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THREE MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS TODAY
I’m so excited for church! We don’t usually mess with the schedule, but today, it’s ALL different!
This morning’s 10:30 service gives us extra time to hear from our special guests, and lunch at church is always fun! Then, our afternoon service at 1:30 is in place of our usual evening service. Don’t miss it!
Here are three major highlights I’m excited for today:
1. HEARTLAND BAPTIST BIBLE COLLEGE
My Alma Mater is here, and I’m excited for you to hear the GloryBound Quartet sing some beautiful and exciting Southern Gospel music! The songs might just touch your soul if you’re not careful. Be sure to put on a sour face and hold back those smiles and toe-tappin’… we don’t want them thinking this Baptist church is turning Pentecostal!
I’m kidding! Enjoy it! Rejoice in the Lord. Praise his name. Give an “Amen!” or, if you’re feeling really spiritual… a “HALLELUJAH!” Some Baptists haven’t cracked a smile during the song service for 80 years, and today’s a good day to break those old, bad habits.
For the offering today, we want to give generously to the college and these students who were affected by a van fire a few weeks ago. They lost all their belongings—computers, phones, Bibles, notebooks, pictures—and our offerings today will go to help them replace what the insurance did not cover (about worth of damage.)
GloryBound will sing in the 10:30 am service AND in our 1:30 pm service, and Bro. Rasbeary will be preaching God’s Word this afternoon.
Get to know these men as much as you can, with the little time that you have. I used to sing Baritone on this same group and loved my time traveling for the college, but I especially loved the churches that I made a connection with.
Kurtis Strecker (piano) was a little kid when my wife and I were on staff at Bible Baptist Church in Stillwater, OK, and now it’s a blessing to see him ministering to our church. His family has been here on vacation, and the whole clan is a joy to know. He’s a music major about to graduate!
Andrew Smith (lead) was also here a couple years ago on vacation, and I’ve known him since he was in preschool, too. He grew up at the church I attended in college, and he’ll soon be a junior (Youth Ministries major.)
Cole Carson (tenor) is from Mrs. Sarah Saldana’s home church in Bowling Green, KY, and is good friends with our summer intern, Bro. Zack. But we won’t hold that against him. Bro. Cole is also a senior (Missions major.)
Jacob Welch (Baritone) is a fellow baritone, so I like him already. I went to school with his brother, so I doubly like him now. He’s a junior in college from Sapulpa, OK, and is studying to be a pastor.
Chaz Ratcliff (Bass) has a cool first name, a cool last name, and a cool voice… we just wish he was cool. *sigh. Bro. Chaz is a senior, also studying to be a pastor, and he’s from the Temple Baptist Church in El Dorado, KS.
Dylan Cates (sound) replaced Bro. Zack’s spot as the sound man, and has the hardest job of all… making these guys sound good! With a little magic button-pushing, we’ll see him work his wonders today. Bro. Dylan’s a 3rd year Missions major.
Finally, Dr. Raz (Bro. and Mrs. Rasbeary) is this afternoon’s preacher and the group sponsor for the summer. Bro. Raz was a pastor in Texas for several years before joining the Heartland staff last year.
2. FAMILY FUNDAY SUNDAY
The second exciting highlight of today is our FAMILY FUNDAY SUNDAY, which includes the unveiling of our most colorful building update ever: THE CHILDREN’S WING. Bro. Christian has been preparing this for months, and, today, we’re SO excited to give you a tour of the updated facilities.
After the morning service, we’ll watch a highlight video that shows the progress, and during lunch, the new wing will be open for viewing. Updates include a vibrant color scheme, new signage, and an all-new Junior Church wall that includes a puppet stage (just lift up the whiteboard!). I’m so excited for the LIVES that will be impacted through our children’s ministries.
After the morning service, everyone is invited to lunch-on-the-grounds, and the kids will enjoy the bounce houses in the gym.
3. SERMON SERIES CONCLUDES
The final highlight I’m excited about is the conclusion of our series through 2 Timothy. This will be sermon 23 as we’ve looked verse-by-verse at what Paul had to say to his protégé and friend, Timothy. Closing out these books will be like saying goodbye to a friend, but I hope you review the past bulletins the next time you read through 1 and 2 Timothy.
Healthy churches thrive on Bible preaching, and the regular feeding of God’s Word is what you need to be a fruitful Christian. To me, 2 Timothy 4 included some of the most meaningful passages in the whole Bible, and although I struggled to convey how important they are, I pray that you came away with this burden: I must cherish God’s Word.
You change for what you cherish, and if you cherish God’s Word, nothing can keep you from it.
With that, we have a beautiful new series coming up, starting next week, and we’ll do like we did with this series… each Sunday morning and evening we will continue into the next verse in line.
An old preacher, Lee Robertson, used to often say, “It takes three to thrive! Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.”
Why? Because we’ve been given the liberty to assemble freely, and I’d sure hate to squander our freedoms on any lesser thing. Let’s cherish God’s Word!
I love you, church, and I love God’s Word. I’m so excited that we get to meet together today, and I’m praying God speaks to your heart in a special way.
-Pastor Ryan