orthodoxy) and greater than hope (orthopathy ). “Love never fails.” The divine instruction to neighbor the bleeding and to lead with Love includes our encounters with those who espouse samesex-marriage, abortion-at-will, and all the other practices we Baptists abhor as morally wrong and unbiblical. We cannot, of course, do this through our own human effort. It can be done only “by grace ... through faith ...
for good works” (Eph. 2:8-10). As we seek the will of God (orthopraxy),“[w]e need to believe [that’s orthodoxy] and stand on His Word and for His name unashamedly and boldly [that’s orthopraxy], but always compassionately [that’s orthopathy]. We need to hold the Word of God [that’s orthodoxy] in one hand and the Love of God [that’s orthopathy] in the other hand. When we do this, the Lord [and not we ourselves] will produce open doors, even when or if the opposition is fierce.” See “SBC President’s Address” by Ronnie Floyd on June 16, 2015.
Staff Highlight
WANDA BOWIE Wanda Bowie is the Director of Housekeeping here at Immanuel and has faithfully filled this position for twelve years! She quietly and tirelessly keeps our facilities clean and tidy with the help of her four other staff members. Wanda is a loyal employee of Immanuel; a great asset to be sure! Wanda was born in Little Rock, the oldest of four girls. She is also a proud mother and grandmother. Since Wanda spends her work days inside, it’s not a surprise she enjoys spending her free time outside. She can be found fishing, gardening or taking nature walks. If you are in the building during the week and happen upon Wanda, please shake her hand and let her know how very grateful you are for her hard work and love for Immanuel.
501 N. SHACKLEFORD RD. | LITTLE ROCK, AR 72211