Sunday evening at Eastside Baptist Church.
This is the most recent message in the series of messages on family and marriage.
Posts Tagged with Idaho
For Church and Family (006) the Offering
In this post I talk about the importance of children participating in the offering. The more they participate in the gathering the more they want to participate.
Tips for Church and Famiy
- Parents:
- At home, teach your children about the value of money. This can be done young.
- At home, teach your children about why you give to your church. You don’t turn your money over to the preachers, you give to your church and the ongoing ministry of the agreed upon mission of the congregation. it’s a matter of humbly obeying God.
- Encourage your children to participate in the ongoing ministry/mission of their church.
- Church:
- Model this participation in front of your children, grandchildren, and all children around you.
- Yes, this is a rather private part of our participation, it’s not asked or allowed for anyone to announce how much money they give.
- All offerings are given to the congregation. The congregation decides how to use this money. It is not a decision of the elders.
- Do not announce your giving, but don’t use humility to cover your disobedience of not giving.
For Church and Family (001)
Today, I begin a series on church and family. I will lay out several short clips over the next few weeks from my Sunday evening teaching entitled “For Church and Family.”
These should be considered for consideration only. This is not a prescription or a requirement. I believe it will be helpful in all of our homes.
In this introduction I lay out a case for parents, children and the church as a whole to begin a needed conversation about what is helpful for family and church when we gather together. These posts will include a video clip from the October 15, evening teaching with ideas, cautions, encouragements and considerations.
A primary Scripture text over the past several weeks in the series of messages on parenting has been the benefit of Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go…” The key in this text is that we should consider the way the child should go not the way the child’s will wants to go. This is in relationship to behavior primarily. It can apply to the path of life but for the use in this series it is primarily used in behavior.
It has been my prayer that this be a blessing. I respect that a family who attends Eastside Baptist Church has a hard work to do. I think it is a good work. Yes, sometimes, a good work is hard work, but in the end it is a reward.
My encouragement to all parents in this God ordained work is to not grow weary in doing good (Galations 6:9).
On any given Lord’s Day at Eastside Baptist Church we will have from 20 to 30 children under the age of 12 in our morning gathering. That is a blessing from God. Treat it as such and bless the Lord for it.
Tips for Church and Family:
- Parents:
- Consider using the term “Lord’s Day” when you speak about Sunday’s.
- Take time this week when you gather your children together and communicate what it looks like for your family when you gather at the church house with the church family.
- Age appropriately, include your children in the discussion by asking them what they think you expect from them on the Lord’s Day.
- Discuss why you expect them to behave as you instruct.
- Protect yourself from being frustrated with your children.
- Don’t grow weary in doing good.
- Church:
- Be patient with the children and their parents. It is a blessing to have them with us.
- Pray for parents as they give helpful instructions to their children.
- Pray for the children to want to heed their parents instructions.
Isaiah, the Evangelist
God will protect those He has redeemed, the church, and all that belong to it. This sermon series in Isaiah is now 10 sermons strong as we approach chapter 4 this Lord’s Day (October 15).
Gather with us on October 15 for the next sermon; “The Glory of the Church” at 10:30 a.m. in Twin Falls, Idaho. If unable to gather with us in person consider live streaming HERE:
Isaiah has established a strong case for the Gospel with the first two messages in chapters 1-3. In chapter 4 he “Swings for the fence” and does not disappoint.
He identifies the Messiah as the “Branch of the LORD. He lays the ground work for a fruitful gospel harvest, the “fruit of the earth”. Here he makes it clear that those in danger are the ones who look for a refuge, those who are hungry look for food, those who are weary seek rest, those who know of a coming storm seek for shelter.
Get caught up with past sermons.
Local Pastor Spotlight: thebarpodcast.com
This week the B.A.R. podcast featured an interview with Greg Moering Jr.
Listen to the interview HERE: http://thebarpodcast.com/index.php/2017/09/21/local-pastor-spotlight-greg-moering-jr/
Open Letter to Calvary Bible Church, Wood River Valley
To the Saints at Calvary Bible Church of the Wood River Valley,
My name is Paul Thompson, I pastor Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. I have been pleased to meet many kind brothers and sisters from your fellowship over the years of my days in the region. This past Sunday evening we had the privilege of having Sam, Sarah, and their sweet children, with us as they introduced their hope to soon relocate to Croatia for the training of Pastors, planting churches, and strengthening the church.
I want to simply express joy in the Lord for the opportunity to meet Sam and Sarah Wulbrandt. It was a blessing to hear of their ties to your local fellowship. Sam and Sarah were kind in how they spoke of our God and the seriousness of the work they are lead to participate in.
Sam was faithful in his exposition of 2 Timothy. His preaching was timely, passionate, and articulated with the precision of the word of God.
May the Lord be pleased to raise up in our churches many like Sam and Sarah.
To the uttermost with the Gospel,
Paul Thompson
Eastside Baptist Church
Twin Falls, Idaho
Things Every Student Needs to Know
An open invitation to every student preparing to arrive at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, Idaho.
Dear Students,
Welcome to Twin Falls, Idaho.
I hope you find this city and the College of Southern Idaho a pleasant place for the unknown number of months/years you’ll be here. But more than that I hope you will find a local community of faithful followers of Christ as defined by the Bible.
My name is Paul Thompson. I’m a pastor at Eastside Baptist Church located at 204 Eastland Drive North in Twin Falls. I shepherd a peculiar people of God. Not weird peculiar, not strange peculiar, not disconnected peculiar, more like refreshing peculiar. You’ll need to come see for yourself.
There are many things that are attempting to capture your attention in these first days on campus. In reality, what you give yourself to early in these formative days of your life is what you will invest in the longest
I invite you to join me this coming Lord’s Day.
When you arrive at Eastside Baptist Church you will discover that there is a Sunday morning bible study class that begins at 9:15 a.m. When you arrive, you will not find a segregated class for every age, you will find several classes made up of people in all stages of life. They will have their bibles with them and they will be reading that bible and examining their lives against this trustworthy standard. Feel free to join right in.
When you arrive at Eastside Baptist Church you will discover that our corporate worship gathering at 10:30 a.m. is filled with people of all ages. No one has an assigned seat so don’t worry about sitting in the wrong place. (I’m confident the front rows will be empty if you are an adventurous kind.) In our worship gatherings we sing, read Scripture, pray, preach, proclaim the Lord’s death (Lord’s Supper), respond to God, and fellowship regularly.
You’ll also hear that we have another opportunity on the Lord’s Day to gather in the evening at 6:30 p.m. This is a unique moment for us. Few churches in our day gather in the evenings anymore. This is a time for further examination against the plumb line of God’s words and to stir one another on to obey Christ in all things. This is of greatest interest to me in regards to my invitation to you. This Lord’s Day evening, August 20, 2017 at 6:30 p.m., I will address several challenges to you concerning this powerful season of your life.
You will also hear word of a regular time each week for corporate prayer. This isn’t a mid-week activity. It is a sweet time of seeking the face of God together in a time of prayer. This may be the most foreign duty of the modern church, but it is expected and commanded in God’s word that we pray together.
Come be the church with us.
This Lord’s Day evening, August 20, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. I will address several challenges to you concerning this powerful season of your life. I hope you will consider joining me this weekend.
- Love God more than you love the college experience. (Matthew 22:37-38)
- Love others. Devote yourself to helping others.
- Saturate yourself in Scripture.
- You need friends who love to listen to Jesus!
- Christ centered community is essential. And I don’t mean a community of peers. I mean a multi-generational community that is lead by biblically qualified shepherds. And I don’t just mean Sunday morning.
- Stop looking for your “soul” mate and be on the lookout for a “sole” mate.
- College is a time that reveals your heart. Your heart wants what it wants. Have you instructed your heart to want God? Guard your heart from craving what is disruptive from obeying God.
- Be done with the “American Dream”, have a heaven driven dream.
- Examine all things with the lamp of Scripture on!
Welcome to Eastside Baptist Church
Paul Thompson
Preparation for Gathering with the Saints
Renee and I have spent the better part of this afternoon hunting for anywhere that has solar eclipse viewing glasses for sale. Where the total solar eclipse zone is just 80 miles north, Twin Falls will experience 96-97% eclipse. Our search for eclipse glasses today proved a failed hunt. However, there is no shortage of the capitalistic economy ready to literally cash in on supply and demand. Eclipse glasses can be bought for as much as $100.00 each (I’ll pass on that) on Craig’s List. We found an outlet that will meet us in a parking lot of a well lit retailer in town offering them for $5.00 each. I’ll have Renee observing from a distance while I exchange cash for a pair of glasses to look at the sun for 2 minutes.
I’ve also noticed the price of gasoline slowing growing as the big day approaches. If reports are accurate, Southern Idaho may run out of gasoline for cars, food in restaurants, and rural towns crowded with travelers from around the region to venture into the shadow of the moon. This will require a bit more advance planning than I made for eclipse glasses.
This is a special moment in anyone’s lifetime.
Yet there are more spectacular moments than a total solar eclipse. This is the weekly gathering of redeemed sinners.
Imagine, of all the things in the universe, only one ongoing event has the historic pining of the prophets and the peering into from the angelic realms of heaven; to see a people marked for destruction by the wrath of God, yet covered by the righteous blood of his only begotten son, worshiping God (1 Peter 1:12). This doesn’t make the gathering of people the greatest event in the universe, it makes God the center attraction and his redeeming act of wretched humanity. Spectacular!
This gathering of the redeemed is an event to prepare for. Not meaning one shouldn’t make plans for a rare moment of the moon passing in direct path of the sun.
While all of the residents within the region (and beyond) are planning, preparing, and cashing in on this “once in a lifetime” kind of event, be sure not to miss out on what hardly anyone is preparing for or talking about these coming days. At 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the Lord’s Day, August 20, 2017 there will be a gathering of saints at 204 Eastland Drive North in Twin Falls, Idaho. We won’t be selling T-shirts or cashing in on capitalistic opportunities… we will open the word of God to hear a preached word from the one who causes solar eclipses. You should plan on gathering with us.
Trustworthy News
In a day when everyone wants to say other news outlets are “fake news”, can there be anything such as trustworthy news?
News reporters who report to a base will willingly say things that are not true to insight a people to say and do things for them.
If you forgot about this, then be reminded. If you didn’t know this, learn it quickly. Recently, Alex Jones and InfoWars.com have retracted inflammatory remarks it once reported as factually true after a lawsuit was filed.
When you listen to anyone talk about anything it’s always best to begin looking for primary sources they are using. If they’re not using sources, ask for them to verify. If they have a pattern of not using credible sources, stop trusting them and stop sharing their stories.
This is a good reminder for all of us.
Some guidelines for listening ears…
- Listen for truth.
- Don’t be satisfied with opinion primarily.
- Read as many primary sources as possible.
- Don’t share everything you read as fact.
- Read and listen to media with awareness of what and who you are listening too.
- Interesting media reports are more driven by opinion than truth.
- Just know what’s influencing you. Don’t play the part of the fool by the manipulating media.
- Attend local government meetings.
- Ask good questions and listen for logically true answers before you formulate an opinion.
Why did it take a lawsuit to get truth from Alex Jones? Can Alex Jones and InfoWars.com be trusted as reliable news?
Can You Call a City a “Welcoming City” While Planned Parenthood Murders Unborn Babies
As long as Planned Parenthood is allowed to do business as usual within the region, no document declaring Twin Falls a “Welcoming City” can be taken seriously. It is a flaw in logic to say we welcome all while at the same time being silent about abortion.
Planned Parenthood is not an official function of the city and neither is the refugee center. My appeal to the city in the “Welcoming City” resolution process is to not consider the actions of one without the other. The city has no jurisdiction over either unless there is direct violation, need for an event permit on public property, or any other matter that requires official city action.
I’m not interested in distracting the city council from their duty. As far as I’m concerned the city officials are best when they are doing their duty. A “Welcoming City” resolution is not their duty. If they pick this matter up as a duty, then I want fairness to all within the city, not just one or select segments of the population to be considered.
While the city works through the drafting of a resolution to declare the city of Twin Falls a “Welcoming City”, please consider writing the Mayor, City Council, and city staff reasonable letters to not present or accept any resolution until the ongoing abortion of babies in the wombs within our city limits is answered. Appeal to them as a reasonable person with compassion.
To declare the city a “Welcoming City” while babies are aborted all year long in silence is a contradiction in responsible logic. The city will likely adopt some kind of a “welcoming city” resolution; shouldn’t it have something to say about the most vulnerable in the city?
The timeline is unknown as to when the city council will act on such a resolution, but when it does, we must be prepared to give a reasonable rebuttal rather than an emotionally charged vent or confused response. Whatever is said in public or private must also be done with respect to authority and honor to our God.