Come join us for a powerful early morning outdoor worship service on Easter Sunday featuring congregational singing, responsive readings, prayer and the Word of God.
Community Easter Sunrise Service Apr. 9
Church News
The Power of Responsive Readings
Worship is the process of entering into God’s presence to proclaim His glory. This is something that God expects of each individual, and it is something that each individual will find a blessing in, if they participate in the worship.
Therefore, every element of the worship services at Life Point Baptist Church has a participatory element to it. We don’t put on a worship performance, rather, we worship, and we invite you to worship as well.
This is one reason we resurrected a timeless practice, once common in the early 20th century, but long forgotten… the responsive readings.
If your church still has hymnals, chances are you have noticed pages of scripture printed in both regular and bold face interspersed with the hymns contained in the book. These scriptures are designed to be read in unison by the congregation, with the worship leader reading the regular print, and the congregation joining in the bold print.
The result is not only a powerful exercise of hearing the word of God read in unison, but it also allows the heart of the worshipper to be centered on the Lord. Thus, makes our worship that much more powerful.
Therefore, we have reincorporated responsive readings to our worship, and we invite you to attend and take part. Feel free to come and experience the blessing of a church worshipping together.
Celebrate Advent with Us
Beginning Sunday, Nov. 27, Life Point will begin celebrating the season of Advent, which is the celebration of the arrival of Christ. This celebration will feature special services, messages about the arrival of Jesus Christ, times of fellowship, and special music.
What is Advent?
The word “advent” denotes the arrival of a notable person, thing or event. For centuries, the Christian churches have celebrated the birth of Christ as the season of “Advent.” We celebrate His birth, His arrival, and thus His Gospel during this time, as we also look forward to His return.
What makes Advent different from Christmas?
Advent is different from Christmas as the season predates the Christmas holiday. The roots of Advent are in the Christian church and its traditions. The roots of Christmas are largely secular, being integrated into Christian tradition in later centuries.
What should I expect at Life Point’s services this Advent?
Expect scripture readings from Isaiah, Matthew and Luke. Expect traditional Christmas hymns. Expect a time of peace. Expect to be encouraged by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Life Point Baptist Church
599 Sunrise Dr./PO Box 3134
Early, TX 76803
Sunday School 10 a.m.
Sunday Worship 11 a.m.
For John, It Was Personal
Later in his life, the Apostle John continued to minister, serving as pastor of the church at Ephesus, proclaiming the Gospel, and even being imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, where he penned Revelation. John, one of the closes friends to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preached His gospel, not only out of duty and faith, but from a deep abiding love for our Lord.
So, when new theories and doctrines began to arise concerning Jesus, John was moved by his passion for the Lord, and more importantly by the Holy Spirit, to confront these new theories. From this passion, we got the The Gospel According to John, and The First Epistle of John, more commonly known as 1 John.
In these books, John noted how he personally knew Jesus Christ, thus giving him the expert authority to declare who Jesus really is. He then boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the incarnation of God, yet, was fully human. He proclaimed how Christ paid for our sins on the cross and the forgiveness that is freely available to those who believe.
In modern times, we again face new theories about Christ, and new doctrines that seek to redefine Christianity. We also face old traditions that de-emphasize Who He is. To re-center on the Lord, we began a new sermon series back in July called “The Real Jesus Christ.”
“The Real Jesus Christ” seeks to set aside the religious politics of our day, and get back to the core beliefs that make us Christian. This series seeks to truly teach Who Jesus is, and by doing so cultivate the faith of all who hear. As of the writing of this post, we are in the middle of John 6, as Jesus feeds the multitudes. You can catch up with our series by listening to the playlist here:
Happening Now: Romans
When the Apostle Paul learned that there were believers in Rome who were enduring intense persecution, he immediately began making plans to travel to Rome to provide them comfort. However, his commitments to the churches in Ephesus and Corinth delayed his travel, so in order to provide them comfort and encouragement in his absence, he wrote the Epistle to the Romans, more commonly known as Romans.
As we study Romans, we should note how Paul’s comforting words centered around the Gospel. Join us Sunday mornings at 11 am at 599 Sunrise in Early, Texas, for this magnificent study.
Community Easter Sunrise Service Set
The annual Community Easter Sunrise Service will be held at 7 am Easter Sunday, April 17, at the Early Visitors and Events Center at 419 Garmon Drive in Early. The event will feature congregational hymns, special musical presentations, scripture reading and a special message from Leland Acker, pastor of Life Point Baptist Church of Early, TX.
The Community Easter Sunrise Service has been a staple in Brown County since it was first held in 2012. It provides an opportunity for local residents to experience the hope of a new day, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the sun rises over the outdoor pavilion.
Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, call Leland Acker at (325) 200-8531, check out the event on Facebook at https://fb.me/e/2WMmJ2fZf, or contact Life Point online at www.PointToLife.net.
The Gospel Project begins at Life Point, The Redeemer Reveals His Glory
Life Point Baptist Church is pleased to announce two things. (1) The return to in-person services, and (2) the beginning of The Gospel Project. Join us each Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. for this exciting study of the Gospel in every book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. If you can’t join us in person, follow this blog to keep up with the teaching. As always, please feel free to contact us at any time with questions or comments. May God bless you in a special way this week.
Seeing God!
How could a loving God give you everything, and then demand everything in return?
Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, recalled a Sunday morning Bible study:
A pastor read a passage from Genesis 22 where God called Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah. Isaac was the son that God had promised for years, and Abraham and Sarah had gone through much tribulation while waiting on God to fulfill His promise of a son. Now, the son was here, and Abraham was being called to sacrifice him. (End of the story, God saw Abraham’s faith, and gave him a ram to sacrifice instead of Isaac.)
The pastor offered some historical background, then said, “What does this mean for us?”
One man answered, “I’ll tell you what it means for me, I’m looking for a new church.”
The pastor asked, “Why?”
The man replied, “Because when I look at God, the God of Abraham, I feel that I am new a real God, not the sort of dignified businesslike Rotary Club God we chatter about here on Sunday Mornings. Abraham’s God could blow a man to bits, give then take a child, ask everything from a person, then want more. I want to know that God!”
The man’s assessment of God emphasized His power, and downplayed His love and grace. Likewise, many today emphasize His grace and love but not His power. A true understanding of God understands both, and sees the balance in the character of God.
For years, churches have preached about the love of God, and how He loves each and every one of us. We preach about His grace, and how He provides and cares for us.
Then, tragedy happens, and we don’t understand how that tragedy can be consistent with God’s love and care. If God is all powerful, in control of all things, and is loving, how can He allow such a tragedy to enter our lives?
We stumble for answers. Maybe God’s building our faith. Maybe He’s setting us up to be a witness for His glory. Maybe someone else will be saved because of our suffering. Yet, none of these explanations offer much comfort. Why should I have to suffer so that God can make a point?
The truth is, God does not make you suffer just so He can make a point. He does, however, use suffering to draw us closer to Him. Everything He does is to draw us into His presence. What does that mean?
In Job 19:25, after losing all of his property, livestock, wealth, and children, Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and will stand on the earth in the last day.” He went on to say that after he had died, yet in his flesh would he see the Lord.
Job called the Lord his “Redeemer.” What does that mean?
A redeemer is one who rescues. In the Old Testament sense, it was a family member who raised the money to purchase a loved one out of slavery. The redeemer redeemed the family member from bondage and set them free.
Job was not a slave, yet he looked for his “Redeemer.” From what did Job have to be “redeemed?”
He was redeemed from the curse of his sin. Likewise, he was looking forward to the day he would be redeemed from the sufferings of this life. He was looking forward to the Lord’s return, and his redemption into everlasting life.
Job came to understand this, and thus in Job 42:5, he said “My ears have heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.”
Over the next few weeks at Life Point, we are going to gain a better understanding of who we are, and the hope we have in God. Furthermore, we are going to gain a better understanding of why trauma and tragedy enter our lives, and what God does to heal it. All of this with the intent to gain a better understanding of the Lord, a stronger faith, and a brighter hope.
Come see us. Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. at 599 Sunrise in Early, TX.
Life Got You Down? Our Next Series Might Be For You
Adon had been a faithful member of the church for years. He had trusted the Lord as his savior as a young man, had tithed regularly, donated to the church’s missions program, and had even accompanied a group on a mission trip to Central America. If more of God’s people were like Adon, greater things would be happening for the cause of Christ.
Adon had served God faithfully, asking nothing in return. Adon never prayed that God would reward him with a better job, nicer car or bigger house. Yet, when Adon’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, that changed. Adon prayed earnestly to God, begging God to cure his mother’s cancer, to heal her, and to restore her life. He prayed that her pain would subside, that the doctors would be guided to the proper treatment, and that a cure would be found.
For six agonizing months, Adon pleaded with God for this one miracle, the healing of his mother. Other folks had cancer, and other folks saw their cancer go into remission. But Adon’s mother continued to struggle with the disease.
Adon was told that the prayer of faith would save the sick. He was told that if he prayed in faith, God would answer. All Adon had to do was pray in faith, and claim the victory. Adon continued in prayer. He stayed faithful to the church. And he never doubted God’s love and power.
That is, until the doctor declared his mother to be dead, at 2:23 p.m. on a sunny Tuesday in October.
Why didn’t God hear Adon’s prayers? Was his faith incomplete? Did he falter? When did he doubt? Was his prayer not fervent enough?
If all the prayer he had poured out would not save his mother, what was the point? Why didn’t the scriptures that were shared with him work? Was his Bible broken? Is this all a lie? Is faith only good as long as he is serving and donating to the church?
Adon became disillusioned. And who could blame him? The person who was most precious to him in the world had just been ripped away.
If we are honest, I think most of us can relate to Adon.
But there is one man in the Bible that we can look to in order to learn how to handle these times of tragedy. Like Adon, Job was also a faithful servant of God. He was just and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. He gave generously, and prayed on behalf of all those he loved. Yet, in a matter of a few days, Job lost everything… his wealth, health, and kids.
The whole world collapsed on Job. Even his wife told him to curse God and die. And when his friends came, they said it must be karma… that Job must have done something horrible to deserve this misfortune.
Much theological truth is poured out during the debates between Job and his friends. Job’s faith remained in tact, and by the end of the book, he had received a revelation that few have ever seen. Job got to know God in a way you and I cam barely imagine.
In Job 42:5, Job says to God, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”
Up until now, Job had believed in a God whom he had learned about by the teaching of the word. But now, Job believed in a God he had seen with his own eyes. While God’s presence in the book of Job is clearly felt, Job gained such an understanding of the Lord through his struggle.
The book of Job offers us comfort by giving us that deeper understanding of the Lord. And if you are enduring a time of trauma, grief or bereavement right now, you are about to experience God in a way you never before imagined.
Join us on Sunday mornings in October to obtain a deeper understanding of God through our struggles. Morning worship begins at 11 a.m.
Smith strikes a cord with “Until I See You Again”
The biggest mistake we make in life is taking one another for granted.
Every day brings the same routine. Wake, work, eat, play, sleep. We tend to do so with the same people in our lives every day, from the family that lives beneath the roof of our house, to the friends we work with at the office.
We build relationships, bonds, and share common backgrounds which build our acquaintances into lifelong friendships. Again, we wake, work, eat, play, sleep. This process continues indefinitely, to the point that our ongoing assumption is that tomorrow we will once again wake, work, eat, and play with those we love most.
If we have something that needs to be done, or that needs to be said, we often think that we can say or do what needs to be done tomorrow. Then, our lives are interrupted. The Lord suddenly calls one of our loved ones home, and suddenly we are reminded of all the things we wish we had said, we wish we had done, and though we know that our loved one is in the presence of Christ, and we will soon be reunited with them, we still have that void left in our lives by their absence. Such is Godly sorrow.
It’s that experience that Heather Smith taps into in her song, “Until I See You Again.” The song begins by reaching out to her friend, whom she dearly misses, then progresses through a series of memories with that friend, before offering a ray of hope at the end of the chorus, saying, “Now the hardest part’s not saying, ‘goodbye.’ It’s how long until I see you again.” Indeed the separation hurts, but the hope is in the reunion at the end.
Anyone who has experienced a loss like this will be able to connect with the song, and also draw comfort, knowing that we will be reunited with those we love someday.
If you live close to Early, TX, you can hear Heather sing in person at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 11, 2019, at our worship center at 599 Sunrise Dr. Admission is free.
The Point... 