EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
June 2022
Discover Christ's Transforming Love
126 S. Hayes Ave. Emmett, Idaho 83617
Lance Zagaris, Pastor
Pam Hodges, Worship Director
A Word From the Pastor
1 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.
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23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Dearly Beloved,
Humans are complex individuals. We are not easy to figure out or understand. When the medical field is trying to discern our health or lack of health, they utilize a variety of tests and equipment to evaluate our lives: they use devices to listen to our heart and lungs, to look into our ears, nose, and throats, and to measure our blood pressure. To go deeper, they take blood samples and send them to the lab. They order x-rays, scans, and MRI's trying to see beneath the surface. They order ultra-sounds and will run scopes into various part of our bodies to try to detect blockages, restrictions, tumors, infections, or see new life growing inside!
In Ps. 139, David declares that the LORD is All-Knowing! He is not dependent on these amazing, specialized pieces of equipment to examine our inner or outer lives. His eyes do not require specialized devices to see underneath our skin or to explore the health of our hearts, minds, and consciences. The LORD is our Creator. Just as a knitter will focus on fine details to create a beautiful masterpiece, the LORD knows how each of us have been uniquely and intricately wired with abilities, gifts, personalities, temperaments, passions, dreams and desires. He has fearfully and wonderfully made us. He has been pursuing a personal relationship with us from our very conception! He know us thoroughly... even better than we know ourselves!! He knows our schedules and patterns and habits (both good and bad) and tendencies. He's been watching and He is more familiar with our ways than even we are.
Just as David invites the LORD to search him and know his heart, to test him and know his anxious thoughts, we are encouraged to invite the LORD to examine our lives. Let Him reveal to us things we are already aware of and new things we could not previously see or understand. Some things may be offensive ways that need His expert leadership to guide us out of our hurtful ways and into His everlasting ways. Some things He reveals may be encouraging and give us new hope and purpose in knowing and serving Him!
David trusted the LORD to be good and faithful and loving with him even though the LORD was aware of his downfalls as well as his uprisings! We can trust Him with our lives too!
Shepherding you in Christ's Love!
Lance
Your Cross
Whatever your cross
Whatever you pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain.
Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help through it all.
Nakya Buck sang "Amazing Grace" during Sunday Service on May 1
Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.
Ladies Brainstorming
Several ladies attended and we shared some of our favorite bible verses while we ate a delicious potato/salad bar lunch.
As a result of the brainstorming, a list of ideas and suggestions was compiled and a survey given to all ladies within the congregation. This survey is intended to provide insight as to which of these ideas would be best fitted for most of the ladies interests and availability.
The survey results will be reviewed by the end of June.
Please be sure to get your responses in asap. If you didn't received a survey, please contact the office.
Thank you to all who attended, attributed and "stormed" with us!
Serve Emmett Day
This year, one of our own church members, Bob Kaiser, was the recipient of that compassion. It was absolutely amazing! People just kept showing up! He was put in for clean up of a single brush pile, but these individuals just kept going! With a large place and many huge old trees, the work is never ending. Not to mention the amount of stuff that accumulates over 50 years+ of living in one place and not being able to keep up on it yourself. All in all, 2 or 3 pickups and a trailer full of branches, brush and leaves were hauled to the dump. In addition, 2 pickup loads of stuff was hauled to the dumpster.
Bob's family has been trying to pick away at it and keep up with it, but with health issues and busy schedules, it is one step forward and 2 steps back. When a couple of Bob's family showed up to help, they were in awe... one even broke down in tears!!!
The individuals that showed up to help were truly God's servants! I can assure you that next year, they will have at least a couple more helpers as we definitely appreciate it and want to pay it forward!
New Plymouth First Baptist Church Fire
We continue to pray for the congregation and leaders of the NPFBC. And while many of us have already reached out to members of the NPFBC, we are taking donations, as a church family, to send to them. If you are interested in contributing, please make note with your donation "NPFBC ReBuild" and put it in the offering box on Sunday, turn it in to the church office, send it via mail, or drop it in the church mail slot.
A Thank You Note from the Hassemers
Thank you for your prayers and encouraging support for ministry here in Alaska!
Mike & Ranada Hassemer
Dear Ministry Partners,
Thank you for your continued support of the hospitality ministry we do here in Alaska. You gift helps to cover some of the expenses we have as we provide refreshment and housing for ministry families and those supporting ministry here.
We have booked our BONUS space into September! Sometimes we have a "double" need and use the one guest room in "our" living space. We are looking forward to the repeat families coming to …. for salmon in July. This fishing time provides for one year salmon for their family. We help them fish, process their fish, & provide their housing & even some meals while they are here.
The past week we had a pilot stay while he attends training at MARC (Mission Aviation Repair Center) They were helping to prep pilots for the very busy flying season. In the summer there are hundreds of flights getting village kids to & from Bible Camps. Mike is also doing cabinetry projects for ministry families & I am in the midst of sewing projects to be used at CEF trainings for high school aged kids to lead. (CEF - Child Evangelism Fellowship) We both volunteer doing various projects for Samaritan's Purse.
The weather has been beautiful! About 30 degrees at night & 60's during the day - PLUS all the extra sunshine 3AM - 1AM 😊
If any of you find ALASKA as a destination, PLEASE contact us. Your visit would be so encouraging.
Mike & Ranada
SAMARITAN’S PURSE DC-8 FLIGHT CARRIES UKRAINIANS TO A NEW LIFE IN CANADA.
The following article is from the Samaritan's Purse International Relief website. Samaritan's Purse is a mission we support through the Christmas Shoeboxes.
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On Sunday, May 15, our DC-8 cargo jet left Poland on a special mission to bring 28 Ukrainian refugees to Toronto where they will be able to reunite with family, friends, and other sponsors arranged by Samaritan’s Purse. These families fled from the horror of the conflict continuing to rage inside Ukraine, and they are eager to start a new life in North America. This small group of mostly women and children all had harrowing stories of escape from what one of them, Marina, called “a nightmare come to life.”
Marina and her husband Mischa owned four stores in their town of Kherson, including one that sold toys.
“We were in a happy business,” she said with a smile. “There is nothing better than seeing joy in children’s faces when they choose a new toy to bring home.”
When the couple’s area became occupied by enemy forces, their joy ended, and their future became uncertain.
“We tried to stay,” she said, noting that as the weeks went on, things only became worse. “But the soldiers looted our stores. They tore everything to pieces. They destroyed the toys and everything else. There was no food. We thought we might starve. When they came to our neighborhood, we decided we couldn’t hold out any longer. We were making our plans to leave. Then one night, we received a call from a friend who told us they were on their way to burn down our home.”
Finally they decided to leave. Mischa and Marina, along with their 10-year-old daughter Yeva, ran to their car. They didn’t even stop to pack anything. At the last minute, Yeva dashed to her bedroom to grab her beloved teddy bear. It is a toy she has had since she was two, and she has clung to it every minute since they fled.
“It is scary and sad right now,” she said. “I had to leave my house and my pets. I had to leave my school and all of my friends. I don’t know what life will be now. I only hope that the Canadian children will like me—and that my dog and cat will be safe in Ukraine.”
In addition to Yeva, the flight carried children aged 2 to 16, all of them traveling with at least one parent.
For Volodymyr, a banker from Odessa, keeping his boys—ages 8 and 16—safe was the most important thing. Together with his wife and mother, the five of them are hopeful a new life is possible in Canada.
“At first, when there was talk of war, we did not take it seriously,” Volodymyr said. “We had a good life, and we did not want to imagine that it could come to an end. This family of mine is everything to me. Without them, I don’t want to breathe anymore.”
Also on board the DC-8 flight were two mothers-to-be, one of them a university professor named Natalia who is 8 months along in her pregnancy.
“This flight is a miracle to me,” she said. “We did not know what to do or where we could go. Now, my baby will be born in a safe country. We are all in a similar situation. Every person on this plane has been praying for a fresh start, a new life. And then Samaritan’s Purse told us they would help. It is God showing us His love. This is God’s mercy flight.”
THIS FLIGHT WAS CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION FOR BOTH PASSENGERS AND CREW AS FAMILIES LOOKED TOWARD THE START OF A NEW LIFE.
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Since the conflict in Ukraine began in late February, Samaritan’s Purse has been providing medical care and other relief. We have airlifted medical supplies, emergency food, shelter items and other aid aboard multiple DC-8 airlifts to Eastern Europe. We are working through an extensive network of pastors and churches in Ukraine and Moldova to help distribute assistance to hundreds of thousands of people.
Please pray for these families who are starting over in North America. Please also continue to pray for peace in this region of the world and for the many hurting families and the churches that are helping them.
John Hill Went to Be With the Lord in April
Our beloved John Hill went to be with the Lord on April 26th. He will truly be missed but we know he is resting in the arms of our Lord Jesus! He was known for his gift of service, always there to lend a hand and help out in any area he had skills or talents. He was often seen doing building and grounds maintenance at the church. John and Gloria also participated on the restoration committee. John was a kind, quiet and had a good personality, greeting people with a joyful smile. He loved to go see the deer that frequent the 4th and Substation area. When I (Kathy) would let Gloria know the deer were out and about, he would want to go see them and would instruct her exactly where to go.
The following is some of what Lance talked about during John's funeral service:
John began attending FBC when he was dating a girl from the church. Merne Wilson was his teacher in 1961 or 1962. John always admired Merne. Their Sunday School class met in a little house across from the alley of the church that used to be the Emmett Creamery. John was baptized and become a member of FBC in 1963. He was a faithful member for 59 years.
John and Gloria knew each other since they were children. Their relatives lived close to each other. They started dating when Gloria was in high school. John had already graduated from Emmett High School. They dated for 3 years before their wedding day.
John was a faithful and dependable. When he told you he would do something he followed through. He was a servant of the Lord and a servant of others. The family said he wanted to help meet needs in others’ lives. He wanted to be wanted. It gave him purpose. And it gave him inner peace and joy. He mowed lawns and dug ditches for others. He drove to Sweet to help a guy build a fence. He didn’t want to be paid. If he was fed for his services, he was content. When it snowed in the winter, he would get up an hour early to shovel snow at the church. For years he’d come early to open up the church on Sunday mornings.
John was an usher at church and served on the Trustee Board for many years. He would often be found volunteering to work on projects with other men like Chuck Pearce and Jim Foster and Wayne Rexford… working on the irrigation pump and sprinklers among other things.
For years he faithfully helped us do clean-up at the Cherry Festival. He enjoyed cleaning the grounds and then visiting with people. He helped build the educational wing of the church in the 1960s. He’d work at the Mill and then he would go to church and help with the construction. He also helped build the credit union across from the church., which is now Automatic Ice.
When J.P and Iverna Morris moved to New Mexico, John helped load trucks, clean-up, then drove a truck from Emmett, and helped unload. Jim Foster and Dave Goff also drove vehicles. John didn’t complain much. It was a 5-vehicle caravan over 1,000 miles I believe with engine breakdowns and flat tires.
John helped his kids move numerous times when he had dementia, he would put things in the house that were supposed to go into storage. He had to help. Even at the Nursing Home in Caldwell, John helped fold clothes. He said, “I have to be nice.” John took his work seriously. He sought to do a good job. When he worked at the Golf Course, he experienced stress… when parts didn’t come in when they were supposed to or when wonders if the water came on for the grass. He’d get up at 4am to check. When John worked for the City, the line he mowed at the City Park had to be mowed straight.
One time when Ron owed a lawn about ¼ acre for a gal on Williams Road, John evaluated his work. He told Ron: “Re-mow her lawn!” Ron said he wasn’t mean, but he told Ron to give her money back to her and go buy flowers for her out of his own pocket and apologize for not doing the job right the first time!
John enjoyed spending time with his family. He took Ron pheasant hunting and fishing. He was always involved with the grandkids too. He spent so much time helping them fish, changing bait, helping with snagged lines that he never got to fish himself. He went camping with Ron and Tammy. Gloria told John to wash the kids up before bed. But Ron still had black around his face from the roasted marshmallows. John would drop what he was doing and play with the kids and their friends He’d play football; basketball, and baseball with them. When Tammy had her Barbie Townhouse out, he would play with her. Dezi said grandpa taught me how to fish. On the Carnival rides, John was like a little kid… he like to make the ride rock!
Ron remembered how John would take them on bike rides past the Pearce’s house on W. Slope Rd and stop and pick asparagus along the road and ditches. Ron said that in his prime John had a photographic memory. He would show you where he shot his deer or elk or where he caught fish and where the asparagus patches were.
John liked to hunt with DeLynn Keller and guys from the Mill. If he didn’t get deer or elk, he always came back with a cooler full of fish!
John loved people… you’d get up and he’d be gone. He’d be talking with people. He would always share good fishing spots with others – where to go, what to fish with, and he’d share the fish with others. Ron said that John gave fish he caught to a man who had left the spot where he was fishing.
John enjoyed catching the fish, but he didn’t like to eat fish. He always gave fish he caught to neighbors. John was generous. He would share food from their garden with the neighbors. He always gave food away!
You can view the obituary at https://www.potterchapel.com/obituary/John-Hill
We love you, John! ... and we love you Gloria and are here for you!
Your kind expression of sympathy is gratefully acknowledged and deeply appreciated.
We would like to thank everyone for being there for us during our time of loss.
The family of John Hill
Surrendering Isn’t the Same as Giving Up
MEGAN EVANS, COMPEL Training Member
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)
With no solution to my problem in sight, I uttered the frustrated phrase “I give up!”
Cradling my head in my hands, I sank into a chair at my kitchen table. Resting there on my elbows, I declared defeat. I didn’t really want to quit, but it seemed my options had run out.
I’m not sure how many times in my life I’ve said “I give up,” but it’s been plenty. I’m guessing you’ve said it, too.
Still, one thing is certain for every follower of Christ: Just because we feel defeated doesn’t mean we are left for dead. Quite the opposite! From the depths of our heart, a little signal pings and fires a rescue flare called hope. That’s the difference between us and the world. Our hope is never lost.
In my kitchen that day, hope began to bubble to the surface. Instead of giving up, I found my lips praying a different set of words: Jesus, I surrender.
Nobody likes to raise a white flag. We’ve been taught that more is better, and failure is not an option. The world tells us, “You can do it all!” In reality, we can’t, nor do we need to. But we try. We overextend our time, overextend our abilities and overextend our resources. Yet all of this overreaching just leaves us gripping the end of our rope.
I’ve learned that in these moments swelling with frustration, we have a choice. We can choose to sit with the enemy in defeat or surrender to the Lord in victory. As we surrender to the Lord, our giving up is replaced by His lifting up, as our key verse says:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
As we raise our white flag and cry out to Jesus, He rescues us from the depths. When we humble ourselves before the Lord, we begin to see His mighty hand at work. While we rest safely under God’s care, He will lift us up in due time … and His timing is always perfect.
Surrendering isn’t the same thing as giving up — not when God is involved. Submitting to God means humbly placing ourselves at His feet. Then we give up our desire for control and our pride. Under the care of God’s mighty hand, we release the need to know when, why and how. Faith finds us resting in His power, peace and provision. This different surrender is a dying of self, and in it we begin to walk in fresh, new life with Christ.
Are details of this day causing your head to droop? Help is on the way. Hope is bubbling to the surface even now. When we find ourselves at the end of our rope, let’s instead cast our anxiety on the Lord. Nestle under the protection of God’s mighty hand because He cares for you. Rest there.
Don’t give up in defeat today; surrender to the Lord.
Dear Lord, You are my steadfast hope and rescue. Thank You for lifting me out of my frustration and into the tender care of Your mighty hand. I surrender all worry and anxiety of this day to You, Jesus, and rest in Your victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 33:20, “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” (NIV)
Isaiah 40:30-31, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (NIV)
What frustration have you experienced lately that you need to surrender to the Lord?
Recall a time when you stood in victory with Christ over an impossible situation. How can this remind you once again to cast your cares and anxiety on the Lord? Share with us in the comments!
© 2022 by Megan Evans. All rights reserved.
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Summer Camp
CATHEDRAL PINES CAMP
https://www.cathedralpines.org/events
July 24-29.......... Teen Camp, Gr. 6-12: $265
July 31 - Aug 4... Kid’s Camp, Gr. 3-6: $210
Shilo Bible Camp
https://www.shilohbibleconference.com/
June 20 - 24 ........... Explorers Camp #1 - Ages 10 and 12: $115
June 27 - July 1 ..... Adventure Camp - Ages 8 and 10: $115
July 11 - 16 .............Pathfinder Camp - Ages 12 and 14: $125
July 18 - 23 ............ Trailblazer Camp - Ages 14 and 18: $125
July 25 - 29 ............ Explorers Camp #2 - Ages 10 and 12 years: $115
recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup cold 2% milk
- 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 52 vanilla wafers
- 4 medium firm bananas, sliced
Directions
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in condensed milk; set aside. In another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix; add to cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping. Place a third of the vanilla wafers in a 2-1/2-qt. glass bowl. Top with a third of the bananas and pudding mixture. Repeat layers twice. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping, bananas and wafers.
Banana Pudding with Cream Cheese Tips
How can you prevent the bananas from turning brown in your banana pudding with cream cheese?
For best results, start with firm, unblemished bananas. If they’re too ripe, they’re more likely to bruise and turn brown. (Save overripe fruit for banana bread instead!) Once sliced, you can coat the bananas in a teaspoon of citrus juice to prevent oxidizing.Can you use homemade whipped cream instead of frozen whipped topping?
While homemade whipped cream is delicious, we don’t recommend it for this recipe. Fresh whipped cream tends to deflate, and it can cause your pudding to become too watery.Can you make banana pudding with cream cheese ahead of time?
Yes! This delicious dessert needs to rest in the fridge at least 4 hours, but it can last up to 24. We don’t recommend making the pudding too far in advance, though, as the wafers will begin to get mushy. Still hungry? Try these other overnight desserts.—Katie Bandurski, Taste of Home Associate Editor
Nutrition Facts
3/4 cup: 376 calories, 16g fat (10g saturated fat), 35mg cholesterol, 225mg sodium, 52g carbohydrate (41g sugars, 1g fiber), 5g protein.
Chuckles
There was a pause, then Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, Ryan, you be Jesus."