WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

Hey I'm doing a survey, I want to know what concerns you. What kind of things are going on in your life that concern you, the things that you would like to talk about or need help with. Tell me about them. You can post them here or e-mail them to me at careybaptist@gmail.com
Thanks and I hope to here from you soon.

MISSIONS

When I say missions, what do you think? Do you think about the Cooperative Program that we give money to so that our missionaries around the world can tell others about Jesus? Or maybe you think about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, or the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, or maybe even the Reach Texas Offering that we are in right now, the money raised for this stays here in Texas for mission projects here in our state, all of these are worthy causes. Or maybe you think closer to home and you think about CONNECT, our own outreach from CBC, maybe you connect this with Desert Reign coming every year in the fall and the money we raise for that. Maybe when you think about missions you think about going to Cloudcroft NM with our team to work on that camp, or maybe you have thought about going to Namibia Africa to reach an unreached people group and tell them about Jesus. What do you think about when you think about missions? Did you know that our mission closest to home is Carey Baptist? As a group that is our closest mission, the work we do as a church. As an individual your closest mission may be right next door, or around the corner, or down the road or street, it may be your family or friends. We must always be thinking about missions and what we can do to further the Kingdom; we must be mission-minded. Just saying we are in not enough, just giving money to a missions offering in not enough, we must be mission-minded. If we cannot go on a mission trip we need to be raising money for those who do go, for the Cloudcroft trip or the Namibia trip, those who are lead to go don’t always have the money, and we all can help. We must be mission-minded to the needs around us.
Lord, I pray for those in our church, I pray Lord that you will make us all mission-minded. Let us become aware to the needs that are around us everyday, show us how we can be involved in missions, those that our church are involved in and those that our Southern Baptist missionaries are involved in. Amen.

MISSING SHEEP

110, that’s what we had for our 5th Sunday Singing, 110. It was good to have a full house and to worship with other churches. 110 people, 7 different church, well over 2 hours of singing, what a great time! It was great to have a full house, to hear all of the voices singing together. Do you know what would be even better, if we had that many in church on Sunday mornings. We could you know, real easy, how you may ask. Well, it’s like this, if our members who live right here in town would come to church we would have at least that many every Sunday morning, probably even more than 110. So how do we get them here? Did you know that Carey 1st Baptist Church has 238 members? Did you know that we have 193 resident (those who live in the area) members? And yet we averaged only 57 in Sunday School during the past year, why is this? How do we get our resident members to come back to God’s house? How do we get from here to there? Number one; we pray! We pray for our members, those who are committed members, those who are working for the Kingdom and coming to church, we pray for God to bless them in every way, we pray for God to make them a great witness for Him. Then we pray for our members who come, but not real often, we pray that God will increase their desire for more fellowship with the church. Then we pray for our members who have not been here in a while, we pray for God to put a desire in their hearts to come back to His House, to get involved again. And last, we pray for all of our members to grow into a deeper relationship with Christ. Number two; we send cards to our members who have not been coming letting them know that we miss them and want them to come back. And number three; we go and visit. We go and knock on their door and pleasantly invite them back to church, we let them know that we miss them. After all they are part of our Carey Baptist Family, if we follow this it will work, maybe not on all, but on most. Sometimes things happen and people miss church and then they get out of the habit of going to church and then they think that no one misses them, but we do and we need to let them know it. Let me ask you something, how would you like to be on the missing sheep team, the team that prays, sends cards and visits members? Pray about it, I will be forming this team soon!!

LAUGH OUT LOUD

Bloopers, people making mistakes, and of course we would never laugh at their expense, right? Or would we….
From the Yeovil, England, Western Gazette: "The first swallow has arrived at Devizes. It was spotted by Police Constable John Cooke, of Seend, whose hobby is bird watching, sitting wet and bedraggled on telephone wires." (How does that constable do that while he’s all wet, I tried it and fell off three times?)
Classified ad: Man wanted to work in dynamite factory; must be willing to travel. (How far up?)
From the Tulsa, Oklahoma, World: "It is permissible to spank a child if one has a definite end in view." (Always keep your eyes open!)
The Harrah, Oklahoma, News ran an article about the Folderol String Band, which was to entertain at a barbecue. The story explained, "These true sons of the Southwest have twanged their music all over Oklahoma and have been asked more than once to leave the state." (And don’t come back!!)
Society note in the Denver, Colorado, Rocky Mountain News: "She looked like the belle of a court ball with the gown and her hair piled high on her head." (Someone should tell her that the dress goes lower)
Sign spotted in Jacksonville, Florida: Pool is open 24 hours. Please do not enter the pool at any other time. (Like during the 25th hour?)
In a letter from a summer camp director: Dear parents: We are pleased to announce the opening of registration. We are working hard and looking forward to the ultimate bummer experience for everyone. (I think I’ve been to that camp)
A classic of its kind was this sign in an army mess hall in Britain. Printed in big black letters across the exit, it read: Kindly Let Those Who Are Going Out First.
That sentence drove us crazy, and I thought it would never be topped. But it was, in a San Francisco bar. I overheard a guy who was being pestered to death by a frightful bore snap, "If you don't get out of here and leave me alone, I'll find somebody who can!" (So there, if that didn't make you laugh I’ll find someone else who did.)
Did you have a good laugh? These are all things that I found, and no I was not in a bar, really!

SPECTATORS OR PARTICIPATORS

How would you say our spiritual maturity, godliness and commitment as a church compares to other churches? Paul compared the Macedonia church’s commitment to Corinth and challenged them to MATCH it. Corinthians 8:1-8. 2 Corinthians 8:8 says I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. (NIV) Rick Warren says that he challenges any church in America to match the spiritual maturity, godliness and commitment of any 500 members of Saddleback Church. How do you think we would match up? Whatever excuse we could use comes back on us. I personally don’t know about their spiritual maturity, godliness and commitment but I do know that they have had over 10,000 Saddleback members serve on missions overseas. How have they done this and how have they grown like they have? They have turned spectators into participators, consumers into contributors and an audience into an army. All too often we think that if we come to church it is enough, or if we serve on a committee or teach a class, don’t get me wrong, those are good, but can we do more? Are we spectators or participators, consumers or contributors; are we an audience or an army? One way for you to get to the point of being participators, contributors and an army is for me to turn more things over to those who are willing to take responsibility for them and then do something with them. I have turned our outreach, Connect, over to Jimmy, Jerry H. and Tommy and I am expecting great things from them in our outreach department. But the only way that this can happen is when God leads them into areas of outreach; we must get behind them and be part of it. I want our W.M.U. and Brotherhood to be active, not inside the church but outside, I want our teachers on Sunday morning and Wednesday night to decide what they want out of their class, how much they want it to grow and then get out and work it and make it grow. It’s time that we the people of Carey Baptist took the responsibility for the growth of our church and not just leave it up to the paid staff. It’s time that we stepped out into the community and made a difference, it’s time that you stopped just reading and listening to my words and started asking God what He wants us as a church to be doing; and then do it!!

ONE DAY

“One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin. 11 All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn't scrimp with his traveling companions. 12 It's smooth sailing all the way with God of the Angel Armies.” Psalms 84:10-12 (MSG)
Dr. J. Vernon McGee says, “He says, "A day in Thy courts is better than a thousand days anywhere else. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness,'' and that's what the sons of Korah were -- doorkeepers. He says, "I would rather have my job than to be a rich man living far from God.'' There are some folk who look at their watches on Sunday morning to see if the preacher is going overtime. The psalmist says, "I'd rather spend one day in God's house than a thousand anywhere else.'' What a glorious psalm this is, and what a rebuke it is to many of us.”
How often do we come to church and then think about being somewhere else? Or, how often do we just go somewhere else instead of coming to church, but the psalmist is saying that one day in God’s house is better than a thousand days anywhere else, wow, what a way to look at being in God’s house. Oh that we would have that same attitude, just one day in your house in your presence is better than a thousand days at the lake, or race track, or park or game or anywhere else you can think of. When we learn to worship God that way it will enhance every area of our life. When we choose to really put God first, when we choose to serve God with our whole heart not holding anything back, the when the enemy attacks, when the enemy does us harm, God can turn it around and use it for good. What Satan meant for harm God means for good means that God is still on His throne and no one can remove Him. God may not do it the way that we want it done, but then, He is God and we aren’t. We may not understand it all, but we must trust Him and have faith. When we can come to this point in our life, then we will truly understand why one day in His house is better than a thousand anywhere else.

FATHER'S DAY

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!! Just in case no one has told you yet today dad, let me be the first, HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!! We are really glad that you are here for our 3rd Annual Father’s Day Cook-Out, we hope to do our best to honor you today dad. When God made the family He made man to be the head of the household, but all too often in our society dad is made out to look like an idiot. In this age of the absentee dad, the fatherless home and the abusive fathers, we tend to forget about the men out there who are good husbands and great dads. Are they without fault, no, but then neither are you. We as men and dads need to remember our role and our calling to be Godly men because we represent Christ who is the head of the Church, and the way that our kids look at us is the way they see God, our Heavenly Father. I think that is one reason that some people have tried to feminize God. In the very popular book The Shack, God is portrayed as a woman. Why, I’m not sure, but I do know that Jesus said Father, Our Father who art in Heaven… Today there are so many children being raised by mom, and dad is nowhere in the picture and this may make it hard for people to understand God as Father. But God said that He is a father to the fatherless, He has not abandoned us, He is still right here. So dad, I’m glad that you are here in church today, a day when you could be off anywhere, but you chose to be here, may God bless you richly for that.
I want to ask you something, have you taken time to honor your dad today? If you are able to, in some way, honor him today, I’m not going to tell you how to do that, but please make an effort to do it. In this day and age when all too many men think that all you have to do to be a dad is to have a kid, (even goats do that) take time to honor those who are truly fathers. A little appreciation goes a long way, it doesn’t take an expensive gift, just love. Men are simple creatures, (not simple minded), just simple and easy to please. Real fathers just want family close, to cook out or to be with friends...and look we have all three here today. So, Happy Father’s Day. Remember, God honors dads and here at Carey, so do we!