DeSoto Hills Baptist Church

Hang on to your overalls, DeSoto Hills has “gone country”, or at least that’s where we’re  headed as we prepare for VBS 08.  This summer’s Vacation Bible School theme will be:

VBS FARMFEST Growing in God’s Word June 9-13 Our Bible studies will center on the “Fruit of the Spirit”.  The setting will be fun, the studies will be focused, and hopefully the school will be full.  As always, we’ll need lots and lots of help, so please put the dates on your calendar today.  Several years ago, someone who is presently running for office said “it took a village to raise a child”.  I am not sure about that, but I do know that it takes a church to have an effective VBS.  Believe me, there is something you can do.  It doesn’t matter whether you are young or old, active or not so active, good with kids or not so good with kids- we need your help.   ” Old McDonald had a farm” and so will we this summer.  Don’t miss it. Looking Ahead, Bro. James

It was a foolish, painful, and completely avoidable mistake. I was busy helping Kathy cook breakfast on Saturday morning. Jami was home, so we were pulling out all the stops trying to give her and Rodney something special. We were busy in the kitchen, Jami was sitting at the counter talking to us, and I had the little kitchen TV tuned in to ESPN 2 bass fishing. I don’t really fish. You might think watching fishing would be pretty boring, but believe it or not, it is a Saturday morning ritual with me. I watch fishing tournaments while cooking Saturday morning breakfast. Anyway, a lot was going on. Without thinking, I grabbed up a skillet that had just come out of the oven without a hot pad and you know the rest of the story. I couldn’t let go of it fast enough. I burned two fingers and my palm pretty badly. It could have been worse. I have recovered,but my scars remain to remind me of my foolish mistake. Distraction is a dangerous condition that can have painful consequences. Keep you head in the game and your eye on the Lord today less you get BURNED. “be alert. Your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8 From my kitchen to yours, Bro. James

It is early morning and I am having my first coffee of the day- indeed my first coffee of the week. In a few hours I will be heading north up Highway 51 to the little town of Halls, Tennessee. I have been there before under the same circumstances. I am going to help a family say good-bye to a loved one. The last funeral I did there was on November 11, 2004, for Geraldine Tomlinsom. However, today the focus will be on Allan, her beloved husband. Mr. Allan, who so tirelessly took care of his wife during her very lengthy illness, finally succumbed to his own health problems a few days ago. I imagine that today they are having quite the reunion as she fills him in on everything. She was always the talker, while he was the quiet one. Mr. Allan will forever stand out in my mind as a testimony of faithfulness. Although his own health was failing, I never went by the nursing home to check on her that he was not there. And although times were tough and I am sure money was tight, every month he would drop by the church office to turn in his tithe envelope. They say we all really preach our own funeral. If that is indeed true, what a message we should hear in Halls, Tennessee this morning. If the Lord tarries, someone will someday be conducting your funeral. Do them a favor. Make it an easy and exciting affair. Leave a legacy of faithfulness for others to follow that will speak volumes to folks long after you are gone. This is certainly what Allan Tomlinsom did. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…” II Timothy 4:7 Tennessee bound, Bro. James

Give me a “High-5!” I have heard that expression my whole life. We hear it anytime something good or exciting happens. If it is not said, so often, people are giving others a “high-5.” Well I believe something exciting is happening in our Children’s Sunday School. Starting on Easter Sunday, we are launching “High-5,” for our children. This is a new Sunday School program that will be built around the five objectives of our Church: knowing, growing, sowing, glowing, and going.With this new program, we will be moving our Children’s Sunday School to the Attic. There, the children will participate in praise & worship, large group Bible teaching, and small group application discussions. I believe that all our children will have the opportunity to meet our Savior, grow in their walk with him, lead in worship, and introduce their friends to their Savior. For these reasons I am pumped. In order for this to happen, we need your help. Because of the move, we are adding some new classes in which we need teachers. We need people who are willing to teach the small group times. Along with the teachers, we need shepherds. Shepherds will be similar to a teacher’s assistant, but will not necessarily have to teach. The focus will be on building relationships with the children. We need volunteers to be on the crew, which will make sure everything is set up and ready to begin Sunday School. Crew members will not have to stay around during the whole hour. We also need greeters who will meet the children as they come in and make sure they feel welcome. The final volunteer we need will be someone who can run media/sound. We need a lot of people, because will will be going through “High-5? in both hours of Sunday School. If you are interested, please go to the “High-5? table on Sunday morning, or come to a meeting on February 5 at 6:30 in the Attic. HIGH-5! Bro. Grant

Meet at Mud Monkey Pottery at 6:00

I was tired. I wasn’t just saying it. I was feeling it. The 3 ½ hour round trip to the church where I was preaching a revival was beginning to take its toll. I had driven it for three days already and the last night was looming before me. The revival was going great. The church was packed each night, the congregation was attentive, the pastor was eager to see the movement of God, and the altar had been full of folks during the invitations. However, I was tired. I was not complaining, but pondering COULD I continue to do these types of things? More importantly, SHOULD I continue to accept them occasionally? It was in the midst of weighing all of this when all heaven broke loose. That Wednesday night I preached from Exodus 17 concerning Aaron and Hur holding up the hands of Moses during the battle with the Amalekites. If you remember the story, Israel has been attacked and the Lord sends Moses up on the hill with the rod of God in his hand. When the army of Israel sees the rod they push forward, but as Moses tires and lowers the rod, the enemy gets the upper hand. This is when Aaron and Hur go up and help Moses out by standing on either side of him. They hold his hands up and the Bible says that “they were steady until the going down of the sun”. That night as I gave the invitation, the aisles were full of peopling coming to let their young pastor know that they loved him and were going to help hold his hands up. Many even came to me, thanking me for coming their way. It goes without saying that I left that night renewed and recommitted to being a mouthpiece for the Lord whenever and wherever He wanted. I know that my full time responsibility is to DeSoto Hills and I do not take that lightly. However, from time to time I will be gone from you in order to help encourage others. I hope my being here most of the time, is worth me being gone some of the time. Thanks for the support and encouragement for your “old pastor”! Have Bible, will Travel, Bro. James