Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 Celebrating 50 years as a Church of Jesus Christ October 29, 1961 – October 29, 2011 February 12, 2012 Newsletter Number 354 Brother Randy Johnson, Pastor Brother Ronnie Henderson, Song Director Pastor E-Mail: sgmbcpastor@baptistsonline.org Web Site: www.baptistsonline.org/sgmbc "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Have Been Taught For More Than Fifty Years”

You Were Asked To Pray For: All of Our Military, Their Family’s & All the Civilian Workers in The Middle East, Zee Mink Fuller and Family, Her son’s Bryan Armstrong and Hunter Hackie, Daughter Shannon, and Brother Philip & Sondra Thornsberry, Sister Alice Hoskins, Joyce Gomez , Frank & Sonya Trusty, Bryndon Thomas, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kerry Pennington, Kim Poole, Danny & Nita Mollette, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd,, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Son Kevin Henderson, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don & Neil Hammond, Charles Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Kathy Rosinbaum, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, Luann Reynolds, Brother Curtis Pugh, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother Manuel Seymour, Letha Langford, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and Kelley Lee, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout, Justin Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Gina Sullivan, Imajo Tracy, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Mollette’s Daughter & Granddaughter Kristal, Dale Barnes, Keith Johnson, Tammy Hairston, Tommy Lee Walker, Leon Wyckoff, Billy Smith, Linda Mollette – Linda at the thrift store - Shawn - his girls – and Eric, 15 year old boy with cancer, Brooke Thomas, Kimberlee McCool, Ricky McCoy, Robert Wilson, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

The Pastors Corner: Being A Good Example. Titus 2:7 “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,” The very first thing every new born Christian should desire and seek to do is to follow the teachings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Every new born Christian should naturally desire to put away earthly things and to become spiritual because of their new nature. It is over time that some if not most newborn Christians loose their desire to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Lords churches. We began to see ways around following the scriptures and soon find ourselves following the secular world instead of God. This proves the Christian to be weak and unusable to God for His service. Now please let me add here that if God desires to use a person He can certainly cause them to repent. However; as Christians we owe it to God; the wonderful God of grace to keep ourselves available to God at all times. God tells us here “In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works…” The word – pattern – here means – a die or a stamp – therefore the word “pattern” means our works are to be embedded into our life as a stamp is hammered into a piece of steel and cannot be easily taken put. The problem so many “Christians” have and especially today is that they are weak and have no roots. They are like a tumble week that blows in every direction with every direction of wind. Beloved as Christians we are to be strong in doctrine, strong in faith, and strong in church love. When a Christian is strong they will have strong works and therefore being a good example for the younger and weaker Christians. The question is “are you a strong Christian”? If the answer is “I don’t know” or “no I don’t think so” then it is time to fix that and become a strong Christian so that others can look at your life and use it as an example for their life. God tells us in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works..." That we are the workmanship of God (that is our salvation) created in Christ Jesus for a purpose in this life. Now we may all not understand why God saved us and what His purpose is for us, but one thing we all can and must understand is that God saved us all to walk in Christ and his word. Some people are saved just to be good bible believing Christians and others are saved for a multitude of reasons but we are all saved to be good examples for others to see and to follow. If we are not good examples then we have failed God in our Christian purpose. “… in doctrine…” this is a fact one cannot be a good Christian nor a good example if they are not following and believing absolute truth. Truth is one of the two absolutes to worshipping God John 10:24 “…they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Nothing less will work. One cannot mishandle Gods word and be a good example. "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 2 Corinthians 4:2 One of the things that make the Christian a good example is them searching Gods word for truth. It is our job to make this a point of life. A good Christian accepts the word of God for what it says and is not ashamed of it. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. “ Beloved are you a good example for the younger and weaker Christians or are you one of the weak ones? Today could be the day for you to step forward and make your life an example for other.

BLESSED IN THE FIELD: "Blessed shalt thou be in the field" Deut. 28:3 So was Isaac blessed when he walked therein at eventide to meditate. How often has the Lord met us when we have been alone! The hedges and the trees can bear witness to our joy. We look for such blessedness again. So was Boaz blessed when he reaped his harvest, and his workmen met him with benedictions. May the Lord prosper all who drive the plough! Every farmer may urge this promise with God, if indeed he obeys the voice of the Lord God. We go to the field to labor as father Adam did; and since the curse fell on the soil through the sin of Adam the first, it is a great comfort to find a blessing through Adam the second. We go to the field for exercise, and we are happy in the belief that the Lord will bless that exercise, and give us health, which we will use to His glory. We go to the field to study nature, and there is nothing in a knowledge of the visible creation which may not be sanctified to the highest uses by the divine benediction. We have at last to go to the field to bury our dead; yea, others will in their turn take us to God's acre in the field: but we are blessed, whether weeping at the tomb, or sleeping in it. By Charles Spurgeon from his "Faith's Checkbook" series

Church News: Our Next church Business meeting will be on March 4th please make plans to attend. Daylight savings time is March 11 Don’t forget to set your clocks forward 1 hour. Pastor Johnson will be speaking at a Bible Conference on March 16 – 18 in Oakdale, La. At the Northside Baptist Church. Brother Steve McCool from Sulphur Springs, Texas and Brother Justin Bookout will fill in for Pastor Johnson for the services on March 18th.

Happy Birthday: Brother Timothy Fails Sunday February 12 Sister Dawana Reigel Wednesday February 15