The Bell
Mars Hill Baptist Church
Vol. 52, No. 1
October 2015
1418 NC Highway 57 Hillsborough, NC 27278
Office: 919-732-2041
Fax: 919-732-8610
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.marshillbaptistchurch.org
Rev. Daniel Gregory
Pastor’s Blog: lifeonmarshill.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @DanielGregorytw
REMEMBER, ONLY GOD IS THE GREATEST
Muhammad Ali will always be known as one of the greatest heavyweight boxing
champions of all time. He was one who had a larger than life persona who uttered
many a memorable remark during his time in the spotlight. He was flamboyant,
provocative, and one who knew how to entertain in and out of the ring.
He is known for many memorable phrases such as his catchphrase “I am the
greatest,” as well as “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.” Through the passing
of time Ali has had a conversation attributed to him that is my personal favorite.
Whether he actually said it remains up in the air but I like to think these events
actually occurred.
The story is told that Ali and his entourage had boarded a plane and just before
takeoff the stewardess reminded Ali to
Remember, Only God . . .continued on Next Page
fasten his seat belt. Upon hearing this Ali replied, "Superman don't need no seat belt."
Without missing a beat the stewardess retorted, "Superman don't need no airplane
either."
I love that story. I first heard it in a sermon given by a Christian Apologist named Ravi
Zacharias. He used this story as a very fitting illustration to the way we sometimes live
our lives.
How often do we our lives like we are the masters and commanders of all that is
around us. We think we have it all together with our jobs, our family, our faith, our
schooling, and our health. We live life much like Muhammad Ali proclaiming “I am the
greatest.” Yet how many times has this perfect picture we have of our life shattered
when the curve balls of life come our way.
Back while I first started seminary things in my life were looking very good. I was a
newlywed, I was studying to get my masters, I had just started in the ministry, my
family was proud of me and I was doing great. Right around that time my paternal
grandfather had to be rushed to the emergency room. At first we didn’t think much of it
because my grandfather was never one to be sick and living a long time seemed to
run in the family. Because of this visit the doctors did some tests and found out his
body had been overrun with cancer. They were fairly certain it started in his hip and
simply spread throughout his body. With that diagnosis a pillar in my life was shaken
and I couldn’t do anything about it. A little over three months later he went home to be
with the Lord.
Fast forward a little over two years later. Life again is going fairly well. Allison and I are
healthy and happy. I am in my last semester at seminary. I can see the light at the end
of the tunnel and my days of schooling are soon going to be over. I remember that I
had come home one day and there was a message on the answering machine. It was
my uncle telling me my father was in the hospital, that there had been a wreck and I
needed to come and be there. I dropped everything and made my way to the
Remember, Only God. . .continued on Next Page
emergency room and found out what was happening. My father in the past couple of
months had gone through some very difficult times and because of these things had
tried to take his own life. He was in a coma and the doctors were unsure which way
things were going to go. Again in an instant my life was shaken to its core. Now the
Lord was very good in that my father is doing very well now and God ended up using
this situation for His glory.
What situations like these make realize is that we are frail and weak creatures in this
world when it comes to the trials and tribulations that come our way and unless we
have One who can carry us through these times of trouble we will be as helpless as
Muhammad Ali trying to fly without a plane.
That’s really what it comes down to, understanding our great and utter need to be
grounded in God and seeing His strength in our life. David in Psalm 31 put it this way.
O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
don’t let me be disgraced.
Save me, for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me;
rescue me quickly.
Be my rock of protection,
a fortress where I will be safe.
You are my rock and my fortress.
For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.
Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,
for I find protection in you alone.
I entrust my spirit into your hand.
Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.
David, in an hour of distress looked to the Lord for protection, strength and deliverance. I think though that we should take these lessons a bit further than that. God
never intended Himself to be a life vest in case our boat was sinking or that last “break
glass in case of emergency” option.
Remember, Only God . . .continued on Next Page
God desires us to seek Him every moment of our days and to continually live in His
presence in complete dependence on Him. Matthew 5:6 states that those that hunger
and thirst for righteousness (God’s righteousness, goodness, in essences Himself) will
be satisfied. The idea that Jesus was conveying that satisfaction is found in God and
that we would constantly be looking to the Lord for guidance, direction, comfort, and
strength. Psalm 42:1 says this - As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul
for you, O God. That’s the key to living life grounded with our feet firmly planted in
reality.
Back during my sophomore year in college I had a roommate named Victor. He was a
music major just like Allison and had tremendous heart for witnessing. In the two
semesters we shared a dorm, I noticed that he was meticulous about how he cared for
his teeth. Brushing, flossing, and gargling with mouthwash was as much a part of his
regular routine as eating lunch. I remember him telling me once that he had learned
this from his dad and that was just the way he was and that his teeth were so clean
and well taken care of that dentist wouldn’t know if hadn’t brushed his teeth for a
month. I’m pretty sure he was pulling my leg about that but when you think about it
developing and nurturing our spiritual life ought to be as regular as my roommates
teeth brushing.
The way we get to a Muhammad Ali “Superman don’t need no airplane” mentality is
by neglecting our prayer life, Bible study time, devotions, church life, and fellowship
with Christians. These are the things that ground us in the truth of God and allow us to
experience the grace and mercy of God each day. It is these simple practices that we
get to experience a wonderful blessed life with the hands of God carrying us through
the most difficult parts of our life.
I was amazed to discover an unusual fact. In 2011 some ten bouncy castles were
reported to have collapsed or blown away. During these incidents more than 40
people were reported injured. The reason why these castles crashed were because
they were not properly tied down. For all their size these huge bouncy castles are very
prone to being caught up in the winds and being blown down. They look big and
Remember, Only God . . . .continued on Next Page
sturdy but in reality they are quite fragile and prone to falling if they are not anchored
to something much stronger.
That’s a pretty accurate description of us isn’t it? For all our strength if we are not
anchored to God we are prone to flying away when the winds of life blow. So how
tethered are you? Are you securely tied down to the Savior? Is you life rooted in the
Truth of His Word or have you let the knots slip over time. Let me give some simple
questions to help you check your lines?
First, how is your prayer life? The Apostle Paul wrote many times words like this in
his epistles. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,” (Philippians 1:3) in his
epistles Paul constantly made reference to the prayers he made for others and in 1
Thessalonians 5 Paul spoke of how we were to pray continually and without ceasing.
Let me ask how is your prayer life? Does it have a secure place in your life? Is it
where you run to first in times of trial or is it a last resort? At night before bed Allison,
Grace, and I have adopted a new ritual in our home. We all gather together in our
bedroom and I read a chapter of a book out loud to Grace. At the moment we are
reading her favorite book “Ivy’s Ever After.” After reading we all pray together, first
Allison, then Grace, and then I close in prayer before we go off to bed. The new part
is that we have changed the venue from Grace’s room to ours. The reason why this
ritual is so important is that it gathers us together as a family and we pray together.
You see one of the things I want to be instilled in Grace is the necessity and power of
prayer. That it should not be something that feels awkward or out of place but rather
natural in her life. My hope is that to be prayer-less would feel grossly out of place in
her life as it should for all Christians for prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer keeps us
grounded in our faith, humbled in our spirit, and focused on the One Who carries us
through the storms of life.
Second is, how is your praise life? A easier way of putting this is what comes into
your ears and out of your mouth? If we are not praising our Savior in our minds, with
our lips, and filling our minds with the good things of God our tendency will be to
move away from God and forget all His goodness. I need to have my radio tuned to a
Christian station to be reminded of all the
Remember, Only God . . .continued on Next Page
great Christian music that is out there but also to allow myself to praise God throughout the day. I need those songs to encourage me of the greatness of our God that I
will rest in Him and I will praise Him in the storms of life. The Psalmist says it this way
in Psalm 71:14-15 (ESV).
But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of
your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my
knowledge.
Matt Maher said it this way in a beautiful song.
Lord I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart
Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
Where sin runs deep, Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Yes where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me
Remember, Only God. continued on Next Page
So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
Lord, I need You, oh I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
Finally, where is your peace? Where do you find yourself at perfect peaceful rest and
solace. For some it is found when everything is going their way. For others it is found in
financial gain or when the craziness of life has finally calmed down and they can catch
their breath, For Christians we are called to find rest and hope in something far different. David wrote in Psalm 20:7-8 “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we
trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand
upright”. The greatest foundation we can ever be tied to is that of our great God.
Riches may come and go in life, our schedule will be barren or be filled to capacity,
tragedies can be present or absent but regardless of what comes our way if we find
ourselves anchored to God holding fast to His Word we will find peace and help
through the most difficult times in our lives.
When my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and when my father was in the
hospital. time seemed to slow down just a bit. To be honest I wasn’t completely sure
what to think. These two things came out of the blue and I was not ready for them. I
was not ready to lose my grandfather, I couldn’t fathom life without my dad. One thing
grounded me throughout these ordeals and that was that God was in control. Through
it all regardless of whether it was heartache or uncertainty I knew that I could face
tomorrow because I knew God was in control. This is what I was tethered to and held
to throughout these difficult times. I didn’t understand these trials and I know I couldn’t
Remember, Only God. continued on Next Page
see the reason God allowed these things to happen but I knew my loving and caring
Savior was in control and the He was holding me close. These are the things that
brought me through.
Let me asked again, are you anchored fast to God? Is you life firmly secured to our
Savior so that when the wind blows you will be secured. I hope and pray that your life
is firmly committed to the Lord and that you know the peace that passes all understanding by having your heart and trust placed in Him.
“Father in Heaven, truly You are mighty and powerful but You are also the great
Comforter and Shield to Your people. I thank You that You give peace to Your people
through the difficult times of life and that You see us through so many difficulties.
Thank You for being that sure foundation on which to anchor our lives. Help us now to
rely on you for the temptation is so great to try and cast You off and proclaim
ourselves as masters and commanders of our world when in reality we are but frail
and weak creatures compared to all of what life can throw at us. Help us to cast off
this temptation and to see You for Who You are as our Rock and Fortress on to which
we can hide ourselves in times of trouble. Help us to know Your strength and power in
this world. Help us to praise you with great passion and assist us in filling our ears and
minds with your praises that they might flow from our mouth continually. Please
remind us Father that true peace comes only from You. Help us to know that worldly
peace is but a fleeting thing that can be taken away in an instant but those that would
fix their minds and lives upon You would know eternal peace. Thank You Lord for
Word, Your love, and Your Promises. Thank You for Christ and the relationship we
are able to have with You through Him because of the cross. Guide Lord and help us
as we trust in You.
Amen”
Dear Church Family,
Happy Harvest time!!! We have so many Fall activities coming and I'm
excited about all of them. Did you know I absolutely love spending time
in fellowship with all of you! A Wednesday night at Mars Hill Baptist
Church can do wonders for a tired, cranky soul. As brothers and sisters in
Christ, we are supposed to lift each other up, and I want you to know
that you do your job well! In fact, this past Wednesday, while I was
cleaning in the kitchen, I had two people hear my request for a copy of
the prayer list and they provided one! That was a great blessing to me
because I use them in my quiet times. If they hadn't done that I would
not have had one for the week. Thank you so much for your Christian
love! I hope that God can use me in all of your lives as much as He uses
you in mine.
In Christ's love,
Allison
Proverbs 17:17
The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make His face to shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you.
The Lord be gracious, gracious unto you, Amen.
(This is a beautiful little song I learned in college
based on Numbers 6:24-26,
I can sing it to you if you want to hear it! :)
Awesome Turn Out!
Despite the rainy weekend, lots of fun and good food
was enjoyed by 22 youths and approximately 13
supportive adults at the September Bonfire and
Cookout. Hot dogs, chips, and s'mores galore!
ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL
Wednesday, October 14th
Our congregation will be traveling to Orange High
School’s Football Stadium for Fields of Faith. Fields
of Faith is a student led event. Come on out and worship as a community with our young people and hear
them share their testimonies, challenge each other to
read their Bible, and come to faith in Jesus Christ.
Dinner will be served at the church at 5:45pm and we
will depart at 6:30pm.
Saturday,
October 31st
3:00-5:00 pm
followed by a bowl
of homemade chili
for all those who
work up an appetite.
Many trunks full of treats are needed
for the kids we expect to participate.
Anyone interested in making a pot of
chili is welcome to do so.
Sunday, November 8th
Bring a Friend Sunday!
Sunday School Classes will be
meeting in the Fellowship Hall for
Breakfast beginning at 9:30 am.
Do you have a
wacky tie
hanging in your
closet? Wear it
for Bring a
Friend Sunday
and let’s see who
has the wackiest
tie!
CHILDREN’S PLAY PRACTICE
will begin Wednesday, October 21st, and every Wednesday
thereafter with the exception of the one before
Thanksgiving, from 7-8pm.
The children will be performing
THE WILD WEST CHRISTMAS ADVENTURES
OF THE LOANED MANGER
by Steve Moore, Rob Howard, and David Guthrie.
We'll wrangle all the younguns into performin' on
Sunday, December 20th
at the 11:00 am worship service
Please join us for the "most Christmassy town
in the west."
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
Date
8/2
8/9
8/16
8/23
8/30
SS
93
68
88
72
84
AM Worship Budget Receipts
102
$4,732.95
73
$2,276.41
91
$2,854.25
70
$3,160.97
81
$2,653.62
Total Budget Receipts for August:
Averages in August:
81
83
$15,678.20
Date
9/6
9/13
9/20
9/27
SS
75
89
98
103
AM Worship Budget Receipts
69
$3,418.45
87
$2,549.16
94
$3,477.18
96
$1,802.00
Total Budget Receipts for Sept.:
Averages in September:
91
87
$11,246.79
$2,811.70
$3,135.64
BUDGET NEEDS WEEKLY: $3,712.07 MONTHLY: $16,085.65 QTRLY: $48,256.96
Orange Congregations
Pantry Items Needed
The Cornerstone Sunday School Class
is currently going through Dr. Tony
Evans' Bible study titled Raising
Kingdom Kids. Beginning Sunday,
November 1, we will begin the Bible
study by the name of Counter Culture,
written by IMB Director, David Platt.
All are welcome to join
us, Sunday mornings at 10:00am.
Canned Meat and Stew
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Soup
Pinto Beans and Pork & Beans
Pasta Sauce
Canned Pasta
Rice
Cereal
Saltine Crackers
Macaroni and Cheese
“Kid-Friendly” Snacks
Toilet Tissue
Bath Soap
Powder Laundry Detergent
Toothpaste
SUNDAY
9:45 A.M.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
11:00 A.M.
ADULT WORSHIP
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
1
SAT
2
MZBA SS
Training
4
5
6
Senior’s
Breakfast
-8:00 am
11
12
7
3
Brunswick
Stew
6:00-9:00 pm
8
9
10
15
16
17
22
23
24
Food for All
6-Supper
7-Adult Bible
Study/Youth/
RA’s/GA’s
Mission Friends
8-Choir Prac.
13
Deacon’s Mtg8:30 a.m.
14
6-Supper
7-Orange HS-Fields
of Faith
WMU Mtg4:00 pm
18
19
20
House &
Grounds
Cmte. Mtg7:30 pm
25
Business Mtg.
26
21
6-Supper
7-Adult Bible
Study/Child Play
Prac. Begins
8-Choir Prac.
27
28
6-Supper
7-Adult Bible
Study/Child. Play
Prac.
8-Choir Prac.
Men’s Fishing Trip 23-25
29
30
31
Fall Festival
3:00-5:00 pm
SUNDAY
9:45 A.M.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
11:00 A.M.
ADULT WORSHIP
SUN
MON
1
TUE
2
WED
3
Senior’s
Breakfast
-8:00 am
8
9
10
16
23
Business Mtg
29
1st Sunday of
Advent
4
5
6
7
11
12
13
14
18
19
20
21
25
26
27
28
6-Supper
7-Adult Bible
Study/Child.
Play Prac.
8-Choir Prac.
17
6-Supper
7-Adult Bible
Study/Child.
Play Prac.
8-Choir Prac.
House &
Grounds Cmte
Mtg-7:30 pm
22
SAT
6-Supper
7-Adult Bible
Study/Child.
Play Prac.
8-Choir Prac.
Bring a
Friend
Sunday
Men’s
Breakfast7:30 am
FRI
Food for All
Deacon’s
Mtg-8:30 am
15
THU
24
Thanksgiving
Dinner and Praise
Service-6:30 pm
30
USHERS SCHEDULE
Oct. 4 Kyle Dawson, Roger Smith
Oct. 11 Tommy Frazier, Rusty Wagoner
Oct. 18 Trent Frazier, Luther Wells
Oct. 25 Dakota Haithcock, Charles Hines
Nov. 1
Nov. 8
Nov. 15
Nov. 22
Nov. 29
Dec. 6
Dec. 13
Dec. 20
Dec. 27
Dave Hughes, Dan Berry
Ted Laws, Calvin Brown
Fred Miller, Todd Buckner
Forrest Orr, Kyle Dawson
Roger Smith, Tommy Frazier
Rusty Wagoner, Trent Frazier
Luther Wells, Dakota Haithcock
Charles Hines, Ted Laws
Calvin Brown, Forrest Orr
COUNTING COMMITTEE
Oct.: Leslie Dawson, Dianne Brown
Nov.: Fred Miller, Andrea Hughes
Dec.: Donna Melvin, Norkie Hines
NURSERY LEADERSHIP
Attention Nursery Workers: If you are
unable to work your scheduled day;
please contact Brenda Ray or Patty
Horne . Thank You.
October
4 Traci Lloyd, Nell Walker, Brenda Ray
11 Brenda Ray, Norkie Hines, Patty Horne
18 Lindsey Huskins, Edith Berry, Brenda
Ray
25 Patty Horne, Crystal Kirby, Brenda Ray
November
1 Brenda Ray, Barbara Merritt, Lindsey
Huskins
8 Lindsey Huskins, Monica Franklin,
Brenda Ray
15 Patty Horne, Linda Frazier, Brenda Ray
22 Brenda Ray, Traci Lloyd, Amy Hines
29 Patty Horne, Nell Walker, Brenda Ray
December
6 Brenda Ray, Norkie Hines, Patty Horne
13 Lindsey Huskins, Edith Berry, Brenda
Ray
20 Patty Horne, Crystal Kirby, Brenda Ray
27 Brenda Ray, Barbara Merritt, Lindsey
Huskins
THANKSGIVING PRAISE
SERVICE AND DINNER
You are invited to the
Annual Covered Dish Dinner on
Wednesday, November 25th
at 6:30 pm.
in the Fellowship Hall.
Please bring a covered dish, dessert
and beverages to share. The Praise
Service will begin around 7:45 pm.
Mars Hill Baptist Church
1418 NC Hwy. 57
Hillsborough, NC 27278
In the event of emergency conditions such as power outages caused by hurricanes,
tornadoes, ice storms, etc. The educational building at MHBC will be available for use as a
shelter. Please notify the pastor and/or deacons if such need arises.