Calling All Men

I learned many years ago that prayer does not work; it is God who works. The idea then is that we pray (the vehicle) to God (the One who works). Prayer has played a central role in both the Old and New Testament, the early church, and has been the catalyst for every revival. It is not just something we are commanded to do, but it is a vital part of the church and our walk with the Lord. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world." Our fight is not one with flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). It is a spiritual battle, and our greatest weapon is the same it has always been, prayer. Prayer is a powerful weapon that can accomplish the incredible. Remember what James tells us about Elijah? "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crop" (James 5:16-18). Incredible!

Obviously prayer is powerful and important. So, we are having a men's prayer breakfast this Saturday, June 17, at 7am in the Fellowship Hall. Paul Murphy is organizing our time together. We will spend time together eating breakfast, listening to a brief devotional, and then devoting the majority of our time to prayer. Men, let us do what Paul commands young Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:8,  "I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing."

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor FBC Jacksonville, AR

Israel Trip: Walk Where Jesus Walked

This past January I had the incredible opportunity to take the trip of a lifetime. I was able to tour the Holy Land and walk where Jesus walked. Words cannot even begin to express how that trip has impacted my life. One of the most significant is how it has transformed the way I study the Bible. Whenever I read the Bible, I can visualize the places because I have been there.

The trip had such an impact that I would like to take a group January 8-17, 2018. I cannot express the excitement I feel preparing to spend several days "Walking Where Jesus Walked" with you. The journey will be educational, informational, but most of all inspirational! I assure you, nothing will do more for your spiritual growth than this time in His Land. Here are some of the places we will visit: Caesarea, Megiddo, Mt. Carmel, Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Caesarea Philippi, Mount of Olives, Gethsemane, Old City, Wailing Wall, Temple Mount, Southern Excavations, Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea, Garden Tomb.

If you are interested in this trip, I will host an informational meeting on June 11, at noon in fellowship hall. During this meeting, I will cover schedule, cost, and any other questions you have about the trip. I hope to see you there.

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville, AR

What's Around the Corner?

I wanted to take a few moments to make sure you know what is coming in the next few months. As we approach the summer, many things are happening.

Backpacks
I hope you will continue to pray and give for our backpack giveaway at Pinewood Elementary for their Open House. We are asking you to give $11 per backpack to help those who need it. Since we are buying in bulk, we need the donations by the end of May. At this point, we have received enough to purchase 30 backpacks. We have a lot of work to do, but I know our church will come through.

Vacation Bible School
VBS is right around the corner. The theme this year is Galactic Starveyors, and the dates are June 11-15 from 6:00-8:30pm. You can register by clicking here.

M-Fuge
M-Fuge is a camp for our students, and it isn't too late to sign up. Please talk to Tim if you are interested. He is hosting a meeting this Sunday, May 21, after at noon.

Children's Camp
This is our first year taking children to camp. The dates are June 23-26, at Camp Paron. It is for children who have completed 3rd-5th grades, and the cost is $40 per child. Registration deadline is May 28, so please see Kerry if you are interested.

Wednesday Meal
Due to the kitchen staff's inability to consistently be here during the summer months, we will not have the Wednesday Night Meal June 14-July 26.

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville, AR

Annual Backpack Giveaway

Over the past few years, we have collected backpacks filled with supplies to give to families as they start back to school. Last year we made a couple of changes for the better in how we organize our annual backpack giveaway. First, we adopted a local elementary school so we could specifically help one school. We are doing the same thing this year, but we will be at Pinewood Elementary School. We have begun a partnership with them, and this would be a blessing for them. Second, we collected money instead of individuals purchasing backpacks and supplies because we can order in bulk and have twice as many backpacks to give away. As we approach the Fall, we will let you know how you can specifically help at the event. Right now, we need to begin collecting the funds for the backpacks. To order in bulk, we need to place our order by June 10. I hope and pray you will consider giving for this opportunity. Each backpack you donate for costs $11.

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville, AR

Modern Worship Pastor Update

If you were unable to be here on Sunday, I wanted to update you on our search for a Modern Worship Pastor. Jonah Bynum was here in view of a call. He sang the special music in the first service, and then he lead the modern worship service. The vote was 68-0 in favor of calling him to serve with us here at FBC. Jonah accepted, and his first Sunday will be May 21. We look forward to his serving alongside us, and I hope you will be in prayer for him.

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor FBC Jacksonville, AR

Modern Worship Pastor Search Update

If you have been unable to be with us the past few weeks, I wanted to bring you up to speed on our search for a new modern worship pastor. Jackson Barton had his last Sunday with us on April 2. We are thankful for his service as he was instrumental in helping us launch our modern worship service. In our search to find someone to fill this position, we were pointed to Jonah Bynum. He is currently a student at UCA, and he leads worship for the BCM. After several conversations with him and listening to him lead worship, we are convinced God is leading us to call Jonah as our next modern worship pastor.

Jonah will come in view of a call on April 23. We want to give those who attend the first service an opportunity to listen to him, so he will sing the special music during the first service. He will then lead worship for the modern worship service. At noon, we will have a luncheon in fellowship hall to give our members the chance to ask Jonah questions. He will share his testimony and call to ministry as part of the meeting. We will then transition into a business meeting and vote by secret ballot. I hope you will be here to help us be a part of this process.

In Christ,

Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville, AR

Disciples Making Disciples: Shepherding

This past Sunday we learned how discipleship cannot happen without relationship. God has designed us to be in relationship with Him, but we were also created to be in relationship with one another. We saw how Rules - Relationship = Rebellion, while Rules + Relationship = Obedience. We are called to Grow in our walk, or another way of describing this is that we are to become like Jesus. Becoming like Jesus means we have to live out (obey) His commands (rules). Without relationship we will merely rebel. I also shared our vision for creating Connect groups that are centered around relationship. These groups will meet in homes and will not exceed 12-14 people. Once a small group grows beyond those numbers, it is no longer a small group. When a group grows to that size, people can't be known relationally in a way that encourages them to grow into mature disciples of Christ.

This coming Sunday will be the final sermon about discipleship. We will talk about the role of shepherding. This is the idea of us taking care of the needs of one another. This was modeled by the early church in Acts 2:42-47. In fact, lost people were attracted to them because of how they loved one another. We will look in Ezekiel 34:2-5 and understand the failure of the religious leaders because they weren't good shepherds. Then, we will study 1 John 3:16-19 and see that we all have a responsibility to shepherd (take care of) one another. This is rarely effective in a large group. Shepherding (taking care of each other) happens best in small groups where through relationship we grow to love one another.

In Christ,

Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville, AR