by Rev. Bill Parker

• 03/02/08 a.m.: How Not to Get Scammed, from Colossians 2:4-17.
• 03/02/08 p.m.: Identity Theft, from Colossians 2:18-3:4.

Sunday, March 9, is Vision Sunday. That is the day we will turn in our commitment cards for 2008 – 2009. Catch the Vision giving runs from March – February each year as we are seeking to eliminate our debt. We are obligated to the Baptist Foundation for $3982 per month on our loan. That is over and above our monthly expenses. In addition that is on a 15-year note. Our desire is to payoff well before that. Our goal in the beginning was to average $100,000 a year. We are coming in at just over half that amount at the current rate. I know that some of you prefer to give a one-time gift each year. Others like to commit to a monthly gift. Whether your gift is $10,000 or $10 dollars it is greatly appreciated. We do ask you to make a commitment so that we have an idea of what the year will bring. This helps us with budgeting and managing our resources through the year. So I’m asking that you prayerfully consider what you can give this next year and turn that amount in on the 9th as a statement of your commitment. All I ever ask of you is to do what the LORD would have you do, nothing more, nothing less.

Mark your calendar for Friday, March 28, 6:30 P.M. for our Mission Banquet. Larry and Doris Powell, Mission Service Corp volunteers with the North American Mission Board will be our special guests. Larry and Doris will be talking about mission opportunities in and around Tulsa, across Oklahoma and throughout the United States. This will be a great opportunity for you to discover places where you can serve. I’m praying we leave that night with some mission commitments already made! Please mark your calendar and make plans to join us on the 28th.

I’ll see you Sunday.

Rod

03/09/08 a.m.: Giving: a Reflection of Faith - An exposition of 2 Corinthians 8:1-15.

03/19/06 a.m.: The Blame Game, from Genesis 3, by Rev. Bowden McElroy

Praise the Lord for a great day Sunday! I always enjoy being home. After being away last week it was great to worship with my Trinity family. Sunday was Vision Sunday and though attendance was down we had a great response. Thank you for the encouragement of seeing so many come forward and put their pledge in the offering plates. As of Sunday morning we had $41,000 pledge over the next 12 months. That is $41,000 over and above your regular giving. You are a generous people. I know there were other pledges that came in on Sunday evening and some others will come in over the following weeks. Together we will give that the Gospel and the work of the Kingdom will expand.

I’m also grateful that Larry and Doris Powell joined us for worship Sunday. Larry and Doris are Mission Service Corp volunteers for the North American Mission Board and will be our guest for the mission banquet on March 28. I hope that you will join us for the banquet. This will be an opportunity for you to hear about mission projects in and around the Tulsa area as well as across Oklahoma and the nation. I spoke with Larry on Monday morning and we are hoping to have representatives from some of the mission projects here at the banquet. That means you will have a chance that evening to speak directly to the leaders of some of the ministries about how you can begin serving now.

There are wonderful days ahead of us. Wouldn’t it be great to see a large mission force mobilized out of our fellowship in the next few months? I’m looking forward to worshiping with you this coming Lord’s Day. I’ll see you Sunday.

Rod

“He is risen.” “He is risen indeed!” Such was the Easter greeting in the early church as they gathered in celebration on Resurrection Sunday. We know that every Sunday is a celebration of the fact that Christ lives. We refer to Sunday as “The Lord’s Day” in recognition that that day changed everything. Think of all that had happened during that week. A joyful welcome; a shocking act of cleansing in the temple; Jesus’ wisdom silencing the religious scholars; His authority in announcing judgment on Jerusalem and a religious system that moved from life to lifeless ritual; the love of the Christ; the betrayal of Judas; the weakness of Peter; the compassion of the Savior; the horror of the cross; the wonder of the resurrection. It was quite a week.

Sunday people will gather in country chapels and grand cathedrals to worship the risen Christ. The faithful will gather along with the “not so faithful” to sing and tell the old, old story. Pews will be full, the singing will be robust but how many will truly understand the wonder of which they sing? How many will leave the service feeling good about their pilgrimage and the homage paid to the lamb slain but leave having moved no closer to the One who gave His all for them? I can think of nothing more tragic that the empty worship of the Lamb of God. I can think of nothing more heart-rending that to sing the songs, hear the story and not understand it was for you He died. I hope and pray we have a “full house” Sunday. But more than that – I pray that when we gather we will see the Lamb slain for our sin. The Savior raised for our justification. And that we would stand in awe and wonder of the Christ who died and rose again to give us life.

I’ll see you Sunday.

Rod

03/23/08a.m.: You be the Judge - A Resurrection-Morning Message from Matthew 27:1-26.

03/23/08p.m.: Easter . . . Now What, from John 21:1-17.

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” That was Paul’s advice to the believers in Galatia concerning our treatment of those who fall into sin. Two things stand out in my mind when I look at Galatians 6:1-2. The first is that ignoring the sin is not an option. We cannot pretend it did not happen. In fact we are told we must restore the individual. The word Paul used means “to put right.” It is the term used for setting a broken limb. That is a painful but necessary step in healing. We do our brothers and sisters in Christ no favors when we turn a blind eye toward their sin. But I also note this is to be done in a spirit of gentleness. That means to inflict as little pain as necessary. It means we take no delight in the pain we cause.

Two years ago I was asked to serve on a team assisting Tom Shaw with his restoration. As you know Tom fell into sin and as a result lost his pastorate of 30 years causing great harm to himself, his family and our sister church. It has been a long, difficult and painful process. We have walked with Tom holding him accountable, praying with him, questioning him and seeing that he got counseling. He has done all that has been asked of him. He has genuinely repented and demonstrated the fruit of repentance over the past two years. This Sunday evening, April 6th, we are having a restoration service at Red Fork Baptist Church celebrating God’s gracious work in Tom’s life. This is not a service to restore Tom as pastor of Red Fork. This is to celebrate God’s work in Tom’s heart and life. Any future ministry remains in God’s hands.

We will not have an evening service this Sunday to allow any who want to be a part of the service at Red Fork the opportunity to go.

Whether you attend or not, I hope that you will continue to pray for Tom, his family and the good people of Red Fork Baptist as they continue to work through their pain toward a God blessed, and gracious future. I’ll see you Sunday.

Rod