Newsletter | November 29, 2023

Family Night Supper

You don’t want to miss this special family night as we discuss holiday traditions. Come prepared to share some of your favorite holiday traditions that you have celebrated over the years. We meet at 6:00 PM in the fellowship hall.

Family Night Menu

Breakfast Casseroles, Grits
Biscuits, Coffee
Pecan Pastries



Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

What is the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering?

Lottie Moon was sent as a Southern Baptist missionary to China from 1873 to 1912. She saw firsthand the world’s greatest problem — LOSTNESS. Meeting so many people who had never heard the gospel compelled her to write letters to American churches describing the need for a greater missionary presence.

She pleaded for increased prayer and financial support to send and sustain more missionaries. This challenge became known as the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.



Drop off your Christmas Post Cards

Start working on your Christmas Cards. The Christmas Post Office will open on Sunday morning, November 26. If you would like to send Christmas cards to church members who live in Ashburn, drop them off and let us sort and distribute them for you. Donations to the post office will go towards shipping and items for Operation Christmas Child Boxes.


A big Thank You

First Baptist WMU would like to thank the church for their generous support on our last project. The donated items given to Called to Care will significantly help them minister to the children in the surrounding communities. Please keep this organization in your prayers.

2024 Church Directory

The church is working on the 2024 church directory.  If you have a new phone number, address, or email that you would like in the directory, please let Nikki know as soon as possible.

Giving as of November 21, 2023

Budget for 2023 . . . . . . . .  $348,707.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . $314,472.76
Received to Date . . . . . . . . $219,202.96
Needed for weekly budget . . .  $6,705.91
Tithes Received this week . . . . $4,162.00

Giving as of November 28, 2023

Budget for 2023 . . . . . . . .  $348,707.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . $321,178.67
Received to Date . . . . . . . . $223,581.96
Needed for weekly budget . . .  $6,705.91
Tithes Received this week . . . . $4,379.00

MID-WEEK DEVOTION

Don’t forget to check out Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotion in the book of Psalms. They are uploaded each Wednesday on the sermon page.

From Our Pastor

As we look at our nation, it is increasingly obvious that we are under God’s judgment.  For years we have been experiencing judgment by the means of the consequences of our sins.  We are now seeing God’s direct judgment upon us.  We are plagued in so many ways in so many areas.

How should we live in a judged nation?  We gain some insight as we look at Jeremiah’s words to Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian, in Jeremiah 39:15-18.  God commanded and blessed Him even while He was judging the nation.

What did Ebed-melech do as he lived in a nation under God’s judgment?  First, he knew who God was (and is).  In verse 16 God reveals himself as “…the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel…”  Ebed-melech had come to know that the God of Israelwas the living, true, sovereign God.  Ebed-melech knew God was Who He had revealed Himself to be.

It is the same for us.  We must see God as He has revealed Himself in His Word.  Society’s rejection of Him and the so-called church’s redefinition of Him has not changed Him in any way. 

Next, Ebed-melech clung to God’s grace.  He was an Ethiopian.  He was a foreigner.  He had no right to expect anything from the God of Israel.  His acceptance before God was purely by grace.

What a picture for us.  We are forgiveness before a holy and righteous God.  We have no standing before such a great God.  But, God has poured out His grace for eternity, life, and living.  We must cling to it.

Ebed-melech believed God’s Word.  In verse 16, God told him He was about to bring on to Israel all the warnings He had given them.  Israel did not believe God’s word.  Ebed-melech did believe God’s word.

We need to follow Ebed-melech’s example.  This world may ignore much and ridicule God’s warnings, but the day will come when God proves every one of them as true.  We would be wise to believe what God said.

Ebed-melech also shows us the importance of trusting God.  God promised to rescue and bless him “…because You (Ebed-melech) have trusted in Me…”  In spite of being surrounded by the rebellion against God, Ebed-melech clung to God and trusted Him. As we live in these days of rebellion, we must live by trusting God.

In a judged nation, Ebed-melech was blessed by God.  We live in a nation under God’s judgment.  May we live as Ebed-melech and receive God’s blessing.

Sunday, December 3

Deacon of the Week:  David Flake

Deacon Greeters
Front Door:  David Flake
Organ Greeter:  Carl Hobbs
Piano Greeter:  W. Greg Brown

Sound:  Chris McCard
Video:  Saskia Perry

Nursery Workers
Pat Rainey & Daisy Lee Speight 

Sunday, December 10

Deacon of the Week:  W. Greg Brown

Deacon Greeters
Front Door:  W. Greg Brown
Organ Greeter:  Tom LaRocca
Piano Greeter:  Daniel West

Sound:  Carl Hobbs
Video:  Sue Mastrario

Nursery Workers
Sami Mastrario & Eilene Perry