I started to write that I had the opportunity, but rather I made the time to get up on Sunday morning, January 24, 2021 and attend Magnolia’s First Baptist Church.
In my travels to race and run across the state of Texas, I always seem to notice a “First Baptist Church” in most towns I pass by.
I have a spreadsheet that has all the towns in the Lone Star state and that is how I keep track when I run a mile or more in one of them.
That count, by the way, is at 323.
I have also started to count how many First Baptist churches there are in Texas.
Right now, I am at 207, including 10 of those that do not have a website of any kind.
So, my line of thinking, since I am without a church home, is to start attending the different ones as much as possible.
Admittedly, I allowed the pandemic to be an excuse for not attending church in person last year after the shutdowns from March to May.
And online worship did not follow too much either.
I had a plan for the day, and I stopped, for example, after services were over – changing in the HEB along FM 1488 - to walk four miles on The Woodlands Waterway.
I got to Magnolia early enough before the 9:30 a.m. Traditions service that I got in a new Whataburger for breakfast. It was my 149th different one.
Their service is billed as being with “timeless hymns and gospel choruses.” Which means a little older.
I grew up in church singing out of a hymnal.
There wasn’t a hymnal in the building, but still it took until 9:55 a.m. for me to encounter one that I recognized, namely being “Glory To His Name”.
First Baptist Church had its service online as well as in the building and they do a great job with the use of technology where you could text to connect, pray (for prayer requests) and to give.
Beautiful facility and the men greeting visitors and regular members were friendly.
They used the concept of Mission: Redemption to introduce the sermon material was from John 6:38-44 and was that Jesus was given by God to die, but that his death would redeem many people.
The pastor used John 15:5 to introduce that we all begin from our relationship with Him, “…if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.” (NIV)
He went on to illustrate that in John 15:11 we’re told for our life to be full that “my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” and that the product, in verse 12, was for us to “…love each other as I have loved you.”
Moving on into the chapter of John 15, he said that the greater example of sacrificial love is Jesus and the greatest contrast in that example is how that Christians can’ t agree and be nice to others over things like masks, vaccines, etc.
But that the “witness of the Gospel is more important than our opinions.”
He said that if it was that our actions will show others and that real love is not just words but proved by actions. The definitive proof? What we do.
Words plus obedience equals love.
Words minus obedience equals hypocrisy.
The core command of the passage was verse 17, “This is my command: Love each other.”
Love each other.
Love your family. (The biggest response came from the grandparents in attendance.)
Love those who do not know Christ, far from their faith or who don’t believe the Bible or how you think and act and talk.
Love people who need to see Jesus in somebody. Find common ground with people who are far from Christ. Earn a hearing with those who are not Christ followers. If any of those are without love involved, they will not last.
Love your brothers and sisters in the faith.
He added that, “Some of us are difficult to love.” He continued saying, “World will know you’re mine in how you love each other.”
Love your close friends.
He pivoted into what a Godly friendship looks like.
Some of these points were as follows:
+ More concerned with being a friend than having a friend.
+ You do not have to agree on everything and willing to learn from each other.
+ You do not place demand or expectations on your friendship, but you give of yourself to meet the needs of your friendship.
He noted that really good friends can have extended time apart and pick up where they left off.
+ You have unquestioned confidence to confide in one another and you never break the sacred trust.
+ You are not easily offended and when you are, you are quick to forgive and move on together.
He gave the example of Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo and when Sayers gave his acceptance speech for the Halas Award and knowing that Piccolo was battling cancer he asked people for them to ask God to love Brian too.
In full, the words from Sayers’ speech were:
“He has the heart of a giant and that rare form of courage that allows him to kid himself and his opponent – cancer,” Sayers said in the speech. “He has the mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out the word ‘courage’ 24 hours a day, every day of his life. You flatter me by giving me this award, but I tell you that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. It is mine tonight, it is Brian Piccolo’s tomorrow. . . . I love Brian Piccolo, and I’d like all of you to love him too. Tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him.”
He closed his message by sharing to “find someone this week who needs to be loved like Jesus has loved you.”
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