Fee Fee Baptist Church

Category: Forerunner

This category contains everything pertaining to the Forerunner.

  • Prime Time – Vol. 60, No. 07

    Having trouble figuring out what day of the week it is? Me too. I used to mark time by church on Sunday, office hours on Tuesday and Thursday, and Bible Study on Wednesday night. I did not have trouble remembering what day of the week it was. Not true anymore!

    It’s hard to imagine that we have just been social distancing, followed by sheltering in place, for merely a few weeks. Life as we knew it has changed radically and I believe, when this is over, it will never be the same.

    But the good news is, even in these uncertain times, God is actively working in our lives, refining our character, and making us more like Jesus. He is helping to clarify what is really important to us and what is of true value. I hope you are allowing God to lead you into an even more intimate relationship as you learn to trust Him in all circumstances. Life has no surprises for the Father. He knew you would be living on this day and in this unclear time.

    After all, we were made for God’s pleasure and to give Him glory before we were even born! The psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV), “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

    Let’s praise Him that He knows us and loves us unconditionally. Let’s thank Him for what He is teaching us as we have extended time with Him. Let’s serve Him by loving and serving others and listening as the Spirit leads us in how we can show this love.

    I am praying for you all. If you need anything, or just need to talk, you can reach me at (314) 604-6071 or gloria@feefeebc.org.

    Don’t forget to be thankful in all things, rejoice evermore and pray without ceasing. If we trust Him, He will give us His perfect peace. Be a peace maker by sharing Jesus today. The world needs our hope!

  • Community Connection – Vol. 60, No. 07

    Easter is coming!

    Easter is coming next week, April 12!  While you may not be able to invite people to join you for worship in person, we still want you to invite people to church online! There are a few ways you could do this:

    If you are not on Facebook, ask your friends and family to watch the service live on the church website (www.feefeebc.org) along with you. Then afterwards, call them or text them and have a conversation. Ask questions like: Did you enjoy the service? Which point of Pastor Zach’s stood out the most to you? Which song was your favorite and why?

    If you are watching on Facebook and want to invite specific friends or family members, you can host a watch party. While you are watching the video, hit “Share” and at the bottom of that list is “Start a Watch Party.” Then you can have a private conversation just with your friends and family members that join you to watch.

    If you don’t want to host a watch party, you can also hit “Share” and at the top of that list select “Share Now (Public).” Then any of your friends who watch can join the conversation with everyone else on Facebook that is watching.

    However you do it, invite people to join you for worship this Easter. Even though you can’t meet in person, the Gospel message can still be shared! Most importantly, be praying for the lost this Easter season. As this virus causes more fear in our world, people desperately need the hope that comes through salvation through faith in Jesus.

  • Family Front – Vol. 60, No. 07

    So how is everyone out there in quarantine land?  I miss getting together with the kids and seeing families at church!  Blackaby’s “Experiencing God Day by Day” devotional spoke to me today: “God’s purpose in creating a nation for Himself was to demonstrate His wisdom to the world through the obedience of His people…God gives you the same opportunity to base your life on His wisdom…You as a Christian have access to God’s wisdom…God’s Holy Spirit is within you to guide you…and will open your eyes to the truth of scripture…As you allow God to direct your life, those around you will see true wisdom…your family will be blessed because you make wise decisions.” Isn’t it great to be called His child and know that we can rely on His truths to guide us to live for Him? Lead your family today to do just that by spending time with Him.

    Free Family Resources

    If you need additional resources, you can find many of them through Right Now Media. Just give us permission to put your email into our account and you can access Right Now Media for FREE! It is a great resource for kids’ videos and Bible Studies covering all topics and ages. I especially enjoy “What’s in the Bible” series by Phil Vischer.  What an opportunity you have right now to lead your kids to know Jesus better!

    Another wonderful resource is through Lifeway. It’s free and all you have to do is sign up! Simply go to lifeway.com/coronavirus, and follow the instructions on their site. This includes a free digital pass to Lifeway Kids at Home. They also offer a 7-Day Coronavirus Prayer Guide.

    Daily Prayer

    We invite you to involve your kids during our Daily Prayer on Facebook Live every weekday at 7:00 p.m., by having them share prayer requests. What a precious time this will be!

    Easter

    I have sent families a 10-day 10-minute Easter devotional which you can use to lead your family as you prepare for Easter. Enjoy them as you worship together. If others would like those just let me know.

    Summer Fun Week…

    is coming and will be here before we know it! Vacation Bible School and Sports Crusaders Basketball Camp will be June 22-26. “Wilderness Escape” is our theme for VBS this year, and will be from 9:00 a.m. to noon; Basketball Camp will be from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. If you would like to serve, now is the time to sign up!  Contact Kathy Scott about how you can get connected, kathy@feefeebc.org.

  • Announcements – Vol. 60, No. 07

    Sympathy

    Our love through Christian sympathy is extended to

    … Sue Bambenek on the passing of her mother, Donna McGrew, on March 21.

    … Sharon (Larry) Land on the passing of her aunt, Ruth Carlyle, on March 29.

    The church building will be closed to all events and services until further notice, due to COVID-19.

     To stay up-to-date on all calendar updates, please check our website or download our new app on Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

     

     

  • A Word From Pastor Zach – Vol. 60, No. 07

    While there is still uncertainty about how long this coronavirus will last, we all understand that COVID-19 is a deadly serious global pandemic. We know that all necessary precautions should be taken. With that being said, how are we to live right now in light of this pandemic? We might gain some wisdom from C.S. Lewis, one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Over 70 years ago, he wrote the following words that are very applicable to today. If you simply replace “atomic bomb” with “COVID-19,” I think you will find his words challenging and relevant to us. In “Living in an Atomic Age,” Lewis wrote:

    “In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”

     

    In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty. 

     

    This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

     

    — “On Living in an Atomic Age” (1948) in Present Concerns: Journalistic Essays.

    I love that last sentence…about how it doesn’t need to dominate our minds. Church family, rather than letting thoughts of the virus dominate our minds, I pray that we fix our eyes on Jesus. Easter is right around the corner! My prayer for you is that every time thoughts of this virus creep up in your minds, you will remember that our Savior defeated death. He conquered the grave! We have a living Hope!

    Church, we know that we aren’t promised tomorrow. However, our God is a good God who is with us! This pandemic did not take Him by surprise. He redeems all He allows. Could it be that He is using this virus to remind us of our mortality…and of our need for Him?

    It is my prayer that we will stand firm on the Rock of Ages during this time. That we will find peace and hope in Him. And now, with Easter quickly approaching, let us take this opportunity to share God’s truth with others.

    Invite your friends, relatives, and neighbors to watch our services online. Let them know you are praying for them. We have the amazing privilege of celebrating Christ’s love for us and how He defeated the grave! Even if we have to do it virtually, we will still worship Him in Spirit and in Truth!

    In Him,

    Pastor Zach

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 07

    Hold Me Jesus

    Christian songwriter Rich Mullins is certainly best known for writing the praise songs Awesome God and Step By Step. However, I would like to share the lyrics of a song he wrote in 1993 called Hold Me Jesus. Some of you may remember this song was recorded more recently (2008), by Big Daddy Weave.

    It seems to me this song would be very appropriate during this time of fear and anxiety:

    Well, sometimes my life just don’t make sense at all

    When the mountains look so big

    And my faith just seems so small

     

    So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf

    You have been King of my glory

    Won’t You be my Prince of Peace

     

    And I wake up in the night and feel the dark

    It’s so hot inside my soul

    I swear there must be blisters on my heart

     

    So hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf

    You have been King of my glory

    Won’t you be my Prince of Peace

     

    Surrender don’t come natural to me

    I’d rather fight You for something I don’t really want

    Then to take what You give that I need

    And I’ve beat my head against so many walls

    Now I’m falling down, I’m falling on my knees

     

    And this Salvation Army band is playing this hymn

    And Your grace rings out so deep

    It makes my resistance seem so thin

     

    I’m singing hold me Jesus, ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf

    You have been King of my glory

    Won’t you be my Prince of Peace

    What an insight into the human condition! Bending our will to the will of the Father is an issue for all of us. The Good News is that since Christ did just that on our behalf, we can be transformed from children of wrath to obedient sons and daughters who cry, “Abba Father.” If you are feeling weak and unsure of everything right now, simply cry out “Hold me, Jesus,” and He will do just that.

  • Bible Study Corner – Vol. 60, No. 07

    If you have a computer, smartphone, or tablet and are not involved in Bible Study, contact Gloria and she will find a place to connect you! Bible Studies and Small Groups are still meeting…just virtually!

    In the meantime, make sure you connect with God’s love letter to you at least 4 times a week so He can change you. Ask Him to show you something in His word every day, and He will. Allow His Holy Spirit to get that Word deep into your heart so you can be transformed.

  • Chi Alpha News – Vol. 60, No. 07

    Youth Online Bible Study

    During this time that we are apart from each other, let’s be sure to be diligent to connect the best that we can. Each Sunday and Wednesday, we will still be having Bible Study together. I will be recording a lesson from a RightNow Media series and posting it to our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages. You can find us on all those platforms at Fee Fee Youth. Additionally, I will be posting Daily Devotionals on Facebook and Instagram to give you some encouragement throughout the week. Please reach out to me if you need anything, kyle@feefeebc.org. I am praying for each of you!

     

  • Community Connection – Vol. 60, No. 06

    How to be missional and isolated

    I know that in all the chaos and strangeness of the Coronavirus effects, many people are stuck inside on their own. It’s easy in that situation to feel very limited including in our ability to reach people with the Gospel. As I thought about this, I thought about Paul being isolated in prison. But in that state he didn’t say “woe is me” and do nothing. He realized he is still called to proclaim the Gospel and writes letters to churches to encourage them, challenge them, and let them know he was praying for them. He spoke with the guards around him about the Gospel. He still reached people with the Gospel during his isolation. Amid our own isolation we are still called to reach people with the Gospel – we just have to think creatively about how to do it. Here are some ideas: 

    • Pray. No matter what your situation or limitations you can pray. Pray for our world, healing, wisdom for leaders, the lost, healthcare workers, your neighbors…the list could go on forever. Take quality time to pray.
    • Contact those in your life that are on their own or may battle with loneliness. Call them, send a text or an email, Skype them, or write a letter. Let them know you were thinking about them. Continue to check in with the people in your life.
    • If you are younger and physically healthy, provide for your neighbors who aren’t. Ask them if you could go grocery shopping for them or pick up medication. Ask parents who are working if you could watch their kids for a day. Order a dinner to be delivered to the family with the parent whose hours have been cut back at work.

    These are just some quick ideas, but I encourage you to think creatively and find ways to show the love of God to those in our world who are hurting and afraid today. Church, just like Paul, our isolation doesn’t have to keep us from declaring the love of God by loving the people around us.

    Week of Prayer for North American Missions – March 29 – April 4

    During these coming weeks there will be plenty of North American Missionaries that are working extra hard to try and reach people in new ways. They could definitely use our prayers. March 29 through April 4 is a Week of Prayer for North American Missions. You can download the prayer guide on the “Downloads” section of our website. Then Sunday, April 5 we are taking a special offering for the Annie Armstrong Offering – all the money given to this offering goes towards North American Missionaries. Please be praying for our missionaries!

  • Music Musings – Vol. 60, No. 06

    Praise and Worship Activities for Kids

    Here are some ideas for activities that may fit with worshiping at home during this time of precaution. Enjoy praising God with your kids and create lasting memories in the midst of these trying times.

    Music

    Music is certainly one way a child can worship God.  Read the story of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25. Even though Paul and Silas were in prison, they still sang songs of praise to God. Point out how songs of praise can lift the spirit no matter what may be going on in our lives. Sing songs with your child. Think of songs you may have sung as a child, (e.g. Deep and Wide, This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves Me).

    Dance

    One of King David’s ways of worshiping was dancing. Read the children 2 Samuel 6:14, which talks about David dancing before God as the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city. Play some upbeat praise songs and dance around. To enhance the experience give the kids a piece of ribbon attached to the top of a stick to wave around as they dance.

    Instruments

    King David not only sang and danced when worshiping and praising God, he also played music. Create a few instruments out of household items. To make a kazoo, give each child a toilet paper tube (which you undoubtedly have, haha!), a piece of wax paper, a rubber band, and a pencil. Place the wax paper over one of the open ends of the toilet paper roll and hold it in place by sliding a rubber band over it. Finish the kazoo by poking a few small holes in the wax paper with the point of the pencil. Blowing in the open end will create music. Make a praise shaker out of two paper plates and a handful of beans, rice or popcorn kernels. Turn the second plate upside down over top of the first. Staple the edges or use tape to secure the plates together.  Shake while dancing and/or singing!