EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
August 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
Hebrews 3:12-13 (NIV)
2 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness
Hebrews 10:24-25(NIV)
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Dearly Beloved,
The writer of the letter of Hebrews was aware that many of his readers were converts to Jesus Christ out of Judaism. He knows that they were undergoing persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ as their Messiah. He knows that the pressures they faced from the persecution was tempting some of them to stop following Jesus and return to Judaism. For them to do that would be fulfilling what he wants them to avoid in Heb. 3:12: “see to it, brothers that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. To turn away from Jesus Christ and His good news and go back to Judaism is to turn away from the living God. What faith you thought you had in Judaism is in reality a sinful, unbelieving heart in God’s perspective. If your faith is in Judaism, it is trusting in an object that cannot and will not save you. Only Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection and eternal priestly ministry can save you! Only His shed blood, not the blood of bulls and goats, can save you!
To help believers not turn away from the living God with sinful, unbelieving hearts, God calls on believers to encourage one another DAILY! God’s remedy for the temptation to run away not only from persecution but to run away from Jesus is for fellow believers to build up each other’s faith in Christ every day. Your faith-building encouragement is God’s prescription for struggling believers! Why? So that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Heb. 3:13)! Sin is very deceiving. It fools people. It makes big promises but does not follow through in fulfilling them. It sounds better than it really is. It looks more attractive than what you actually experience. It’s like biting into what appears to be a delicious chocolate chip cookie, only to realize then that the chips are manure!! The more one is drawn away by sin’s deceitfulness, the more it causes one to be hardened against the truth of Christ and His good news (3:13)!
To fight against that hardening and deceptive process of sin, God calls believers to build the type of relationships in each other’s lives that they can daily speak truth and encouragement to one another, that they can warn each other of falsehoods and challenge one another to keep trusting in Christ courageously amidst the hardships and the doubts!
Later in Heb. 10:24-25, the writer says “And let us consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching!”
Isolating oneself from the local church is detrimental to one’s faith in Jesus Christ. It would be safer, simpler, and easier. The isolation from the believers of Christ would hinder them from being able to point out errors, seek truth, and encourage them to join them in following and serving Christ together no matter what opposition they face.
Every believer needs outside encouragement to grow in their knowledge and application of their faith. As a result, it is a bad, sinful habit to give up meeting together with fellow believers. We need daily encouragement. We need personal, face to face encouragement. Don’t let the pandemic, fears, other interests, or responsibilities get in the way of regular meeting together! Don’t let sin fool you into thinking it’s not necessary! God’s WORD says differently! We look forward to seeing you soon!
Shepherding you in Christ’s love,
Lance
THE HUMAN SPIRIT FAILS UNLESS THE HOLY SPIRIT PREVAILS!
Thank you from Rocky & Cindy Smith
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE PRAYERS, PHONE CALLS AND CARDS DURING THE LOSS OF ROCKY'S DAD. WE FELT GOD'S NEARNESS AND ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
ROCKY & CINDY SMITH
Davey & Ella joined the worship team one Sunday in July!
Davey & Ella with Grandma & Grandpa!
The Team sang Ella to sleep!
Ella probably loved the rumble of Grandpa's bass!
Wind Storms Cause More Havoc with Church Roof!
Message from the Hassemers
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued support of the hospitality ministry we offer from our home. What an exciting June! The brief version of lots of God details... we hosted family members for a village pastor's son's wedding. One relative who at the last minute needed housing, stayed here and was from Emmett! After 2 days here, her brother (still in Emmett) ended up accepting the Lord. Our connections to Emmett fell quickly into place for him to be once again given that opportunity! Also, the biblical counselor speaker & his wife stayed with us for almost a week. The bonus space was perfect for them to rest, and to prepare for all their speaking engagements during that time. They were so thankful and appreciative! Your gift to us helps cover costs for housing ad their meals. We want you to know how thankful these guests are. Please keep us in prayer for July – fishing, fish processing, housing, meals, - it’s a busy month with lots of daylight to help keep us going later each day 😊
Blessings & thanks,
Ranada & Mike
Doneta Perrigo – Trust and Lean on God
Doneta Perrigo came to know the Lord at an early age. The event that brought her to the Lord was when her family was in a serious car accident. Doneta was in the 4th grade and her sister, Hazel, was in high school. One car of teenagers passed their car, while the other rear-ended them. Hazel was thrown through the side window and her eye was filled with glass. Hazel bled so much that Doneta had Hazel’s blood all over her. Hazel was unconscious and had a bad concussion. The doctor didn’t know if he could save her life, let alone her eyesight. After a lot of prayer by the family, individually and as a group, the doctor came and said it was a miracle that he was able to save Hazel’s life and her eyesight! Doneta felt God was with them through all this. After that, Hazel said God must have a purpose for her and she started going to First Baptist Church and Doneta went with her. They went forward at the same time 2 to 3 years later but did not know the other was going.
Doneta served the Lord working in the nursery for many years as well as working with Hazel in doing Kids In Christ’s Kingdom (K.I.C.K.). She and Hazel would work with the children after school and also perform their puppet shows during church. Doneta has also attended many small groups throughout her time at FBC. Doneta’s favorite thing about FBC is the church family, Lance and his messages. She enjoys the friendships and love in the church.
Doneta lived in Emmett all her life. She worked in the fruit orchards when she was young, then worked on the line for Ore-Ida for 15 years. In 1990, she started working for her best friend Lucille White, cleaning and taking care of Lucille’s parents, until Lucille moved to Eugene. Doneta helps a neighbor once in a while. However, Doneta says she has realized she is getting too old to do much after an incident where she broke an ankle, and it took forever to heal. She laughed about the incident as she explained that her nephew had locked the house door when he left not knowing she was still in there. She had to let her dogs out, so she jumped out the bedroom window and broke her ankle, then had to crawl over to Ivan’s house because she didn’t have her cell phone on her. She now packs her cell phone everywhere! 😊
Growing up she was always taught and encouraged to read the Bible. Her mom was Baptist and while her dad was a believer, he did not go to church. The family was poor, but they didn’t know it. Her dad was a janitor, grew a garden and raised beef. They ate what they grew. While she knew other kids in school had more than her, it didn’t bother her. They were loved and they knew it.
Doneta had a brother, Jimmie Lee, who passed away at 3 years old from a bad heart. She said she doesn’t know if her mother ever got over the loss of her brother. Doneta and her sister, Hazel, were very close. Their mom had a bad heart, so Hazel took care of Doneta; always there for her, whether financial or otherwise.
These two sisters ended up marrying two brothers, Ivan and Gordon Perrigo. Doneta married Gordon in 1991. Gordon’s health deteriorated and he passed away in May of 2005. Doneta took care of him for the last 4 years or so of his life. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Plus, which wasn’t really Parkinson but something different. He became paralyzed, then bed ridden. Doneta had to feed him through a feeding tube which was scary. She didn’t think she could do it, but with the Lord’s help, she did it! Taking care of Gordon for those years was hard, but primarily due to just watching him in that state.
Doneta told of another testament to prayer and the Lord’s grace when Ivan and Gordon’s dad had a stroke. He did not look good... just staring. They didn’t think he would make it after the stroke. However, after much prayer, through the grace of God, he came back and lived with them for an additional 4 years. The nursing home he had been in called him their “Miracle Man” due to his unexpected recovery. He lived to 98 years old!
In August of 2009, Hazel passed away. This was extremely difficult for Doneta. Hazel had been there for her through everything, taking care of her growing up and in adulthood and helping her with Gordon. Not having her there was really hard. She thanks God that she will get to see Hazel again someday.
Doneta and Ivan, who is like a brother to her, have each other. Doneta was worried when Ivan was bitten by a spider, and they weren’t sure he would make it. With a lot of prayer, he is getting better now.
A little over 4 years ago, Doneta was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a fast-growing tumor the size of a tennis ball. She went through chemo and radiation and then had surgery removing the cancer via a partial mastectomy. She had to have yearly checkups and was told if those are clear for 4 years, that meant they got it all. This last year, was her 4th year and she was clean! She celebrated giving God the glory!
When asked what message Doneta would want others to hear, she stated, “Trusting in God”... when Gordon was sick, I did a lot of praying. I knew He wouldn’t let me make any big mistakes. He is there to lean on. To lean on your faith is really important.”
The Bostocks Concert in the Park
FBC sponsored the Bostocks in concert on August 1, 2021 at the Emmett City Park. The concert was inspiring! Over 50 people attended. Thank you to all those who helped and provided door prizes!
When Comfort Is My Enemy LYSA TERKEURST
“God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.” Colossians 1:11 (NCV)
Certain. Comfortable. Predictable.
These are all words I long to use to describe my life.
I suspect you’d be OK with these being the defining terms of your life, as well.
But what if the comfort and certainties we crave today are a deadly recipe for complacency that will draw our hearts further away from God?
There are many examples of this in the Bible, but let’s look at one tucked into Jeremiah: “Moab has been at rest from youth, like wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another—she has not gone into exile. So she tastes as she did, and her aroma is unchanged” (Jeremiah 48:11, NIV).
On the surface, it may seem like the nation of Moab has it good.
They are comfortable. Life seems predictable.
They’ve been at rest for a long time.
They haven’t known what it’s like to get caught off guard. To suffer. To endure hardships due to circumstances beyond their control. Life feels good, so it must be good. No disappointments. No difficulties.
But this verse is very clear that this is not what’s best for them.
People left in a complacent place for too long become tainted like impure wine.
“Wine left on its dregs, not poured from one jar to another” (v.11) means it’s been sitting in comfort for so long that it has absorbed the aroma of complacency. Winemakers during Jeremiah’s time would pour wine from jar to jar for two reasons. First, so the wine wouldn’t absorb the flavor of the vessel. And second, to rid the wine of the dregs or sediment that would settle into the bottom and prevent the wine from being pure.
The Moabites were not jarred from their complacency. Therefore, their culture was saturated with satisfaction apart from the Lord, and their people were full of impurities. They had no need to draw upon the Lord’s strength, so their hearts were far from Him.
The Moabites were lulled into a false sense of security. Without challenges and changes, people tend to grow increasingly distant from God and resistant to His ways.
In the meantime, the Moabites’ neighbors, the Israelites, were forced to depend on God and learn to survive suffering, captivity, enslavement. The Israelites appear to be the ones not being “saved” from hardship by God. But if we look through the lens of what’s best in the long term, Israel was being strengthened by God for her eventual good.
Settling into complacency might seem to be comfortable for today, but in the long run, we, like the Moabites, may suffer more if we go untouched by God for too long.
Make no mistake: Being lulled into a false sense of security is worse than going through the process of suffering.
Scripture reveals that the eventual fate of the Moabites was one of complete ruin. (Isaiah 16:6-10) It would have been better for them to go through the Israelites’ experience. To go from vessel to vessel and experience suffering in doses that made them strong enough to handle suffering in even larger doses.
In a practical way, it’s like getting a colonoscopy or mammogram (neither of which are comfortable at the time) just to make sure you catch something wrong early, while treatment is possible.
We must sip the suffering of today so we don’t have to drown in the devastations of tomorrow.
To be poured into new vessels might seem uncomfortable, chaotic and completely unfair while we are suffering in the moment, but God wants us to know we can trust Him in the midst of it.
He’s helping us get rid of the dregs — weakness, fear, complacency and the hopeless resignation that all of life is unfair. He’s on guard, looking to strengthen us for what He sees coming. And He is fulfilling the promise of Colossians 1:11, which says, “God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.”
It’s a process that doesn’t usually feel good at the time, but God assures us it will be good in time.
Father God, thank You for reminding me that You are more interested in preparing me than keeping me comfortable. I confess no part of me likes suffering, but I know I can trust Your heart for me. Keep shaping and strengthening me. I know the work You’re doing in me is good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)
© 2021 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Tatertot Casserole
Recipe Summary (Click on picture for recipe video)
Prep: 10 mins; Cook: 30 mins; Total: 40 mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen tater tots
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
Cook and stir ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink and completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Stir cream of mushroom soup into the cooked ground beef; pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer tater tots evenly over the ground beef mixture; top with Cheddar cheese.
- Bake until tater tots are golden brown and hot, 30 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving:
345 calories; protein 18.5g; carbohydrates 16.9g; fat 23.8g; cholesterol 65.1mg; sodium 700.2mg. Full Nutrition
Chuckles
Little Angel!
Little Johnny's new baby brother was screaming up a storm.
Johnny asked his mom, “Where’d he come from?”
“He came from heaven, Johnny.”
Johnny responded: “Wow! I can see why they threw him out!”