tt FirstNews
Volume 4 Issue 10 October 2013
Churchwide Picnic at Heritage Park Sunday, October 20th
Gates open at 4:00 pm Food is served at 4:45 - 5:30 pm Concert 5:30 - 6:30 pm
...Hamburgers, Hotdogs & Sundaes... ---with all the fixins’---
bounce houses | cotton candy |sno cones
pie. cake & cobbler contest Music by
Adam Paul Williams & Spence Peppard Bring your lawn chairs!
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Pastor Mark Bryant One of the Proverbs that speaks volumes to me is Proverbs 4:20-27. Normally I would give you the reference and ask you to look it up but this time I have included it for you to read. The author writes, “20 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, 22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. 25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” (NLT)
Ministerial Staff Senior Pastor
Mark Bryant [markbryant@ssfbc.org]
Associate Pastor
Fred Lewis [fredlewis@ssfbc.org]
Worship Pastor
Neal Terwilliger [nealterwilliger@ssfbc.org)
Associate Worship Pastor
Darren Gray [darrengray@ssfbc.org]
Minister of Education
Bruce Welch [brucewelch@ssfbc.org]
Minister of Recreation & Outreach
Mike Armstrong [mikearmstrong@ssfbc.org]
High School Student Pastor
Heath Anderson [heathanderson@ssfbc.org]
Middle School Student Pastor
Michael Tollison [michaeltollison@ssfbc.org]
Minister to Children
Brit Fisher [britfisher@ssfbc.org]
What I find so intriguing about this passage is the correlation between a heart that is pure, holy, and focused on the things of God and the absence of conversations that diminish not only the value of our lives but the value of others. To say it another way, a pure heart produces righteous conversations. We find here and throughout the word of God that our walk with Him is demonstrated in the way we live and, according to this passage, in the words we speak. James 3:11 says, “Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?” In verse 9 he informs us that he is specifically referencing our tongues that on the one hand bless our Lord and Father and on the other hand curses men. I want to be an encouragement to you by urging you, begging you to guard your heart because according to Matthew 12:34, the mouth speaks what fills the heart and just prior to that Jesus says, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit”. (ESV) My prayer is that we will become springs of living water and surrender our hearts to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to fill us with His presence and take complete control of our hearts so that we can rid our lives of the three C’s. Instead of Complaining, instead of Comparing, instead of Criticizing, we will bless others out of a pure heart. In truth there is no place in the life of a follower of Jesus for any of the three C’s mentioned. I encourage you to help one another to grow in this because an untamed tongue is, according to the word of God, “...a fire, the very word of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell”. (James 3:6 NASB)
Tommy Johnston [tommyjohnston@ssfbc.org]
Occasionally I have to look at one of the guys I play ball with and say,“Watch your mouth”. Truth is I should be teaching them to guard their heart because everything that proceeds from our mouths is birthed in our heart. Looking back on your recent conversations, ask the Holy Spirit to show you the true condition of your heart. It will be evident in many ways and at least one verification of the true condition of our hearts will be the words we speak.
Director of Technology Scott Singleton [scottsingleton@ssfbc.org]
Guard your hearts, Ephesians 4:29
Director of Preschool & Kindergarten Tracey Cody [traceycody@ssfbc.org]
Business Administrator
La Primera iglesia Mission Pastor Amadeo Miranda
FirstNews is a monthy publication of
First Baptist Church 116 Oak Avenue Sulphur Springs,Texas 75482 (903) 885-0646 www.ssfbc.org
Pastor Mark
P.S. Please begin to pray about how the Lord will have you participate in the Harvest Day Offering. The emphasis this year will include our normal expenditures for mission trips and camps. The surplus will go toward retiring the debt on the ROC. I am asking the Lord to lead us to give like we have never given before and that we will give “For His Glory”. Looking forward to an abundant harvest.
Candy needed!
Please bring bags of unopened, individually wrapped candy to one of the buckets located throughout the church.
Trunk Sign Up
is located in the Welcome Center. Pleaseno more than 6 to a trunk. Volunteers needed-contact Tracey Cody or Brit Fisher in the church office.
What if sharing your faith was as comfortable as your own living room? MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL
Now it can be.
wednesday, october 9th 6-8 pm Meet at Prim Stadium Drop off & pick up there
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theGA HERing High Attendance Sunday November 10th
Harvest Day Sunday, November 3rd
NOVEMBER 7
DATE & TIME
MyHopeWithBillyGraham.org
GET INVOLVED NOW!
“ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER TO EVERYONE WHO ASKS YOU TO GIVE THE REASON FOR THE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE.” —1 PETER 3:15, NIV
Bible Skills and Thrills begins
Sunday Nov. 10th at 5:00 pm grades 1-3
led by Lindsey Holt, Karen Potter
grades 4-5
led by Kristi Shultz, Shannon Sherman, & Angie Hargrove.
middle school @
Something New! First Kids Ministry now has three sets of child size adjustable crutches to loan out to families in our community. We are looking for a child size wheelchair that we could also loan out. Contact Toni Rissman in the church office for more info. Please help to get this information out to our community.
Middle School
8:00 pm at the Anderson home High School Guys Ministry 6:30 pm Monday nights @ Heath’s house
Saturday, October 26 Fellowship Hall @ 8:00 am
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Lord’s Supper Sunday, October 13th During the evening service Diamond Set Tuesday, October 22
10:00 am Games & Blood pressure checks 11:00 am LunchBring a vegetable or salad. Church will provide meat, drink & dessert.
12:15 pm Music Program
Cost: $3.00
All ages invited
Christmas Village Ministry is now accepting toys (New and like new)
for the shopping day on Saturday, December 14th
*Drop off location is at The ROC.
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Tuesday, October 8 In the Chapel 10:30 -11:30 am All ages welcome! Come sing your favorite hymns. Light refreshments served in Fellowship Hall.
Looking ahead to Summer 2014-
ROC Loan Balance
Original amt $2,250,000.00 Total paid $722,077.00 Total Int paid $124,385.89 Total Principal paid $598,133.54 Loan Balance $1,651,866.46
June 1 Senior Sunday June 8-14 Endeavor Mission Trip to Chicago. June 16-20 VBS 2014 June 22-28 Austin Mission Trip & Rio Grande Mission Trip July 6-11 Middle School Camp July 6-12 Rise Youth Choir Trip, July 11-13 Grades 4 & 5 Student Life Camp July 16-19 High School Senior Trip July 19 Endeavor at the Lake July 21-25 High School Camp in Denton, TX July 27 - Aug 2 Milwaukee Mission Trip Aug 7-9 Kid's Camp at Lakeview Baptist Assembly
116 Oak Avenue Sulphur Springs, Texas 75482
Non-Profit Organization U.S Postage Paid Permit No. 174 Sulphur Springs, Texas
Address service requested
Cost: $45.00