Warmer weather and a little bit of sunshine brought many members and guests together to worship the Lord. Deacon Joe Gross opened the service with a reading of Psalm 139, and followed that with a prayer. Minister of Worship and Praise Johann Kim commented that the Psalm focuses on God having made us and known us all along, and then encouraged the gathered to sing praises to that very God
Holy, Holy, Holy
Oh, How I Love Jesus
Father, I Adore You
God Will Take Care of You
After a time of fellowship, the choir ensemble sang “Since Jesus Came Into My Heart” and Kim encouraged the congregation to sing along during the fourth stanza. Interim Pastor Ben Dockery spoke briefly about Find It Here before leading the Body through a time of prayer. Lorrie Hendricks read John 16:1-16 and the gathered sang a related song, “Breathe on Me,” just prior to the time of offering.
Today, Dockery began a new study on the book of 1 John. Today’s message, “Our Prologue of Joy, covers 1 John 1:1-4. This study, Dockery said, will take us through the Spring.
Opening today’s lesson, Dockery reciting the opening lines to many stories (“Once upon a time”) and the opening lines of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The purpose was to show that story telling has been around for hundreds of years, and sets us up for the story that is to come.
The first four verses of 1 John is full of philosophical thoughts
Where does life come from?
What is the purpose of life?
The context of John writing this letter:
A young church; no generation before for the current generation to learn from
There was a lot of gnostic teaching
Additional insights from this passage:
A correction to the false teaching
A model to how we should minister
Your faith has been heard and seen by someone; it is how you came to Christ too
You have a responsibilty to pass this along.
You see it and it has meaning
To listen to this sermon, click on the player or right-click on the link and select “Save as”
During a time of reflection and response, the congregation sang “The Solid Rock.” Mickie Bainter presented a few announcements and Dockery closed the service with a reading from 1 John 5:13
Vine Street Baptist Church will participate in the Home Mission Board’s “Find It Here” outreach program.
In the coming weeks, members of VSBC will assemble 1000 bags about the program, which includes a response card and some general information about contacting a local church. These bags will be passed out around the church’s neighborhood during the weeks leading up to Easter.
Part of the Find It Here program is a series of commercials that will air during March. These commercials will be seen by thousands of people during a variety of programming events.
Vine Street Baptist Church will host a potluck luncheon for the BCM students visiting and ministering in Louisville during the second week of March. The luncheon will be on Sunday, March 7 after the AM Worship Service.
Members are encouraged to bring their favorite pot luck dish, and to bring plenty of it. Because the students will be using the building for the balance of the week, we have the opportunity to provide leftovers and can have another meal (or two) with ease.
Sunday School classes, other groups and individual members are also encouraged to help with other mid-week meals. If you or your group are interested, please contact the church office at 502.585.3027 (leave a voice mail message) or send an email to info@vinestreetbaptist.org and a coordinator will get back with you.
The Baptist Collegiate Ministry University of South Florida couldn’t stay away for long. Members of VSBC and readers of this blog will remember this group first visited Louisville during the school’s Winter Break in 2009. As soon as they returned to Florida, they started making plans to return to Louisville. They are spending their Spring Break here as well. While in Louisville, these students will be working through the Hope Program and serving the homeless at the Jeff Street Mission. They are volunteering their time and resources so those who are without might see Christ through them.
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A small gathering of VSBC members joined together for songs and Bible study. Interim Pastor Ben Dockery read John 3 and opened the session in prayer. Mickie Bainter, with help from her 7-year old son, lead two songs:
Soon and Very Soon
It is Well With My Soul
Dockery returned to the podium and read John 4. Having earlier explained that tonight’s study is very much interactive and a “Q&A” session, he dove right into tonight’s topic. Due to the Q&A format, a recording was not feasible.
What are the steps that a new believer takes?
Scenario – A new person to our church writes on a response card that he has accepted Christ. What happens next?
Being accepted into the church membership after the next business meeting
Attending Sunday School
Participating in church fellowships.
Interacting with the person during the Welcome time of morning worship.
Make sure they have a Bible.
Encouraging participation in social activities (lunch after church, invitation to a member’s home, etc.) outside of church.
These are characteristics of what Jesus had: disciples who went and made more disciples.
Have you personally been disciple?
(A pole was taken.)
Have you ever participated in disciplining someone?
Joe Gross gave testimony that someone once approached him and said that he had been watching Joe, and learned from Joe’s actions.
Bainter told the story that she had lead several people to Christ while a counselor at a summer camp. She learned this past summer that one of those persons was a cousin, and her uncle was very glad that the family connection had such a pivotal impact on their immediate family.
Dockery mentioned that as parents, we are always showing (or not showing) Christ’s image to children.
Do you think of yourselves as “disciple makers?”
We often invite people to come to Sunday School, church services, our homes. There is nothing wrong with this, as Christ modeled that with, “Come, follow Me.” At the same time, we are to “Go and make disciples.”
Michele and Bob Cull’s daughter said that you can find someone who is trying to be a Christian, then help them learn about God.
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Threat of snow couldn’t keep a body of members and guests from attending Vine Street Baptist Church in Louisville KY. Today’s service opened with a reading of Psalm 90 and prayer, both led by Deacon Joe Gross. Focusing on the passage from Psalm, Minister of Worship and Music, Johann Kim, commented that the Psalm talks of Who God is and who we are in front of this awesome God. He lead the gathered in a set of songs that contained this same message.
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
All Heaven Declares
There is a Fountain
O Church Arise
Interim Pastor, Ben Dockery, came to the podium to welcome everyone and to talk a bit more about the Men’s Prayer Breakfast. In addition, Dockery spoke a little about missions, then surprised the congregation with an Internet video call to missionary Nathan Sing. Sing, 24, is currently based in China. Dockery interviewed Sing for a few minutes and Sing gave a testimony of how indigenous believers are already showing Christ-like actions.
After a few minutes of everyone greeting each other with hugs and handshakes, the choir ensemble sang “God, Give Us Christian Homes,” and the gathered joined the singing on the last stanza. Bob Cull read Matthew 20:20-28 and everyone sang “Who is He in Yonder Stall?” “Awesome Power” before the offering was collected. Mickie Bainter presented “Not Guilty” (originally performed by Mandissa) just before the sermon was delivered.
Today’s sermon opened with a reading from Ephesians 6:5-9, then Dockery went straight into the lesson. From his own notes:
The Gospel Transforms our Personal Lives
“Slaves” 3 kinds of slaves we see in Scripture
Slaves to Men (indentured servants, property, volunteers)
Slaves to Sin (obeying the desires of the flesh, owned by sinful appetites and subject to their leading)
Slaves to Christ (see Paul’s life as example)
*Story- imperial Russia gained control over the Caucasus territory and the viceroy of the Czar commanded the local princes to emancipate their house-slaves. Interestingly, the slaves protested. They said it was their hereditary right to be slaves.
The Gospel Transforms how we Work
‘Obey’ (same word used for children ‘obeying’ parents) – respect those we work for ‘as to Christ’
Work for God not Men (work means all work, not just employment – house work, church work, service work…)
3 Tests:
1) if your work goes unnoticed or unappreciated, your response indicates who you are PRIMARILY working for
2) if you fail or disappoint your boss, your response indicates who you are PRIMARILY working for
3) if your boss walks in and you have to stop what you are doing (ex. wasting time on internet or your own purposes)- you are working for man not God, God sees everything you do
The Gospel Transforms how we think about Work
Work is not a means to an end. We don’t just work to make money and give it away (that is good, but work is good in itself)
Work is good and we imitate God when we work. We worked before sin and will work in heaven. Sin just makes our work full of trials and struggles. This allows us to constantly be thinking of our lives as an act of worship
“Masters”- The Gospel makes you change too. You think of others when you make decisions. You are kind not cruel. You are to imitate the character of God when you give oversight and instruction.
-All you do is worship to God. Doing your job or responsibilities well is an act of worship.
Conclusion: Return to the story of the Slaves who were emancipated, but demanded not to be set free. Why would they do this? What would make someone fight to remain a slave. The answer is the character of the Master. We serve our Master in heaven who is loving and merciful and forgiving. If you are still a slave to sin, Christ is inviting you to be a slave to him. Come work for a Good Master, who is in heaven seeing all we do.
Dockery ended this sermon with prayer.
Due to a technical problem (the program kept crashing) we were unable to record the sermon this week.
As the hymn of response was given, Kim apologized for the confusion surrounding the offetory him, then led the song, “Faith is the Victory. Bainter returned to the platform and gave a few announcements, then Dockery concluded the time together with a reading from Ecclesiastes.
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Another cold, day-after-the-snow kind of a day in Louisville, Kentucky. This didn’t keep a number of members and guests from worshiping the LORD at Vine Street Baptist Church.
The service opened with a reading of Psalm 31:1-14 and a prayer, both lead by Deacon Joe Gross. Minister of Worship and Praise, Johann Kim, commented on the Psalm, reflecting on the repeating theme of God our refuge. With that, Kim lead the gathered in the following songs about Christ as our refuge.
I Will Run to You
Shout to the Lord
In the Garden
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
Just before the last song began, Kim encouraged everyone to prayerfully reflect on Christ as our refuge and the image of being in the garden with Him. At the end of that time of prayer, everyone stood to proclaim the majesty of Christ through the text of the last song.
After a time of welcome, Kim introduced a song that had not been sung at VSBC in quite a long time. He indicated that the choir ensemble would sing all three stanzas of Lord, Lay Some Soul Upon My Heart (BH-570), then everyone should join and sing a reprise of the first stanza.
Interim Pastor Ben Dockery reviewed the past few weeks sermon topics and introduced this week’s topic, which will wrap up marriage and talk about children. After a time of pastoral prayer, Brenda Waters read Luke 24:36-53.
Prior to the offering being collected, the gathered sang Awesome Power. During the time of offertory, a friend of the Dockery’s, Kelly Northam, sang “Gracious and Loving God,” by Jessa Anderson.
In today’s sermon, the roles within the marriage relationship were examined and a brief look at parenting was discussed. Dockery reminded the listeners that that Jesus did not come primarily to make our marriages better or to help us with parenting. From Dockery’s notes:
Paul, in Ephesians, emphasizes two things:1) Christ has reconciled -put back together- all creation to God. 2) People from all nations are sovereignly united to Christ in his church. Our relationships reflect God’s larger purposes in the Gospel.
First, Obedience to God in Marriage (31-33)
(v31) Both husband and wife leave their worlds to start a new one.
(v32) Christ is ‘head’ over everything in the church (Ephesians 1:22-23)
(v33) Obedience of Husbands, LOVE
A) Stop: abdicating your responsibility, stop being lazy, stop sitting back and watching, stop trying not to mess up, Instead – initiate love in your marriage
B) Start: loving. Love is different than respect. Reinforce your wife’s security in your marriage relationship. Do this by verbally communicating it (regularly and creatively)
C) Beware: Scripture warns you not to become bitter (harsh) Three practical suggestions
-bitterness grows when you compare (love never envies)
-bitterness grows when you serve your wife to get something in return (love it is not self-seeking)
-bitterness grows if you don’t keep short accounts (love keeps no record of wrongs)
Obedience of Wives, RESPECT
A) Stop: initiating in key areas of your relationship (takes wisdom and seems counter-intuitive) ex. asking husband if he heard the sermon today
B) Start: respectin. Respect is different than love. Study and search for abilities and achievements of your husband (small and great) and tell him you are proud of him for these (verbally)
C) Beware: Scripture warns not to talk disrespectfully (to them or about them) or nag (Prov. 24 & 27) Nagging is like a dripping faucet.
-nagging comes by comparison (comparison is the thief of joy)
-nagging results when you serve to gain something for yourself
-nagging grows when you bring up failures or sins of the past (keep short accounts)
(6:1-4) Obedience to God through Parenting
Children -
obey your parents. Think, “I must obey my parents because God wants me to.”
honoring your parents doesn’t stop at 18. Even as parents grow old and disagreements come in late stages of life, we are to honor them.
Fathers (implication is for parents)
Do not provoke them to anger – do not exasperate them
Some things to avoid: over-protection, under-protection (no discipline), favoritism, discouragement, living your dreams through your kids, bitter words or physical abuse
Conclusion: Reminder that all of this is for the purpose of reflecting God and imaging the gospel. Our marriages look as radical as the gospel. Our parenting looks as radical as the gospel.
As the sermon concluded, Dockery led a quite time of prayer, allowing everyone to pray for their marriages, their children and their parents. “And Can It Be” was sung to close out the time of worship.
You can listen to the entire sermon by clicking in the player or downing with the link below.
Vine Street Baptist Church is please to welcome Melissa Meader from EDGE Outreach to our next Souper Sunday. Melissa will tell us a more about EDGE Outreach, what they do to reach people for Christ and more specifically what EDGE is doing in response to Haiti earthquake relief.
Souper Sunday. Fellowship Hall
February 7, 2010 . 6:00pm
(Don't worry -- that football game will still be on when you get home.)
Souper Sunday is a time for members and guests to fellowship over a light meal, usually a soup, and relax with one another. Good food and good conversation are always on the agenda. We will conclude our time that evening with a special love offering for EDGE Outreach.
Tyler Pelan, friend of VSBC, is one of the team members traveling with EDGE Outreach. (Church members may remember Tyler and his wife, Cassie, as being the photographers for the weddings of former members Michael & Elizabeth Snearly and John & Johanna Snearly.) Between installing water purification systems and teaching local people how to use it, Tyler found a few minutes to photograph what is happening there. Here is one of many inspiring images. If you want to see more of his work, please be sure to check out his website, http://lightinghisworld.com/blog/
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Around 35 people, young and old, braved the frigid temperature and cold conditions to attend worship service at Vine Street Baptist Church. Deacon Gary Cook opened the service with a reading of Pslam 47 and an opening prayer. Minister of Worship and Praise Johann Kim recapped the Psalm by highlighting its theme of joy and pointing out that the Psalm actually asks us a question: Can we be joyful in the midst of heartache, tragedy, or despair? The Bible says YES! — in spite of any disaster, we remain joyful. Kim encouraged the gathered in leading the following songs:
Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee
Come Let us Go Up
Sing Unto the Lord a New Song
Be Unto Your Name
This song set concluded with a time of reflection and prayer.
After a time of fellowship, the choir ensemble introduce the first three stanzas of In Loving-Kindness Jesus Came, and the gathered joined them on the forth stanza. Interim Pastor Ben Dockery reminded the congregation that last week’s sermon referenced Ephesians 5 and the verse “Christ loved the church.” Calling to mind that we could have gathered today to discuss Haiti, college basketball, the State of the Union address or what is happening in Congress, we choose to gather for another purpose, which was discussed during the sermon. After this explanation, Dockery lead the gathered in a time of prayer.
Mickie Bainter read John 10:22-39, then all sang Worthy the Lamb That was Slain. A time of giving tithes and offerings was provided.
For today’s sermon, Dockery decided to interrupt the two part series that started last week with a message specifically on what the Church should be. Acts 2 is one of the most helpful chapter in the New Testament telling us how the Church is supposed to be
Learning – They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teachings. Acts 2:42
Caring/Sharing – They were devoted to fellowship & gathering together on a regular basis. Acts 2:44
Worshiping – They devoted themselves to breaking of bread and prayers. i. e. Worship, communion, baptism. Acts 2:46
Evangelizing – They devoted themselves to reaching out. “Go to the world.” Acts 2:47
Click the player, below, to listen to the entire message.
The sermon concluded with a time of quiet prayer, then Kim led the congregation through God of Grace and God of Glory for a time of response. Bainter presented several announcements and Dockery concluded the time together with a benediction reading of John 3:16-17
