Tomorrow morning we will be looking at Col 1:9-14.  This passage sets the tone and theme for the rest of the letter.  How can I know and do the will of God, and what will be the results of such a life?  Many people have a wrong understanding about how to find and do God's will.  If you can, please memorize Co 1:9-11.  It will impact your life and help you understand the message. 

Sunday evening we are having our Men's and Women's Ministries, followed by a fellowship dinner.  This is an opportunity for you to encourage other believers by your friendship, interest and concern for them.  Please come.

I am so thankful for all the fathers and men at TBC who invest into the lives of their children and other children faithfully.  Tomorrow is Father's Day.  Pastor Eli will be preaching a Father's Day message that will speak to everyone's heart.

Sunday evening I will be preaching on proper interpretation of the Bible and how important it is.  Does God care how we interpret?  Has He given examples in the Scripture of how He wants us to interpret the rest of Scripture?  Please come and bring a friend.

I am looking forward to studying through the Book of Colossians with you on Sunday mornings.  We will be looking at the first 8 verses which have a focus on heaven.  These people heard the gospel, and now they will be in heaven.  Does the hope of heaven motivate you?  We will see that this gospel of grace works around the world with every kind of person.  Are you praying for an opportunity to share this message with someone you know?

On Sunday evening we will begin a brief series on properly interpreting the Bible.  We live in a world in which people question whether there is such a thing as "truth".  How can we know whether we really know the truth.  Thankfully we have a perfect God, who is a perfect communicator, who has a perfect plan for your life.  We will see that we will accomplish God's plan and have His approval to the extent we know and obey the Scripture as He intends.  Please plan to come Sunday evenings during this series.

Tomorrow morning I am excited to start a series in the Letter of Paul to the Colossians.

I have been working on trying to memorize and meditate on it for about 2 years.  Hopefully that effort will help the church.  

Sunday evening we will have Keith present the ministry of Vital Church to us.  The first aspect of their ministry is to do a survey to help a church see who they are.  We will vote on this next week.  Then I will begin a series on Hermeneutics -- how to properly interpret the Bible.  Tomorrow evening I want to show you what God thinks about proper interpretation.  

Tomorrow morning we will focus on some practical lessons about prayer.  I believe you will be surprised by an unusual connection between how God's Spirit improves our prayers and the results that occur.  Is God good?  Is God God?  Can we trust Him?  

Sunday evening we will have our Men's and Women's Meetings with a fellowship after.  These have been some helpful and encouraging meetings.  Please come ready to encourage and be encouraged.

Most saved people have a desire to know how they can get God to help them in their lives.  Tomorrow morning we are going to look at an answer to that question by studying 2Timothy 2:15.  Like 2Timothy 3:16,17, which we studied two weeks ago, this is a key verse we should all memorize and put into practice in our lives.  Thanks for putting God first in your lives!

Sunday evening we have the opportunity to have Daniel Harper lead us in a time of music, meditation, and prayer where we will look to Jesus, look to heaven, look to the Gospel, look in our hearts, and look to our Help.   I am excited to be able to listen, sing and mediate on truths from the Bible.  Please plan to come and bring a friend.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  Keith is going to be giving a message related to mothers.  We have a special gift for all women tomorrow.  We are so grateful for the good example of the women and mothers in our church.  Please pray especially for visitors as Mother's Day is usually a time that we have special visitors who are either mothers that have been invited or children who come to honor their mothers.

Sunday evening we will not have a regular service so people can spend time as families including extended families.  For those who do not have a family gathering, the Rowleys are inviting anyone who is free to come to their home at 30 Fellows Ln, East Hartford, at 6pm to eat pizza and have a time of fellowship together.  If you could, please let Deanna know so we will know how much pizza to order.  Talk to her or text her at 860-593-4005.  

On Sunday morning we will be looking at two of the most well known and significant verses in the Bible about the Bible itself 2Timothy 3:16,17.  I would like to have everyone memorize these verses as you listen to the message so they can make a continuing impact on your life and thinking.  There are some very good applications, not only for each believer from these verses but some great principles for child raising as well.  Come early to ABF and Sunday School and be ready to be challenged with the scriptures!

Sunday evening we are having Dan Wolf preach for us.  He grew up in our church and is the pastor of Rockville Baptist Church nearby.  We want to be an encouragement to him as the ministry is not easy and he wants to encourage us.  It is a blessing to see how God has used our church through the years to impact many people.

Tomorrow morning we have the opportunity to have Ray Hoover, our missionary to Ethiopia, speak to us. He is always a great encouragement and will leave you with a greater desire to serve God. If the Lord lays a burden on your heart to give a love offering for that ministry, please do so. They are doing a great work there.

Sunday evening we have our Men's and Women's ministries which have been very encouraging. Please come and invite a friend. We will enjoy a baked potato fellowship together afterward. If you are able please bring a large portion of your favorite baked potato toppings and/or a dessert.

Last week we watched the disciples in the midst of a storm.  Jesus used that experience to deepen their faith in Him.  Tomorrow we are going to look at a Psalm of David who knew something about facing grave and life threatening troubles and enemies.  In Ps 27 we learn how to be prepared for the inevitable opposition we will all face, help in facing the trials and a couple points of reflection after the trial.  To prepare you can read Ps 27 and maybe memorize vs 4 or whichever verse speaks most to your heart.

Matthew 13 is one of the most interesting passages in the Bible.  Jesus gives 7 parables that reveal the realities of this period in which we live.  Satan is doing his best to discourage and dishearten God's people and deceive the lost into a life of waste and ultimate ruin.  We can be victorious in a world of unbelief.  Please come, pray and bring a visitor.

Sunday evening we will look at the second of 3 groans in Romans 8:19-27.  This groan details the real struggles that believers face in this world but reminds us of the glorious liberty and new bodies God has promised at the end of this age.  Believers may groan today, but God gives help in overcoming with hope, joy and spiritual wisdom.

Tomorrow we trust God will do a great work beginning with the Sunrise (almost) Service at 7:30am featuring the DOZ girls spiritual dance group and a devotion on the Resurrection by Jay van Acterberg. 

Then we are looking forward to the ABF's, Sunday School, and the morning service.  The Greenwoods have prepared the music for the Easter Service, and I will present the gospel as clearly as I can emphasizing the importance of the Resurrection of Christ.

Tomorrow morning we are going to observe the Lord's Supper.

Then we are going to look at one of the most interesting aspects of Christ's crucifixion -- He was crucified between two robbers.  Satan tries his best to discredit the Son of God by associating Him with robbers.  But God takes man's wrath and uses it for His glory.  Many excellent lessons come from this event.

On the way to the cross, Jesus was required to bear His own cross. Because He had lost so much body fluids He was apparently not able to continue or at least at the speed the Roman soldiers desired. Simon of Cyrene, happened to be passing into the city from the country as the procession was coming out toward Golgotha, the place of crucifixion. Not even knowing what was happening, the soldiers grabbed him and required him to carry the cross the rest of the way. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time (or the right place at the right time). Jesus tells us that if we want to be His disciple, we need to be willing to deny ourselves and take up the cross daily and follow Him. Simon becomes a great example for us of what that means. Please come ready to think and change!

Last Sunday evening in Rom 8:19-27 we "Learned from Creation's Groan" (Creation is being personified to speak God's heart to us). Sunday evening we will "Learn from Creation's Prophecy." Creation knows the future about what will happen to itself (God speaks prophecy to us through Creation's voice). Please return Sunday evening for this important and practical study.

Last week we looked at a very rich man that Jesus saved -- Zacchaeus.  Tomorrow morning we will look at the opposite end of the spectrum -- 10 lepers.  They were at the bottom dregs of society.  All hope was lost when Jesus came.  One of them, a foreigner, realized the greatness of his deliverance and came back glorifying and thanking God for what had happened to him.  For those who are saved, we are all foreigners that Jesus has found and delivered us from a certain horrible destruction.  What should our response be?

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we fellowship with one another and lift our voices to God. We will finally be getting into the text of Colossians. The first thing that Paul does before getting into the matters he wishes to talk about is he gives thanks to God for the Colossians and all that they are doing. This observation is crucial as it helps orient our minds and hearts to be thankful to God first and foremost, before doing anything else. Join to tomorrow to see the ways in which Paul is thankful for the Colossians.

If you are able please come back Sunday Evening. Pastor Rowley will be starting a two-part series. Have you ever acted like you were the cat or dog talking -- as though you know what they would be saying if they were speaking? I believe God does this (in a sense). He lets Creation speak to us (secret -- it is really God) in Ro 8:19-22. This will be a two-part series. I believe you will find what "Creation" says to be very practical to our lives. 

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we lift our voices to the Lord and sit under His Word. Before we jump into a book study, which will start next week, I wanted to preach on one more topic. Tomorrow we will be talking about principles for our theology of musical worship. I have wanted to preach on this topic for some time since musical worship is a big part of how we worship our great God.

If you are able please come back Sunday Evening as Pastor Rowley will be preaching on the devastating consequences of pride and God's gracious cure.

Please join us for corporate worship tomorrow as we seek to love the Lord, worship Him, and fellowship with one another. We will be finishing off our spiritual gifts and ministry series by taking a look at the heart we are all supposed to have when we serve God and serve His people, whether that be personal ministry or organized ministry. We will also be exploring how we as a church can better discover the needs that we have within the local body so that we can meet those needs.

Please also come back Sunday evening as we will be having our men's and women's ministry and a fellowship to follow. This will be a great opportunity to connect with people and grow in your friendship with one another. You won't want to miss it!