I have two series for Easter (one before and one that begins Easter Sunday) that excite me.

I like preaching about the cross. In recent years I have preached from the Gospels in the weeks leading to Easter. Two years ago I preached the sayings of Jesus from the cross while last year I preached what others said about Jesus.

This year I plan to preach five messages from the New Testament concerning the meaning of the cross to you and me. One of the messages will be taken from Galatians 2:20. I see this passage as serving as a theme for the entire series: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

This is the plan for my messages, including dates and major passages of Scripture:

February 26, Matthew 10:38, Jesus calls us to take up the cross and follow Him.

March 4, 1 Corinthians 1:18, The message of the cross is foolishness to the perishing but the power of God to those who are being saved.

March 11, Philippians 2:5-11, Our example for Christian service is Christ Himself who was obedient unto death.

March 18, Ephesians 2:11-22, Hope and reconciliation comes through the cross of Christ.

March 25, Galatians 2:20, Our very life is in Christ.

April 1, Colossians 1 and 2, God’s work on the cross to defeat sin and death.

I hope that you will be blessed as we look at the cross of Christ and consider the implications for the cross on our lives.

I have been planning the series beginning Easter Sunday for two years. I call it “Things To Come” or “What Happens When You Die?” from 1 Corinthians 15.

Paul laid out a detailed argument for our resurrection from the dead based on the resurrection of Jesus. He talks about our resurrection body, the return of Jesus to the earth to gather His own and even raises the question of the practice of some people who were baptized for the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:29)

1 Corinthians 15 is a fascinating chapter of Scripture. You’ll find it helpful for your faithful service to God. This series should have a strong appeal to those outside the church. Please invite friends and family to participate with you.

If you would like more information about these series you can go to my blog www.waylonbailey.com where I give a longer presentation. I also write a daily devotional that you might find helpful. I hope you will check it out and be helped by it. It’s easy to find and use.

God’s Word tells us that. I remember the first time that I really “got” that concept. It came from the mouth of my professor, mentor, and later colleague and friend, John Olen Strange. Dr. Strange served as a chaplain in World War II in one of the bloodiest island battles of the war. His favorite passage of Scripture was Lamentations 3:22-23. It’s simply not everyday that you find someone who’s favorite passage of Scripture is from Lamentations.

When I heard his quoting of this Scripture and remembered where he had been, I really did “get” it. These are the verses: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Dr. Strange thought of every day as a new day with God’s blessings being given anew.

This is a wonderful way to live. When I think of these verses, I see in my mind a bucket or a container filled with cool water. All day long I drink from the bucket, as much as I need. At the end of the day, the bucket has been depleted, but when I arise in the morning the bucket is full again. This happens everyday.

That is the picture of the faithfulness of God. His faithfulness, mercy, and compassion never fail. They are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.
There are many such pictures in the Old Testament. One of my favorite is Psalm 23, particularly the last verse. This verse reads: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6).

In the Hebrew original of this verse, the word follow means to pursue. Get this picture. God’s mercy is not a puppy following us around, it is a hound who is on the trail to track us down and lavish us with God’s mercy and love.

What an amazing God we serve.

We are grateful to have Kevin, Tiffany, Chloe, MacKenzie, and Graci Harless in our church. God blessed us by bringing them here, and we anticipate God’s continued blessings as Kevin oversees our children’s ministry.

The Harless family came to us from Panama City, Florida, where Kevin owned his own real estate firm. God interrupted those career plans when

Kevin, Tiffany, Chloe, MacKenzie, and Graci Harless

He called Kevin to the Gospel ministry. Kevin and Tiffany sold house and business and moved to our area to complete his training at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Kevin anticipates receiving his Master of Divinity degree in the next year.

Kevin first served on our staff in the children’s ministry by leading the Route 56 pre-teen ministry. For the past year, he has served as our Interim Children’s Minister and has proved himself as he worked with leaders and children in providing a first-class ministry.

How important is this ministry?

The children’s ministry at First Baptist Church is significantly larger than the average church in America. Actually, the average church in America is about 100 people. Last week more than 300 children studied the Word of God in our children’s ministry and more than 400 participated in either Bible Study or Kidstuf worship.

Last summer more than 1000 children studied the Word of God in our Vacation Bible School. We have one of the only Special Needs ministries in the state of Louisiana. We emphasize the Word of God as the way to establish strong character and right relationships with others.

How really important is this ministry? Our children’s ministry and our parents are charged with raising the next generation of Christians in America. Can there be anything more important?

Please welcome Kevin and his family, and please pray for God’s blessings as we seek to raise leaders for Christ.

The question is what you’re going to do when life gets you down.

Elijah’s life gives us some concrete ideas of how we should think when life gets us down.

First, remember God is in control. Even when it seemed that everything was falling apart in Israel, God was in control. It’s been that way throughout history. Even though tyrants often look to be in control, earthly kingdoms ultimately fall while God’s kingdom is forever.

God also has a plan. Even now, He is working for our good. “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Second, even when you feel alone, you are not alone. Elijah “felt” all alone, but that was feeling not facts. We will all feel alone from time to time, but we are never really alone. God is with us, and He is for us. “What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” (Romans 8:31-32).

In addition to Elijah, God had seven thousand in Israel who loved and followed Him. God stood with Elijah, and He stood with the seven thousand.

Finally, God has a purpose for you. God had a work for Elijah to do. He would anoint new kings for Israel and Judah. Ahab and Jezebel would finally be gone. Elijah would anoint Elisha as God’s prophet.

Like Elijah, we need to remember that even in hard times God has a purpose for our lives. He works through us to carry out His ultimate purpose.

May you and I learn like Elijah that God is bigger than all our difficulties.

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Thank you!

Have a great week!

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All contact is confidential.

The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to look back and to look forward.

Anyone associated with south Louisiana understands that over the past few years we have deserved the designation of “Disaster Land.” Hurricane Katrina ravaged the whole region and adveresly affected First Baptist Church Covington. One-fourth of our congregation moved to other areas including twenty-five deacon families. Katrina was followed by The Great Recession of 2008–2011 including an oil spill and a moratorium on drilling in the gulf. All of this affected families and the church.

In spite of where we have been in the past,I am thankful to report that the year 2011 was our best year ever in terms of Bible Fellowship attendance. We averaged over 1200 in Bible Fellowship Groups. The previous best year was 2004 (the year prior to Katrina). I feel that we have finally recovered in numbers and leadership from the exodus following Katrina.

2011 also was a year in which we recovered to a level of giving prior to the recession. Again, FBC gave the largest offerings in the history of the church and met budget expectations for the year, a first since 2007. Last year you gave over $4,170,000 for budget needs and as well as significant amounts to build the ROC addition. I am happy to report that our Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions so far has totaled over $60,000. You also gave significant sums for local benevolence and for “Feeding the Needy.”

The following are projects that I hope we can move forward in 2012: First, begin a full-blown recreation ministry utilizing our basketball and volleyball courts and our recreation fields. Second, explore the opportunities suggested by our Transformational Church consultants to establish satellite campuses to help reach our region. Third, push forward with our Foyer expansion to provide needed Bible Study space.

Please join me in thanksgiving for God’s blessings in the past and in prayer for God’s leadership and blessings in the future.

If you would like to receive all my posts, you can subscribe to waylonbailey.com below. Simply type in your email address and click subscribe. It’s free and easy. When you receive a return email, confirm your desire to subscribe by clicking on the link.

Waylonbailey.com is my ministry across the Internet. I would appreciate your subscribing and also forwarding this and other posts to your friends. Thanks for your help and support.

The responses of a number of pastors really encouraged me. They think about growth as well.

One question really surprised me until I gave it more consideration. The question makes sense. Why do you want the church to grow? Don’t you want the church to remain warm and intimate? Don’t you want to remain responsive to the needs of the intimate group?

For several weeks now I have been contemplating my reply.

First, can the church really follow the command of Christ to make disciples without a growth mindset? After all, our example for what a church should be–the early New Testament church–grew significantly. Recently, I read a pastor who gave thanks that over his ministry he had baptized 3000 people. That was the number baptized on the day of Pentecost! The New Testament church had a mindset of reaching people and advancing the kingdom. The church is God’s plan for growing the kingdom.

Second, as our churches grow, we touch our communities. Shouldn’t we want to be penetrating the darkness of our communities? Is there any other way to do so?

Third, unless churches grow, we must keep planting new churches or return to the house church model. Both of these seem difficult in our culture. The house church apparently works well in China, etc. It might work in our culture as well but it would be a major shift.

Fourth, without all churches growing, we keep having less influence over the culture. The culture becomes more and more pagan.

Fifth, a large church of small groups includes people well. I ask our involved people regularly, “do you think of FBC Covington as a large church?” They don’t! because they are in small groups and because they serve. That always makes the church intimate.

Sixth, in order for the church to grow, we have to value people. We must let them know they are important and that we want them to be a part of the church. Recently, I have said this to almost every guest: “Thank for joining us today. Please come back.” Jesus valued people. Wanting the church to grow demands that we value other people.

Finally, more people get to serve as the church grows. Service is where you find the “fun” of church. If you keep the church smaller, the same people can serve and keep the church going. When the church begins to grow, new leaders have to step up to serve in the name of Christ. I find that my real growth has come through struggle and service.

I believe that God wants His church to grow. What about you? What reasons would you give for church growth?

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Waylonbailey.com is my ministry across the Internet. I would appreciate your subscribing and also forwarding this and other posts to your friends. Thanks for your help and support.

It’s not rocket science. It’s not something that only I could come up with. My
guess is that your normal fourth grader could come to the same conclusion.
If that is true, then why do we keep doing the same things over and over
expecting a different result? You know, of course, that the preceding
sentence is one popular and famous definition of insanity.

With the beginning of the New Year, we need to do things differently in
order to get a different result.

I think about families. What will you do differently as a family to make
life better? Most counselors will tell you that every family has a “system.”
In order to get different results, you have to change the family system.
Would you moms and dads, husbands and wives, look deeply at your own
behaviors, attitudes and language? Would you be willing to change to
make life better?

What about you as an individual? What do you need to change to get a
different result? Should it be your diet, your behavior, your attitude?
For the month of January, we are going to ask you do something different.
We want you to spend 21 days in intense spiritual growth and reflection
asking God to bring change to your life and asking God to bring awaken-
ing to our state. This will be something different. You may want to bring
fasting in as well. Let’s make this a serious time to plead with God for our
state. We are asking you to take January 11-31 to spend in prayer and fast-
ing for our state. You may pick up a devotional guide in the foyer to help
jumpstart your prayer time.

My sermon series in January-February will be “Living in Turbulent Times,”
a look at how God worked during the time of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
This will be something different. I have never preached a series from Kings
or a series emphasizing the prophets Elijah and Elisha.

Let’s get serious about the kind of change that we as individuals need and
the kind that our nation needs. Let us ask God to bring a different result in our church,
our state, our nation, and in our lives.