First Baptist Church of Dearborn will be hosting two special events this month.  The first arrives on Saturday, August 21.  Our Hymn Fest and Ice Cream Social will begin at 6:00PM.

The following week, on August 27 and 28, the church will be holding a Mom-2-Mom Sale.  The sale will run from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM each day.  There will also be a bake sale.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend these upcoming events.

This Sunday, Pastor Paul will turn our attention to Galatians.  Specifically, Galatians 3:23 – 29.  Here’s is the text.

23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

We will learn that the apostle Paul argues that Christians are no longer defined by their status under law.  Baptized in Christ, they are freed to live as children of God.

No longer bound by either our property or our poverty, no longer determined by either our high or low status, no longer defined by our former identities,  our freedom in Christ now shapes who we are.

Please join us this Sunday, Father’s Day, for worship.  The service begins at 10AM.

This month we’ve been encouraging you to support the “One Great Hour of Sharing”.  This special collection is used to help bring relief — food, shelter, medicine, financial support — to those in need throughout the world.

Thanks to the combined efforts of several denominations, OGHS helps maintain projects in over 100 countries.  The American Baptist World Relief Office is one ministry your OGHS donation helps to make possible.

The “One Great Hour of Sharing” collection will continue through May 30.  Please consider how you can help.

One:    Righteousness and justice are the foundations of God’s throne.

All:    The Lord is in charge! Let the earth rejoice!

One:    Those who boast in worthless idols are put to shame. All gods bow down before this God.

All:    The Lord is in charge! Let the earth rejoice!

One:    God guards the lives of the faithful. God rescues them from reprisal.

All:    The Lord is in charge! Let the earth rejoice!

In John’s passion narrative, Jesus speaks these final words of prayer just before going out with his disciples to a garden where he will be betrayed and arrested.  (John 17:20 – 26, below.)

20. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word,

21. that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one,

23. I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25. “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me.

26. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Unity in the church doesn’t depend on everyone holding the same opinions on perspectives but on faith in Jesus Christ.  In this unity the church witnesses to the world that God’s love in big enough to encompass all our differences.

We hope you will join us this Sunday at 10AM as Pastor Paul expands on the topic of the unity of the church.

One:    Let the peoples praise you, O God.

All:    Let all the peoples praise you.

One:    You judge the people with equity and guide the nations on the earth.

All:    Let the peoples praise you.

One:    The earth has yielded its increase; God has been gracious unto us – we are blessed.

One:    Let the peoples praise you, O God.

All:    Let all the peoples praise you.

In John 14:23 – 29 we see that after washing the disciples’ feet and commanding them to love one another, Jesus promises that the Spirit will come to support them as they continue to follow his teachings and obey his commands.  (Here’s the text:)

23. Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

24. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

25. “I have said these things to you while I am still with you.

26. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

27. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

28. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.

29. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

We learn that disciples of Jesus Christ are those who keep his commandments.  Central among his commandments is to love one another.

On Sunday, Pastor Paul will explain that we can fulfill this dangerous expectation through the power of the Spirit who has been sent to the church to support disciples in their walk with God.

We hope you can join us for worship this Sunday, May 9, at 10:00AM.

One:    Every day I will bless you,

All:    And praise your name for ever and ever.

One:    Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

All:    His greatness is unsearchable.

One:    On the glorious splendor of your majesty,

All:    And on your wondrous works I will meditate.

One:    The Lord is gracious and merciful,

All:    Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

One:    The Lord is good to all,

All:    And his compassion is over all that he has made.

One:    The Lord upholds all who are falling,

All:    And raises up all who are bowed down.

Here is John 13:31 – 35.

31. When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.

32. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.

33. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.’

34. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

35. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The New Testament notion that Christians should be noted for their love of one another originates in the passage above.  Note: Jesus did not offer this as a suggestion.  It is a commandment.

Christ’s new commandment to love one another will be the topic of this Sunday’s sermon.  Please join us May 2 at 10AM.

One:    Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Good Shepherd.

All:    You lay down your life for the sheep.

One:    You are the Good Shepherd. You know your own.

All:    Your own know you.

One:    The Good Shepherd goes ahead and calls his sheep to follow.

All:    We will not follow a stranger. We know your voice.

One:    Our Shepherd leads us beside still waters.

All:    Our Shepherd will restore our soul and lead us in right paths.

One:    Goodness and mercy shall follow us.

All:    We shall dwell in the house of the Lord our whole life long.