EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
May 2021
Discover Christ's Transforming Love
126 S. Hayes Ave. Emmett, Idaho 83617
Lance Zagaris, Pastor
Pam Hodges, Worship Director
A Word From the Pastor
14) For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15) from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16) I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18) may have power, together with all the LORD's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19) and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20) Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21) to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Jolene recently ordered a boook by Nancy Guthrie whoose title intrigued me: God Does His Best Work With Empty. I first learned about Nancy and her story of losing two young children years ago when I led the Grief Share DVD series in our small group at church. Nancy and her husband Dave facilitated each DVD session and would talk about the grief they epxerienced when their babies died and how they sought the LORD to help them.
In the last chapter of her current book, she quoted Ephesians 3:14-21 (above). It's Paul's prayer for the Ephesian believers. The ultimate goal of Paul's prayer for them is that they "may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" (3:10)! When we are weak, God provides strength! When we are empty, God fills us! When we are lonely, God provides His presence! When we are doubting, He brings assurance. When we are anxious, He brings His peace to calm us. When we are depressed, He instills our lives with hope and confidence. When we have been hurt, He soothes our wounds with His compassion and unfailing love!
We don't like it when we are weak, empty, lonely doubting, anxious, depressed or hurting. But as Nancy Guthrie's book title proclaims: God does His best work with empty!! It is good for us to acknowledge in prayer our emptiness, our littleness, our brokenness And then ask God to do for us what we are unable to do for ourselves: fill us, be Great on our behalf, mend and heal our broken hearts, dreams, and relationshiips! What's amazing is that the Lord ministers to us deep within our heart and souls. His Holy Spirit draws tremendous strength from the Father's gloriously rich spiritual resources and He reaches into our innermost depths to touch us. His work is so amazing that Christ feels at home in our hearts!
The Lord doesn't want to fill our emptiness with things. He wants to fill our emptiness with His dear Son. Nancy Guthrie says, "He is praying that Christ would not simply take up residence in our lives but transform our hearts into homes that reflect his character, his preferences, his reality, his holiness, his fullness" (p.189).
Paul prays that we would be given power to know and to experience the incomparably gracious love of Christ in our lives. His sacrificial love reaches to the highest heights; it plummets to the deepest depths; and it expands to the greatest extremes of east and west! As we experience Christ's love in this way, to this magnitude, we will be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19).
Take time to pray and ask the Lord to fill the emptiness of your heart and life with the fullness of Himself! Let His Presence be your sufficiency for the emptiness and weakness you face!
Shepherding you with His Love,
Lance
God wants us to cast upon Him all that burdens us!
The Miracles of Easter
The sleeping earth awakens,
The robins start to sing,
The flowers open wide their eyes
To tell us it is Spring.
The bleakness of the Winter
Is melted by the sun.
The tree that looked so start and dead
Becomes a living one...
These Miracles of Easter, Wrought with divine perfection,
Are the blessed reassurance,
Of our Saviour's Resurrection.
Helen Steiner Rice
Throw it onto Him
by Greg Laurie on May 6, 2021
Scripture: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
Sometimes we put our eyes on a man or a woman, expecting them to be everything for us. We expect them to never make a mistake. We expect them to have all the answers, and they don’t.
The prophet Isaiah wrote about King Uzziah, who ascended to the throne at age 16. Ultimately, he ruled for 52 years. And according to Scripture, he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and his people loved him. But King Uzziah made mistakes.
Interestingly, Isaiah made a statement about Uzziah’s death that we often can overlook: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1 NKJV).
In other words, “This man was removed, and now I see the Lord.”
Instead of looking to people, look to Jesus Christ. He is the only one who will never fail you. He is the only one who will sustain you. And He is the one you will meet one day if you put your faith in Him.
John the Baptist said of Jesus, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30 NKJV).
Maybe today you’re feeling anxious and worried and afraid. The Bible tells us, “[Cast] all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV). The original word Peter used for “cast” isn’t a word we’d normally use for throwing something. Rather, it signifies an act in which we stop worrying about something and let God assume the responsibility for our welfare.
So take the thing that burdens and concerns you and throw it onto the Lord. Protect your mind, and do everything you can to stay close to Jesus Christ.
People will let us down at times, but Jesus Christ never will. So we need to put our eyes on the Lord.
Topics
Youth Appreciation Event!
The Gem County Ministerial sponsored a Youth Appreciation Event and Baccalaureate Service on at the Emmett Church of the Nazarene.
This event was an opportunity for Emmett churches to show their gratitude towards the children and youth of our community.
Approximately 80 people attended. The night was filled with worship music, fun games for different ages, prizes, and free snow cones. Cesar Perez gave a challenge from God's Word.
Thank you to those that donated prizes and giveaways for the games!
Smiles never go up in price or down in value.
Pat Scott
Pat Scott has been a member of Emmett First Baptist Church since 1969. If you don’t know her, she is the quiet one who started four generations of Humphries coming to Emmett First Baptist Church.
Pat had already written down her story previously, so I basically just typed it up for her. It is as follows:
“My parents were not church going but were good honest people. Dad was very strict, authoritative (children not to be heard). Growing up my mother sent me to Sunday School saying it was good training. She would attend occasionally but lacked commitment. Seeds must have been planted. Parents gave me a Bible on my birthday.
Most important, I was doing what I was told to do – going to school, belonging to 4-H sewing class, entering items in the county fair. I went to Church Camp when I was probably 12. I remember memorizing John 3:16. A Counselor urged me to go forward at that time, but I held back. After high school, Dad wanted me to attend college. I went one semester, but I planned to get married soon after.
I never went to church after high school (I was wandering in the wilderness). After being married 14 years and four kids later ages 3, 7, 9 & 11 during the year my husband was in Vietnam, I started questioning the need for Christ in my life. I had a longing to know more about God. Maybe I was being urged by the Holy Spirit.) I was living at Klamath Falls near my parents. After watching Billy Graham on TV, I made a decision to accept Christ as my personal savior. I wrote for material to get me started on my journey. I didn’t go to church right away as my husband was due to come back and didn’t know where we would be living. After this, my journey began. I no longer felt a lostness and felt at peace and secure in the love of God. My husband came back from Vietnam and as it turned out, he was stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas. When we settled, I started going to chapel there and the kids going to Sunday school. My oldest daughter, Dianna, accepted Christ and was baptized. A few months later I and my second daughter, Rosalee, made a commitment to follow Jesus and was baptized. Looking back, I believe I had a hunger to know God. I was always attending a Bible Study over the years. I was guided and directed by the Holy spirit. I was a work in progress. Not an overnight deal. I had to learn about putting my trust in Him on a daily basis.
When leaving Ft. Riley to go to Pendleton Oregon, an American Baptist Chaplain suggested an AB church we could attend there. I was there 1 year before coming to Emmett and joining the church here. I believe I have come a long way with the teaching and pastoring of Pastor Granger.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I couldn’t help but attempt to dig a little deeper. I believe that Pat was a huge inspiration to her family. However, when I asked her about it, she was very humble. She explained that her husband did accept Christ in 1986 and passed away in 1994. He children always went to church with her – and not by force – it is just what they did. All her children did accept Christ. Her sons accepted Christ when they were younger even though they don’t currently attend an evangelical church.
When asked about a memorable moment in her life when she felt the Lord speak to her, Pat referred back to the Billy Graham day. She said she has always felt He (the Lord) gave her strength throughout her life. For example, when her husband was going on dialysis and they said she had to help him administer it from home. She did not think she could do it. But she did, for 4 years, until he was able to go to the VA for his treatments.
When I asked Pat if there was anyone that helped her in her walk with the Lord, she thought of Merne Wilson and Edna Shimp as they were kind and were her friends.
Between health issues and COVID-19, Pat has been unable to attend church in person. While she is able to watch other services and Christian programs on satellite, she misses going to church. She misses the fellowship and says that it is important and valuable – that “the Body of Christ needs to be together”.
While Pat didn’t feel she had any “words of wisdom” to give, she did offer that she loves the song “Blessed Assurance”, because she liked it’s message.
I personally believe Pat has set an example for others that speaks louder than words.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. ~Matthew 5:16
Sanctification and Spit Up
I chose church with my kids NOT because I like the chaos of getting everyone out the door in clothes they think are “too dressy” (even though they are basically t-shirts) or because I like hearing the whines of why any shoe other than a tennis shoes is too tight. Because I do not.
I choose church with my kids NOT because it feels like the easy thing to do. Or the thing I want to do when I’m trying to curl my hair with constant interruptions from sons asking about where to find a toothbrush or because it’s fun to choose an outfit with someone pulling on my leg after finding three of my dresses feel a bit too tight. Because truthfully it’s just not very fun.
I choose church with my kids NOT because I see a huge and instant change in their hearts after the weekly lesson. Or that because by hearing a scripture that week it will make them listen better to me that day. Or stop crying at drop off and trying rip my dress off. Because we’re ten years in and I always still have to pull at least one child off me crying. It’s just our thing. So nope, that’s not why I choose to go to church with my kids.
Instead, I choose to church with my kids because I know it’s a life-long investment. Actually, it’s even more than that. It’s an eternal one that is worth every struggle to get them out the door. And I choose it because I know that one day the scripture they learned today in Sunday school WILL one day be the one that Jesus uses to direct their heart in a moment of uncertainty. And fear. And they will find truth and comfort in what they’ve been taught. Because it was planted in their heart.
And I choose church because I know that by bringing them to these four walls where we consciously choose to make Jesus our priority, one day when they’re grown and need the church more than ever, they will be able to walk in and find peace within the walls of a church they choose for themselves. And just be able to breathe.
Basically, I choose church not because I like the struggle of leaving home but because one day when they are in the middle of their greatest struggle, they will find their home in Jesus. And that makes the outward crazy of what is “seen” to get there make the unseen of what is going on in their little hearts worth it. That is why I choose to go to church.
CERT Ministry Making a Difference
He told stories of teens that have come to know the Lord through the CERT class. Two of the stories involved teens who were Atheists, but through lots of questions, had opened their hearts to the Lord. Cesar explained that one of them even announced in public to the class that he was a Christian after they all knew him as an Athiest! Another story was of a young lady who only joined the class to be with her boyfriend but by the end of the class wrote a touching essay of how Jesus made a difference in her life.
To find out more about the Emmett CERT Ministry, check out the website at http://emmettcert.org. We encourage our high school students to schedule a CERT class as one of their electives.
The Power of Compassion
Lee en español
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
Tears from loss have such potential to draw us together.
I saw this a few years ago when I participated in some peace talks in Israel with women between whom others said peace wasn’t possible.
They were divided in their religious beliefs, their national narratives and their politics.
Serve Emmett Day!
About 35 - 40 people came out to help with about 13 - 14 projects in the community.
Brian Knight from Emmett Nazarene led the effort! Running the emmettcompassion.org website, and coordinating people and projects. Pastor Josh Williams and Pastor Lance assisted him.
Pastor Lance and Bill Butticci served at the Gem County Museum, weeding, raking leaves, and cleaning out storages. 16 bags of debris were collected and with additional volunteers from the museum, unwanted items were hauled off.
Pastor Lance & Bill Butticci
35 - 40 Volunteers!
Brian Knight leading the effort!
16 bags of debris
Flower beds at the Museum
Unwanted items hauled off!
Basic Crepes
Here is a simple but delicious crepe batter which can be made in minutes. It's made from ingredients that everyone has on hand.
Recipe Summary
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Yield: 8 crepes
Original recipe yields 4 servings
Ingredient Checklist
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Step 2
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Step 3
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.
Chuckles
A Sunday School teacher had just concluded her lesson and wanted to make sure she had made her point. She said, “Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?”
There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up. "Sin," he said.