FroMYour Pastor’s heartjhenry@fbcfairhope.org

Welcome to the First Family

First Edition - page 2

2015 is here. A fresh year is now before us. 2014 is in the past and it reminds us that time passes by so quickly. Here and now is the challenge of living life under God’s direction and facing the uncertainties that the coming year will bring our way. What the psalmist wants us to know as we look out there is that the God within us is able to give us strength for each new situation. (Psalm 23). The question I asked in last Sunday’s sermon was: “Am I becoming more spiritual and less religious?” It is possible to look like and act like a Christian and not know the God who loves us so.Nicodemus was so religious but he needed desperately to be born again (John 3:3). A time goal for each of us in the coming year is to become more Christ-centered and less self-centered. Finding ways to let God speak to places in our lives could challenge our comfort zones. Hear through worship, reading God’s Word, prayer, places of service, fellowship with other Christians, etc. When we stop listening to God’s voice we drift away and justify wrong actions. Our church o� ers so much help in your Christian walk. Find our place of involvement. Our Wednesday night activities resume on January 14. Mission trips are being planned and a family conference will be held on January 25. All of these activities are important, but they do not replace personal time with the Lord in prayer and Bible reading. Jesus made His time with God a priority in His life and we are called to do the same (Mark 1:35). Making this year a year of being more Christ-like means setting aside time to spend at the feet of the Master. Spiritual victories come through set aside quiet times. My sermons in the coming weeks will focus on knowing our enemy - who is against us, and knowing our God - who is for us. Satan is so real and so powerful, but the God of the Bible is more real and more powerful. Each one has a plan for our lives - Satan, for our destruction and God - for our abundant life. Bring your Bible and let God speak to your heart. We are still short of our Lottie Moon O� ering. At the time of this writing we have given around 30,000 while our goal is 50,000. The work of our missionaries depends on these o� erings. Most of us will never go to the mission � eld, but we can give our gifts to help those already there. Let’s see if we can’t reach our goal in the next few weeks. Happy New Year. May God bless each of you this year. Your pastor, Jerry Luke 10:38-42

Monica & Tim ShanerJoin by Letter12073 Balsam Ct, Spanish Ft281.3336

Gary CalvertJoins by Profession of Faith8295A Morphy Ave FH459.4114

Katlyn WeemsJoins by Profession of Faith