Ready for Sunday!

I'm sitting at an airport in birmingham AL this morning waiting to catch a flight home. I flew down yesterday to spend some time with my mom who is undergoing treatment for cancer. We had a good day yesterday... My sister and her boys from Atlanta were in too so it was good to spend time with them.

It has been a very busy week. Due to the holiday on Monday everything has been compressed, but tomorrow is the beginning of a new week.

I am really looking forward to worship tomorrow. I will be preaching the last message in our series on Joseph in Genesis. We will be focused on the one thing you see throughout Joseph's life that allowed him to handle everything that came his way.

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Sometimes people ask me what I am especially praying for right now. Well, let me share...

... Of course I am praying much for my mother as she goes throughout her treatments.

... I am praying for Edward Rafferty who lost his mother this week.

... I am praying for a very serious community issue that impacts a number of people in our church and also impacts the whole faith family in our area. Just pray that the Lord's will be done.

... I am praying for our missions work in Kenya. I had a good meeting with the Kenya team this week. I am enthused for this ministry right now.

... I am praying for youth camp and vacation Bible school, both of which are just around the corner.

Well, it's time to line up to get on the plane...

Pastor Noel

How To Be A Blessing To Your Kids

I just finished the first draft of my Sunday message. It has been a convicting study process. Since we are focusing on the life of Joseph in our Sunday messages these last few weeks I have spent time this week learning how Joseph and his father Jacob sought to be a blessing to Manasseh and Ephraim (Joseph's sons).

I realize that sometimes we just take the growth, maturity, and spiritual development of our kids or grandkids for granted. Joseph and Jacob were much more intentional. I have been convicted as I have outlined the things they did.

So Sunday we will study through this. I think it will be helpful whether your kids or grandkids are young or old. It is never too late to have some influence on those around us. In fact, the principles we will learn will teach us how to have influence in the lives of everyone around us, not just kids and grandkids.

Looking forward to Sunday!
Pastor Noel

Joseph Group

This morning is the first day of our new men's Connect Group for the summer semester. I'm really looking forward to it. As I was studying yesterday and preparing for how we would begin, I realized that almost every issue or struggle that men deal with is dealt with somewhere in the story of Joseph. Thirteen chapters in the book of Genesis... More than almost anyone else in the Bible... Joseph is a man every Christian man should study closely.

By the way, we had a pretty good day Sunday. Good crowd in worship despite the first really good weather day in a while.

Well, I had a good devotional time today. Time to get ready to head out...

Pastor Noel

If Someone Hurts You -- Post II

I just finished the final draft of Sunday's message about what to do if you have been hurt. I can't wait until Sunday. There is so much relevant and life changing wisdom in Scripture and the Lord has taught me much about this subject as I have studied these last two days.

When we've been hurt, we find ourselves at a critical juncture in our lives. How we handle our hurt and the offending party will go a long ways toward determining our future and God's role in our lives. If you would like to really get prepared, read the story of Joseph in Genesis 39-50. I look forward to diving deep into parts of this Sunday morning.

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On another subject, we had a great New Member's Class last night. The group asked many questions as we went through the material. The Lord added a number of new people to our church family last night!

What To Do If Someone Hurts You

Has someone ever hurt you? Maybe it was someone in your family... Maybe a close friend... A coworker...

Often people carry that hurt around for years or even decades, and then worse than that when a hurt person gets a chance for revenge, some pretty negative things can happen. The result is more hurt, more broken relationships, bitterness, anger, and on and on.

I've spent the day studying part of the life of Joseph found in Genesis 40-45. In this passage we learn what to do if someone hurts us. We learn how to take a bad situation and make something redeeming out of it.

This is something we all need to learn. We will be focusing on this Sunday morning in our 10:45 worship service. I hope you will join us.

I usually study from my home study on Wednesdays, but I'm heading in to the church now for a meeting and for tonight's New Member Class. I'm liking forward to meeting new people the Lord is adding to our church family.

Pastor Noel

Upcoming Messages

Today is a study day. As I do most Wednesdays, I will spend my time today studying and preparing for upcoming messages. Other concerns and issues can wait until Thursday. On Wednesdays I hunker down in an office I built in my basement and just study. I have counseling appointments on Wednesday evenings, usually several. Today I have only two, with AWANA Awards night in between.

My upcoming Sunday morning message, a Mother's Day message, will focus primarily from Genesis 41 as we look at the dream Joseph interpreted for the Pharoah. I'll blog more on this later.

I'm also working on our next Sunday night Bible Study Series. The working title is "You Have Never Read The Bible: A Surprising Approach To How To Study Your Bible." Obviously the title needs some work. This series will last three weeks and it will begin Sunday evening, May 23. I would love to have the notebooks written by the end of the day so Carla could begin to put them together, but I doubt I'll get that far.

Well, time to begin...

Glad I Belong To Him,
Pastor Noel

Attention Men

Below is an email I sent to the men in our church and community today. if you would like to be a part of this or any other Connect Group this summer, you can register online at www.FirstBaptistHeath.com.

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Dear Men,

This Summer semester, I will be leading a Men's Connect Group on Tuesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. focusing on the life of Joseph in the Old Testament.

As men, we can learn much from Joseph. He faced many of the same issues we face. As leaders in our families, our careers, and our church, we need to know what Joseph has to say. Take a look at a list of some of the things Joseph faced in his life...

Rejection by his peers...
Sexual temptation...
Career failures...
Career successes...
Poverty...
Wealth...
Oportunities to get revenge...
Family issues...

So we will take 15 weeks this Summer beginning on Tuesday, May 25. We will immerse ourselves as deeply into Joseph's life as we can. We will help each other see how the lessons we learn can make a real difference in our lives. It's going to be a great study.

I know many of you will be traveling some through the summer and you know today that you will not be able to make all fifteen Tuesdays. That's OK. If you have an interest, still sign up. Let's help each other find the help we need from the Lord and His Word this summer.

To register for this group you can go to our website (www.firstbaptistheath.com), register at church by completing a registration card, or by simply replying to this email.

I look forward to having many of you in my group.

Pastor Noel



P.S.

~~ Pass this email around. The class is open to any men who are interested in coming.