Sunday, January 1 = A Charge to Keep: Learning to Love Others Well (1 Tim. 1:1-11)…Communion Sunday…

Sunday, January 8 = A War to Fight: Making Disciples in a Dirty World (1 Tim. 1:12-20)  

Sunday, January 15 = A Voice to Pray: Being Christian & American in a Post-Christian Culture (1 Tim. 2:1–15)…Relaunch of Growth Groups for 9 Weeks…

Sunday, January 22 = A Life to Follow: Modeling the Gospel at Home and Work (1 Tim. 3:1-7)

Sunday, January 29 = Special Speaker…

Sunday, February 5 = A People to Serve: Leading in the Local Church (1 Tim. 3:8-16)

Sunday, February 12 – A Life to Train: Pursuing Holiness Without Becoming Legalistic (1 Tim. 4:1-10)…Pastor Jon Preaching…

Sunday, February 19 = Baptism Sunday/Special Speaker…

Sunday, February 26 = A Treasure to Guard: Saving the Worship Life of the Church (1 Tim. 4:11-16)

Sunday, March 5 = A Need to Fulfill: Helping the Hurting of the Church (1 Tim. 5:1-16)

Sunday, March 12 = A Position to Honor: Giving Honor in a Disrespectful Age (1 Tim. 5:17-6:2)…IRBC Scholarship Offering…

Sunday, March 19 = A Temptation to Avoid: Chasing After the Temporal VS the Eternal (1 Tim. 6:3-10)

Sunday, March 26 = A Vision to Embrace: “A Good Foundation for the Future” (1 Tim. 6:11-21)                                                                                                                                              

Christmas Day 2016 falls on a Sunday this year. We, at Prairie Flower Baptist Church, are excited about that; and we give to you a heartfelt invitation to join us for our Christmas Day Service, starting at 10:15 AM. However, we fully understand that many of you won’t be able to attend our service for a variety of different reasons. So we have crafted the Family Worship Guide below to give you a roadmap to use in your own private home. Though corporate worship is strongly encouraged, if you can’t make it, please worship with your family using the guide below:

• Christmas Carols: Start by singing two or three of your favorite Christmas carols. Really focus on the words you’re singing. For lyrics, just google the song you wish to sing.
• Passionate Prayer: Have each member of the family share one reason they are most grateful that Jesus was born into the world. Then spend intentional time praising God for these things and then petition Him for the things you need.
• Scripture Reading: Read Jonah 3:10-4:11.
  • The BIG Idea: God graciously and relentlessly pursues sinners (in their sin) and offers them redemption (i.e. rescue) in exchange for their repentance (i.e. turning from sin and turning to the Savior).
  • Outline Passage:
    • We tend to have a disconnect between what we know and what we love (Jonah 4:1-4).
      • Does what you know about God transfer to you loving God more deeply and people more passionately? OR do you use what you know about God to hurt others around you?
    • We tend to rejoice over personal comforts, but not personal contacts (Jonah 4:5-9).
      • Personal comforts (i.e. toys and trinkets) are nice, but they aren’t worthy of too much emotional capital…people are always a much more worthy investment of your emotional capital. Invest in people, not stuff!
    • We tend to prioritize our present situation and forget all about eternity (Jonah 4:10-11).
      • On this Christmas Day, prioritize and praise the eternal and take smaller delight in the here and now.
• Engaging Conversation:
  • Why do you think there was such a disconnect between what Jonah knew about God (Jonah 4:2) and what he actually loved (Jonah 4:6)?
    • Do you see a similar disconnect in your own life? Explain.
  • When Jonah got angry, he simply wanted God to kill him (Jonah 4:3, 8, and 9). Obviously, this is an inappropriate response to anger. What is a proper response/action to our anger (cf. Eph. 4:26-27)?
    • Is anger always wrong (cf. Jonah 4:4 and 9a)? Why or why not?
  • Jonah got seriously happy over a plant (Jonah 4:6), but enraged at the salvation of the Ninevites (Jonah 4:1). Why do you think he had such extreme emotional responses?
    • Do you see a similar pattern in your own life? Explain.
  • Why is it so easy to loose sight of things of eternal value (i.e. people) and only focus on the here and now (i.e. stuff/toys)?
    • What is God most concerned with (cf. Jonah 4:10-11)?
  • Name one thing from Jonah 4 that convicts you. Name one thing from Jonah 4 that encourages you.
• Final Reading: Matt. 12:38-41…Who is the One greater than Jonah? Answer: Matt. 1:18-25.
• Final Prayer: End by praising God for who He is (i.e. gracious, merciful, slow to anger, etc.) and ask Him for the grace and strength you and your family need to love deeper, rejoice better, and focus clearer.
• Social Media: Post/Tweet on what you learned and use the hashtags: #IAmJonah, #ThisIsChristmas, #PFBC.

God Bless and Merry Christmas!!

 

Below you will find an overview of our church activities (to include our 2017 sermon series schedule) for the upcoming year. Please note that as with any schedule, this calendar is not set in stone and is subject to change. However, here is the projected Calendar of Events for 2017:

Jan. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 = We R The Church: Getting Our Theology Straight…

• Jan. 1 = Combined Sunday School w/Philip Peace…Communion Sunday.
• Jan. 8 = Annual Meeting/Food Fellowship.
• Jan. 15 = Relaunch of Growth Groups for 9 Weeks (i.e. Jan 15^th – March 26^th)!
• Jan. 29 = Special Speaker – Dr. Steve Little (No Growth Groups).

Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26 = We R The Church: Getting Our Theology Straight…

• Feb. 12 = Pastor Jon preaches while Pastor Dave preaches at IRBC’s Winter Meltdown.
• Feb. 19 = Special Presentation – FBBC Chorale/Baptism Sunday (No Growth Groups).

March 5, 12, 19, 26 = We R The Church: Getting Our Theology Straight…

• March 12 = IRBC Scholarship Offering.
• March 19 = Combined Sunday School w/Heather Harr (Russia)…She’ll teach in Children’s Church as well.
• March 26 = Q & A Roundtable Discussion on “The Church” w/Pastors Dave and Jon.

Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 = The Church: We Believe…(No Growth Groups)…

• April 2 = Virgin Birth…Communion Sunday.
• April 9 = Vicarious Death…Quarterly Meeting/Food Fellowship.
• April 16 (Easter Sunday) = Victorious Resurrection…Two Service Format: 8:30 AM and 10:15 AM…Muffins and Coffee Served In Between These Two Services.
• April 23 = Verbally Inspired Bible.
• April 30 = Veracity of Jesus’ Miracles.

May 7, 14, 21, 28 = The Church: We Love…(Relaunch of Growth Groups for 4 Weeks)…

• May 7 = Community.
• May 14 and 21 = Accountability (Parts 1 and 2).
• May 28 = Unity.

June 4 = Special Speaker!

June 11, 18, 25 = The Church: We Trust…(No Growth Groups for June-August)…

• June 11 = God’s Perfections.
• June 18 = God’s Power.
• June 25 = God’s Promises.

July 2 = Special Speaker…Communion Sunday!

July 9, 16, 23, 30 = The Church: We Commit…

• July 9 (Pastor Jon) = As Members to Service…Quarterly Meeting/Food Fellowship.
  • July 9 – July 22 = Pastor Dave’s Vacation.
• July 16 (Pastor Jon) = As Members to Unity.
• July 23 (Special Speaker) = As Members to Self-Denial.
  • July 24-29 = Pastor Jon w/Sr. Highers at IRBC…
• July 30 (Pastor Dave) = As Members to Cherish.
  • July 30 – Aug. 4 = Pastor Dave at IRBC (Family 4) as the Program Director…

August 6 = Special Speaker: Dr. Dean Taylor (FBBC)!

August 6-10 = VBS 2017!

August 13, 20, 27 = The Church: We Give…

• August 12 = Growth Groups Training 101 (9 AM – Noon).
• August 13 = Time.
• August 20 (Special Speaker) = Talents.
  • August 21 – Sept. 3 = Pastor Jon’s Vacation.
• August 27 = Tithe.

Sept. 3 = Special Speaker!

Sept. 10, 17, 24 = The Church: We Pray…(Relaunch of Growth Groups for 8 Weeks…Sept 10^th – October 29^th)…

• Sept. 10 = The WHY Behind the WHAT of Prayer.
• Sept. 17 = How do we pray?
• Sept. 24 = Jesus and Prayer.

Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 = The Church: We Tell (A Mini-Series on Evangelism and Discipleship)….

• Oct. 1 = Communion Sunday.
• Oct. 4 = Relaunch of AWANA for the 2017-2018 School Year.
• Oct. 8 = Quarterly Meeting/Food Fellowship.

Nov. 5, 12 = The Church: Mission/Vision…

• Break from Growth Groups from Nov. 5^th – Christmas 2017…

Nov. 19, 26 = Special Thanksgiving Mini-Series…

December 2017 = Special Christmas Series!

For the 2017 Youth Schedule, please click on the link below:

2017-youth-activities-calendar

 

A Poem Dedicated to the PFBC Deacons of 2016 and to All Church Leaders Near and Far…

Brought up high to go down low.

Seated in the Heavenly Places with a towel and a bowl.

Leaders. Servants. Servant Leaders.

Capes by day. Mops by night.

Diverse people with dual purpose: To serve, not to be served, and to fight the good fight.

Leaders. Servants. Servant Leaders.

Influenced to influence. Impacted to impact. “Ride on my shoulders”, they say.

Cloaked in humility. Saturated in savvy. Wise beyond years. Street-smart and streetwise. Meek, but not weak. All just soft clay.

Leaders. Servants. Servant Leaders.