Don't miss out on BREAKFAST this Sunday!!!!

A little something to get you through to Sunday!!! Great story at the end.......

Receiving God’s Blessing of ABUNDANCE!
Dr. Jay Wolf

Jesus boldly promised, "I have come that you might have life and have it ABUNDANTLY!" (John 10:10)

I recently gleaned some encouraging news from the book "Abundance" by Peter Diamandis. The opening illustration was captivating and instructive. In the ancient world, aluminum was exceedingly rare and valuable. For instance, the Emperor of France - Napoleon Bonaparte - hosted the King of Siam for a state dinner in 1812. They used sterling silver goblets and golden plates for the most important guests.  As an extravagant crowning feature of the event, Siam’s King and Napoleon ate with aluminum dinnerware because that metal was exceedingly scarce and rare. However, in 1886 an American chemist named Charles Martin Hall discovered the innovation of using electricity to liberate aluminum. Aluminum is actually the third most abundant element on earth. 8.3 % of the world's weight is aluminum, but it is bound to oxides and silicates and is very difficult to release. Yet Charles Hall's discovery proved to be an innovation that suddenly unlocked aluminum as a source of inexpensive, lightweight, pliable and non-corrosive metal that is now abundantly available to everyone.

Here is the point: History is full of stories about once-rare resources that are now abundant because of innovation. On the spiritual level, abundance is not so much linked to innovation as it is to intercession. In Luke 11, Jesus invites His children to ask, seek and knock and they will receive in abundance. Paul explains that we serve a God who delights in answering His children and will give us "more than we can think, ask, or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20) because our Father desires to supply His children's needs in abundance. "My God will supply all your needs according to His RICHES in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) God invites you to ask for His abundance. Then our Father expects for you to use your abundant blessings to bless others! “Your abundance will supply your brother’s needs.” (2 Corinthians8:14)

Let me conclude with the classic story about Arnold Palmer receiving an abundant blessing linked to requesting. In the 1960s, the great golfer was invited to Saudi Arabia to inaugurate their first golf course. Palmer's host explained that the King of Saudi Arabia wanted to give him a gift of his choosing. So Arnold asked for a golf club, expecting to receive a new driver or a wedge. Instead, two attorneys appeared the next day at his hotel and they presented to him a deed to a 36-hole golf club in Florida!

Remember, through innovation and intercession, God releases abundance to His children for your blessing and for blessing others! 

MAY 22: REDEEMED FROM AN UNBELIEVING PAST

Just a note... Vev and I will be in Birmingham this weekend attending the wedding of our nephew. We hope all of you will have a great lesson this Sunday... I am very sure Ms. Pat will handle the lesson as she always does...

Last week we used Cliffs Notes for those of you who had not read the lesson... this week we are using Sparknotes

MAY 22: REDEEMED FROM AN UNBELIEVING PAST

MAY 16, 2016

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Acts 26:9-20

Throughout the book of Acts, we are introduced and exposed to the workings of the Holy Spirit. The focus of Acts is primarily on two individuals, Peter and Paul. For the study of this lesson, our focus will be on Paul. Paul was converted in Acts 9 and God’s purpose for Paul was mainly to take the gospel message to the Gentiles. In our text, Paul finds himself before King Agrippa and Paul shares his conversion experience with one of the most powerful men in the world. 

Looking more closely at Paul’s testimony, we find that he shared what his life was like before his conversion experience. Paul explained to Agrippa that before his conversion experience, he hated the cause of Christ and gladly persecuted followers of Christ. In his journey to Damascus in which he was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,” Paul was confronted by the Christ whom he had been persecuting. Like many who do not have a relationship with Jesus, Paul tried to justify his previous actions as noble. Paul enjoyed arresting, persecuting, and putting to death various Christians.  In Philippians 3:5-6, Paul said that this persecution was caused by the zeal of his former religion. Paul discovered that hunting down Christians was clearly not God’s desire. Paul is typical of many today who are not followers of Christ – in that they love to persecute those who follow Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 24 that the hatred of believers would intensify before He returns.

Paul then shared the nuts and bolts of the encounter with Jesus that changed his life. On the road to Damascus Paul saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, which caused Paul to fall to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” which meant to persecute the followers of Jesus is to persecute Jesus Himself. Jesus changed Paul’s life and Paul was commissioned to carry the gospel to the Gentiles (v. 17). Faithful he was! According to Galatians 6:17, Paul had scars on his body for the cause of Christ. Paul’s life demonstrates the fact that God can save anyone because Paul referred to himself as the “chief of all sinners.”

After surrendering himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul’s commitment proved that he was radically changed. Immediately after his conversion experience, a person could see Paul’s lifestyle changed. He was consistently obedient to Christ.  Paul was blinded by the light on the Damascus Road but after having his sight restored he immediately began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying “He is the Son of God.” Paul began to preach in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles. This commitment to Jesus Christ is proven by the events that caused much personal suffering for Paul. II Corinthians 11:23-27 tells of many of the things Paul suffered: imprisonment, floggings, lashes, stoning, shipwreck, and danger. God spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road telling Paul of the things he would face as a believer, but that was not the last time God spoke to Paul. God continued to give guidance and direction to him for the rest of his life.

Paul shared his testimony before King Agrippa. Never underestimate the power of your personal testimony. Paul shared what his life was like before his encounter with Christ, about the day he responded to Christ, and then illustrated this change through a consistent lifestyle of obedience to Christ. Your testimony may be different from Paul’s, yet all who respond to Christ respond in the same way — by faith followed by a lifestyle of obedience in whatever Christ calls us to do

For Sunday, May 15th, 2016

If you have not read the lesson for this week, here is the Cliff Notes for this week!!!!!

MAY 15: REDEEMED FROM DEVASTATING FAILURE

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Luke 22:54-62; Acts 4:8-13

At the Olympic Games every four years, 90 percent of the best athletes in the world do not win a medal. They try but they fail. Likewise, the Bible records many people who failed. Oftentimes we fail at the point of our greatest strength. The Bible says that Moses was a meek man, yet he lost his temper and struck the rock. Abraham was called the father of faith, but he lied twice, stating that Sarah was not his wife. David was called a man after God’s own heart, yet he committed adultery.

Peter’s name is added to that list in that he boasted that even if all the other disciples forsook Jesus; he would not. This is the same Peter who had courage to get out of the boat and also the same man who pulled out a sword to defend Jesus in the Garden. Now that Jesus had been arrested Peter followed at a distance. Peter ended up warming himself by the fire in the courtyard of the High Priest. There by the fire Peter denied Jesus three times just as Jesus said he would. It appeared that Peter was a failure but thankfully failure was not final in Peter’s life.

Peter realized that he was not as strong as he first thought. Peter had said that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would not deny Jesus. Peter was confident of his strength and loyalty. After denying Jesus three times, Peter heard the rooster crow. At that point, Peter realized he had failed in his loyalty to Jesus. Peter had a desire to be a faithful follower of Jesus but now, when put to the test, he had failed.

Peter discovered that God’s love and forgiveness was not dependent on success. Peter discovered that Jesus still loved him in spite of his failure. Verse 61 states that “the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Warren Wiersbe writes, “It is to Peter’s credit that all that the Lord had to do was look at him to bring him to (the place of recognition of what he had done) repentance.” Peter probably remembered the words of Jesus in Luke 22:32: “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter learned from his failures. Peter went out and wept bitterly. He had great remorse. Peter’s remorse was different from Judas’ remorse.

Unlike Judas, Peter’s remorse led him to make some changes in his life. Just as Peter denied Jesus three times by the fire, in John 21 Jesus asked Peter “Do you love Me?” three times by the fire.

Peter proved by his actions that he was serious in his love for Jesus. In Acts 4, Peter stood in the same courtyard in which he denied Jesus and boldly proclaimed Jesus before the same crowd in which he had denied Jesus. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the same man who had cursed and denied Jesus earlier was now standing unafraid before the same crowd that called for the crucifixion of Jesus. This crowd realized that there was something different about Peter. They knew Peter was uneducated and unschooled, yet they were amazed and recognized that they (Peter and John) had been with Jesus.

Spending time with Jesus made all the difference in Peter’s life.  Jesus wants to make that same difference in our lives. Do others see through your life that you have “been with Jesus”? The same Jesus that impacted and changed Peter’s life waits to impact and change our lives as well.

Veverly Baird Arrington

You are the type of MOM that every child needs.

I am glad that you are our daughters' MOM because you did an awesome job.

By loving and raising them, you gained an insight on how to be a wonderful Grandmother.

I know all of "our girls" would 

have it no other way!

Again, I stand in amazement and awe, when I see you share your Faith, Compassion, 

and Love to them. 

Happy Mother's Day!

BREAKFAST SUNDAY

1st Sunday of May

 This Sunday Is

Sunday

So ........Rise and Dine

and Give God The Glory!!!

We will also be hosting our new ministers: 

 Edd Brashier, Chris Duke, Kaleb Wemberly and their spouses.

Come get fed this Sunday, physically and spiritually!!

We continue the pursuit of our study of "Beauty From Ashes: Redeeming Your Broken Moments." 

Our focus this week is

Numbers 12:1-11, 13-15

Redeemed from a Critical Spirit

APR. 17: REDEEMED FROM POOR CHOICES

Hope to see you this Sunday!!!! 

Just a 2 minute glimpse of this week's lesson

APR. 17: REDEEMED FROM POOR CHOICES

APRIL 11, 2016

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Genesis 15:1-6, 16:1-5, 17:18-19

People often will make promises. However when it comes time to fulfill that promise, they neglect to follow through on their word. Who has not been hurt by having a promise made and then broken? For instance, “I promise I will not tell another person. I promise to be on time. I promise I will pay you. I promise to love, honor, and cherish.” What good is a promise if someone does not keep their word?

Abraham was a man of faith. Back in chapter 12, God had already promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation. Now the years have gone by and Abraham and Sarai are getting older and still do not have a child. Abraham’s faith was strong enough that he left his homeland and his family to follow the call of God. But now looking from a human perspective, God’s promise of a child appeared to be impossible. Even though God restates His promise and shows Abraham the stars, he really offers him nothing more or new. Instead, once again, God reiterates the promise of His Word. Abraham, like many other biblical characters proves that even people of faith will have times of doubt and weakness.

Abraham thought that his problem was bigger than what God could handle. Sarai decided she would help God’s promise along by offering her Egyptian slave, Hagar, to Abraham for the purpose of using her to bear a child. When God delayed His promise, both Abraham and Sarai equated it with God’s weakness or inability to deliver what He had promised. We are guilty of the same mindset. We fail to trust the timing of God. It is easy to become impatient with God and ask Him why He isn’t working the way that we want in our timing. People often rush ahead of God and miss the blessing that He has in store for them.

When Abraham did not take God at His Word, it created all kinds of problems. The birth of Ishmael, the son begotten by Hagar, caused all kinds of difficulties for Abraham. There was the issue of jealousy between Sarai and Hagar to the degree that later on, Abraham had to send Hagar and Ishmael away just to keep peace on the home front! This was a difficult thing for Abraham to do but it demonstrated the conflict that arises when a person attempts to do God’s work their way.

God did indeed fulfill His promise to Abraham and Sarai. That promised son was Isaac who became the father of the Jewish nation. The son previously born to Abraham through Hagar was Ishmael. Ishmael became the father of the Arab nation. Even though Abraham and Sarai have long passed from the scene of this world, the family conflict which began between two sons has developed into a worldwide conflict. God’s promise to Abraham was sure. But like us today, lack of trust and belief that God would deliver what He promised often results in poor choices and negative outcomes.

God is true to His Word. His timing is always perfect. His promises never fail!

A Call to Prayer

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Ms. PAT!!!!!!

4/10/16

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A Call to Prayer

Lead by Franklin GrahamThursday, April 14th , 2016 12:00 to 1:00 PM

Alabama State Capitol

West Front Steps

God gives us instructions on the type of intercession that helps precipitate a Great Awakening: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Franklin Graham is seeking to start a prayer revival in America by traveling to all 50 state capitals to encourage God’s People to activate 2 Chronicles 7:14. Revivals are not conjured up; they are prayed down. An Awakening in America will not occur when Hollywood and Washington DC get right, but when God’s People get right. Leonard Ravenhill, a powerful evangelist of the past, famously said, “If you want to see a revival come then begin by drawing a circle in your prayer room, step into it and ask God to start an awakening within that circle.”

The goal of this call to prayer is to start with your heart. Invite God to tour the chamber of your spirit and root out anything that does not look like Jesus. Remove any ugly weeds that grow in the garden of your soul like anger, bitterness, addiction, competition, doubt, fear, jealousy, worry, lust, pride, and selfishness. Give God permission to weed your spiritual garden and replace destructive flesh-fruits with thefruits of His Spirit. Our goal is to look like Jesus and function as His agents of love, purity and serving. When His love and light shines from the Body of Christ, the lost and seeking people around us will be drawn to the Savior on display in His Children. 
 
In addition to entering your personal prayer closet and seeking the Lord, join withFranklin Graham at the State Capitol on Thursday, April 14 at noon. This prayer rally is not about a political candidate, it’s all about lifting up Jesus as our Hope. Franklin Graham explained, “We have a responsibility as the Church to be salt and light in this world. We are to speak the truth of God’s Word to a society whose spiritual and moral foundation is crumbling. The only hope for our nation is for us to pray, seek God’s face, and stand firm on His Word. Through the Decision America Tour, we will visit your state capital to pray fervently for our nation. Will you join us in this effort?” 

Let’s make corporate prayer at the State Capitol and with our Church Family a high priority and watch God do something extraordinary as He leverages the prayers of His people into a far-reaching Spiritual Awakening!