1 The Galilean

No Perfect Scores

We have all heard sermons, Bible studies, devotions and other teachings that

the Apostle Paul (and others) encourages Christians with race references. In

the Greek and Roman cultures great emphasis was placed on physical beauty.

Games and tests of physical strength were constantly used by those in power

to satisfy a barbaric nature and rid the earth of their enemies.

Finishing first in those ancient races meant life...at least momentarily. But, we

should know that the races mentioned in the Bible do not promise or

guarantee one will be victorious with worldly accolades.

Last month the Children, Youth and Young Adult Ministry (CYYAM) as part of

their “Chosen” theme sponsored a bowling trip (Chosen to Enjoy Life) to

Richmond. The group was small in number, but we are resolved to believe that

those who show up will be blessed and, prayerfully be a blessing. We had fun.

I hope they do not mind, but some of the scores are pictured above. As you

can see, none of the bowlers came close to bowling a perfect game (a score of

300). There were 2 other lanes being used by our group, and their scores were

less than perfect, also.

I attended the outing, but was unable to participate due to my arthritic knees.

As a spectator, I sat and watched as the others tried to come as close as

possible to a perfect game. As a spectator, I watched, laughed and cheered.

As a spectator, I had no chance at victory. Whatever the reason, bad knees,

ignorance or apathy, being a spectator in the Christian race brings no victory.

It states in I Corinthians 9:24, “Do you know that those who run in a race all

run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

Even for a worldly prize, compete with integrity and intent to obtain that which

you seek. The text continues, “Now they do it to obtain a

perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (25b). As

Christians, our faith should be intertwined into all the worldly

things we do. But, when it comes specifically down to those things

W hatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to m e n o f understanding , Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.

Ecclesiastes 9:10-12(NKJV)

God’s Word

Continued on Page 3

2 The Galilean

Sick, Shut-in and

Prayer Requests

Please call these names out during your personal prayer time; and in your intercessions ask

the Father to bless these individuals and ministries in His own way and in His own time.

--

Sis. Yolanda Allen Sis. Ada Anderson Sis. Alice Arnette Dea. David Ayers, Sr. Sis. Janet Ayers The Banks/Callahan

Family Sis. Ethel Barksdale Sis. Leanne Blalock Bro. Atilol Bland Dea. James W. Bland Bro. Shakespeare Bland Rev. Peggy Brice Sis. Gladys Brown & Family Bro. William Brown Sis. Mamie Bruce The Bullock Family Bro. Andre Callahan Bro. Darnell Collier Sis. Felicia Christmas Sis. Marcine Dillard Bro. John/Sis. Susie Divers Sis. Clara Eubanks Bro. James Fox Bro. Jamar Galdden & Family Dea. Eunice Graves Bro. Robert Grooms Bro. Franklin Hardy

Sis. Letia Harris Sis. Marie Harris Rev. Edna Holt Bro. Edward Holt Kingdom Living Temple Dea. Duke Johnson Sis. Jesseica Johnson Bro. Lawrence Johnson Bro. Ruben Lewis III Deas. Dottie Martin Bro. Walter Martin Deas. Carolyn McCray & Family Bro. William McKnight Bro. Milton Morris & Family Deas. Frances Parrish Dea. Roger Parrish Sis. Harriet Parrish Sis. Audrey Perkins Sis. Adeline Quarles Bro. Alonzo Scott Bro. Gilbert Scott Sis. Mary Scott Sis. Susie Scott Bro. Travis Shelton Sis. Lola Shelton & Family Sis. Virgie Shelton Sis. Maxine Spears Rev. Otis Spellman Revs. Robert/Beulah Spellman Walton/Shipman Family Sis. Charmeka Stewart Sis. Doretta Trice Bro. Sylvester Williams Sis. Lorraine Winston

P r e a c h i n g S c h e d u l e

8:00 a.m. June 5 - Reverend Dale Bradshaw 12 - Pastor Tanya Richardson 19 - Rev. Edna Holt @ 10:00 a.m. 26 - Minister Brenda Smith

11:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Elder Ruben Lewis, Jr - Away Preaching Engagements

Jun 4 10:00 a.m. - Rev. B. Bradshaw @ Shiloh Baptist, Blackstone— Women’s Ministry

Jun 26 11:00 a.m. - Rev. Fortune @ Mt. Olivet Baptist Church— Women’s Day Celebration

3:00 p.m. - Rev. Fortune @ Ebenezer Baptist Church— Missionary Program

Ministry Engagements Jun 18 2:30 p.m. – Sis. Lola Richardson @ Shady Grove Baptist, Orange; Women’s Conference

On the cover: May 14th - Some scores from the CYYAM Richmond bowling outing “Chosen to Have Fun” . Proving that God doesn’t require His chosen to be high scorers .

Trustee of the Month --

Gilbert Scott @ 434– 589-1309

Please contact for entry into the church after hours or for other church related

concerns during June.

The Galilean offers our condolences to the families of:

Sister Lola Shelton on the loss of her husband Bro. Paul, and Sister Judy Callahan on the loss of her father, Mr. Jacob Banks, Louisville, KY

3 The Galilean

June Birthdays & Anniversaries

1 Ivanov Sanders-Hardy Destini Davis Ava Bass 3 Mark Grooms 4 James Payne 6 William Brown 7 Jerome ♥ Linda Tyler 8 Ryan Richardson 9 Ruben Lewis 11 Jeremiah Ayers-Short Rochelle Crawford 12 Sa’Neyah Jones 15 Lamiah Jones 16 Roger ♥ Kimberly Gaines Brian ♥ Crystal Curry 18 Robert Grooms 19 Natalie Bass 20 Telisha Quarles 24 Javanov Barksdale-White Hobert ♥ Janas Howard 25 Camille Bradshaw Gilbert ♥ Barbara Scott 26 Wanda Jackson Briana Burruss 29 Gilbert Scott Roger ♥ Frances Parrish

Vacation Bible School 2016 Jesus: The TRUE Super

Hero

This year our Vacation Bible School will be held the week of June 20-24.

We look forward to seeing

you ALL!

Please direct any questions/concerns to Rev. Tanya Richardson

(dailyblessed1@yahoo.com), or Lolita Bland (firstpeter510@mail2Jesus.com).

Continued from Page 1

we do for Christ, our aim is not the tangible prize, but the

imperishable crown that will be given to us in glory.

Our perfect scores will never be obtained in this life. But,

when we open our spirit eyes in the presence of our Father

in heaven, our perfection in Him will be obtained.. for ever

and ever. Amen!

In total praise...I am

Please allow me this opportunity to express my tremendous

thanks and appreciation to all of you who prayed for me

before, during and after my bilateral knee preplacement.

Thanks for the visits, the calls, the cards, and again, the

prayers.

The surgery went well. The surgeon told me afterwards

“your knees were awful”. I knew this and from the very

beginning had every confidence that the Lord was in control.

He gave me peace of mind about the procedure and the

good sense to block out all the horror stories told to me by

others who had the surgery or knew people who had it

done.

I can honestly say that the pain has been minimal. It is the

stiffness and discomfort that I desire to overcome...and with

continued prayer I will be victorious...with my new knees and

my brand new walk!

4 The Galilean

MUSINGS OF A SENIOR CITIZEN

Maps have served us well for centuries. Now we are blessed to have GPS devices on our devices and in our vehicles. We can travel from place to place with ease. We trust that the directions provided are accurate. Likewise, God has provided us with an even more efficient and effective means of navigating through life. It has been tested and proven. We do not need to reboot it or reprogram it...we just need to read it. This guide for life is The Holy Bible.

The Bible provides step-by-step directions for walking with God. In some ways it is like a contract. It spells out God’s promises and our responsibilities. There may need to be a little renegotiation on our part, but God’s part of the contract never needs to be edited or to have typos corrected. See, His contract is perfect and perfectly executed.

God offers a plan for the Christian to establish a relationship with Him now that we might be able to spend eternity with Him. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John3:16). Jesus came so we could be redeemed from sin and could know and understand God in a personal way. A relationship with God brings meaning and purpose to life.

God created mankind to be in perfect fellowship with Himself-reflecting His glory. He wanted this perfect relationship to continue forever. God created us in His image (Imago Dei) to have a personal relationship with Him, but sin broke that relationship. Sin separates us from God; and only by confessing our sin and accepting Jesus on faith can we be in relationship with God. The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, not by works so that no man can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Accepting Jesus means believing that Jesus is the Son of God, who He claimed to be, then inviting Him to guide and direct our lives.

Being a Christian is about being in right relationship with God. It is not just knowing about Him; knowing the right doctrine; or knowing theology. It is having a personal relationship with Him. Just before His arrest, Jesus prayed to His Father for us, “I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them.”

Today is the day and now is the time to make this relationship personal. Get to know God as intimately as we know our families and other loved ones. Thirst after Him! Make Him the most important thing in life. Turn to God’s Plan of Salvation (better known as the Bible) to guide us. It will never lead us astray. It will never get us off the highway that leads to eternal life.

In God’s Service— M.C.B-S.

Columbia, Virginia

Divine Guidance

5 The Galilean

June 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 Prayer Service 7:00pm

2 Diaconate Education 7:30pm

3

Bible Study 9:00 am 7:30pm

4

-10:00am Gospel Chorus

5

- 6:30 a.m. Men of Promise

Holy Communion

6

Monday Night Bible Study 7:00pm

7

Bible Study 12:30pm

Kindred Vessels 6:30pm

8

Prayer Service 7:00pm

9

Diaconate Education 7:30pm

10

Bible Study 9:00 am 7:30pm

11

--10:00am Senior Choir

12

13

Monday Night Bible Study 7:00pm

14

Bible Study 12:30pm

Kindred Vessels 6:30pm

15

Prayer Service 7:00pm

16

Diaconate Education 7:30pm

17 Bible Study 9:00 am 7:30pm

18

-10:30am Men’s Chorus

19

20

21

22

23

24

25 -10:00am YPU -Noon W2W

26

Youth Sunday

27

Monday Night Bible Study 7:00 pm

28

Bible Study 12:30pm

Kindred Vessels 6:30pm

29

Prayer Service 7:00pm

30

Diaconate Education 7:30pm

1

Bible Study 9:00am 7:30pm

2

-10:00am Gospel Chorus

June 19 7:30 a.m. Fathers’ Day Breakfast

June 20 6:00 p.m. VBS

June 21 6:00 p.m. VBS

June 22 6:00 p.m. VBS

June 23 6:00 p.m. VBS

June 24 6:00 p.m. VBS

June 25 . The Wedding Celebration of Rev. Dr. Sarah E. Morris

June 26 3:00 p.m. Gospel Chorus Anniversary featuring Pastor Sharon Roberts & St. Thomas Baptist Church Family

Please join us

for Sunday

School every

Sunday at

9:30 a.m.

Vacation Bible School

6 The Galilean

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS (Adult)

UNIT 1—Judgment and Salvation

June 5 "The Day of the Lord" Lesson focus: The Lord is near-seek righteousness. Zephaniah 1:4-6 (Riding the Fence), 14-16(The Day of the Lord), 2:3 (Seek Humility)

June 12 "The Consequences of Disobedience" Lesson focus: Fear God and accept His correction. Zephaniah 3:1-4 (Corrupt Leaders), 5-6 (The Lord is Righteous), 7-8 (Reason with the Lord)

June 19 "The Joy of Restoration" Lesson focus: God restores a repentant heart. Zephaniah 3:9-11 (Clean Lips, Pure Heart), 12-14 (Meek and Humble), 20 (Restoration)

UNIT 2—A World Gone Wrong

June 26 "Ignoring God’s Plain Truth" Lesson focus: We are all fools who have gone astray. Romans 1:18-23 (Spurning God), 28-32 (Being Spurned by God)

Lessons from Bible-in-Life: Comprehensive Bible Study Adult Student Book - Toward a New Creation—Studies in

Zephaniah and Romans, Volume 131 Number 4. 2016 Cook Communications Ministries (David C. Cook)

The Gal i lean Galilee Baptist Church Louisa Elder Ruben Lewis, Jr., Pastor 3598 Three Notch Road · Kents Store, VA 23084 434-589-8817 (phone) / 434-589-3760 (fax) Lolita L. Bland, MA, M. Div., Editor (firstpeter510@mail2Jesus.com)

If you know your Bible, Sunday School needs you. If you don't know your Bible, then you need Sunday School.