Fee Fee Baptist Church

Author: Tara Smith

  • Prime Time – Vol. 61, No. 3

    It’s February already, and Phil saw his shadow, so we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter. I hate to tell Phil this, but God already promised us seasons.

    In Genesis 8:22, God tells us that “as long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will never cease.”

    So, what season of life are you in? Are you in a season of thanks since God has slowed us down enough that we can see His handiwork in nature, in our families, and in ourselves?

    Today is a bright, sunny cold day. Have you thanked the LORD for the sunshine? For a warm home? For the warmth of love from family and friends? Or are you grumbling about the cold, about having to cook one more meal at home, about having to stay at home?

    Again, the Bible says in Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

    I would like to challenge you to embrace this season without grumbling by ending each day with a list of ten good things that happened – and don’t repeat any of them in your list the next day. God makes all things new each day. How has He blessed you today?

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 61, No. 3

    Taken from L.B. Cowman’s “Streams in the Desert,” Zondervan Updated Edition

    “Surely I am with you always,” (Matthew 28:20).

    Never look ahead to the changes and challenges of this life in fear. Instead, as they arise look at them with the full assurance that God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them. Hasn’t He kept you safe up to now? So hold His loving hand tightly, and He will lead you safely through all things. And when you cannot stand, He will carry you in His arms.

    Do not look head to what may happen tomorrow. The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you His unwavering strength that you may bear it. Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries. —Francis de Sales

    “The Lord is my shepherd,” (Psalm 23:1)

    Not was, not may be, nor will be. “The Lord is my shepherd.” He is on Sunday, on Monday, and through every day of the week. He is in January, in December, and every month of the year. He is when I’m at home and in China. He is during peace or war, and in times of abundance and poverty. —J. Hudson Taylor

  • Chi Alpha News – Vol. 61, No. 3

    Marco Polo

    I am so excited to announce that the youth have started our own Marco Polo Groups to go along with the church-wide Grounded series, and 18 students and leaders have signed up to participate! I am so proud of our students’ hearts and desire to dive deeper into God’s Word, all while continuing our mission statement to build “Real Community.” Pray for our students as they dive into this new adventure!

    Minneapolis Mission Trip Meeting

    We are having our first meeting for our Minneapolis Mission Trip on Wednesday, February 17 at 7:00 p.m. right after Youth Small Groups. This will be a relatively short meeting, but a super important one, as we begin to lay the groundwork of what we will be doing on this trip. Please make sure that if you or your student is signed up for the trip that they are in attendance. We will also have a Zoom link available for those who are choosing to worship from home. You can email Kyle (kyle@feefeebc.org) for that link if you need it. I look forward to seeing you there!

  • Family Front – Vol. 61, No. 3

    Here are updates on in-person kids’ activities:

    Wednesdays: AWANA has started, 6:00-7:00 p.m. for kids 3 years old through 5th grade. Kids: bring your book, Bible, and wear a mask.

    Sundays: Preschool care is provided for birth through pre-K during 11:00 a.m. worship. KidsZone has begun as well for kids K-5th grade at 11:00 a.m. The 4th Sunday of each month, K-5th grade kids will still worship with their parents. When there is a 5th Sunday in the month, we will have a Birthday Bash to celebrate birthdays from the months prior.

    I hope you will get involved in our Grounded emphasis. There is a devotion for each week to do with your family to involve the kids in this emphasis of reading through the New Testament. You can download the devotional booklets from our website or we can email it to you; we can also mail you a physical book if you prefer. Just let us know! Involvement in a T-group (transformation group) will help you grow deeper into scripture. Encourage your kids to use their devotional books that we send monthly with daily devotions. Get involved!

    We are planning to do VBS in some form this year. It may be a drive-in experience for families, it may be in-person.  But we plan to have something! If you would like to be involved, it’s not too early to let me know.

    Praying we will ALL be able to join together again in person very soon for Bible Study and other activities! Let me know if you need any resources to help in discipling your children: kathy@feefeebc.org.

    “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works. Not neglecting to gather together, (even if it’s online) … but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching,” (Hebrews 10:25).

  • Community Connection – Vol. 61, No. 3

    Blood Drive, February 26

    Our next Blood Drive with the American Red Cross is on Friday, February 26th from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. It is recommended that all donations be scheduled ahead of time. You can go to the Red Cross website (www.redcrossblood.org) and use the Sponsor Code “FeeFeeBaptistBridgeton” to find our drive and schedule your donation. You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). The drive will be held in the Family Life Center and everyone donating can drive around to the back of the church and park in the lot by the gym, and enter through the gym doors. On the blood drive page on the church website you can find some helpful info about donating, including who can donate and how to donate, and a link to sign up. If you have any questions about any of this please contact Andrew (andrew@feefeebc.org).

    Loaves and Fishes, February 16

    Once a month we provide dinner for Loaves and Fishes homeless shelter. We are still in need of a group (Bible Study class, family, or individual) that would be willing to provide dinner on Tuesday, February 16. If you are interested in helping out that night, please contact Gloria (gloria@feefeebc.org).

  • Chi Alpha News – Vol. 61, No. 2

    Marco Polo Groups Starting Up!

    As you have probably already heard, our church is going through a series called Grounded, and we as a church are reading through the New Testament together to start off the new year. Along with that, we have launched virtual Transformation Groups through the Marco Polo app. Well, who says the adults should have all the fun! The youth students are now starting back up in person so we will be joining in with the Marco Polo groups at the beginning of February and finishing out the reading plan along with the rest of the church. Sign ups are happening now for groups, so make sure your student is on the list!

  • Devotional Corner – Vol. 61, No. 2

    Taken from L.B. Cowman’s “Streams in the Desert,” Zondervan Updated Edition

    “God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns,” (Psalm 46:5, NASB).

    “Will not be moved”—what an inspiring declaration! Is it possible for us who are so easily moved by earthly things to come to a point where nothing can upset us or disturb our peace? The answer is yes, and the apostle Paul knew it. When he was on his way to Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit warned him that “prison and hardships” (Acts 20:23) awaited him. Yet he could triumphantly say, “But none of these things move me” (Acts 20:24).

    Everything in Paul’s life and experience that could be disturbed had already been shaken, and he no longer considered his life or any of his possessions as having any earthly value. And if we will only let God have His way with us, we can come to the same point. Then, like Paul, neither the stress and strain of little things nor the great and heavy trials of life will have enough power to move us from “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” (Phil. 4:7). God declares this peace to be the inheritance of those who have learned to rest only on Him.

    “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it,” (Rev. 3:12). Becoming as immovable as a pillar in the house of God is such a worthy objective that we would gladly endure all the necessary trials that take us there! —Hannah Whitall Smith

  • Announcements – Vol. 61, No. 2

    Mobile Food Market

    We love our partnership with the St. Louis Area Food Bank to get free groceries into the hands of families in need in our community.

    Upcoming Mobile Market Mondays will be:

    February 8

    February 22

    Each of these will take place starting 10:00 a.m. (until the food runs out) in the church parking lot. Contact Andrew to volunteer, andrew@feefeebc.org.

  • A Word From Pastor Zach – Vol. 61, No. 2

    By the time you read this article, we will be well underway in the book of Luke as we read through the New Testament through our Grounded initiative. I pray that the reading you have been doing has been both challenging and encouraging to you!

    As you sit down to do your reading on February 1 (Luke 19-21), there is one specific passage that I think is important for us to reflect on. You see, Luke 21:12-19 directly brings to mind the 2021 World Watch List by Open Doors. This report deals with persecution in the church. In Luke 21, Jesus is talking about the end of the age. He says, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name…You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you. You will be hated by everyone because of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. By your endurance, gain your lives,” (Luke 21:12, 16-19; CSB).

    Jesus warns his followers that persecution is coming. The 2021 World Watch List shares the reality of that in the global church. Open Doors is an organization that tracks persecution around the world. Here are some of the alarming statistics from Open Doors that show persecution against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

    Every day:

    • 5 Christians are abducted.
    • 12 Christians are unjustly arrested or imprisoned.
    • 12 churches or Christian buildings are attacked.
    • 13 Christians worldwide are martyred because of their faith.

    Those statistics are staggering. Every day 13 martyrs see Jesus in glory because of their faith. Can you imagine your life being at risk because of your faith?! Open Doors shares that there are more than 340 million Christians who live in places where they experience high levels of persecution. That is one out of every eight Christians! In 1 Corinthians, Paul says that we are all part of the body of Christ. When one part suffers, every part should suffer along with it. I want to challenge you to include praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters when you do your daily New Testament reading, especially when you read Luke 21 on February 1.

    Here in America, we are blessed with religious freedom. We can gather together to worship without fear of persecution. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case around the world. Many of our brothers and sisters are in extreme danger because of their faith. Open Doors shares that the 10 most dangerous countries for Christians to live in are North Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India. Would you join me in praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, and specifically those believers in these 10 most dangerous countries?

    In addition, you can go to opendoorsusa.org and download their 2021 World Watch List Report, which includes information about the 50 places around the world where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.

    It is heartbreaking to know that some of our fellow believers won’t make it to tomorrow just because they are Christians. Let’s not forget to pray for the persecuted church worldwide!

    In Him,

    Pastor Zach

  • Prime Time – Vol. 61, No. 2

    I don’t know about you, but I am really enjoying reading through the New Testament with the church. Sometimes I need the time to catch up on the weekend, and I am glad that time is built into our schedule for that. I also love that the Bible App, You Version, will read it aloud to me when I’m on the go. I can listen to it in my car, or when I wake up in the morning or before I go to sleep at night. No excuses, right?

    Today is Tuesday, January 19, and our reading was out of Mark 7-9.  In chapter 6, Jesus fed 5,000 men. In chapter 8, he fed 4,000. In that very same chapter, the disciples were concerned because they had only brought one loaf of bread. Really?

    It’s easy to be hard on the disciples but I see too much of myself in these guys. I’m not really sure how many times I read these accounts before I figured out that Jesus fed a whole bunch of people two times instead of just once. The 5,000 were Jews and the 4,000 were Gentiles. I just blended the accounts together and failed to see the fact that Jesus came for all people, that the 12 baskets of leftovers symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel and the 7 baskets represented the complete number of all nations.

    Scripture is amazing and God will show us something new every time we look at it if we ask Him. I hope you are sharing with your family what God is showing you each day. If you would like to talk with others about it, you can still join a virtual transformation group by contacting me or Pastor Zach.

    I am so ready for us to be able to get together and have some fun again. I am excited about the start of vaccinations and look forward to the day in the near future when we can start enjoying activities and trips. Hope to see you soon!