50 States Church Surch Week 45

First Baptist Tillman's Corner

www.fbtc.org

"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

~John 8:7      

The church greeted me with a cacophony of noise as the faithful struggled to speak over the singers and orchestra while they practiced.

 

FBTC is a big church, maroon carpet, padded pews and cream walls, two crosses bordering a video screen. Lots of chairs up there. Around four hundred people attended this early service, and another five to six hundred will be up next. 

The service started and the choir entered, sixty people or so, and I counted thirty instruments; percussion, strings and horns, with music stands, lights and a director. The bulletin indicated they were a worship and Bible study church. No kidding. 

The choir opened with 'A New Hallelujah,' leading us into real worship. I wiped tears from my eyes as we sang, "Arise, let the church arise..."

It seems like God is going to raise up His church, it just might not be how we expect. 

Since today's theme was the grace of God, we sang, 'Your Grace is Enough.' Truly the church did worship well. 

After the offering Pastor Greg introduced Dan Moran, who preached on grace, using the story of the woman caught in adultery. And while I've heard this story a thousand times, I was struck with the word 'commands.' The leaders said to Jesus, "The law commands us..." 

These people obeyed the law, every letter. If the law commanded them to wear paper sacks on their heads and cluck like chickens, they would do it, no question. And the law commanded them to stone her, so what should they do? Moran used a psalm of David's to make his point; we need the grace and forgiveness of God. A Moran quote: "God's grace throws ropes, not rocks."

But ouch. Quilter Girl took note that the bulletin indicated they have no outreach. Every program listed was internal. I assume they have some sort of outreach (missions, assistance for widows and orphans), but it showed no signs of it, which I perceived as a weakness. 

Since it was Friend Day, they provided an altar call, and asked newbies to meet Pastor Greg in the Welcome Center. I stopped in, shook his hand, and he gave me a copy of 'Know Your Bible Illustrated.' Very nice. I guess Friend Day was outreach, correct? 

I love worship so this church was a definite keeper. If I lived here I'd join in this church in a New York minute. Well, an Alabama minute. A bit slower, for sure. Y'all.