The Biblical Story of Jesus’ Death on the Cross

 1. Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39-46)

³⁹Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. ⁴⁰On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” ⁴¹He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴²“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.^[c]

 ⁴⁵When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ⁴⁶“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

2. Jesus, betrayed by Judas, is arrested (Luke 22:47-54a)

  ⁴⁷While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

 ⁴⁹When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” ⁵⁰And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

 ⁵¹But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

 ⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? ⁵³Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

 ⁵⁴Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.

3. Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:60-64)

 ⁶⁰Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” ⁶¹But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ,^[f] the Son of the Blessed One?”

⁶²“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

 ⁶³The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴“You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.

4. Peter denies Jesus (Luke 22:54b-62)

Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. ⁵⁶A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

⁵⁷But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

 ⁵⁸A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

 ⁵⁹About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

 ⁶⁰Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” ⁶²And he went outside and wept bitterly.

 5. Jesus is judged by Pilate (Luke 23:13-25)

¹³Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. ¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”^[c]

 ¹⁸With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

 ²⁰Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. ²¹But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

 ²²For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

 ²³But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate decided to grant their demand. ²⁵He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

6. Jesus is flogged, mocked, and led away (Mark 15:15b-20)

He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.  ¹⁶The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. ¹⁷They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. ¹⁸And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁹Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. ²⁰And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 

 7. Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry his cross (Luke 23:26)

 ²⁶As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27-31)

²⁷A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. ²⁸Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. ²⁹For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ ³⁰Then ” ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!” ‘^{[d] 31}For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

9. Jesus is crucified (Luke 23:33-38)

³³When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. ³⁴Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”^[e] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

 ³⁵The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

 ³⁶The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar ³⁷and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

 ³⁸There was a written notice above him, which read: JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

10. Jesus on the cross promises his Kingdom to the good thief (Luke 23:39-43)

³⁹One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

 ⁴⁰But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

 ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.^[f]”

 ⁴³Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

11. Jesus on the cross, his mother and his disciple (John 19:25-27)

²⁵Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” ²⁷and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

12. Jesus dies on the cross (Luke 23:44-46)

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

13. The response of the Centurion and the People (Luke 23:47-49)

 ⁴⁷The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” ⁴⁸When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. ⁴⁹But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

14. Jesus is placed in the tomb (Luke 23:50-53)

 ⁵⁰Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵²Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.

As a congregation we have come to understand ourselves as a church to be

a family of faith, a house of prayer, stewards of God’s gifts, a fellowship of believers and a light in our community.

OUR BIBLICAL PURPOSE: What God has called us to do

God has called us to encourage and equip ourselves and others

to know Christ’s Person, to enjoy God’s Presence, and to experience the Spirit’s Power

so as to become progressively more like Christ.

OUR CORE VALUES: What God has taught us to be important

We value the grace of God extended to us in Jesus Christ, which we also extend to one another in the family of faith and to those outside of Christ.

We value the power of God as the source of our strength, enabling us to do the work of the ministry according to the spiritual gifts, strong passions, special talents and financial resources God gives us.

We value the worship of God, expressing love for Him in praise, prayer, study, devotions, and daily life.

We value the gospel of Jesus Christ and sharing it with others.

We value the Word of God as the inspired authority for our faith (what we believe) and practice (how we behave).

We value passionate spirituality which in Christ is a life lived in humble surrender, reverent faithfulness, and loving obedience leads to godliness and holiness.

We value caring community where love for one another is expressed in both the congregation and small groups where we share life in Christ and partner in opportunities to serve God and others.

OUR DAILY PRACTICE: How God has called us to live

1. SPEND TIME WITH THE MASTER—A Christ-Centered life begins with a daily time alone with God listening to his voice through his Word and speaking to him in prayer

2. LIVE IN THE WORD—Hear, read, study, memorize, meditate, and put its teachings into our living.

3. PRAY IN FAITH—Offer praise, adoration, thanksgiving, confession, petition, and intercession to the Father through the Son in the Spirit

4. FELLOWSHIP WITH BELIEVERS—Join in corporate worship and small group fellowship weekly, with each one employing spiritual gift(s) for the building up of Immanuel’s body

5. WITNESS TO THE WORLD—Reach out to family and friends, coworkers and neighbors, acquaintances and strangers by sharing the good news with them and praying for their salvation

6. MINISTER TO OTHERS—Serve those in need inside and outside the church body with your spiritual gifts and strong passions as well as special talents and financial resources

photo credit: gilderic

In continuity with our immediate forefathers and the larger fellowship of Baptists throughout history, we seek to practice and propagate by God’s grace the following convictions:

1. We believe the Bible is God’s Word given by divine inspiration, the record of God’s revelation of Himself to humanity (II Timothy 3:16). It is trustworthy, sufficient, true—the supreme authority and guide for all doctrine and conduct (I Peter 1:23-25; John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17.) It is the truth by which God brings people into a saving relationship with Himself and leads them to Christian maturity (John 20:31, I John 5:9-12; Matthew 4:4; I Peter 2:2).

2. We believe in the one living and true God, perfect in wisdom, sovereignty, holiness, justice, mercy and love (I Timothy 1:17; Psalm 86:15; Deuteronomy 32:3-4). He exists eternally in three coequal persons who act together in creation, providence and redemption (Genesis 1:26; I Peter 1:2; Hebrews 1:1-3).
a. The Father reigns with providential care over all life and history in the created universe. He hears and answers prayer (I Chronicles 29:11-13; Matthew 7:11). He initiated salvation by sending His Son, and He is Father to those who by faith accept His Son as Lord and Savior (I John 4:9-10; John 3:16; John 1:12; Acts 16:31).
b. The Son became man, Jesus Christ, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18). Being fully God and fully man, He revealed God
through His sinless life, miracles and teaching (John 14:9; Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 4:23-24). He provided salvation through His atoning death in our place and by His bodily resurrection (I Corinthians 15:3-4; II Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:23-25). He ascended into
heaven where He rules over all creation (Philippians 2:5-11). He intercedes for all believers and dwells in them as their ever-present Lord (Romans 8:34; John 14:23).
c. The Holy Spirit inspired men to write the Scriptures (II Peter 1:21). Through this Word, He convicts individuals of their sinfulness and of the righteousness of Christ, draws them to the Savior, and bears witness to their new birth (James 1:18; John 16:7-11; I Thessalonians 1:5-6; Romans 8:16). At regeneration and conversion, the believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13). The Spirit indwells, seals and gives spiritual gifts to all believers for ministry in the church and society (Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 12:5-8; I Peter 4:10). He empowers, guides, teaches, fills, sanctifies and produces the fruit of Christlikeness in all who yield to Him (Acts 4:31; Romans 8:14; I Corinthians 2:10-13;Ephesians 5:18; II Thessalonians 2:13; Galatians 5:16; 22-23).

3. We believe God created an order of spiritual beings called angels to serve Him and do His will (Psalm 148:1-5; Colossians 1:16). The holy angels are obedient spirits ministering to the heirs of salvation and glorifying God (Hebrews 1:6-7; 13-14). Certain angels, called demons, Satan being their chief, through deliberate choice revolted and fell from their exalted position (Revelation 12:7-9). They now tempt individuals to rebel against God (I Timothy 4:1; I Peter 5:8). Their destiny in hell has been sealed by Christ’s victory over sin and death (Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:10).

4. We believe God created man in His own image to have fellowship with Himself and to be steward over His creation (Genesis 1:26-28). As a result, each person is unique, possesses dignity and is worthy of respect (Psalm 139:13-17). Through the temptation of Satan, Adam chose to disobey God; this brought sin and death to the human race and suffering to all creation (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12-21; 8-22). Therefore, everyone is born with a sinful nature and needs to be reconciled to God (Romans 3:9-18, 23). Satan tempts people to rebel against God, even those who love Him (Ephesians 4:27; II Corinthians 2:11; Matthew 16:23). Nonetheless, everyone is personally responsible to God for thoughts, actions and beliefs and has the right to approach Him directly through Jesus Christ, the only mediator (Romans 14:12; I Timothy 2:5).

5. We believe salvation is rescue by Christ of the whole person from sin and death (II Timothy 1:9-10; I Thessalonians 5:23). It is offered as a free gift by God to all and must be received personally through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:11-12; I Timothy 2:4; Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 20:21). An individual is united to Christ by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). As a child of God, the believer is acquitted of all guilt and brought into a new relationship of peace (Romans 5:1). Christians grow as the Holy Spirit enables them to understand and obey the Word of God (II Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:15; I Thessalonians 3:12).

6. We believe the Church is the body of which Christ is the head and all who believe in Him are members (Ephesians 1:22-23; Romans 12:4-5). Christians are commanded to be baptized upon profession of faith and to unite with a local church for mutual encouragement and growth in
discipleship through worship, nurture, service and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world (Acts 2:41-42, 47; Luke 24:45-48). Each church is a self- governing body under the lordship of Christ with all members sharing responsibility (Acts 13:1-3; 14:26-28). The form of government is understood to be congregational (Matthew 18:17; Acts 6:3-6; 15:22-23).
The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:18-20). It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s identification with the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-5).
The Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread and of the cup by believers together as a continuing memorial of Christ’s body given and blood shed. It is an act of thankful dedication to Him and serves to unite His people until He returns (I Corinthians 11:23-26).
To express unity in Christ, local churches form associations and a conference for mutual counsel, fellowship and a more effective fulfillment of Christ’s commission (Acts 15; I Corinthians 6:1-3).

7. We believe religious liberty, rooted in Scripture, is the inalienable right of all individuals to freedom of conscience with ultimate accountability to God (Genesis 1:27; John 8:32; II Corinthians 3:17; Romans 8:21; Acts 5:29). Church and state exist by the will of God. Each has distinctive concerns and responsibilities, free from control by the other (Matthew 22:21). Christians should pray for civil leaders, and obey and support government in matters not contrary to Scripture (I Timothy 2:1-4; Romans 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-16). The state should guarantee religious liberty to all persons and groups regardless of their religious preferences, consistent with the common good.

8. We believe Christians, individually and collectively, are salt and light in society (Matthew 5:13-16). In a Christlike spirit, they oppose greed, selfishness and vice; they promote truth, justice and peace; they aid the needy and preserve the dignity of people of all races and conditions (Hebrews 13:5; Luke 9:23; Titus 2:12; Philippians 4:8-9; I John 3:16-17; James 2:1-4).
We affirm the family as the basic unit of society and seek to preserve its integrity and stability (Genesis 2:21-25; Ephesians 6:1-4).
We believe the Bible teaches that marriage refers to the covenant relationship exclusively between one man and one woman, as instituted by God in the beginning (Genesis 2:20b-24; 1 Corinthians 7:2; Hebrews 13:4).

9. We believe God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring all things to their appropriate end and establish the new heaven and the new earth (Ephesians 1:9-10, Revelation 21:1). The certain hope of the Christian is that Jesus Christ will return to the earth suddenly, personally and visibly in glory according to His promise (Titus 2:13; Revelation 1:7; 3:11; John 14:1-3). The dead will be raised, and Christ will judge mankind in righteousness (John 5:28-29). The unrighteous will be consigned to the everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25-41, 46; Revelation 20;10). The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord (Philippians 3:20-21; II Corinthians 5:10; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

(Modified from the statement of faith adopted by the North American Baptist Conference delegates, August 10-15, 1982, Niagara Falls, NY. Section 8 amended by the delegates, July 15-19, 2009, Winnipeg, MB.)

Shan Reed, NAB Missionary, Japan.

Pray for Shan and also Yuri as they continue to serve at Komyo Christian Church. Praise the Lord for providing a place for Komyo Christian Church to meet, fellowship and serve their community. For more information visit: http://shanaweena.blogspot.com/  or http://nabconference.org/missions/shan-reed

COUNTRY OF THE WEEK

Egypt—N. Africa                                                Atheist: 0.1%; Other: 0.05%

Population: 81,713,520                           Literacy Rate: Male 83% Female: 59%

Christian: 14.66%                                    Life Expectancy: Male 69 Female: 75

Muslim: 84.85%;                                      Infant Mortality: 28

Nonreligious: 0.44%                                GDP per capita: $5,500

CHURCH LEADER THE WEEK

Dillard Puryear                                                  Deacon Secretary

SUNDAY SCHOOL LEADER OF THE WEEK

Mandy Koger                                                Pre-K and Kindergarten

NAB CONFERENCE LEADER(S) OF THE WEEK

Norm Poehlke                                             VP of Ministry Outreach

NATIONAL LEADERS OF THE WEEK

Ambassador Ron Kirk, U. S. Trade Representative; Eric Cantor, U. S. House of Representatives from Virginia; Justice Barbara Pariente, Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida; General Ray Odierno, United States Chief of Staff of the Army

HEMPHILL LEADERS OF THE WEEK

Chelsey Contillo—Speech; Tannya Lee—L.S.S.P.X.; Becky Murillo–CIS

PEOPLE IN SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY

Garon Wayne Smith–He is stationed at base where the soldier killed all of those people in Afghanistan.

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— ² for kings and all those in authority

CHURCH /COMMUNITY PRAYER CONCERNS

BIRTHDAY CONGRATULATIONS for MARCH: Julius Lehman (1^st); Kristy Beasley (1^st); Martha Schmeltekopf (12^th); Cristian Reyes (17^th); Eddie Deary (23^rd); Rob Roe (25^th); Bobbie Schroer (26^th)

MARCH ANNIVERSARY CONGRATULATIONS to Catalina and Rob Roe (4^th); Linda and Jim Browder (8^th);

TBTG! Mollie Wranitzky’s son-in-law, Bruce Lockhart—has come home from hospital; still fighting cancer

*Jo Ann Holt’s sister—in critical condition because of infection after surgery

*Richard Poore—in critical condition

*Jan Koger’s Parents—Roland is recovering from an infection; Gloria is recovering from foot surgery

*Suz Ann Hill’s cousin, Virginia Plocek  of San Marcos–is having various health issues

Linda Schmeltekopf’s cousin, John Hill Petty– recently diagnosed with cancer, Multiple Myeloma

Linda Schmeltekopf’s cousin, Pam Petty—having a biopsy because of discovery on mammogram

Myrt Smith’s sister-in-law, Maurine Polk–is in the hospital with diverticulitis 

Martha Schmeltekopf—hospitalized for a fall that broke her pelvis

Paul Carlson—had biopsy on head. If clear, he will see a plastic surgeon

Koger’s friend, Greg Pannell—both lung tumors have shrunk; possible one will disappear and the other be removed

Bob Broesamle—in his last two weeks of chemo and radiation for cancer cell at base of tongue

Patty Commander’s son, Corey Mitchell,–recovering from surgery to repair broken wrist from motorcycle accident

Mary Martha Wiegand’s brother-in-law, Jon Lindsey—diagnosed with pancreatic cancer

Pray for VBS July 22-26—Debbie Broadway, director; pray for staff and curriculum; pray for salvation of children

Byron Todd’s cousin, Derrick Todd—diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer; it spread to liver and lymphatic system

Pastor Dennis’s Aunt Joe Ann Tate-has been diagnosed with breast cancer; surgery on March 13th

Andres Yanez, Aurora’s husband—recovering from stroke in St David’s rehab

Brandi Cole—seeking to know and do God’s will regarding a professional opportunity

Puryear’s friend, Charles Wright—diagnosed with brain tumor; going to M. D. Anderson

Family dealing with abuse

Julie Ripley of NAB Office—needs new job by end of February

Member of Rio Grande City church—kidnapped by drug gang

Hispanics for Christ—pray for increased financial support

Connie LaFrance’s college roommate, Joyce Echols—recovering from stroke

Jarrod Cole—in Kuwait; his wife, Brandi—doing counselor internship at Temple, VA Hospital

Mollie Wranitzky—broken her wrist

Unspoken request—someone’s loved one dealing with emotional issues and brokenness; pray for healing

Angelica Evans’s father—had a stroke or a series of small ones; not doing well physically or emotionally

Pat Biddle’s sister-in-law, Barbara—had a stroke leaving her partially paralyzed on her left side

Gary and Donna (Schmeltekopf) Clark’s son, Mike (6)—diagnosed with juvenile diabetes

Ramon Rivera—struggles with severe sleep apnea as well as having tendonitis and arthritis

Charles Hundley, friend of Kogers & Sylvesters—moved to rehab hospital

Ben Young, Linda and Kenny’s son—dealing with Migraine Complex Syndrome

Patty Commander—health issues

Melanie Puryear’s friend, Lucy Serrato—recovering from broken hip

Mary Beth Deary—high blood pressure; dental surgeries complete

Tammy Zeiner, daughter of Ron & Pauline Tom—maybe small stroke, but may have Lou Gehrig’s disease

Jeidi Hernandez’s mother, Carmela Padilla—hard time with diabetes

Charlie Salinas’s uncle—has stage 4 cancer; Charlie is taking care of him

Mila & Roy Woods—ongoing health issues; Mila able to breath now without needing oxygen all the time

Crystal Wester’s mother—many health problems; especially pain from rheumatoid arthritis

Harry Strong—now on liver transplant list; pray for a liver

Becky Lanning—doing better with problem of constant high blood pressure but has other issues too

Becky Lengefeld—pray that God would reveal himself and the gospel truth to Yoko & Noriko

JoAnn Coughlin’s friend—Billye experimental cancer treatment; Jim recovering from surgery

Chris Sparks’s sister, Alex—feeling & strength have returned; she will not have to have the plasma paresis

Mrs. Emma Hill—Horizon Bay; Mrs. Mollie Wranitzky—home; Betty Snelson—home; Mrs. Martha Schmeltekopf in The Meadows in Lufkin; Al Franke’s mother, Mrs. Evelyn Franke—home; Marcia Jones’s mother, Tere Gracias; James Holt’s mother—home; Rex Wiegand’s sister, Dorothy Parker—in Nursing Home; Dorothy and Paul Carlson—Englewood

Palm Sunday—April 1^st Morning Worship in English or Spanish

Maundy Thursday—April 5^th 7:00 p.m. Lord’s Supper English Service in Worship Center

Good Friday—April 6^th 7:00 p.m. Spanish Service in CLC

Saturday—April 7^th 1:00 p.m. Resurrection Egg Hunt

Resurrection Sunday—April 8^th

Sunrise Service—6:52 a.m.

Breakfast—9:45 a.m. Bring enough to share with others

Resurrection Celebration Worship—10:55 a.m. featuring “The Champion” in

Music and Scripture, bring friends and family to celebrate the Resurrection

ALL IMMANUEL’S LADIES- are invited, Sunday, March 25, following the morning worship services in the CLC to help begin creating activity books that will be sold in the Country Store @ the Southern Association Ladies’ Retreat, Sept 14-16 (all money goes to the So. Assoc. Budget which includes missions). ).  Ladies, please come & bring: scissors, iron, and a SACK LUNCH for yourself (drinks will be provided).

CHOIR PRACTICE—1^st and 3^rd Sundays after morning worship services

SS PRAYER & BREAKFAST—Join us every Sunday at 9:45 for breakfast with Bible study until 10:45 a.m.

IMMANUEL’S LADIES—7:00 p.m. Wednesday in CLC Romans 1:8-17

IMMANUEL’S MEN—7:00 p.m. Wednesday in CLC; Ephesians 5:1-14

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY—study by Angela Thomas’ LIVING YOUR LIFE AS A BEAUTIFUL OFFERING (A Bible Study based on the Sermon on the Mount).  Meet at the home of Lynda Meyer 200 Cedar Dr., Mountain City (262-2112) at 10:00 a.m.

HISPANIC MINISTRY—Friday night, March 23^rd, at 7:00 p.m.

YOUTH GROUP—Friday, March 30^th, at 7:00 p.m.

HOLY WEEK SERVICES:

Palm Sunday—April 1^st Morning Worship

Maundy Thursday—April 5^th 7:00 p.m. Lord’s Supper English Service in Worship Center

Good Friday—April 6^th 7:00 p.m. Spanish Service in CLC

Saturday—April 7^th 1:00 p.m. Resurrection Egg Hunt

Resurrection Sunday—April 8^th

Sunrise Service—6:52 a.m.

Breakfast—9:45 a.m. Bring enough to share with others

Resurrection Celebration Worship—10:55 a.m. featuring “The Champion” in

Music and Scripture, bring friends and family to celebrate the Resurrection

Our worship style is salted with singing that blends traditional hymns with contemporary praise and worship songs. We value the worship expressions of the past and present. Our worship experience is peppered with times of prayer for missionaries and nations, for leaders in our church and our Conference, for local and national concerns, as well as for local concerns in our church and community. We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that God uses it to speak today to those who seek him. Our worship, therefore, serves as the main course the preaching of God’s Word that focuses on what the text meant when it was written and that seeks to apply its truth to our daily lives. Our pastor is a serious student of the Scriptures and enjoys making it clear what the text meant then and what it means for our lives now. Our purpose is that each one who departs from the Worship Center goes out to become more like Christ. We believe that people should have the opportunity to respond to what God says to them and to what the Spirit does in their hearts, so we include an opportunity for response in the order of worship. We enjoy worshiping God and having fellowship with one another. Laughter is no stranger among us and is frequently heard before, during, and after the service. We are told that we are a warm and friendly people; we enjoy the new people God is bringing to our church.

We are proud of our past and providing for our future. We were founded by German Baptist immigrants in 1886, and we moved into our new 9,000 sq. ft. Christian Life Center in 2005 and will pay it off this year. We have Bible study classes for all age groups and special activities for specific groups. We offer encouragement and equipping for anyone who is seeking to make a personal difference in their lives.

In February 2010 we incorporated a new Hispanic Ministry into our church. So we now have a Spanish-speaking service available. Pastor Silverio Hernandez seeks to preach the truth of the Scriptures with a practical application to daily living.

Try us! You’ll like us.