living hope


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Pike Wisner Senior Pastor

Current Sermon Series

LIVING HOPE

Church Office 903.595.1021

Bible Study 9:30 am Worship 10:45am

Church Office Hours Closed Until further notice

Salvation. Submission.Suffering A STUDY OF 1st PETER

Communicator www.fbctyler.org April 21, 2020

TWW Updated Reporting Total Goal $4.2M Total Gifts Received $2,012,842.46 Total Pledges Outstanding $767,669.86 Total Pledges and Gifts $2,780,512.32

APRIL 19, 2020 2020 Budget Giving YTD Budget $541,568.00 YTD Received $478,332.11

Hope is patience with the lamp lit. - Tertullian

There’s No “I” in Quit In the book of Galatians, Paul instructs the church to not give up as we live by the Spirit. There are times, perhaps especially with what we are facing now, when even doing good things can feel tiring; like your efforts may not be accomplishing anything. You may feel reduced to the smallest of attempts; a card, a phone call, a text or a Facebook comment, and be left wondering, is this worth it? Tempted to quit spiritually? Maybe you have spent more time reading the Bible, but you don’t feel closer to God. Maybe you are trying to pray more, but feel more distracted. Maybe gathering with the church body fed your soul more than you realized, and now, you can’t. Maybe you are tired of ministering to people electronically. Maybe you are growing weary and feel like quitting. What about Paul? Something tells me Paul must have thought about this an awful lot during his imprisonments, beatings, and being distanced from those he loved. Surely, he was tempted to give up trying to accomplish things for Christ. Yes, even the one who said, “to live is Christ; to die is gain” must have longed for the “gaining” part… a lot! Yet, in the midst of all he faced and the many times he must have felt thwarted from every side, he writes, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Galatians 6:9-10). My family is working out together. These exercises based on what Lee High School suggests for their athletes during the off season, are pretty intense. We are all attempting the same exercises, but mom and dad are having to modify the movements. Nash and Drew are much

better at pretty much all of it. While we KNOW that overall this is good for us, the results are not immediate. My soon to be 52-yearold body just doesn’t respond like it once did. I experience pain in multiple muscles and joints. I fatigue more quickly than I think I should and even pulled a hamstring last night trying to race Drew! (Really, really dumb.) BUT, in all this, I realize that the point is to keep trying. Good will come from consistency and simply, not giving up!! We will overcome. The Church of Jesus Christ is going to endure to the end to the glory of God the Father! Our church body is going to persevere in our mission to Live, Teach and Tell the Gospel. The presence of the Holy Spirit is enough to see you through, illuminating the Scripture and pointing you to Jesus. So, please, don’t give up. Sorrow may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning. Do not hesitate to ask for help – even just the help of a good conversation, a book recommendation, an emailed prayer, a laugh. God is good, and His children, like their Dad, are good at helping! Your Heavenly Father does not give up! Your staff is not giving up. Your brothers and sisters will not give up as we strive together in the Spirit. There is no “I” in TEAM, but there is one in QUIT. How can we help you stay engaged in the “good fight” so that we will reap a harvest at God’s proper time? We are in this together!! Don’t forget, I’d still like to hear what the Lord is teaching you by us NOT gathering together and how your worship and Bible study online is impacting your Christian walk. Also, as we talk about suffering on Wednesday nights, and as the subject weaves its way into our study of 1 Peter on Sunday mornings, I’d like to hear about your experiences with Jesus through your suffering. You may email me at [email protected].

Pike