Good Words from God’s Word
 
The good word for today is SHEPHERD. This word expresses the character of Jesus and provides for us the best model for ministry found in the Bible. Jesus said of himself:
 
“…he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leaders them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:2-3)
 
Jesus is our shepherd who knows us because he calls us by name. Jesus speaks to us and we know his voice when we hear it. He leads us into “green pastures” and into “paths of righteousness” because he loves us and knows what is best for us. Jesus truly is our “GOOD SHEPHERD”. (John 10:11)
 
The image of the good shepherd expresses the character of God:
 
“for thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.  As a shepherd cares for his heard in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.’” (Ezekiel 34:11-12)
 
Like Jesus, who is our good shepherd, God the great shepherd searches for the sheep, cares for His sheep, and goes after them to deliver and restore them to the fold.
 
Charles Spurgeon said, “What would become of some people if they were always in good health? Tribulation is the black dog that goes after the sheep, and barks them back to the fold.”
 
When we stray away, God is a shepherd that “barks” at us to bring us back into His fold.
 
The image of the shepherd expresses the heart of God. It shows us the character of Jesus. As the good shepherd of the sheep, Jesus claims to be the only one who works to gather the sheep.

• Sheep can find their way into the fold of God by no other means except through Jesus. (John 10:5)
• Jesus lays his life down for the sheep. (John 10:11)
• He has authority to do so because God has given Him the power to take it up again. (John 10:18)
• Jesus knows His own sheep, because the sheep know His voice and follow Him alone. (John 10:16)

 
Today’s scripture, Acts 20:17-28, is the only sermon that Paul peaches in Acts specifically to the church. Paul tells us in this passage that we should not only believe in the good shepherd, but we should also follow his example and become shepherds ourselves. The “SHEPHERD” model of ministry is what Jesus commanded Peter to do:
 
“…Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.” (John 21:16)
 
Like Peter, we are called to become shepherds who gather the sheep, care for God’s sheep and lead the sheep into “,..green pastures and still waters.” (Psalm 23:2)

Grace church should be a SHEPHERDING kind of church. That’s what Paul meant when he said, “…shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28)

There is no better way to lead the people of God than to be a SHEPHERD to them. There is no higher calling than to become like Jesus, a SHEPHERD of God’s flock. Praise God today for the SHEPHERDS that God has placed here at Grace.

Good Words from God’s Word
 
Today and next Sunday our church will be receiving a love offering for the people who have lost their homes from the devastation of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
 
The Georgia Baptist Mission Board is now receiving disaster relief gifts from churches throughout our state and will forward these gifts to the State Baptist Mission Boards in Texas and Florida to use in the Baptist relief efforts that will be ongoing for months to come. Your gifts through these channels are different than what you might give through the Red Cross or Salvation Army. Your gifts through these Baptist channels will be directed to provide relief ministries in the name of Jesus.
 
Along with the recovery efforts, your gifts will provide a testimony and witness to families who need to hear the gospel and experience love and compassion from God’s people during their time of crisis. Every dollar you donate will be sent from this church through our Georgia Baptist Mission Board and will result in direct ministry to families suffering from these devastating storms.
 
You may wish to fill a BUCKET OF CARE mud-out bucket to send along with you offering. You can put together a 5 gallon bucket containing the following items:
 
Safety Equipment                                                     
6 pair – exam gloves (hypoallergenic)
2 pair – leather gloves
2 pair – safety goggles
4 – pair – dust masks
 
First Aid
1 – bottle Hydrogen peroxide
1 – bottle Alcohol
1 – antibiotic cream
1 – bottle Anti-Bacterial hand wash
 
Tools                                                                         
1 – utility knife with extra blades
1 – chalk line with chalk
½ - gallon bleach
6 – Teri cloth rags
1 – flashlight and 6 batteries
1 – 6’ or 12’ measuring tape
1 – twist nozzle for a garden hose
1 – box Band aides
 
We will have an ample supply of the “Mud Out in a Minute” guides that you must put inside your Mud Out Bucket to complete the contents required.
 
Blackshear Place Baptist Church is serving as a collection point for receiving the buckets from our churches throughout the Chattahoochee Baptist Association. We will collect the buckets here and take them from our church to Blackshear Place in order that they may be shipped to the disaster areas.
 
Pray
 
We will continue to pray for the families impacted by these horrific storms.
 
In Texas alone, more than 450,000 people have requested disaster assistance from hurricane Harvey’s destructive power. It is estimated that 20 million people throughout the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were impacted by hurricane force winds of 75 miles an hour or greater in hurricane Irma.
 
Loss of life, property and lingering trauma have left multitudes of people suffering from devastating loss.

Pray for those who are working in the affected areas: military personnel, law enforcement officials, FEMA officials, first responders, healthcare workers, disaster teams, state and local officials, and many others.

Pray that God will give His strength, peace and protection for the millions of people who suffer from these storms.
 
Our church family will be receiving the love offering for Disaster Relief as well as the Mud Out Buckets each Sunday through October 1st.
 
Make your check payable to Grace Baptist Church and write Disaster Relief Offering on the designation line.

 
Should you wish to purchase a Mud Out Bucket, Ace Hardware in the Publix Shopping Center across from Blackshear Place Baptist Church sells them completely filled for $50.00. You may want to designate your check to purchase a bucket or buy one yourself and bring it with you to church.

 
The Bible says:
 
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10)
 
Let us trust God to fulfill His promises and provide His grace to those who seek Him today.

Good Words from God’s Word
 
Today we recognize our Student Sunday School classes together with our College and Career Class.
 
We want to lift up to the Lord prayers for Robbie Williams, Angel Rodriguez, Robin Jordan, Trent and Nicole Campbell, Josh and Ashley Hall who teach and co-teach each of our three classes. We now have 39 students enrolled in these classes. Each one of these Students is important to our church and vital to our ongoing ministry.
 
Just consider the teenagers who were used by God to build His kingdom.

• Joseph was 17 years old when he was sold into slavery in Egypt to be used by God to save the country and his family from famine.
• David was in his teens when he was anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel and when he slew the great Philistine giant Goliath resulting victory to the nation.
• Josiah was the boy king who found the scrolls of the Law of Moses and led his nation to repent and return to God.
• Daniel was a teenager when he was taken into captivity in Babylon with his people. He became the Minister of State in the foreign land and helped to preserve the legacy and integrity of his countrymen. 
• Mary was a teenager when she heard the angel Gabriel tell her the news that she would be the mother of a Jesus who would save his people from their sins.
• Timothy was a teenage boy who became a co-laborer with the Apostle Paul and pastor of the church at Ephesus. Scripture tells us that he co-authored the letters of Paul to the churches in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica and to the believer known as Philemon.
  

 
There is no question that God will use teenagers and young adults to build his kingdom. We give praise this morning for the young people God has given to us.
 
Young people have energy. They are daring. They are filled with visions of the future and the possibilities of what can and should be. The Bible says:
 
“Remember now your creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.”’ (Ecclesiastes 12:1)
 
We all can remember the days of our youth when it didn’t hurt to get out of bed in the morning. It takes the vitality of youth to believe that anything is possible to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Mark 10:27).
 
We old heads tend to be a bit more cynical. God has given our church a good dose of young people to keep us happy, alive and adventurous enough to keep growing and trusting in Him.
 
Someone has said, “A man is as young as his faith, as old as his doubt, as young as his self-confidence, as old as his fear, as young as his hope, as old as his despair.”
 
Someone else said, “Years wrinkle the skin, but giving up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”
 
I guess that is close to the old adage; “You’re as old as you feel.”
 
I am convinced that our young people keep our church thinking, believing and acting young. That’s why I love them so much. Keeping up with them keeps me thinking and believing like they do. Keep your eyes on our young people, they will help keep you enthusiastic. Keep asking God to bless our Student ministry by sending us more students. Every new student God gives to this church is fresh evidence that He is at work among us. Pray for our students today. They give us hope for tomorrow.

We begin our Sunday School Enrollment Month today. Our Sunday School teachers, and leadership will be contacting, encouraging and challenging every class throughout our Sunday School ministry to grow by enrolling new members throughout the month. We are praying that God will bless our church family by helping us enroll at least 35 new members during the month. We now have around 130 members on roll. In order for us to reach and maintain an attendance of 100 people every week, we will need to have 200 members enrolled. The rule-of-thumb in Sunday School is that you reach 50% of your enrollment each week in attendance. That rule holds true here at Grace. During the month of August our Sunday School attendance averaged 77 each Sunday. That number amounts to 57% of our enrollment. You can see why it is vital that we increase enrollment in order to grow in our attendance.
 
Pray about people you know; friends, neighbors and family members who are not a part of a Bible study small group. Think about our friends and family who attend worship, but do not attend Sunday School.
 
Pray for the opportunity to talk to those with whom you work and are not attending Bible study and church. Write their names down and pray that God will give you an opportunity to talk with them about what God is doing here at Grace and how you would like them to join you in the study of God’s word.

 
All of you have a circle of influence that, when contacted and enlisted, will result in continued growth.

• KEEP ON talking about the miracles God is doing in your church.
• KEEP ON inviting unchurched and unsaved people to join you on Sunday.
• KEEP ON praying that God will touch hearts and draw people to His church.
• KEEP ON believing that God will give us victory when we ask for it and trust him to grant it.

 
“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
 
Today is CHILDREN’S DAY in Sunday School. We now have 29 children enrolled. When you add the children who attended Vacation Bible School and are not yet enrolled in Sunday School, the potential growth within our children’s Sunday School ministry almost doubles. Our children’s leaders named 47 children who could be reached. Think about this. Of the 35 new members we are asking God to give us this month, 18 of them could be children.

• Pray for our children’s work.
• Pray for our children’s leaders: Michelle Peppers, Caroldean Childers, Amy Ferguson, Margaret Douglas, Debra Pethel, Melissa Callahan.
• Pray for our parents.

 
Once we reach children who do not attend Sunday School, we will have a great opportunity to reach their moms and dads. Pray that God will give our parents the vision and determination to become a regular part of Sunday School along with their little ones.