T-Shirt News

The shirts are in. $10 per shirt. You can begin picking them up immediately, at services or during office hours. First come first serve. We have kids sizes and adult sizes.

Preaching Schedule

I am excited about the next month of Sunday morning messages. Here is what is coming.

4-18 Nothing's Too Hard For God: No Loneliness is Too Overwhelming.
4-25 Youth Day - Pray for changed lives and for our youth to minister in power.
5-2 Missions Weekend
5-9 Women of Worship Day
5-16 Nothing's Too Hard for God: No Relationship is Too Broken.

I have made invitation cards for people to pick up tonight for this Sunday's sermon. They are really nice looking and have a powerful message on them for anyone you know who might be wrestling with loneliness.

Loneliness hits all types of people regardless of age, income, status, or position. Some are lonely at the top, others are lonely at the bottom. Loneliness often drives people to do things they would not usually do. It can lead to many unhealthy decisions in life.

Ultimately, we must find a place where we are satisfied with Jesus, the greatest friend you could ever have. If we can not be happy and filled with joy because of Jesus, no other relationship in life will fill the empty hole left when Jesus is not present in your heart.

Also, Jesus has a plan for your life. That plan includes healthy and Godly relationships and friends. As Rick Warren says, "You are formed for God's family." That means, you are formed to have healthy and helpful relationships in this life and in eternity.

I am telling you, this Sunday is going to be great!

Micha Jahnke is here. 8lbs 9oz! Praise God. Congrats Jahnke fam.

Recoil

Yesterday a friend at church delivered some ammunition to me for teaching my boys to shoot a Winchester style 30.30 deer rifle. The bullets are loaded with a very light, slow burning powder that reduces the recoil of the gun so that it does not kick.

While he delivered this I was working on my sermon for Sunday. When Jesus was eating with some local religious leaders he was approached by a woman who had lived a sinful life. She kissed his feet in worship, and he did not recoil from her. What amazing love. The most perfect man who ever lived did not recoil from the woman with a bad rap sheet.

Lesson: Are we disgusted by people who don't live for God, or do we love them? Can we love people who disagree with our message of life through Jesus? Can we see a person's humility before God, and pain because of their sin, rather than the sin. This lady wept tears of repentance. Jesus saw her tears of repentance, not her list of wrongs. Let's be people of grace and truth.

Next Sermon

I am very excited about the message this Sunday, "No Person is Beyond Forgiveness."

Nothing's too hard for God, and no sin is too big to forgive. The great thing is this, the bigger they are the harder they fall. The one forgiven much, loves much! Sunday is going to be great!

Weekend Re-wind

Here is the scoop on the week. Last week we had 74 different kids attend the three nights of Kids Crusade. Over 50 salivations! The kids took missionary offerings each night and raised $319.21.

Easter Sunday four people were saved. Three in kids church and one in adult services. We had a great day. Attendance was 189. Let's shoot for that every Sunday!


Started the "Nothing's Too Hard for God" series of messages. If God raised Jesus from the dead, then nothing is too hard for God. Easter is all about impossibilities. It is impossible to bring a man back to life who bled to death, hung in the open air for some time, and then laid unattended in a cave for three days. But, nothing's too hard for God.

A Slate Wiped Clean

Check out this cool print ad that Hobby Lobby has published in major newspapers across the country. This is how Hobby Lobby celebrates Easter. Neat to see that not all of corporate America has pushed God out of the market place in the name of political correctness and pure profit. Way to go Hobby Lobby!

http://hobbylobby.com/assets/pdf/holiday_messages/current_message.pdf

Kid's Crusade Re-Wind

Kids Crusade was amazing. We had a slow start. Many sick kids Monday and I think a lot forgot about it. But Tuesday we increased from 12 to 44 kids and then 58 on Wednesday. The first place winner of the visitor contest took the $100 and the second place winner took the Nintendo DSi. The boys won the offering contest and Ginger got the shaving cream hair style. I will post some pictures when I get them from our photographer.

Almost 60 kids went forward at the evening altar calls for kids to be saved. Great results.

Visitor prizes - $300
BGMC offering received - over $310
Kids prize candy - $30
over 60 Kids saved - priceless

BTW, Ginger getting the shaving cream hair do is priceless too.

Special thanks to pastor John for making this a great week for our kids. A TON of work goes into the egg hunt and the kids crusade. All this while Stephanie is 9 months pregnant. keep them in prayer the next two weeks. Make sure you thank Pastor John too!

The Scroll Version

If you would like to buy a copy of "How Will We Live Then" at a discount there is a sale today. Use the code APRILFOOLS when you buy at Lulu.com. Click on the image above to get there.

By the way, below is a real scroll. An ancient portion of the book of Hosea.

Kids Crusade

Tonight was our first night of kids crusade. Jay is really entertaining! Even parents need to see this because it is so fun. Your kids and their friends (and their parents) will hear a great message as well.

There is a prize for the child who brings the most visitors this week. He or she can choose between a Nintendo DSi, a boys bike, a girls bike, or a $100 gift card to Wal-Mart. The child who brings friends and gets second place get second choice of the prizes. Parents and grandparents, if you want your child to get a Nintendo DSi or $100 help them bring friends!

The fun starts each night, Tuesday and Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m.

Nothing I Desire

Psalm 73 is a song about a man who is watching his wicked, God-less neighbors, and wondering why the wicked seem to be "always carefree, they increase in wealth." (vs. 12). Then he enters the sanctuary of God, the house of God, the presence of God and he is reminded of their, "...final destiny." (vs. 17).

The presence of God makes all the difference in our perspective. Get into the presence of God. Make a quiet devotional time with God daily. Make church a part of your weekly routine and don't miss. Then, learn to walk in God's presence in all your daily activities.

With a new perspective the song writer concludes by saying, "...And the earth has nothing I desire besides you." (vs. 25). Let's make God, his presence and his favor the only thing that we desire in this life.

"Fishers for Men" on Facebook

Hey all you FB nuts. Keep your eye out for our, "Nothing's Too Hard for God" ads on Facebook. We have targeted the area codes of Marthasville, Washington, Villa Ridge, and Union. If you are getting our ad the links to www.firstagwasington.org and you live outside these area codes PLEASE contact me! We want to know that we have posted our ads correctly.

Second, don't anyone brag to your friends about your church advertising on FB. Let people just find the ad. We are striving to be creative in reaching the lost and want to keep our creative edge for as long as possible.

Weekend Rewind

Sunday was a great morning. Average attendance, but great services! The first service really worshiped and prayed Sunday. It was entirely refreshing to be in that service.

In the second service a lady came up to me after the song portion of worship just before we usually take offering and we shake hands and greet one another. With tears streaming down her cheeks she said, "I want to ask Jesus to forgive me of my sins. I have not been living right." We postponed the offering and I had a group of ladies come forward and surround her. We prayed with her and then for her. It was beautiful. her daughter was baptized last Sunday. Next time I hope we will baptize her too!

Great responses to the message. I am still praying that God will answer prayers today and provide the miracles and confidence that people prayed for yesterday.

One of the best parts was the number of teens who responded to the preaching in both services! Absolutely amazing. Exactly what we have been praying for.

Relay for Life

Our Relay for life teams are less than $250 away form our goal of $4,000! In April we are doing a silent slave auction. If you want to help let Allyson Johnston know. We made $253 at the spaghetti dinner last Sunday!

Let's work to give more to our community than we take!

E-Vites

An e-vite is an invitation that your church makes and e-mails to you so that you can invite your friends to stuff.

We sent out e-vites for the egg hunt, kids crusade and Easter events last week. Please make the most of your e-vites. E-mail them to your friends!