CHBC Ramblings
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
This Past Week
I loved this past Sunday! First, I got to preach on one of my favorite passages of Scripture, Psalm 139. If you didn’t need the message of encouragement it gave, I did! Admittedly, it is sometimes hard to believe that God cares for us as much as indicated in that psalm, but He does. Let’s not believe the lies that others tell us, that Satan uses to deceive us, and that we hear in our own thoughts. Instead, let’s believe God when He says that He loves us and He thinks of us constantly. Like David, let’s allow the truth of God’s care to motivate us to follow the “way everlasting.”
Last Sunday night was a great time of fellowship. About 175 gathered to have ice cream and share or watch others share their talents. Our “Build Your Own Sundae” and “Talent Show” has become an annual favorite in the past few years. After the day was over, I was “worn out”! (I guess you had to be there.)
This coming Sunday
I will preach this Sunday on the topic, “Money Matters.” We will also hear a testimony of God’s faithfulness from Phil Karl, the chair of our Finance Committee. This committee is taking the lead from God’s word in Malachi to challenge us to live on 90% of our income for 90 days if we have not already learned the blessing of tithing:
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:10-12 (NIV)
Generally, we are told not to test the Lord. In this passage, He invites us to do so! I hope you will join me in seeing what God will do. This is not an emphasis on money; it is part of our emphasis on discipleship.
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
Speaking of discipleship, in the next few weeks I be seeking to help all us evaluate where we are in our growth in following Jesus. Jesus says that He came to give us life, and we will find the most joy in that life when we are experiencing balanced, consistent growth. Come see how we will speak of this in terms of Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet. This DiscipleLIFE emphasis will begin September 13 and is designed to be a simple but useful tool in measuring your progress in your journey with Jesus, both now and in the future.
And there is more...
Our annual church picnic will be on the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend at Mason Mill Park from 4 till 8. We will eat at 6. On September 13, we start Sunday evening classes at 5:30 p.m. Adults will have three choices—look for your Courier for details.
That’s all for now...
God bless,
Fred O. Pitts, Pastor
Clairmont Hills Baptist Church
1995 Clairmont Road
Decatur, GA 30033
404.634.6231 Office
404.634.6062 Fax
www.clairmonthills.org
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ramblings--20090818
CHBC Ramblings
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
“I’m Back!!”
Playing “catch up” the last couple of weeks after time away, I haven’t done any “Rambling,” but I am back at it today. A couple of you told me you missed it; I assume the rest of you were just glad for the respite.
The Past Couple of Weeks
For me, the last few Sundays have been special. We had the opportunity to baptize a young lady who has been drawing closer to this decision since the spring, when she and her parents began worshiping with us. In fact, her parents, also joined our church the day Michaela was baptized. This past Sunday, our church planters, Bill and Kitti Murray, also officially joined our fellowship.
His Kids, our music program for children, met on Sunday evening for a preview of a Christmas musical they will undertake this year. About eighteen children were there, the highest we have had in the past few years. My daughter Lydia will be leading His Kids this fall and will be working as an unpaid Children’s Ministry Intern for us this year following her recent college graduation until she enrolls in seminary next fall. (More information on that will be given at church conference tomorrow night.)
By the way, we give a huge thank you to Laura B. who has built a great foundation in the past couple of years in His Kids but needed to step down for this year.
This coming Sunday
I have been preaching from some of my favorite Psalms the past two weeks— Psalm 8 and Psalm 73. This Sunday I will draw from the longest Psalm of all (Psalm 119) but will really concentrate on several passages of Scripture that speak of Light as a metaphor for our faith and our lives. I hope you will be there.
Sunday night will feature an annual fun event in our Community of Faith, Hope, and Love—the “Build Your Own Sundae” and “Talent (?) Show.” It all begins at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Let’s come together to enjoy each other’s company, be amazed at some talent, and laugh together.
This Fall
Beginning September 1, our Finance Committee is taking the lead from God’s word in Malachi to challenge us to live on 90% of our income for 90 days if we have not already learned the blessing of tithing:
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:10-12 (NIV)
Generally, we are told not to test the Lord. In this passage, He invites us to do so! I hope you will join me in seeing what God will do.
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
Also in September, I be seeking to help all us evaluate where we are in our growth in following Jesus. Jesus says that He came to give us life, and we will find the most joy in that life when we are experiencing balanced, consistent growth. Come see how we will speak of this in terms of Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet. This DiscipleLIFE emphasis will begin September 13 and is designed to be a simple but useful tool in measuring your progress in your journey with Jesus, both now and in the future.
More to Come…
There is much more coming. We will announce next week our classes for Sunday evenings beginning on September 13. Also, I will be reminding you about our Church Picnic on the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend. So stay tuned.
Lord willing, I will see you Sunday. Bring someone with you if you can.
God bless,
Fred O. Pitts, Pastor
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
“I’m Back!!”
Playing “catch up” the last couple of weeks after time away, I haven’t done any “Rambling,” but I am back at it today. A couple of you told me you missed it; I assume the rest of you were just glad for the respite.
The Past Couple of Weeks
For me, the last few Sundays have been special. We had the opportunity to baptize a young lady who has been drawing closer to this decision since the spring, when she and her parents began worshiping with us. In fact, her parents, also joined our church the day Michaela was baptized. This past Sunday, our church planters, Bill and Kitti Murray, also officially joined our fellowship.
His Kids, our music program for children, met on Sunday evening for a preview of a Christmas musical they will undertake this year. About eighteen children were there, the highest we have had in the past few years. My daughter Lydia will be leading His Kids this fall and will be working as an unpaid Children’s Ministry Intern for us this year following her recent college graduation until she enrolls in seminary next fall. (More information on that will be given at church conference tomorrow night.)
By the way, we give a huge thank you to Laura B. who has built a great foundation in the past couple of years in His Kids but needed to step down for this year.
This coming Sunday
I have been preaching from some of my favorite Psalms the past two weeks— Psalm 8 and Psalm 73. This Sunday I will draw from the longest Psalm of all (Psalm 119) but will really concentrate on several passages of Scripture that speak of Light as a metaphor for our faith and our lives. I hope you will be there.
Sunday night will feature an annual fun event in our Community of Faith, Hope, and Love—the “Build Your Own Sundae” and “Talent (?) Show.” It all begins at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Let’s come together to enjoy each other’s company, be amazed at some talent, and laugh together.
This Fall
Beginning September 1, our Finance Committee is taking the lead from God’s word in Malachi to challenge us to live on 90% of our income for 90 days if we have not already learned the blessing of tithing:
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty. Malachi 3:10-12 (NIV)
Generally, we are told not to test the Lord. In this passage, He invites us to do so! I hope you will join me in seeing what God will do.
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
Also in September, I be seeking to help all us evaluate where we are in our growth in following Jesus. Jesus says that He came to give us life, and we will find the most joy in that life when we are experiencing balanced, consistent growth. Come see how we will speak of this in terms of Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet. This DiscipleLIFE emphasis will begin September 13 and is designed to be a simple but useful tool in measuring your progress in your journey with Jesus, both now and in the future.
More to Come…
There is much more coming. We will announce next week our classes for Sunday evenings beginning on September 13. Also, I will be reminding you about our Church Picnic on the Sunday night of Labor Day weekend. So stay tuned.
Lord willing, I will see you Sunday. Bring someone with you if you can.
God bless,
Fred O. Pitts, Pastor
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Off to College
It's raining outside. It matches my mood.
I did really well today helping Rebekah, my fourth child (and fourth daughter), move into her dorm at a school a little over a hundred miles away. We exchanged pleasant words, meaningful hugs, prayers, and some last minute words of wisdom. I wasn't really sad.
Until I left.
Cindy and Lydia and Memaw stayed a couple of hours longer than Fred O and I did, and not long after we pulled out, Lydia sent me a text: "Beks cried when you left. Just to let you know."
It began to hit me right about that point.
I called Bekah a little later and had a brief conversation.
The worst thing, though, was walking into her room at the house. Now, it really wasn't the room itself, because we just moved into another house three months ago. Another thing that made it different: it was clean!
No, it was the symbolism of the room being empty!
It was then that tears began to well up in my eyes. They continue to well up, even as I type. I am glad Rebekah gets to go off to college, and I know that it will be a terrific adventure in life for her--a bend in the road--and I am happy for her. However, tonight I am sad for me. I miss you already, Rebekah. I love you so much.
Both Rebekah and Lydia performed Thursday night at our church fellowship hall. Lydia, who just graduated from Georgia State with a degree in creative writing, read a story she had written for a class. While fiction, it included a lot of true things from our family. It was wonderful.
Rebekah repeated her senior project in drama and music from Artios Academies. It too was wonderful. At the end, I presented to her a diploma from our home school, and I gave her a little booklet I made for her, "Dad's Instruction Book for College." She was excited to receive it. In it, I gave her about 20 statements of "wisdom," some serious, some hoping to be humorous. I ended with a sum up statement: "Obey God. (Out of your love for Him.)"
I think she will. I am proud of her and all of my children.
But tonight, I am especially missing Rebekah.
I did really well today helping Rebekah, my fourth child (and fourth daughter), move into her dorm at a school a little over a hundred miles away. We exchanged pleasant words, meaningful hugs, prayers, and some last minute words of wisdom. I wasn't really sad.
Until I left.
Cindy and Lydia and Memaw stayed a couple of hours longer than Fred O and I did, and not long after we pulled out, Lydia sent me a text: "Beks cried when you left. Just to let you know."
It began to hit me right about that point.
I called Bekah a little later and had a brief conversation.
The worst thing, though, was walking into her room at the house. Now, it really wasn't the room itself, because we just moved into another house three months ago. Another thing that made it different: it was clean!
No, it was the symbolism of the room being empty!
It was then that tears began to well up in my eyes. They continue to well up, even as I type. I am glad Rebekah gets to go off to college, and I know that it will be a terrific adventure in life for her--a bend in the road--and I am happy for her. However, tonight I am sad for me. I miss you already, Rebekah. I love you so much.
Both Rebekah and Lydia performed Thursday night at our church fellowship hall. Lydia, who just graduated from Georgia State with a degree in creative writing, read a story she had written for a class. While fiction, it included a lot of true things from our family. It was wonderful.
Rebekah repeated her senior project in drama and music from Artios Academies. It too was wonderful. At the end, I presented to her a diploma from our home school, and I gave her a little booklet I made for her, "Dad's Instruction Book for College." She was excited to receive it. In it, I gave her about 20 statements of "wisdom," some serious, some hoping to be humorous. I ended with a sum up statement: "Obey God. (Out of your love for Him.)"
I think she will. I am proud of her and all of my children.
But tonight, I am especially missing Rebekah.
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