Authentic - Good Intentions
Thanks to Jim Brown and all the wonderful folks who stepped up at the last moment to lead last week’s rehearsals. I was suffering from Ebola I most definitely caught from a flu shot! I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I’m all better now.
In the last edition of theScore I asked this question:
What’s the value of good intentions?
It’s a point I’ve pondered for a period. Perhaps the prose of this page will someday provide a practically pragmatic point on which we will pause and peruse together to discover that like the preponderance of “P’s” in this paragraph, good intentions allow us primarily to pretend that we are pursuing perfection when in reality good intentions are only a prelude that portent the important and position people to fulfill the purpose for which God has prepared them.
If you can find your way past all those “P’s” you might just discover the value of good intentions.
Did you catch that? The Bible says in James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good, but does not do it, to him it is sin.” In this verse, as in the prominently ‘P’ packed paragraph above, we find the truth about good intentions.
I believe the world is going to hell with good intentions. I believe families are falling a part because of good intentions. I believe finances are failing because of good intentions. I believe people will enter the doors of our church and leave again without ever being ministered to because of good intentions.
Good intentions are valuable. They make us feel good about ourselves. But that’s not what makes them valuable. The only value of good intentions is this: they put us on the right track—they portent the important, they signal the significant, they point us in the direction we should go, but that’s the end of their value. Too often we treat good intentions like the fat man who stumbled on a starving man. The fat man, while eating a smoked turkey leg, sees the starving man in the distance and quickly writes down his recipe for smoked turkey. When the starving man asks for a bite the fat man says, “I’ve done something even better! I’ve written down my world renowned recipe for smoked turkey. Here it is on this note card. Go now and be full!”
What are your good intentions? Why haven’t you done anything about them yet? “I meant to...I was going to...I should have...would have...could have…” How’s the old saying go? “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
This week notice your good intentions. God’s given them to you for a reason. They point you to something important that needs to be accomplished. They are your good intentions—what will you do with them?
Love y’all, God Bless,
Notes to Notice
Christmas Plans – “Christmas | Past…Present…Eternal”
This December we’ll celebrate Christmas all month long! How!? The first weeks of December we’ll celebrate with a dinner theater:
“As Time Goes By” – A lifetime of Christmas traditions and celebrations through the eyes of faith, family & Friends.
TICKETS are $8 and go ON
Sunday Night, December 10th - “Christmas | Past…Present…Eternal” with the Celebration Choir and Praise Band, Instrumental Ensemble, KICK & PreKICK Choirs!
SPECIAL REHEARSAL – Saturday, December 9th, 9am – 12:00 – Don’t miss it!
Sunday Night, December 17th - “A Family Christmas HomeComing” with the Families of FBCO. This is the night we sing our favorite Christmas songs as a congregation. This year we’ll have a twist – our special music will come from families within FBCO. Great music combined with stories of family Christmas traditions will make this a night people won’t forget.
Christmas Eve – Sunday Night, December 24th - Every year our Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Service is standing room only! This year we will pack the Worship Center TWICE – with two, hour long opportunities for the people of our community to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We’ll ask every available Choir, Praise Band, Instrumental Ensemble, KICK and Tech member to be available for BOTH Christmas Eve Services.
Christmas Eve Rehearsal 4:00pm
Christmas Eve FIRST SERVICE 5:00pm
Christmas Eve SECOND SERVICE 7:00pm
REHEARSAL CHANGE
Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday we will have no Choir, Praise Band, Praise Team or Instrumental Ensemble Rehearsals next week. Please arrive early Sunday AM, November 26th. We’ll rehearse for that morning on that morning! Come ready to give your all!
Weekly Schedule Reminder
Here are the CALL TIMES for a typical SUNDAY AM – Remember, ON TIME = EARLY | EARLY = READY and from 8:30 – 8:50 we’ll clear the platform and all meet in Fellowship Hall for a light, continental style breakfast and for last minute instructions, prayer & consecration. I look forward to seeing everyone there!
SUNDAY
Þ 7:15am TECH PREP
Þ 7:30 Drama Sound Check and Rehearse
Þ 7:45 Praise Band Sound Check
Þ 8:00 Praise Team
Þ 8:15 Special Music
Þ 8:20 Celebration Choir
Þ 8:30 Stage Clear, Doors Open, Background Music & Announcements Run
Þ 8:50 Countdown begins
Þ 8:55 Prelude – Live, instrumental, congregational or choir…
Þ 9:00 Service Begins
WEDNESDAY
Þ 6:00pm Instrumental Ensemble WC
Þ 6:30 Celebration Choir | Tech Prep RM 800 & WC
Þ 7:00 Praise Band with IE WC
Þ 7:30 ALL
Þ 7:30 Drama Team RM 800
Þ 8:15 DRAMA ON STAGE
Þ 9:00 Cookie Time!
I Corinthians 11:1 says, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
This verse is an expression of the mission of the Christian Arts Ministry. Our purpose in every service is to communicate with people in order to connect them with God. We can not effectively accomplish this goal without a certain level of spiritual maturity and artistic professionalism. Out of our mission we’ve identified 9 standards of excellence that define the heart, mind, and ministry of the Christ Arts Ministry Team. This is only one!
Purity
Matthew 5:8 says, “Pure hearts see God.”
We believe that when we stand before the congregation we must be aware of the fact that people are looking to us to find their way to God. Each week we will prepare as a group, but we must also prepare as individuals. Check your heart daily. See if there is any unconfessed sin or any broken relationships you need to bring before God before you stand to lead. None of us are perfect. But as we lead let’s make certain we are trusting in God’s strength and not our own.
Sunday AM – 11-19-06
Bobby Welch
Pre-service – COUNTDOWN | CD
PRE-SERVICE (begin @ 9:55)
Instrumental Ensemble
SERVICE START |
CONGREGATIONAL MUSIC
Blessed Be Your Name (Redman) – A, CHART
CHOIR SPECIAL
Your Name – CHART
WELCOME
Dr.
WELCOME SONG
Blessed Be Your Name – Ab, BH – 206
I Give You Thanks – E, CHART
Ancient Words – G, CHART
SPECIAL MUSIC
Brenda Henderson
MESSAGE
Bobby Welch
INVITATION
I Surrender All – D, BH – 275
OFFERING | ANNOUNCEMENTS
Presentation of New Members
Close
I Give You Thanks – E, CHART
