December Pastor’s Chat and Links to November’s Messages

December Pastor’s Chat

It has truly been a joy to send out the Pastor’s Chats for another year.  I have seen spiritual growth in many this past year. For this I give thanks to God! I also thank Him for the many truths that I have learned and been challenged with this year. Our church theme, God is Worthy, has been greatly used in my life to challenge me to offer up everything I have in worship of God, because He is worthy.  The two adult Sunday School books that we have studied, When People are Big and God is Small and Knowing God, have been heart opening, mind enlightening,  and life changing.  I want to thank each of you who have encouraged me and prayed for me throughout the year.  I would ask that you continue to hold me up before the throne of grace, that God would lead me and fill me by His Spirit to do the work which He has called me to do at First Baptist and in our community.  By His grace I want to be a better pastor each year I have the privilege to serve as an undershepherd of one of Christ’s local flocks (I Peter 5:1-11).

This leads me to another request.  Would you pray that God would lead in the selection of a church theme for 2010?  Again in 2010, I would like to focus the “Pastor’s Chats” on such a theme that would help us in our walk with Christ and worship of God.  If you have a suggestion for a new church theme for 2010 please talk with me or send me a note with your ideas.

Lastly, as we come into the Christmas season, I pray that you will have a worshipful Christmas with your family and a blessed New Year as you seek the Lord and serve Him.  I pray that God will use each of us to spread the message of the grace and truth of Jesus Christ to our loved ones and acquaintances.  Are you willing to “Just Ask?”

Blessings in the Name of our Saviour,  Mark Worden, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dillon, Montana

Links: If the following messages have been a blessing and encouragement to you please feel free to share them with others. Some plant and some water but it is God that gives the increase.

Sunday, November 29th -
Testimonies, Baptism, and Church Membership
3 salvation testimonies, receiving of new members into our congregation, a brief message from Hebrews 10:19-25, and a baptism. MP3 File URL
What a blessed Lord’s Day!

Sunday, November 22nd -

Morning Service:  Title: Give Thanks! Text: Psalm 107
MP3 File URL

Evening Service:  11 minute salvation message entitled:
God’s Goodnesss, Hell, and Salvation
MP3 File URL

Wednesday, November 18th   Missionary Gene Blackburn
Trust God! MP3 File URL

Sunday November 15th -
Sunday Morning: Title: True Greatness Text: Matthew 20:17-28
MP3 File URL

Sunday Night: Title: A Willing Heart and Divine Enablement
MP3 File URL

Sunday, November 8th –
Sunday Morning: Title:A Story of Grace Text: Matthew 20:1-19
MP3 File URL

Sunday November 1st –
Sunday Morning: Title:Forsaking All and Following Christ Text: Matthew 19:27-30
MP3 File URL

Selected Bible Verses to End and Start the Year

Selected Bible Verses to End and Start the Year

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Revelation 5:11-13, “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

Isaiah 40:25-31, “To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.”
“Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Matthew 9:36-38, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Praising God for a Growing Church Family

Today was a blessed day of fellowship at FBC of Dillon.  One dear lady was baptized in obedience to Christ, and three people gave their testimonies of salvation and officially became members of FBC by a vote of the membership.  You can download and listen to much of the service by clicking here.

Matthew 28:19-20, ” Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

God’s Goodness, Hell, and Salvation

I was guilty of false advertising. I said I would bring a short devotional after our praise and Thanksgiving service.  I keep the promise of shortness but was moved to preach the gospel and call those who were present and without Christ to repent of their sins and call upon Christ for salvation.   I pray that the seed of God’s truth was planted in hearts and that God would give the increase.   You can listen to this short and clear salvation message by clicking on the title:  God’s Goodness, Hell, and Salvation

Sincerely in Christ,  Mark Worden, pastor

2009 Thanksgiving Message from Psalm 107

I. The Call to Give Thanks

II.  Some Reasons to Give Thanks

III.  Some Situation in which to Give Thanks

IV.  Some Results of Giving Thanks

We encouage you to read Psalm 107 before listening to this message on Giving Thanks.

Missionary Gene Blackburn Blessed Us at our Wed. Night Prayer Meeting

He spoke from Proverbs 3:1-6    We have entitled the message: Trusting God! Click on the title to download the message to listen to a heart challenging message from the heart of man who loves the Lord.   Or you can listen from this website by going to the Audio Sermon page and using the sermon player.

1 ¶ My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

A Story of Grace

Jesus tells a story to drive home the point that salvation is all of grace.   The parable of the landowner and the vinyard workers  has many practical lessons for our lives.  One big lesson is the grace of God which leaves us no room for pride!  For a listen of Pastor Mark’s exposition of Matthew 20:1-19 click hear.

Forsaking All and Following Christ!

Today’s morning sermon called us to true discipleship.  Are you following Christ or are you just playing church games?    Pastor Mark preached from the same passage as last week ( Matthew 19:16-26) with a different focus and included the last few verses to close out the chapter (Matthew 19:27-30).  The general outline to the message is as follows: The Call, the Response, and the Reward for Forsaking All and Following Christ.   Click here to download the message for a listen.

November Pastor’s Chat – The Lamb of God is Worthy of Praise!

November Pastor’s Chat

God is worthy! The things of which God are worthy, from Revelation 5:12, have challenged us this year: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Thus far, we have focused on what God is worthy of, but have not focused on the name of God in this verse. In this coming month of Thanksgiving let us focus on our God who is the Lamb.

This Lamb is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ whom John the Baptist identified as such in John 1:29 when he saw, “Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  Thanksgiving and love should well up in our hearts toward our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who bore our sin on the cross of Calvary as the Lamb of God ( I Peter 1:18-21).  We who have been forgiven much should love much (Luke 7:47).  But do we?

Do you sometimes sense a lack of love and thanksgiving in your heart toward Christ?  My friend, I call you to remembrance!  Remember your sin before a Holy and Righteous God. Remember the times you unwittingly and wittingly broke his commands. The Lamb, Jesus Christ, died for your sins.  O praise Him! Thank Him! Stand in awe of the Lamb of God. It is by looking to our Savior that we can be delivered from the penalty of sin and the practice of sin.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” May God richly bless you as you look unto Jesus as the Lamb of God this coming Thanksgiving season!

With love and prayer, Pastor Mark

Selected Bible Verses about the Lamb of God

The Lamb of God

Genesis 22:8, “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.”

John 1:36, “And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!”

I Peter 1:18-21, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”

Acts 8:30-35, “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Revelation 21:22, “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

Revelation 21:23, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

Revelation 22:1, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Revelation 22:3, “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him.”