FORGIVENESS
         Forgiveness is a critical component of any relationship, but especially so in a marriage. Putting two sinners together for a lifetime is sure to create opportunities for hurt feelings and the necessity to make peace. Being a peacemaker from a biblical perspective allows the relationship to be restored and generates great rewards when done properly.
         What are the components of this process? The priority in it is to glorify God instead of focusing on individual desires. It requires being honest about both party’s contributions to the problem and each one taking ownership of their part. In other words, before flying off the handle, “get the log out of your own eye”. After that, set the goal to gently restore the relationship and the offending person(s), and regardless of who did what first, God’s Word tells us to “Go and be reconciled”. Knowing that He wants our relationships to be restored as soon as possible, actively seeking restoration is of paramount importance. It doesn’t matter “who is at fault”. Simply knowing that the relationship is strained should be enough to get one “off the couch” and into “peacemaker mode”.
          Evidence of real forgiveness would be that you would not dwell on the incident, that it would not be brought back up and used against the other person, that it would not be a topic of discussion with others, and it would no longer hinder the relationship in any way. 
            Real forgiveness is tough but vital to a vibrant marriage. Saying “I’m sorry” is not enough. Owning up to the sin and letting the offended person hear that you under-stand the pain and extent of your actions, as well as expressing a desire to keep it from happening again will go a long way toward healing the relationship and allowing your marriage to thrive and bear fruit.

Eric Stockholm
Biblical Counselor

​Life is busy.  I hate the feeling when I realize that time has once again slipped through my fingers.  We are entering a season when people are very open to the Gospel.  Please don’t let this time pass with regrets about what you “could have” done.  We will be starting a new worship series this Sunday entitled, “I quit”.  This series is designed to help those who have given up on church.  This is not just about the lost or disenfranchised, many people that come to church every week gave up on God a long time ago!  This series has been intentionally planned for this season. 

We also have several events planned that will help you extend an invitation to a friends, coworkers, and acquaintances.  
 
October 21st- Church Picnic at Pinnacle Mountain (Hot Dog & Hamburger Lunch)
October 28th- Baptist Prep Day (Catfish, Chicken, and Shrimp Lunch)
October 31st- Trunk or Treat
November 4th-  After Church Fellowship (Hot Dog & Hamburger Lunch)
December 7-9- The Tree
December 24th- Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
 
Please consider attending all of these events and bring someone with you!  This is a great chance to meet new people and best of all…introduce them to Christ!  Ask the Lord to speak to you about who you might extend an invitation.  Don’t let this season pass with regrets.  Invite someone today!
 
-Pastor Jonathan

What a wonderful privilege I had studying the Exodus with Anna Kate this morning. We watched a video teaching by Ray Vander Laan in the series, “That the World May Know.” I think over the years I have seen almost all these videos and participated in a group study using the workbooks. His teaching amazed me then and amaze today. Today’s lesson was Moses led God’s people out of captivity and bondage in Egypt by crossing the Red Sea. 
 
As they approach the expanse of water, chaos is ensuing behind them with the Egyptian army closing in. We all know how the story goes, God sends an east wind to part the waters with a wall on each side while the Israelites walked through on DRY land. They did not sink in mud or feel the water on their feet. The group included babies, children, women, and men. There were 8-month olds being carried by their mothers and eighty-year olds shuffling along the best they could as God brings them all safely to the other side.
 
Once everyone was safe, God wrecked the Egyptian chariots and closed the waters to rush over the pursuing army. Exodus 14:30-31 says, “Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. And when Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people fears the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and his servant Moses.” 
 
Imagine the awe and amazement the Israelites felt and saw. Chapter 15 begins telling us Moses and “the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD.” Everyone together raised their voices to praise Yahweh who saved them. They experienced following Moses by God’s leading out of Egypt only to be pursued by Pharaoh’s army then again God provided for them by parting waters of the sea. As they are singing a song to the LORD verse 20 tells us the women took timbrels and danced! Each week, we stand in pews singing songs of praise and worship to our God, our Yahweh, our Savior, our Adonai, but do we sing and worship for our children, grandchildren, and family to see how praise Him? Do we share our joy for who God is and what He has done for us regardless of our circumstances as we recognize that He is “my strength and song, my salvation, a warrior who is majestic and holy,” (Exodus 15.2-3, 11)?

Our hope is that you will feel this same awe and amazement even today!
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Serving Christ Together,
Laurie Cox
Children’s Minister

Many have asked the question, "Is it possible to have an intergenerational church"? I say YES! Just come to First Baptist Little Rock and you will see a congregation of generations who are committed to the Lord and one another! 
 
I am so excited to formally announce that we have a couple of staffing changes that will help us to continue making strides in our commitment to being an intergenerational church. Our personnel team unanimously voted to make Jay Jacobs our new Pastor to Sr. Adults and Men!
 
Did you know that 10,000 people a day are turning 65! These "Senior Adults" are changing the definition of what it means to "retire" and get older. We want to be a church that engages these individuals with the Gospel and harness their love for the Lord to impact the Kingdom.
 
Pastor Jay will also be leading new efforts to engage men and assist with some areas of pastoral care at our church. I am so excited about Jay's desire to lead these two areas!
 
I am grateful for Pastor Eric Stockholm's contribution to our existing ministry to Senior Adults. Eric will remain part-time on our pastoral team. He will continue his role in the RWC and assist with Biblical Counseling. I cannot express my gratitude to him for his service to our congregation.
 
The personnel team has also extended a call to Slaton Teague as our Interim High School Student Pastor. We have been looking for the right fit for over two years and we believe Slaton is the man. 
 

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​All over the news, schools, homes, and in the lives of children (and sometimes even adults) we hear of bullying.  Bullying is something that as a children’s and middle school pastor, I have to deal with both sides of the issue: The bully and the victim.

Bullying is not an easy issue to talk about with children. According to stopbullying.gov, “about 49% of children grades 4-12 reported being bullied by other students at school at least once in the past month.” 
 
Whether your child is doing the bullying, being bullied, or you just want to know a little more about how to help, here are some tips that may prevent bullying:

• Help kids understand what bullying is. Talk to them about the different types and how to stand up to this issue safely. 
• Be sure to keep the lines of communication opened. Talk to the kids often about this subject. Be sure you know the child’s friends, ask about school, and listen intentionally when they share concerns. 
• Encourage kids to do what they love. Be sure to find their hobbies and interests that can boost their confidence. 
• Remember, you are their model. Be sure to model the behavior you want your children to have. 
• Lastly, but one of the most important things, remind children that they are a child of God and that their identity is in Christ and nothing else. A couple of good passages are Galatians 3 and 1 Peter 2. 

 
As the school year has kicked off, I am sure some of you have already been faced with this, but it is not something that you have to face alone. Bullying is something that will unfortunately always be a struggle, but it is not impossible to overcome.  Feel free to reach out to our staff and we will be more than happy to help you, pray with you, and find resources for you as we face this issue together. 
 
Mari Bednar 
Lead Children’s and Middle School Pastor 

Marriage was not designed to be a 100-yard dash. It has its own pace, and goes through seasons where it may feel like a sprint, but it is merely one part of a much longer race. FamilyLife, a great marriage ministry, once interviewed people who had been married at least fifty years and asked them for one piece of advice to give to those in the midst of the marriage marathon. Below is the list of “Top Ten” responses…

• You need a Savior.  Putting two sinners together for a lifetime makes this a priority.
• Stay committed to one another.  Love is not a feeling. It’s a decision that needs to be renewed regularly, especially when the relationship is struggling.
• Pray with your spouse.  This takes us away from a “me first” mentality and opens the spousal needs to each other.
• Forgive one another.  Remind yourself that if God can forgive you of all your sins, we are to do no less for our spouses. (More on that topic in a later blog…)
• Realize that there is no such thing as a perfect spouse.  And no, we probably aren’t going to be able to ”fix” their flaws.
• Have faith that God knows what He is doing.
• Trust that God gives grace and direction as you trust Him. Regardless of what life throws at you, this is paramount for your marriage to thrive.
• You will need to make compromises.  No, you can’t always have your way.
• Be objective and try to take emotion out of problem solving opportunities.  Don’t let a slip of the tongue escalate into a battle.
• Love your spouse.  In what you say, do, and think. That love can only come from God.

If your marriage feels a little stale, I would encourage you to get out of the rut you are in. Try dating your spouse all over again. 

For any questions or concerns in your marriage, please feel free to reach out!

Eric Stockholm
estockholm@fblr.org
Biblical Counselor

       What do you think of when you hear the word middle school?  If you are like me, you think of all things awkward.  First awkward school dance, first crush, a mouth full of braces and so forth.  In fact, one of my most embarrassing memories has to do with a middle school dance.  I  got up the courage to ask a boy to dance and he told me he needed to go to the bathroom first.  Then, he somehow ducked out of the back because I never saw him again that night.  I want to believe he got sick and had to leave early, but I know better....it was the odd velvet dress I had on despite it being decently warm outside (see above for proof).  Thanks mom.

        There is just no way around it.  Middle school is hard.  You don't fit in with the younger kids, but you are certainly not old enough to hang with the seniors.  You are "stuck in the middle" and we have found that church is no exception.  

        So, how do we handle this at FBLR?  Continue to look the other way, or meet the students  where they are?  We have decided, without a doubt, we must meet them where they are.  We are pulling our 6th-8th graders and becoming laser focused on what they need during this transition from children's ministry to high school ministry.  We are writing our programming with their needs and the needs of their parents in mind.  We are working hard to have just the right amount of food, fun, outreach, and discipleship in place while doing it.  

        How does that look?  It looks like the main event being held on Sunday morning from 9:00 until 10:00.  Students will start with worship, transition to games and Bible, and head to the service at 10:15.  Then, on Wednesday night it looks like breaking bread together with a meal and intensive discipleship from 5:45-7:30.  There will be other opportunities on Sunday afternoon to hang out and deepen relationships.
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      Join us Sunday at 10:15 to get a copy of their schedule or check back on our website often for updates.  Together, we can tackle this time and come out stronger on the other side!

Tamra Norman
Discipleship and Outreach