Fellow Citizens
By Scott Carter, Mission Pastor
Fast forward 15 years and our family was living and serving in Malaysia planting churches. One of the groups we started early in our time there was a house church group in our neighborhood area. Through this ministry we had the privilege of leading an older Chinese couple, Uncle Koh and Aunty Rose to Christ. When it came time for baptism, we did not have a place to do the baptisms. Our house group decided to travel to the town of Port Dickson. I was able to obtain permission to do the baptism in the ocean on the beach of the Baptist Camp I mentioned yesterday. During the moments we were on the property, the conversation I had been a part of in 1996 on the bench overlooking the ocean came rushing back to my mind. I realized that my call and years in ministry had come full circle. In the same spot where the Lord opened my eyes to the nations, I had the privilege of baptizing Koh and Rose. It was a very surreal moment that I will never forget. During our years of church planting in Malaysia, we had the privilege of baptizing people from all over the world.
After 25+ years of serving the Lord in full-time, vocational ministry and missions, it never ceases to amaze me that God calls us to the front lines of his mission. Instead of saving us and taking us immediately to heaven for eternity, or lining us up on the sideline to show us what he is doing, God saves us from our sin and saves us into the church and into his mission. The risk seems high for God to entrust his mission to us, but we know His mission succeeds.
We are called to serve the mission of God in and through the church. Where is God calling you to serve Him in his church?
Read: Ephesians 2:11-3:10
Fellow Citizens
April 20, 2021 • Scott Carter
Pastor David's Giving Challenge
May 1, 2021 • David Emmert
Pastor David’s Challenge A few years ago, Pam & I decided to change our lifestyle so that our budget would be oriented toward giving rather than spending. We downsized our home, eliminated some hobbies and made other changes that freed up our income. The end result was a greater level of giving than we ever thought possible. As always, Jesus is right when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) As you contemplate your own growth in giving during Live Boldly, consider the following steps. If you’ve never given to your church before, making a first time gift is an obvious place to start. Say you give occasionally- set a goal to give consistently. Ready for another step? The Bible talks frequently about giving of your first fruits. That’s farmer-speak for giving the first dollars from each paycheck. Think of the impact you could have if you started giving electronically each payday! How about setting a goal to give 10% of your income by the end of Live Boldly. Imagine the influence on your own children as they watch you rearrange your priorities to make tithing a reality in your home. Maybe you’ve experienced a financial windfall. It could be a modest amount like a favorable tax refund or a large amount like an inheritance. Think of the influence those resources might have both here in Tallahassee and around the world.
Trusting the Supplier
April 30, 2021 • Natalie Thomas
Trusting the Supplier by Natalie Thomas, Business Administer In order for my husband and I to go beyond our tithes, we had to reexamine our budget or what we call our spending plan. Since we felt that God had already given us an amount to increase our tithe by, I had the task of making it work in our spending plan. Since our monthly income for the most part didn’t really change, I took a look at all of our expenses to see what we might reduce. By reducing expenses we actually saved more than the amount of our planned increase in our giving. Now our spending plan lists our tithe first, then our beyond amount, and so on. Our giving process all started with us being obedient to the Word and I challenge you to take a step of faith and test God with your tithes and even beyond. What a blessing it has been for me and my family to bless our church that in return blesses so many other people. Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. – 2 Corinthians 9:10