by Pastor Rick | Jul 10, 2024 | Click Date to Respond
Good Monday Morning MABC family,
It is nice to greet you without having to warn you to be safe due to extreme heat and humidity! Enjoy the cooler temps today!
Now to see if you paid attention this past Sunday as we started our deep dive into Luke and the Book of Acts! Who were the two books addressed to? Why did Luke write his gospel and then the Book of Acts (if he indeed wrote Acts)? Same purpose? Different purposes?
As we go through this Book of Acts, I want to remind you once again to spend some time in the Gospel of Luke. These two books are best read one after the other. This coming Sunday I will give you some examples of how they fit together. We will look at Acts 1:4-11 for sure and maybe a little more as I flesh out the sermon this week. If you want to read ahead, here are some questions I am going to be looking at:
Why is the “gift” that the Father is sending them so important that they must wait for it? What do you think the disciples were asking when they asked Jesus about restoring the kingdom of God? What words of wisdom (or admonishment) do the angels give to the disciples? What do these questions have to do with us today?
I want to remind you of a couple of important outreach opportunities. Marketplace this Saturday. It is my understanding that first contact with some of the new families attending took place last year at Marketplace. It took about a year but they are here! We never know who we will engage this Saturday that may join us in worship and community at a later time. It is also a good fundraiser for our youth and children for camps. This year we don’t have anyone going to camp. Next year I hope to have some “campers” from MABC. Sherry has told me that we now have had about 15 different kids who have attended Kids’ Konnect during worship on Sundays.
Please take a moment to read Les’ MABC update this morning and pay particular attention to the school supply announcement. This could be a great outreach opportunity as well. We will share info about the supplies to those who come this Saturday. Parents will be told that any child that comes to our one-day Vacation Bible School (Aug. 3) will get school supplies. Our kids will get their supplies as usual. Any additional supplies will be shared as part of our new partnership with Lawrence Elementary school.
One more thing to update you on as well. You can now catch our Sunday worship service on YouTube. Search MABC Video and you should be able to find it. It will look better than our previous Facebook live attempts in that we have two cameras and the sound will be greatly improved. The sound is still a work in progress as we try to get the livestream mix just right. It is completely different feed than what you and I hear in the Sanctuary on Sundays so any suggestions are welcome.
Have a blessed week! Pray for our church family, use your bulletin notes! Pray for Saturday that God would move in our community through us!
Pastor Rick
by Pastor Rick | Jul 1, 2024 | Click Date to Respond
Good Monday Morning!
Well, looks like I will begin this edition of the MMR by encouraging you to be safe again! Heat index for today and tomorrow look to be in the 105 degree range. Stay hydrated and choose your time wisely for outdoor activities.
I am so excited to dig in to the Book of Acts. It has everything in it you could think of…history, drama, intrigue, political machinations and on and on. Although those things make for great story telling, the most important focus is the theme. Luke isn’t looking to give us any kind of model to follow. Acts isn’t a leadership organizational model for us to copy nor is it an evangelism program that we can cut and paste for MABC. Luke intends to show us how God worked in and through the early church to bring about his plan of redemption for all of mankind. Along the way we will see that the early church was pretty much powerless according to worldly standards but because of the Holy Spirit, they had revolutionary power. That same revolutionary power is available to us if we are willing to commit ourselves to the “cause” and make ourselves available.
The Book of Acts appears to be a standalone account if we just go by its location in the Bible. However, if we dig in a little deeper, we can see that it is really a continuation of Luke’s gospel. In the opening chapter of the gospel we are told that Luke is writing to Theophilus so that he may know that the things he – Theophilus – has been taught about Jesus’ life and ministry were true. In Acts, Luke addresses Theophilus once again but this time to show how Jesus’ life and ministry affected the Christian church. We will look at the revolutionary message of Jesus and how the early church carried out Jesus’ command to take it to all nations. Along the way, there will be opposition from religious factions, especially the Jews, and local governments as well as the Roman government.
We live in a world that is very divisive in just about everything you can think of…politics, religion, ethnicity, immigration, and economics. You name it and there seems to be very little that people can agree on. As a result, people are feeling hopeless. Good news is that we have the message of hope. One of the things important to note in Luke’s gospel is that he identifies many of the people Jesus connected with. Luke gives more attention to children than the other gospel writers and he addresses Jesus’ relationships with the poor and oppressed. Luke portrays Jesus as an actual person concerned with “seeking and saving” those who had no hope. He wants to tell the story of Jesus and the Church because of the joy, hope and salvation found in him. We have a sure hope and his name is Jesus (Heb. 6:19-20). Let’s share that hope.
Prepare yourself! Let’s reclaim our part in the revolution.
Pastor Rick
by Pastor Rick | Jun 26, 2024 | Click Date to Respond
Welcome to Summer!
First and foremost this morning, “walk as the wise, not as the unwise” for the next couple of days. We are in extreme heat warnings for the next two days with heat indices in the 108 degree range. Thankfully a cold front comes through Wednesday with temps in the low 90’s!
We just finished up our series on spiritual disciplines. They are the tools we use to be “built up in Him, strengthened in the faith” Colossians 2:6-7 says. Spiritual disciplines are like the exercise equipment at the gym or at home. How many of you have an exercise bike or treadmill at home that really only functions as a clothes hanger? You know, you have to chase the “dust bunnies” away when you get ready to use it once every six months? You are hoping that just having it in the bedroom will improve your health! I saw the sign at our local senior center in Augusta that said “I wish I could drop my body off at the health club and they would call me when it is ready.” Wouldn’t that be nice!
A treadmill or an exercise bike are great for building aerobic capacity. You can also walk outside or ride your bike. The key to improving your fitness though is pushing your body to the uncomfortable zone. The body adapts to a little stress and improves. Your heart thinks “Wow, he or she is going a little faster than normal, I have to get a little stronger.” And it does. Then the next time, you go a little faster – or farther – than the time before. Your heart says “Uh oh, here we go again, need to get a little stronger.” The same way with strength training. You do a set of pushups and your chest, shoulders and arms go “What in the world are they doing? We aren’t used to that, we have to grow a little stronger in case they do this again.” And the little muscle fibers that you broke down doing your three pushups grow a little thicker and stronger in response so they are prepared for the next time you do some pushups…hopefully a couple of days later! That is how you get “built up and strengthened.” It is an ongoing process because once you stop your aerobic system and muscular system will just return to their pre-exercise state if you don’t keep it up. All that exercise is good but if you don’t pay attention to your diet than all that exercise may not add up. You have to put it all together if you want to be healthy.
Spiritual disciplines are the same. They need to be used and so interconnected. Corporate worship includes prayer, stewardship and fellowship. Bible study can be part of your worship and your fellowship as well as part of evangelism. Evangelism can be a means of service and worship. And just like exercise, you might have to get a little uncomfortable to grow in your faith. Let’s get spiritually fit because we have a mission to accomplish for the kingdom. Next week we begin our look at the Book of Acts. Some call it the Acts of the Apostles. We are going to call it the Book of ACTSion. Jesus was returning to Heaven and told the disciples to wait a little while and then…bam, when the Holy Spirit comes – get busy! The Book of ACTSion is just that…a call to action. Get ready. Practice your disciplines as if you were in basic training. We are ready to go out and start “turning our world upside down.” See Acts 13:49 for more clarity!
Pastor Rick
by Pastor Rick | Jun 17, 2024 | Click Date to Respond
Good Monday morning,
I struggled last night in what my direction should be today. I have had these two thoughts bouncing around in my head and trying to prioritize them for which one should come today and the other maybe next week. I am writing now from the office and as a sit and read and pray, I now have a direction.
As a college instructor my responsibilities were two fold. I taught classes in the Strength & Conditioning program designed to help people become personal trainers and taught a general education requirement class called Lifetime Fitness. This class was designed for the non-Physical Education student to get a better understanding of the realm of individual wellness so that they might live a healthier, more productive life. So many studies show that the concept of wellness is more than just being physically fit but that physical fitness plays a big part in how our bodies respond to stress. And it is biblical! God made man to be physically active. Genesis 2:15 says that “God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” The Hebrew word for work means just that – to labor, work, do work. Our culture today is not one of physical labor but one of comfort and ease. Interestingly enough, the word for “take care of” means to “have charge of” or “manage.” The meaning is very similar to our topic yesterday of “stewardship.” Adam was to manage God’s creation.
Now, back to the idea of wellness. Wellness encompasses many aspects. The components I taught about were social, physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and occupational. All of these interact with one another. If I am not feeling well physically I am less likely to be very social, I may not want to go to work (occupational) and I might be very grumpy (emotional). A choice made in one area of wellness will have consequences in another. The idea behind the class was to find the proper balance in all the areas so as to optimize one’s life. Those of you who may be on some kind of medication might understand this better. If you take certain medications, other biological functions have to be monitored. While a med might be good for one thing, it forces another function to alter. Tylenol might be good for pain but long term use may affect kidney function. I tried to teach students to make good choices that would help them live the best possible life they could by making wise choices.
Our spiritual life is kind of like the wellness concept. The components of our spiritual life are worship, prayer, fellowship, service, evangelism, and stewardship. We can use the same thought process in our spiritual life as we do physical wellness. If I neglect one area such as service it may affect another area. Am I truly being a good steward of all that God has given me if I am not serving? If I am not studying His word? If I am not witnessing to others? Or if all I do is worship on Sunday morning am I really being rooted and built up in Him? Am I experiencing all that God has for me if I am not engaging in the tools He has given me to do just that?
Where are you out of balance right now? Are you being “all that you can be” if you aren’t engaging in all the spiritual disciplines? And the big question is this…if God created you to make an impact in this world for the Kingdom, why wouldn’t you want to do just that?
One last message this Sunday on this idea of being rooted and built up in the Lord and what that will look like if we embrace the idea of continued growth in all areas of our spiritual life.
Pastor Rick
by Pastor Rick | Jun 10, 2024 | Click Date to Respond
Good Monday morning MABC!
First of all, thank you for allowing us time away with family. It took me many years to realize that my first ministry should always be family and not the church and/or football. I never did a funeral where the person we were remembering ever uttered the words “I wish I had worked more hours” or “I wish I had won more games.” It is usually I wish I had spent more time with family. Please remember, no matter how “jacked up” your family is, your family is your family. And as we have gathered in one large house with about 18 people including siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews and their significant others as well as my dad and his brother and wife, I am reminded of that every day!
Yesterday’s worship service for us was a great reminder of how we deal with family and others, including our church family. The pastor spoke on 1 Timothy 6 verses 1-5. My main take away was this:
Don’t treat others based on who they are but based on who you are!
Paul is trying to tell Timothy that everything we do should be a reflection of who we are in Jesus Christ. We are all sinners and God meets us in that sin but doesn’t want us to stay in our sin. His goal for us is to reflect Jesus, become more Christ like so that others may come to know Jesus. If I am to reflect Christ to them, I have to treat them based on how Jesus treated me over the years especially those years where football was my first priority. Jesus still showered me with grace and mercy and forgave me 700 times 700 times! That’s who He is and that’s how I am to be and act towards others. I don’t always agree with the way my siblings act and talk or even how their kids act. But Jesus didn’t always like the way I acted and yet because of who He is I am where I am today. I wish I could have heard that message in the car on the way up here so that I was prepared for my long weekend! Don’t get me wrong, we have a lot of fun where we are together but sometimes…well, you all know how that goes in your own families.
It is something we also have to remember with our church family. That family is together – I hope – because we recognize that we are ALL sinners and need Jesus to help us become more like Him every day. The problem Paul says in verse 3 is that some people don’t get this whole idea. That person he says likes to “quibble” and causes arguments ending in jealousy and division. Paul describes that person as arrogant and lacking understanding. In this day and age, the church already faces enough division and rancor from the outside world, we don’t need it from within. Let’s treat each other the way He would treat us. Practice the spiritual disciplines being covered in the “Rooted” series so we can become a better reflection of Christ. I hope that you remember who you are in Him and are being built up in Him every day so that you may treat others as He would treat others (Col. 2:6-7). If you have put your trust for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Jesus, strive to live like Him every day in the hope that others will notice and want some of what you have!
Be back in the office Wednesday after lunch. Looking forward to seeing your Father’s Day ties next Sunday men!
Pastor Rick
by Pastor Rick | Jun 3, 2024 | Click Date to Respond
Good Monday morning MABC!
This past Sunday we continued in our series “Rooted” by taking a look at the spiritual discipline of evangelism. The key points for me were that we were expected to be witnesses and share the gospel and that it came down to whether we would be obedient or not. We are good at finding “outs” to not evangelize like “not my job,” “I am ill-prepared’ or “it’s uncomfortable.” However, if it was important to Jesus, it must become important to us. Remember the app I showed you yesterday – Life On Mission? Go to your app store and search Life On Mission. It will help you share your faith easily and you will no longer have to be unprepared or uncomfortable. Be intentional because it is “everyone’s job” to share the gospel.
Famous last words give us great insight into what is important in someone’s life. Actress Joan Crawford’s supposed last words were “Don’t you dare ask God to help me.” That should tell you something about the importance of faith in her life. Coaching great Vince Lombardi turned to his wife and said, “Happy Anniversary. I love you.” Do you think she was important? Jack Daniel, founder of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, is said to have said, “One more drink, please.” That’s an easy one. Jesus last words before ascending into Heaven? He said to his disciples “you WILL BE my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Bible then says he was taken up to Heaven before their very eyes.
“You will be!” It is expected of us just as we said prayer was expected of us. You will be my witnesses was to be a reminder of the commission he had given them in Matthew chapter 28 to “GO and make disciples. It is not an optional activity for those who are of the Kingdom of God. Jesus even spells out where our witnessing is to begin. The Delano District is our Jerusalem. We must be intentional about reaching those who are in closest proximity to the church. This is one reason I have asked you to join me in reaching out to Lawrence Elementary School in this coming year because schools are often the hub of a community. These LES families are the families in our “Jerusalem” who need support. These are the marriages we need to help strengthen. These are the children we want to join us in AWANA next fall. It is often said in ministry if we get marriages right, we get families right. And if we get families right, churches grow and get stronger. If that happens, communities grow and become better places to live.
I know I sound like a broken record but it is important for us to remember that the lifeblood of the local church and the Church is evangelism. Thom Rainer, former CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources and one of the most respected church researchers of our time, says that the reality of church decline is the collective result of individuals deciding not “to go.” The result of that is the church becomes a religious country club instead of an obedient Great Commission congregation. Let’s strive to be an irresistible church and continue on with our “marching orders” to reach those around us.
Remember, I will be taking a week off. Pastor Rick Woolard will be sharing with you all this coming Sunday. I will be back in the office one week from Wednesday. Have a blessed week!
Pastor Rick
