The Holiness of God

Nathan Stam
Children's Pastor

I’ve been thinking a lot about the holiness of God lately. This past Sunday we sang a song in which one of the lines said: “No mortal man would dare to stand before your throne.” What does that mean? For much of my life I thought we wanted to stand before God’s throne and be in his presence. But it sounds like that might not be possible. In this life, at least. How do I reconcile that desire to be in the Presence of the Lord with verses that say things like:

But He answered, "You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live. (ex. 33:20)

The only One who has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom none of mankind has seen or can see, to whom be honor and eternal might. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:16)

No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son—the One who is at the Father's side—He has revealed Him. (jn 1:18)

You cannot see My face and live. Unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him.

There’s something mind-boggling and awe-inspiring about the holiness of God. It should inject a good dose of humility into our bones.

A.W. Tozer once described the holiness of God this way: “God is holy and He has made holiness the moral condition necessary to the health of His universe. Sin’s temporary presence in the world only accents this. Whatever is holy is healthy; evil is a moral sickness that must end ultimately in death. The formation of the language itself suggests this, the English word holy deriving from the Anglo-Saxon halig, hal, meaning, ‘well, whole.’”

So, how can we possibly know God? How can we, broken and sinful men and women, draw near to Him? Listen to what Tozer went on to add:

“Caught in this dilemma, what are we Christians to do? We must like Moses cover ourselves with faith and humility while we steal a quick look at the God whom no man can see and live. The broken and the contrite heart He will not despise. We must hide our unholiness in the wounds of Christ as Moses hid himself in the cleft of the rock while the glory of God passed by. We must take refuge from God in God. Above all we must believe that God sees us perfect in His Son while He disciplines and chastens and purges us that we may be partakers of His holiness.”

Here’s to hiding ourselves in the wounds of Christ. Have a HOLY New Year!

The Rest Of the Story…..

Dottie Stam
Minister of Music/Worship
dottie@apexbaptist.org

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“Whatever happened to Mary Ann?’...I was asked this question multiple times during the presentation of A Frontporch Christmas. Even when I explained that she was merely a fictional character the question still persisted. “Yes, I know you changed her name, but the real Mary Ann....what happened to her?”

The belief that somewhere in the far past there lurks a real Mary Ann is hard to overcome. However, there were several characters that were based on real people and events of the early 1900’s. My paternal grandfather’s name was Green Titus Mills and he served as the model for ’Preacher Green.’ He was pastor of Green Level Baptist Church for decades and while I never met him, the stories told about him have made him come alive in my mind. My mother’s family suffered along with others during the depression years and she remembers the terrible event of their only cow dying. That meant no milk or butter for a family of 5 children. Her family were not members at Green Level Baptist, but some how Preacher Mills got wind of their situation and showed up at their doorstep. He told my Grandmother that he had heard about the cow and he had $5.00 to give her to help buy a new cow. That $5.00 was like $500.00 now. My grandfather was not a wealthy man and had a large family of his own. That $5.00 was a huge amount to give, but he gave it anyway. My mother, a little girl at the time, was awed by the kindness of this gentle man and always remembered it. Probably had something to do with her later falling in love with his son.

I was told about the big boarding house that stood in downtown Apex and Aunt Fanny was sort of a composite of several of the generous, kind women that populated Apex in the early 1900’s. They mothered everyone and everyone’s business was theirs. But if you were ever in trouble, they were there to help.

Allious Yates was named after a wealthy gentleman of that time. I know nothing of his character, but he sort of morphed into the ‘Scrooge’ character of the play. I was never really sure what would change his heart and break his pride but it seemed that nothing is so convicting than to have the person you have fought with for years ask you to forgive them. Allious was an honest enough gentleman to recognize that the fault had been all his and with that recognition realize all that he had lost. It is the work of the Holy Spirit in a man that can change him and that was true in Allious’ case. The Lord was merciful in bringing Mary Ann and baby John into his life. I think he, like Scrooge, was truly changed. “I will not be the man that I once was,” Scrooge said, and so it was with Allious. And with his confession, the Lord blessed him.

The character of Joe Broadwell was inspired by a movie I had seen earlier in the year. It was about a WW I officer who had seen his company butchered in the Argonne offensive as they held their position against overwhelming odds. This officer received several medals but could never get over the horrors of war and later committed suicide. I wondered what could have healed him and restored him to a meaningful life. The story of Joe offers the only solution I know of for those wounded in spirit as well as body. “Just go to the cross,” Mary Ann tells Joe, and when he does, he finds that his sufferings are only a faint shadow of the sufferings of his Savior who knows, understands and heals. Joe finds health when he forgets himself and devotes his life to caring for others.

I loved Irene Batchelor. It seems that every community needs a woman ‘who can get things done.’ And where would we be without those visionary women who ignore the cost to themselves as they pursue a ‘greater cause.’ I certainly am grateful to those brave women who campaigned for the right for women to vote. It took energy, dedication and sacrifice on their part and I admire them. But most of all, I loved that Irene was as willing to put her energies in a cause for the Lord Jesus as she was in getting the vote. In fact, that is the greater cause. Politics can shape society, but only Jesus can save and change the heart of man. I think Irene knew that and perhaps she was in the play to represent the courageous women everywhere who persevere in doing right.

“But what about Mary Ann?”, I can hear you ask. Well, she is every woman who has ever suffered tragedy and grief. Being helpless and hopeless she seems to fall under life’s proverbial ‘crushing blow’ only to be rescued by the mercy of God evidenced in His people. But I know that answer is not the rest of the story so here it is.

Well, Allious did help Mary Ann and baby John. He found that true to his son’s letter, he admired Mary Ann’s spirit and helping her became a joy. He had lost his son but he gained a daughter and a grandson. I expect he would have been very protective and suspicious of any other man who would have desired to gain her affections had that man not been Joe Broadwell. Joe and Mary Ann remained friends for a long period of time and gradually that friendship just shifted into love. Mary Ann encouraged Joe to go to Med School and was his biggest supporter in the church. (Actually, this is a true story. A church in Richmond agreed to send my uncle to Med school if he would serve on the mission field. He served in China until the communists ran him out). They just got used to talking together and being married is a better way to do that. I think they were blessed their whole lives by a love that grew with them and remained thankful for the way the Lord worked in all things for good. Baby John grew up with a loving Father and granddad. He followed in his Father’s Jeff’s footsteps and served in WW II in Europe as a medic. Mary Ann and Joe had 4 children of their own, all of which delighted Granddad Allious who had adopted them as his own grandkids. As for Jim and Josie, Jim never did find a girl prettier than Josie, and Josie figured she could keep an eye on Jim better if they were married so several years later they were married by Preacher Green. Their first born child was a sweet girl named Elizabeth who later became baby John’s wife. Both John and Elizabeth felt the Lord was calling them to be missionaries and the church had the blessing of seeing them go to serve in the Far East. After a lifetime of service on foreign soil, John and Elizabeth retired back to their home town and enjoyed their grand kids. John turned out to be quite a good story teller having a great deal of practice with the grandkids and it was at his wife’s, Elizabeth, urging that he recounted the tale of A Frontporch Christmas so that everyone could see that with God nothing is impossible.

So there you have it...the rest of the story.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO EPILOGUE HERE!

(Thanks to Paul Allen for the photo)

Parental Influence

Peter Dubbelman
Family Life/Administrative Pastor

Of course, our careers are important. Your company may even suffer a setback in your absence. Yet, as valuable as we would like to think we are, we can easily be replaced at work. But nobody can take our place as a parent. Who else but you can love your children as they need to be loved?

Both George Washington and Abe Lincoln attributed their success in life to the moral, intellectual, and physical education they received from their mother. Yes, there are many people who have actually succeeded in life, from God’s point of view, without coming from a good family; however, usually these people had to learn things the hard way, often at a great cost to them and those around them.

A lot of people work for many reasons: self esteem; a need to be productive, a desire to make a mark on society, a need to provide for their family. None of these reasons are by themselves wrong; however, if they are done at the cost of impacting our children and consistently being there for them, things are out of priority.

Most of our jobs have short term impact; but, all of our children will affect this world for a long time to come, whether in a godly or ungodly way. Often which effect our children have on this world has a lot to do with whether we parent them properly.

The Ebenezer Project

Afterwards, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, "The LORD has helped us to this point." So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel's territory again. The LORD's hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel's life. The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:12-14)

The word Ebenezer is a Hebrew word, which means “Stone of Help.” The context is when the Israelites finally defeated the Philistines, and took back the Ark of the Covenant. To remember their victory, Samuel set up a marker-stone, naming it "Stone of Help.”

An Ebenezer is a reminder of God’s presence and divine aid in our lives. Spiritually and theologically speaking, an Ebenezer can be nearly anything that reminds us of God’s presence and help: those things which serve as reminders of God’s love both for us and for our families.

This Thanksgiving let’s give thanks to God for the wonderful Ebenezers that God has given us in our lives! We’ve got a special opportunity for you and your family to be involved in during our Thanksgiving Service on Sunday morning, November 23. This week we would like for you and your family to prepare your own Ebenezer to bring to the service on the 23rd. It can literally be a “stone of help” on which you could write family bible verses and passages that are meaningful to you or could it be something else that is symbolic of a way that God has delivered your family or shown himself faithful to you over the years. During the service this Sunday we will have a time for your family to bring your Ebenezer forward and for us as a congregation to give thanks to God together.

May each and every one of us always be blessed by the grace and peace of Jesus Christ through the Ebenezers that God has placed in our lives!

True or False

Tim Shaw
Education Pastor

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” Acts 17:24-26 (ESV)

On Paul’s second missionary journey he finds himself in the middle of downtown Athens. He spends time observing the people and his heart is broken over how blind and lost they are. Then in Acts 17:16-33 Paul teaches them who Christ is. I love the section in verses 24-26 where Paul teaches them about the character of God. Paul tells them that God is superior to His creation. He is over and above all that He has created and He needs nothing to support His existence. But at the same time He is intimately involved within His creation. It says that He gives life to all things that have life. Paul goes on to tell them that from one man, Adam, He has brought all people into the world and formed nations. He not only formed the nations, He determines how large or small that nation will be. He determines how long that nation will be in existence as well.

I think this passage is extremely relevant for us today. Especially having come through an election this week where we observed a major shift in our nation’s government, where the short-term and long-term effects are yet to be determined. But from Acts we see that God reigns whether the Republicans or Democrats have the majority voice in government. God is on the throne if there is prayer in schools or not. He is on the throne even if the definition of marriage is changed to adapt to the worldview of today.

I received this email which I found to be quite timely and it gives us some perspective. I want to share it with you. I do not know who wrote it. It is a True/False test that you don’t even have to study for. Good luck! Or better God Bless! Or even better God REIGNS!!!

True/False: Regardless of who won the election, Jesus will still be King.

True/False: Regardless of who won our responsibilities as Christians will not have changed one iota.

True/False: Regardless of who won, the greatest agent for social change in America will still be winning the hearts and minds of men and women through the gospel, not legislation.

True/False: Regardless of who won, my primary citizenship will still be in this order - (1) the Kingdom of God, (2) America, not vice-versa.

True/False: Regardless of who won, the tomb will still be empty.

True/False: Regardless of who won, the cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.

True/False: Regardless of who won, our children will still be more concerned with whether or not we spend time with them than with who is President.

True/False: Regardless of who won, my neighbor will still be my neighbor, and loving him/her will still be the second greatest commandment. (Do you know the first?)

True/False: Regardless of who won, the only way to see abortion ultimately overturned will still be winning men and women to a high view of life through the gospel of Christ.

True/False: Regardless of who won, the only way to see gay marriage ultimately defeated will still be winning men and women to a biblical view of marriage through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

True/False: Regardless of who won, my retirement will still not match my treasure in Heaven.

True/False: Regardless of who won, "Jesus Is Lord" will still be the greatest truth in the Universe.

True/False: Regardless of who won, we will still know that God is in control.

The answer my friend is “TRUE”. I pray that you will remember who you are and who He is.

Washed By The Water

Nathan Stam
Children/Commun. Pastor

Even when the rains fall
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

These lyrics come from a song called “Washed by the Water” by Needtobreathe. They are a great band out of South Carolina and their album “The Heat” is definitely worth checking out! It’s one of my favorites from this past year.

Haven’t we all experienced the rain falling in our lives? Sometimes it can be a sprinkle, or come in intermittent bursts. And sometimes it can be a flat-out deluge. Sometimes the water can rise up so fast that it sweeps us away before we even know what’s happened. Before we know it we’ve been carried so far away from where we were and pounded against the rocks so many times that it’s hard to know the right direction to move, much less how it is we are supposed to get back.

Storms are hard. Real hard. But you know what? As followers of Christ we’ve already gotten wet.

The writer of Hebrews says that since, as believers, we’ve already been washed by the water, we can draw near to God. And we’re encouraged to hold unswervingly to the hope we profess (despite the winds that buffet us and the troubles that assail). Why?

Because he who promised is faithful.

He is faithful to carry our sorrows, our hurts and our tears. He is faithful to resurrect our dead and stony hearts. He is faithful to keep us until the end. And he’ll never let us go—even when the water starts rising.

And we are not of those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life. Apex Baptist Church, hold unswervingly to God. Don’t fear the storm. Be encouraged. He who promised is faithful.

Parenting Is Not For Cowards

Peter Dubbelman
Family Life/Administration Pastor

Insuring that our words as parents don't fall to the ground means so much when developing children. This is especially important in a child’s younger years. Therefore, in order to raise our kids with wisdom, in our hearts parents must mean what they say but not always say what they mean.

Naturally, a compatible lifestyle for parents will also go a long way; however, that’s not my point today. It's extremely important that parents let their yes be yes and their no be no. When we draw the line, it must be courageously maintained, like a middle linebacker on his own ONE YARD LINE. If our children learn at a young age that our words don't mean anything, why should they listen to us or anyone else in their teenage years?

Whether our children are old or young the key to keeping our stand is to take a position only in important matters—areas that will impact their lives. Whether your child has long hair or not will not be that impacting, but who they hangout with will! Whether your child plays soccer or baseball is not that important, but it is essential that they learn to respect authority, especially yours.

The First "Go Week" Coming Soon!

"Gather, Grow, Go" is the mission statement of Apex Baptist Church. We believe that as a result of our 'Gathering and Growing' we should be 'Going' with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the town of Apex. As the church, it is our duty and privilege to be Christ's messengers. People in our community should be impacted with the Gospel of Christ because our Church is in existence. It is the role of the church to proclaim the Glory of Christ to everyone, in words and actions.

We believe that sharing the love of Christ with our community, in word and deed, should be an intricate part of our Church's DNA. That is why we are committing the 4th week of every month to actively and creatively sharing the love of Christ with the town of Apex. We will not be having our regular Wednesday night activities on the 4th week of every month so that we may give our full focus to spreading the love of Christ.

Each month we will be providing the congregation with two main service opportunities along with other creative ideas for life groups and families to do during the 4th week. These are the two main service opportunities for September:

1) Feeding the Firemen - On Wednesday, September 24, we will be feeding the firemen of Apex at the Fire Station on Salem St at 5:30pm. Everyone can get involved in cooking the meal because we will be doing it 'pot luck' style. You can sign up to cook a main dish (meat), a side dish, or a desert. All the food will need to be dropped off at the front of the church at 5pm. Then we will take the food down to the Fire Station. You can also sign up to help with the set-up at the station, serving the food and drink to the firemen, and the breakdown process as well. We will also be giving a free ticket to see the movie Firepoof that is coming out on Friday, September 26th, to any fireman that wants to go see it. This is a great opportunity for us to thank the firemen for their service to us and show them the love of Christ in a practical way!


2) Apex Nursing Home Ministry - We will be going to all three of the nursing homes in Apex during the 4th week of September. We will go and sing hymns with the residents, read them stories, paint fingernails, do skits, and visit the residents that are visited the least. Each one of these nursing home visits will be on separate nights and you can sign up for them individually.

We will be going to Spring Arbor Rest Home on Monday, September 22nd at 7pm.

We will be going to Rex Wellness Center on Tuesday, September 23rd at 6pm.

We will be going to Atwater Rest Home on Wednesday, September 24th at 6pm.

If you would like to sign-up for one of these events, or have any questions, please contact Matthew Bradham at 362-6176 x. 236.

If your family or Life Group is looking for other creative ways to share the love of Christ with our community here are a couple of ideas.

1) Your family or your Life Group could throw a block party in someone's neighborhood. The Moonwalk, popcorn machine, and sno-cone machine will be provided for you by the church. This is a creative and easy way for you to share the love of Christ with your neighbors.

2) Your family or your Life Group could help a family in need do some much-needed yard work. I have placed a sign-up sheet in the Western Wake Crisis Ministry for families to sign up for yard work during the 4th week of September. This is a great opportunity to serve and build relationships.

3) Your family or your Life Group could collaborate in providing breakfast or lunch for the teachers of a local school. This would be a great way to say 'thank you' and share the love of Christ in a practical way.

If you have any questions about these three ideas and would like help in putting them together, please contact Matthew Bradham @ 362-6176 x. 236

Passing over the Impassable Rivers

Alex Cosio
Pastor of Hispanic Ministries

All of us in someway have been confronted to an impassable river, it may be a difficult person to deal with, it might seem to be our spouse, or a family member, a son, a daughter or a relative. It may be an addiction or a bad habit. It seems that we have tried all but still are unable to conquer. It might be a job situation or a financial difficulty. What is your impassable river?

The book of Joshua chapters three and four tells the story of Israel before the Jordan River. They left behind the desert where they wondered for 40 years and before them was the Promised Land, a land flowing milk and honey. God is about to perform one of the great miracles for the people of Israel, dry up the Jordan River so that his people could come out of the dessert and conquer Canaan to enjoy the abundance of the promise land.

How can you and I conquer and enjoy a fruitful Christian life? There are three principles found it the next verses of Joshua 3:

Joshua started early the next morning and left Acacia Grove with all the Israelites. They went as far as the Jordan and stayed there before crossing. After three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God carried by the Levitical priests, you must break camp and follow it. But keep a distance of about 1,000 yards between yourselves and the ark. Don't go near it, so that you can see the way to go, for you haven't traveled this way before." Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, because the LORD will do wonders among you tomorrow."

First, spend time early with the Lord (v.1). The Lord Jesus exemplified this habit in his life. Joshua also was an early riser, (Joshua 6:12; 7:16; 8:10). God has given us the ability to present ourselves before Him. Because you and I can, let us take advantage of this privilege and get close to Him.

Second, set our eyes in the Lord (v.3). Peter asked to walk on water, and at the command of the Lord he stepped down the boat but when he looked away from the Lord and focused at the waves, he began to sink. I wonder if we fill that we are sinking in the middle of the river. Let us keep our eyes focus on the Lord and his Word for us.

Third, sanctify ourselves for the Lord (v.5) the reason is that God wants to do wonders. The New International Version translates this word as “purify.” God still does wonders. He takes a sinner, forgives him/her and makes him/her brand new for him. What a great reality, philosophies try to offer change, but God erases our sin by the blood of Jesus and makes people completely new, this is the wonder of God.

If a river is impassable; how can someone pass over it? Remember these three principles: Spend time with the Lord, Set your eyes on Him and purify yourself from un-confessed sin.

A Hand of Hope

Hand of Hope is a Pregnancy Resources Center located in downtown Fuquay Varina. You can check out their website here or here. If you'd like to volunteer or need more info you can contact Tonya. Below is a video from A Hand of Hope put together by Steady Film Productions.

Doers of the Word

Tim Shaw
Adult Education Pastor

"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?" James 2:1-4 (ESV)

James chapter 1 teaches us that mature Christians are not only patient in their testing, but they also practice the truth. James referred to this as being doers of the Word – not hearers only. This theme of practicing your faith is continued now in chapter 2 where James gives some specific illustrations and examples of what it looks like to either fail to practice our faith or to succeed.

A command is given that as believers we are not to show partiality to people. James then gives a simple test to see if they would practice their faith or resort back to evil thinking. Give yourself the same test. Two visitors show up for a church service. One of them is rich, dressed in fine clothes and expensive jewelry. He no doubt has neatly combed hair and I suspect reasonably good looking. The second visitor to come into the service is poor. His clothes are dirty and he is not wearing any jewelry. I imagine he might even have a foul odor about him and he is not clean shaven much less has his hair combed.

The test is how will you treat your two visitors? James points out that if you pay special attention to the rich man, offer him the best seat in the auditorium, and talk with him as if you desire to be his friend; then treat the poor differently, telling him he can either sit on the floor or stand in the back of the auditorium then we have made a grave mistake and demonstrated that we are not practicing true Christianity.

Let me give an illustration from my own experience. The church I attended during my first year of seminary had a homeless ministry that sent church members into the downtown area on Saturday nights to witness to the homeless and invite them to church the next day. On Sunday morning, drivers would go back to the downtown area and bring any of the homeless that wanted to attend church. What I loved about this ministry is that the church body as a whole loved on those homeless people and they saw the love of Christ through the church body. Also, the Life Groups rotated providing lunch for the homeless that came to the service that Sunday. This gave several members the opportunity to not only show them love in the actual church service, but also to sit and talk with them one-on-one. It was heartwarming to see how many in that church grew spiritually as a result of this ministry.

Sadly, we make the same mistakes that James is pointing out. We tend to judge people outwardly rather than inwardly. Socio-economic status, dress, race and other superficial things often carry the weight of our decision to like someone. Did you know that how you treat other people reveals what you believe about God? 1 John 4:20 tells us, "If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." You may say well this does not describe me. Are you sure? Have you ever gone out of your way to make a new friend with someone who thinks, looks, and acts like you? That is easy. When was the last time you went out of your way to make friends with or even to make contact with someone vastly different than you?

Why are we prone to act this way? James identifies the motive is sin or "evil thoughts" that cause us to make judgments of people base solely on outward appearances. How then do we practice our Christianity in our relationships? I know this is easier said than done, but we are to look at people the same way Christ looks at them. We are to love all people either because Christ lives in them, or if they are not a believer, because Christ died for them. The basis of our relationships with other people is the Person of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, God can use a person for His glory that we deem unlikely. Look at Matthew, the tax collector, and Paul, the Christian murderer. He can use the poor person that we tend to reject.

Strike Up The Band

Nathan Stam
Communication/Children's Pastor

This past summer I took Aidan (our three year old) to his first movie at the movie theater. We went to see Wall-E*. I have to confess that one of my favorite things to do is go see a movie and sit down with a Coke and Nachos (Kristi prefers popcorn so we generally alternate what we get). It’s not an addiction per-say, but I do get the itch to see a movie quite often. I attribute this to my family having no TV in our house until I was in high school. It was probably good for my early childhood development, but it’s come back to bite me in my 20s and now, gulp, my 30s. It’s almost like my addiction to Mountain Dew, but not quite that bad.

The whole experience with Aidan was very cool. Just watching his face as he took everything in--all the other kids buzzing around, the BIG screen, buying his first little kid’s combo with a slushi and popcorn, and, of course, the seat that was a little too big and constantly threatened to swallow him up. Every few minutes during the film I’d hear a thwunk and look over to discover Aidan’s seat had once again snapped shut and he needed help escaping its clutches. During the previews he was dancing to one of the songs and he looked over at me with a big grin on his face and said, “I like it, Dad! I really do!” Now, this might seem like a silly or superficial example, but my heart swelled up big to see my son so filled with joy over something so small. It reminded me of a verse from Psalm 149:

“Hallelujah! Sing to God a brand-new song, praise him in the company of all who love him. Let all Israel celebrate their Sovereign Creator, Zion's children exult in their King. Let them praise his name in dance; strike up the band and make great music! And why? Because God delights in his people…”

A Father delighting in the joy of his son is just a whisper of how God delights in his children. He rejoices over us with singing! Life isn’t always going to be fair or pain-free, but this is an amazing truth—the God of the heavens delights in the joy and the praise of his children.

I’m sure I’ll have better examples of this as Aidan grows up, but this is what I’ve got right now and it’s enough. My heart is filled with gratitude to my Heavenly Father who cares for his children.

Now, I wonder what’s playing at Beaver Creek this weekend?

*Wall-E, by the way, was very very good. It didn’t have a lot of witty banter and dialogue, which was great for Aidan. It’s basically about robots cleaning up trash, zooming around in space, saving humanity—you know, all of those day-to-day mundane tasks that we all take for granted. I definitely recommend it.

Thoughts on Marriage

Peter Dubbelman
Administration/Family Life Pastor

Nobody gets married with the intent of their family falling apart. But a lot of them do! Why?

Most sensible people, when asked if they would prefer a happy and fulfilling family life or a prosperous career would pick the former. Yet their actions show a preference for the later. They apply themselves diligently to their job, take refresher courses and put in extra hours, often at the cost of a relationship with their spouse and children.

Life’s constant and unexpected demands can unmercifully rob us of valuable family time. Our families are not something that can be continually put on auto pilot. The foolish person that does may soon be flying into a mountain of disappointment and hurt.

If you are married, please consider attending one of the two marriage seminars our church is promoting.

Festival of Marriage: October 24-26 in Asheville. Please contact Holly Ladner @ 567-2699 for more details.

Seeing Your Marriage through the Eyes of God: February 28 at ABC. Please contact Peter Dubbelman at x228 for more details.

Peace and the Ocean

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

I love the ocean. Almost every year of my life my family has spent at least one week down on Topsail Island. I love the wind, the sand, the sound of the waves, being with family, dolphins swimming out in the shallows--I even love the sun, occasionally. Not only those things, but there are a lot of good memories associated with the beach in my life. Especially memories with my family—looking for shark’s teeth, late night games of Balderdash, my Mom getting hit with a water balloon launched from a spudzooka 100 yards away, filming “How To Avoid Shark Attack” videos, walks on the beach with my wife and eating tons and tons of good food. There have been a lot of good memories over the years at the ocean.

A lot of times we compare the majesty and the grandeur of the ocean with God--the vastness of the ocean amazes us. We look at it's raw power--the currents, the pounding of the waves and riptides that will carry you away without a moment's notice and we are in awe. But to me it's not always the bigness of the ocean that points me to God, it's the peace that I see in the continual rolling of the waves--the rhythm of the water. When I look out on the ocean I don't know how to say it any better way except that peace floods my entire being—I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the same God who created these waters and these tides holds his children in his righteous right hand. And that gives my heart peace. I love what Jesus says in John 14.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.

This peace isn’t a promise of a happy life or of a follower of Jesus being safe and secure from all physical alarms and harms. It is a promise of peace with God and a promise that in the end this God that created the seas will triumph over all the evil in the world. And this peace goes beyond anything that we could ever imagine or understand. Paul writes that it transcends understanding. That’s the kind of peace I need. And that’s why I love the ocean.

A Blast From The Past

We've got a little something special for this week's blog in honor of this past Sunday's Class of 2008 service. Many of you probably saw some dashing and distinguished young pictures from the staff during the first worship service. After many hours of grueling soul-searching we've (actually, that would be me) decided to post these pictures and a few comments for your edification and encouragement during this extremely hot month of June.

So, without further ado...

Our fearless and intrepid leader!

The craziest topspin this side of the Mississippi.


37 years and still going strong!


Napoleon D.?


Take two and call me in the morning...Ode Boyka!


I'm totally unashamed of the mullet and my shorts.


Ms. A. Poe


Tall, Dutch and Handsome


Nothing can stop my devastating bicycle kick.

I love my Andrea Bocelli ringtone.

Without me, staff lunches descend into total confusion.

His post-trib leanings and full NCSU allegiance give B the whole package.

Handling The “Grand Floridians” Of LIFE

Matt Rice
Church Plant Pastor

We recently went to Disney World ……with kids (Mollie and Andrew only), my brother-in-laws family, and Grammy and Papaw. What an experience. Notice I did not say vacation. We stayed at the Double Tree which accommodated our family – all 11 of us perfectly.

One day while out in the Magic Kingdom, we stopped by the Grand Floridian Resort. This place was pretty incredible. They have their own lake, they have pools with sand on the bottom, and incredible views of the Magic Kingdom only a ferry ride away. The “opportunities” at the Grand Floridian were limitless (or they seemed) and posh.

In life some of the best opportunities can be the worst distractions. In Nehemiah 6, Nehemiah was rebuilding the temple wall to restore worship in the city of Jerusalem. When those opposed to this task heard of his work they invited him to Ono, the “Grand Floridian” of the Day located on the Fertile Crescent. They did so to distract him from the task he was called of God to do.

Nehemiah was focused on his calling and task. He responded in verse 3 with one of the greatest statements, “I AM DOING A GREAT WORK AND I CANNOT COME DOWN.” Maybe in life you have had better opportunities come your way and can easily justify them with reasoning such as, “Its more money; It’s a bigger house; It will be better for the kids; It makes me happier.”

I want to encourage you to be focused on what God has called you to do (Micah 6:8) so that when the “Grand Floridians” come your way you are able to boldly and confidently say, “I AM DOING A GREAT WORK AND I CANNOT COME DOWN.”

Zeal Without Knowledge

Peter Dubbelman
Family Life/Admin. Pastor

Hindsight definitely presents us with twenty-twenty vision. Looking over our lives most of us would readily agree that “the plans of the diligent lead to profit, just as surely as haste leads to ruin” (Pro 21.5).

Now that some of the anxious zeal of youth have passed by me; now that I have weathered some storms caused by my own haste and anxiousness; now that I have fathered children through their own anxious and zealous times. I can say that I have tasted first handed and seen also in the lives of others that “it is not good to have zeal without knowledge nor to be hasty and miss the way” (Pro 19.2).

What balanced lives we would have if we took two things to heart: living each day as if it were our last but planning each day as though our world would endure forever; resting in the understanding that the faithfulness of today will prepare us for the steps of tomorrow. May our Lord “teach us to number our days aright, that we might gain a heart of wisdom” from which we can sensibly embark upon the opportunities of each day.

A Mother's Dedication

Alex Cosio
Hispanic Pastor

On Sunday May 11th we are celebrating mother’s day; it is a day where we want to recognize and pay tribute to our moms. This celebration began exactly 100 year ago in 1908 when Anna Jarvis requested her pastor to have a special service on Sunday to honor all of the mothers of the congregation. On may 10th, 1908 they had a special celebration and gave all mothers a carnation, which was Mrs. Jarvis’ mother’s favorite flower. Then a few years latter President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed the second Sunday in May as mother’s day.
So this day is a very special day for all mothers and I want to recognize you and thank the Lord for all of you.

It is true that one of the most demanding responsibilities for each woman is that of being a mother. Many of us have studied hard to be engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and so on, but there is not a major, to my knowledge, in motherhood or parenthood. Parents mostly learn by example, experience and trial and error. Where I am from there is this saying: “Learning comes by messing up.” But when it comes to our children; we need to avoid learning by messing up. As it is we’ve messed up many times.

God has given you the blessing of being a mom or a dad but along with his blessing he asked us “And fathers, don't stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4)

How can we train and bring up our children in the instruction of the Lord?

There is a family in the period of the Judges that raised a godly child who later became a judge, a prophet and a priest; Samuel. It was a time of corruption, rebellion and sin. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes”

This phrase describes exactly the time and condition not only of our time but of every period in history, every society in the world that has not the God of the Bible as their King.

The first characteristic of this family was his devotion. Elkanah and his wife Hanna went from his town to Shilo every year to worship God. In one of those trips, Hanna poured her soul before God in prayer asking for a son (1 Sam. 1:3,15) Our example is the best teaching that we can give our children, if they see our devotion to God, they will learn by example.
When Samuel (which means God heard me) was born, Elkanah and Hanna knew that this child was the Lord’s and had only a few years to train him.

Here we see the second characteristic of this family which was dedication. This they did to train Samuel for the service of the Lord. This is true also with our children; the first years are the best years to teach a child. We only have a few good years to train them in the instruction of the Lord. Psychologists say that by the age of three, 80% of the child’s character is formed.
Finally we also see in them determination. For Hanna it should have been very difficult to gave up her son to stay in Shilo with Eli; however she was determined to follow up her promise to God. She left Samuel and visited him every year; she saw how her child grew up to be a judge, a prophet and a priest in Israel.

To all of you moms, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being such devoted, dedicated and determined mothers. The Lord has blessed you richly and my prayer is that He continue to give wisdom and strength to train you children in the instruction of the Lord, and that you may see them grow to glorify Him. Happy mother’s day!

It Is Finished

Tim Shaw
Adult Education Pastor

"…He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, he gave up His spirit."
John 19:30.

For several weeks my son and I have been working on a rather large Lego building project. It was a building that had hundreds of steps in the instructions and even more pieces to put together. One night we completed the final step in the instructions and my son yelled with joy, "Dad, we finished it!" I think we were both happy to be done and proud of our accomplishment. During the recent Easter season I kept reflecting on three words that Jesus spoke while on earth. Perhaps they are the most significant words He uttered. “It is finished.” Here Jesus was not rejoicing simply because he had reached the end of his earthly journey. He loved life, and lived it with a glad heart. No, He proclaims that He had completed a task of supreme worth, much more than any earthly tasks of which we are familiar. He had not merely brought the task to an end; He finished it! His victory was not partial, but complete. Just as Jesus a few hours before had said to the Father, "I have finished the work which thou gavest Me to do," (John 17:4) even so now He was shouting the same triumphant words from the cross. He was rejoicing over finishing the greatest of all tasks.

What was the task the Lord finished? What had the Lord come to do? The Gospels give more than one answer. I want to address three.

1) The Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost. As the great physician, He had come to attend, not to those who are well, but to those who are sick. He came to save all the lost people of the entire world. The single Greek word "teleho" which translates "It is finished" has been found in the early papyri on tax receipts meaning "paid in full." Christ satisfied God’s justice by dying for all to pay for their sins. These sins can never be punished again since that would violate God’s justice. Our sins have been paid in full by our Substitute.

2) "I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) He came not merely to preserve but impart life. Yes, eternal life in Heaven, but also meaningful, purpose-filled life here on earth.

3) The all-inclusive reason for which Christ came was to reveal God. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the father, he hath declared Him." It was to make God known! Therefore if we desire to know what God is like, we can find our answer in Jesus. Could we possibly imagine a more satisfying answer! When Paul sought to describe God as best as he could, he said that He was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, God is like Jesus. Jesus revealed God by what He did on the cross. Here on Calvary we see God's supreme revelation about Himself.

It is easy for us to sit back and look at this finished work in a trite fashion as it applies to us. We may look at Calvary, sit back and relax, and say, "Yes, Jesus paid it all." However, this contradicts Paul's teaching in Col. 1:24 when he says, "I… fill up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." Paul does not mean that in any way the suffering of Christ on Calvary was incomplete or inadequate. He is however teaching that Christ, who gave Himself to the uttermost must have disciples that will give to the uttermost if they are to reach their highest usefulness. He was asserting with another apostle, "He laid down His life for us: we ought to lay down our life for our brethren." I wonder if you will reflect on this the way I did and ask yourself, “Can this be said of my commitment to Christ?”

Love so amazing, Love so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Real Beauty

Hi, my name is Melody Merritt, and I am the Director of Women’s Ministry at ABC. You may be asking yourself why am I writing the blog this week and not one of the pastors or staff members? They have graciously asked me to write this week and to share about the Women’s Ministry and an upcoming event in April. I feel inadequate to do this, but I know God has called me to Women’s Ministry and given me a love for the women of this church and community. God loves each of you, men and women. So, men, keep reading even though this is really for the women, and encourage the ladies in your life to be godly women of grace. Women, listen up!

The purpose of the Women’s Ministry is to encourage and equip women to gather, grow and go. This is pursued through Bible studies, mentoring, small groups, More for Moms, Apples of Gold, Treasurekeepers, Godly Gals of Grace, and special events. Women need other women in their lives to encourage them, to listen, and to share life. My heart’s desire is to see every female (from 1 to 100) that comes into the fellowship of ABC to feel welcome, encouraged, and equipped to grow in their relationship with God and the body of Christ.

On April 18th and 19th we will have “The Real Beauty Retreat” at Apex Baptist Church for women and teens. Shari Braendel, a speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries, will be with us to give a Christian perspective on beauty, fashion, and modesty. This weekend will be a chance for women of all ages to come together and celebrate being women and find out what real beauty is.

Last summer when we began talking about a theme and a speaker for our Spring Fling, I had just heard Shari speak, and her message touched my heart. As I prayed, I felt God saying this was something the women and teens of Apex needed. Modesty has taken a back seat in fashion for years. As Christians, we too often look at the world and go along with what the world dictates. God does have a word for us. We don’t have to go along with the world. We are daughters of the King, and guess what? “The King is enthralled by your beauty.” ( Psalm 45:11). God loves each one of us, and we represent God to the world.

The weekend begins on Friday night with the Modest is Hottest Fashion Show and a What Not to Wear segment for girls and teens focused on the 5 B’s of Modesty. This will be very interactive with audience participation. Moms, you are encouraged to come join your daughters for this night of excitement and hear the heart message that Shari shares with our daughters on modesty. Please encourage your daughters to come and bring their friends.

Saturday morning will be for women from 18 to 100. Shari tells it like it is in a best friend way, sharing practical image and style advice. The day will be uplifting, engaging, and off the wall fun. Shari will talk about body types, clothing styles, color analysis, and give lots of fashion tips in the Girlfriends Guide to Glamour and If Clothes Could Talk workshop segments. She will also share her heart and God’s Word on Real Beauty.

Ladies, you do not want to miss any part of this weekend. Plan now to come and to bring your daughters and their friends on Friday night and your sisters and girlfriends on Saturday. Tickets are $15.00 each, but moms come free on Friday night. Friday night is from 7:00 until 10:00. The doors open at 6:00 and Shari will be doing color analysis at that time. Saturday starts with coffee and muffins at 9:00. Lunch will be served during the day and the workshop ends at 2:00. There will be something for everyone. Don’t be the one left out of the fun when you hear about it on Sunday the 20th and wish you had come. I hope to see each of you there!

Gastrointestinal Gymnastics, Loving God & Anthem

Rick Gutierrez
College/Singles Pastor

As I type this blog I am without the ability to speak. I can’t talk. I have completely lost function in my vocal chords. Pardon the graphic picture, but my current dilemma is due to having stayed up all last night enjoying the thrill and ecstasy of vomiting. Basically, last night’s gastrointestinal gymnastics have rendered my ability to vocally communicate obsolete.

Not being able to talk has made something very clear to me—I have a lot of stuff to say! All day I have wanted to speak but I have been frustrated by the fact that I cannot communicate. Throughout the day, I have been in need to share information, share something funny, ask questions, etc. Truly it has been irritating to not be able to communicate whatever has been on my mind or on my heart.

Here’s the real sad thing…I cannot audibly tell my wife that I love her. I’m sitting on the couch feeling awful and Jamie is taking care of me. The, she looked at me and told me she loved me; and when I tried to respond all that came out was something that sounded like 99 year old chronic smoker trying to catch their breath after a long walk to the mail box.

Love is incomplete unless it is communicated. In order for love to find completion it must be expressed. While I admit that there are many ways to communicate love apart from actually saying it, the fact remains that something is lacking unless it is spoken. Love must be announced. Love must be heard. Whether you are 12 years old with a crush on a girl in class or you are 65 and have been married for 40 years, there is a desire to express the love we have for the other person.

To a large degree this is what is involved in worship. Worship is lavishly expressing to God the affection we have for Him. Worship is telling God we love Him. As a Christian there must be a desire to communicate our heart to God. Psalm 147:1 says, “Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and praise is becoming.” Is this your confession? Would you agree with the psalmist that it is good to sing praises of adoration to our God? Do you consider it to be pleasant to tell God you love him? Have you ever considered the fact that it is becoming of a Christian to express their affections to God?

There are many ways to verbally express our love to God, but one of the best and most ancient is through corporate song. This is the most important thing that is to take place when we gather on Sunday mornings. We are to lavishly communicate our affection to God when we gather with one another. The bride (the church) must tell the Groom (Christ) that she loves Him. This is good, pleasant and becoming.

An anthem is a symbolic song of praise, devotion and loyalty. It is a piece of sacred music commemorating a grand event. It memorializes something or someone great. As Christians, when we gather we are to worship by singing anthems to God—songs that express who God is to us and that thank Him for all that He has done for us. We have to sing anthems. This is part of what it means to be Christian. We have to verbally communicate our love to God by antheming His name.

Please come to ANTHEM this Sunday (March 16, 2008) at 7:00 PM in the fellowship hall for a time of praise and worship in which we will lovingly lavish our affection and adoration to God. Come to ANTHEM and communicate your love for God.

The Amberly Prayer Project

Matt Rice
Church Plant Pastor

“I know exactly what to do Dad.”

This past weekend was a great day with my kids. We are moving to NW Cary and my wife – God Bless her – is working a little more so we can live there and plant a church. This affords me the honor of being the Lone Ranger Dad every 4th weekend. This past weekend was the first in this new arrangement.

After some cartoon watching, I turned the TV off and gathered the 3 oldest ones together to assemble a 24 piece floor puzzle. The puzzle was a circus puzzle and quite complicated. Andrew and Mollie did a great job of helping and Luke the 2 year old did a great job of distracting while Jake slept. Overall, things were going great. We had 23 pieces in place. But there was a problem…the puzzle had 24 pieces. We looked for the missing piece and could not find it anywhere. Just then Andrew jumped up and announced in typical Rice loudness, “I know exactly what to do Dad” as he headed into the bathroom. I thought to myself, “When you gotta go, you gotta go.”

He came back and asked, “Guess what I did Dad?” I hesitantly asked, “What?” He said, “I prayed and asked Jesus to help us find the puzzle piece.” I was caught off guard and praised his action. We left the puzzle on the floor and went outside to play hoping the piece would show up. Later that night, just before bed, I was looking for something and found PIECE NUMBER 24!

God taught me a huge lesson and Andrew was equally stoked. God is concerned about all the details of our lives…..all of them. He wants us to come to him with all of our requests – the big ones and the “puzzle pieces.” We are a church in the process of replanting ourselves to be a church planting church in order to build the Kingdom of God. I serve as the pastor of the first church plant out of this new vision. We have been meeting for 4 weeks while ABC is finishing up casting her new vision. You might be asking, “So, what can we do next?”

To quote a wise 5 year old, “I know exactly what to do.” We must PRAY!

On March 8, 2008 we will join forces – the church plant and ABC - to prayer walk NW Cary. I invite you to GATHER in the ABC Fellowship Hall at 8:15 am; to GROW together with a challenge and some Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (Did I say the hot sign was on?), and GO prayer walk Amberly calling on God to open the hearts of these people as we reach them with the Gospel.

Can you walk? Can you pray? See you on March 8th at 8:15 am…Did I say the HOT SIGN was on?

Click here to read a biblical definition and explanation of prayer walking.

Some Tough Work

Peter Dubbelman
Family Life/Admin. Pastor

Being a parent can be tough work. Perhaps the perspective of Joseph Hall will help. Joseph, not noted for his wealth but definitely for his wisdom, said the following:

“A wealthy and influential man came into my house. Seeing all my children standing in the order of their age, he said, ‘These are they that make rich men poor’ to which I replied, ‘No, these are they that make poor men rich, for I would not part with any of my children for all your wealth.’”

Please don’t worry, I’m not advocating poverty here today. But rather a proper perspective on children. Life isn’t the bed of roses we would want it to be. For the single Mom it’s tough. For the teenage parent it’s even worse. Even today’s stable families can feel the pressure of outward influences vying for their time.

Viewing the training up of a child as a privilege, rather than a responsibility, can make our load seem that much lighter.

Sirviendo Juntos en el Evangelio

Por Alex Cosio
Pastor Ministerio Hispano

Escuché la historia de un misionero en un área remota el cual estaba escribiendo algunas cartas. Un niño de la aldea estaba intrigado por aquellos símbolos que se estaban grabando en un papel. El niño preguntó al misionero que era lo que estaba haciendo. El misionero pensando que el niño no entendería el concepto de “cartas” dijo: “Estoy poniendo mis pensamientos en este pedazo de papel.” El niño contestó dijo: “a ya sé, esta poniendo sus pensamientos en una prisión.” El misionero dijo: “No, al contrario, estoy liberando mis pensamientos.”

El apóstol Pablo estaba en la prisión a causa del Evangelio. Esas cadenas (probablemente lo ataban a un soldado romano), esas paredes y todas las dificultades por las que estaba pasando no podían detener la expansión del mensaje del evangelio. Las autoridades religiosas y civiles de su época consideraban a Pablo una amenaza para sus sistemas establecidos; ellos pensaban que habían eliminado a Pablo. El mismo Satanás debió haber estado brincando de gusto, como un niño con juguete nuevo. “¡Pablo esta eliminado!” era las nuevas en el mundo espiritual. Sin embargo, Pablo no estaba eliminado, al contrario; el Señor utilizo este tiempo en prisión para que Pablo escribiera varias cartas, las cuales han trascendido las fronteras, las culturas y las épocas. Hoy podemos leer lo que Pablo, inspirado por el Espíritu Santo, escribió a la iglesia, es decir a usted y a mi.

¿Qué fue lo que hizo que este hombre fuera tan eficaz en el ministerio? Saulo (posteriormente Pablo) era un judío sumamente religioso y estaba en contra de Jesucristo y del cristianismo, inclusive persiguió a la iglesia y consintió en la muerte de Esteban (Hechos 7:59-8:1; 9:1). La religiosidad puede ser un estorbo para la obra de Dios. Saulo aprendió que solo hay una forma correcta de hacer la voluntad de Dios; o Saulo hacía las cosas a su manera o a la manera de Dios. ¿Se puede identificar con Pablo? Yo si; estaba en contra del cristianismo y me burlaba de los cristianos. Sabe, fui criado en la religión establecida de Latinoamérica y me enseñaron a no confiar en los “cristianos.” Gracias a Dios que tuvo misericordia de mi y transformó mi corazón como lo hizo con Saulo. (Hechos 9:1-22)

El primer atributo que hizo que Pablo fuera eficaz en el ministerio fue su encuentro personal con Jesucristo resucitado. En Su famosa experiencia en el camino a Damasco, Pablo entregó completamente su vida a su Dios y Salvador Jesucristo. Para Pablo las palabras de aquel gran himno “Todo a Cristo yo me Rindo” eran realidad en su vida. No se rindió el diez por ciento o el cincuenta por ciento, ni siquiera el noventa y cinco por ciento. El ser rindió todo al señorío de Cristo. Querido hermano y hermana en Cristo, esto solo me hacer preguntarme a mi mismo cuánto me he rendido a Cristo. ¿Están mis intereses puestos antes que las intenciones de Dios?

En segundo lugar, no solo Pablo su encuentro personal con Jesucristo, sino también su obediencia al llamado de Dios. La Biblia dice que inmediatamente comenzó a encontrarse con la gente en los lugares donde se congregaban para adorar a Dios y les predicaba a Jesús demostrando que era el Cristo. Le doy gracias al Señor por renovar la visión que El ha dado a la Iglesia Bautista de Apex/ Queremos ser esos creyentes que comparten la buenas noticias de salvación.

Tercero, y muchas veces ignorado, es que Pablo fue eficaz por sus colaboradores en el ministerio. Pablo nunca fue un hombre que actuó independiente y/o autoritativamente. En todas sus cartas, menos las cartas personales (1ª y 2ª Timoteo y Tito), menciona personas que colaboraron con él en el servicio del evangelio. En Romanos – Lucio, Jasón y Sosipater. En 1ª Corintios - Sóstenes juntamente con Priscila y Aquila, Estéfanas, Fortunato y Acaico. En 2ª Corintios. – Timoteo. En Gálatas – menciona a “todos los hermanos que están conmigo.” En Efesios – Tíquico; en Filipenses - Timoteo En Colosenses – Timoteo, Aristarco, Marcos, Justo, Epafras, Lucas y Demas (en 2ª Timoteo 4:10 lo abandonó amando al mundo) En 1ª y 2ª Tesalonicenses a Silvano (Silas) y Timoteo; y en Flemón - Timoteo. En el libro de los Hechos encontramos a otras personas colaborando con Pablo en el establecimiento de iglesias en Asia Menor y Europa. Bernabé, Marcos, Silas, Lucas, Sópater, Aristarco y Segundo, Gayo, Tíquico y Trófimo

Todos estos hombres y mujeres – y muchos otros cuyos nombre, aunque no registrados en la Escritura, están registrados en el libro de memorias del Señor (Malaquías 3:16) ¡Que privilegio tenemos usted y yo de servir y ser colaboradores en el ministerio para que la obra y el pueblo de Dios continúen creciendo. Quiero animarle a unirse en la adoración a Dios y en la obra del ministerio. Congreguémonos, crezcamos y compartamos para hacer que la gloria de Dios sea grandiosa entre nosotros. Recuerde los tres atributos que hacen efectivo el ministerio. Primero; necesita una encuentro personal con Jesucristo (su relación personal con El). Segundo; necesita ser obediente al llamado de Dios para usted. Tercero, únase y sea un colaborador en el ministerio.

Serving Together in the Work of the Gospel

Alex Cosio
Hispanic Pastor

I heard a story of a missionary in a remote area who was writing some letters. A child from the village was intrigued by those symbols being put on a piece of paper. He asked the missionary what he was doing. The missionary knowing the child could not possibly understand the term letters he said; “I am putting my thoughts in this paper.” The child responded: “oh I know… you are putting your thoughts in prison.” The missionary said: “No, on the contrary I am setting my thoughts free.”

Paul was in prison because of the work of the Gospel. Those chains (which probably bound him to a roman soldier), those walls, and the hardships he was facing could not stop the spreading of the gospel. The religious and civil authorities of his day considered him a threat to their established systems; they thought they had put Paul out of business. Satan must have been leaping with joy, like a child with a new toy. “Paul is out!” “Paul is out!” was the news in the spiritual realms. But Paul was not out at all, he was too much in! The Lord used that time in prison for him to write several letters, which have transcended frontiers, cultures and eras. Today we can still read what Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote to the church, that is, to you and me.

What made this man so effective in the ministry? Saul was a very religious Jew and was very much against Christianity, he even persecuted the church and consented the stoning of Stephen. Religiosity can stand in the way of the work of God. Saul learned that there was only one correct way of doing God’s work; either Saul did it his way or God’s way. Can you identify with Paul? I can. I was against Christianity and made fun of Christians. You see, I was brought in the established religion of Latin America and was taught not to trust “Christians.” Praise God who had mercy and dealt with my heart just as he did with Saul’s.

The first attribute that made Paul so effective in the ministry his personal encounter with the resurrected Christ. In his famous Damascus road experience, Paul gave his life completely to his God and Savior Jesus Christ. For Paul the words of that great hymn “I surrender all” were true. He did not surrender ten percent or fifty percent, not even ninety five percent. He surrendered all to the Lordship of Christ. My dear brother & sister in Christ, this can only make me question myself how much have I surrendered to Christ. Are my interests set before God’s intensions?

Secondly, not only did Paul have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, but also his obedience to his call. The Bible says that immediately he began meet people in the places where they gather to worship preaching Jesus and proving that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:19-22) I praise the Lord for the renewed vision that He has given to Apex Baptist Church. We want to be the type of believers that go to share the good news.

Thirdly and many times overlooked Paul was effective because of his co-laborers in the ministry. Paul was never alone in the ministry; he never acted independently and authoritatively. In all of his letters, except 1st, 2nd Timothy and Titus, he mentions several people who co-labored with him in the service of the gospel. In Romans (16:21), he mentions Timothy, Lucius, Jason and Sosipater. In 1st Corinthians (16:17-19), he mentions Aquila and Priscilla, Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus. In 2 Corinthians (1:1), Timothy. In Galatians (1:2), “all the brothers with me.” In Ephesians (6:21), Tychicus. In Philippians (1:1; 2:25), Timothy and Epaphroditus. In Colossians (4:10-15), Timothy, Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, Epaphras, Luke and Demas (whom will abandon Paul going after the world instead of Christ -2 Tim. 4:10). In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, Timothy and Silas. In Philemon (1:1), Timothy.
In the book of Acts we find several people co-laboring with Paul in the establishment of the churches in Asia Minor and Europe. Barnabas, Mark, Silas, Luke, Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Tychicus and Trophimus.

All of these men and women and many other whose names, though are not recorder in Scripture, are recorded in God’s book of memories (Mal.3:16). What a privilege you and me have to serve and co-labor in the ministry so that the work and the people of God continue to grow. I want to encourage you to join in the worship of God and the work of the ministry. Let us gather, grow and go to make His Glory great among us. Remember the three attributes that make the ministry effective. First; we need a personal encounter with Jesus Christ (our personal relationship with Him). Second; we need obedience to our call. Thirdly; join in as co-laborers in the ministry.

Vision Sunday

Phil Qualls
Senior Pastor

This past Sunday we looked at 3 core values for our church that are biblical and simple. Gather. Grow. Go. I conducted an experiment last week: Did you know my 3 year old grandchild can remember Gather, Grow, Go and a senior adult, an elder statesman, can remember it as well? It’s simple and clear and describes the three dimensions in our lives that can make us an active and dynamic fellowship which God uses to impact our community.

Isaiah wrote that our desire as believers should be God’s name and his renown. The focus should be on him and when we gather to worship and to study his word our worship should be about his name and his renown. When that happens there will be a transformation in our gatherings! We will hunger and thirst for more of God! Can you imagine what it would be like if we gathered together on Sunday mornings and sought after him with all of our hearts and our souls? If our desire as the body of Christ when we gathered was for God to be glorified? There’s no telling what could happen!

As a fellowship we need to understand the significance of gathering. That when we gather rightly we then desire what God desires for the church. In Ephesians 5 God tells us that his desire for the church is that she would be spotless and holy. And he has given us the Holy Spirit to help us grow. As we study and teach God’s word our lives become transformed and we take our eyes off of ourselves and fix our eyes on Christ. Not only that, but we begin to love one another as a fellowship and community. Can you imagine what it would be like to be a part of a local church filled with believers that put others’ interests above our own?

Finally, we respond to God’s desire for the lost. Personally. Not just intellectually. God isn’t willing that any should perish, but that all should come to salvation. Can you imagine a body of believers with that kind of passion? We are privileged to be God’s representatives or ambassadors. We get to love our neighbors and associates. That’s what it means to go! To reach out to the nations and to our neighbors. To plant churches and to see those churches plant churches.

We’ve been able to be involved with church planting in New Hampshire, Fuquay Varina and Holly Springs. And that’s just a beginning! We’ve gone to Mexico, Ukraine, India and are excited to partner with IMB in reaching a city in East Asia in the coming years.

Would you be willing for a few weeks to trust God and to go on a journey with us? Ask God to speak to you and imagine what God can do through our church if we all lived three dimensionally! Gather. Grow Go.

Life Groups Vision and Purpose

Tim Shaw
Minister of Education

I recall a Sunday morning many years ago, standing before my Sunday School class and noticing a couple in the back I did not recognize. I greeted them warmly and welcomed them as first-time visitors. Big mistake! They had been attending my class for four weeks! How had I missed them before? Could it be that were lost in the sea of the faces in that group? Could it be that no one else had noticed them either? Could it be that were a closed group, a "clique"? The answer to all of these questions is - Yes! Amazingly and thankfully they had continued to come over those weeks despite our neglect!

As a teacher who was extremely passionate about Sunday school ministry and people, this mishap shook me to the core. I couldn’t understand how we had failed. We were great at Bible study and praying for each other. We had weathered many storms together and met needs as they arose among our members. Fellowship was no problem – we knew each other's lives inside and out. We swapped stories often about our long history of memories throughout the years. We had been together a long time…That was the problem! The veil was removed from my eyes at that moment! We were wrapped up in ourselves. We were not reaching new people, we were ignoring them.

God then placed Dan Cook in my life who was the new Minister of Education at my church. He became, and still is today, my dear friend and mentor. He instilled in me the importance of Sunday School being outreach oriented. I took what I learned from him and spent the next months teaching my group the importance of being an outward focused New Testament body. We committed to become an evangelistic Sunday school class. We plunged into outreach in a way we had never known it before. And I mean we plunged! We went out together sharing the gospel and our testimonies with every prospect that we could find. We loved new people like they were family (because we truly wanted them to be). We began to show Christ’s love to prospects, follow up effectively with them, and to share the gospel with them. We discovered the effectiveness of assimilating people into the church, ministering to their needs, and discipling them. We wrapped our arms around them and loved them into God’s family – and it worked!

I cannot find adequate words to write the full results of this transformation. God ignited a fire in the hearts of that original group as they saw how He was using them to bring people to Himself, as they extended themselves in service to reach people for Christ and then disciple those new believers to do the same. Dozens accepted Christ because God’s people opened their hearts and put feet to the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

I could hardly believe what I saw God doing in that place! I wanted to tell every church in the world what could happen through the Sunday school ministry. Not only did I love seeing what God was doing, He called me to devote the rest of my life to teaching people how to transform Sunday School into the “front door” of the church. As your Minister of Adult Education, my passion is teaching people to Gather, Grow, and Go through Sunday school.

Ask most people the purpose of Sunday School, or what they are trying to achieve in Sunday School, and they are likely to respond with answers similar to these: “Teach the Bible,” “Help people know more about the Bible,” or “Build up the fellowship of our members.” While these are all good things and they need to occur in Sunday School, they do not reveal the purpose of Sunday School, why it exists, or what it needs to accomplish.

Then what is the purpose of Sunday School? Sunday School is the foundational strategy in a local church for leading people to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and for building on-mission Christians utilizing small and open groups focused on building relationships with the unchurched and assimilating them into the small group where they can find compassion, hope, and a personal relationship with Christ. Sunday School is a strategy. It is a plan – a way for the church to do the work of the Great Commission.

When a church sees Sunday School as a strategy and not just an organization or program, Sunday School becomes a seven-day-a-week plan for involving people in seeking the kingdom of God and fulfilling the Great Commission, not a one-day-a-week study period. Understanding this makes a Sunday School worker realize that he is not filling a position, but is part of a great strategy. When one reads John 10:10, Luke 14:23, 19:10, and 2 Peter 3:9 he sees that Jesus’ number one priority was outreach and evangelism. If outreach and evangelism was Jesus Christ's first priority; then the first priority of Sunday School, the largest ministry of the church, must be the same.

In seeking God’s direction for the Sunday School ministry, starting January 3rd I will be holding Sunday School worker’s leadership meetings the first Sunday evening and Wednesday evening of each month. I will be sharing overall vision, purpose, and direction for the Sunday School ministry for ABC. Though this is designed for the adult workers, anyone may and is invited to attend. The Sunday and Wednesday meetings will be same each month so you may choose either Sunday evening 5:30-6:30 in the choir room or Wednesday evening 6:30-7:30 in room 209.