This Week at Osprey

OSPREY E-NEWS
November 20, 2009

‘Twas the weekend before thanksgiving and all through the house… well, I’ll have to work on the rest… Hope your week has been going well.

Sara said to me this week that she was on holiday mode. It looks like the whole church is on Holiday mode. So much going on. So much being planned. If you are not careful, you can plan the fun and joy right out of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

This Sunday we discover where David turned for support and strength when he felt fear. Then on Sunday evening, we learn why Peter called us a “Royal Priesthood”. And you thought only men could become priests!

Here’s what’s going on:

THIS WEEK:

• Sunday Morning – “Where do I Turn When Afraid?”
• Sunday Evening – “A Royal Priesthood”
• Tuesday Night – Thanksgiving Service @ 7:00 pm. There are a limited number of tickets available. They can be purchased for $5 in the various Sunday School classes this Sunday
• Wednesday – No Wednesday night service
• Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving

FROM MY HEART:

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself”. So said Franklin D. Roosevelt when out country was facing dark depressing times.

Life hasn’t changed much, has it? We still have lots of fears.

Fears come from outside and inside. We have the economy and the threat of terrorism. We have our own reaction to these events in our own hearts and minds.

So where do we turn for help? Where can we turn for peace of mind? Where do we find what we are all so desperately seeking?

The warrior-poet David had his share of fears. He lived a stressful life. He had powerful enemies who were trying to kill him. He had supposed friends who slapped his back when he was strong and slapped his face when he was down. He had sinful longings and actions nagging at him. At times, he had the disciplinary hand of God training him to do what is right.

Where did he turn? That’s what we discover from Psalm 27. Join us as we learn who and where David turned in times of trouble.

I’ll see you in church this Sunday.

In Jesus Grip,
Pastor Tom

WHERE DO I TURN?
PSALM 27

1. FOCUS ON ___________, NOT YOUR ___________. (v. 1-3)

• THE LORD IS MY ___________
• THE LORD IS MY ________________
• THE LORD IS MY ________________

2. PRACTICE A ________________________________ WITH GOD. (v. 4-10)

3. ____________________________. (v. 11-14)

4. ___________ THAT GOD WILL HAVE ___________ _____ ________________.

Missionaries Near and Far

In the last few years, FBC, Osprey, has been blessed by opportunities to meet missionaries first hand. This may be unusual for a Southern Baptist Church.

One of the strong points of SBC life is the Cooperative Program. Churches give in to a fund that finances both international and north American missions, the seminaries and many other ministries. In terms of missions, this means that SBC missionaries go out immediately to their fields as opposed to independent missionaries who once they are appointed have to raise their own finances, which is by average a 2 to 3 year process.

This is a strong point but it is also a weakness. As a child growing up in church I met missionaries as they traveled on deputation (raising support) on a monthly basis. We heard their ministry and caught their vision of what God would do when they got to their field. But many Southern Baptists do not meet missionaries because the missionaries don't have to get into churches to raise support.

But we have been blessed as a church because we have missionaries here in our church. Early on in my time here God blessed us with a couple who were veteran missionaries. They still serve God on the field. Paul Harrison, my faithful friend who is with the Lord, also introduced us to missionaries through the Venice Independent Missions.

As soon as our church started meeting missionaries, our giving sky rocketed for our Christmas International Missionary offering. We are now giving around 25% of our undesignated offering to outside mission causes. We give mostly through the Cooperative Program and Southern Baptist ministries. But our people have also given towards many other missionary causes both here and abroad.

Last night, we got re-introduced to Walter Aiken who has served God in Brazil for 19 years. He had spoken to our Student Ministry on Tuesday night and our Prayer meeting last night. He is such a refreshing personality who loves Jesus and the Brazilian people. He is such an outstanding speaker and communicator.

I am thankful for men and women like Walter who serve our Lord throughout the world.

Heard Today...

For a Monday this was outstanding!

• The new Bible study starting Wednesday night is FULL!
• My wife's plane being announced as coming in early!

But I heard one scary thing: My wife and I were going over the next 6 weeks on our calendars. She looked at me and said:

It's official. I am now on Holiday mode

One last thing I heard:

We live across the street from Ashton Elementary School and Sarasota Middle School. The children's soccer program practices and plays on the Middle School fields. This evening as I was taking the trash out, I heard this boy call out, "DAD!" I heard the answer, "Yes"... "DAD" came the yell again. To which dad called out "Yes". Then one more time, I heard 'DAD". The reply was in the same even tone, "yes"... To which the young voice yelled, "I LOVE YOU, DAD." I heard the dad yell out this time, "I LOVE YOU TOO, SON."

Alright, I cried!

This Week at Osprey!

OSPREY E-NEWS
November 13, 2009

It’s been an eventful week for me. I’ve seen our daughter’s new home in Tallahassee (it’s beautiful!). I’ve gone through a November tropical storm (it seems Ida is always trouble). I’ve sat through an extended business meeting (at the Florida Baptist State Convention). I’ve spent the night driving through some forsaken interstate (I-10 and I-75 are deserted during the late night). I’ve put my wife on a plane (she’s going to see her father). And now I get to finish up stuff I haven’t been able to finish up (like this letter, my sermons and, oh yeah, get some sleep).

But it’s been a good week and I am thankful for the goodness of God in everything. God is good, all the time. The psalmist said, “I had would have despaired unless I believed I would see the good of the Lord in the land of the living.” (Psalm 27:13)

Here’s what’s going on:

THIS WEEK:

• Sunday Morning – “It’s All in a Name”
• Sunday Evening – Be Holy
• Tuesday Night – Student Ministry @ 6:30 pm
• Wednesday – Going through Genesis

FROM MY HEART:

There are some people who are known by just one name: Ali … Madonna (?) … Bogart …

Of course, it also works the other way. Evil people are sometimes known by just one name: Hitler… Stalin … Madonna (ok, I couldn’t resist).

These are people who have become such a big part of our culture that one name instantly identifies the person and their fame.

There is of course, another name: Jesus. To believers, it is the most amazing name. God told Mary and Joseph to call their child’s name “Jesus” because He would save people from their sin. Paul says that one day at the name of Jesus every person will bow in respect and honor.

In the passage we study Sunday, Peter adds another claim to the name. He says that there is no other name by which we can receive salvation.

What does that mean for you and me? What does that mean for the world? Most people are fine with saying that Jesus is the Savior. But when we say that Jesus is the ONLY Savior, people begin to shy away. But the Bible doesn’t.

We discover on Sunday what that means.

I’ll see you in church this Sunday.

In Jesus Grip,
Pastor Tom

Acts 4:1-12
IT’S ALL IN A NAME

THE SUPREMACY OF JESUS __________________

THE SUPREMACY OF JESUS __________________

THE SUPREMACY OF JESUS __________________

QUESTIONS:
QUESTION #1: WHY DID PETER MAKE THIS CLAIM?

QUESTION #2: WHO TELLS YOU THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY NAME?

QUESTION #3: WHAT PROOF DID THEY HAVE?

QUESTION #4: WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY NAME?

QUESTION #5: IS THERE ANYWHERE ELSE THAT THIS IS MENTIONED?

QUESTION #6: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US?

WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
My first response is _______________________

My second response is ____________________

My third response is ______________________.

This Week in Osprey

OSPREY E-NEWS
November 6, 2009

This is a busy week. But I love it! It keeps me out of trouble and keeps me looking forward to the next big thing.

There’s the Ladies night out on Tuesday at the Dutch Heritage Restaurant.

The Senior Adult Luncheon kicking off on Thursday with a program on security put on by former law enforcement officers. There is a sign up sheet in the hallway. Please sign up so we can know who to provide food for.

Sara and I will be leaving on Sunday afternoon for the Florida Baptist Convention in Pensacola. We’ll be back on Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning.

In my absence, we are blessed to have Mike Risley leading the Sunday night Bible study. You will enjoy learning from Mike.

I’ve put a slide show of the Trunk or Treat from last Saturday up on the blog site. Take a look at the pictures. Here’s the web address for my blog: www.theviewfromosprey.blogspot.com Or you can just hit this link The View from Osprey

Here’s what’s going on:

THIS WEEK:
 Sunday Morning – The Evidence of my Life
 Sunday Evening – Mike Risley leads Sunday night Bible Study!
 Tuesday Night – Student Ministry @ 6:30 pm
 Ladies Night Out – Dutch Heritage @ 6:30 pm
 Wednesday – Going through Genesis
 Senior Adult Luncheon – 11 AM – Crime Prevention Seminar
 WMU – 1 PM


FROM MY HEART:
In the American court system a jury is instructed to find someone guilty if the state prosecutors have proved a person guilty beyond reasonable doubt. There is the presumption of innocence for every person charged. I am thankful for that presumption. They have to show evidence that a crime has been done and the person charged is the person who actually did the crime.

In Ephesians 5:18-21, Paul gives each of us some evidence that we are actually under the control of the Holy Spirit. (That’s what the Bible means when it talks about being “filled with the Holy Spirit”).

This evidence has nothing to do with how ecstatic our worship is. It has everything to do with what we say, how we think and how we act.

So a good question for you and me would be: Am I guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of being controlled by the Holy Spirit? Study what Paul says. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal our guilt or innocence of being under His control. He wants us to obey this command.

I’ll see you in church this Sunday.

In Jesus Grip,
Pastor Tom

The Evidence of My Life
Ephesians 5:15-21

EVIDENCES OF A SPIRIT CONTROLLED LIFE
1. SHOWS IN HOW WE _________________________.

Colossians 4:5 – Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

Ephesians 6:13 – Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

2. SHOWS IN HOW WE _________________________ _____________.

Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Acts 16:25 – But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

3. SHOWS IN HOW WE _________________________

John 4:23-24 – But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Matthew 15:8 – 'This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me.

4. SHOWS IN HOW WE _______________________.

Colossians 3:17 – Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

5. SHOWS IN HOW WE ________________________ ___________________.

Galatians 5:13 – For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Philippians 2:3 – Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

1 Peter 5:5 – You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

More from Trunk or Treat, 2009

Trunk or Treat Slideshow

Trunk or Treat 2009

Just some pictures from Saturday night's "Trunk or Treat. We estimate about 100 kids and parents came through.

We handed out lots of candy and tracts. But even better than that we met some neighbors and made some friends!

Thanks FBC, Osprey for a GREAT night