A Letter from our Chairman

First of all I want to say how much I appreciate Chuck Smith and his faithfulness to do the Sunshine Report for the last few years. As you know we are now going strictly online via email and our website. Chuck did a good job and we really appreciate his hard work.
I just came back from the national fellowship meeting in Fort Worth. It was a tremendous meeting. There were workshops on finances, church growth, children’s and youth ministry led by Pastor’s of great churches. I will be reporting on what is going on what is happening on a national level and in our colleges at the next meeting.
There was one theme that was prominent to me that really caused me to evaluate what we are doing at our church. Churches that are really growing are those reaching out into our community. We do a lot here at our church but not as much and we could be doing outside of our church. One speaker said he asks himself this question, “If our church were gone tomorrow would our community miss us?” That is a tough question to answer. In one respect they might not because darkness doesn’t really miss light. Darkness would rather light just go away. The point of the question is valid however. Are we making such an impact in our respective communities that people know we are here?
We hope to see you all in March. We are in the center of the state so we should have a good group at this meeting.

One of the things we do on a national level in February is to raise an offering for the Baptist Bible Tribune. Just like the Sunshine Report is how we as a state fellowship stay connected on a state level the Tribune connects us on a national level. It not only is informational but it is inspirational as well. The churches of the BBF help support this effort with an offering each year. If your church doesn’t get the Tribune , let me encourage you to call them or go their website and ask them to send it. If you can help out with an offering that would be a blessing. You can also get the Tribune online at Baptistbiblefellowship.org.

One last thing: Our president Linzy Slayden has challenged us as a fellowship to lead our churches to collectively give out 100,000 Bibles in the United States. He is calling it Mission Possible. His hope is that we purchase Bibles and give them out on Easter, VBS, Friend Days or however you want to accomplish this. If you can let me know how many you give out this year, I will relay that information back to him. Let’s get the Word Out!

Before the Lamp in the Tabernacle Went Out

A lightbulb in a firehouse in Livermore, CA, has been burning continuously since 1901.
In 1901, when the tiny bulb was first screwed into place inside a so-called hose cart house, it cast its light on a simpler era.
Back then, horse-pulled carts carried water to fires. The bulb burned day and night, hanging at eye level from a 20-foot cord. Its job: to break the darkness so firefighters responding to calls wouldn't have to fumble to light the wicks of their kerosene lanterns. Manufactured by the Shelby Electric Co. of Shelby, Ohio, the bulb soon outlived its maker, which closed in 1914.
Later, in the main firehouse, it illuminated more modern rigs as horses were replaced by gas-fed engines.
It didn't always receive kid-glove treatment.
Climbing atop their engines, firefighters returning from World War II and Korea often would give the bulb a playful swat for good luck. The next generation -- the Vietnam veterans and the younger kids -- used it as a target for Nerf basketball practice.
Then, in 1972, a local reporter checked records and interviewed old-timers to trace its history. Firefighters suddenly realized they had a treasure.
"The good-luck slaps and target practice stopped," Bramell recalls. "We figured, 'Wow, maybe we should take care of this bulb.' "

John Gliona - LA Times / Photo by Robert Durell

I cannot read a story like this without thinking of the many pastors and churches of the FBBF whose lights have been faithfully burning for many years. Some, who do not know their value, may "take shots" at them in their ignorance and jest, but as Cheif Bramell said that they suddenly realized they had a treasure. And "We figured, 'Wow, maybe we should take care of this bulb.' "

The Burden of Ministry - Dennis Anderson

Here are some thoughts I wrote down from Dennis Anderson's message at the FBBF meeting on Monday.

Habakkuk 1:1 - 2
¹The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.
² O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear?

• Every pastor has burdens
• We have to choose to complain or continue

Habakkuk 2:2
²Then the Lord answered me and said:
"Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it."

1. Write the vision

• An unwritten vision is just a dream

2. Make it plain

• Don't over complicate the vision
  

3. So people can run with it

• It must be portable and transferable

Bonus: Independent is an adjective (Dennis did not say this directly, but I did not write down the exact quote, just what I translated it to in my head.)

Leading From a Right Heart

Thank you to all of you who came to our meeting today. It was a real blessing. Our youth pastors meeting went really well. We were able to share ideas and plan some things for the future.

Joel Johns asked me to post the content of my message.

Subject: Leadership

Theme: Heart Leadership

Proposition: God uses men in leadership when their hearts are right before Him.

Text: 1 Chronicles 29:1-28

How will men with right hearts before God lead?

Leaders with right hearts before God will…

1. Do what they are commanded… v.2
   

   David here was told by God that he could not build the temple, so David went about to do everything he could do to prepare the temple. He was obedient.
   

   There really is no way that our hearts are right before God if we aren't being obedient to what he wants us to do. Here David says that he went about this process….
   

   
   

   1. With all their might v. 2
      

      David said that he did what he was supposed to do with everything he had, and he did it...
      

   2. With the resources that God has given v. 2
      

      As leaders we have been given the stewardship of our resources- people, opportunities, buildings, relationships..all have been given to us by God and it is our responsibility to do with them what God would have us to do. Right hearted leaders are obedient to God.
      

      
      

2. See the need and respond in sacrifice…v.3-4
   

   -With a right heart v.3- "Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good…"
   

   When David saw the greatness of the work he was doing, he gave his heart over to God's work. Once he had done this, it caused him to give over and above what duty called him to do.
   

   
   

   Many times in ministry many of the things we do can become mundane and routine. Like David gave over his affection to the work that He was doing, the pure hearted leader looks at the work that God allows him to do with great excitement and passion, giving his heart to his work.
   

   
   

3. Show the people the need and challenge them to responds
   

   -v.5 "and who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord"
   

   
   

   1. Leadership responded first- v. 6- "Then the chief of the fathers…"
      
   2. People responded next- v.8
      
   3. With a right heart- v.6 "offered willingly", "the people rejoiced…with a perfect heart they offered willingly"
      

   
   

   "A leader is a person with a magnet in his heart and a compass in his head."
   

   Vance Hainer
   

   
   

   Because David had given his heart to the Lord and to the project he had gone beyond duty and sacrificed of his own property, but David realized that the work was to big for even he by himself to do. As pastors we have been called to equip our people to do ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16.),and David provides a good example here. As a leader in ministry we actually cripple our people and get less done when we don't ask for our people to respond to the needs in our church. This can be especially true when it comes to service. Sometimes it can be easier to just do "the work of the ministry" ourselves because we think we can do it better, or because of the initial effort of recruitment and training. God calls us to equip people for the work of the ministry and that is what we ought to do.
   

   
   

4. Rejoice in the work that God does…v.9
   
   1. With a blessed heart- "and David the king also rejoiced with great joy."
      
   2. With those that they have lead- "the people rejoiced"
      

      
      

      David here was able to rejoice in the work that God had done through him, and through the people that God had given him. Because David had given his heart over to the Lord and to the project, he was excited to see a victory. They hadn't completed the project. The task was not done. This was only the beginning of more good things that were to come, yet David took time to celebrate "the win" with his people. As those leading people in ministry we ought to take time to celebrate when we have a win. We must look for the victories that happen in peoples lives and celebrate those things.
      

      
      

5. Give all the credit to the Lord v. 10-18
   
   1. With a worshipful heart-10-12
      
   2. With a thankful heart v. 13
      
   3. With a humble heart- v.14
      
   4. Notice how many time David emphasizes the heart- v. 17-18
      

   
   

   Ultimately, any of the success that David had was the result of God's grace and work in his life, and it is no different with us. As leaders in ministry we must lead our people into lives of worship of God. We must make sure that our motivation for service is not the pat on the back, or recognition from each other but service for God. We must understand that it is only by the Lord that we can do anything, and we express this to God with hearts of worship, thankfulness and humility.
   

   
   

6. Impact the next generation v.19, 23-25
   
   1. Pray for the next generation- v. 19-Notice what David prayed first for Solomon- "a perfect heart"
      
   2. Allow the next generation to succeed- v. 23-25
      
   3. Instruct the next generation- v. 28:20
      

      1Chronicles 28:20
      

      And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
      

      
      

   The best thing that you can do to impact the next generation is to have a pure and right heart before God, and to challenge those in your influence to do the same thing.
   

   
   

7. Finish Well- v. 26-28
   

   Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
   

   And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
   

   
   

   In verse 26 the Bible uses and interesting word- Thus- You could say it this way- "What you have read is the way that David lead his people- and he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honour. Because David had lived his life and lead his people with a pure heart before God, he was honored with these words.
   

   
   

   May we serve God and lead our people with pure hearts before God. In doing so we may be able to finish well, and we'll be able to hear our Lord tell us "Well done thou good and faithful servant."
   

   
   

   Ben Jennings
   Sonshine Baptist Church