Guide

Youth Wednesday Night Live!

First Baptist Church 212 Twelfth Street Post Office Box 828 Columbus, Georgia 31902 - 0828

Second Story Spring 2022 Student Open House FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY February 6, 2022

MESSAGE

From Fish to Folk Luke 5:1-11

‘

R evi v e : R e f r e s h , R e s t or e , R e ch a rg e

Saturday, February 26 8:30 A.M—3:30 P.M. in Fellowship Hall Cost is $50 and includes lunch.

Register in the church office by February 20.

READ THE BIBLE THROUGH IN A YEAR

MENU

READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 6 - 13, 2022 8th

10th

Job 31:1 - 33:33 2 Corinthians 3:1-18 Psalm 43:1-5 Proverbs 22:8-9

Job 37:1 - 39:30 2 Corinthians 4:13 -5:10 Psalm 45:1-8 Proverbs 22:13

Ecclesiastes 1:1 - 3:22 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Psalm 46:1-11 Proverbs 22:15

7th

9th

11th

Job 40:1 - 42:17 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Psalm 45:9-17 Proverbs 22:14

Ecclesiastes 4:1 - 6:12 2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:7 Psalm 47:1-9 Proverbs 22:16

6th

Job 34:1 - 36:33 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 Psalm 44:1-8 Proverbs 22:10-12

FEBRUARY 9 Eggs Grits Bacon/ Sausage Fruit Biscuits

12th Ecclesiastes 7:1 - 9:18 2 Corinthians 7:8-16 Psalm 48:1-14 Proverbs 22:17-19

13th Ecclesiastes 10:1 - 12:14 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Psalm 49:1-20 Proverbs 22:20-21

Web Address: www.firstbaptistcolumbusga.com / Like us on Facebook

Please remember to call the church office (706.322.4468) to make or cancel reservations by noon on Tuesday.

Phone: 706.322.4468

Fax: 706.324.7422

SOUPER BOWL OF CARING Please join with the First Baptist Family

INVOCATION

as we restock the shelves

SANCTUARY FLOWERS FEBRUARY 6

Presents Our 2022 Retreat with Susan Yates

to the ministry of Columbus’ First Baptist Church Family

Dr. Jimmy Elder Mrs. Kim Rozycki

The Women ’s Ministry of First Baptist

Francis Wilson 25 Years of Service at First Baptist

The beautiful flowers in the sanctuary are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of

Donald and Quinette Carter and

Martha Calhoun

by John and Angela Carter.

SANCTUARY FLOWERS FEBRUARY 13

The beautiful flowers in the sanctuary are given to the glory of God and in loving memory of

Mrs. Ann Henderson Johnson and

Mr. Raymond Earl Dobbs

by Lamar and Gloria Johnson.

View the 11:00 A.M. service live on WTVM News Leader 9 or on the internet by clicking the "Watch Live Streaming" link on the church website (www.firstbaptistcolumbusga.com).

of the Food Closet Sunday, February 13, in the 8:30 and 11:00 morning services.

Your cash contribution to the Food Closet enables First Baptist to buy in bulk at reduced prices; however, if you would like to purchase food items, we suggest canned vegetables and fruits, cans of pork ’n’ beans, Spam, Vienna sausages or chili, cereal, or gelatin and pudding cups.

Thank you for your generosity.

Loving none more than Christ and loving others as ourselves, we strive to reflect God’s love to all.

2

I was recently engaged in a conversation about our purpose in life. It was a chicken or egg kind of conversation: Do we ask God to make us perfect to serve or do we offer ourselves as we are and God perfects us for His service? My friend is a thinker with a strong sense of understanding that we all have a purpose in this world. He and I talked about what was needed to serve the Lord better—health, resources, opportunities, knowledge, what? The conversation went to how to pray to serve the Lord. Does one pray that the Lord would repair what is broken, give the resources we think we need, and get us all revved up to serve?

I began to think of the words of Robert Frost in his poem, The Gift Outright, a poem that has always intrigued me. Frost called this poem a history of the United States. It speaks of the passion to become a nation before the Declaration of Independence was signed.

We were settlers—citizens of another nation—but desiring to create one of our own. There were colonies and a sense of our belonging together; but the idea of a nation was more dream than reality. He writes, Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found out that it was ourselves. Frost then writes the poignant and bold words, We were withholding from our land of living, and forthwith found salvation in surrender. Such as we were, we gave ourselves outright . . . .

While I know many papers have been written on this poem, I realize that poetry gains meaning through the lenses of the reader’s life perspective. From my perspective, I see that we belonged to God before we realized He belonged to us. The thing that kept us spiritually weak and separated from God was ourselves. We had to come to a point of understanding that the relationship with our God was important; therefore, we found salvation was there for us all along through surrender. That is the way I always heard people speak of salvation—we surrender our lives to Jesus.

Back to my conversation with my friend. I said it appears to me that instead of asking God to make us whole in order to serve Him, we surrender ourselves to Him as we are and He perfects us for His service. Like a potter taking the formless clay that yields in his hands, so we yield in the hands of God. Maybe instead of trying to become good enough and ready enough to serve the Lord, we should offer ourselves with all our shortcomings, sins, weaknesses, and needs in order to allow Him to shape us into what He would have us to be in order to serve.

I have found that, when I am ready to serve and have my plan all together, I am far less successful in serving the Lord than when I tell the Lord I feel I need to do something, asking Him to show me step by step what I need to be doing as He equips, disciplines, and guides me, and is patient with me all along the way. I learn that the plan is revealed during the course of His revelation—more responsive and normally more creative than a static plan. I find my best self, my salvation, my effectiveness in surrender. Maybe that is why we Baptists so often like to sing, Just As I Am, as an invitation hymn.

The land was ours before we were the land’s; she was our land more than a hundred years before we Were her people. She was ours in Massachusetts, in Virginia; but we were England’s, still colonials, Possessing what we still were unpossessed by, possessed by what we now no more possessed.

Something we were withholding made us weak until we found out that it was ourselves we were Withholding from our land of living, and forthwith found salvation in surrender. Such as we were, We gave ourselves outright (the deed of gift was many deeds of war) to the land vaguely realizing Westward; but still unstoried, artless, unenhanced such as she was, such as she would become.

The Gift Outright by Robert Frost Your Pastor, Jimmy

FAMILY MATTERS

MISSIONS MINISTRY

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

(hhooper@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)

(kfranklin@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)

Every Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 P.M., while Koart Academy teachers give music lessons, we are also offering tutoring help and our fabulous Reading Buddies for the students.

If you are interested in helping with tutoring of any type, we sure could use your help!

You read in the last issue of The Guide that we are launching a Single Mother’s Program (Brave Moms) March 1. We will have our training for the volunteers February 17 at 6:30 P.M. at Victory Mission. If you are interested and want to know more, join us for the 90 minute training. We need mentors and you don’t have to be a single mom!

Second Story will help us with a Big/Little Brother/Sister Program at VM beginning this month and will have monthly events. The first will be a Winter Ball February 20. If you would like to be part of this program/event, please give me a call and I’ll share all the exciting information. We covet your prayers and service for our ministry at Victory Mission. Call me anytime: 706.326.6148. #lovewhereyoulive #winterballvm #koartacademyvictorymission

We are starting a new project for the Koart Academy and the Koart Scholars program.

As a mission project for both of these groups, we began classes at Victory Mission Tuesday, February 1, from 6:30-7:30 P.M. This is an opportunity for us to offer lessons at Victory Mission to enhance that ministry. Angie Bolivar and Jennifer Saavedra will teach classes at thirty minute intervals. When the students are not in the music class, they will be tutored for thirty minutes in various academic studies. Please be in prayer for these teachers and students as we begin this new ministry.

BY STATEMENT

Dr. Houbin Liu, Mrs. Qi Zhou-Liu, TongTong Liu and NaJa Zhou-Liu January 23, 2022

BY STATEMENT:

Mrs. Barbara Reames January 30, 2022

CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY IS EXTENDED TO Patricia Blair and family in the death of her mother, Mrs. Sara Ellen Holman.

Ronnie Highnote and Carol Savory and families in the death of their father, Mr. James Mack Highnote.

The family of Ms. Vivian Money.

BABY CONGRATULATIONS TO Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Olive in the birth of a son, John Richard Olive, Jr., January 21.

Proud grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Steve Olive.

IN MEMORY OF

Ms. Jane Buck Mr. and Mrs. Madden Hatcher Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Norris Ms. Susan Schlader Mr. David Carey Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wright Mr. and Mrs. Ben McCosh Mr. Henry Douglas Mr. and Mrs. Gene Bunn IN HONOR OF Mrs. Patty Cardin Dr. and Mrs. Ron King

Dr. Jimmy Elder Ms. Sherry Lummus Ms. Vivian Money Mrs. Nancy McKee Ms. Sherry Lummus

EDUCATION MINISTRY (mdouglas@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com) The Covenant/McClatchey class is a combined class with a long and storied history of service and evangelism. Today the members continue to fulfill their original calling under the leadership of teacher Linda Brantley. Each week they gather to study God’s word and seek to live out that Word throughout the week. They love fellowship and gather regularly just to enjoy being together. There is also a shared “sweet bite” each Sunday as they gather. Blessings.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY (pthompson@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)

Here are some important upcoming dates for children’s activities to add to your calendars: June 13-17, we travel to Australia for 2022 Vacation Bible School; Terrific Tuesdays are back June 21 and 28; and Passport Kids Camp will be July 17-21 at Rock Eagle in Eatonton, Georgia. More information will be forthcoming on all events. We also need helpers for these activities. During the month of February, our FBC children will be studying compassion.

MUSIC MINISTRY

YOUTH MINISTRY (dpotter@firstbaptistcolumbusga.com)

An annual FBC Youth tradition is right around the corner, and we're so excited to invite you to be part of it once more. In just two weeks, we'll celebrate the Souper Bowl of Caring in worship February 13 as part of our effort to give back to the FBC Food Closet.

This is one of my favorite weeks of the year, because we will serve at the Food Closet on Wednesday, February 9—prior to the Souper Bowl—to really understand what the Food Closet does. Then, on Sunday, February 13, we'll collect goods and monetary donations to help feed those in need in our community.

What a great opportunity for our youth to see the full process of how we, as a church family, show love in action. We see a need, gather the necessary resources, and make an impact in the name of Jesus. Thank you for letting us be part of that great work!

CITY MINISTRY (secondstoryfbc@gmail.com) [Brandon Strozier]

Second Story’s Spring ‘22 Open House occurred Thursday, January 27. We had an incredible crowd full of first time visitors and established members. Among other fun and engaging activities, members of Second Story shared testimonies as to why and how Second Story became their home. It was so sweet to hear their stories of being invited by a friend and finding something unlike any group they had met before that consistently pointed them to Christ! We’ll share some photos of the event with you today! Thank you for praying for us always and helping make this ministry happen!

Week at a Glance February 6 - 10, 2022 8:30 AM 9:15 AM 9:30 AM 9:45 AM 11:00 AM 4:00 PM

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE Victory Mission Sunday School Family Worship (FH) Bible Study WORSHIP SERVICE Youth Sunday Evening Fellowship

MONDAY 9:30 AM Food Closet 11:00 AM Mission Action I (FH) 12:30 PM Draw the Circle Ladies’ Study with Lisa Scrivner (111) 4:30 PM Missions Committee (YAB) 5:00 PM Finance Committee (FH) 6:00 PM Deacons’ Meeting (FH) 7:30 PM Experiencing God Coed Study with Trina Lumbard (online) TUESDAY 10:30 AM Experiencing God Ladies’ Study with Marvina Hooper at Her Home 5:00 PM Victory Mission 5:30 PM Monthly Children’s Bible Study at the Home of the Elders

7:00 AM 5:15 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM

6:00 PM 6:30 PM 6:30 PM 6:30 PM 6:45 PM 6:45 PM 6:45 PM 8:00 PM

WEDNESDAY Dan Ross Study Group (Panera BP) Fellowship Supper Begins (FH) Prayer Around the Tables (FH) Children’s Choir (211) Preschool Choir (110) Praying Circles Around Your Children and Grandchildren with Marvina Hooper (117) Experiencing God Men’s Study with Mark Rozycki and Guys Sims (255) Pastor’s Bible Study (FH) Adult Choir (Music Suite) Youth Wednesday Night Live! (YAB) Preschool Mission Friends (109) GAs for Girls in Grades 1-5 (213) RAs for Boys in Grades 1-5 (209) Praying Circles Around Your Children and Grandchildren with Marvina Hooper (online)

THURSDAY 7:00 AM Men’s Bible Study (SafeHouse) 9:30 AM Food Closet 12:00 PM Young in Heart (FH)

There will be a very important Called Church in Conference at 6:00 P.M. Wednesday, February 16, in Fellowship Hall.

We will discuss the sale of a donated house.