Little Flatrock Chrisitan Church’s

Annual Church Picnic

Sunday, September 16

Following Worship

 

Bring your family and friends and a filled basket of food to share.

Fried chicken, drinks, and table service provided

Games to follow!

Legendary Florida State University football coach Bobby Bowden often inspired his team with stories. Here’s one that former players cite as a favorite:

As a college baseball player, Bowden had never hit a home run. Finally, he hit one down the right-field line, into the corner. He ran past first base and looked to the coach, who waved him on.

Bowden made it home and hit the plate, thrilled to have his homer. But as he was accepting his teammates’ congratulations, the opposing pitcher took the ball and threw to the first baseman. The umpire immediately called Bowden out because he’d neglected to touch the base.

Reflecting on the incident, Bowden said, “You have to take care of first base. If you don’t honor the Lord first, then it doesn’t matter what else you do.”

Similarly, we need to take care of first things first. Unless we honor the Lord in all we do, nothing else will matter.

When terrorists attacked the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in September of 2013, a former British Royal Marine guided many people to safety. His identity was concealed for security purposes, but The Daily Mail later quoted a bystander: “What he did was so heroic. He was having coffee with friends when it happened. He went back in 12 times and saved 100 people. Imagine going back in when you knew what was going on inside.”

Imagine going into any place of danger or violence, knowing what’s happening — or what could happen: firefighters rushing into a burning house, a classmate stepping into a tense situation to end bullying, an adult boldly reporting suspected child abuse to authorities.

And God … taking on flesh and entering our world as Jesus, fully knowing “what was going on inside” and the violence to which he’d be exposed. Yet he went ahead and did this, all to rescue people — us! — from certain death.

In response to the question “Can I be a Christian without joining the church?” someone once said it’s as possible as being:

A student who will not go to school.
A soldier who will not join an army.
A citizen who does not pay taxes or vote.
A salesman with no customers.
An explorer with no base camp.
A seaman on a ship without a crew.
A businessman on a deserted island.
An author without readers.
A tuba player without an orchestra.
A parent without a family.
A football player without a team.
A politician who is a hermit.
A scientist who does not share his findings.
A bee without a hive.

We were meant to live in community.  We welcome you to be a part of ours.

 

God has a plan for every life in Christ Jesus. What a wondrous truth … and yet how reasonable. Shall the architect draw the plans for his stately palace? Shall the artist sketch the outlines of his masterpiece? Shall the shipbuilder lay down the lines for his colossal ship? And yet shall God have no plan for the soul which he brings into being and puts “in Christ Jesus”? Surely He has.

Yea, for every cloud that floats across the summer sky, for every blade of grass that points its tiny spear heavenward, God has a purpose and a plan. How much more then, for you who are His own in Christ Jesus, does God have a perfect life plan.

—James McConkey

July 9-13

6:00-8:30pm

Journey into an action-packed VBS!

Kids will discover how to Love, Believe, Trust, and Witness as they engage in God’s big story of redemption! Each day features activities and interactive lessons that turn storytelling into an unforgettable experience that points to Jesus who Saves.

Little Flatrock Christian Church invites all youth, pre-school through 6th grade, to join us each evening for stories, snacks, games, songs, and crafts.  Find out about our first action hero!

*We will be collecting items and monetary donations for the Rush County Food Pantry this year.*

Renowned actor Sidney Poitier once said, “I decided in my life that I would do nothing that did not reflect positively on my father’s life.” If you’re blessed with a dad you admire and respect, how would it affect your life to make such a decision? Would you be inspired to set sound priorities, live with integrity, be a positive role model to the young people you influence? For all of us — children of the only perfect Father — may our prayer and intent be:

God, while earthly fathers are a mix of strengths and flaws, you give yourself to us as our heavenly Father, wholly loving, kind and passionate about our best interests. May we, in turn, seek to reflect positively on you. May my life spread far and wide your love, kindness and passion for the best interests of all, and may others see you in me. Amen.

Composer Iannis Xenakis said, “The collision of hail or rain with hard surfaces, or the song of cicadas in a summer field. These sonic events are made out of thousands of isolated sounds; this multitude of sounds, seen as totality, is a new sonic event.”

What would one cicada sound like, or a lone hailstone hitting the ground? Would we even hear that? How about one raindrop, one low rumble of thunder? But put those individual sounds together in groups and they’re powerful.

What can one coin in an offering plate accomplish? Or one volunteer from an entire congregation? What if John the Baptist’s lone voice had never been joined by the disciples, and all the Christians after them, sharing the Gospel?

One voice alone isn’t inconsequential, just as one coin, one volunteer, one raindrop isn’t nothing. But if each felt inconsequential and stopped contributing its “sound,” soon there would be nothing. Conversely, when many individuals stay in the game, soon they find they aren’t alone at all. God brings their contributions together, creating a whole new “sonic event”!

  Little Flatrock Christian Church’s

Yard Sale/Bake Sale/Car Wash

Conservation Club, Hwy 44 East

Friday, May 11, 8:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 12, 8:00 a.m. — ??

Bake Sale and Car Wash Saturday ONLY, starting at 9:00 a.m.

All proceeds benefit the mission teams.

 

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”   Philippians 2:3-4

We all know that the person who has a strong self-esteem and feeds their ego through self-promotion, often at the expense of others, is not the poster child for biblical humility.  However, biblical humility also isn’t demonstrated through the person who has a low self-esteem, acts humble and shy, and lacks confidence, allowing people to walk all over them.  That’s humiliation.

Truly humble people have a strong self-esteem stemming from knowing who they are in Christ.  A firm grasp of your eternal position as a child of God gives you confidence that you have nothing to lose.  Knowing that your position is not up for grabs affords you the opportunity to put the needs of others above your own.

 

 

In Philippians 2:8 Paul cites Jesus as the poster child for humility: “being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death.”  Jesus, with a strong sense of who he was, put your needs above his own and suffered so that you could gain a relationship with God.  If you want to be like Jesus, take on his brand of humility.

–from The 31 Day Devotional by Randy and Rozanne Frazee