The Most Important Table on the Tour

Earlier this week, I sat at my desk and reading and praying over the large stack of Step Up to the Plate commitment cards that were presented at the end of the worship service on Sunday morning. And more commitment cards have appeared on my desk throughout the week. I am grateful for every member of our First Baptist Family who has committed to Step Up to the Plate during the coming church year.

In the Step Up to the Plate challenge last Sunday, I encouraged us to…
• Know the basics.
• Be a team player.
• Implement the game plan.
• Give it your best stuff.

I am also thankful for our members who shared rich and unique faith stories during our services in September. In addition to being inspiring, these testimonies have helped us become better acquainted with other members of our spiritual family.

Scott Grissett reminded us that God guides us through the transitional seasons of life. Scott and Elizabeth Rigsby shared about the emerging strength they have discovered as Christian parents. Fed and Heather Barona have been living examples of how to rely on God when life throws you a curveball. Ron Malone challenged us to take that long walk to step up to the plate. And Lamar Pate encouraged us to appreciate each day and make it count, never taking life for granted.

In October, we begin a new series for Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings that asks, What Would Jesus REALLY Do?

If Jesus were living on earth as a full-fledged human being in the 21st century, what would his lifestyle be like? How would Jesus make purchasing decisions? What would his wardrobe be like? What kind of car would Jesus drive? Would he have a cell phone? What would he do for fun? How would Jesus respond to the moral and ethical challenges of our day? How would Jesus respond to those in poverty?

As we prepare for the annual Tour of Tables event next week, this Sunday morning we will focus on a tour of the Lord’s table as we talk about the significance of the bread and the wine. Then we will celebrate our joy of being in the body of Christ as we receive the elements of the Lord’s Supper.

This Sunday afternoon we also begin our Fall Discipleship Series. During October and November we will meet in Pleitz Chapel at five o’clock to study Religions of the World.

I hope to see you this Sunday morning as we gather for worship and Bible study.

Are You Ready to “Step Up to the Plate”?

Baseball playoffs are just around the corner and the World Series is soon to follow. I have good memories of my childhood years of playing Little League baseball. Although I never made the All-Star team and my team did not win our league championship, I learned a lot about being a member of a team, playing by the rules, and doing my best.

In my first Farm League game I was playing right field and batting seventh in the line-up. In the top of the 3rd inning, I was to be the first batter so I put on the red batting helmet, picked up the wooden bat, took a few practice swings and when the umpire said, “Batter up!,” I nervously stepped up to the plate.

In life more than in baseball it takes courage to step up to the plate, especially when it’s a lot more comfortable sitting in the stands watching the game. And when you “strike out” or experience failure in some area of your life, it takes a lot of courage to step back up to the plate and try again.

As we begin a new church year I am calling on each member of our First Baptist Family to Step Up to the Plate! We can look good in uniform, we can be proud to be a member of the team, and we can take good-looking practice swings, but it’s when we move away from the practice circle and Step Up to the Plate! that we really begin to grow and mature in our walk with the Lord.

This Sunday we will meet as one large church family for a Combined Worship Service at 10:30. Bible Study groups meet at 9:00. On Sunday afternoon, plan to join us in Bayview Community Center at four o’clock for our annual Church Picnic

Good things are happening at First Baptist Church, but greater things will happen as more and more of us Step Up to the Plate! to bring our best to the One who gave His best for us.

Are you ready to Step Up to the Plate?

When Life Throws You a Curve

The pitcher may throw two fastballs right down the middle of the strike zone. You are caught looking at the first one and you wonder why you didn’t drive it to the gap between center and left field. Strike one! You take a hard swing and make contact with part of the ball but not all of it sending it into foul territory for strike two. You tighten your grip on the bat, get a determined look in your eye, envision yourself hitting the next pitch and then you step up to the plate. You keep your eye on the ball. It looks like its coming right down the middle, but as you are swinging at where you think the ball should be, unexpectedly the pitch moves down and away. A curveball! That’s what you call a pitch that moves in an unanticipated direction.

What do you do “When Life Throws You a Curve”? What do you do when the unexpected happens, when the rug is pulled out from under you, or when life takes an unanticipated turn? That’s our topic for this Sunday as we look at Psalm 46. All this month we are digging deeper into the teachings of scripture, sharing a few stories about baseball, and exploring ways we can apply these biblical teachings to daily living.

On September 26 we conclude our September series as we focus on the ways God may be calling us to Step Up to the Plate! We will begin Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. and we will share in one Combined Worship Service at 10:30 in the sanctuary. I will be sharing our vision for the coming year as we celebrate a great day together as a church family. On Sunday afternoon, we will meet at Bayview Park for our annual church picnic.

Make it a priority to be in worship and Bible study this Sunday. And don’t forget….BYOB! (Bring your own Bible.)

Protecting Home Plate

We started a new series entitled Step Up to the Plate! As we dig deeper into the teachings of scripture, I am sharing a few stories about baseball, and suggesting ways we can apply these biblical teachings to daily living.

Last Sunday we threw out the first pitch as we talked about “Building a Winning Team.” One of my favorite quotes reminds us that, “Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” (Unknown)

Just in case you missed last Sunday, here are the bullet points for “Building a Winning Team”:
• Don’t talk trash about the other guys.
• Take responsibility for your position.
• Know the game plan and stick with it.
• Be willing to sacrifice.
• Don’t quit when the going gets tough.

This Sunday we throw out the second pitch in our series as we look at Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:1-4 and emphasize the importance of “Protecting Home Plate.” A good baseball coach tells the catcher, “your primary job is to protect home plate.” When it comes to family, it’s important to realize that there are a lot of forces in the world that are attempting to steal home, and your primary job as a parent, grandparent, husband, or wife is to protect home.


Make it a priority to be in worship and Bible study this Sunday. And don’t forget….BYOB! (Bring your own Bible.)