Thomas Morrow and the Kazembe Orphanage Sunday, May 22, 2016

Thomas Morrow, Missionary to Zambia will be sharing with us this Sunday, May 22nd in our 10:30 a.m. worship service. A love offering will be received for the Kazembe Orphanage. Thomas will also meet with our children's Sunday School classes at 9:30 a.m. in the Life Center. Come hear about the exciting work going on in Zambia. And don't forget, we will recognize our 2016 Graduates with a special presentation this Sunday too.
Learn more about Thomas and Amy's ministry in Zambia at the following websites: www.missionaryfamily.com and www.kazembeorphanage.com

"Living the Lord's Prayer" Sunday, May 15, 2016

Living the Lord’s Prayer

This Sunday, May 15, 2016 we will conclude our study of “The Lord’s Prayer,” based on Matthew 6:9-13. The main Scripture passage that forms our teaching is found below. We have been referring to this passage as “The Model Prayer” because Jesus is giving His disciples a “how to” on praying in response to their request, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk. 11:1).

So far, we have looked at the first two aspects of Jesus’ teaching on prayer. (1) Pray that God’s name is honored (Matt. 6:9b), and (2) Pray that God’s kingdom will come on earth (6:10). For the first two messages in this series, go to carrollwoodbaptist.org and click on “Sermons.”

In everything that Jesus has said about prayer through Matthew 6: 10, we discover that prayer is a relationship and the first focus in prayer is to praise and honor “Our Father in heaven.” Only after the vertical dimension is emphasized does prayer move in the direction of making personal requests. However, there is no question that we have many personal “needs” and our wonderful “Father in heaven” has given us permission to ask Him to meet every need that we could ever have.

This third and final message in our series is definitely the most practical for our daily lives because in this section of “The Model Prayer” Jesus will teach us how prayer helps us to overcome worry, offers us an avenue of forgiveness, and gives us strength to resist temptations. I hope that you will join us this Sunday. Why not invite a friend for this practical teaching that can make an immediate impact on the life of everyone who will practice what Jesus has so plainly taught.   

If you don’t have a church home, we would love to have you worship with us at CBC where “All Are Welcome!” Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Bible study for all ages is held at 9:15 a.m. CBC is conveniently located at 5395 Ehrlich Road, 1 mile east of the Veterans Expressway and 2.5 miles west of Dale Mabry Hwy. For more information, check out our website at Carrollwoodbaptist.org

Looking forward to worshiping the living Lord this Sunday!

For His Glory, By His Grace!

Pastor Joe

 

Matthew 6:9-13, New International Version (NIV)

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[1]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[2]’

Footnotes:

1.     Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.

2.     Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

 

 

"Daniel: The Wisdom of Senior Saints" (Daniel 5:1-17)

 

“Daniel: The Wisdom of Senior Saints”

Daniel had the kind of godly wisdom and insight that comes from a lifetime of listening to the Lord and following Him. When we encounter Daniel in chapter five, he’s a senior saint of about 85 years of age. Pulled out of retirement, God recruits Daniel to bring His powerful word to King Belshazzar. Wise persons are able to read the handwriting on the wall. While living a long time does not guarantee that a person will be wise, (You can be old and ignorant just as you can be young and dumb) what Job 12:12 asks is generally true. “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”

This Sunday, May 1^st at Carrollwood Baptist Church we will celebrate the ministry of our senior saints during our special “Senior Saint Sunday.” The wisdom that Daniel displayed is the kind of wisdom that all of us can exhibit as we listen and follow after our Lord Jesus. You can find this Sunday’s Scripture passage below. We invite you to worship with us this Sunday at CBC where “Everyone Is Welcome!” Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. If you are a senior saint and you haven’t signed up for dinner after worship, please let us know as soon as possible. We want to make sure that you are included in this very special time of fellowship.

Looking forward to worshiping our Lord with the family of God this Sunday at CBC!

Pastor Joe

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3

 

Daniel 5:1-17, New International Version (NIV)

The Writing on the Wall

¹ King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. ² While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father^[1] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. ³ So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

⁵ Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. ⁶ His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.

⁷ The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers^[2] and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

⁸ Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. ⁹ So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

¹⁰ The queen,^[3] hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! ¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. ¹² He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”

¹³ So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? ¹⁴ I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. ¹⁵ The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. ¹⁶ Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

Footnotes:

1. Daniel 5:2 Or ancestor; or predecessor; also in verses 11, 13 and 18
2. Daniel 5:7 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11
3. Daniel 5:10 Or queen mother

 

 

 

Living The Lord's Prayer (New Series Begins This Sunday, April 10th)

 

“The Lord’s Prayer”

Jesus’ disciples once asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk. 11:1). And Jesus did! Jesus teaches about prayer in many places in the four Gospels, but what makes Matthew 6:9-13 unique, is this is the only time that Jesus provides a specific “how to” on prayer. This well-known passage, known as “The Lord’s Prayer,” might be better called “The Disciple’s Prayer” or “The Model Prayer,” for the simple reason that Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray in response to their question.  

That the disciples had a great desire to learn how to pray, tells us several things: (1) The disciples realized just how dependent they were on the strength and wisdom of the Lord. And (2) they were encouraged to learn how to pray because Jesus’ prayer life was so dynamic and effective. The disciples saw Jesus pray daily and they could not help but notice His strong and consistent prayer life and the difference it made in His life. He prayed early in the mornings. He took quiet retreats for the purpose of prayer. He spent long periods of time in prayer when He had an important decision to make. While He walked this earth, Jesus was a man of prayer and consequently a man of purpose and peace. The disciples saw Jesus’ example and were essentially saying, “Lord, we want what you have, but more importantly, we desperately need what you have!”

Beginning this Sunday, April 10^th at Carrollwood Baptist Church we will be exploring the principles of developing a strong prayer life from what Jesus teaches us in “The Lord’s Prayer.” The main Scripture passage that forms our teaching is found below. However, we will also consider what Jesus said in the immediate context, especially Matthew 6:5-8.

If you don’t have a church home, we would love to have you worship with us at CBC where “All Are Welcomed!” Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Bible study for all ages is held at 9:15 a.m. CBC is conveniently located at 5395 Ehrlich Road, 1 mile east of the Veterans Expressway and 2.5 miles west of Dale Mabry Hwy. For more information, check out our website at Carrollwoodbaptist.org

Looking forward to worshiping the living Lord this Sunday!

For His Glory, By His Grace!

Pastor Joe

 

 

Matthew 6:9-13, New International Version (NIV)

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’

Footnotes:

1.     Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.

2.     Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

 

The Ascension of Jesus (Sunday, April 3, 2016)

“The Jesus I Never Knew: His Ascension”

This Sunday we will conclude our Spring Easter Series, “The Jesus I Never Knew” with a look at the ascension of Jesus. When we speak of the ascension of Jesus, we are referring to the event in the life of Jesus in which he departed visibly from his disciples into heaven (see Acts 1:9-11). The ascension of Jesus became a foundational teaching in the church, and is included in all of the early church’s statements of faith. For example, The Apostle’s Creed, an early church statement of faith says that, “On the third day [He] rose again from the dead, ascended to heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty, thence He will come to judge the living and the dead” (my emphasis).

After his resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for an intentional 40 day period. During this time, Jesus appeared to different groups of the disciples and He taught them and prepared them for the time when He would go back to the Father and they in turn, would go out into the world with the message of Jesus and His kingdom.

Understanding the ascension of Jesus is critical to our fully experiencing God in our daily lives. Impoverished we will be if we do not grasp the tremendous significance of Christ being seated at the right of the Father. How do we know the Lord whom we cannot see? How do we receive help from God in time of need? How do we communicate with the Lord who is risen and ascended? These questions find their answer in understanding the ascension of Jesus.

This Sunday, April 3^rd at Carrollwood Baptist Church we will take a look at the Scripture passages below to “flesh-out” our understanding of the ascension of Jesus and the difference it makes in our lives.

If you don’t have a church home, we would love to have you worship with us at CBC where “All Are Welcomed!” Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Bible study for all ages is held at 9:15 a.m. CBC is conveniently located at 5395 Ehrlich Road, 1 mile east of the Veterans Expressway and 2.5 miles west of Dale Mabry Hwy. For more information, check out our website at Carrollwoodbaptist.org

Looking forward to worshiping the risen and ascended Lord this Sunday!

 

For His Glory, By His Grace!

Pastor Joe

 

Sunday’s Scripture Passages:

Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:11-12, 14

John 16:7; 14:16

Romans 8:26-27, 34

 

 

 

 

A Glorious Easter!

I want to thank our folks at CBC for all the extra efforts you put forward to make our Easter weekend events a tremendous blessing. We began the weekend with a moving Good Friday "Thrive" praise and communion service. We had many guests for our Easter Egg Hunt and activities on Saturday morning. Our two well-attended Sunday morning celebration services were awe-inspiring and the pancake breakfast was a great time of fellowship and sharing. All in all, in these events God was glorified, the people of God were encouraged, and the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection was proclaimed. "To God Be All the Glory!" Looking forward to the days ahead to see what great things He has in store for us at CBC!

Pastor Joe
"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

"Why Easter Matters"

“Why Easter Matters”  

John Stott says, “Grace is God loving, God stooping, God coming to the rescue.” And Anne Lamott says, “I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” One of the great Bible passages on God’s grace is found in Ephesians 2:1-10. Paul’s description of salvation by grace shows us “Why Easter Matters.” When the stone was rolled away and Jesus rose from the dead, everything changed!

This Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, March 27^th, we will consider this great passage, Ephesians 2:1-10 in two parts: what we might call I. Life Before Easter (2:1-3), our condition on our own apart from Christ, and II. Life Because of Easter (2:4-10), what God has done for us, why Easter really does matter. Below is a copy of this Sunday’s Scripture passage.

If you don’t have a church home, we invite you to join us for one of our Easter Sunday worship services at Carrollwood Baptist Church where all are welcomed! Easter Sunday we will offer two morning worship services, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. And we will have a free pancake breakfast between the two services from 9:30-10:15 a.m.

Other Easter Events and Opportunities

Join us on Good Friday, March 25^th at 6:00 p.m. for a special time of Praise and Communion led by our “Thrive” worship band and College and Career group.

Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, March 26^th, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Babies-5^th Grade are invited. Bring your Easter baskets and be ready to hunt eggs, enjoy snacks, make crafts and participate in story time.

I look forward to celebrating the resurrection of Christ, the most pivotal event in history by worshiping the living Lord Jesus with the family of God this weekend! The work on the cross has been completed, the tomb is empty, and Jesus is alive! And because that is true, everything has truly changed. All praise to God “because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:4-5).

For His Glory, By His Grace!

Pastor Joe

 

Ephesians 2:1-10, New International Version (NIV)
Made Alive in Christ
¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.