ONE Theme

The first sermon of every year I preach a celebration sermon. It has stories of the things God has done during the previous year, and I always conclude with goals for the upcoming year. Remembering the past can be healthy, encouraging. Becoming stuck in the past can be dangerous. It is important to remember that God is at work today, and we need to keep our eyes focused on Him, what He is doing, and what He is preparing us for. 

This year, I shared what is called ONE Theme. We are asking individuals in our church to make five commitments centered around the word ONE:

1. Commit to ONE worship service every weekend
We are reminded in Hebrews 10:24-25 the importance of gathering together. The author writes, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." It is important that we gather together for encouragement to prepare us to be sent out again. Plus, it's biblical. You can look up 1 Chronicles 16:23-31 and John 4:24 for further study.

2. Commit to ONE small group (Sunday School or Connect)
Small groups are where deep relationships, discipleship, and fellowship really happen. It worked for Jesus, and if it is the model Jesus used, it would make sense for us to follow that model. Jesus had 12 disciples that he poured Himself into. This model was carried on by the early church in Acts 2:46, "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." A couple of other verses that don't mention a small group but give evidence of that type of fellowship are Galatians 6:2 (carrying each other's burdens) and James 5:16 (confessing sin and praying for one another).

3. Commit to ONE place of service
Serving the body of Christ is both biblical and modeled by Jesus. 1 Peter 4:10 states, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." We are to use our gifts, talents to serve one another. By doing so, we are being faithful to the Lord. Jesus spoke about serving in Matthew 20:28, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The greatest example is in John 13, when Jesus takes the form of a servant to wash the disciples feet (John 13:12-14). How can you follow His model and serve the body of Christ?

4. Commit to  intentionally build ONE relationship with a lost person and share the Gospel
The church was never meant to be inward focused or me-centered. One purpose of the church is to go out, build relationships with those who don't know Christ, and share the Gospel with them. In Luke 15, we read of a lost sheep, lost coin, and a lost son. In the first two stories when something was lost, the person stopped everything to go find the lost item (sheep, coin). In the final story, no one went to find the lost son. Which story describes you the most? Remember what Jesus said in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

5. Commit to invite ONE person to church

Jesus was always inviting people. We only get a few chapters into Matthew before we see Jesus inviting the disciples to follow Him, and He invites Himself to eat at Zacchaeus' house. For those who accepted His invitation, it radically changed their lives. We can learn from the example of the woman at the well in Joh 4:28-29, "Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 'Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?'" A few verses later we are told that many believed because of her testimony. Let us remember the power of invitation. When we invite people to church, we are ultimately inviting them to meet Jesus.

In Christ,

Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC, Jacksonville, AR

What Impacts My Prayer Life

I realized a couple of months ago that it had been a year since I last posted. I made up my mind I wanted to begin again in January and to make this blog one of my goals for 2019. The simple goal is to be more consistent in posting. I am posting today because I had several ask me about the list I read in yesterday's sermon about things that can impact my prayer life. I wanted to post that here for any who want to look it over. I admit that these verses came from several places. Some are ones I knew and others came as a result of a google search. So, here it is, and I hope it is helpful:

·         1 Peter 3:7 – Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

o   How you treat your spouse

·         Psalm 84:11 – For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

o   Disobedience

·         Ephesians 3:20 – Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us

o   God has something more

·         Isaiah 55:8 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

o   Wants you to wait…not right time (God’s timing)

·         James 4:3 – When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

o   Wrong motives

·         Micah 3:4 – Then they will cry out to the Lord, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.

o   Sin/evil

·         1 John 5:14-15 – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

o   Not according to God’s will

·         Isaiah 59:2 – But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

o   Unconfessed sin

·         Proverbs 28:9 – If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.

o   Rebellion/Continuous life of sin

·         Proverbs 21:13 – Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.

o   Close ears to needy

·         John 15:7 – If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

o   Out of fellowship with God

·         Psalm 121:7 – The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;

o   God could be protecting you from danger

·         Matthew 21:22 – If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

o   Doubt ability of God

·         James 4:6 – But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposed the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

o   Pride

·         Matthew 6:5 – And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

o   Hypocritical prayer for attention

·         Mark 11:25 – And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

o   You won’t forgive others

·         1 Corinthians 10:31 – So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

o   Sometimes God says no to bring Him glory

·         Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

o   God wants you to depend and trust in Him more

Church Under the Tent Celebration Service

This past Sunday was incredible! I cannot describe how much I enjoyed our church body worshiping under the tent. It was a beautiful day, and I cannot think of a better way to begin our Envision 20/20 Campaign.

I began thinking through all the people who helped, and I don't think I could name every person who helped make this weekend happen. I would like to thank all the men who came out Saturday to help us erect the tent, all those who helped prepare and serve food, the ones who showed up early Sunday to set up chairs, and everyone who stayed after the service to help take down the tent and put the chairs away. This truly was a team effort, and it reminds us of what we can do when we all work together.



I included a few photos of the weekend starting with the tent crew on Saturday morning. I wish I had space to include every picture, but I believe these capture what took place over the weekend. My favorite photos are the ones of us gathering in circles to pray about what God wants to do through us. I encourage you to continue praying that prayer. As I said Sunday, prayer is the key to what God wants to do through us. If we don't take time to ask Him, how will we know how He wants us to respond.

Again, it was a wonderful weekend, and I thank all of you who served in a variety of ways to make it possible.

On a different note, I want to remind you that this is the final Sunday to bring shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Please remember that shipping and handling has increased to $9.00 this year.

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

Church Under the Tent

I wanted to send out a quick reminder about this upcoming Sunday, November 5. As we begin the Envision 20/20 Capital Stewardship Campaign, we will have worship outside under a tent at 10:30. The service will end around 11:30, and then we will eat lunch together. I am excited about us worshiping outside, and it reminds me of Psalm 19:1-2, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." Being outside for worship is truly special.

A couple of practical things to keep in mind about Sunday. We want everyone to be a part of this special occasion, and this means we will not have nursery or childcare. Don't panic! If your child needs to get up and walk around, you can take them behind the tent, and you will still be able to hear. I have been keeping an eye on the weather, and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful day. I would still bring jacket/coat just in case you get cool.

In addition, we had a minor miscommunication, and something in the bulletin this past Sunday was incorrect. Prayer is imperative in the upcoming process we are moving through. If you want to receive the prayer guide daily by text, you need to text 81010. The message part should be "@fbcjpray." You will then be prompted to answer a couple of questions. They are simple questions; like your name.

One more quick note. We are partnering with several churches this year to be part of the Community Thanksgiving Meal. If you want to volunteer to help, you can register at www.onecity.city. Registration begins November 1, at 8:00am.

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

Things Coming in the Next Month

It is hard to believe that we are almost to the end of the summer break. I wanted to take a few minutes of your time to remind/inform you of a few things that will happen in the next month:

First, our quarterly business meeting is next Wednesday, July 19, at 5:30pm in the sanctuary. We will be voting on two special committees. Here are the committees and those nominated for them:

Stewardship Campaign Committee:
Annabelle Davis, Angela Ergle, Sharon Fielding, Thad Gray, Lynda Martin, Mary Price, Jane Tallent, and Julie White

Building Committee:
Glenda Brown, Stephanie Cain, Joe Douglas, Daniel Gray, Thad Gray, Katrina Hastings, and Chuck Winer

Second, on August 10, we will be distributing backpacks for children at Pinewood Elementary School. This will be in conjunction with their open house from 5-7pm. They will have a brief meeting with parents/students, and then release the children to pick up a backpack, eat hog dogs, and play on inflatables. We need your help on that night, and we will have sign-ups lists available soon at the information center in the lobby of the church.

Third, at the beginning of the year, the staff shared with the church that we believed God was calling us to become a church who makes disciples who make disciples. We started a few connect groups early this summer to allow us to train leaders, and we will officially launch our connect groups on August 13. We will have more information coming soon, but I wanted to give you a heads up if you are interested in joining one of the small groups.

Fourth, I am taking a group to Israel January 8-17, 2018. I had a meeting a couple of months ago, but I wanted to remind everyone that I need to know within the next month if you are planning on going. If you were unable to attend the meeting, please contact me. I have a flier and other information I can share with you.

In Christ,
Mark Smith, Pastor of FBC Jacksonville

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