On Mother’s Day Sunday, I kicked off our FAMILY EMPHASIS 2019 with a message on marriage called “Till Death Do Us Part.” It is no accident that the Bible envisions the relationship between Christ and His Church as a marriage. Why? Because marriage is the most meaningful, the most intimate and the most beautiful relationship of life. Recently, I was listening to a civil wedding ceremony from another state where, when the officient performing the ceremony got to those last words of the traditional wedding vow, she made them very untraditional. Instead of saying the words “…as long as you both shall LIVE,” she said, “…as long as you both shall LOVE.” Well, that sounded cutsy and creative, but it betrayed a deadly flaw in modern marriage.   It is the idea that you only need to stay married to someone as long as you FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH THEM! Love is not a feeling, it is a commitment!  John Drakeford, my professor of counseling at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, shared a principle that that can help every marriage: “It is much easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than it is to feel your way into a new way of acting.” If you wait until you feel like you love your spouse to treat them like you love them, then you won’t have a very good marriage. On the other hand, if you will go ahead and treat your spouse like you love them, regardless of the way that you feel, then once again that “loving feeling” will eventually come back! May has been a very busy month with 353 in Bible Study.   We had a nice community crowd for the National Day of Prayer on May 2^nd.  Mother’s Day with its Baby Celebration on Sunday, May 12^th was a special day for us all. Thanks to all of our Mission Friends, R.A. and G.A. workers who made our Missions Recognition Program on May 15^th a success.  Graduate Recognition and the luncheon provided a record number of graduates and their families a great time of celebration.  Our Children’s Music Recognition Program on May 19^th celebrated our preschool and children’s choirs and their workers.  Last night, I greatly enjoyed our Faith Friends Academy Commencement program.  And, as I write this on May 22^nd, tonight is Baccalaureate at the Lamar County Fine Arts Center. June has some special emphases:

June is going to be a great month!   COME EXPECTANTLY! I Love You, Garth

Jeff Foxworthy has made his mark as the most recorded comedian in history.   Several years ago, Jeff agreed to lead a group of homeless men in a weekly study at the Atlanta Mission. As Foxworthy tells it, he felt led to teach these men about giving even though they had next to nothing. He proposed giving a $50 bill to the 250 homeless men and then withdrew $12,500 from his bank account and distributed the cash to them. Jeff then told the assembled group of a dire need in a local elementary school at which the teachers were short on supplies and money. Jeff suggested they take up a collection and was shocked as every single man gave up his $50 bill and then dug into their collective pockets searching for more change to give! Jeff reported that he had to dismiss himself to the hallway and cry.   Those men who had nothing gave all they had and did so with great joy. That story gives us an appreciation for those who give generously and sacrificially.      You have given to our GENERATIONS FOLLOWING campaign in a similar way, and, on behalf of the entire leadership team, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your awesome generosity.   To date, we have $1.26 million in three-year commitments, received over $40,000 on our First Fruits Sunday, and presently have $550,000 in cash on hand! We had a good month in April with 353 in Bible Study.  Our women enjoyed the Priscilla Shirer Simulcast on Saturday, April 6^th.  Our Easter Musical, “Triumph: Victory of the Cross,” was especially moving this year.  We had a great Easter Sunday worship attendance on April 21^st of 537!  And, as I write, we are looking forward to our women’s worship event called The Canopy on April 25^th and our Church-wide Picnic on Sunday, April 28^th at The Rock Ranch. May is filled with some great opportunities. The National Day of Prayer is scheduled for Tuesday, May 2^nd, beginning at 12:10 P.M. in our C.F.L.C.  Mother’s Day and Baby Celebration is on Sunday, May 12^th.  Our Missions Recognition Program is on Wednesday evening, May 15^th at 6:30 in our Sanctuary. Our Children’s Music Recognition Program is on Sunday, May 19^th at 6:30. And Baccalaureate is on Wednesday evening, May 22^nd, at the Lamar County Fine Arts Center beginning at 6:30. May is going to be a great month!   COME EXPECTANTLY! I Love You, Garth                                                                                                                 First, I would like to thank everyone that worked on the prayer and fundraising committees of the Generations Following Campaign. These members stepped up in a huge way to help our church have a successful campaign. Thank you for your willingness to serve! After much prayer and sacrificial giving, our church members have pledged $1,260,432 over the next three years to fund the Student/Young Adult building.    In addition, we also have received $500,000 in cash for a grand total of $1.76 million dedicated to this building that is estimated to cost $2.1 million!   What an amazing God we serve! For our “First Fruits” Sunday, we received another $40,676 toward out new building on April 14^th.   We are off to a great start.   Please continue to pray about future opportunities in this new building to share Christ.   It’s very exciting to see our church embracing the generations that follow us and give to them like others before us gave!   Truly, God is at work at FBC Barnesville!!! Kim Wall, Fundraising Chair