Old Suwanee Baptist Church

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! -

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! Romans 1:7-8, "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."

I would like to ask our church family to pray for Sister Becky Moore. Her health has declined, and she is now in Hospice care at the hospital. If you are new to the church family, Becky worked alongside her husband, Pastor McHoyt Moore, for 41 years as a faithful pastor's wife. Since his homegoing, she has faithfully served and supported our church family until her health would not allow her to attend every service. Preacher and Becky had a dynamic influence on my life and ministry. I know that is true in the lives of many pastors, missionaries, and faithful church members at Old Suwanee and the other churches that Preacher Moore pastored.
I visited them yesterday, and she praised God for His mercy, grace, and goodness.
I am asking our church family to pray for God's great Peace and Help for her and her family in this time of their lives, that the Holy Spirit will administer abundant grace and comfort to them.
Sister Becky is one of God's choice pastor's wives, and her Labor for Christ and others is unforgettable.
Thank you, Old Suwanee, for praying.
Pastor Campbell

God destined us to have a work and purpose in our lives. Amazingly, God gives so many individuals great talents and abilities that work together with others of different gifts to accomplish great things. Through the years, I have worked with many amazing people in our ministry. Each person had unique and great talents and abilities that they used for God’s glory and in the lives of others. A former student came by the campus one day to see the ministry. He had grown up and was fulfilling God’s calling for his life. He mentioned the names of particular teachers and people in the ministry by name and told me he would never forget them and never get over what they taught him.
Every day, we must remember that when we minister for Christ to others, it leaves a forever impact on their lives and their memories. The greatest reward of our lives is that our Savior will never forget our Labor of Love for His Name.
Don’t stop ministering, and never think that your work is in vain. It is Unforgettable!

As our state and communities grieve the terrible tragedy that unfolded in a neighboring community school, our heartfelt prayers go out to them. Even in our school, there are students and families who have or know family members who work at, went to school there, or are in that school system.
The greatest question in the minds and hearts of everyone is Why this took place and why this person committed such an evil act upon the innocent. There are a lot of talented officials and agents investigating that fact in order to prevent it ever happening again. But the Why- the reasons are sometimes hard to find out. Sometimes they are beyond reach. The answers will help the families to face their grief and help the community to heal. But there is a higher hope that can reach deeper in the soul. David said, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? That is a hurt that goes deeper than the emotions into the heart and soul. As the scripture says, it “disquiets” the heart. Disquiet in this scripture means that the heart cries out in mixed emotions of grief, sadness, anger, and despair. All of these come with tragedy. Remember, God comes near when the heart cries out in despair due to trouble and tragedy.
Some want to strike out at God, but God is not the instigator of evil. Satan is the tempter, and sin is the culprit.
No, God is near to the brokenhearted, and the cry of disquieted is addressed with David’s plea. “Hope thou in God!” That is the turning point toward healing. While the answers may or may not come to the why, and the details may not give hope, yet the deeper need of the soul is Hope in our God to help and to heal.
In the midst of trouble in the school, there were many people and officers who rushed to help. When they walked into the hall or room, their countenance, their face, and their presence was a real source of help and hope. And just like that, in the midst of all our troubles, God is ready to show up and in those times we can by faith see His face and feel His grace.
And you know, this is not just for tragedies like those that impact whole communities but for things that test individuals and families to the limit. God comes and helps person by person and need by need, with the same help and hope for tomorrow.
It is important to grieve and cry in tragedy because the work of the curse of sin is terrible and costly. But the hope of victory and the personal soul are lifted when we cry to God, and He comes personally and brings the Holy Spirit’s comfort to our hearts.
Do two things today. First, call on the Lord to help those who are hurting the most. Secondly, ask the Lord to use you to respond and help individuals in a real and tangible way when God allows you to cross their path and opens the opportunity. You will find that in both ways, you, too, will be blessed by the help and presence of our Savior.

Old Suwanee Baptist Church families are praying for the Apalachee High School Students, Staff, and Families right now as they deal with the school shooting that took place today.
Stop and pray for all of them and all the law enforcement officers and support teams as they help them.
Pastor

Prayer is a work of love. Paul wrote in the last chapter of his letter to the church at Colosse that he had some great laborers together with him in building the churches of the Gentiles. These men studied the Word, Preached the Gospel, and Prayed for the Saints to grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Christ and for souls to be saved. They prayed for the sick and those going through hard times in their lives. Today, we carry on that same ministry forward as the church. Many people have many ideas about how the church should be done, but Paul's writings are the foundation for how we are to behave ourselves in the house of the Lord and how we are to labor together with Christ.
Paul highlighted Epaphras as a fervent laborer in the ministry of prayer. Sometimes we look at prayer as a medium of healing from God or help in a bad situation. Those are certainly things God cares about and answers. But the fervent prayer of this man was toward two specific spiritual needs in the saints at the church. One was that they would stand. That points to the faithful endurance of these Christians in the face of persecution. There is an element of our society that hates Christians. For someone like me who grew up in a Christian society, I do not readily accept that as the norm. But sadly, it is a growing trend. Faithful believers, just like in the early church, are not deterred. Paul pointed to the prayers for them to stand perfect. That means they are complete and entire, wanting nothing more to enable them to stand. They have been prepared by studying God’s Word and the complete work of the Holy Spirit to prepare them for their ministry. And they have prepared their defense of the Gospel and are effective in the church. The second ministry of his prayer was that the saints were Standing completely. That only comes by the believer growing in the Grace and the Knowledge of Christ. Their spiritual lives have been strengthened, and they have on the whole armor of God.
Never discount the labor of the ministry of Prayer. Epapharas was a true servant of the church, a faithful minister, and a Bible teacher. He disciplined people who joined the church and was engaged in the ministry. From his labor of prayer, the church grew in faithful and strong believers who stood and propagated the Gospel!
Let’s join the saints of our churches and pray for saints and sinners that they might come to the Lord in faith and follow Jesus perfectly and completely in Him! You will agree with me that if the local churches are strong, society will be impacted as a result of that church’s labor of Prayer!

Son, it’s time to pick butterbeans! Oh, I like butterbeans, and even as a young boy, I liked them. Of course, that was after I covered them with Ketchup! But picking butterbeans was entirely another matter. Those little stickers on the ends and those shells were sharp. Well, that did not stop me from getting into the field and picking butterbeans. The best incentive for me to stay with it was when someone else was in the field picking, too. Knowing that I had to do it in obedience was one motivator, but knowing my brother or sister was out there with me stepped up my game. I knew my bucket would be examined at the end of the picking time. The best incentive I had in picking was when my father would pick up a bucket and come out with me to pick. Grant it, he worked hard at his profession and could not always join the harvest, but when he picked it was much better. I did not have to worry about filling the bucket by myself. I did not have to worry about picking unripe beans because he showed me how to pick ripe beans. And I did not have to worry about the inspection at the end of the picking because God was with me.
Our Labor for the Master is much more important than picking butterbeans. Yet the fact that we are Laborers together with God makes even more of the difference. Paul reported in this scripture that God will judge our labor, but the blessing and help we must remember is that our Heavenly Father will labor with us. When we yoke up with Jesus, imagine the joy of serving in the Master’s harvest!

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! -

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! The Bible says in Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The greatest evidence of a Godly saint is their desire to call upon the Lord. Calling on God and hearing His replies is the heart’s joy of everyone who understands that great privilege and opportu...

Every Spirit-filled believer knows the effectiveness of Scripture in daily life. The Bible was given to us by God's inspiration. But according to 2 Timothy 3:16, He gave us his word to profit us, to be effective in our lives for good and the gospel’s sake.
Effectual means it is Active all the time. It is the Living Word for living people. It is also efficient, which gives us discernment that we do not have by the great work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It is also fervent. The Word is always on task and to the point of making us like Christ and enabling us to accomplish God’s will. I love the next application of the Word, and that is it is mighty in its work in us and others.
So, apply this principle of scripture today. Take a verse you read in your devotions that caught your spiritual eye. Then meditate upon it and digest it in your heart. Look for a principle for discernment in the verse in its context. Then, do that principle. It might be just a thought that helps you make the right decision. In that scripture, you might find a reproof of something in your heart that is leading you down a wrong path, and the Holy Spirit is working to protect you. It might be that a verse leads you in an area where you seek guidance.
So start your day with an effective Word from Heaven out of the pages of your Bible!

Please note: the church office will be closed Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, September 3. For urgent matters, please feel free to contact Pastor Campbell or Julie Holt. Have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Timothy was a great fellow-laborer to Paul. Paul did not lead him to Christ but he did find him a faithful young Christian in the home of a faithful family. Timothy began to work with Paul and became a steadfast laborer for the Lord as a peacher, missionary, and pastor of the church at Ephesus.
In this scripture, Paul is encouraging and challenging Timothy in the ministry for Christ while knowing that Paul’s ministry is moving toward a close.
But here, we find another golden nugget of spiritual truth that we cannot ignore. Paul reveals that he would just like to see Timothy. It would do so much to encourage and help him. Paul said seeing him would bring much joy and encouragement to his heart.
This reveals the value of seeing our fellow laborers. When you go to church and see the faithful people who are always there, steadfastly working and serving, it is a great blessing and encouragement in the faith. So our challenge this week is not just to text or call, but purpose to show up for someone. Encourage another with your presence. Not just on Facebook or a text, but be a live, in-person blessing to one of your Christian family members today! It will bring you and them great joy in the Lord!

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! -

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! Parents must remember that education is not just the core curriculum of language, math, science, and history. Although, these are important. We all know that education shapes character and conduct through learning and understanding the truth from God’s Word. I believe that the standards of educ...

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! -

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! 2 Kings 18:3-7, "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. 4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel d...

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week! -

Don't Miss What's Happening At OSBC This Week!