Your Voice

Serving the Lord in and out of the spotlight

By Julie Donavan
Children’s minister, North Shelby Baptist Church

I am sure we can all look back and think of our first day of school experiences. 

I was always excited to see the friends I missed over the summer. We would talk during PE or at lunch about our vacations and outings we might have taken. 

A new school year meant new challenges and fun memories with new and old friends. 

One teacher sticks out in my mind more than anyone else — Ms. Braswell. She was my fourth grade teacher and she was kind, caring and fun. 

You could tell that she truly loved her students and she wanted us to succeed. It helped that she let us chew gum and take our shoes off during class even though we weren’t supposed to. 

The reason Ms. Braswell stands out above the rest is because you could see her heart in every lesson she prepared. She was intentional with her students.  

Teachers work so hard to make sure their students get the education they need to thrive. Teachers do not only work in front of the classroom but at home as well. Teachers prepare lessons at home and they aren’t getting paid for that time. 

This reminds me of the overachieving work of the prophet Elijah. Although Elijah wasn’t perfect, he would go above and beyond to serve the Lord. Elijah served the Lord behind the scenes when he was obedient to the Lord at the river (1 Kings 17:2–16). Elijah knew he was alone but he obeyed God and the Lord blessed him by sending food through ravens. 

There were many times when Elijah was not behind the scenes. Instead he was on center stage proclaiming God’s name (1 Kings 18:21). 

Elijah will always be known as one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. He is known because of his obedience to the Lord, no matter the circumstance. Like I said, Elijah wasn’t perfect and that is why we can relate to him so well.  

Let’s take a note from teachers and from the prophet Elijah. We should serve the Lord behind the scenes and on the stage. 

Sometimes when we serve behind the scenes we feel as if our work is not worthy because people don’t see it, but God sees our work and He is pleased. 

God is the only one who matters when we are serving Him and not the people around us: “So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless (1 Cor. 15:58).” 

I hope you remember this verse as you serve the Lord whether it be behind the scenes or on the stage.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Brake check at Shocco

My family loves the experience of a theme park, especially roller coasters. The excitement builds from the time they see the rides. They build a mental storyboard, complete with the sights, sounds and imagery of everything from the thrill of the first drop to the brake check at the end of the ride. 

As I was talking with my kids about a recent trip to Six Flags, I realized how similar the cycle of Shocco is to a theme park experience. We imagine what it will be like, we live it out and then we do it over again. 

We spent much of last year preparing for and building our dream for summer 2019. Thanks to the prayers, support of countless people and God’s hand, 2019 has lived up to the story we built in our minds. 

We hosted 30,000 guests, served over 200,000 plates of food and had roughly 600 registered decisions for Christ. Countless lives have been eternally changed by God.  

Season after season since 1948, God has been faithful. Although we’re in summer 2019 “brake check,” we are already planning for fall and looking ahead to summer 2020. Get ready and partner with us as we get ready to do it again. It will be unforgettable!

—Russell Klinner

EDITOR’S NOTE — Russell Klinner is executive director of Shocco Springs Conference Center.

_____________________________________________________________________________

How’s your heart?

What condition is your heart? Your heart will beat about 500 million times over a lifespan of seven decades. 

However, things can go wrong, from birth defects to the breakdown of the cardiovascular system. 

One can learn how to take care of his or her heart, find complications before they get worse and even prevent potential diseases.

But one major heart problem no medical doctor can repair is spiritual. The best recipe for a healthy heart is found in Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”  

How can we help anyone else with a healthy heart unless we are on the right diet?

We only have one heart and one opportunity to have a healthy heart. 

Be diligent about how your heart is treated. Out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23).

EDITOR’S NOTE — This devotional is adapted from “Be Inspired: 101 Thoughts  for Every Christian Writer”  by D. Jay Powell.

_____________________________________________________________________________

It is very important that we all work together for the glory of God, that we continually pray for each other and that we work together for the furtherance of the gospel.

Scott Stokes
Associational mission strategist, Lamar Baptist Association

We can and will still enjoy the wonder and excitement of the Lord’s presence when we gather for worship. 

Pastor Gary Fisher
South Roebuck Baptist Church, Birmingham

Even if they’ve strayed far from church in college and adulthood, dechurched millennials have at least some pieces of growing up with God tucked away in their minds and hearts.

Grace Thornton
www.WMU.com

Biblical hope is not wishful thinking. Biblical hope is a certainty.

Jay Robertson
Assistant professor of Christian studies, University of Mobile

One’s walk with God should include dependence on God and mutual dependence among believers.

Scott McConnell
Executive director, LifeWay Research

Thankful for The Alabama Baptist paper sharing a list of vetted points of contact to aid in supporting ministry and humanitarian relief at the border. So thankful. We should all respond with compassion to the migrant crowds, harassed and helpless.

Alan Cross
Author and pastor

Membership in a local church means joining your imperfect self to many other imperfect selves to form an imperfect community that, through Jesus, embarks on a journey toward a better future … together. 

Scott Sauls
Author and pastor

Life goal: to speak, write, sing, laugh, weep, work and play in such a way that someone, at some point, will find it easier to believe in Jesus. 

Ray Ortlund
Renewal Ministries

Though we can say we love others through our actions, if we fail to verbalize the gospel, which can save their souls from hell, have we really loved them? Let us go forth and do good deeds, but let us also be intentional about turning those good deeds into gospel deeds.

Terry Dorsett
Executive director, Baptist Convention of New England

I felt a renewed hope spark in my heart. Not necessarily hope for the closed door to be opened again, but hope for a day when I would fully trust in the beauty and wholeness of God’s plan.

Maggie Walsh
The Rope blog

Jesus said, “I will come again.”  This is a wonderful promise for the Christian: the coming of the Lord Jesus to gather His people unto Himself! I do not know when Christ will return but I do know He will return for His people. The Bible says, “Watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come.” We are to be alert and looking for His return. We are encouraged to be waiting and looking for the coming of our Christ.

Pastor Eugene Carver
Hillview Baptist Church, Birmingham

_____________________________________________________________________________

From the Twitterverse

@ScottyWardSmith

Today I want to listen 10 times better than offering suggestions; remember that not all my opinions need to be shared; be more intrigued with people than irritated; assume if I knew more, I’d be more compassionate and slower to criticize anyone. I need the Gospel today.

@TrevinWax

We need more than accountability for the struggle of the present moment; we need a glorious vision of the future selves we are becoming.

@krazy4ujc

Our culture has accepted two huge lies. 1. If you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. 2. To love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.

@alsbom

The Week of Prayer for State Missions is Sept. 8–15. Southern Baptist churches all over the state are praying together for a powerful movement of God through various Great Commission Ministries of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and Alabama WMU.

@craiggroeschel

We can’t let compliments go to our heads or criticism stick in our hearts.

@SusanCodone

Part of worship is sharing our story. I’m grateful God shapes me to use my gifts. What story can you tweet today as worship? “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Rom. 8:28.

@Rgallaty

“… True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length.” — C.H. Spurgeon

@VOM_USA

SYRIA: Pray that God will open the eyes of extremists in Syria to see the truth of Jesus Christ.

@DannyAkin

“The motto of every missionary, whether preacher, printer or schoolmaster, ought to be ‘Devoted for life.’” — Adoniram Judson