This week's Proclaimer (November 30, 2020)

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This month's memory verse
Romans 6:23, ESV

"For the wages of sin is death, bu the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Read through the Bible this year:

Zech 9-11; 1 John 5
Zech 12-14; Psalm 94; 2 John
Ezra 5-6; Psalm 95; 3 John
Esther 1-3; Psalm 139; Revelation 1
Esther 4-6; Rev 2

This week's focus passage is

Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew 1:18-25

Please take some time every day to read our focus passage.

A Note from Jake.

As much as we would like to forget about Covid-19 and the rest of the events that happened in 2020, it does seem like God is trying to get our attention. Last month we read and studied together in the book of Joel. The main motif that occurs in this prophet’s book is a locust invasion that Joel interprets as judgement from the Lord (Joel 1). Joel saw these locusts as the Lord drawing their attention. The whole book of Joel was calling the people to repentance. Joel frequently pointed them to a day when the Lord would execute His judgement on the world. Joel refers to this day as “The Day of the Lord” (Joel 2:1, 11, 31, etc). In the Old Testament, the idea of “The Day of the Lord” brought two different emotions and responses. The first response is a day of judgement. This was a day when God would come to judge the sinful man and God would give the righteous punishment that sin required. For these people, this was a day of fear. The second response is a day of celebration. This was a day when God would come to dwell with those who repented and placed their faith in Him. For these people, this was a day of joyful anticipation.

For us the motif that we find in Joel about The Day of the Lord still applies in 2020. The Day of the Lord is a day that some will see as a day of celebration. For a small group of people (i.e., the Bible calls these people, “the remnant”), this day will be a joyful time where they celebrate their coming Lord. On this day, those who God saved will receive the full benefits of their salvation. They get to be in the full presence of their God. However, The Day of the Lord is also a day that for some will be a day of fear. A day when God will cease to extend His common grace upon the world, and they will face the full wrath of God. Their sin will be punished. This is not because God did not draw them to Himself or that Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough to save them, rather these people were left in their sin and did not believe or trust in Christ.

For the whole world, The Day of the Lord is still coming. The Bible explicitly tells us this, maybe just not in the same language as the prophet Joel. Therefore, it is part of the churches mission. Our mission is the make disciples. When we orient our lives to this mission, we are literally bringing a hope that sinners can see this day in a different way. Remember The Day of the Lord is a day of fear and judgement. When we share the Gospel with anyone and everyone, we are sharing the message of hope that God can save you and this day could no longer be a day of fear, but rather a day of celebration. This is why the Great Commission that Jesus gives his followers in Matthew 28:19-20 has such a great significance.
When we look at the church (both global and in the United States), we see many people leaving the churches. For some this is inevitable for health reasons. However, for many this was an excellent excuse to leave. The trouble that the church faces is that Covid-19 makes personal evangelism more difficult. Because of this, the church (and we see this in PRBC) will begin to see more pew space. John Dickerson in The Great Evangelical Recession says, “We are losing the people we have. If the church is the body of Christ, then that body is bleeding out” (98).” This is one of the main reasons that the church MUST take initiative and begin taking the Great Commission seriously. The only fix to this problem is the solution that God has already commanded us to do—make disciples in our daily lives. This mission was not given to a select elect, but rather given to EVERY person who has been forgiven by faith in Jesus Christ and it is this message of the Gospel that motivates us to our mission. It should not be a surprise that God’s Word tells us this is the answer. Let us take initiative in 2021 to make more disciples on Monday-Saturday.

P.S. (STUDENT MINISTRY UPDATE)
The student ministry is facing the same issues that Sunday morning is experiencing. We have fewer students attending services on a Wednesday night. To make things worse, Covid-19 prevents me in many ways from being around students outside of Wednesday nights. However, I am extremely grateful for the students that I get to see and teach on Wednesday (and Sunday). As a response to this difficult time the only solution to the Covid crisis is the students. The students are given a significant opportunity. These students get to attend school. They are in a place where they are around other students who need Jesus. They are put in this place where no one else can go (i.e., because of Covid-19). Therefore, starting on New Year’s the student ministry will begin to utilize it’s time in training and preparing the students to make disciples in their schools. If John Dickerson is right when he says that the church is bleeding, the only tourniquet that will stop the bleeding is the Gospel. The message of the Gospel that Jesus has come to call sinners to repentance. This message is the only hope for us because we are wicked, corrupt, and evil.

I tell you the student ministry plan so that you can be in pray for the student ministry. This will be a difficult time for some students. I believe that prayer is powerful, and it works. So, I ask you to be in prayer for 2021 as we begin to train the students to fulfill the Great Commission in their schools. We begin to form our strategy and vision on New Year’s night. We are having a (mini) Lock-In. We will use this time to see what the bible teaches students about their purpose to glorify God and mission to share the Gospel to the lost.

Jake Kersh

The 2020 Week of Prayer for International Missions is November 29-December 6. Please pray daily for our SBC missionaries. For the daily prayer requests go to: https://www.imb.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering-week-prayer/

Our Lottie Moon goal for this year is $12,000.00.You can help decorate the tree in the sanctuary by donating. Each $500.00 given buys one ornament.

Adult Christmas Musical
December 20, 2020
Morning Worship Service

We will continue to stream our Sunday morning services live on our Youtube channel and our Facebook page.

Throughout this crisis, your giving is incredibly important to the survival of the church. There are several ways you can give. Thank you in advance for your faithfulness.

1. In-person - You can drop your tithes into the dropbox by the church office. This box will be checked daily for security purposes.

2. By mail - You can mail your tithes to the church at 1343 Hueytown Rd., Hueytown, AL 35023.

3. Online - You can give online at Pleasantridgebaptist.org/give or through the Realm App/website.

4. By text - You can text your tithes to the church by texting "Pleasantridgebc" to 73256

Subscribe to and listen to our weekly sermon podcast here! (Click here for iTunes )

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Thank you so much for your support of the ministries of PRBC. When you give to the church, you are supporting local missions, missions across North America, and around the world. Click here to give online or schedule a recurring gift.

This Week's Schedule
November 30 - 7:00 PM - Dance Class (CFLC)
December 6 -   9:00 AM - Sunday School
                       10:30 AM - Worship Security (Jim Zezulka, Kent Nuss,
                                          Marlin Johnson)
December 7 -   7:00 PM - Dance Class (CFLC)
December 13 - 9:00 AM - Sunday School
                       10:30 AM - Worship Security (Robert Gilliland, Bob Graves)
                         4:00 PM - Budget Committee Meeting (FH)
                         5:00 PM - Deacon's Meeting (FH)



*Greeters will return to normal schedule.

Special Recognition

Music
In honor of Helen Syx by Ron Shuff.
In memory of David Kuykendall Jr. by Robbie & David Kuykendall.

CFLC HOURS
Monday - 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday - 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Wednesday - 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Thursday - 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Friday - 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday PM hours are available for private events by appointment. Contact the CFLC staff for available dates and special arrangements.

Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Staff

Interim Pastor, Dr. Ken Alford
Associate Pastor, Seth Powell
Worship Pastor, Jon Riddle
Youth Pastor, Jake Kersh
Children's Minister, Nancy Glover
Executive Ministry Assistant, Cheryl Abney
Building Superintendent, James Cash

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Our mailing address is:
1343 Hueytown Rd
Hueytown, Alabama 35023
205-491-3771

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Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church · 1343 Hueytown Rd · Hueytown, AL 35023-2439 · USA

This month's memory verse Romans 6:23, ESV

"For the wages of sin is death, bu the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Read through the Bible this year:

This month's memory verse
Romans 6:23, ESV