Community News 3/31/17

DAY 5

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”
(Luke 11:1-4 ESV)

As we pray for our needs we can often forget that our greatest need is forgiveness. God wants us to experience the freedom of forgiveness: the freedom of being forgiven by God and the freedom that comes from extending forgiveness to others. Scripture is clear that if we confess our sins to God, He will forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9). Confession literally means to agree with God. We are agreeing with Him that we’ve sinned greatly against Him. We are agreeing that Jesus was a sufficient sacrifice for our sins. We are agreeing that His mercy and grace are much greater than our sins.

King David, in Psalm 51, wrote out a moving prayer of confession:

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
(Psalm 51:1-13 ESV)

Is there sin to be confessed in your life, so that you may experience forgiveness?
Is there someone you need to forgive? Pray today for God’s wisdom
and grace as you search your heart.

Adapted From: http://shortdailydevotions.com/luke-114a-the-lords-prayer-forgive-our-sins/

Community News 3/30/17

DAY 4

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice… . And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4–7

The festivals and feasts of the old covenant were occasions for the people of God to gather and rejoice. As great as it was, such joy was but a foreshadowing of the joy that we know as new covenant believers, for we can celebrate our salvation with a knowledge the old covenant saints never had. For the next week, we will examine Christian joy more fully using Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teaching series Joy.

Unfortunately, our culture has so trivialized joy that it is all but impossible for many people to understand properly the biblical definition of this fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). Every day we are told both explicitly and implicitly that real joy cannot exist apart from success in all our relationships and happiness with our standard of living. The mantra, “Don’t worry, be happy,” has been immortalized in song and is often used as a quick way to silence any fears that we might harbor.

Yet we can see a slight similarity between this phrase and Scripture’s teaching on joy, for both the phrase and the Word of God command us to have a certain attitude. Just as “Don’t worry, be happy” orders us to be happy, the Bible commands us to rejoice. In fact, rejoicing is so important to the Christian life that the apostle Paul makes joy the central theme of his epistle to the Philippians.

As we have noted, joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23), and it must be evident at some level in the life of every believer. Joy need not be tied inescapably to our circumstances, for we have the Holy Spirit, and we can decide to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4).

Of course, Christian joy does not deny the existence of pain or the legitimacy of grief. Jesus was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3); thus, there are times when it is okay to be sad. Only when we are consistently despairing or hopeless has sadness become tainted by sin. Being made in God’s image, we are complex creatures who can be both sad and joyful at the same time, though in different senses. We can grieve the death of loved ones because we no longer have personal communion with them. At the same time, we can have a deep, abiding joy, knowing that death for the Christian is only temporary. Christ’s death and resurrection have crushed this enemy, and now we wait for God to finally and fully defeat death when the new heaven and earth dawn (1 Cor. 15:20–28; 2 Tim. 1:10).

Knowledge that death does not have the final say is but one of the many reasons why we as Christians can find the fullness of joy in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). Jesus has brought us so many other benefits and blessings, including fellowship with His body the church, material provisions, comfort in times of trouble, and countless other gifts. Let us consider today all the reasons we have to be joyful and rejoice in the Lord.

Adapted From: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals

Community News 3/29/17

DAY 3

It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2

Our standard work week in America is 40 hours. We work five more hours a week than the French, which totals a whopping nine more weeks a year for Americans. Most of us get two weeks off for vacation, while the average European gets six weeks of vacation. Two out of three Americans also fail to get eight hours of sleep a night, and 40 percent of them said they have a hard time staying awake on the job. We are working harder, longer, and sleeping less. This isn’t anything new as we read today’s Bible verse.

We aren’t any happier than we were 50 years ago when we worked less, made less money, and had less productivity. King Solomon had it right when he said that we work too hard and sleep less in vain. We do this in vain because we are “eating the bread of anxious toil”. Essentially, we are worrying too much about having enough money for things that ultimately don’t matter (Matthew 6:31-33)

Instead of seeking money to pay for all of the things we are worried about in life, we should first seek God, his kingdom, and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33). After all, he is the Creator of the universe. This isn’t to say that we should go about our lives without working or having a job, but that we will have a purpose; no longer will we work in vain, but we will work for the kingdom of God. Our job won’t be just about money, but doing what the Lord has called us to do to advance his kingdom. Imagine going to work and not dreading it because you know God has a plan for you there. Sometimes we worry too much about our future instead of asking God what he wants us to do in the here and now.

Are you too busy working for yourself, instead of stepping back
and asking God where he would have you work?

Adapted From: http://shortdailydevotions.com

Community News 3/28/17

Beginning @ Brevard

B@B has been going on the past few weeks but each week is a different!   This is a gathering designed to give you a chance to hear from your lead pastor, Mark Hunnicutt, the vision and values of BCC.  Dinner by donation will be at 6:00 PM from Hawg Wild BBQ and B@B starts at 6:30 PM.

Communion

Have you ever wondered why Christians eat a small piece of bread and drink wine (or grape juice) in some services?  You're not alone.  For thousands of years, the Church has continued a practice called Communion.  We will celebrate Communion on Sunday, April 2nd in both services. 

Pray 4 Every Home

Be an intricate piece of a collaborative prayer effort for Brevard Community Church where believers will pray for every household in Transylvania County by name.  Sign up online as a praying neighbor at www.pray4everyhome.com.

Men's Fellowship Breakfast

Men of all ages will gather together on Saturday, April 1st at 7:30 AM in the Student Center for encouragement and time in the Word.  Invite and bring your friends.

BCC Community Garden

This Saturday, April 1st, weather permitting, we will be preparing potato beds at 9:00 AM. This is a great activity for the entire family. 

Ladies' Game Night-Extreme Bunco

Please bring your friends for a fun night filled with laughter and competition on Saturday, April 8th at 5:30 PM.  Trista Best will be the guest speaker and we will have an ice cream sundae bar that evening.  Card tables are needed so if you have any card tables please bring them with you. 

Community News 3/28/17

DAY 2

"For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander." Matthew 15:19

How often do we hear the word "heart"? It's a word that we seem to use constantly. If we are sad, we say that we are heartbroken. If someone is insensitive, we say they are heartless. If someone is very emotional and quick to express the way they feel, we might say they wear their heart on their sleeve.

When we speak of the heart, we are often referring to our emotional center. And we usually frame it along the lines of, "Well, my mind is telling me one thing, but my heart is telling me another."

Princes Diana once said, "Only do what your heart tells you."

Let me just say that you should not let your heart tell you what to do, because your heart can mislead you. A lot of crazy things have been done in the name of doing them from the heart. The heart wants what it wants, and many times, the heart wants the wrong things.

Here is what the Bible says about the heart: "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jeremiah 17:9). And Jesus said, "For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander" (Matthew 15:19).

So instead of talking about our heart being broken or doing what our heart is telling us to do or wearing it on our sleeves, Jesus tells us to use our heart—as well as our mind and our soul—for what they were created for: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind" (Matthew 22:37).

So, we should not focus on our hearts as much as we should focus our hearts on God.

Adapted From: https://www.harvest.org/devotions-and-blogs/daily-devotions/2011-09-29

Community News 3/27/17

Daily Quiet Time Guide

BREVARD COMMUNITY CHURCH

BOLD – DON’T PRAY IT SAFE

HOW TO HAVE A DAILY QUIET TIME

The QT Guide is designed to help you MOVE with God through Bible Reading, reflection and prayer. It can be completed in about 7 mins.

½ Minutes Preparing Your Heart: Invest the first 30 seconds preparing your heart. You might pray, “Lord, cleanse my heart so You can speak to me through the Scriptures. Make my mind alert, my soul active, and my heart responsive. Surround me with Your presence during this time.

4 Minutes Listening To God: Take the next four minutes to read the Bible. Your greatest need is to hear a word from God. Allow the Word to strike fire in your heart. Meet the Author!

2 1/2 Talking To God (Prayer): After God has spoken through His Book, then speak to Him in prayer.

DAY 1

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

I love praying with kids. They do their kid things that are so cute. Sometimes their prayers are heartfelt and so sincere, while at other times, they will be cheating or not praying at all.

We adults tend to attach a lot of emphasis to the verbiage that we use in prayer or to the length of our prayers, but God doesn't care about those things so much. He is not really interested in the eloquence of our prayers. And He certainly is not impressed by long prayers. In fact, the great prayers of the Bible are brief. I believe that our prayers in private should be long, while our prayers in public should be short. But the main thing is that we need to be praying.

So, what is the objective of prayer? Is it to tell God something He doesn't know? Or is it to convince God to do something that He doesn't necessarily want to do? The answer is no. God knows all things, and God will do what He will do.

Then why pray? The value of prayer is that it keeps us in touch with God. Prayer should be thought of as a relationship between a father and child. We may think that God will give us everything that we need, for every situation, all at once. But if God were to give us all His glorious gifts in one lump sum, there would be the danger of enjoying the gifts and forgetting the Giver.

God gives us what we need as we need it. This also keeps us dependent on Him, not unlike a child who receives an allowance from a parent. In the same way, we need to come back to God each day, finding "grace to help in time of need."

Adapted From: https://www.harvest.org/devotions-and-blogs/daily-devotions/2011-09-02

Community News 3/21/17

Beginning @ Brevard

B@B is a gathering designed to give you a chance to hear from your lead pastor, Mark Hunnicutt, the vision and values of BCC.  This will allow you to become familiar with WHO we are, WHERE we're headed, WHY it's important, and HOW you can get in on it.  Make plans to be here this Wednesday.  Fuji Yama Dinner by Donation begins at 6:00 PM.  B@B, Children's Ministry,  and Preschool Ministry begins at 6:30 PM.

Bold Series
We all pray, but most of the time we pray it safe.  God desires us to come to Him boldly.  Do you pray bold prayers?  BCC's new message series, BOLD, invites you to do just that-leave the timid talks and come to God with bold requests.  Bold requests honor God and God honors bold requests.  Discover how to pray BOLD.  God is listening.  This new series runs from this Sunday, March 26th through April 9th at 9:30 and 11:00 AM.

Garden Ministry

BCC was given 500 pounds of seed potatoes to plant this year.  We will begin prepping the garden on the next two Saturdays (March 25th and April 1st) at 9:00 AM.  We are looking for volunteers to help on these days.  Begin praying for a large harvest.

BigStuf Camp

BigStuf provides middle and high school students with a fun and fresh environment where they can hang out and learn about Jesus.  High school students will attend camp in Panama City from June 19-23.  Middle school students will attend camp in Panama City from June 23-26.  For questions or more information contact Brent Metcalf, brent@brevardcommunity.org or 828.884.5932.

Communion
Have you ever wondered why Christians eat a small piece of bread and drink wine (or grape juice) in some services?  You are not alone.  For thousands of years, the Church has continued a practice called Communion.  We will celebrate Communion next Sunday, April 2nd in both services.

Ladies Game Night

Saturday, April 8th, bring your friends for a fun night filled with laughter and competition as we play "Extreme Bunco."  There will be a Sundae bar and guest speaker at half-time.  Fun and festivities begin at 5:30 PM.  If you have a card table and or chairs that you will be willing to lend, contact the church office at 828.884.5932.

Community News 3/15/17

Good afternoon,

At approximately 8 PM last night Marty Burgess’ mom, Lana, met her Savior face to face.  Please be in prayer for the family as they go through this difficult time.  They will receive friends Sunday at 2 PM at First Baptist Brevard and the memorial will follow at 3 PM.

Thanks for your prayers!

Community News 3/14/17

Beginning @ Brevard

It's important that you have a church you can call home for yourself or your family.  We invite you to make Brevard Community Church that place you call home.  Being part of BCC means you are part of the family here and part of a community changing the world and doing life together.  

Beginning @ Brevard is offered to give you a chance to hear firsthand from your lead pastor the vision and values of BCC.  Essentially, Beginning @ Brevard is a gathering designed to give you the lowdown on what's up.  It's where you can get familiar with WHO we are, WHERE we are headed, WHY it's important, and HOW you can get in on it.  Make plans to be there.  So, if you're "beginning @ Brevard" B@B is the perfect place to begin moving into a more dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.  

See you tomorrow, March 15th in the Auditorium.  "Dinner by Donation," Hawg Wild BBQ & fixins' will begin at 6:00 PM.   B@B, Preschool Ministry and Children's Ministry will begin at 6:30 PM.  

Women's Friday Bible Study

This 5 week Bible Study will be using Priscilla Shirer's book, "Breathe, Making Room for Sabbath."  They will meet on Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM beginning this Friday, March 17th.  For more information, call the church office at 884-5932.  

KidzZone Leader

We have a group of kids who need you to encourage them in the faith on Sunday mornings right now!  Become an integral part of preparing the next generation of dynamic Jesus worshipers by giving elementary age kids your attention and heart in the KidzZone.  Contact Pastor Chris at 553-7583 or chris@brevardcommunity.org. 

Preschool Ministry

There are opportunities for you to show and teach God's love to the children in the Preschool Ministry.  Please contact Tracy Pace at 884-5932 or email tracy@brevardcommunity.org for more information. 

Go Bags

If you would like to be involved with the future creation of a "Go Bag" for a child who requires rapid replacement in DSS custody, please contact Kathie Williams at the Children's Center at 885-7288.  To see more of the circumstances that are common for a child entering foster care, view the short film "ReMoved" at www.removedfilm.com.

Community News 3/12/17

Brevard Community Church will operate on a 

normal schedule on Sunday, March 12th.  

See you at 9:30 or 11:00 a.m.  

Community News 3/7/17

Midweek Worship

Nathan Milazzo will be leading us in prayer tomorrow at 6:30 PM.  Snacks will be provided at 6:00 PM.  The Children's and Preschool Ministry will begin at 6:30 PM.

Kingdom Quest

Sign your child up for a FREE unforgettable summer day camp experience at BCC.  It is available for preschoolers aged 2 (by August 31st, 2017) to rising sixth graders.  There will be three identical sessions: July 17-21, July 24-28, and July 31-August 4.  To register, go  online to www.brevardcommunity.org, click on "Events", and then click on "Kingdom Quest."  Elementary aged students will attend camp from 9 AM to 5 PM, and preschool aged kids will attend camp from 9 AM to 12 PM.

Women's Friday Bible Study 

This 5 week Bible Study will be using Priscilla Shirer's book, "Breathe, Making Room for Sabbath."  We will meet on Fridays from 9:30 to 11:30 AM beginning on March 17th.  Sign up on Sunday at the table in the back of the Worship Center or call the church office at 

884-5932.

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday, March 12th.  Please make sure to set your clocks forward an hour before you go to bed on Saturday, March 11th. 

Garden Ministry

The purpose of the Community Garden Ministry is to provide an environment and opportunity for members of the church and community to work together to provide for the physical and spiritual needs of those in our community.  BCC was given 500 pounds of potato seed to plant this year.  Seed preparation day will be on Saturday morning, March 25th starting at 9:00 AM.  

Community News 3/1/17

Hello,

Thank you for the opportunity to serve with you at Brevard Community Church. I’m looking forward to leading myself, and others into a more dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.

I want to thank you for your prayer effort and energy. My desire is for every service at BCC to be a “major” service, but nothing compares to Easter services. That is why a new message series, BOLD, is going to invite you to pray bold prayer – because BOLD prayers honor God and God honors BOLD prayers. Series runs March 26 – April 9.

April 16th is Easter Sunday! Here are some Easter service prayer points:

• Pray for God's presence and power
• Ask God to give courage to those inviting friends & family
• Pray that our community outreach will be effective
• Ask God to move, save, and restore

I appreciate you partnering with me in this prayer effort. At BCC we will always pray first. Let’s continue praying as we witness the people of Transylvania County move into a more dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.

How can I pray for you? Just reply to this email and let me know.

Thanks!

Mark Hunnicutt
BCC Lead Pastor