Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  Keith is going to be giving a message related to mothers.  We have a special gift for all women tomorrow.  We are so grateful for the good example of the women and mothers in our church.  Please pray especially for visitors as Mother's Day is usually a time that we have special visitors who are either mothers that have been invited or children who come to honor their mothers.

Sunday evening we will not have a regular service so people can spend time as families including extended families.  For those who do not have a family gathering, the Rowleys are inviting anyone who is free to come to their home at 30 Fellows Ln, East Hartford, at 6pm to eat pizza and have a time of fellowship together.  If you could, please let Deanna know so we will know how much pizza to order.  Talk to her or text her at 860-593-4005.  

On Sunday morning we will be looking at two of the most well known and significant verses in the Bible about the Bible itself 2Timothy 3:16,17.  I would like to have everyone memorize these verses as you listen to the message so they can make a continuing impact on your life and thinking.  There are some very good applications, not only for each believer from these verses but some great principles for child raising as well.  Come early to ABF and Sunday School and be ready to be challenged with the scriptures!

Sunday evening we are having Dan Wolf preach for us.  He grew up in our church and is the pastor of Rockville Baptist Church nearby.  We want to be an encouragement to him as the ministry is not easy and he wants to encourage us.  It is a blessing to see how God has used our church through the years to impact many people.

Tomorrow morning we have the opportunity to have Ray Hoover, our missionary to Ethiopia, speak to us. He is always a great encouragement and will leave you with a greater desire to serve God. If the Lord lays a burden on your heart to give a love offering for that ministry, please do so. They are doing a great work there.

Sunday evening we have our Men's and Women's ministries which have been very encouraging. Please come and invite a friend. We will enjoy a baked potato fellowship together afterward. If you are able please bring a large portion of your favorite baked potato toppings and/or a dessert.

Last week we watched the disciples in the midst of a storm.  Jesus used that experience to deepen their faith in Him.  Tomorrow we are going to look at a Psalm of David who knew something about facing grave and life threatening troubles and enemies.  In Ps 27 we learn how to be prepared for the inevitable opposition we will all face, help in facing the trials and a couple points of reflection after the trial.  To prepare you can read Ps 27 and maybe memorize vs 4 or whichever verse speaks most to your heart.

Matthew 13 is one of the most interesting passages in the Bible.  Jesus gives 7 parables that reveal the realities of this period in which we live.  Satan is doing his best to discourage and dishearten God's people and deceive the lost into a life of waste and ultimate ruin.  We can be victorious in a world of unbelief.  Please come, pray and bring a visitor.

Sunday evening we will look at the second of 3 groans in Romans 8:19-27.  This groan details the real struggles that believers face in this world but reminds us of the glorious liberty and new bodies God has promised at the end of this age.  Believers may groan today, but God gives help in overcoming with hope, joy and spiritual wisdom.

Tomorrow we trust God will do a great work beginning with the Sunrise (almost) Service at 7:30am featuring the DOZ girls spiritual dance group and a devotion on the Resurrection by Jay van Acterberg. 

Then we are looking forward to the ABF's, Sunday School, and the morning service.  The Greenwoods have prepared the music for the Easter Service, and I will present the gospel as clearly as I can emphasizing the importance of the Resurrection of Christ.

Tomorrow morning we are going to observe the Lord's Supper.

Then we are going to look at one of the most interesting aspects of Christ's crucifixion -- He was crucified between two robbers.  Satan tries his best to discredit the Son of God by associating Him with robbers.  But God takes man's wrath and uses it for His glory.  Many excellent lessons come from this event.

On the way to the cross, Jesus was required to bear His own cross. Because He had lost so much body fluids He was apparently not able to continue or at least at the speed the Roman soldiers desired. Simon of Cyrene, happened to be passing into the city from the country as the procession was coming out toward Golgotha, the place of crucifixion. Not even knowing what was happening, the soldiers grabbed him and required him to carry the cross the rest of the way. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time (or the right place at the right time). Jesus tells us that if we want to be His disciple, we need to be willing to deny ourselves and take up the cross daily and follow Him. Simon becomes a great example for us of what that means. Please come ready to think and change!

Last Sunday evening in Rom 8:19-27 we "Learned from Creation's Groan" (Creation is being personified to speak God's heart to us). Sunday evening we will "Learn from Creation's Prophecy." Creation knows the future about what will happen to itself (God speaks prophecy to us through Creation's voice). Please return Sunday evening for this important and practical study.

Last week we looked at a very rich man that Jesus saved -- Zacchaeus.  Tomorrow morning we will look at the opposite end of the spectrum -- 10 lepers.  They were at the bottom dregs of society.  All hope was lost when Jesus came.  One of them, a foreigner, realized the greatness of his deliverance and came back glorifying and thanking God for what had happened to him.  For those who are saved, we are all foreigners that Jesus has found and delivered us from a certain horrible destruction.  What should our response be?

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we fellowship with one another and lift our voices to God. We will finally be getting into the text of Colossians. The first thing that Paul does before getting into the matters he wishes to talk about is he gives thanks to God for the Colossians and all that they are doing. This observation is crucial as it helps orient our minds and hearts to be thankful to God first and foremost, before doing anything else. Join to tomorrow to see the ways in which Paul is thankful for the Colossians.

If you are able please come back Sunday Evening. Pastor Rowley will be starting a two-part series. Have you ever acted like you were the cat or dog talking -- as though you know what they would be saying if they were speaking? I believe God does this (in a sense). He lets Creation speak to us (secret -- it is really God) in Ro 8:19-22. This will be a two-part series. I believe you will find what "Creation" says to be very practical to our lives. 

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we lift our voices to the Lord and sit under His Word. Before we jump into a book study, which will start next week, I wanted to preach on one more topic. Tomorrow we will be talking about principles for our theology of musical worship. I have wanted to preach on this topic for some time since musical worship is a big part of how we worship our great God.

If you are able please come back Sunday Evening as Pastor Rowley will be preaching on the devastating consequences of pride and God's gracious cure.

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we seek to love the Lord, worship Him, and fellowship with one another. We will be finishing off our spiritual gifts and ministry series by taking a look at the heart we are all supposed to have when we serve God and serve His people, whether that be personal ministry or organized ministry. We will also be exploring how we as a church can better discover the needs that we have within the local body so that we can meet those needs.

Please also come back Sunday evening as we will be having our men's and women's ministry and a fellowship to follow. This will be a great opportunity to connect with people and grow in your friendship with one another. You won't want to miss it!

Please come to corporate worship tomorrow as we fellowship with one another, sing songs of praise, and hear from the Word of God. We will be continuing our series on spiritual gifts. We will talk about how we can discover our spiritual gifts or ministry that God is placing before us. We will also touch on other related items regarding our use of spiritual gifts within the local church.

If you are able please come back Sunday evening. Pastor Rowley will continue the brief series on Pride and its Dangers. We will look at examples of how pride causes spiritual blindness and even causes God to turn them over to strong delusion and ignorance. God's solution is a humble submission to His will

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we sing songs of praise and enjoy each other's company. We will be starting a short series on spiritual gifts. Tomorrow we will specifically look at the basic fundamentals of spiritual gifts, asking the question, what are the spiritual gifts? What is the purpose of having a spiritual gift? How do we apply our spiritual gifts within the context of ministry? 

If you are able, please come back Sunday evening as Pastor Rowley will look at the questions:  What is Pride? and Why is It So Dangerous?  We will begin by studying the Master of Pride -- Satan, and draw some applications for our lives.

As was noted in yesterday's email to all of you, we have an adjusted schedule for tomorrow. As a reminder, all ABF and SS are canceled. We will have service at 10:30am, however, if the weather conditions make you uncomfortable or prove to be unsafe, please feel free to stay at home and watch the service on livestream.. We will be taking a topical look at the doctrine of the holiness of God and how that doctrine is supposed to impact us as God's people.

We will still be having Sunday evening service, but it will not be the scheduled men's and women's ministry. Pastor Rowley will be taking the opportunity of a New Year to ask the question, "In 2024 will you lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of you? (Philippians 3:12)" Sunday Evening will also be livestreamed.

Please join us tomorrow morning for corporate worship. Let's praise God and sit under His Word as we end 2023 and move into 2024. Pastor Eli will be bringing us the Word of God and I trust that we will all be exhorted and encouraged by his sermon tomorrow.

Please also come back Sunday Evening as we will be having a Works of God night, where we will be able to reflect on 2023 and how God has been working in our lives. Followingthe service will be a fellowship. Please plan to stay and fellowship with one another!

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow. It is a perfect opportunity to prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas day. We will be finishing our series, The Victory of Jesus. We will specifically be looking at Jesus' victory on the cross and what it has accomplished for us today and for the future. Much of the truths spoken tomorrow will not be new to us as believers, but they will be good reminders as we approach Christmas day. There will be no evening service tomorrow.

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we praise God for all the things He has done in our lives and continues to do in our lives. We will be continuing our series on the Victory of Jesus. Tomorrow we take a look at Jesus' birth and life. By looking at Jesus' life there is so much to learn about how we can have victory in our lives. 

Sunday evening, we will have our Christmas music and Meditation service. This is a great time to continue to prepare our hearts as we approach Christmas. We also will have a cookie fellowship in the lobby.