Archive | May 2020

Pulpit Points – Learning From David

May31
David had A Thirst, A Praise and A Mind to Remember God

Learning from David focuses on the examples that David left for us in the word of God. People have said in times past that “experience is the best teacher.” As true as that may be, the reality is we do not have to have to personally experience everything if we can can from someone else’s experience. There are so many people who have experienced so many things we can learn from.

In today Pulpit Points message from I Samuel 15:22, 23 – 16:1-10, Leroy Ricks shares three things from the life experience of David, a man after God’s own heart , that we can learn from. When we find ourselves in a dry and thirsty land, we rest in the all-sufficiency of our God.

God’s sufficiency and provisions for his children begin with his sovereign will and wisdom in choosing us in Him and should a motivation why we love and serve him independently of what others may or may not do. God’s are to rejoice in these truths:

  • John 6:44 – “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
  • Acts 13:48 – “Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed”
  • Romans 8:29 – “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
  • Romans 9:11 – “For the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls”
  • I Thess. 1:3, 4 – “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.“
  • II Thess. 2:13 – “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth”
  • II Thess. 2:10 – “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

Pulpit Points

Parking Lot Prayer, Praise and Preaching Service

May29

Day/Time: Sunday 9:00 am

Weather Check – Know Before You Go!

Intercessory Prayer Time – Join the Prayer Warrior’s this Sunday morning for prayer in the parking lot at New Berean. We will be interceding on behalf of our Pastor, his wife and extend family along with our church and their extended families. We want you to pull up, park and pray for our nation, and leaders. As Paul encouraged Timothy to pray (I Tim. 2:1-6), so are we are encouraging one another to join together in prayer.

Praise and Preaching Service – Following our parking lot prayer time, join us for a time to corporately encourage each other through praise and the preaching of God word. We are already that in times like these we are able to come together. Our world is in a very challenging time and God has called his people to impact and influence that world. In order to be about our Father’s business, we will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some, but we will give ourselves to his word of God, and fellowship with the Saints (Acts 2:42-47).

  • Prayer
  • Preaching
  • Praise and Fellowship
  • Prayer and Fellowship
Parking Lot Prayer, Praise & Preaching Service

All will be done in compliance with the guidelines of our current State Governor’s Executive Order #61 regarding “gatherings” and Executive Order #63 regarding face coverings/masks. There will be no gathering inside the building facility at this time. We want to ensure your safety while on the property, so please read and familiarize yourself with the instructions in the link as well as those listed below and bring your mask to wear.

Guidelines for Religious Gatherings:

1. Religious services must be limited to no more than 50% of the lowest
occupancy load on the certificate of occupancy of the room or facility in
which the religious services are conducted (NOT APPLICABLE)
2. Individuals attending religious services must be at least six feet apart when
seated and must practice proper physical distancing at all times. Family
members, as defined above, may be seated together.
3. Mark seating in six-foot increments and in common areas where attendees
may congregate (NOT APPLICABLE).
4. Persons attending religious services must strongly consider wearing face
coverings over their nose and mouth at all times.
5. No items can be passed to or between attendees, who are not family
members, as defined above.
6. Any items used to distribute food or beverages must be disposable, used
only once, and discarded.
7. A thorough cleaning and disinfection of frequently contacted surfaces
must be conducted prior to and following any religious service.
8. Post signage at the entrance that states that no one with a fever or
symptoms of COVID-19 is permitted in the establishment.
9. Post signage to provide public health reminders regarding social
distancing, gatherings, options for high risk individuals, and staying home
if sick.
10. If religious services cannot be conducted in compliance with the above
requirements, they must not be held in-person.

Looking forward you seeing and praying with you.

Pulpit Points, “Lessons From The Valley – Pt I”

May24

Lessons From The Valley – Part I – Dr. Lamont shares some points on the things God wants us to learn when we are in our valleys. Valleys can be lonely and dark times of spiritual, emotions or financial drought. They are often times when we hear less from the Lord than we would like of need. But we are encouraged to know that God cares and loves us.

Follow along with us as we learn of “Lessons From the Valley“.

Message Text: I Kings 17:1-15

Re-Uniting In Fellowship

May20

Greetings to you in the name of our Lord. As we all anticipate the day in which we could resume our corporate worship services and in preparation for coming back together in corporate fellowship and worship, we the Trustees of New Berean, with counsel and guidance from Pastor Cason are working to establish a plan for our safe return. Although we accept the reality, what we once shared as a church family will be different we are even more so confident in the direction the Lord is taking us. We are asking for the Lord to give us wisdom and understanding in this process.


The link below contains a short survey for you fill out and complete so we may know what concerns or issues you and your family:

Membership Survey – please provide us your feedback

Re-entry Questionnaire – Please take time and review the guideline for re-entry

Fellowship Guidelines

CDC Guidelines for Resuming Faith Gatherings – CDC offers the following general considerations to help communities of faith discern how best to practice their beliefs while keeping their staff and congregations safe.  Millions of Americans embrace worship as an essential part of life.

The Officials (Trustees and Deacons) are working together to educate themselves on the guidelines and recommendations from our local health department, Virginia Governor’s Executive Order #61 for reopening “churches and places of faith” and the CDC. Thank you for your prayers and feedback.

If you have any additional comment or questions, minimize confusion by speaking with your respective Deacon, or the Trustees and be responsible in sharing information not founded in love or accuracy.

New Berean Baptist Church
Commissioned by the Commissioner

Pulpit Points – Seeing Beyond This Life

May17

Seeing Beyond This Life – Seeing things from God’s perspective has been coined as having 2020 vision (in line with the year 2020). But in reality, God has always wanted his people to see everything from his perspective for in Ps. 19:9, he declares his judgements are completely right. He states in his word that our thoughts are not his nor do our ways parallel his (Isa. 55:8). Our way of seeing things is naturally bent towards the things of this world and not the way God sees them.

But because God is infinitely, divinely wise and omniscient, he knows everything. When we study the word of God, which is the revealed mind of God, we are exposed to some of that wisdom. We are able to discern why things are the way the are, people act the way they act and why God allows the things he allows. In today’s Pulpit Points message, Pastor Ricks breaks down Psalm 73, A Psalm of Asaph of these four things of the Lord to help us See Beyond This Life.

Assurance of Victory

May13

Our current series of “Growing Up In Christ” has us in a position to sure up the foundations of our faith. In the previous sessions:

  • Growing By Knowing You’re Saved
  • Assurance of Answered Prayer
  • Learning the Lord’s Model Prayer

we learned some things to build on. In tonight’s lesson Pastor Cason shares with us some insights to God’s word regarding the “Assurance of Victory” over sin. Too often we as Christians live in moments or seasons of defeat due to sin. We all have sinned, we do sin and we will sin again in the future resulting for our sinful nature (Rom. 5:12). We will always have a propensity to sin and the sin principle will forever be in our body. But what are we to do?

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13 NIV

As a reminder, we are more that conquerors through him who loved us (Rom. 8:37)

Next Week’s Lesson – Assurance of Forgiveness

W-O-R-K WHILE YOU WAIT

May13

Unfavorable circumstance or seasons of delay are opportunities to prove our faith in Christ. We may never return to normal as we once knew it, so Dr. Lamont Ricks reminds us to W-O-R-K While You Wait.

Be Encouraged

As we are waiting, let us W-O-R-K

–

Pulpit Points – Who Do You Trust?

May10

Our world tells us that we are to take charge of our lives. We are in control. But over the last few months, out world’s landscape has gone through a dramatic and tragic series of changes. This COVID-19 pandemic has shaken to its core. It has demonstrated how little control we actually have over our lives. No one knows the day nor the hour in which we, someone we know or even don’t know will be stricken down by this disease that has claimed the lives of 77,000 plus people (ref. CDC.gov).

God’s word is sure, it is perfect and pure. It is the word of the Most High God and in it, he declares that life is fragile (Jam. 4:14). Since God’s word is true and perfect, how can we trust or believe in ourselves to be bigger or mightier than the world we live in? Today’s Pulpit Points message from Leroy E. Ricks, Sr, is a reminder of the need to refocus ourselves to ask the question, “Who Do You Trust”?

Who Do You Trust

Joshua challenged the Israelites to examine themselves (Joshua 24) about who they were going to follow. We follow after who we trust. If we believers trust in anything or anyone other than the Lord our God, we will follow them. As a warning, God reminded his people that he is a jealous God and wants his people to trust him and therefore follow him. As an encouragement, He give gives us hope through his personal testimony as a faithful God who can be trusted.

Today’s message “Who Do You Trust?”

Happy Mother’s Day

May10

A pictorial tribute to the blessing of our mothers on this special day.

To God be the glory for the great things he has done. The wisdom of God has fashioned for us mothers to know, love, honor and appreciate. Mothers have been assigned by the Lord into a calling unlike any other. Assigned to bear and bring forth fruit after their on who will in turn bear witness to the wonders of the majesty on high. We give glory to the Lord for our mothers past and present. For their time and effort in obedience to the high calling of nurturing and caring for us as they have. We are grateful. Happy Mother’s Day!

  • First Lady Sister Vanessa
  • Church Mother – Sister Reba

Not pictured but equally honored: Paula Lassiter, Shelly Baker, Tracy Pierce, Gwen Reed, Shanae Coltrane, Sheila Jordan

Choose to Stay Focused

May5

Everything we experience, whether it be on a daily basis or during certain seasons, we are not without hope. Some things seem to be more difficult than other and they seem to be taking its toll on us. As we hear on the news reports day in a out, we can be taken out of focus. But as Believers in the Lord our God, we have to answer the question, what do we choose?

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of [e]the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Joshua summons all of Israel (Jos. 24:1) to be confronted with the same question. Through Joshua, God laid out his past presence, providence and protection of them from Abraham’s father Terah, through Caanan, through the bondage of Egypt. He told of the Lord’s grace when he heard their cries and sent them a deliverer by way of Moses. Even after their constant complaining and rebellion, God saved them from war being waged against them Balak, Balaam, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And he reminded them how God had delivered them into their hand.

God encourages and challenges us to take a few minutes to look at his presence, providence and protection in our lives over the years. As with Israel, he has demonstrated himself to be the faithful God he has always been, currently is and will always be. It is imperative that we take this time to examine and balance all the things we are currently experiencing. Place them in a proper and right perspective and answer the question. God has been faithful and wants to know He can be trusted. Staying focus requires us to take in to consideration the reality of God’s love for us and balance our circumstances. God and all he is will outweigh the overwhelming daily issues and seasonal circumstances. As one member recently reminded us, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow” Choose you this day to day focused.