The end of the school year is in sight for our students! This is a great week of celebration as they end another year and look to begin something new and exciting. At Calvary Church we congratulate four of our own: Matthew Bayliff, Alejandra Molina, Matthew Banks and Shelbi Elder.Matthew Bayliff graduated from West Virginia University with a Master’s Degree in Athletic Coaching Education. He is also enrolled in the PGA of America’s Professional Golf Management Program. Alejandra Molina graduated from the University of South Carolina (Upstate) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Keep her in your prayers as she will soon be taking the state board exams to become a registered nurse. Matthew Banks graduated from Spartanburg Methodist College. He will be attending Upstate this fall to finish his four-year degree in Physical Education. Shelbi Elder graduated Friday (May 28) from Boiling Springs High School. She plans on attending Spartanburg Community College majoring in Radiology.
Hey, with these four students we’ve got our recreation and health issues covered! Each one of them needs our prayers and support. Becoming successful in life doesn’t happen by accident—it is intentional. They are doing their part and we must do ours. Put their names on your prayer list and pray diligently for God to bless and direct them.
Congratulations Matthew, Alejandra, Matthew and Shelbi. We love you and are proud of you!
Grace & Peace,
Scott
This week we will gather together on Sunday morning at Calvary Baptist Church to ordain Greg Mickey to the ministry of the gospel. This will be one of the most special services the Mickeys ever attended. Many have sensed the call of God on his life and he has shown evidence of this call through his conversion and giftedness. Greg has been examined by a group of his peers, they have found him competent to enter the gospel ministry, and now they are recommending to Calvary that we proceed. We as a church will do the actual ordination.
The front line ministry of the local church is never to be entered into lightly. Vocational ministry is not just another job option, no it is a specific call from God.
Preacher Crocker and I will challenge Greg this Sunday, but time will not allow us to share everything. So, I want to take this opportunity to challenge you with a personal responsibility of prayer with regard to Greg and the gospel ministry. Paul wrote,
"And [pray] also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19).
The first thing we can pray about for Greg is clarity in his preaching. It seems that everything but the Word is being preached from our pulpits these days. Too much time is spent on looking up jokes and illustrations that the truth of the passage is being neglected. Our ideas are not important, it is God's Word and His ideas that must prevail.
The second thing we can pray about for Greg is courage in his preaching. Boldness in proclaiming is important because preachers can fall into the temptation to please the audience of many and forget the audience of ONE! Paul reminded Timothy,
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions" (2 Timothy 4:3).
I hope you will join us this Sunday. This is the beginning of ministry for Greg and Beth (and don't forget about Meredith and Hannah!). Share in this exciting day and support them with your prayers.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
In John Milton's epic poem, "Paradise Lost" he wrote, "Heavenly love shall outdo hellish hate."
I think we all like heroes. You know the type...mild-mannered newspaper reporter Clark Kent who runs into the nearest phone booth to become Superman when help is needed. (Can you imagine him trying to find a phone booth today?) Heroes and heroines are always endowed with some type of superhuman power(s), and when they come to rescue they use those powers to "save the day." If you were a super-hero what sort of power(s) would you want?
Now imagine that it was up to you to save the entire human race...what would be your plan and what would be your power? From eternity past God set out to do exactly that--save the lost, struggling and dying human race. God's plan to save us was shocking, something nobody would ever think of, He would send His Son. No x-ray vision, no invisible jet, and no fancy cape. He would come clothed in human flesh (Philippians 2:7) armed with love. Those around Him expected something powerfully spectacular (1 Corinthians 1:22), but to their surprise He came in humility. Paul calls this God's wisdom and power--the cross. This is why Paul wrote,
"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)
God's power to save through the cross was no expected, but it was the only way to rescue us. Too many want a savior who is like Superman or Wonder Woman, and when we don't get what we expect we become disillusioned and disappointed. In the end some walk away from Him because it seems so silly to follow a murdered hero. But this is precisely what God wants us to do; He wants us to follow His Son, a most unlikely hero.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
This week is Mother's Day...it is a time to honor our moms. We should do this with great enthusiasm! Is there a way we can honor moms this year that really magnifies the role of biblical motherhood? Is there something special we can do that would tell her that she is "something special"? We usually jump to the conclusion that giving her an elaborate gift somehow honors her best. Is gift giving the
best way to honor Mom? I'm not against giving Mom something that she can hold, something that communicates "I love you and thanks for being my Mom." I'm not advocating being a "cheapskate" when it comes to the one who went through the pains of death to bring me into the world, but I do believe a couple of inherent problems exist in just running down to WalMart on Saturday night to get something for Mom on Mother's Day.
First, opening our wallet is an easy way out. It is the path of least resistance relationally. I think it's fairly painless to buy some flowers or a box of candy or a bottle of perfume. (Come on, does she really need crocuses, calories and cologne?) Relationships take time, not gifts.
Second, things don't last. Eventually everything wears out...flowers die, candy gets eaten (usually by everyone except Mom), and the "good smelly stuff" fades. When your mom looks around her place what does she have that reminds her of your love and appreciation? That is possibly the best way to measure the value of a Mother's Day gift.
The point I am trying to make is that what moms need more than things is us! She didn't bring us into this world to get more "stuff." Moms are so self-giving; they are the ones who make this world a stable place. I think we should give ourselves this Mother's Day. This is not the easy way out and it is something that will last with our moms. When they look around their place they will remember the time we spent with them, the phone calls we made, and the cards with personal poems we wrote or the pictures we colored.
Sacrifice this Mother's Day to express how much you love and appreciate your mom.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
The end of the school year is in sight for our students! This is a great week of celebration as they end another year and look to begin something new and exciting. At Calvary Church we congratulate four of our own: Matthew Bayliff, Alejandra Molina, Matthew Banks and Shelbi Elder.
