First Baptist Church, Clarksville, TN

AUGUST 25, 2024 STUDY GUIDE - fbct.org/malachi

MALACHI: A WORD ABOUT BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS
Malachi 2:10-16

Take a few minutes and name the famous people whom you've met. Who were they? Where did you meet them? What was it like to meet them? If you could still meet a famous person, who would that person be?

Malachi shared a personal word. He wanted God's people to think about their master and their mates. Those are two foundational relationships in life. How did you come to know Jesus as your Savior? Take time to share your stories. If you're married, how did you and your spouse meet? Pause for a moment and relive those special days.

1. A Word about Knowing God. What you think about God affects the way you treat another person. Those two spiritual realities are inseparable. Here are two titles for God that your group can discuss. What does it mean to say God is your Creator? How does it influence your life to say God is your Father? You're fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). God loves you (John 3:16).

2. A Word about Finding Love. Take a moment and talk about what "profanity" means. Is profanity something a person can say and do? Profanity doesn't fit who you are in Christ. As a believer, you're always dependent on God's wisdom. What does God say about finding love and marrying the right person? What dating tips would you give to couples? How do you find God's will for marriage?

3. A Word about Honoring Marriage. What are the leading causes of conflict and divorce in marriages? Share your answers and thoughts. How can couples prepare for the marriage relationship, not just the wedding day? How can couples build on the rock, not on the sand? As you know, a healthy marriage encounters storms. How have you weathered storms in your marriage?

Divorce is common in our culture. Are there biblical grounds for divorce? Take time and share your thoughts and convictions. It's critical to answer that question from a biblical perspective. Share Bible verses as you discuss your answers.

As you conclude your time together, pray for couples in your church.

It has been a bittersweet day for FBCT to witness the demolition of a building with so many memories and history. During our staff devotion time, we sang, worshipped, and praised our Lord for always providing. We love you, Church, and we are excited for the days ahead as we worship God, love people, share Jesus, and make disciples.

Today, our FBCT Ministry staff had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Freddy T. Wyatt at the new Real Life Church Sango location for a building tour and to pray over the area and the Real Life Church staff. We are not in competition with one another; we are coming alongside each other to reach others for His Kingdom.

FBCT Family, our Northern Ireland mission team of 11 members will be leaving to serve Jesus overseas today. Please keep us in prayer. Thank you for your support and faithfulness to help us spread the Good News of Jesus globally 🙏🌍

AUGUST 18, 2024 STUDY GUIDE - fbct.org/malachi

MALACHI: A SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP REVIEW
Malachi 2:1-9

As you begin your study this week, take a moment and read Malachi 2:1-9. You're not likely to cover this section of Scripture in VBS or during student camp. However, the Lord calls His servants to preach and teach "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

Performance reviews are common in workplaces. "Where did you meet expectations? Where did you not meet expectations? Where did you exceed expectations? What needs to change in the coming days, weeks, or months?" It's one thing to be evaluated by a supervisor. What's it like to be evaluated by the Lord God Almighty?

That's what's happening to spiritual leaders in Malachi 2.

1. The Communication of Personal Feedback. Having a boss displeased with your performance is one thing. Having God displeased with your leadership is another thing. Leaders weren't listening to God or honoring (glorifying) His name. Do you know how to listen to God? What hinders you from hearing God's voice? What's one of the greatest spiritual lessons you've learned?

2. The Expectations of Spiritual Leaders. If you're a spiritual leader, here are four expectations: (1) Walking with God is foundational. (2) Proclaiming the Bible is essential. (3) Serving in ministry is beautiful. (4). Dealing with criticism is predictable. Leaders in Malachi's day were a mess, meaning they thought ministry was about them and their sinful desires. Discuss the four statements.

3. The Discernment of God's People. Leaders in Malachi's day hurt people. It's a fact in life and ministry that "hurt people hurt people." These leaders taught bad theology, and that never ends well, and they showed partiality. How have you seen pastors and church leaders hurt people? Have you ever been hurt by a spiritual leader? How did you handle the pain of that experience?

As you wrap up your study, it would be fruitful to pray for your pastor, staff ministry team, and lay leaders who serve in your church. Serving in ministry comes with high expectations and increased demands. Your leaders need your prayers, encouragement, and support.

Join us THIS SUNDAY, August 18 for our First Steps Class immediately following worship! The First Steps Class is designed for new members and guests. We invite you to join our Senior Pastor, Dr. Ronny Raines, and our ministry team for a delicious lunch and then help you discover how God wants to use you at First Baptist Church. The class is located in the Steeple Landing immediately following service!

We hope you'll join us! You can learn more and register by filling out the online form at fbct.org/firststeps or by contacting Dana in the pastor's office at 931.245.0000 or [email protected].

We are excited to celebrate Emili's baptism on Sunday, August 11th!
If you are interested in baptism, please email us at [email protected] or call the church office at 931.245.0000.

TOMORROW, Sunday, August 11 is Connect Sunday, and we'd love for you to GET CONNECTED! It's a great time to connect for the first time, re-connect if you haven't been in a Connect Group in awhile or invite someone to join you if you are connected to a group! Preschool, Kids, and Students will be promoted to the next grade level tomorrow as well! Connect Groups happen EVERY SUNDAY at 9:00am followed by 10:30am worship! We cannot wait to connect with YOU!

It is such a blessing to fellowship with you, church family! We enjoyed the time outside with water inflatables and games and loved every minute of our time with YOU as we enjoyed food, fun, fellowship, and a special prayer time for our schools. We love you, Church!

AUGUST 11, 2024 STUDY GUIDE - fbct.org/malachi

MALACHI: A COSTLY SHUTDOWN
Malachi 1:6-14

How many of you remember the Covid shutdown? It affected people physically, financially, relationally, mentally, and spiritually. Those were strange and stressful days. How did the Covid shutdown affect you? Did it cost you in certain ways?

When it comes to Jesus and your walk with Him, are you "all in" or "playing games?" The prophet Malachi had a Word from the Lord about being "all in." Healthy churches have members who are devoted in their attendance, gifts, and service. As you think about and pray for your church, do you see people who are "all in?"

Take a moment and read Malachi 1:6-14.

1. Exhort Your Leaders. If you go see a doctor, it's common for his or her staff to check your weight, blood pressure, and temperature. As you think about your workplace or church, what's the temperature of leaders? Are they cold, lukewarm, or hot? In Malachi, people were disobedient because their leaders were disobedient. Now is a good time for your group to pray for your leaders.

2. Evaluate Your Worship. God blessed His people. What was their response to His grace and love? It was worthless worship. Biblical worship is about worth-ship. Why do you worship God? In your group, talk about and worship the Lord because of His attributes and activity. Who is God? How do you describe Him to another person? What do you see God doing in your life, family, or church?

3. Examine Your Offerings. God is gracious and generous. He loves you (John 3:16). Malachi spoke a Word to the people about their offerings. Are you giving God your best, what you have left over, or what you don't need? God desires and deserves your best. Giving is an act of worship. Is God pleased with your heart to give? Are you a cheerful giver? Thank the Lord for His gifts to you.

4. Elevate Your Fear. Many things in life go together. Take a moment and share some of those things. This should be creative and fun. God's name and His Word are inseparable. The people of Israel no longer feared God. Do you fear the Lord? What does it mean to fear Him? When was the last time you stood in awe of God's greatness and glory?

Today, church members and others got together to build a ramp for John Carney so that he could come home.

Those who helped were Ralph Conklin, Pat Sawyer, Bryce Sanders, Ted Reece, Bill Linscott, Mike Provine, Frank Forsythe, Sam Matthews, Ben Halchishick, Noah Clay, and Ron Pendergrass.

That's a wrap for Legacy VBS 2024! We enjoyed spending time with all of our Legacy members this week. Thank you to all of our AMAZING speakers who shared a bit of their time. A special thank you to Pat Van D**e for leading our Bible Study each day.

Join us TONIGHT for our Back to School Bash Outdoor Fellowship in the Grace Parking Lot from 5 to 7 PM! We will enjoy a time of fellowship, food, and fun! Dinner will include Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Chips, Cookies, Ice Cream, Bottled Water, and Sodas. We will have water inflatables for the kids!

We will have a couple of kiddie pool areas set up for our babies & toddlers to enjoy. Two water inflatables are designated for our preschoolers ages 2yrs-kinder, two for 1st- 4th graders, and two for 5th-12 graders.

Worship God. Love People. Share Jesus. Make Disciples.