Late Weekly Update

Friends & Members of TBC,

What a great day last Sunday. Good attendance - Thanks for inviting all your friends Lisa! A Baptism & just overall a great day. Praise The Lord!

Let's have another great day this coming week. This Sunday begins the month of March. Our focus for March is Missions. We believe Missions is the heartbeat of the church. We are studying the book of Acts on Wed. night, which gives us the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul.

I don't know how many realize this, but if not for Home missions, the Trailwood Baptist Church would not be a reality today.

Our focus this year has been: January - Prayer, and February - Family. Please continue to pray & please continue to be faithful with your family to attend the services of TBC.

We cannot be obedient to the Great Commission given to the church without missions. Our message Sunday is "Great Commission or Great Omission?"

Looking forward to another GREAT DAY this LORD'S DAY,

Love ya,
Preacher
Psalm 122:1

Weekly Update

Dear Friends & Members of TBC,

2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

As believers, we are all called to transform the little world around us. C.S. Lewis offered a thoughtful perspective on remaining heavenly minded while continuing to make an impact in this present world. In Mere Christianity, he said. “Hope…means…a continual looking forward to the eternal world…it does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next…It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’: aim at earth and you will get neither.”
Being heavenly minded is not natural. It happens when we focus and meditate on the reality and wonderful hope of the world to come. When we do, we can bring a taste of heaven to the little world around us. So let’s not become complacent — but stay focused there, so we can be effective here… and soon enough we will hear the Lord saying, “Well, done thou good and faithful servant!”
Hope to see everyone this Lord's Day. Our message is "Let's Make a Deal" from Exodus 8.

Don't Forget - FEBRUARY'S FOCUS IS FAMILY. Pray for your family, bring your family to church, and be faithful in attendance with your church family.


Love ya,
Preacher
Psalm 122:1

Urgent Prayer Needed

Sorry everyone for sending you a blank e-mail this am. I am afraid I was a little upset and distraught over a coworker. Please pray for my coworker and her son, Susan and Eric Perez. Susan was fatally stabbed this a.m.and is in Covenant Medical Center. She is now on a ventilator and things do not look good. Her son Eric was there already for pneumonia. She was attacked in her home last night and she and a friend were stabbed many times.

Susan is someone who has had some hard times in her life she recently lost a son and her husband in the past 5 years.

Please pray for her and the friend that were stabbed and that the police find the man who stabbed them.

Gina Riggan (aquaintance of Deanna McSpadden)

10 Rules for a HAPPY Day

10 Rules For A Happy Day
1. TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK.... If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind, I will not react in a like manner, but instead I will strive to respond with kindness.
2. TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY 'ENEMY' If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask God to bless that individual. I understand "enemy" could be a family member, friend, neighbor, co-laborer or stranger, any estranged relationship without peace.
3. TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY.... I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip and I will endeavor to be an encourager.
4. TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE... I will find ways to help share the burden of another person; physically, emotionally, spiritually and prayerfully.
5. TODAY I WILL FORGIVE.... I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way and ask to be forgiven, should the occasion rise.
6. TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL DO IT IN SECRET... I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another, seeking to improve their quality of life in Christ.
7. TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED... I will practice the golden rule. "Do Unto others as I would have them do unto me"- with EVERYONE I encounter.
8. TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED... My attitude, my smile, my words, my statement of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.
9. TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY AND MY MIND... I will eat less... I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank God for my body, for it is His temple, His home, where He abides as I seek to renew my thoughts and think on things that are good, wholesome, pure, righteous and honorable.
10. TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY... I will spend a little more time in prayer today. I will continue reading my Bible and something spiritual or inspirational, to be a vessel of His sanctification. I will find a quiet place and listen to God's voice.
-copied, author unknown

Weekly Update

Dear Friends & Members of TBC,

Jeremiah 17:7-8 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, & whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, & that spreadeth out her roots by the river..."

The prophet Jeremiah is talking about nourishment in the above verse. He tells us that the person who trusts in man is like a shrub in the desert; he shrivels up & dies. But the person who trusts in God is like a tree planted by the water; he is nourished, refreshed, in continual contact with the source of life & renewal. He doesn't have to fear drought or heat, for he is connected to a never-failing source of sustenance.

The people to whom Jeremiah was speaking could relate to his message. There is very little rainfall in Palestine. It is very hot & dry, so in some areas only small, scrubby bushes survive. These little shrubs seem to serve no purpose at all. They are looked upon with disdain. However, every once in a while you will happen upon a tree in that generally barren land, a tall tree, a leafy tree, an oak, an almond, an olive, or a fig tree & you would know that somewhere close-by there is life-giving water.

The difference between a shrub & a tree, says Jeremiah, is nourishment. Where does the person of faith find nourishment? The answer is in God's Word.

Come join us this Lord's Day in worship & the preaching of God's Word. Our message is "A Biblical Description Of The Last Days."

Don't Forget - FEBRUARY'S FOCUS IS FAMILY. Pray for your family, bring your family to church, and be faithful in attendance with your church family.



Love ya,
Preacher
Psalm 122:1

Because Jesus Loves Me

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Because God loves me He is slow to lose patience with me. Because God loves me He takes the circumstances of my life and uses them in a constructive way for my growth. Because God loves me He does not treat me as an object to be possessed and manipulated. Because God loves me He has no need to impress me with how great and powerful He is because He is God, nor does He belittle me as His child in order to show me how important He is. Because God loves me He is for me. He wants to see me mature and develop in His love. Because God loves me He does not send down His wrath on every little mistake I make, of which there are many. Because God loves me He does not keep score of all my sins and then beat me over the head with them whenever He gets the chance. Because God loves me He is deeply grieved when I do not walk in the ways that please Him, because He sees this as evidence that I don't trust Him and love Him as I should. Because God loves me He rejoices when I experience His power and strength and stand up under the pressures of life for His Name's sake. Because God loves me He keeps on working patiently with me even when I feel like giving up and can't see why he doesn't give up with me, too. Because God loves me He keeps on trusting me when at times I don't even trust myself. Because God loves me He never says there is no hope for me; rather, He patiently works with me, loves me and disciplines me in such a way that it is hard for me to understand the depth of His concern for me. Because God loves me He never forsakes me, even though many of my friends might. Because God loves me He stands with me when I have reached the rock bottom of despair, when I see the real me and compare that with His righteousness, holiness, beauty and love. It is at a moment like this that I can really believe that God loves me. Yes, the greatest of all gifts is God's perfect love!
- copied Author Unknown

Weekly Update

Friends & Members of TBC,

Luke 11:28 "...Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, & keep it."

The disciples OBEYED Christ. They humbled themselves as fishermen & listened to the instruction of a carpenter. Then they were ASTONISHED by Christ as He rewarded their obedience. Then they were TRANSFORMED by Christ & they became new people as they pondered who Christ was & what He was doing in their lives.

This is usually the progression of discipleship. We rarely get converted by a blinding light in the sky. Usually it begins by a daily walk with Christ, in which we do the little things that He calls us to do. Then we begin sensing His presence in our lives & we become astonished by His goodness to us. And then this daily walk gradually transforms us into the likeness of Christ.

Don't Forget - FEBRUARY'S FOCUS IS FAMILY. Pray for your family, bring your family to church, and be faithful in attendance with your church family.

Our message Sunday is " Building a Strong Marriage"


Love ya,
Preacher
Psalm 122:1

8 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor

Simple facts that feed a shepherd.by Victor Parachin

Sometimes pastors are the loneliest people in the church. Often their hours are long, the pay minimal, the criticism considerable and constant. Feelings of disappointment, discouragement, and defeat may begin to plague the best of them.

Paul's admonition to "serve one another in love" (Gal. 5:13 ) should encourage us to remember our shepherds. Here are eight ways to make their lives better.

1. Cut the criticismPresbyterian minister Fred Rogers, creator and host of television's "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood," recently gave an address describing the time he was a student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and attended a different church each Sunday in order to hear a variety of preachers.
One Sunday he was treated to "the most poorly crafted sermon (he) had ever heard." But when he turned to the friend who had accompanied him, he found her in tears.
"It was exactly what I needed to hear," she told Rogers.
"That's when I realized," he told his audience, "that the space between someone doing the best he or she can and someone in need is holy ground. The Holy Spirit had transformed that feeble sermon for her—and as it turned out, for me too."
Unlike most workers who are evaluated once or twice a year, clergy are often critiqued weekly after each worship service. It's not unusual to hear people say "the music was poor," "the hymn selection was awful," or "the sermon was boring." We would do well to remember that most spiritual leaders work hard to make worship a unique celebration each week.

2. Pray regularlyAsk God to shower your pastor with an abundance of love, hope, joy, faith, peace, power, wisdom, and courage. Pray for your spiritual leader's maturity and growth in the faith. As you pray keep in mind this wisdom from German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "If you treat a person as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be, he will become what he ought to be and could be."

3. Express appreciation in writingA spoken compliment is always welcome, but a written one can be read over and over again for years. So, when you hear or see something you like from your minister, write an appreciative note.

4. Use your skills to blessAre you proficient with computers? Help your pastor master the church's new computer. Are you a mechanic? Offer to service the car free of charge or at a reduced fee.
One pastor I know recalls: "I was pastoring my first church—a small congregation with limited resources. While there, I developed a series of dental problems and could not afford treatment. What a joy it was when a dentist in the church offered to treat me for free. Correcting my dental problem involved nearly a dozen visits. He treated me carefully and cheerfully each time. I have thought of that dentist many times since then and the memories of his kindness continue to bless my life."

5. Squelch gossipIf you hear a negative comment, respond with a positive one. If misinformation is being spread, correct it with the accurate information. Or, if people are gossiping, just walk away. Remember the Bible soundly condemns gossip and careless speech. James 1:26 says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." And Psalm 34:13 reads, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies."

6. Offer to meet a needSome people make their spiritual leaders defensive and angry by saying, "You need to … " That approach is seldom welcome and almost always counterproductive. If you see a need, approach your spiritual leader by saying, "I'd like to help by … " If you see an area that can be improved, take responsibility for working on it.
Be an active participant in your church. Get involved by teaching a class, leading a workshop, singing in the choir, feeding the hungry. Ask your spiritual leader where and how you can employ your gifts.

7. Be openly responsiveNothing so animates and excites a spiritual leader as seeing people respond to the preaching and teaching. Imagine the surprise and delight of a pastor in Virginia Beach, Virginia, who, when greeting a visitor to his church, found she came because of the kindness of a church member who was her neighbor.
"I'm recently divorced, a single parent and new to this community," she told the pastor. "To keep up with rent and provide for my three children, I must work two jobs. That leaves me very little time for yard work. I was relieved when the weeds didn't overrun my yard as I had feared they might. However, when I made an unscheduled trip home in the middle of my workday, I discovered the reason why the weeds had not taken over my yard.
"My 86-year-old neighbor—a member of your church—was on his hands and knees pulling my weeds. I barely knew this man and he was embarrassed to be caught in this anonymous act of kindness. He explained that he heard you preach a sermon on the importance of living a life of compassion and kindness and decided to put that sermon into practice by weeding my lawn."
One pastor's heart filled with joy when a group of women in Washington, D.C., responded to a sermon preached from the words of Jesus—"Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Matt. 7:1). After hearing the sermon, the women decided to give a baby shower for the young woman who provided childcare while they met for Bible study. She was unmarried, close to going on welfare, and without support from her family or the father-to-be. The young woman was moved to tears by the surprise baby shower.
Later, the women explained to the pastor, "Your sermon taught us that it's possible to reach out to someone in need—in this case, an unwed mother—without judging or condoning the situation."
8. Throw away the measuring stickDon't expect that your present spiritual leaders will do things the same way their predecessors did. Lay aside personal agendas and preferences. Instead, focus on how your leader is being used by God to do effective ministry now. By serving your shepherds, you will ensure that they will not only be encouraged but will feel appreciated and continue to minister with enthusiasm and energy.
A friend is someone who stays with you in the bad weather of life, guards you when you are off your guard, restrains your impetuosity, delights in your wholeness, forgives your failures, does not forsake you when others let you down.

The friendship of Jesus enables us to see others as he saw the apostles: flawed by good children of the Father. —Brennan Manning