First Baptist Church of Ojai, California

Highlights From Today's Bible Reading

Lament. 3:22-24 (NIV) 
    Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
        for his compassions never fail.
    [23] They are new every morning;
        great is your faithfulness.
    [24] I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
        therefore I will wait for him."

Lament. 3:38 (NIV) 
    Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
        that both calamities and good things come?

Hebrews 1:14 (NIV) 

Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

Feeling Appreciated

Thanks to the church family for the great gift for pastor appreciation.  It is a joy to be your pastor.  Thanks for taking good care of our family.

Highlights From Today's Bible Reading

Philemon 1:6 (NIV) 
    I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

Psalm 101:3 (NIV) 
    I will set before my eyes
        no vile thing.

   Proverbs 26:20 (NIV) 
    Without wood a fire goes out;
        without gossip a quarrel dies down.

Humility and Service

"If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth's grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God's will, and with equal joy they would lift a Lazarus in his rags to Abraham's bosom, or be a chariot of fire to carry an Elijah home." -- John Newton.

We'll Try Again Next Week

It was quite an effort by the First Baptist basketball team last night, but in the end we lost our first game of the season 65-58.  We started out the evening with a commanding 17-0 lead and had an advantage of 20 points at the half.  But then, our opponents had a wave of reinforcements show up and taught us a lesson in humility.  It is a good thing that God gives grace to the humble. 

Thoughts From Today's Bible Reading

Psalm 100:4 (NIV) 
    Enter his gates with thanksgiving
        and his courts with praise;
        give thanks to him and praise his name.

There is something about thanksgiving that opens the door to God's presence.  God loves to pour out His Spirit on thankful people.  If you have been longing for more of God's presence, spend some quality time expressing thanksgiving to Him.  Be intentional about counting your blessings. 

This Week's Bible Reading Schedule

Tuesday, October 28th
Jeremiah 51:54-52:34
Titus 2:15-3:15
Psalm 100:1-5
Proverbs 26:18-19

Wednesday, October 29th
Lamentations 1:1-2:19
Philemon 1:1-25
Psalm 101:1-8
Proverbs 26:20

Thursday, October 30th
Lamentations 2:20-3:66
Hebrews 1:1-14
Psalm 102:1-28
Proverbs 26:21-22

Friday, October 31st
Lamentations 4:1-5:22
Hebrews 2:1-18
Psalm 103:1-22
Proverbs 26:23

Saturday, November 1st
Ezekiel 1:1-3:15
Hebrews 3:1-19
Psalm 104:1-23
Proverbs 26:24-2

Sunday, November 2nd
Ezekiel 3:16-6:14
Hebrews 4:1-13
Psalm 104:24-35
Proverbs 26:27

Thoughts From Today's Bible Reading

Psalm 90:12 (NIV) 
    Teach us to number our days aright,
        that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90 is all about God's perspective on time.  Time is a precious resource entrusted to us by God.  How we use this resource has a lot to say with the contribution we make to God's Kingdom and the impact we make here on this earth.  How is the stewardship of your time?  Are you giving to God the firstfruits of your time as well as your other resources? 

Basketball Team Moves to 3-0

It was a lot closer than it should have been.  Our 11 trailed to their 4 with 10 minutes left in the game.  But, we pulled it out down the stretch to remain undefeated.  Game time next Monday is 7:15 against Calvary Chapel.

Sermon Rewind

1 Timothy 1:19-20
"Shipwrecked Faith"

I. Introduction
A. The "Unsinkable" Titanic ignored the warnings.
B. Paul identifies the conscience as a key piece of warning equipment to help us navigate the dangerous waters of our spiritual journey.

II. The Conscience
A. What is the conscience?
It is the soul's warning system.  It is to the soul what pain is to the body.
Romans 2:14-15

B. Should you always listen to your conscience?  Is it reliable?
It depends.  Following your conscience could be one of the biggest mistakes you will ever make.
the conscience is like a computer we program.  It we want to override God's law and program our consciences according to a different standard, we can do that.  Romans 12:2; Proverbs 14:12
A conscience that is not immersed in the Word of God will lead even a Christian in the wrong direction, and ultimately to spiritual shipwreck. 

C. What happens when I violate my conscience?
When we violate our conscience, it accuses us, resulting in guilt.
True guilt (conviction from the Word and the Holy Spirit) vs. False Guilt (from the Evil One)
We live in a culture that works diligently to do away with all guilt.

III. What about verse 20: "turn them over to Satan?"
A. Church discipline as defined by Matthew 18
B. The need for us to release those who are choosing disobedience