Next Sunday morning, our church will celebrate fathers attending the service with a special gift in love and appreciation for the blessing of Godly fathers whom our Lord has placed within our church family. We thank God for our fathers.

• Fathers provide a stable hand to guide our homes.
• Fathers offer the great example commanded in the Bible in which they, “…love their wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
• Godly fathers show the world what real sacrificial love is all about.
• Fathers demonstrate the way God feels and acts toward us and our nation as a whole.

 
Listen to this promise which God gave to king David, “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but my lovingkindness shall not depart from him…” (2 Samuel 7:14-15). God is a loving compassionate father who never gives up and never abandons His job. Good, caring, faithful fathers show everybody around them what God looks like.
 
On Father’s Day we will recognize special dads and grandads attending the service. Gifts will be given for:

• The Oldest Father attending the service.
• The Father with the youngest child attending the service.
• The Father with the most children attending the service.
• The Grandfather with the most children and grandchildren attending the service.

 
Every father within our congregation should be aware that we love and appreciate them all. Believing fathers are the building blocks upon which the Lord establishes His kingdom and carries His work forward in the world. Thank you, Fathers of Grace, for the testimony and example you are to us all.
 
There was a certain child who wanted to do something great for his dad on Father’s Day. He worked hard and long enough to earn $100. He went to the bank and got a crisp, brand new $100 bill. On Father’s Day, the child gave his dad an envelope with the $100 bill inside with this instruction, “Go out and buy something good for yourself.” The Father did exactly that. He went out and bought a wonderful present for his wife.
 
I like that. Loving Fathers are truly a rich present to everybody around them. To their wives, to their children, to their friends, to the Lord’s church, to the community, and to the country, Fathers are the gift that keeps on giving over and over again so that our world can be the blessing God intends it to be. May God bless our fathers.

Last night’s midweek prayer service and Bible study was amazing. There was a powerful fellowship within those attending that reminded me of the bonds we share through our shared faith in Jesus. The prayer time was spent lifting up the physical needs of our people who are experiencing sickness and distress from various health problems. The Bible tells us to pray for each other when we suffer, “…the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up” (James 5:15). We have recently seen the healing hand of God working because sick folks are being restored to health. 
 
Then we encourage one another through testimonies of praise. Last night’s testimony time was especially rich and rewarding. We heard about people within our fellowship who have gone the second mile to help others when there is a need. We rejoiced to hear about the birth of great grandchildren. We praised God together for the preaching this past Sunday by Brother Earl Pirkle. I thanked the Lord for the days of vacation granted to Robbie and Me by our loving church family.
 
Can a church ever praise God too much?
 
The answer is obvious, Absolutely Not. Praise is simply returning back to God the honor and glory due Him. He is worthy of our praise.
 
We prayed for our church and its ministries. So much is happening among us as we return our lives back to normal activities. We prayed for our ministry of the Lord’s Supper this coming Sunday. We rejoiced in the possibility of enjoying Potluck Fellowship Supper this Sunday night. We tasted in our imagination homemade Chicken and Dumplings brought by Mrs. Margaret Douglas. We saw in our mind’s eye the chocolate pie Mrs. Betty always brings. We relished in the possibility of tasty casseroles and vegetable dishes lining the serving tables. Then, who can pass the desert table where pies, cakes, and cookies are abundantly arrayed. Some people start at the desert table in case Jesus comes back sooner than expected.
 
I can’t imagine what church would be like without our people praying together. We certainly would fail to be all that God wants us to be without prayer. The Bible says, “…the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous accomplishes much” (James 5:16). Last night’s prayer time with God’s people was truly rich and abundant.
 
We have been working through Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus on Wednesday nights. Last night we studied the last part of Paul’s prayer for the church in chapter 3, verses 20 and 21. Bible study on Wednesday night is more informal and personal. People read the scriptures to each other. People comment and ask questions.

​Last night, at the end of the study, Susan Grindle shared a testimony about a woman who came into Waffle House last Sunday after church praising God and telling everyone about how Jesus was working in her life. We were talking about what Paul said in his prayer, “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20a).

This woman in the middle of Waffle House’s Sunday lunch audience was bragging on the abundance of Jesus. Everybody in the place was attentive to her story. Then Susan said, “I want what that woman has.”
 
What better way to spend Wednesday night?
 
Wednesday night is helping all of us want more of what we all have in Christ. Wednesday night is about loving each other more, going deeper into God’s word and praying for God’s perfect will to be accomplished in our lives.
 
Why not join in and enjoy the abundance of Christ on Wednesday nights?

We have been studying the letter of Paul to the church at Ephesus on Wednesday nights. Last week we learned that the grace of God is to be demonstrated in the church by the unifying and reconciling work of the Holy Spirit within the Body of Christ. The church is like a laboratory in which God’s amazing grace is developed and made known in the world. Think about the laboratories at Pfizer Pharmaceutical, Johnson and Johnson, and Moderna Therapeutics in which the COVID 19 vaccines were created, tested and made available to America’s population. These companies were the proving ground in which now over 50% of our nation’s adult population has been vaccinated. The pandemic is on the decline now as a result.
 
The apostle Paul said, “…the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.” (Ephesians 3:6-7)
 
The grace of God is proven and made available to both Jews and Gentiles which brings unity and oneness between fellow believers of all races, languages, and nationalities. Thus, the grace of God is proven within the church body by the harmony between fellow believers. Our church is a laboratory, a proving ground of grace in which all people may worship, serve and fellowship together in the name of Christ Jesus.
 
What if we could make God’s grace into a vaccine and inject it into the arms of every person in our nation?
What if this grace vaccine began to lessen the impact of hate, prejudice, racism and violence throughout our land?
 
Remember what the prophet Isaiah said, “…And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.” (Isaiah 2:4)
 
Why do we have to wait until we all get to heaven to find peace and harmony between the nations when we have the grace of God within our church sufficient enough to make it happen right now?
 
Jesus is praying for it to happen. Jesus wants peace within His church to spill out and bring peace in the world, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you have sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:22-23)
 
Our church is the laboratory in which that prayer is made real. We are the proving ground within which the grace of God and the prayers of Jesus are perfected and distributed.
 
We must get it right. There is no room for error and no time for delay. The world is coming apart. Peace and brotherhood in our neighborhoods and communities is at stake. Our children’s future is under attack. I fear discord and enmity as much as I fear COVID 19. The remedy is the GRACE of God. We can practice God’s grace with each other at church and then inject it into every situation we face in the world.
 
Lord, help us to be the kind of grace lab and factory our country needs and you would have us to be. Amen.

Our church is well into its vision to make this year a year in which we emphasize the gospel. I have preached 3 sermon series since the beginning of January which demonstrate the truth of the gospel in the life of Jesus our Savior.
 
Starting in January, I preached 5 sermons about the definition of the gospel and our responsibility as the people of God to keep it foremost in the ministry of our church.
 
I then preached 7 sermons based on the “I AM” statements of Jesus from the gospel of John. These sermons tell us all about who Jesus is and how He embodies that meaning and truth of what the gospel is all about and how we are to make it a primary influence in the world.
 
After the “I AM” statements of Jesus, I preached 8 sermons on the statements of Jesus from the cross. The gospel is displayed by the suffering and death Jesus endured on the cross in order to save us from our sins. There would not be a gospel without Christ’s willingness to suffer and die in our place. At the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins. To that end, the men of our church built a Gospel Garden between the two buildings on our property and raised a beautiful cross to remind us that the cross is central to the gospel message and to the ministry of our church. You cannot drive into our parking lots without being aware of the cross and the beauty of the gospel message.
 
Today, I begin a new sermon series about the appearances and statements of Jesus following His resurrection. Prior to the resurrection, Jesus spoke to multitudes of people, religious leaders of His day, and His closest followers about His relationship to God and His ministry in the world. Following His resurrection, He appeared to His disciples, several women, and a larger group of about 500 people. In these encounters, He spoke about His continuing mission to make the gospel known to the entire world. There were 10 appearances Jesus made following His resurrection. There will be one sermon on each appearance which should take us through the summer.
 
Following the summer months, I will begin a sermon series on the prayer life of Jesus. This series will encompass not only the prayers that Jesus prayed, but also the things He taught us about how we should pray. We will finish our Year of the Gospel with instruction and inspiration from our Lord Jesus about becoming more like Him when we pray. The gospel will never become what it should be in our lives without prayer. Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which your pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” (Mark 11:24)
 
The most powerful influence in the world is the prayers of God’s people. We need to pray more, but we also need to learn how to pray like Jesus. Begin to pray now that God will do mighty and great things through our praying like Jesus taught us to pray.

Today is Graduation Sunday at Grace. We wish to honor our young people who are graduating from high school this year:

​Philomena Rhodes
Caleb Freeman
Jacob Dixon
Luke Fisher
 

We have watched each of these young people grow up among us. They are now ready to enter the next phase of their lives entering into the world as young adults. The advice of the apostle Paul is fitting for us to pass on to them this morning, “Therefore, since you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, not the things that are on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1)
 
Your parents and this church have passed on to you their faith in Jesus Christ. You are all born-again believers. You have learned to honor God’s word and respect its truth. You have been faithful and diligent in your service to the Lord. Many have prayed for you and have given their loving care to bring you to this moment today. We all praise God for you and rejoice with you as you enter this exciting chapter in your lives. As a blessing to you and a biblical challenge, let’s read from God’s word together this morning:
 
Pastor and Congregation:
“My Sons (and Philomena), do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; for the length of days and years of life, and peace they will add to you.
 
Graduates:
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man.
 
Pastor and Congregation:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
 
Graduates:
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:1-8)
 
All Together:
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
 
Pastor’s Prayer for the Graduates

​Listen to these amazing Mother’s Day Scriptures:

• “…observe your chaste and respectful behavior, your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair and wearing gold jewelry or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:2b-4). The Bible is talking about the jewel of the Christian home. It describes for us the quality of a Godly wife and mother.
• “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her…” (Proverbs 31:25-28). A godly mother is a rich blessing to her children and family.
• “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5). Children reveal the quality of a mother’s soul. Children show the world how precious a godly mother really is.
• “And Mary said, ‘My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name’” (Luke 1:46-49). God sees and rewards the beauty of a mother’s humble spirit. God knows the value of a mother’s humble heart.
• “My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother; bind them continually on your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk to you” (Proverbs 6:20-22). A mother’s teaching will stay with you always. Your mother’s counsel will never let you down.

 
There is no doubt that God looks upon godly Mothers as the solid foundation upon which He builds His kingdom in this world. Today’s culture does not appreciate the true quality of a Christian mother, but God does. Many of the things’ mothers do for their families go unnoticed and unappreciated. Remember, God sees everything and knows the value of all mothers. He knows every contribution and every sacrifice they make for the good of their spouses and children.
 
Elizabeth George defines who godly mothers are: “What is a godly mother? A godly mother is one who loves the Lord with all her heart, mind soul and strength and then passionately, consistently, and unrelentingly teaches her child to do the same.”
 
My mother went back to school after I graduated from high school to learn to be a nurse. She worked third shift at Memorial Hospital in Nashville to pay my college tuition so I could become a minister of the gospel. Thank you, mom, for your passionate, consistent and unrelenting love and sacrifice for me. I pray you are happy with what your influence, manner and spiritual character has fashioned me to become. Robbie told me just the other day, “Your mother was a godly mother.” I said, “Yes, I know, and she inspired me to marry a godly mother.” Godly mothers beget godly mothers.

​Do you know that God did not send Jesus into the world to save the government?
 
Jesus did not come to save banks, or corporations, or social clubs, or ball teams, or Wall Street, or political parties. According to the word of God, Jesus came to “…seek and save that which is lost.” (Luke 19:10)
 
People are more important to God than institutions, ideologies, or even personal preferences. The apostle Paul said, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” (1 Timothy 1:15)
 
Every individual person is important to God. It does not matter what nationality a person claims, the color of their skin, the school they graduated from, the language they speak, or the amount of money they have to spend, Jesus loves all people equally. He died on the cross so that every person might come to faith in Him as savior and Lord.
 
Have you noticed that God made Adam and Eve and placed them in the beautiful Garden of Eden before there was ever any government institution founded on the face of the earth?
 
In fact, in the seven days of creation, no government is even mentioned. Land was created, water was created, the sun and moon came into existence to rule of the day and night, birds had a place made for them, fish were placed in the sea, animals found a home on the land, but creation is silent when it comes to man-made governments. Birds are more important to God than governments. Listen to what Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:26)
 
We need to keep things in perspective. Birds and people are more important to God than governments or anything man-made.
 
Now, God does grant governments a place of service under His divine authority. Government is supposed to serve in the best interest of the people they represent. Here is the role of government as assigned by God, “…it is a minister of God to you for good.” (Romans 13:4)
 
Let’s not get the cart before the horse. People do not serve the government. The government exists to serve the people. God’s preference and His will always centers on His great love for people. Jesus was the perfect example of God’s care for and love of people, “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
 
His compassion for people resulted in His command to pray, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
 
We are to pray for our government like Jesus commanded. We are to labor in the harvest field with care and compassion like Jesus did. That is the role of government. Anything other than that is ungodly.

​I’ve been thinking a lot about what God said to the prophet Micah, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
 
Our world is filled with everything but mercy. The word mercy in the Bible comes from the word “Hesed” in the Old Testament and is translated as God’s “Lovingkindness” toward mankind. The Psalmist says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). Mercy and kindness is a necessary ingredient in worship. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). If you’re going to receive mercy, you must be ready to give it to others. Without mercy our world is continually at odds with itself. We need a healthy infusion of God’s “Hesed” these days.
 
What is God’s justice?
 
There is much confusion about that. God’s justice is defined and laid out in this verse from the Bible, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We are all sinners and guilty of breaking God’s commands. Instead of our paying the penalty for sin, which is death, God loved us enough to pay our sin debt through Christ’s blood shed on the cross. Justice is God’s gracious and full acquittal. We are set free from the penalty of sin through faith in Jesus. That’s real justice.
 
God’s justice is not the same as man’s justice. Men are found guilty and sentenced to serve time as payment for their sins. Man’s justice sometimes is not fair. It is not always impartial. Sometimes it can be flawed. God’s justice is always perfect. It is never out of place or less than necessary. God’s justice makes us right with God.
 
I used to preach occasionally inside local and state prisons. I was always amazed by the way prisoners sang hymns during the services, especially “Amazing Grace.” Men who were paying the penalty for their wrongdoing could sing “Amazing Grace” with all their hearts. They were not bitter. They were not depressed or discouraged. It was liberating to them to know that they could be justified with God even while serving a prison sentence for some wrong they had committed here. Isn’t that something? These men would always carry the mark of their conviction with them, but not with God. With God justice means being completely set free.
 
Trophies are not awarded to people who come in last. There is a new Allstate Insurance Commercial I like. It pictures two dragster speed cars racing each other. One car goes as fast as possible. The other car follows the Allstate safe driving guidelines, not exceeding a certain speed and comes in behind the other. The driver of the second car crosses the finish line with his hands in the air celebrating as if he had won the race. That guy is humble. Humility is about doing what God says rather than what the world says, “...humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:6). Humble people seek to please God more than anything.
 
Mercy, justice, and humility is what God is looking for today. Don’t get distracted by all the hype and noise saturating today’s world. It is better to be pleasing to God rather than the world’s standards. 

​It was an incredible blessing to meet this past Sunday afternoon with Deacons and Church Leaders to plan and pray for the ministry of our church. Our Deacon Body talked about the ongoing work they do keeping in touch with their Deacon Family responsibilities and maintaining a contact schedule of over 100 contacts per week. I felt God’s hand upon their discussion because they are so committed to sharing the ups and downs of ministry in the lives and homes of our people. They have literally assumed the care and shepherding work of God’s people as the number one priority. As your pastor, it is an awesome blessing to have deacons who help carry the load of ministry. I feel like Moses must have felt when Aaron and Hur held up his arms in the middle of the battle against the armies of Amalek (Exodus 17:12-14). It’s great to have deacons who hold up your arms.
 
Our Leadership Team also met last Sunday afternoon to plan and prepare for new ministries that will come in the months ahead. As our leaders brainstormed and prayed together, I could feel the enthusiasm and encouragement begin to flow. It was like feeling new energy pump through your body after you have been sick with a cold or a fever. You simply begin to feel better. Our better feeling, after months of uncertainty due to COVID, consisted of planning these ministries:

• Spring Renewal Saturday Night – May 22nd
• Vacation Bible School – July 18-22
• Churchwide Picnic at Boling Mill Park – July 25th

 
The Spring Renewal Saturday Night will be sponsored by our Senior Adult Sunday School Class led by Doug and Janet Bryant. It will include our first fellowship meal (Barbeque) in over a year. We will invite Central Baptist Church folk to join with us as our guests. Reverend Jerrell Beatty, pastor of Tate’s Creek Baptist Church in Toccoa, will be our guest evangelist for the evening. It was wonderful to hear our leaders plan and encourage each other building momentum toward this exciting opportunity.
 
We are really good when it comes to planning and carrying out Vacation Bible School. We have the best children’s ministry volunteers a church could want. It was terrible last year to cancel our plans for VBS. It was like sinning against the church’s character to not have this special week of family and children’s ministry that we are accustomed and extremely good at leading. Not this year!
 

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL IS COMING!
 
Praise the Lord.
 

On Sunday July 25th, we will complete the VBS week with our Church Picnic at Boling Mill Park. We will observe Baptism again at Lake Lanier. Our fellowship and church family will enjoy great food, fun and friendship throughout the evening. It’s like getting back to normal. That’s how I felt listening to and participating with our leaders last week. It felt like we were getting back to normal in the ministry of planning, praying and expecting God to do the extra-normal. I thank the Lord Jesus that He has brought us through this difficult year. He has shown us His mighty power helping us overcome the difficulties and we have lived through them together, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Robbie and I always place Easter Lilies in the worship center in honor of our parents on Easter Sunday. We owe so much to the faithfulness of John Frank Williams, Maxie Lee Williams, and Gloria Swanson Patterson. We want to think about or parents on Easter Sunday. It is a day in which we reflect on our love for them with gratitude for all they instilled in your lives. They were certainly special people because of their strong faith in Jesus and their enduring example that guides us every day. They truly live on in our hearts.
The Easter Lily is called the “White-Robed Apostle of Hope” because of its fragrance and white appearance symbolizing the purity of Jesus. In classic artwork as far back as the 14th century the angel Gabriel is pictured giving Mary a white lily when she learned that she would conceive and bear a Son by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The trumpet shape of the Lily demonstrates the sounding hope of the empty tomb. The Easter Lily has meant throughout the centuries that new life is possible by way of the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. Lilies are planted into the ground as ugly bulbs and, after a period of three years, they emerge into fragrant flowers. Jesus came forth from the grave after three days. His life was transformed from death into new life prepared for His ascension into glory. The lily represents the transformation of life that is possible through our faith in a risen Savior who lives today at the right hand of God.
​
It is a rich blessing this morning to remember people who hold a special place in our lives. We especially think about those who taught us about Jesus. Those who loved His word. Our parents who took us to church and showed us how believers are supposed to live pure and Godly lives. The Easter Lily not only tells us good things about Jesus, it represents our heritage through which we continue to live out and proclaim the gospel today.
​

​“Therefore,
since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance and
the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
​(Hebrews 12:1-2)