As the winds of March indicate the coming of spring in Pensacola, so the gentle breeze of the Spirit indicates an upcoming season of new growth and spiritual vitality in our First Baptist Family.

At the beginning of March, we will welcome Dr. Minh Lam to our church staff as an Associate Minister. Dr. Lam will serve primarily as the Pastoral Leader for our Vietnamese Fellowship, but he will also assist other members of our ministerial team with outreach, evangelism, and pastoral care. Dr. Lam is well-known among Vietnamese Christians for his teaching, his preaching, and his international radio broadcasts. Some have referred to Dr. Lam as the “Billy Graham of the Vietnamese world.” We will join with our Vietnamese Fellowship in hosting a welcome reception for Dr. and Mrs. Lam on March 4.

Construction work on the ROC is beginning. The first few days of work will consist primarily of internal prep work inside the existing structure. Then we will see big machinery coming our way. Following Easter, work will begin on the new addition. These will be exciting months as we watch the ROC become a reality one week at a time with a completion time near the end of 2007.

As the ROC is shaping up right before our eyes, many of our classes and groups will continue to meet for extended months in alternative spaces and crowded locations. For a smooth and harmonious season of construction we asked that everyone practice patience, flexibility, and cooperation. If you get nudged out of your comfort zone, let that experience promote you to your next level of spiritual growth.

On March 4, we will launch Atrium Express, which will encourage a brief time for fellowship in the Atrium prior to the Early Service and “en route” to Bible Study. Coffees and assorted drinks will be available as you visit friends and guests just before the Early Service and as you greet friends and “en route” to your Bible study group. Our aim is to provide positive moments for fellowship as we provide quality opportunities for Bible study and discipleship.

In March we begin a new worship series which will explore “Deep Questions for a Deeper Faith.” Invite a friend to join you as we experience the breeze of the Spirit.

On Valentine’s Day sweethearts of all ages exchange cards and gifts to affirm and celebrate their affection for one another. Some will give roses, while others receive chocolates. This morning I awakened to find a home-made Valentine Card from my sweetheart of 22 years on my desk. Later in the morning I observed high school students meeting in the local bagel shop before school sharing a muffin and frappacino. And while sitting in traffic at a busy intersection I observed delivery vans from local florists en route to deliver Valentine bouquets.

As a pastor who performs a few dozen wedding ceremonies each year, I meet with the engaged couples to encourage them on the road to a positive long-term marriage relationship. Unfortunately a few of those relationships break down and end in dissolution. But the vast majority stick together, with a large percentage enjoying a life long partnership.

In our church family we are blessed to have dozens of couples who have been married for fifty years or more. One couple recently celebrated their seventy fifth wedding anniversary. As Valentine’s Day approached this week, we asked our veteran sweethearts, “What are the keys to a long-term, happy marriage?” Here are some of their responses:

· Love and respect for one another.
· Be devoted and committed to the marriage.
· Have faith in God and follow His teachings.
· Keep Christ at the center of your marriage/home.
· Stay connected with your church family.
· Establish and maintain trust.
· Be patient with each other.
· Be equally yoked.
· Keep your priorities in perspective.
· Look at issues from the other person’s point of view.
· Have tenacity.
· A good relationship always involves “give and take”; selfishness will not work.
· Consider the needs of your spouse before your own needs.
· Take one day at a time; life is not easy.
· Ride out the bumps in life together.
· Choose friends with similar values.
· Don’t go to bed angry or upset.
· Play together.
· Work through your finances together; things belong to both of you.
· Remember your vows; saying “I do” translates to “We will work together.”

The advice of these veteran sweethearts gives me a good word to share with young couples. And listening to the stories of these veteran sweethearts causes me to look forward to many adventuresome years with my Valentine.

For many months the south side of our campus has been undergoing renovation. The work could be completed as soon as this Sunday. The landscape will be more attractive. Parking on the south side will be more convenient. A new circle drive has been created which will serve as a much needed dropoff point. A covered walkway will lead to the entrance through the arcade on the ground level. These temporary renovations will serve us well until we move toward the next level of our master plan.

This Sunday you will see more plants and greenery in our services and around our campus, a timely reminder that spring is just around the corner. Also, you will notice that much needed additional aisle space has been created in both of our worship services. This will make our worship space more safe, welcoming and user-friendly for all who participate.

We will observe National Scout Sunday on February 11 as we recognize our Boy Scouts and leaders from Troop 10. In addition to the scouts from our fellowship, we look forward to welcoming the scouts and parents from Zion Hope Baptist Church who will be our guests in the midmorning service.

Next Wednesday is Valentine’s Day. Various choirs, mission groups, and student groups will be meeting all around campus. For those who can join us for Prayer Meeting, our topic will be “Love is More Than a Second-Hand Emotion.”

This Sunday morning we continue our series Great Invitations from Isaiah as we focus on Isaiah 48:16-19, “Come and Listen.”

Invite a neighbor to join you as we meet for worship and Bible study.

Get ready! Our construction zone is about to come alive with the sights and sounds of progress. In the next few days, the construction phase on the ROC will begin. Work on the Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center has been at a standstill as our contractors, architects, and committees have been getting new prices and estimates due the rising costs of building materials. In church conference on Wednesday evening our church gave overwhelming approval to a new ROC budget. Construction is just a few days away.

During the upcoming months of construction, each of us will be called on to remain flexible, to make sacrifices, and to exercise extraordinary patience. For example, many Bible study groups will continue to meet in temporary and sometimes crowded spaces. On many Wednesday evenings, our adults will transition to Pleitz Chapel so that our AWANA group can utilize Chipley Hall for activities. Our transition times on Sunday morning will be planned in a way to expedite the traffic flow. Your patience, flexibility, and cooperation are will allow us to maximize our experiences in worship, Bible study, and other activities.

Spring is on the way and you will soon see an upgrade in the plants and greenery in our services and around our campus. Also, you will notice that there will be some much needed additional aisle space created in both of our worship services. This expanded space will enhance mobility and accessibility for all who participate in worship.

For more than a year, we have been searching and praying for a new pastoral leader for our Vietnamese Fellowship. On Wednesday evening we affirmed a call to Dr. Lam from Austin, Texas to join our ministry staff. On Sunday evening March 4, we will join with our Vietnamese Fellowship in hosting a church wide reception to welcome Dr. and Mrs. Lam to our church and community.

This Sunday morning we begin a new series called “Great Invitations from Isaiah.” On Sunday evening in Pleitz Chapel, our Staff Quintet will sing and our message will focus on “Looking at Yourself from the Inside Out.”

Invite a friend to join you as we meet for worship and Bible study.

(These are the brief notes from Bible study on Sunday evening January 28.)

For review:
1. Primarily, the Revelation is a book of worship, comfort, and encouragement.
2. From the letters to the seven churches, we are reminded that every church has specific strengths and weaknesses, unique blessings and challenges.
3. Trials and tribulations much like those from the era in which the Revelation was written have occured at various times in history and will likely occur again in the future.
4. God is the only unchanging presence or factor in the drama. Seasons change. Circumstances come and go. The character and mission of God is steadfast and dependable.

Outline:
1. The testimony: Jesus is the root of David, a messianic reference, and the Bright and Morning Star. God is described as Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. v. 16
2. The invitation: The Spirit and the bride, that is, the church, give the invitation, “Let whoever is willing come and take of the water of life freely.” v.17
3. The warning: The warning for adding or taking away from these words is that you will encounter the plagues listed therein. v.18
4. The promise: “I am coming soon.” Soon is a relative term but certainly indicates an affirmative promise. It could be a specific term referring to Jesus receiving a believer immediately at the time of death, and/or a reference to Jesus returning to retrieve believers at a future point. v.20
5. The benediction: The grace of God be with God’s people. v. 21

Be assured that your circumstances in life may change several times but God’s grace will be with you in all seasons.

(The following is the powerpoint outline of the sermon from Sunday January 28.)

Ultimately John catches a glimpse of the new world God has created, an existence where God’s community is complete.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
-Revelation 21:3-4 NIV

1. In heaven, God’s people live in perfect harmony and community with God and each other.

2. In heaven, pain and tears and death are conspicuously absent.

3. The architecture and landscape are presented as permanent and abundant.

4. All whose names are in the book for life have an eternal address in heaven.

The invitation is still open. It echos the ministry of Jesus who said, “I will give you water to drink and you will never thirst again.” The Revelation concludes with this invitation: The Spirit says “come” and the bride says “come;” let whosoever will come and take of the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17 (paraphrase)

Live your life, your ordinary life in this world, in tune with God and God’s purpose so that you are fully prepared for the world to come.

Smile when you have your portrait made for our new Church Directory. Pictorial albums promote fellowship, provide resourceful information, and preserve an important segment of church history. We want every participant in our First Baptist Family to be included in our new directory.

In recent weeks the ROC has been at a standstill as our contractors and architects have been busy with permitting and re-pricing. As many of us have anticipated, with rising cost of materials, our budget for the Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center will need to be increased significantly. In our next church conference on Wednesday January 31, we will hear the most recent numbers as we have an opportunity to consider a new budget. Once a new budget is affirmed, the construction phase is ready to begin.

In the next few weeks, you should be contacted by your new family deacon. According to Kemp Wilson, our new Deacon Family Ministry coordinator, 80% of our deacons have just received their new assignments for 2007 and the remainder of our deacons will receive their assignments during the next couple of weeks. Among many other ministries, your family deacon will be praying for you.

We encourage all members of committees and ministry teams to participate in our Leadership Workshop which is scheduled for this Sunday January 28 at 5 o’clock in Chipley Hall. Our workshop will provide an orientation to committee structures and assignments for 2007.

Our Winter Bible Study, Rediscovering the Revelation, continues this Sunday as we focus on “7th Heaven” as described in Revelation 21. On Sunday evening at six o’clock we will meet in the sanctuary for Bible study and baptism.

Invite a friend or neighbor to join you this Sunday.

(This is an outline of the Bible study from Sunday evening, January 21, 2007.)

This evening we hope to address some important symbols: the beast(s), false prophet, and the great prostiture. If we have time, we will address the notions of Jezebel, anti-Christ and the lake of fire.

Next week we will meet in the sanctuary for a summary of the Revelation and for baptism.

In review:
1. Apocalypse: The word translated Revelation is apokalupsis, which literally means a drawing aside of the veil to disclose some hidden sight. It is like the opening of the curtain on some drama, but the drama in question is not a man-made play but God-made history. –Wm. Barclay
2. Letters to the churches: Record of epistles to seven of the 12-15 churches in Asia are included in this book.
3. Groups of seven: Symbols such as the letters, plagues, seals, scrolls, etc., are rendered in groups of seven.
4. Other characters: The stars or angels are messengers; the lampstands are the churches or the testimony of the churches; the lamb is Christ.

Introduction:
Nature of evil: Systemic
Method of evil: Deceit and Manipulation
Future of evil: Eliminated

Outline:
1. Beast: (Revelation 13:13-18) Represents systemic evil in an unjust government or economy, an economy based on religious discrimination.

2. False prophet: (Rev 19:20) Represents systemic evil in an unfaithful religion. The false prophet works in tandem with the beast. Historically, close alliances between church and state have proven corruptive to both. This is yet another reason Baptists have contended for separation of church and state.

3. The great prostitute or harlot: (Rev 17:1-2) Represents systemic evil in a culture or human collective. Referred to like the culture of Babylon, this represents a collective human movement that is the antithesis of the bride of Christ.

4. AntiChrist: Supposedly represents any person or system that aggressively opposes Christianity.

5. Lake of fire: This is a dramatic reference to the torment of unbelievers and evildoers.
John seems to indicate that persecutors can burn you at the stake but in the end, they will end up in the lake of fire. The image of a lake of fire is in direct contrast to the river of life. (For further study I recommend Harold Bryson’s book, Yes, Virginia, There Is a Hell, which is also published under the title, The Christian Doctrine of Hell.)

Closing remarks:
Work for social and economic justice in Jesus’ name.
Avoid supposing that religious groups different from you are false.
Because we do not know when the end will come, make everyday count.

(This is the powerpoint outline for Sunday morning, January 21, 2007.)

John vision in the Revelation includes a scene of final judgment where personal records from human lives are opened for God to audit.

And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there—before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived.
-Revelation 20:12 TM

1. Every human being from every age is accountable to God.

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
-Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV

My greatest thought is my accountability to God. Daniel Webster

2. In final judgment the books or records of life are opened for audit.

3. God is the divine auditor.

4. Jesus balances the books of his followers.
We are not capable of being good enough to deserve the life God has prepared. Christ becomes the great equalizer and redeemer who forgives our sins and invites us to embrace God’s way of life and ultimately God’s new world.

How do you prepare for the divine audit?
1) Confess your sins and receive God’s forgiveness.
2) Make right any outstanding trespasses or debts.
3) Align your life with teachings and mission of Christ.

The most worthy use of our time and resources this side of heaven is to be engaged in the mission of God in the world.

Last weekend, an energetic and enthusiastic crew insured that our Habitat Project got off to a great start. This Saturday presents another opportunity to work on our Habitat House. Every member of our church family can play an important role by praying, by preparing food, or by participating in on site construction.

In cooperation with the Northwest Florida Blood Center, our First Baptist family is hosting a Winter Blood Drive on Sunday January 21. Over 50 donors have signed up already. If your health history qualifies you to contribute, please consider becoming a donor. Your contribution could save more than one life.

We are looking forward to the publication of our new Church Pictorial Directory. Pictorial albums promote fellowship, provide resourceful information, and preserve an important segment of church history. Be sure to make an appointment for you and your family to have your portrait made. Our new directories should be available by Mother’s Day.

Our Winter Bible Study, Rediscovering the Revelation, has been probing, encouraging, and extremely well-attended. This Sunday morning we think about “Preparing for the Ultimate Audit” as we focus on Revelation 20:11-15.

Invite a friend to join you for worship and Bible study this week.