EMMETT FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
November 2023
Discover Christ's Transforming Love
126 S. Hayes Ave. Emmett, Idaho 83617
Lance Zagaris, Pastor
Pam Hodges, Worship Director
A Word From the Pastor
“18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:18-20
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. ~John 14:22-24
Dearly Beloved,
In the Great Commission, Jesus calls believers to make disciples of people who make disciples of more people (Mt. 18:18-28. Jesus reveals how we are to create these types of followers: by going, by baptizing them, and by teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded us. The goal in our instruction is to equip people so that they become spiritually mature believers in Christ, people who develop Christlike character, values, priorities, and skills (Eph. 4:12-13). This does not occur overnight in people's lives. It takes time for people to unlearn false beliefs, half-truths, lies, and deception. Then it takes more time to learn true truths and begin to incorporate these truths into our lives in such a way that they begin to make changes in our lives. We easily get stuck in deep ruts in our lives and relationships, having followed the same ungodly patterns over and over again. It takes time with God's help and with the help of God's people to overcome those ruts and build new godly patterns of living and relating to others.
What is it that motivates believers to make grueling effort to bring about this kind of transformation? In Jn. 14:33, "Jesus replied, "If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching." Notice the order. Judus wondered why Jesus didn't reveal Himself to the world (22). Jesus answered that He reveals Himself to those who love Him and obey Him. "My Father will love him and we will make our home with him" (23). People can obey Jesus out of duty and they can follow Him out of obligation, but that's not what Jesus desires, nor is it beneficial to those legalistically going through the motions. Jesus wants followers who love him from the heart. Jesus wants followers who have been captivated by the beauty of His character, who are in awe of His holiness and greatness, who are humbled that Jesus sacrificially died on the cross for their sin, who are grateful that He forgave them and offered them His righteousness and eternal life and so much more. Jesus longs for followers who have received His amazing love into their lives and want to reciprocate His love.
People who love Jesus from the heart like this are people who learn Jesus' commands and practice them wherever they go and with whomever they are relating. Love for Jesus fuels their grueling efforts to overcome selfish, ungodly old ways and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:22-24).
In Jn. 4:24, Jesus says, "Anyone who does not love Me will not obey My teaching!" Some people conclude that we need to choose to obey, and this will prove that we love Jesus. But this approach is backwards. If I want to obey Jesus, I need to focus on Who Jesus is and what Jesus has done and will do in such a way that it will help me to receive His love and love Him in return. My behavior will then experience transformation. God has designed us to respond to and be changed through love! Spend time meditating on verses that reveal Christ's character and love. Allow those verses to melt and soften your heart toward the Lord. And watch how you are compelled to love and follow Jesus in return!
Shepherding you in Christ’s Love,
Lance
Thanksgiving Prayer
Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son
For beauty in nature, You glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy, and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.
~Mary Fairchild
Women Unite!
The women met on Nov. 6th and shared stories and prayer around a discussion on how to help a friend who is grieving. Margaret led the discussion and also facilitated a bingo game where we had to find someone in the group that pertained to the bingo boxes. Pam Hodges brought some great gifts for each of the ladies!
Our next meeting will be the 2nd Monday of Dec. (11th) rather than the 1st Monday (trading with the Knitters Group) and will be focusing on a time of food and fun. Each person is to bring a treat to share and a fun/funny white elephant gift.
The Monthly Women's Group meets the first Monday of every month. Women of all ages are invited to meet at 6:30PM in the FBC Fellowship Hall for fun, fellowship, prayer, etc. New activity each month. Bring a friend!
We are stronger together!
"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up." ~Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Good News Club
Year 2 of the Good News Club (GNC) at Carberry Elementary School started Sept. 22. GNC will be held on Fridays this year. There has been an approximate average of 31 students each week with 45+ registered!
Lara Alexander has joined the team and will be a very helpful addition to our team!
Flane Walker has been very helpful in helping us purchase & set up projector & speakers and borrow his laptop for worship!
BUNCO
Bunco night was held on Oct. 19th with around 20 attending. Gerry Knight and others brought prizes and she once again led a fun event. 4 people in attendance were 1st timers and were not from our church. Bookmarks were handed out with a bible verse on one side and our church info. on the other.
No Bunco until the first of the year.
Floors Stripped and Waxed!
Lots of Helpers moved furniture!
It took 2 days!
Beautiful!!!
Linda Hull – Live Life to the Fullest!
Linda Hull began coming to Emmett First Baptist Church (FBC) approximately 14 years ago. She originally attended the Emmett Christian Church until it was condemned. She knew that my son and I (Kathy & Boone) attended FBC so she and her son, Michael, started attending. She said she likes how everyone interacts. She likes the music and appreciates how if someone wants to sing a song during worship they welcome and fit them into the lineup. Nakya Buck, Linda’s granddaughter, has blessed us with her beautiful singing on several occasions. Linda also likes the get-togethers at the church and how everyone knows everyone. People welcome you in and don’t turn a cold shoulder to new people.
Linda has been married to her best friend, Mike Hull, for 44 years. They met when they were young while hanging out at Yoneda’s Drive-In. Mike was always with Greg Osborn, Linda’s cousin, at the drive-in or dances, etc. Linda went to a dance and Mike was there. He taught her to jitterbug and the rest is history! Linda and Mike have 3 kids, 6 grandkids, and 1 great grandchild. Mike has attended FBC a few times and continues to tell the story of how Lance will greet him, and Mike told Lance he would come more often if he could sit in the nice, comfortable chairs at the front of the church (pulpit area) that Lance gets to sit in. Mike says Lance looked straight at him and explained that if he became a member and ultimately part of the Diaconate, he could sit in those chairs.
Linda was baptized at the Emmett Christian Church as a teen in 1972. She had always attended church as a child with her family, so she doesn’t remember a specific time or event that led her to Christ, she has just always known and trusted in the Lord.
Linda explained that her parents took her and her 2 siblings to church every Sunday…except when they went fishing in the summer (the fish was a main staple for them). Both her parents were Christians, and she knows they are now with Jesus. However, she explained that she is unsure when her dad became a Christian.
If you are from Emmett, you probably are familiar the Yoneda’s Drive-In and the Husky Burgers they sold, and have probably met Linda’s dad, Ed Yoneda, who always supported Emmett’s kids. Being of Japanese descent and having had a complicated childhood, Linda wonders whether it was his faith that helped him through the challenges or whether his faith in the Lord came later in life. Ed was born in Loomis, California and his parents practiced Buddhism. As a young child, his parents did not want him. He had told Linda that if relatives had not taken him, his dad was going to take him out and shoot him. Fortunately, his dad’s cousin took him and they became the only grandparents Linda and her siblings knew. Ed and his adoptive parents lived in California and had an olive orchard. When he was about 15 years old, during the attack on Pearl Harbor, all the Japanese were put in concentration camps. Linda’s dad did not talk about it much, but Linda did an interview with her grandpa who explained that the police came into their home and gave them only a few hours to pack. They were only allowed to take one suitcase. Her dad had to take his dog out and shoot it. Her grandma and grandpa and dad broke all grandma’s good China and they explained that anything of value had to be destroyed or the Americans would take it and sell it. They put them on a bus and took them to a camp in Tule Lake, California. They shared a big room with several others and slept on the floor. To get out of the camp, they had to have a job and had to move inland. After about a year or so, Linda’s grandpa was able to get an assignment to work at an orchard in Emmett. Her dad and grandma had to stay in the camp until her grandpa had enough money to send for them. Mr. Hogue, who owned the orchard and packing shed, provided him with a job and a house. For years, people would refer to Ed as a “Jap”, even in Emmett. He held onto that experience for years. But if you had the opportunity to meet Ed later in life, you would have known the kind and gentle person he was.
I have known Linda for over 45 years. Being my husband’s cousin and our husbands being longtime friends, we have become good friends as well as family. I recall one of my first outings with my husband going up to a cabin in Cascade for New Years with Linda’s parents and friends. Her dad insisted I stay the night because the roads were too dangerous. He called my mom and assured her he would chaperone. I see a lot of her dad in Linda. She is a caring, kind and generous person. She is very family-oriented and even invites others into her family. Her yearly Christmas dinners keep getting bigger and bigger. She and Mike often have the kids and grandkids at their house whether they are babysitting or having family dinners or just visiting. Each year they take all 6 of the grandkids, plus each of the kids get to bring a friend, and they go camping for 9 to 12 days or longer! They ride four-wheelers, swim, fish, and eat all the junk food they want until it is gone.
Linda thrives when it comes to spending time and/or helping youth. During her Christmas dinner she always has Santa stop by to distribute presents to all the kids and teens. She has done this for years and Santa’s bag has gotten fuller and fuller with gifts that Linda has purchased for each child as their name is called out. Many of the kids are not even part of the family dinner but just stop by to see Santa and get their gift! Linda described how she enjoyed a time while she was going to Emmett Christian when her and Mike took a bunch of the youth from church up to the mountains to fish and swim. Kids of all ages seem to be comfortable with Linda and even non-family will refer to her as Grandma Linda!
Linda is also one of the most helpful people I know, with many skills and talents and she never seems to let anything slow her down. She gardens and puts up approx. 200 pints of salsa every year (her family loves her salsa!). She used to put up 50 quarts of pickles until Mike decided he likes Kosher pickles which gave Linda an out. Mike and Linda love to camp, hunt and fish and Linda cans the fish. She is also a seamstress … making dresses for her daughters/granddaughters, patching hunting clothing for family and friends, doing curtains and repairing cushions for the travel trailer, etc. From 1995 through 2001, Linda volunteered (until the school decided to start paying her) in Mrs. Daniels Home Economics/Teen Living class during November-December teaching students to sew, making Quillows.
But don’t ask Linda to do anything in the month of September as Mike and Linda essentially live in the mountains during that month. Even with Mike being disabled (back issues) and Linda with her knee and hip issues, you will still see them “hobbling” around up and down the mountains and game trails during archery season. Fortunately, with a large hunting party of family and friends including a strong and able son and sons-in-law, packing out an elk is not a problem. Linda doesn’t pack a bow but has perfected her unique bugle to get the bulls to come in for Mike. On rare occasions, she and I have actually gotten elk to bugle when the experts, like our husbands or sons have not! 😊 Linda did try packing a bow and tagging her own elk…until one day, a monster elk was called in right in front of her. She froze! She couldn’t even pull her bow back. She will never live that story down.
Linda grew up in Emmett and worked at the Courthouse for a couple of years. While working there she eventually started working the lunch shift at the Drive-In for her parents. In 1992 her parents wanted to sell the drive-in so Linda and her husband, Mike, purchased it. In 1995 and 1996, Arctic Circle and McDonalds came to town and rather than worrying about whether they were going to make it or not, they decided to sell. Linda then went to work at WiCap and worked there for 10 years. In 2004, her and Mike decided to purchase a cleaning business, doing new commercial cleaning and ultimately taking on a contract with UPS performing maintenance and cleaning of the Boise, Nampa and Meridian offices plus maintaining the drop boxes in areas as far as Jackson Hole Wyoming. In 2015, they were asked by UPS to go nationwide and had to decline and closed their business. During all this time, Linda was working as a Skills Tester for driver’s licenses. She quit working at WiCap and is now essentially a full-time Skills Tester working her own hours/schedule. This allows her to take September off for hunting season (archery) and take weeks off in the summer for camping. She explained that of all her jobs, the most rewarding was working with the kids in Mrs. Daniels’ class. She feels that is the reason she enjoys doing the skill’s testing… working with the youth again.
When asked how her faith in the Lord has help her overcome struggle in her life, Linda told of how early in her marriage, when she was pregnant with her first child, Mike did not seem to want to settle down and be a family man. She feared the marriage would not make it. She started going back to church and was able to talk with Mike and even got him to go to church with her a time or two.
However, Linda expressed that one of the most difficult times was when her mom was sick and passed away. Her mom had been sick with cancer and then it went into remission. Everything was going good for about 15 years. Then she got a lump on the side of her throat but wasn’t telling anyone. During one of the Christmas dinners at Linda’s house, she noticed the lump on her mom’s neck and asked her about it. The lump was hard to the touch and Linda told her she needed to get it checked out. It turned out the cancer was back. Linda prayed, and talked with God, asking Him why? She realized there was nothing more she could do but pray. Her mom started radiation, chemo, and ultimately had to have a feeding tube. Linda and her sister had to learn how to take care of her mom and the feeding tube. Her dad did not handle it well so they would go over every day to help. On August 12, 2016, her mom ended up in the hospital, got an infection and died from the infection. Looking back, Linda feels God did answer her prayer by giving her mom peacefulness.
A couple of years later, her dad’s health was failing him and he realized he could no longer live alone and made the decision to go into the Cottages. This was tough on Linda and the family, even though her dad said he liked it there. As her dad’s health continued to decline, Linda prayed to let him go. God answered her prayer on October 4, 2018.
Linda’s message to readers is to live your life to the fullest because you don’t know when it will come to an end. And don’t hold grudges.
Her favorite Bible verses are:
Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day may bring. ~Proverbs 27:1
Let love and faithfulness never leave you. ~Proverbs 3:3
A cheerful heart is good medicine. ~Proverbs 17:22
Thank you, Linda, for sharing your story. I appreciate you and our friendship and for letting me ad-lib a little about you.
~Kathy Osborn
Miracle's Story - Voice of the Martyrs
SHE DARED TO STEP INTO A CHURCH
Ever since 24-year-old Miracle Conteh left a secret society in Sierra Leone to follow Jesus Christ 10 years ago, her grandmother, who led the society, has tried to kill her.
For two years, Miracle, known as Sassa until coming to faith in Christ at age 14, performed ancient rituals that involved interacting with demons, casting spells and performing bodily mutilations. She interacted with dark spirits so often that she said she always sensed the presence of evil spirits all around her.
More than half of Sierra Leoneans are Muslims, and nearly 13% are Christians. Most of the remaining population practice ethnic religions. Despite this public adherence to religion, an estimated 90% are additionally aligned with secret societies that dominate all aspects of life in Sierra Leone.
One evening, as Miracle’s grandmother was visiting another village, a Christian pastor arrived with a projector and a small screen. He had come to the village to share the JESUS film. As she watched the film, Miracle realized that Jesus was the one who had protected Christians when she and her grandmother had tried to control them through the dark spirit realm. After placing her faith in Christ, she decided to attend a church service.
When Miracle’s grandmother returned and learned what Miracle had done, she ordered others in the society to kill her.
“Immediately, a decision was reached that for treading my foot in the church, I should be killed,” Miracle said. “I had violated the law.”
About 30 women took Miracle into the forest, made her take off her clothes and tied her down.
“They flogged me very seriously that night,” Miracle said, crying. “They said, ‘If you ever try to follow that pastor, the next time we will kill you.’”
Miracle headed for the pastor’s house as soon as she was untied, but the women realized where she was going and recaptured her. They beat her again, and one of the women rubbed a crushed hot pepper in her eyes and elsewhere on her body. Screaming, Miracle broke free from the women and continued running, eventually reaching the pastor’s home.
Realizing Miracle’s life was in danger, the pastor and his wife immediately let her in their home. When the women arrived at the house a short time later, they ceremonially cursed the area where the pastor showed the JESUS film and led worship services. Throughout the night and into the morning, they threw stones at the house and ordered the pastor to release Miracle so they could kill her.
Eventually, the pastor was able to take Miracle to a church, where she stayed with another pastor for about a month.
While staying at the church, Miracle placed her faith in Christ. After her baptism, she took on the name “Miracle” to honor the way God had brought her out of darkness and into light.
Ten years after coming to faith in Christ, Miracle is part of a vibrant church and continues to grow in faith.
In December 2022, Miracle graduated from a three-year sewing program. She said she is grateful for her sewing machine and the training she received from the school; they are helping her provide for herself and have given her a place in society that doesn’t require keeping secrets.
“I want whoever reads my story to be praying for me to stay in the Lord,” she said. “That is the most important thing, staying in Christ.”
FROM THE PRESIDENT (Boise Rescue Mission)
"The investment we make in the lives of our Mission kids is going to have a lasting impact on their future and will certainly give them the best opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness that most of them come from. We can't do it without you." - Rev. Bill
Dear Mission Friends,
I hope that you are smiling right now, just as I was when I saw these pictures from our Summer Children's Program! How wonderful it is to see these kids smiling, having fun, and learning.
What a stark contrast from the scenes that we see of homeless children sleeping in cars, walking the sidewalks with a parent, or worse yet, standing on the corner with a parent who's holding a sign saying, "Homeless, please help."
These pictures are to confirm with that your support of the Boise Rescue Mission is changing the lives of children right here, right now, and that together, we have been making a major impact in the lives of Treasure Valley kids for decades.
Fourteen years ago, we made a determined effort to expand and improve our Children's Ministries. At that time, I felt we were doing a great job helping the moms and dads in our shelters and programs, but we needed to do more for their children. With that, we added more staff, created classrooms, and even began an annual College Road Trip so our kids could visit nearby colleges and experience them first-hand. They learn about scholarships, the different focuses of various schools, and catch a vision for attending college. This past school year, all of the high school seniors under our Mission roofs graduated from high school! Some have already enrolled at a college or trade school for the fall semester.
The children in these pictures are on their way to academic success as well, thanks to your support! Almost every child staying at the Mission has an improved GPA within a few weeks of arriving. Now, they will spend this whole summer, Monday- Friday, 8:00 – 5:00, under the loving supervision of our Children's Program staff. They'll go on field trips, enjoy great meals, and learn throughout the summer. And they'll not just be learning the ABC's, they'll be learning about Jesus, about faith, about Christian living. I believe that the investment of love that we make in the lives of our Mission kids is going to have a lasting impact on their future and will certainly give them the best opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness that most of them come from. We can't do it without you.
Thank you, and God bless you for your compassion and generosity.
Rev. Bill Roscoe President/CEO
"The investment we make in the lives of our Mission kids is going to have a lasting impact on their future and will certainly give them the best opportunity to break the cycle of homelessness that most of them come from. We can't do it without you." - Rev. Bill
Contact Us: info@BoiseRM.org | (208) 343-2389 | PO Box 1494, Boise, ID 83701 | BoiseRM.org RESTORING FAITH, HOPE, AND FAMILY SINCE 1958 JULY 2023
65 Years of Faith, Hope and Family
Read the article at chrome-https://boiserm.org/category/newsletters/
When God saw you, it was love at first sight.
Brown Family's Favorite Pumpkin Pie
This pumpkin pie has a walnut streusel topping that is optional. Serve with whipped topping or ice cream.
~Recipe by Cindy B (All Recipes.com)
Prep Time: 30 mins. Cook Time: 1 hr., Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 8 Yield: 1 to 9 - inch pie
Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. Stir in 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour filling into pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. While the pie is baking, prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Blend in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the topping over the pie.
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake an additional 40 minutes, or until set.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
463 Calories; 26g Fat; 52g Carbs; 10g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label
Chuckles
The burglar stopped in his tracks. The women calmly called the police and explained what she had done. As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar, "Why did you just stand there? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you." "Scripture?" replied the burglar. "She said she had an Ax an Two 38s!"
Calendar of Events at FBC
Nov. 27 ...... Outreach Committee Meets
Dec. 8-10 ... Multi-Church Choir-Drama-Orchestra
Dec. 14 ...... All Boards Meet
Every Sunday.......... coffee, juice, munchies and game for kids 9:30am in the FBC Teen Room
Every Wednesday ... Draw Near To God In Prayer 7pm
Every Thursday ....... men's small group 9:30am
Want to read past newsletters?
All newsletters are posted to the FBC Website. Go to www.FBCemmett.org and click on the 'News' dropdown, then 'Church Newsletters". There you will find a list of all the past newsletters that have been posted to the website.
Note: you can click on any picture within the newsletter to enlarge it!