May 13, 2012

 “For Better or Worse…Or Something Like That”

Scripture: Acts 18:1-11, 18-21; Romans 16:3-5

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.²There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,³and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers.⁴Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.⁵When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus.⁶When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’⁷Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue.⁸Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his

household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized.⁹One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent;¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.’¹¹He stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them…. ¹⁸After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, for he was under a vow.¹⁹When they reached Ephesus, he left them there, but first he himself went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews.²⁰When they asked him to stay longer, he declined;²¹but on taking leave of them, he said, ‘I will return to you, if God wills.’ Then he set sail from Ephesus. ³ Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus,⁴and who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.⁵Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.

Theme:  We Ain’t No Brady Bunch

When you are in relationship with another, there will be both good days and bad days.  Husbands and wives, like Mike and Carol Brady knew this all too well.  There are days that are better, and there are days that are worse; and then there are days that stand out far more than others.  Those in relationship should always seek to invite God to join the relationship to add harmony, encouragement, and a reason for ministry together.

Devotional Thought:

A relationship can be defined as an association between two or more people formed in a variety of ways – from being born into it to choosing it. These relationships may vary in length from a lifetime to fleeting, and in every relationship, no matter how it is formed or how long it exists, there will be “the good, the bad, and the ugly”. During the 1950′s an advice column became very popular entitled “Dear Abby”. Even today people can write and ask for answers on how to deal with a problem in a relationship. When the rocky times come in our relationships do we write and ask “Dear Abby” for her advice or do we invite our Savior into the relationship – who according to Rev 3:20 says “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock”. There is not a relationship we can form that would not be made better, stronger and more productive with Christ as a member in it. The world is often cruel to a relationship but Christ is full of compassion; the world is ever changing producing sinkholes for a relationship to become lost in while Christ is the rock on which it can stand; the world offers advice while Christ gives wisdom; and while the world proposes blurred lines and grey areas Christ “is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

So for those relationships we have already formed and for those we will form in the future, let’s remember to “Plus One” by adding Christ to each and every one. When the world then tries to drag that relationship into the desert and suck the life out of it, we can stand firm and say the words from 1Cor 10:4b – “for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ”. Wait – is that someone knocking at the door? We should rush to open the door and invite Him in – it will be the most important invitation we ever have the privilege of issuing.

 ROANOKE, Va.,Summer 2012 – For a great evening of family fun at an unbeatable price, come to Rosalind Hills Baptist Church, the first Friday of the month, June through September. The church is sponsoring Outdoor Movie Night – a free event open to the community. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and settle down for a free viewing of a family friendly movie in a welcoming atmosphere. The movie starts at dusk. Bring your own snacks or sample the great concessions available during the film. Call 344-7888 for more information. Located at 2712 Brandon Avenue in Southwest Roanoke, Rosalind Hills Baptist Church is a place to belong, a place to become.

Friday, June 1st

Friday, July 6th

Friday, August 3rd

Friday, September 7th

1    Outdoor Movie Night

2    Dress Down Sunday

10 Deacon Picnic

21  Passport Kids

22  JOY Lunch & a Movie

23  Youth Missions Tour

July

6      Outdoor Movie Night

8      Camp R.O.C.K. (click here to register!)

18      Business Meeting

27    JOY Lunch & a Movie

29     Camp Sonshine (click here to register!)

August

3      Outdoor Movie  Night

22    1Life Begins

24    JOY Lunch & a Movie

For more information about the show visit http://southernshows.com/scs/

RSVP to the church office by Tuesday, November 1st.  Payment is requested by the 1st.

 “Pray It Forward”

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1-6

“The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They replied, ‘The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.’ When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned.”

Theme: The Nehemiah Chronicles

“God works in times of desperation.  Whenever we are unsettled about our life, unhappy about our circumstances, and unhappy with our situations, God wants us to come to him.  There is a word for our unrest; ‘holy discontent.’  It is in these times of ‘holy discontent’ that we are to communicate with God.  In doing so, our relationship with God grows deeper as the desperation we feel overwhelming us fades away into a distant memory.”

“Don’t Go It Alone”

Scripture: Nehemiah 2:5-9

“Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.’ The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), ‘How long will you be gone, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.’ And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me. Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me.”

Theme:  The Nehemiah Chronicles

Paul essentially tells the Corinthians that God puts us through trials so that we can help others in theirs (2 Corinthians 1:4).  What a good feeling it is to know that you’re not alone. We should always seek others’ help in our life circumstances.  Whether they’ve been or are going through some of the same situations we are, strength is always found in numbers.  Remember, God wants the best for ALL of us, so never go it alone!

Vision is not just a destination; it is a journey!  As with any journey, preparation must be made before you embark.  For our eyes to see God’s vision, for our ears to hear God’s voice, and for our minds to conceive of God’s plan, we must spend time in preparation.  Before we can receive God’s vision for His church we must prepare for vision.  His vision is big stuff, so our preparation must be big stuff as well!  Join us each week as we explore Nehemiah and examine for ourselves how Nehemiah prepared for God’s vision.

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First Things First

Matthew 22:15-22

“Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’”
- Matthew 22:20-21

“Disciples of Jesus respect authority.  They know who guides them, who provides for them.  And who ultimately cares about their entire future.  As disciples, we are to render to God first in our respect of authority.  When we do, everything else falls into place.”