Are we under attack at Liberty Park Baptist Church?
Let's look at the scoreboard. Name a church staff member and I bet I can name a crisis they have faced in the last 90 days.
Look
at the names of the people on the "To" line of this email and most of
them have experienced a personal, family, or close friend crisis in the
last 90 days.
What does this mean? Part of me says, "It's just life. It happens to us all."
But
I believe it's deeper than that. Our church and its members are under
attack from all directions. The purpose of this attack is to keep us
from fulfilling some great things God wants to do through us.
So what do we do? One word: PRAY.
On the day before the election, we will be praying for 24 hours for our country.
You have done a wonderful job praying for our family as my wife went through back surgery.
You are letting everyone know about prayer needs by "Replying All" to any emails I've sent to the class.
You're doing really good.
But I expect more.
Huh?
You heard me. I...Expect...More.
We do great letting each other know about physical problems for us and those we love. I want us to go deeper.
Now, what I want doesn't lend itself to broadcast by email.
This
week, the first part of our lesson is about Jesus going into the Garden
of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion. He took his most
trusted disciples as He went to pour out His heart to God.
That's
what I want for our class. We each have issues that weigh on our
heart. I hope you have another Christian you can talk with about those
issues. If you don't, I ask you to find someone in our class who will
be that person. Call them your accountability partner, your prayer
partner, or your encourager. The title doesn't matter; their prayers
and support do.
Think about it. Then act.
So what is our
lesson about this week at 9:50 a.m.? Here it is in a nutshell..."When
Christ submitted to the Father's will, it brought great suffering,
caused great shame, but led to His exultation."
Our scripture passages are Mark 14:32-36, Philippians 2:5-11, and Hebrews 1:1-4.
One
thing going on Sunday afternoon you need to know about. At 4:30 p.m.
in the sanctuary, we will be celebrating a baptism service. It is a
moving experience. Be there to celebrate the outward sign of an inner
change of those being baptized.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“I don’t mind the question if you don’t mind the
answer.” William Bailey
Friday, October 26, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Housework Can Kill You--Almost -- October 12, 2012
I'm writing this email while sitting in the Trinity Emergency Room.
How did I get here? Well, you leave Liberty Park on 459 North, take the Grant's Mill Road exit and turn left, Oh! You mean why am I in the ER?
It's not for me; it's for Christina. She pinched a nerve in her back while cleaning house yesterday.
Her pain was severe. It went from her lower back down her right leg.
We contacted her doctor just before 5:00 yesterday. He called in some pain medicine and a 6-day round of oral steroids. We picked those up last night.
The pain medicine didn't help a bit. No sitting, lying, or standing position gave her relief.
At 3:00 this morning, the pain was too much for her. I had my parents come over to take care of the girls. Then, I called an ambulance to transport her to the hospital since sitting up wasn't an option.
Two rounds of morphine didn't help; a steroid injection didn't touch it; an anti-inflammatory shot didn't give relief. Finally, an IV of muscle relaxant allowed her to sleep. And that didn't come until 7:30 a.m.
So now she is getting an MRI to see what's going on.
Please pray for her comfort and healing.
So how do I transition from Christina's pain to our lesson this week? Here it goes...
It was tough seeing Christina in pain and not having the ability to help.
But the toughest part was handing her over to the EMTs so they could transport her in the ambulance while I took my van.
God sent Jesus into the world where there would be pain. He knew what was in store for His Son but sent Him anyway.
Jesus felt pain. One of our passages this week looks at Christ's temptation in the wilderness.
And this pain was just a taste of what would come later.
So join us at 9:50 Sunday morning as we discuss aspects of Jesus' life.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
How did I get here? Well, you leave Liberty Park on 459 North, take the Grant's Mill Road exit and turn left, Oh! You mean why am I in the ER?
It's not for me; it's for Christina. She pinched a nerve in her back while cleaning house yesterday.
Her pain was severe. It went from her lower back down her right leg.
We contacted her doctor just before 5:00 yesterday. He called in some pain medicine and a 6-day round of oral steroids. We picked those up last night.
The pain medicine didn't help a bit. No sitting, lying, or standing position gave her relief.
At 3:00 this morning, the pain was too much for her. I had my parents come over to take care of the girls. Then, I called an ambulance to transport her to the hospital since sitting up wasn't an option.
Two rounds of morphine didn't help; a steroid injection didn't touch it; an anti-inflammatory shot didn't give relief. Finally, an IV of muscle relaxant allowed her to sleep. And that didn't come until 7:30 a.m.
So now she is getting an MRI to see what's going on.
Please pray for her comfort and healing.
So how do I transition from Christina's pain to our lesson this week? Here it goes...
It was tough seeing Christina in pain and not having the ability to help.
But the toughest part was handing her over to the EMTs so they could transport her in the ambulance while I took my van.
God sent Jesus into the world where there would be pain. He knew what was in store for His Son but sent Him anyway.
Jesus felt pain. One of our passages this week looks at Christ's temptation in the wilderness.
And this pain was just a taste of what would come later.
So join us at 9:50 Sunday morning as we discuss aspects of Jesus' life.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some
turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at
all." - Sam Ewing
Monday, October 8, 2012
"Numb to the Word" recap -- October 8, 2012
One of the prevailing ideas about eternity is that God judges on a
scale. If you do more good than bad, you get into heaven. But that's
not what the Bible says. Here's the video we started with that
addresses this idea...
The Good-O-Meter
We also discussed how you must see your sin before you can ask forgiveness for it. That's one thing that we sometimes gloss over when we are witnessing. But it is essential to talk about it with a non-believer.
We used this video to see why some people are hesitant to come to church...
Reasons Why People Don't Go To Church
No one can make it into heaven by their own power. The only way is through Jesus. To quote John Newton, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things--that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour".
Make it a great week!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus.” -- Mark Twain
The Good-O-Meter
We also discussed how you must see your sin before you can ask forgiveness for it. That's one thing that we sometimes gloss over when we are witnessing. But it is essential to talk about it with a non-believer.
We used this video to see why some people are hesitant to come to church...
Reasons Why People Don't Go To Church
No one can make it into heaven by their own power. The only way is through Jesus. To quote John Newton, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things--that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour".
Make it a great week!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus.” -- Mark Twain
Friday, October 5, 2012
You Chose WHAT for Dinner? -- October 5th, 2012
When I got back to the hotel Thursday afternoon, I switched on the TV.
Playing on Showtime was a movie from 2004 called "Super Size Me". It's a
movie about a 33-year-old guy named Morgan Spurlock who conducts a
non-scientific experiment on himself.
Morgan's plan is to eat three meals a day for 30 days at McDonald's. If the person behind the counter asks if he wants his meal to be "Super Sized", he must agree. Before starting, doctors weighed him and took blood samples to establish a baseline.
It follows Morgan for 30 days as he travels across the country interviewing people about the nation's growing epidemic of obesity. Each week, he is weighed and more blood is drawn. Over the 30 days, he gained 27 pounds and his bloodwork turned horrendous.
The movie ended and it was time for me to find something for dinner. Here's the funny thing. After watching Morgan eat fast food over and over, I really wasn't in the mood for any fast food from anyplace. I had a late lunch, so I didn't want anything real heavy.
So what choice do you have when you are staying in a hotel? It took me a while to make my decision.
Do you know what sounded good? Fruit. (My wife probably just spewed coffee all over her keyboard)
Fruit isn't something I've ever had as my dinner. Ever. But that's what sounded good.
Fortunately, there was a Whole Foods store a few miles away. They didn't have watermelon, but they did have cantaloupe and grapes. So that and a bottle of water was my dinner.
Where am I going with this? I had the choice between eating healthy or not-so-healthy. This time, I chose healthy.
On Sunday morning (9:50 a.m., of course) we'll be looking at choices of another sort. We'll look at Session 6 entitled "Numb to the Word".
The scripture passages we'll talk about are Ephesians 2:1-2, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 64:6, and Romans 3:10-12.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“We can’t afford to waste tears on might-have-beens. We need to turn the tears into sweat that can take us to what can be.” Denis Waitley
Morgan's plan is to eat three meals a day for 30 days at McDonald's. If the person behind the counter asks if he wants his meal to be "Super Sized", he must agree. Before starting, doctors weighed him and took blood samples to establish a baseline.
It follows Morgan for 30 days as he travels across the country interviewing people about the nation's growing epidemic of obesity. Each week, he is weighed and more blood is drawn. Over the 30 days, he gained 27 pounds and his bloodwork turned horrendous.
The movie ended and it was time for me to find something for dinner. Here's the funny thing. After watching Morgan eat fast food over and over, I really wasn't in the mood for any fast food from anyplace. I had a late lunch, so I didn't want anything real heavy.
So what choice do you have when you are staying in a hotel? It took me a while to make my decision.
Do you know what sounded good? Fruit. (My wife probably just spewed coffee all over her keyboard)
Fruit isn't something I've ever had as my dinner. Ever. But that's what sounded good.
Fortunately, there was a Whole Foods store a few miles away. They didn't have watermelon, but they did have cantaloupe and grapes. So that and a bottle of water was my dinner.
Where am I going with this? I had the choice between eating healthy or not-so-healthy. This time, I chose healthy.
On Sunday morning (9:50 a.m., of course) we'll be looking at choices of another sort. We'll look at Session 6 entitled "Numb to the Word".
The scripture passages we'll talk about are Ephesians 2:1-2, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 64:6, and Romans 3:10-12.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“We can’t afford to waste tears on might-have-beens. We need to turn the tears into sweat that can take us to what can be.” Denis Waitley
Friday, September 28, 2012
Where Do The Ten Commandments Belong? -- September 28, 2012
In July of 2011, my family and I went to Washington, D.C. It was the first time any of us had been to our nation's capital.
The historic sites we visited left me awe-struck.
But there was one place we couldn't visit because it isn't open to the public--the CIA Headquarters Building.
I know that may sound weird. But I'll explain. You know I enjoy World War II history. Well, in WWII, President Roosevelt created the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) because the U.S. did not have a unified intelligence-gathering agency.
After World War II, the OSS was disbanded. But the need for intelligence gathering was soon apparent after a few years. That's when the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was formed.
I'd love to visit CIA Headquarters to see three things:
First, the memorial to the OSS and the statue of Major General William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan. Donovan was the head of the OSS during WWII.
Second, the CIA Memorial Wall and the Book of Honor. Carved into the CIA Memorial Wall are 103 stars which symbolize the 103 CIA officers who gave their lives in service to our country. The Book of Honor lists the names of 79 officers who died. The names of the 39 others remain secret, even after their deaths. They are remembered in the book with a simple star.
Third, the motto of the CIA carved in stone in the Original Headquarters Building. The motto of the CIA is "And Ye Shall Know the Truth and the Truth Shall Make You Free". If that sounds familiar, it's because the CIA's motto just happens to be John 8:32.
So what does this have to do with our lesson on Sunday?
Well, do you remember the dust-up a few years back about the giant Ten Commandments monument placed in Alabama's Capital Building?
It was the talk of the country for a while. It was debated and discussed ad nauseum. In the end, a compromise was reached.
How can ten rules cause so much divisiveness?
On Sunday, we'll look at the full text of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20. So you know what to expect, here it is...
"And God spoke all these words:
So come join us Sunday morning at 9:50 a.m. as we take a closer look at "The Law".
And if you want some extra credit, bring in a 3-page essay comparing and contrasting the Ten Commandments to Matthew 22:37-40.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"Passion, though a bad regulator, is a powerful spring." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
The historic sites we visited left me awe-struck.
But there was one place we couldn't visit because it isn't open to the public--the CIA Headquarters Building.
I know that may sound weird. But I'll explain. You know I enjoy World War II history. Well, in WWII, President Roosevelt created the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) because the U.S. did not have a unified intelligence-gathering agency.
After World War II, the OSS was disbanded. But the need for intelligence gathering was soon apparent after a few years. That's when the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was formed.
I'd love to visit CIA Headquarters to see three things:
First, the memorial to the OSS and the statue of Major General William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan. Donovan was the head of the OSS during WWII.
Second, the CIA Memorial Wall and the Book of Honor. Carved into the CIA Memorial Wall are 103 stars which symbolize the 103 CIA officers who gave their lives in service to our country. The Book of Honor lists the names of 79 officers who died. The names of the 39 others remain secret, even after their deaths. They are remembered in the book with a simple star.
Third, the motto of the CIA carved in stone in the Original Headquarters Building. The motto of the CIA is "And Ye Shall Know the Truth and the Truth Shall Make You Free". If that sounds familiar, it's because the CIA's motto just happens to be John 8:32.
So what does this have to do with our lesson on Sunday?
Well, do you remember the dust-up a few years back about the giant Ten Commandments monument placed in Alabama's Capital Building?
It was the talk of the country for a while. It was debated and discussed ad nauseum. In the end, a compromise was reached.
How can ten rules cause so much divisiveness?
On Sunday, we'll look at the full text of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20. So you know what to expect, here it is...
"And God spoke all these words:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.
“You
shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven
above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord
your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the
parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord
your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or
daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any
foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
“You shall not covet
your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his
male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to
your neighbor.”
So come join us Sunday morning at 9:50 a.m. as we take a closer look at "The Law".
And if you want some extra credit, bring in a 3-page essay comparing and contrasting the Ten Commandments to Matthew 22:37-40.
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
"Passion, though a bad regulator, is a powerful spring." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, September 21, 2012
Was It Really An Apple? -- September 21, 2012
Last Sunday, Scott preached about "The Good Samaritan". He did a great
job of taking a story everyone thinks they have all figured out and
finding new truths.
Our lesson this week will be similar. It's the story of "The Fall". No, I'm not talking about college football season. I'm talking about the fall of man, the original sin, the first mess-up.
Normally, I give you a link to our scripture passage. But this week, I'm just going to print it here because it is only six verses. It's kinda funny that the first time we humans were tempted, put up a pathetic fight, and did something we weren't supposed to took only six verses. Actually, it took only 163 words to tell the whole story.
With that, I give you Genesis 3:1-6:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
So there you have it. Satan asked one question and made one comment. Human nature took it from there.
You'd think this passage was fairly straight-forward. In a way it is. But there are some nuances we'll look at Sunday morning at 9:50 a.m. What nuances? You'll have to be there to find out.
And if you think this is just a children's story you'd find in Brian's 'Illustrated Bible for Kids', you're in for a treat!
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“God put me on earth to accomplish certain things. Right now, I’m so far behind, I’ll never die.” - From Calvin and Hobbes
Our lesson this week will be similar. It's the story of "The Fall". No, I'm not talking about college football season. I'm talking about the fall of man, the original sin, the first mess-up.
Normally, I give you a link to our scripture passage. But this week, I'm just going to print it here because it is only six verses. It's kinda funny that the first time we humans were tempted, put up a pathetic fight, and did something we weren't supposed to took only six verses. Actually, it took only 163 words to tell the whole story.
With that, I give you Genesis 3:1-6:
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
So there you have it. Satan asked one question and made one comment. Human nature took it from there.
You'd think this passage was fairly straight-forward. In a way it is. But there are some nuances we'll look at Sunday morning at 9:50 a.m. What nuances? You'll have to be there to find out.
And if you think this is just a children's story you'd find in Brian's 'Illustrated Bible for Kids', you're in for a treat!
Finish Friday strong. Enjoy Saturday with your family. See you Sunday!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“God put me on earth to accomplish certain things. Right now, I’m so far behind, I’ll never die.” - From Calvin and Hobbes
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
'God Is Not Mute' recap -- September 18, 2012
We looked at what is theologically called "special revelation". That
refers to the specific things God said about himself to us through the
authors of the Bible.
This is what the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message says about the Bible:
"The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation."
We spent time Sunday morning discussing how important the Bible is. But if all your Bible does is sit there, you won't grow as a Christian. If the only time it's touched is when you bring it Sunday morning, it will do nothing for your family. If you never open it, you won't be able to help this church take the gospel outside the church walls.
For the Bible to really work in your life, you need to read what's inside. Now I sell books for a living, so I'm partial to the actual book. But I'm no techno-phobe.
I have a copy of the Bible on my phone. I do my daily devotion, Our Daily Bread, on the computer each day. It has a link to the scripture passage that I click and read.
In every Friday's email, I use www.biblegateway.com to give you a link to our verses. And the cool thing about biblegateway is that you can change the translation with just the click of the mouse.
Here's my challenge to you. Start (or continue) reading your Bible every day. Whether it's a daily devotion or a "Read the Bible in One Year" plan, take a look at what's inside your Bible. You might be surprised at what you find.
And the more you read God's Word, the more your life will conform to His will.
Make it a great week!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
This is what the Southern Baptist Convention's Baptist Faith and Message says about the Bible:
"The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation."
We spent time Sunday morning discussing how important the Bible is. But if all your Bible does is sit there, you won't grow as a Christian. If the only time it's touched is when you bring it Sunday morning, it will do nothing for your family. If you never open it, you won't be able to help this church take the gospel outside the church walls.
For the Bible to really work in your life, you need to read what's inside. Now I sell books for a living, so I'm partial to the actual book. But I'm no techno-phobe.
I have a copy of the Bible on my phone. I do my daily devotion, Our Daily Bread, on the computer each day. It has a link to the scripture passage that I click and read.
In every Friday's email, I use www.biblegateway.com to give you a link to our verses. And the cool thing about biblegateway is that you can change the translation with just the click of the mouse.
Here's my challenge to you. Start (or continue) reading your Bible every day. Whether it's a daily devotion or a "Read the Bible in One Year" plan, take a look at what's inside your Bible. You might be surprised at what you find.
And the more you read God's Word, the more your life will conform to His will.
Make it a great week!
Loyally yours,
Darren Bayne
“The glory of friendship is not in the outstretched hand,
nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is in the spiritual
inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in
him and is willing to trust him.” –
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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