NEW to First Baptist Clarksville? WELCOME! We’re so glad you’re worshiping with us! We’d love for you to fill out an online Connect Card so that we can learn more about you and help get you connected! Visit fbct.org/connectcard and someone will contact you shortly!
May 12, 2024 IN-PERSON SERMON
Dr. Ronny Raines, Senior Pastor
Breaking Free: I’m Overwhelmed
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Philippians 4:4-7 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 46:1 - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 121:1-2 - I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I. We Need to Acknowledge Our Baggage.
II. We Need to Believe God’s Promises.
III. We Need to Obey Jesus’ Invitation.
MAY 12, 2024 STUDY GUIDE
Breaking Free: I’m Overwhelmed
Matthew 11:28-30
Life is stressful! If not handled correctly, a person can accumulate baggage in life. What does that look like? Relationships go bad. Poor choices mean painful consequences. Financial mismanagement leads to debt and bondage. Spiritual deserts have replaced flowing streams and green pastures. Can you relate?
Are you carrying around unnecessary baggage? Can you name the bags that are causing you stress and pain? On this Mother's Day, are you overwhelmed as a mom? Research reveals that many parents, and especially mothers, are exhausted, fatigued, and overwhelmed. How can you let go of your baggage and live free as a mom or as a believer in Jesus?
In your study group, take time to read and discuss these Bible verses (1 Peter 5:6-7; Philippians 4:4-7; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 121:1-2). What is the Lord saying to you through His Word? What needs to change immediately in your life? Do you need to pray now for God to set you free and give you His peace?
1. We Need to Acknowledge Our Baggage. In your relationship with God, are you honest with Him? You don't have to pretend. He can handle your honesty and "stuff." That's amazing news! Is your church a "safe place?" You can share with others your failures, struggles, and temptations. To the Lord and with your group, what do you need to acknowledge?
2. We Need to Believe God's Promises. In your group, take a few moments and share several of God's promises. How have His promises comforted and ministered to you? If you come to Him, Jesus promised to give you rest. Being overwhelmed isn't unusual. The invitation is to draw near to the Lord. What do you need to do now to come to Jesus? He's inviting you.
3. We Need to Obey Jesus' Invitation. Jesus invited many people to make decisions. Take several minutes and talk about His invitations. How did God call Isaiah (Is. 6:1-8)? What did the Lord ask the fishermen to do (Matt. 4:18-22)? How did Jesus call a wealthy tax collector (Lk. 19:1-10)? What is Jesus inviting you to do? Matthew 11:28-30 is an invitation for the overwhelmed.
What do you need for the Lord to do in your life? How do you need to serve another overwhelmed person? God wants to use your experiences and story.
Finish your time together in prayer. First, pray for one another. Second, pray for mothers who are overwhelmed on this Mother's Day weekend. Third, pray for your local church, your pastor and leaders, and the nation. Fourth, pray for revival and spiritual awakening to take place. Fifth, pray for the spread of the gospel throughout the world.
We hope you'll worship with us this weekend! The Lord is at work, and people are "breaking free!"
Have a blessed Mother's Day!
View all of the "I AM" Sermon Series Study Guides at fbct.org/breakingfree.
At First Baptist, an important part of how we function is by connecting with each other as well as creating an atmosphere that is conducive to growing in our relationship with God and with others. One way in which we make strides to achieve that goal is through Connect Groups. Even during this time, we have online Connect Group opportunities as well as in-person Connect Groups that meet at 9:00am! Learn more about connecting opportunities by visiting fbct.org/connectgroups.
SUNDAY NIGHT D-CONNECT GROUPS:
GriefShare, Room 2208, 5:00pm, Led by Lyle and Pam Carlson January 14
GriefShare is a support group to help you move through the grief process. It is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief.
MONDAY NIGHT D-CONNECT GROUPS:
Monday Ladies, Room 2208, 6:30pm, Led by Melanie Boisseau
This is a group of 20-30 ladies that are from different churches across Clarksville. The class reaches ladies of all ages. They will be studying Kristi McLellend "Jesus & Women".
TUESDAY MORNING D-CONNECT GROUPS:
Men’s Prayer Group, Chick-Fil-A, 6:30am, Led by Ron Pendergrass
Currently they are going through the minor prophets.
TUESDAY NIGHT D-CONNECT GROUPS:
MomLife, Steeple Landing, 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 6:00-8:00pm, 3rd Floor Steeple Landing Grace Building, August- May,
Led by Tabitha Dowdy, fbct.org/momlifeMomLife Registration for the 2024-2025 year opens on Mother's Day.
MomLife Ministries provides easy-to-use curriculum, encouragement, and practical resources to help groups of moms grow in their faith and spiritual friendships. MomLife is designed for moms to gather twice a month (August to May) to watch a teaching video, engage in discussion, and build life-giving community. Whether you just found out you are pregnant, you are an empty nester, or your motherhood journey is somewhere in between, MomLife is for you!
WEDNESDAY MORNING D-CONNECT GROUPS:
Explorers, 3rd Floor Hope Building, 11:30am, August-May, Led by Becky Bourne, fbct.org/explorers
This semester they are studying Joshua and Ruth.
Wednesday Night D-CONNECT GROUPS (6:00pm):
Hispanic Bible Study | Room 2120 | Led by Nestor Martinez
In View of God’s Mercies-The Gift of the Gospel in Romans | Room FH2230 | Led by Mikka Doyle | 9 week Bible study for ladies.
Romans is a passionate letter written by Paul, a man completely captured by the beauty, mercy, and majesty of God and His glorious salvation. Paul wanted his readers, then and now, to know how amazing and all-encompassing this salvation actually is—that it’s powerful, planned, eternal, free, and leads to a transformed life.
In this 9-session study, walk through the book of Romans to discover that salvation doesn’t just change your eternal future; it changes your present reality. Because of God’s salvation, hope, peace, life, faith, trust, and endurance are yours.
Learn that after God saves you, He invites you to join Him on His two-fold mission— to sanctify and transform you into the image of Jesus and to send you out into the world to share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.Pastor’s Study, Grace Worship Center, Led by Dr. Ronny Raines
Pastor Ronny is going through an overview of the Bible where a different book of the Bible is taught each Wednesday night.Dream Small: The Secret Power of the Ordinary Christian Life by Seth Lewis, Led by Debbie Farrell, Room 2327
We are all looking for significance and meaning in our lives. The world tells us that this comes from dreaming big, achieving personal success, and making a big impact. But the Bible says that self-worth is found in knowing our Creator, and contentment is found in discovering his purpose for our lives. This book reminds us that when we know Jesus, we are free from the world’s definition of success. We can listen to God’s word and direct our dreams towards the things that he says matter most, even if they are small and unimpressive in the world’s eyes.Character Still Counts by Dr. James Meritt, Room 2234, Led by Mike Madewell
Character still counts, and it always will. If you are ready to invest in the content of your character, join James Merit as he looks at the 12 role models who reveal the traits that are essential to Godly character.
Thank you for your faithful giving to First Baptist Clarksville. Your financial support and investment in our church has a direct impact on our ministry. God is at work in our church and because you give, we are able to see lives touched, changed and redirected to honor Him. Learn more about different ways to give at fbct.org/giving or give instantly at fbct.org/give.
Our Pastor has called us to make every Friday a Day of Prayer. We invite you to join us. No need to sign up, just pray. We ask you to set aside 15 minutes during the day to stop and pray. A new prayer guide will be posted at fbct.org/pray each Thursday to help direct your prayer time.
Of course, every day is a day for us to pray. We are reminded to continually be in a spirit of prayer.
2 Chronicles 7:14 ”And my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
We’d love for you to like and follow us on social media! It’s a great way to stay up-to-date and connected with our First Family! When you visit us for in-church worship, we’d love for you to check-in! This is a great way to invite others to join you! Or if you’re at home or in-person, take a photo of what worship looks like where you’re at and who you’re with and tag us, and be sure to share the online worship so others can worship with us!
SAVE THE DATES:
May 15 - 6pm: Special Call Business Conference | Laida Fellowship Hall
May 15 - 5-7pm: Music Camp Auditions | fbct.org/musiccamp
May 19 - 10:30am: Grad Recognition Sunday | movementstudents.org/gradsunday
May 19 - 3-5pm: VBS Training | Kids Worship Room | Register for Childcare (Deadline to register for childcare is Thursday, May 16)
May 22 - 6-7:15pm: End of School Church-Wide Dinner, Fellowship, and Games
June 3-8: Students FUGE Camp | movementstudents.org/fuge
June 17-21 - 9am-noon: VBS | fbct.org/vbs
July 8-12 - 9am-noon: Music Camp | fbct.org/musiccamp
July 13 - 5pm: Music Camp Presentation | fbct.org/musiccamp
July 28-31, 2024: Kids Camp 2024 | fbct.org/kidscamp
August 11 - 9:00am: Connect Sunday
August 18 - 12-2pm: First Steps Class | fbct.org/firststeps
October 6-9, 2024: Legacy Trip to the Cove | fbct.org/legacytrip
October 11-22, 2025: Journeys of Paul Tour | fbct.org/journeysofpaul
2024 BIBLE READING PLAN
Follow along with us as we read the Bible through in 2024! There are three versions you can choose from to follow along with, Through the Bible, Chronological, and New Testament.
STUDENTS - FUGE CAMP
June 3-8 | Ridgecrest, NC
Many times throughout history, we have seen the people of God rise up and turn back to Him with passion and fervor for their faith in times of great revival. What is revival? It isn’t goosebumps or an emotional high. Revival is the spiritual awakening of God’s people to their true nature and purpose. Revival is mainly for God’s people, but those who do not know Christ also benefit because Christians actually get serious about their faith. Has the time come for another great revival? Will your generation lead the way? Join us for FUGE Camps 2024 as we look at four stories in the Bible of great change and revival that resulted in generational impact and be challenged to make a difference for generations to come.
Your student must have completed a Code of Conduct and Medical Release form to participate in this event.
The cost is $350. Register HERE! Pay any remaining camp fees HERE!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
SAVE THE DATE: June 17-21 9:00am-12noon
WHO: Entering Kindergarten to Completed 5th Grade
WHAT: A 5-day intensive Biblical learning experience for kids that is also FUN for kids & teachers alike! Our kids kick-off the day with Worship Rally, then rotate through Bible study, Rec., Missions, Snacks, Crafts & MORE!
WHEN: June 17-21 | 9am-12noon
COST: FREE
Get Involved: Interested in joining the team as a leader or volunteer?
Email vbs@fbct.org for more information.
Volunteer Early to reserve your VBS shirt.
Preschool VBS is available for Volunteer children who are PreK and younger.
ALL VBS Adult Volunteers will be required to pass a background check and Ministry Safe Training.
Click HERE to Register to Volunteer.
KIDS MUSIC CAMP 2024
DANNY & THE SHACKS
For children in completed K through completed 5th Grade
Auditions: May 15th | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
(for acting parts and/or singing solos)Music Camp: July 8th -12th | 9:00 am-noon
Musical Presentation: Saturday, July 13th at 5:00 pm
Kids Camp 2024
July 28 - July 31, 2024 | JONATHAN CREEk in HArdin, KY
Early Bird Registration:
FREE camp backpack, $60 deposit by June 10th, $250 total cost due by July 25th.
Regular Registration :
June 10th - July 17th: Camp backpack, $75 dollar deposit, $280 total camp cost due by July 25th.
Current 2024 Medical Release Forms are required to attend.
A separate form is required for each child.
We are excited to be returning to Crossings Kids Camp at Jonathan Creek for our 6th year!
Crossings Kids Camp is at Jonathan Creek located in Hardin, KY (just an hour and fifteen minutes away). Kids will experience Christ-centered worship, solid Gospel teaching, intentional small group times, exciting water sports, climbing, zip lines and more! Feel free to check out their website at gocrossings.org.
FIRST STEPS CLASS
UPCOMING CLASS: AUGUST 18, 2024, 12-2 pm
LOCATION: Fellowship Hall, Hope Building
Our First Steps class is designed for new members and guests. We invite you to join our Senior Pastor, Dr. Ronny Raines, and our ministry team for our next membership class. We'll treat you to a delicious lunch and then help you discover how God wants to use you at First Baptist Church. As you attend the class, we'll cover the following subjects:
A personal relationship with Jesus Christ
Meaning of church membership
Biblical baptism
The Lord's Supper
The church's beliefs and vision
Opportunities to give
Ways to serve in the church
Ministries at First Baptist Church
Meet our ministry team
Time for Q&A
Tour our church facilities
We hope you'll join us for our next First Steps class. You can register by filling out the online form HERE or contacting Dana in the pastor's office at 931.245.0000 or dana.abee@fbct.org.
FIRST BAPTIST MUSIC
Check out all of the First Baptist Worship Team videos from our online worship services at fbct.org/music.
THE VOICE - MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Stay up to date with all that is going with our monthly newsletter, the Voice! Visit fbct.org/voice!
MEMBERSHIP AND GIVING TOOLS
Fellowship, Worship and Discipleship are fundamental to an obedient life in Christ. First Baptist Church maintains several tools to help us stay connected, share and offer the sacrifice of praise, and grow together. Scroll to the bottom of the home page at fbct.org and click on "app" to see options for adding these tools to your phone or other device. You can use these tools to stay connected to your discipleship group, contact the church, watch past worship services and sermons, as well as support the FBC financially as the Lord directs for you and your family. There are even instructions for how to access these tools using your web browser.
Using these apps, updating your profile information to share with the church is easy. When changes occur in your family life such as a move to a new home, change in email address, etc. you can update your information to be sure that our communication with you is efficient. You can even add a picture to make it easier for your church family to put a name with a face!
Information about any groups that might be of interest to you, such as Connect Groups, teams, committees, etc will be available as well. Group Leaders can use the tools to take attendance online and access other features. You can contact the church through the app, read messages from group members/leaders and browse the church directory.
Check out fbct.org/app for instructions on how to get the app and reach the membership and giving website.
LOVE the time of worship through song today? You can follow us on Spotify and listen to our playlist each week! Follow us on Spotify “First Clarksville” and sing along!
Check out these Staff Picks for Books and Resources for all ages!
Many of these materials are available in the church library, room 2326, on the third floor.
You may locate them by searching the online catalog at fbct.org/library.
PRESCHOOL MINISTRY
9 am Connect Group Hour
Greeter/Attendance
Babies Connect Group Assistant Leader
Three year Olds Connect Group Leader
10:30 Worship Hour
Greeter/Attendance
Worship Hour Smiles Team Member
Wednesday 6 pm
Wednesday PM Babies Helper
Wednesday PM Pre-K TeamKID Leader & Assistant Leader
Email Cheryl McCrary, Preschool Minister, at preschool@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.
KIDS MINISTRY
Teachers for elementary-age kids for Connect Groups
Email Tabitha Dowdy, Kids Ministry Director, at tabitha.dowdy@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.
STUDENT MINISTRY
(1) Middle School Boys Group Co-Leader
Email Cole McCartney, Next Generation Pastor, at cole.mccartney@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY
Photographers (capture Sunday mornings and events)
In-Person Worship Camera Operators for Online Service
Online Worship Service Hosts (Facebook)
Email Beverly Ross, Director of Communications, at beverly.ross@fbct.org for more information.
TECH MINISTRY
Audio, Video, and Lighting
Email Jonathan Anderson, Tech Director, at jonathan.anderson@fbct.org for more information.
MILITARY MINISTRY
Military Appreciation Team
Event Coordination Team
Mentor Group
Research Assistance Team
Resource Management Team
Email Richard Davis, Military Ministry, at richard.davis@fbct.org or visit https://fbct.org/military-serving-opportunities for more information on each opportunity.
WORSHIP MINISTRY
Adult Choir, Worship Team, Musicians
Email John Mark Cox, Worship Leader/Creative Director, at john.cox@fbct.org for more information.
FIRST EVENTS MINISTRY
Kitchen helpers needed - making coffee, serving food, and setting up and cleaning up after events.
Email Angela Knowles, First Events Coordinator, at angela.knowles@fbct.org for more information.
Legacy Ministry
Loving Touch Care for the Homebound and Nursing Homes
Email Tony Lewis, Discipleship Pastor, at tony.lewis@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Ministry
Sunday Morning First Impressions Greeters and Connectors
Email Tony Lewis, Discipleship Pastor, at tony.lewis@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.
Lillian Bradley Church Library Ministry
Displays/bulletin boards
Advertising
Book processing
Typing
Man circulation desk
Email Frances Sumner, Library Director, at fcsumner@gmail.com
JOIN US THIS SUNDAY FOR IN-PERSON WORSHIP!
IN-PERSON Opportunities:
Sundays: 9:00am (Connect Groups)
Sundays: 10:30am (Worship)
Wednesdays: 4:30-6:00pm (Dinner)
Wednesdays: 6:00-7:15pm (Connect Groups)
Online Worship Opportunities:
Saturdays: 7pm
Sundays: 10:30am, 2pm, 7pm
Mondays: 7pm
Wednesdays: 6pm
Facebook: facebook.com/firstclarksville
YouTube: youtube.com/c/firstclarksville
Website: fbct.org/live
LIVE on Facebook: facebook.com/firstclarksville. After the live event, you can replay on this same Facebook page. We will stream on Sundays at 10:30am, 2pm, and 7pm, Mondays at 7pm, Wednesdays at 6pm, and Saturdays at 7pm.
LIVE on Youtube: youtube.com/c/firstclarksville.
You can listen to and watch past services at fbct.org/sermonarchive
You can also watch a recent sermon on television through WCKV-TV which is Channel 6 on Charter/Spectrum, Channel 12 on CDE Lightband and over the air through an antenna on Channel 22.1. These programs air at:
- 9am on Sundays
- 4:30am on Mondays
- 7pm on Mondays
- 8:30am on Wednesdays
- 4:30am on Thursdays
- 4am on Fridays
QUESTIONS? Email us at info@fbct.org.