calvarytalkVolume 1, Issue 4

Fall 2015

Reformation DayThe Secret EverbodyOught to Know16.

Skeptics Wanted07.

A Call to Action,Make Desciples, Change the World18.

Lifestyle ofWorship

04.

Why Are You Here?11.

If you would like to contribute, please contact

Alan Smith.706-322-1491alansmith@

calvaryministries.com

Acts 1:8Missions at Calvary

10.ca

lvar

yta

lk Communication Arts Pastor, Chief EditorAlan Smith

Art DirectorLaura Atterbury

Graphic EditorBecky Smith

Contributing Writers

June WilhiteChris Sharpe

Dr. Ricky SmithDr. Don WilhiteFred MarshallMichael King

Norman DrummondNick Bruner

Jeff StrueckerAlan SmithOtto Price

PhotographersKen BrantleyAlan Smith

Dr. Ricky SmithDebbie King

Charlie Riedel,The Associated Press

If you would like to contribute contact Alan Smith.

706-322-1491

alansmith@calvaryministries.com

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Skeptics WantedWho Wants to Vacation in Ferguson, MO?Jeff Strueker

Upcoming EventsSeptember, October,November

25.

Three Thanksgiving DaysJune Wilhite

12.

Do You Like to Fight?Dr. Ricky Smith

21.

The Stories We TellMichael King

20.

07.

A Call to Action:Make Disciples. Change the World

18.

04.Lifestyle of WorshipOtto Price

New Members23.

Dedicationsand Baptisms

24.

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19.Fight this Battle Every TimeAlan Smith

The Green HouseEffectFred Marshall

Guide to Can These Bones Live?Dr. Don Wilhite

13. 22.

The Secret Everybody Ought To Know16.

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WORSHIPWritten byOtto Price, Worship and Creative Arts Pastor

Lifestyle of

“Worship is not a twenty minute period

during a church service, but a lifestyle

of relating to God in a particular way.”

- Mike Bickle

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy,

to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God

—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 NIV

When I study Scripture to discern what is Biblical worship, I see a couple of things. When the Word of Godis shared it demands a response. When I see, experienceand become the beneficiary of God’s goodness, that also demands a response.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 NIV

Worship Motives: To honor with extravagant love

and extreme submission. Worship music is only one way we express worship to God. God is looking for worshippers that are convinced in their worship to Him (John 4:23-24). In knowing that worship is not style but a lifestyle, our lives should be completely submitted to God’s will. I believe this kind of worship is pleasing to Him. If we are truly submittedto Him and His ways, then everything we do is an act of worship: our jobs, cleaning our homes, caring for our children, coaching little league, etc. I long to see our corporate worship be the cumulative effect of committedlives that have sought to honor Jesus in all we do throughout our week. Worship is not a spectator sport. Rather, it is important and powerful when we collectivelycome together to lift every voice and sing. When we are leading worship on the platform, we must be sure that our lives are lived in a way that would bring Jesus honor. We cannot live a double standard. None of us are perfect, obviously, but are we living a life that lines

up with the standards that God has set forth in His Word?

Worship Artistry: Artistry In the Church Maybe I’m a little biased, but I think God has a special place in His heart for artists because so many are mentioned in the Bible. Being an artist was one of the first occupations listed in the early days of the Old Testament, along with agriculture and industry (Gen. 4:21). There are several references to teams of musicians (Neh. 10:28–29; Ps. 150:3–5)and other artists(Ex. 31:2–6; 35:30–35). However, being an artist, I realize all too well the joys and the lows that come with the territory. I want to create a culturewhere we artists can thrive while still being teachable, emotionally solid and humbly walking accepted before the Lord.

Worship Leadership: Serving from Fullness Ministering on the platform is a great honor and carrieswith it great responsibility. As worship leaders (that is everyone who is involved on worship team, tech team, and serving on a Sunday morning, not just the “worship leader”), we have the honor of giving a vocabulary and literally leading the congregation into the presence of Almighty God. In all love, I cannot emphasize this enough. True worship does not start on the platform; it starts in our devotion and submissionto God. What happens on the platform is simply an overflow of that.

We cannot lead where we have never been. Each of us as worship leaders has the privilegeand responsibility to be in the presence of God during the week, to live lives that are “living sacrific-es, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.”

Worship Direction Over the summer I had the great joy of sharing the vision of

multiple worship leaders and teams, which was met with great excitement! While this may seem new, it is actually a very traditionalconcept. The Levites, for example,served on a rotation basis. By doingthis it allowed them to serve in a way that avoided burnout and provided the opportunity for many to be involved in the worshipservice. Since this vision was shared, we have seen our list of worship leaders increase by

300%. We have quadrupled our instrumentalists and have more than doubled our vocalists! One of the great benefits of having multiple worship leaders and bands is that it provides the opportunity for more of our people to serve on worship teams and in creative arts, and it also allows our church to be led by a dynamic and diverse group of leaders.

SKEPTICS WANTEDWho Wants to Vacation in Ferguson, Missouri?

I feel pretty confident in saying no one is planning a vacation to Ferguson, Missouri this year! Unless you have friends or fam-ily who live in the St. Louis area, you will probably stay as far away from Fer-guson, MO as possible. Why doesn’t anyone want to vacation in Ferguson, MO? The answer is pret-ty obvious… That city has problems!

Written byJeff Struecker, Lead Pastor

Photo by Charlie Riedel,the Associated Press

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an offense to God when a church is only one skin color!

You can’t mess with the problemsof race in most churches. Walk in the door and you will easily see if a church is serious about breakingdown the walls of race. It’s a very VISIBLE invisible problem. Often problems of the heart go unnoticed. No one can see what’s at the heart of a church when you walk through the doors, but they can tell what the church believes about diversityin a matter of seconds.

Racism in our city- So does the Chattahoochee Valley! Although our problemsaren’t on the front page of the New York Times newspa-per, they’re still there. You can drive to certain parts of our community and see only one color of skin. In certain parts of the Chattahoochee Valleyyou can’t miss the poverty,unemployment and pain. Wemight not be as volatile as Ferguson, MO but we share race problems just the same.

The source of racism runs deep. The problem runs furtherthan skin deep. It comes from the heart . At its essence, racists believe the color of their skin is superior to the color of your skin. Racism exists within every colorof skin imaginable.

Race and the church-Can there be any room for racismamong God’s people? Since God created all of us, God is responsible for the multitude of skin colors. It is offensive to God when Christians judge another person by the color of his skin! I can not to be convinced that God wants different colors of skin to worship Him separately. I find it

Photo, Ferguson MO Protests

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for a man to be talking to a woman in the first place. This woman’s past made it even morescandalous that Jesus, a rabbi, would be talking to her. But perhaps the greatest scandal of this passage is that Jesuswas a Jew and she was a Samaritan! Those two races had nothing to do with one another.

The woman was amazed that Jesus was speaking to her. In John

How Jesus deals with race-Jesus dealt with racism head on. In fact, he challenged the cultural and racial issues of his day. One of the clearest passages in the Bible on this subject is found in John 4.

In this famous passage, Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well in midday. It was scandalous

4:9, she asked how is it that a Jew is speaking with the Samaritan? Jesus was undeterred.You can imagine how horrified Jesus’ disciples were when they saw him talking to this woman. In John 4:27 his disciples are freaked out by Jesus’ breaking of this cultural norm. Of course, Jesus knew that this woman would go back and tell everybody in town

about this man. God blessed this woman’s testimony and many people came to faith in Jesus (John 4:39) because of her words.

This may have been what the apostle Paul was thinking about in Romans 2:11. In this one verse he made it very clear that God favors no race! Of course it’s natural to feel more comfortablearound people like you. But don’t mistake comfort for correct. Just

because you feel morecomfortable around people thatlook like you; it doesn’t mean they’re better than people thatdon’t look like you.

How Jesus would have his people deal with race- G. K. Chesterton, the famous 19th Century theologian once said, “In real life the people who

are most bigoted are the people who have no convictions at all.”

God has made it clear in his word that he created all people. God has commanded his peopleto love one another as we loveourselves. God shows nofavoritism. Therefore, God’speople misrepresent him when we show favoritism. Christian racism is an offense against a holy God and not just against a brother of another color.

Missions at CalvaryWritten byChris Sharpe

If you’ve been to Calvary at least once, you may have noticed that our church is always seeking to heal hurts and meet needs in response to the Great Commission given to us by Jesus. The way we do that is through missions. But what are missions, really?

The Great Commission is rathervague on how we are supposed to go out into the world and spread the Gospel. We may get trapped into a very limited view of mission work as involvingnational or international travelwhere purpose is just to talk about the Gospel. While we are driven to spread the Gospel, how we do this should maximizethe gifts that God has alreadygiven us (like carpentry, childrearing, teaching, etc.). That said,everything we do can be a missionor ministry for Christ, even the non-traditional types of missions.

For example, my wife and I recentlydid an Amazing Race competitionwith our church. One of the best memories of this event was providing clothes to a local shelter.It was an opportunity for us, and the church, to interact with this shelter and answer a need while carrying ourselves as Christ would want us to, while also havinga lot of fun. The Men’s group has a repair ministry that does odd jobs and home repair for peoplewho need it. Calvary also has a relationship with Faithbridge, an organization dedicated to connecting local churches and local Christian families with fosterchildren to prevent the endless shuffling from one foster home to another. With this ministry,your mission work can literallybe done right at home. Finally, I was recently approached about an opportunity to participate in a

teacher’s forum in India. While this is still in the initial stagesof planning, what better way to help educators find a way to incorporate the message of Christinto an education?

We have more traditional mission work, both at home and abroad. Locally, various small groups and volunteers meet regularly at local parks, downtown Columbus, and elder community around Calvary to talk to people about the Gospel. Nationally, Calvary has trips to northern Georgia, New York, and other places to spread God’s word, talk to people about Christ and help establish churches in communitiesthat need them. Our focus is on having the largest impact possible,so there is a ministry to the Ft. Benning area (because of the national

and international reach of the community) as well as the New York City area where we can literallytouch representatives from almostevery country on the planet.

The point is that Calvary has several opportunities of missions and ministries to meet everyone’sparticular skills or gifts. I’m sure thatwe can find a way to help you use your gifts to answer God’s call andreach those that have never heardthe message of Christ to heal hurtsand meet needs. You can give to missions through our Acts 1:8 initiative. There are envelopes on theWelcome Tables for your offerings.We are sending 100% of the moneyraised through Acts 1:8 to supportLottie Moon, Annie Armstrong, our strategic partners, and local missionefforts.

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What do greeting people, operating audio, rocking babies, teaching, parking cars, playing guitar, singing, organizing, hanging out, playing video games, driving a bus, and talking about Jesus, have in common? All of these may be ministry if they are done for Jesus by a committed believer seeking to glorify God through service. The word “ministry” is often misunderstood. Some people think it is what ordained preachers do. “Ministry” is just another word for “service.” Every Christian, not just preachers, is created for service.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a

result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we

would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

You were not saved from God’s wrath by doing good works. Salvation happens only by faith in what God has done for you in Jesus Christ. But, God’s plan when you give your life to Him, is to serve Him. We refer to that sometimes as “a call to serve.” It is why at Calvary we often say, “Every member is a minister,and every minister should have a ministry.” God has made you unique and given to you a spiritual gift for the purpose of serving Him. In fact, you will never know the true and lasting joy of your salvation until you discover your place of service in God’s kingdom.

The best-selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” by Rick Warren, is an excellent place to begin to discover how God has shaped you for ministry. In his book, Rick describes what “real servants” do. Real servants make themselves available to serve. Real servants pay attention to needs. Real servants do their best with what they have. Real servants do every task with equal dedication, Real servants are faithful to their ministry.

Written byNorman Drummond

Please allow me to use one other quote from Rick Warren’s book.

“If you’re not involved in any service or ministry, what excuse have you been using? Abraham was old, Jacobwas insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samsonwas codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijahwas suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsiveand hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timothy was timid.”

So, why are you here? I don’t mean, why are you at Calvary Baptist Church? Why are you (a believer in Jesus, residing in Columbus, Georgia, involved with a body of believers) here? Is it time to find out? May I recommend a couple of places to begin?

Pray: “Lord I am your servant. Show me what ministry You have for me.” Read: John 17:13-26; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; 1 Peter 4 Ask: All pastors at Calvary have a deep desire to help you discover your ministry.

May God richly bless you! The journey you are on is an exciting and fulfilling one. Moving to the center of God’s will is the absolute best place to be. God will be glorified and God’s kingdom will expand because you have chosen to follow Jesus as His faithful servant.

“Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among man-kind, whereby we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12

There are many thanks-giving events written about in the Bible. One of these amazing events is found in the story of Esther. Esther’s humble spirit and her willingness to risk her own life for the sake of her people, the Jews, plus her faith in God to answer earnest prayers, was used by God to protect the Jewishrace from annihilation by the Persians.

Since that time, the Jews have celebrated the 14th and 15th days of the 12th Jewish month, Adar, which is celebrated todayduring February or March. Celebrations include joyfulfeasting and sending portions of food and gifts to the poor. Purim is basically a Jewish two-daythanksgiving celebration.

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast. We recognize this as one of the first thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For years afterward, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by coloniesand states. The early settlers and their cooperative relationships with the localIndians resulted in successful crops, feasts, and thanksgiving to God.

In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.He entreated all Americans to ask God to “commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” In 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill proclaiming the fourth Thursdayin November to be Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day celebrations are anticipated for family gatherings, feasts, and days off from work. Today we add football games and after-dinner-naps to our anticipated events of the day. But these are not the primary reasons for celebrating. On the fourth Thursday of November, let us celebrate our countryand all those who have risked their lives to make and keep this country free.

Above all, we acknowledge the divine providence of our everlasting God of love. We thank Him for His protections and for our freedom to worship Him, the only true God. He is our Shammah – always there. All good things come from Him. Hallowed be His name!

For Christians, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus merits the greatest day of all on which to celebrate. Old Testament prophecies told us of His coming birth from a virgin, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. He came, He was crucified, He rose to life the third day, and He ascended before the eyes of over 500 people. The day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spir-it of God was sent to inhabit and empower the souls of believers, came as Jesus had foretold them. Praise God, He is coming again – to receive His own (those who have received Him) unto Himself!

Each year, on the Sundays when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, we’ll remember that He died for all people and He rose from the dead that we might have everlasting life by God’s grace and by our choice to receive that grace. Calvary Baptist Church welcomes with open arms people of every race and ethnicity, to unite in worship and thanksgivingto God every Sunday. And the most exciting worship and thanks giving by the family of God are experienced each spring on Resurrection Sunday, the ultimateThanksgiving Day! Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A. Resurrection Day

-1-Purim

Three Thanksgiving DaysWritten byJune Wilhite

“Now, if we're thankful it really ought to show in our lives, and by the way, I don't believe that there's any other sin quite like the sin of ingratitude.” - Adrian Rogers

I have non-exclusive information about three historic thanksgiving celebrations. All included meals. But they weren’t about the meals. They were about hearts bursting with thanksgiving to God. These thanksgiving events resulted in meals, and in food gifts shared with others, as expressions of thankfulness for God’s protection and provision.

-2- -3-

It is interesting to note that each of these three “Thanksgiving Days” is centrally a celebration of life and of Elohim, the Creator and Giver of life.

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” - Revelation 5:12

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Written byFred Marshall

If you're tired of all the propa-ganda about global warming,climate change and the ab-surd idea that man can destroy what God has created, let me assure you that this won't ad-dress that issue. It does, how-ever, serve as a very usefulmetaphor. We don't need a def-inition from Webster's Diction-ary to remind us what we learned in elementary school science about a greenhouse and how it works. At the risk of oversim-plifying, the reason plants grow so well inside a greenhouse is because the heat trapped inside creates a cycle of evap-oration and condensation of water which, in addition to the sunlight, helps nourishthe plants with little or no out-side interference.

“Residents' physical, emotional and spiritual needs are met by a staff of caring,

well-trained professionals whose mission it is to make their time there joyful and fulfilling.”

Written byFred Marshall

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My most recent memory of a greenhouse was the one we saw during our mission trip to Honduraslast September. The one thing that struck me while walking through the rather sizeable structure was how hot it was. As hot as it was outside anyway, the temperatureinside that greenhouse had to have been ten degrees hotter. Regardless of your view of the cause of Alzheimer's Disease, whether and how it can be prevented,we can probably agree that thereare those who suffer from it, and it has become a sad fact of our modern society. Imagine those diagnosed with Alzheimer's as plants. In a normal garden, the gardener or farmer has to cultivateplants for them to grow. He provides the soil, irrigation and does the things within his power

to ensure they flourish. Ultimately, of course, he must rely on God to furnish the sun, the rain, the elements necessary for this tohappen. If the farmer were to become unable to properly care for the plant without great effort beyond his ability, transplantingit into a greenhouse could be the most prudent thing to do.

We've all seen the result of the moisture evaporating from a plantor flower without it being replenished in the form of manualwatering or rain, i.e. the plant dries up and withers. Since the water vapor condenses on the inside of the greenhouse (you may see the drops of water formingon the upper surfaces), when it's heavy enough it returns to the plants and waters them.

The light and heat from the sun and the nutrients in the soil complete the factors necessaryfor the plant to thrive in the greenhouse. Losing one's memoryand mental faculties is, in a somewhat abstract sense, like the plant losing the moisture it needs to sustain life and function properly. Where there might not be a steady, predictable source of precipitation,warmth and sunlight (proper care), a person's situation and condition is likely to deteriorate.

The Green House at Calvary provides the same kind of warmth, love and nourishing environmentin a human sense that a greenhouse does for plants in a botanical, horticultural,agricultural sense.

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Elders' physical, emotional and spiritual needs are met by a staff of caring, well-trainedprofessionals whose mission it is to make their time therejoyful and fulfilling. They provide,metaphorically speaking, the living water residents need to still live the kind of life God wants them to have, rather than just drying up and witheringaway in so many ways.Unlike the mechanical process in a greenhouse, this ministry adds so many intangible elementsthat help make it a loving place not found anywhere else.

We've probably all heard of the studies that have been conductedover the years that show howmuch better plants grow whenexposed to certain types of musicand how they respond to the human voice. How much more our dear elders respond to the caregivers who truly give lovingattention to them! This is a serious enough concept at the Green House that a unique name has been given for the caregivers there; Caritas, from the Latin word meaning to cherish, appreciate, give special, loving attention to.This mindset is exemplified in Christianity by loving-kindnessand self-sacrificial love, as God gave His Son to die for our sin. One can't be loved that much without responding.

Just as farmers for millennia have learned to rotate their crops because they each deplete particular nutrients after a time, the seven coordinator roles arerotated periodically (every threemonths) to ensure their opti-mum performance to benefit the elders. This plan helps the workersengage with the elders on a deeper and more personal levelthan they otherwise would in a conventional setting. It also helps the caregivers in beingcross-trained in all aspects of meeting the elders' needs.

The requirements of caregivers

are very thorough, so as to guarantee the elders receive the best possible care at the Green House. Reading the list of their functions, I was impressed with how comprehensive they were; nothing is left unaddressed.(In fact, when I tried to imagine having to perform all the duties listed for a loved one myself, I got tired just thinking about it. It is a great comfort to know that the staff has the skill to do these things as second nature, but the caring to do them with love.)

When you consider the depth of technical training, skills and expertise every caregiver at the Green House brings into the environment there, and the degree of love and dedication to the residents they demonstrate, you realize there is nothing lacking.Who among us has the time, en-ergy, and wherewithal to care for our loved ones afflicted with this unfortunate conditionthe way the staff at the Green House can? And what other facility anywhere consistently

exhibits the unparalleled care and love to their residents?

If my dear grandmother, who died a few years ago at the cute age of 92, had been a candidate for Alzheimer care, I would have gladly seen to it that she would be taken care of at the Green House. Furthermore, if I somedayrequire the skilled care the Green House offers, it is where I would go.

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Two of my heroes in the faith share the same name: MartinLuther King Jr. and Martin Luther. I’m convinced not enoughpeople know Martin Luther’s story. It’s a secret that ought to be told. So here goes…

Luther, as I like to refer to him, was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1483. His parents were very wealthy so they sent him off to school in Erfurt where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1502. He had intended to study law, but due to a narrow escape from death by lightning, he changed his mind and in spite of his father’s objections became an Augustinian monk in 1506. Lutherwas a brilliant theologian. He studied at the Erfurt monasterywhere he became a priest in 1507 before being transferred

The Secret Everybody Ought to KnowWritten byJeff Struecker, Lead Pastor

to Wittenberg, Germany.

Luther had a courageous faith! He noticed the obvious signs where the church had deviatedfrom the clear teachings of Scripture. Rather than keep quiet, Luther made his protests known. Unable to get the church’s attention, Luther drew up ninety-five theses for debate, which he posted on the door of the Castle church on October 31, 1517. That’s right, Halloween is the anniversary of one of the most important dates in church history.

Luther’s courage didn’t stop there. Perhaps one of his greatestcontributions to Christianity wasat the Leipzig disputationsupremacy of the authority ofScripture over the authorityof the church.

Martin Luther November 10, 1483 –

February 18, 1546

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We Southern Baptists still follow Luther’s thoughts on the supremacy of Scripture. Luther is a great role model for us today!

What are we teaching future generations? Theseare honest questions with which every Christian parent needs to wrestle. I applaud parents who want to protect their children from the dangerousinfluences of culture. However, when we hold our “Halloween alternatives” often what it teaches our children is to be no longer in or of the world.

What do our alternatives to Halloween say to ourchildren and the world? I want to challenge you about your Halloween traditions. Have you ever stopped and thought, what does my Christian versionof Halloween really say to my children? Am I raisingchildren of courageous faith or am I raising them to hide from the culture around them?

Maybe Christian parents should be aiming for teachingtheir children how to engage the world around them. Maybe we should aim for training them to become young Martin Luther’s. As a parent, I want to teach my children to confront the challenges of culture head-on rather than hide from them.

Maybe we should be standing on our doorsteps

greeting the people that God brings to our house with a smile and the gospel on Halloween rather than conducting a “Halloween alternative” on the church property. Maybe we should take advantageof the opportunity that God gives us on this one day of the year to engage people about the love of Jesus when they come to our front door.

Here a few practical suggestions for a Luther-like Halloween alternative for your family to considerthis coming Halloween:

1.Celebrate Reformation Day! Make a big deal out of it. Tell your children the story of Martin Luther. Tell them how he challenged people to return to the teachings of the Bible. Give your children gifts on “Reformation Day” as a way of celebrating the gift Martin Luther gave us.

2.A better alternative to Halloween is to make your front door your mission field. No need to dress up… go buy some candy, stand in the front yard and handout coffee or hot chocolate to parents when they come to your house. Give the children that come to your house something to eat, tell them Jesus loves them, and use it as an opportunity to share Jesus with the people God brings to your house. By doing this, Halloween can become one of the most Christian days of the year!

When our culture hears the word disciple or discipleship, what do you think the perception is? Whatabout you personally? What do you think a disciple is? These are some of the questions that we have been tackling this year, and will continue to tackle at Calvary.We want to be a church that makes disciplesthat will multiply and make more disciples; with all hope changing our city and the world for Jesus Christ.

We have been seeking God to recalibrate our hearts and focus in on where He is working and where He wants us as a church to be. This endeavor, of making more disciples that make Jesus Christ their all, is the bedrock of the Christian faith. We are disciple makers. To that end, we have realized we have the opportunity to redefine how Calvary Baptist Church makes disciples. “Growth in grace, wisdom, and character does not hap-pen primarily in classes and instruction, through large worship gatherings, or even in solitude. Most often,growth happens through deep relationships and in communities where the implications of the Gospel are worked out cognitively and worked out practically-in ways no other setting or venue can afford.” -Tim Keller, Center Church Discipleship will not exclusively happen in the Sunday School classroom or in any “programs” that the church can offer. Education does not equal discipleship. Facilityspace does not equal discipleship. The western Christianclassroom experience where in we try to mass produce

A Call to Action: Make Disciples, Change the World

We do know that statistically, out of the 708 people on average that attended Calvarythis year, roughly 50.2% of them attend some sort of small group. But, unfortunately,when we go deeper, we see that about 9% of Calvary have actually engaged in life-on-life discipleship with another person.

Written byNick Bruner, Discipleship Pastor

converts off the assembly line does not ultimatelyproduce disciples. It might produce Christians with a lot of knowledge, but none of the tools to replicate themselves where God has placed them. Now, all of these things are helpful tools in the act of disciple-making, like pieces of a great puzzle.But, uncoupled from living out the Christianlife side by side, we in the end shortchange

anyone seeking to be more like Christ. So, to help refresh our hearts and minds for the mission ahead, we are starting a new training initiative to equip thepeople of Calvary Baptist Church to understand what discipleshipis and to give them the tools to be able to do what Christ has called all of His church to do: to build relationships

that will lead toward intentional Gospel living,Gospel proclamation, and transformation. Weare called as Christians to have intimate relationships with others for the sake of JesusChrist and to make Him known so that the world may live and experience life eternal with Him. But it starts with our relationships that we have in the everyday rhythm of life. I hope you will join us this year to be equipped for this exciting, adventurous task that Jesus has given us.

Beginning again November 1st for eight weeks, I am calling for everyone in our church, whether plugged in or not, to attend this time of teaching, discussion and equipping.We will meet in Elementary room 150. This class is offered four times a year. So, alwaysbe on the lookout for those dates.

Fight this BattleEvery Time

Written byAlan Smith, Communication Arts Pastor

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King Saul had been given very specific instructions on how to deal with the Amalekites. The word of the LORD was crystal clear, destroy them all, every one and everything.No person or animal was to be kept alive. God was using King Saul to bring judgment on the Amalekites. When the nation ofIsrael was at Sinai, the Amalekitesattacked them.

You may remember this story from Children’s Church or SundaySchool. This is the battle where Moses had to keep his hands held high. As he lowered his hands, the Amalekites would prevail, as he held them high, the Israelites would prevail. The Amalekiteswere the first to oppose the nationof Israel from entering into the land of Promise. They were a people who continued to fight and push at God’s people.God delivers a message to the Amalekites through Balaam that they will be utterly destroyedbecause of their sin. God has now brought King Saul to the place where God’s judgment is going to be delivered. God has chosen to use His appointed King of His appointed people to deliver His appointed judgment. He provides

Saul with clear instructions,utter destruction of everyone andeverything. Saul enters into battleand claims victory. God has delivered the Amalekites into his hand. But instead of beingobedient and following the command of the LORD, he saves the king of the Amalekites. He and his men take spoils of war and keep the best of the sheep and cattle under the pretense of sacrificing them to the LORD.God sends Samuel to King Saul with a very strong message. He tells him he will lose the crown because he failed to be obedient. God was removing him and his family from the throne.

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in

obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than

sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin

of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being

king.” - I Samuel 15:22-23, ESV

Notice the language. Obedience is better than sacrifice, listening [to God] is better than the fat of rams. He says that rebellion, willful

and knowing disobedience, is as bad as witchcraft. Presumingyou know better than God is equated to idolatry. And the reasonis because there is direct rejectionof the word of God. This is a strong warning. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Direct disobedience of the command of God is as bad a witchcraft or idolatry. Heed the implications of this story.

Dad, we have a responsibility to help our children learn to be obedient. Ephesians provides our children with a direct command to be obedient to parents. If our children do not learn to be obedientto the father they can see, how willthey ever learn to be obedient to the Father they can’t see? Obedienceto God is better than sacrifice.

My challenge to you Dad, as you pastor your home, is always fight the battle of obedience. From the time your children are young until they leave the home as adults, this is a battle that we should always engage. When our children leave our care and enter into the world, my prayer is that they have a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus and they understand theimportance of obedience.

The average American watches5 hours of TV everyday. Collectively, we spend roughly $30 billion on movies each year.

We are consumed with entertainment.Namely, narrative entertainment.In “The Stories We Tell” Mike Cosper lays out a tremendousframework for Christians to viewthe stories that are shaping ourculture.

There is no denying that story is shaping our culture and has been for a long time. Lost had everyone spouting all kinds of crazy theories to everyone that would listen. How about all the debate over who shot JR from Dallas. Let’s not get started on Madmen or Seinfeld or the crazy rise of soap operas like General Hospital or Days of our Lives which have both been on the air for 50 years, and, by the way, that’s just television.

How excited did you get when

The Stories We Tell, A Book Review

Rocky climbed those steps in Philadelphia? How did you feel finding out that Vader was in fact Luke’s father? Remember how angry everyone was at the latest Indiana Jones movie? The point being, our culture goes crazy over stories.

We consume them in every way we can; books, movies, television,blogs, web-series, Netflix, Hulu. The list goes on and on. In his book Cosper gives us his insight into why we become so obsessedand why he thinks that it isn't such a bad thing. “Story is a great gift from a great storytellingGod. There is much joy to be had in enjoying that gift as it pops up in the world around us.”

Cosper chooses not to go light on the topic of our Christian life in culture and entertainment, but instead embraces the reality of our fallen world and the need for a strong Christian worldview in the midst of the stories that

Written byMichael King, Worship Arts Pastor

surround us. His “argument” is simply that all stories, in some way, relate back to the grand story. The old framework of “…creation, fall, redemption, consummation. God made the world, sin corrupted it, Jesus redeemed it, and one fine day, God will ultimately restore it.That’s the story of the Bible, start to finish.”

All stories, he comments, are about learning how broken the world is, and what we need to do to fix it. He tries to answer the age old question, why do we connectso deeply with these dark stories of pain and suffering like Madmen,or the Dark Knight? His proposedanswer is that it resonates with our feelings of sorrow and falseness and trying to understand why we are the way we are, and if there is any hope for redeeming the situation.

We as Christians need to listento the stories people are telling,because what they tell says a lot about who they are. People stories are presenting, ultimately,their ideas of a savior. And the better we understand the practicalsaviors the people around us are searching for, the more equipped we are at showing them that Christ is the Savior they really need.

Don’t you love to see a good fight? When I was growing up we would watch wrestling often.Although that was entertaining,I do not find pleasure in “fights” of aconfrontational nature. Very few people find joy in confrontation,in fact most people shy away from it and avoid confrontation at all costs. There are moments in life when it is unavoidable. Perhapswe should learn to choose our battles, but clearly one must ask if the integrity of the Gospelis a matter worth fighting for, and even dying for. When it comes to genuine elements of the Gospel message, there can be no compromise; and if neededthere must be confrontation.

Galatians 2:11-14 records a confrontation between Paul and Cephas, or Peter. In the preceedingverses Paul has just affirmed his partnership with Peter, in their agreement that Paul should spread the Gospel to the Gentiles,with the endorsement of the Apostles. Paralleling Acts 15:30-35, Peter seems to be speaking from both sides of his mouth. One one hand he affirms that the Gospel should be shared to the Gentiles, but in this confrontationPaul recounts the story of Acts 11 and Peters separation.

Paul’s confrontation was due to the apparent hypocrisy of leadership, and the inability to “practice what

was preached”. No doubt the perceived hypocrisy of leadershipattributes to Pauls three-fold sarcastic references to the leadership of the church found earlier in Galatians. Galatians 2:11 offers two significant challenges:

1. Do we practice what we preach? We say that we love our neighbor, but do we truly love the unlovable? We speak of Christ’s love, but do we express that love to those who act or look differntly? We say that we have faith, but do we show our faith by what we do? The fullness of the Gospel requires boldness in our life.2. Do we have the courage to confront our brother or sister in Christ to defend the integrity of the Gospel? One should note here that Pauls confrontation was to the actions of another believer. We are commanded to “sharpen one another” (Proverbs 27:17). In 1 Corinthians 5:12, Paul urges that we should judge other believers to hold one another to the high standard of living that God has called us to. It is also important to note how Paul confronted Peter. It was done face to face; man to man! Too often we cower behind an email, a text message, or a socialnetworking post. The appropriateway to handle confrontation is faceto face, and in private. As believers,it does not help to advance theGospel if we air our dirty laundryfor the world to see. Doing so fuels the flame of hypocrisy.

I am the first to admit that confrontation is difficult and uncomfortable. However, as fellow laborers for Christ, we should urge one another to be the best that God has called us to be (Hebrews 10:24). Perhaps it is moments like Paul mentions here with Peter that he is remembering when he recounts his ministry and says in 1 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith”.

Do You Like to Fight?

Written byDr. Ricky Smith, CCS Headmaster

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed

him to his face, because he stood condemned.

Galatians 2:11 (ESV)

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Calvary Baptist Church is “blessed beyond measure.” Most of us come each Sunday and just assume that all churches are experiencing what we are experiencing. Many of you have discovered for yourselves that it is not so!

Dr. Thom S. Rainer, in his book The Autopsy of a Deceased Church, says that churches are in one of four stages:

1. Healthy: 10%.2. Symptoms of sickness: 40%3. Very Sick: 40% 4. Dying: 10% In the Old Testament, while the children of Israel were in Babylonian captivity, God asked Ezekiel a question: “Can these bones live again?” (Ezekiel 37:3) What a scene that was as Ezekiel found himself in a valley filled with dry bones! God gave him the answer to His own” question, “YES!”

Bill Henard asks the same question in reference to the “valley of dry bones “ in American church “life.” It is estimated that from thirty-five hundred to four thousand churches close their doors and go out of business every year! That is alarming! And the sad part is that many of those churches had no idea that they were sick, very sick or even dying.

Can These Bones Live Again? is a book about church revitalization. It is one of the best and most practical books that I have read on this subject. This book is not about theory! It is about the “Nitti gritty” of real church life.

The chapters include the following titles:Why Church Revitalization?The Church Does Not Want to GrowPhysical Barriers to GrowthExternal factorsThe Church Turns InwardThe Change Matrix

Recall the movie Back to the Future? Dr. Henard suggeststhat to revive the future of the church is to go back to the very issues and answers that God gave to Ezekiel.These are the issues discussed in his book.

Now back to our church, Calvary Baptist, we are richly blessed. As you know, June and I were away 50 weeks assisting another church after I retired. We managed to attend Calvary’s 8:30 service twice during that period of time. Since returning and attending the 11:00 service, I have been amazed at the numbers of new families we see and that most of these are young families!

I know I keep saying it but we are so blessed at Calvary.How many other churches do you know who face such challenges as the need for more parking spaces, for additional Sunday School rooms, and for additionalseating in the second service. We should count our blessings for what God is doing!

I commend our Pastor, Jeff Stuecker for his leadership. He is leading Calvary in revitalization without even usingthose words. What a wonderful future God has for Calvary Baptist Church.

I affirm the truth that God gave to Ezekiel that even in a very sick or dying church - “Yes, these bones can live again!” I pray that many churches will come to believe this and will actively pursue revitalization!

Written byDon Wilhite, D. Min.Pastor Emeritus

Guide to Can These Bones Live? A Practical Church Revitalization

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WELCOMEOur New Members

Jeffery and Lynn Stovall

Monica, Brianna and Keanu Sanchez William and Megan Cox

John and Sheri Barrington

Dennis and Margaret Higdon

We believe that every member is a minister and every minister

should have a ministry. God has shaped each one of

us for ministry, and for you it may be in the creative arts.

We believe that God created each of us with gifts and talents to be used for His Glory and for His purpose and the creative arts is no exception.

If you are a copy editor, illustrator, artist, writer, designer,photographer, videographer, or anyother creative art form, we want you to use those skills to spread the Gospel, enrich the Church, and minister to others.

We are developing many platforms where your talents can be utilized to help Calvary Baptist Church carry out the Great Commission through healing hurts and meeting needs. Our website, app, magazine and other media platforms need men and women exercising their gifts for the Glory of King Jesus.

If you want to get involved or have questions, please contact Alan Smith at alansmith@calvaryministries.com orthrough the church office at (706) 322-1491.

Want to KnowHow You CanGet Involved?

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Leanne Osborne

Last Quarter Baptism

Last Quarter Baby Dedications

Abigail Anne Gardner, daughter of Zach and Lauren Gardner

Hallie Claire Reynolds, daughter of Justin and Catherine Reynolds

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02 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Dimes for Missions $$: Clubbers bring dimes to support our Awana Missionaries

02 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Ladies’ Bible Study: A Woman After God’s Own Heart is a study that shares practical and scriptural insights on how a woman can pursue God’s priorities concerning her walk with the Lord, her husband, her children, her home, and her ministry. The Bible study will be held each Wednesday beginning Sept. 2 - Dec. 9 from 6:30-8:00 P.M. in the Media Center.

03 Thursday TBA “War Room” Movie Matinee: There will be a matinee viewing of the Movie “War Room” at Carmike Cinemas. Transportation will be provided.

06-09 Sunday- 6:30 P.M. Revival: Join us for four nights of revival. This is an opportunity Wednesday for us to talk to us about us! Each night a pastor will be bringing a message to challenge us in our walk with Jesus.

09 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. No Awana: All families invited to Join the Revival at Calvary.

10 Thursday 6:30 A.M. Game Plan for Life: Join us at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center for breakfast with Joe Gibbs. The main goal of Game Plan for Life is that you invite unbelievers. These can be men that you work with, neighbors, or friends. After breakfast you will be asked to follow up with the men at your table by leading them in Bible studies and bringing them to church.

13 Sunday 12:30 P.M. Young Adult House Party: Young Adults prepare for an end of the summer pool party. Come for a cookout, bonfire and swimming. This will be held at Daniel and Patricia’s House (2346 Pine Lake Road, West Point, GA) For directions contact Ryan Pearse at ryanpearse@calvaryministries.com.

16 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Parent Night: Parents join their clubbers for all activities

19 Saturday 9:30 A.M.- Have a “Ball” Blessing Others: Military wives will worship and 12:30 P.M. fellowship as they prepare jars of apple butter and cookie mixes to give away to newcomers. Meet in Hightower Hall.

23 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Mr. Potato Head night: Clubbers come enjoy themed game time activities

26 Thursday 8:30 A.M. Uptown Market Days : Join us a we enjoy Uptown Columbus with the Market on Broadway. We will go to Ruth Ann’s Restaurant at 11:00 A.M. Transportation will be provided.

26 Saturday 10:00 A.M. Young Adults Ladies The “Finer Things Club” : Ladies join us at the Kelly Pearses’ house (7222 Willow Oak Drive Columbus, GA 31909) for a fun filled morning .

30 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Measles Night: Leaders get a sticker for every verse a clubber says

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4 404 Sunday 8:30 A.M.- Volunteer Celebration: We have numerous volunteers 12:00 P.M. at Calvary and we want to celebrate and honor them for their service to the church. This will be a day of celebration as we honor our volunteers.

04 Sunday 12:30 P.M. House Party: Young Adults prepare for a beginning of fall pool party. Come for a cookout, bonfire and swimming to Kelly Lollar’s Home at 2424 Hubbard Road Columbus, GA 31904. For directions contact Ryan Pearse at ryanpearse@calvaryministries.com

07 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Bring a Friend Night: Spread the gospel and invite a friend that doesn’t go to Awana

14 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Relay Night: Clubbers come enjoy themed game time activities

14 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Puppets for India: Ladies will help the Bible College students in India to put God’s Word into the hand of as many of the children who live on the streets of India as possible, by sewing doll/puppets that will hold a small Bible inside. Through this the children will receive God’s Word and a toy. We will meet in the Media Center.

15 Thursday 7:00 A.M. Blue Ridge scenic railroad Trip: Join us as we take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, TICKETS ARE $45 each. We can get a group rate, 10% off, if more than 20 attend. Transportation will be provided.

21 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Hungry Hippo Night: Clubbers come enjoy themed game time activities

28 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Superhero Night: Dress like a superhero

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11 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Operation Christmas Child boxes due: Last night to turn in Operation Christmas Child boxes

14 Saturday 5:00 P.M.- Testimony and Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner: Military 8:00 P.M. Wives, this dinner involves everyone going from home to home, and enjoying a different course of the meal at Bonnie Britton’s, Joyce Stryker’s, and Darlene Warden’s home. The dinner will end with testimonies and dessert at Hightower Hall.

18 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Puppets for India: Ladies will help the Bible College students in India to put God’s Word into the hand of as many of the children who live on the streets of India as possible, by sewing doll/puppets that will hold a small Bible inside. Through this the children will receive God’s Word and a toy.

18 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. Awana Bible Trivia: Clubbers come enjoy themed game time activities

19 Thursday 10:30 A.M. Infantry Museum Outing: Enjoy lunch at the Fife and Drum and tour the Infantry Museum. Transportation will be provided.

25 Wednesday 6:30 P.M. No Awana (Thanksgiving Break)

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Young Adults House Party

Sunday, December 6 at 5:00 P.M. at the home of Mike Brown (272 Big Sky Court Hamilton, GA 31811)

Young Adults let’s get the Christmas celebrations underway! Come for a cookout and bonfire. For additional information contact Ryan Pearse at ryanpearse@calvaryministries.com

Ladies’ Fall Wrap Up

Wednesday, December 16th, 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. in the Media Center

We will wrap up the book study and the year.