Monday, October 24, 2011

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

T-SHIRT FUNDRAISER FOR YOUTH

FPC Palatka T-Shirts are available in a variety of sizes for anyone!  Black shirt, Lime Green design printed on front (see below).   The FPC Palatka design features our mission statement:

Reach, Grow, Send, as well as a cross.

From a distance folks will read “FPC Palatka” but a closer look reveals the words reach, grow and send actually form the letters f, p and c.  They’ll be great to wear for church-wide and community functions to show that we are one group.

Shirts are in the church office.
Please see Adam George or Amy Poupore
to pick one up.

Cost is $12 (sm – xl)  or $14 (2X and up)



Monday, October 10, 2011

Not tomorrow....TODAY!



From James, chapter 4:

4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:  “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.


Okay, so here I've been wondering "God, how are you wanting me to serve you with my future?"  Then I come across this morning's passage and I hear Him say loud and clear "No...I want you to serve me TODAY!  The mission field is right outside the door...sometimes, it's even inside this building!  Serve today...If I give you tomorrow, then serve me then as well BUT SERVE TODAY!"


Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Creating a Three-Word Testimony



I did not come up with this on my own.  This is from an article found on churchleaders.com and authored by A.J. Rinaldi.


********************

What makes your testimony an effective way to share the gospel?

It’s YOUR story.
•    edited by you,
•    filtered by you,
•    qualified by you,
•    told by you.

YOU CAN TELL IT ANYWHERE!

It includes how YOU came to Christ, and how THEY can come to Christ also.

How can you craft your personal testimony beginning with only three words?! 

It’s easy.

Choose your first word to describe your life, feelings, situation, thoughts, etc. before you placed your faith in Christ.

Consider one of these:
Angry, Independent, Manipulative, Miserable, Hopeless, Empty, Addicted, Aimless, Restless, Striving, Confused, Insecure

The word I chose for myself here is ambiguous.

Choose your second word to describe how you came to place your faith in Christ. When you get to this point, it’s important to include a clear presentation of the gospel, which I have done in my story below.

Consider one of these:
Creation, Studied, Concert, Grew, Bible, Friend, Trouble, Observation, Evangelist, Spouse, Loved

The word I chose for myself here is awakened.

Finally, choose your third word to describe your life, feelings, situation, thoughts, etc. now that you have placed your faith in Christ.

Consider one of these:
Approachable, Peaceful, Generous, Loving, Brave, Caring, Teacher Mentor, Servant, Elder, Hopeful, Compassionate, Confident

The word I chose for myself here is assured.

Once you have your three words, you’re ready to come up with one to two sentences for each word. Just provide a brief explanation of how each word relates to your story.

Here are the sentences I came up with for my 3-word testimony:

Although I believed in the existence of a God and even knew the story of Jesus, I didn’t fully understand how it all fit together. I was ambiguous about the nature and character of Jesus as God and how He had provided a way for me to be reconciled to the very Creator of the universe!

Through a series of conversations with new Christian friends in college, as well as exposure to some Christian music with meaningful lyrics, I came to understand Jesus as savior. I was awakened to the reality that Christ died for my sins and rose from the dead.

Now I am assured that through my trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, I have an unbroken relationship with the very God who created the universe and everything in it. This relationship is for eternity, and my life with Him will not end when my time on earth does.

3 words
1-2 sentences per word…
3-6 sentences to tell your story.   http://www.churchleaders.com/files/endslug_533550574.gif

Monday, October 3, 2011

The Luke-Warm Church

REALLY interesting clip on the "Luke-Warm Church" passage (Revelation Chapter 3) by Francis Chan.