Pastor Ken

Ken is Pastor of Sardis Baptist Church and is originally from Mobile, AL.

FROM THE PASTOR – June 2011

 June 2011, Newsletter  No Responses »
Jun 092011
 
team_mbrs

Beloved,

This is a wonderful time for our church. There is a wonderful spirit of unity building, as well as a stirring of hearts to serve the Lord. God is bearing fruit in answer to our prayers and He is changing lives. We are blessed far beyond our understanding, and God is not done, yet!

As we continue to do the work of the ministry, it is my prayer that God would truly add laborers. There are so many needs in our community, both spiritual and physical. There are far more needs than the current group of hard-working laborers can handle. That is why we need you, and your prayers!

Prayerfully consider your current commitment level to God’s church.

  • Are you faithful in your personal spiritual life?
  • Are you faithful in attendance to Sunday School and worship services?
  • Are you faithful in giving sacrificially to support the ministries in our church?
  • Are you faithful in serving in teaching and support roles?

You see, there is more to being a Christian than just being saved. It involves being an active part of God’s people and being part of the labor force that works to bring glory to God!

No Christian should feel that just because they are saved, and on a church roll that their relationship with God is okay and therefore they don’t need church, and don’t need to serve the church. That is simply an un-Christian way of thinking. It may also be evidence that your salvation is not as secure as you may think.

If the Spirit of God lives in you then He has also gifted you to serve the Body of Christ through your local church. If you are able, and you are not serving the Body of Christ through your local church, there are only two possibilities, both of which are bad. 1) You are either grieving the Spirit of God who desires you to serve the church; or, 2) You do not have the Spirit of God and therefore you do not have Christ.

Jesus spoke of salvation involving a cross, self-denial, and sacrificial love. When you look at your life, do you see those things evidenced in your life? If not, this article is for you.  I know it’s for me.

Join God’s work at Sardis Baptist Church. There is plenty to do, and there is always room for more laborers in the harvest fields of our Lord!

 

 

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 Posted by at 10:57 am

Summer Series: Lord, Teach Us To Pray

 Blog, Featured, Prayer  No Responses »
May 192011
 
Folded Hands

On Sunday morning May 22nd, we will embark on a new sermon series for the Summer. I am preaching this series on Prayer out of my own personal need.

As a Pastor, I lead three weekly services, and countless meetings. I am also a husband and a father. I am constantly attending to others’ needs, and trying to manage expectations of others. All of this has a tendency, over time, to disrupt my relationship with God. That’s right, in the midst of all that service, I can actually be weakened in my fellowship with God. It is a constant battle for me, and I assume for many others as well.

While I have had seasons of deep, meaningful prayer throughout my time as a Christian, I have several times over the years had a deep need for the Lord to teach me to pray all over again. This series is the fruit of the Lord’s work in my own life.

This week’s message will kick off this series. We will study Luke 10:38-11:13. I hope you will join us, body, mind and spirit.

 

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 Posted by at 11:23 am

THE BEACON – April 2011

 April 2011, Newsletter  No Responses »
Mar 262011
 
TheBeacon

I am very pleased with this month’s newsletter, and I hope you will be as well.

You can download a PDF of The Beacon newsletter, or read the articles online:

FROM THE PASTOR by Ken Nichols

NORTH AMERICAN MISSIONS by Ken Nichols

JAPAN: A NATION IN NEED by Ken Nichols

A CASE FOR WORSHIP by Doug Dojan

THERE’S GONNA BE A “REBELUTION”! by Lisa Dojan

FROM THE PEW: Serving God Behind Bars by Clint Hagan

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 Posted by at 1:34 am

NORTH AMERICAN MISSIONS

 April 2011, Newsletter  Comments Off
Mar 262011
 

This month we will be reminding you of the importance of giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.

The North American Mission Board has more than 5,000 missionaries throughout the United States and Canada attempting to help plant and mobilize churches to reach the growing population of non-Christians in North America.

If Jesus were to return today, nearly 260,000,000 people just on our continent would enter into eternity without Christ, without hope, and without pardon from God’s wrath.

Money doesn’t guarantee souls, but it guarantees people will be sent to share the gospel with them. Pray about giving sacrificially to the AAEO that others may know Him!

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 Posted by at 1:32 am

JAPAN: A NATION IN NEED

 April 2011, Newsletter  No Responses »
Mar 262011
 

Many of us were struck by the images of Japan after the massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The devastation of the quake itself, toppling structures and destroying towns, followed by the unstoppable ocean waves encroaching its boundaries, overtaking portions of the tiny island nation was more than I could comprehend. I was used to seeing litter, materials and even vehicles moved by floodwaters, but I was in no way prepared to see video of large fishing ships and two-story buildings floating through cities and towns. In the aftermath of it all there is a modern nation, crippled, brought to its knees by the powerful forces of nature. We are reminded that we are not in control.

Even worse, Japan has a Christian population of less than 2%. That means the vast majority of those who lost their lives, entered eternity unprepared. That also means that the vast majority of those experiencing such horrific physical emotional suffering do not know the God of Creation, the Lord God Almighty. God loves the people of Japan. They are part of His creation. It should be at the top of our prayers for Japan that God will work through this tragedy, using the Church as His agent, to minister physical and spiritual aid and comfort to the people of Japan.

May the small church there be used mightily, and may God add to their numbers daily those who are being saved. May the large church in the world be used mightily, and may we loose our resources to help those in this time of great need.

As assessments are made in Japan, we will make you aware of ways our church can help. To begin with, the Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC) will receive donations to the newly established Japan Disaster Relief Fund which will be channeled to Baptist Global Response (BGR), the organization through which our International Mission Board (IMB) ministers in global disaster relief. If you would like to support relief efforts in Japan please notate on your envelope designation by writing: Japan Relief Fund. We will forward the funds to the GBC.

For more information on Southern Baptist relief efforts in Japan:

www.BaptistGlobalResponse.com

www.IMB.org

www.BPNews.net

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 Posted by at 1:32 am

FROM THE PASTOR – April 2011

 April 2011, Newsletter  1 Response »
Mar 262011
 

Beloved,

Are you excited as I am about the spring-time weather? The trees are putting out leaves, the flowers are blossoming, my nose is running. It’s wonderful!

It’s also a wonderful time for our church. There is a wonderful spirit of unity building, as well as a stirring of hearts to serve the Lord. God is bearing fruit in answer to our prayers and He is changing lives. We are blessed beyond our understanding, and God is not done, yet!

As we continue to do the work of the ministry, it is my prayer that God would truly add laborers. There are so many needs in our community, both spiritual and physical. There are far more needs than the current group of hard-working laborers can handle. That is why we need you, and your prayers!
Prayerfully consider your current commitment level to God’s church.

  • Are you faithful in your personal spiritual life? Are you growing God’s Word and in prayer?
  • Are you faithful in your fellowship with other believers?
  • Are you faithful in attendance to Sunday School and worship services?
  • Are you faithful in giving sacrificially to support the ministries in our church?
  • Are you faithful in serving in teaching and support roles?

You see, there is more to being a Christian than just being saved. It involves being an active part of God’s people and being part of the labor force!

No Christian should feel that just because they are saved, and on the roll that their relationship with God is okay and therefore they don’t need church, and don’t need to serve the church. That is simply an un-Christian way of thinking. It may also be evidence that your salvation is not as secure as you may think.

If the Spirit of God lives in you then He has also gifted you to serve the Body of Christ through your local church. If you are able, and you are not serving the Body of Christ through your local church, there are only two possibilities, both of which are bad. 1) You are either grieving the Spirit of God who desires you to serve the church; or, 2) You do not have the Spirit of God and therefore you do not have Christ.

Jesus spoke of salvation involving a cross, self-denial, sacrifice. When you look at your life, do you see those things evidenced in your life? If not, this article is for you. I know it’s for me.
Join God’s work at Sardis Baptist Church. There is plenty to do, and there is always room for more laborers in the harvest fields of our Lord!

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 Posted by at 1:32 am

Preparing for the Lord’s Supper

 Blog  No Responses »
Mar 022011
 

Brothers and sisters,

We are gathering for the Lord’s Supper this Sunday morning. It is my hope and prayer that it is a glorious day of worship, prayer, repentance and celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Here are a few things that will help you prepare yourself and your family for our public gatherings on Sunday:

1) Meditate on this quote from last week’s message:

“The chief way a church demonstrates its commitment to Jesus as the Head of the church is that its people are willing to go where the Bible takes them.” – John Crotts, Loving the Church p. 81

Then ask yourself, “Do I value Jesus Christ as Head of Sardis Baptist Church? Will we go where God’s Word takes us? Will we follow Jesus?”

2) Read the following Old Testament passages and try to get an understanding of the New Covenant God promised. Think about what it is supposed to look like and God’s purpose for instituting a New Covenant.

  • Jeremiah 31:31-34 (especially verse 33)
  • Ezekiel 36:22-28 (especially verses 26-28)

3) Read the following New Testament passages to see how the New Covenant is described there.

Hebrews 13:20-21 (What is the New Covenant supposed to accomplish in our lives?)

1 Corinthians 11:23-34 (Notice how Christ describes the Lord’s Supper imagery in verse 25; and how that relates to the command to examine our lives in verses 28-32)

Are you living in the power of the New Covenant relationship with Jesus Christ?

4) Lastly, if you have a copy of our Members’ Covenant, I ask you to read it prayerfully, examining your heart, confessing sin, and repenting of sin, in preparation for the Lord’s Supper.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday! And, as always, Invite a friend… or several!

Pastor Ken

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 Posted by at 4:35 pm

SERMON: Discipleship is War!

 Blog, Gospel of Mark, Podcast  1 Response »
Jan 262011
 

Sermon preached on January 9, 2011 by Ken Nichols
Passage: Mark 6:6b-29

In this passage, we see Jesus increasing the rate and depth of the training of the Twelve. Mark records powerful principles concerning discipleship.
We are saved for a purpose beyond ourselves. We are saved for mission, the mission of our savior. God calls each of us into His mission. We are to walk before Him in humility and in complete dependence. We can know that God will put us in situations where we have nothing but Him… and that’s enough!

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 Posted by at 2:29 pm  Tagged with: ,

SERMON: When God’s Word Gets Into God’s People

 Blog, Podcast, Psalms  No Responses »
Jan 262011
 

Sermon preached on January 2, 2011 by Ken Nichols
Passage: Psalm 119:1-16

What we see throughout this Psalm is a heart that loves God, that longs for God.  This is what I want in my life, and it’s what I want in your lives, and in our church.  The passage before us is the cry of a person, so affected by God’s Word, so moved by God’s revelation of Himself to us, so aware of his own heart, and his own failings, that he desperately longs for God Himself to do what only He can do.

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 Posted by at 2:21 pm  Tagged with:

Thoughts from our 1st Advent Sunday Service

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Nov 292010
 
globe_light_250
Today we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent by lighting the Candle of Promise. Then we studied together Acts 8:26-40. We were again confronted with the fact that God’s heart burns with the intention that all nations would worship His Son. We saw Philip being used by God in fulfillment of Acts 1:8. He began in Jerusalem, was pushed into Samaria because of persecution, then was led by the Spirit to approach the Ethiopian Eunuch, thus being a witness to the “ends of the earth.”
As Pastor, I don’t believe it’s my job to cast my vision for our church. It’s my job to remind you of God’s vision for our church. So, let me make some suggestions to you of what I believe can be our response to God’s vision for our church.
  • Evangelizing locally
    • Our covenant expresses well the idea that we should be about evangelizing our family,  friends and acquaintances.
  • Plant Churches nationally
    • We should join together with other churches to help establish new works to reach the growing lostness in our country.
  • Adopt an Unreached people group globally
    • Even now there are nearly 6,000 people groups with little or no Christians. The Great Commission is not complete.

Let me add one more thing, because we are beginning the Week of Prayer for International Missions:

  • Give to LMCO like you never have before.
    • Our goal is $5,000. We historically give that approximate amount each year.
    • Sad thing is we’ll probably spend several times that on Christmas presents for one another.
    • Give sacrificially this year. Before you spend all your Christmas budget, set aside an amount to give to the Missions Offering.
    • Don’t hide behind the “pray about it” excuse. You don’t pray about how much jewelry you’ll buy your wife, or how many pairs of jeans you buy your daughter, or what video games to buy your kids. You just do it.  So, just do it for Lottie, for the nations, for God!
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 Posted by at 5:19 pm
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