Notes from Sunday - 2/28/10

Today was Ministry Emphasis Day 2010 at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Our worship services today were meant to challenge the church to get plugged into a place of Christian service. There was also a ministry fair to give our members an opportunity to learn more about our ministries and to get involved.

Our theme for today was “Get Plugged In.” I planned to say this to members I greeted today. However, many of the members I chatted with today were people I recognized to be already serving in some area of ministry. Praise God! And may their tribe increase!

Thanks to all our ministry leaders and teams for being on your post today. You make it happen. And I thank God for you.

I media team prepared a video that featured some of the members and ministries who are actively involved in the body life of the church. Thanks, guys, for your service.

As always, I was grateful and glad for all of the guests who were in worship with us this morning.

Our Youth Choir and Young Adult Ensemble led the musical praise today. They did a great job. I am greatly encouraged by their progress under the leadership of Reggie Bass.

The youth choir sung “I Belong to God” this morning. This is an “old school” gospel song that the youth choir used to sing when I was in it years ago. (I am getting old!)

I preached from 1 Peter 4:10-11 today. I labeled the message, “Serve One Another.’ My goal was simply to explain the priority of Christian service and challenge the membership to serve one another.

My sermon was actually the third message I selected for this morning. The first half of the week I worked on a passage from the Gospel of John. The second half of the week I worked on a message from Message. I finally landed on a message from 1 Peter. Go figure.

I was preoccupied with the clock today, for some reason.

Next Sunday’s Sermon: “The Cost of Discipleship” (Luke 9:57-62).

Praise the Lord for all of those who were saved and added to the church in our worship services today.

Many of the members were still rejoicing today from the ministry of the word this past Wednesday by Dr. John R. Adolph of the Antioch Baptist Church of Beaumont, TX. The entire Wednesdays in the Word series was a great blessing!

The kids had a late night last night, hanging out with the men of Shiloh at the Monster Truck Show. Apparently, Monster Trucks are a big theme here in Jacksonville. The football arena was sold out. Thanks P. Wesley for letting the kids tag along.

While I was typing these notes, George Hurtt sent me a text that he was having dinner with John Piper – Yes, that John Piper – who spoke to at Mt. Sinai this evening. I am officially a hater tonight!!!