Braves Baseball

The baseball season is back. Could this year be the one when the Braves return to the playoffs? I believe their chances of making the playoffs are much better this year than the previous two. The pitching should be much improved, and their offense will be extremely potent.

It all begins on Sunday evening. It should be a fun year.

Sweet Sixteen

The Tourney really heats up tonight. There should be interesting games and some great match-ups.

Who do you think will come through the weekend as the Final 4? As of right now, all of my elite 8 and all of my Final 4 teams are left, but of course that change in an instant with the frenzy that is known as March Madness.

I hope you enjoy some hoops tonight.

ESPN - Men's Tournament Challenge: This Hope Group Page

ESPN - Men's Tournament Challenge: This Hope Group Page

Easter Week

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.” Isaiah 53:4-6 (NASB) This passage of Scripture that the prophet Isaiah was inspired to write prophesied about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It was written some seven hundred years before the events we celebrate actually took place.

This week we remember the Last Supper, the mockery of a trial, the Crucifixion, the Burial, and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was abandoned and betrayed by His disciples. He was beaten, mocked, spit on, slapped, and made to carry His own cross to the “place of the skull.” He endured these atrocities for mankind’s sin. He was nailed to the cross for the entire world. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB) His death had to take place in order for humanity’s sin to be forgiven. His blood had to be shed for mankind’s forgiveness. “…and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22 (NASB)

Praise the Lord! He is alive. He conquered death and the tomb. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” 1Corinthians 15:3-4 (NASB). The Lord Jesus Christ is alive. He is no longer in the tomb. He desires to transform your heart if you will trust in Him. He desires for you to be “born again” (John 3) which means to be “born from above” or to be spiritually transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB).

If you have not been born again, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will convict you of your sins and that you will trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. May the Lord receive the glory as we celebrate the Resurrection this Sunday.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world..." probably the most quoted and well-known biblical verses. God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to sacrifice Himself for humanity's sin. It was the only way for God's wrath to be satisfied. Jesus Christ's death on the cross satisfied the Father's wrath toward sin.

An article I read by Dr. Charles Lawless, Dean of The Billy Graham School of Church Growth, Evangelism, and Missions at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, reflected his inability to sleep at night reflecting on the 1.7 billion in the world who have not trusted in the gospel. Some of them have never heard about Jesus and what He did on the cross or some of them have heard and have not trusted in Him. I wonder with Dr. Lawless when was the last time we were unable to sleep at night contemplating about the people who have not trusted in Jesus Christ.

I hope you join with me in praying for the lost and seeking opportunities to share John 3:16 with them.

3:16

For the first two weeks of March, we have been encouraging one another at First Baptist Newton to memorize verses with the reference of 3:16 in them. The first week we memorized 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is inspired by God...", and the second week we memorized 1 Corinthians 3:16 "...you are a temple of God...". I hope you have been sharing these verses with your family and memorizing them personally.

May the Lord bless you as you hide His Word in your hearts.