Contending for Christmas

Jude 1: 3 reminds us of our common cause – “contend for the faith”.

“… it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

This past week news outlets have reported that Christmas has been restricted or removed from neighborhood schools, city plazas, and civic events. Even the name “Christmas” removed from parades and city events. Christmas is not “winterfest” or “twinkle season”. It is Christmas! It is to remember and celebrate the birth of our Lord!

Under the guise of tolerance and progressive liberalism, we have witnessed a new assault on our religious freedoms. Our children will be restricted in the celebration of Christmas and our grandchildren will be robbed of their heritage. Christmas is the birth of Jesus!

When you celebrate Christmas, you are also contending for our faith. When you go out to eat, shop, or buy groceries, say “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” You wishing a MERRY CHRISTMAS is contending for the faith!

The ultimate struggle is about Jesus – a historical real Jesus that was born in Bethlehem, a Saviour, Christ the Lord! He was born to give His life that we all might have life eternal!

WOW! What a gift! The gift of forgiveness, the gift of starting over in the love of Jesus! Christmas is the season! Jesus is the reason!

/0 Comments/by

Missions Celebration – Pastor Sexton

We rejoice in the wonderful week of missions. Trinity Baptist has long and wonderful history of being a missions-hearted church!

Our 2014 Missions Conference was one of the best. Thank you to the Missions Committee, Pastor Dwight,  and the TBC staff for your hard work and leadership for our church.

Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying…ALL power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

The power is given for what? Why did Jesus say this to the disciples? It was for MISSIONS!

In verse 19, He exhorts the disciples  and all of us to take the Gospel, the story of Jesus, to our world.  Jesus says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” and in verse 20, “Teaching them…” We are to go and teach to others the things that Jesus taught to His disciples.

Most of us are not physically able to travel to an overseas nation, but we can all pray and we can give.

We can all go to the world of our family, school, work, and community and be salt and light to those around us. We can also go financially by our gifts-our Faith Promise to missions.

Prayerfully do your best today as we make our Faith Promises for 2015!

/2 Comments/by

“The Value of What Matters”

News reports frequently carry stories of people who get into trouble or are even jailed because of “things.” One recent story involved Air Jordan tennis shoes and another was about a young man stealing the cell phone of a lady just killed in an accident. We need to remember what matters in life, especially the value of our family, our friends and our faith.

Experts tell us that we need to repeat a certain behavior for 21 days to develop a good habit. So give each family member a hug for 21 days in a row, to become a habit. Pray for your wife or husband every day, pray for your children and friends by name to develop the good habit!

Think about what really matters in the light of eternity. What matters? A hundred years from today, will this thing or this worry on my mind really matter?

Our families will matter and their relationship with the Lord will matter. It matters where they will spend eternity! Each life and soul has value.

familyLet’s take time to determine what we can do to change the lives of the people we love.
Look for opportunities for new good habits, like trying to eat dinner together as a family for seven days in a row. Take each of your children and grand-children out to breakfast (individually) for a year. Take your spouse out on a “dialogue date” (that means turning off the phone and talking to each other.) You could even pick two or three nights a week to have no internet or TV in your evening, just the value of people in your life. More to come!

/0 Comments/by

“A Little Space” – Pastor Sexton

A Little Space
Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning I watched the election returns. I kept the remote warm, moving from channel to channel, looking for the latest returns, exit polls and the opinion of all the professional news staff.
Why? Why the concern? Was it just a symptom of being a news junkie or was it something else? Was it, maybe, hoping there would be evidence of a thread of values and a concern about the direction of a nation that seems to be turning against God and against the nation of Israel?
Monday night, while visiting in Asheville, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott declared, “We must not turn our backs on God or on the Nation of Israel!”
As the returns started to come across the news desks of the networks, exit polls and citizens began to say out loud what we all have been thinking…
“We are going in the wrong direction!”
Many of us have prayed for our nation and tried to remind others of the faith of our founding fathers. Our nation was born by men and women who prayed and asked God for His help.
The results of this election that has changed the US House, the Senate, and the majority of our nation’s governors may be our opportunity to see a spiritual renewal in our nation.
Ezra 9:8 says:
“And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God”… Why? To …“Give us a little reviving in our bondage.”
This could well be our “little space” to reach our family and friends for Jesus!

/0 Comments/by

Today is the day to VOTE!

A message from Pastor Sexton about today’s election! Please take time to vote on November 4!
(This message was first posted on Facebook.)

Go Vote Today from Trinity Baptist Church-AVL on Vimeo.

/0 Comments/by