Jesus Christ never fails!

For years, that was the way I ended all of my correspondence: "Jesus never fails!"

I love knowing that Jesus is always with me - no matter what! He has the authority and all the power.

He can do anything! His will is perfect and He never fails!

He knows me, better than I know myself. That's why I know that when I pray to Him, He is only going to give me what I really need, which is more of Him. We all need more of Lord Jesus in our thoughts, actions, reactions, plans, schedules, dreams and goals...just Jesus.

We not only stand with Jesus every day right now, but also some day we will stand before Him. He won't fail us on that day either!

It makes pretty simple sense to me...that if we live with, talk with, strive to obey, willingly follow and want to bring glory only to the name of our wonderful, risen Lord Jesus every day here and now, that then we won't have anything to be afraid of on THAT DAY when we stand before Him. What a day that will be!

Paul wanted the Christians of his day to live in the "power of the resurrection". I pray that you will live in the power of His resurrection today, too.

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne

Upcoming Events in the WBA...
Nov. 16 Keith Hamilton (GBC) speaks on New IRS Tax Laws at
Ministers’ Meeting; WBA building 11 am
Nov. 16 Keith Hamilton speaks on Tax Laws for Churches;
WBA building 6:30-8:30 pm. For all church clerks,
treasurers, financial leaders, etc.
Dec. 7 Evangelism Committee meets 10 AM
Dec. 10 Ministers & Wives Christmas Banquet at Royal BC
6:30pm - $15 for individual / $25 for couples.
Please bring a gift ($10 or less) to play “MUSICAL GIFTS”.
Register deadline: Dec. 4!
- 2010 -
Jan. 8-9 Disaster Relief Phase I Training. Royal BC. This is an
official state-wide GBC training event.
Jan. 22-23 “Chainsaw School” Disaster Relief Training at Rockridge
Baptist Assembly, Franklin, Ga. (Phase I Training required!)
Jan. 26 “How to have a winning Sunday School” area-wide
conference at Royal BC. 6:30-8:30 pm.
Jan. 29-30 WBA Vacation Bible School leadership team to Nashville,
(TN). National VBS training.
Feb. 8 Super Evangelism Conference at Northside BC. 7:00-8:30 pm
Feb. 9 Super Evangelism Conference at FBC Moreland 7:00-8:30 pm
(Same conference at each location)
Feb. 26 VBS “Early bird” Directors meeting. 7:00 pm TBA
March 2 WMU Spring Inspiration. 6:30 pm TBA
April 15 Executive Committee meeting. WBA building. 7:00 pm
April 20 Annual Spring Meeting. Living Proof Baptist Church 6:00 pm
April 23 WBAssociational VBS clinic. Royal BC. 6:30-8:30 pm

Jesus Christ deserves our best

"I think this was the best annual meeting we've ever had!" Several called me on Wednesday after our annual meeting on Tuesday, Oct 20 at SouthCrest. Everyone was saying the same thing. I am so thankful for this feedback.

The food was really good! (Golden's Al Wise brought plenty).

I thought the music was exciting and inspiring (thanks to Joe Payton - WBA music director and Kevin Pledger and the SouthCrest praise team for really putting this together!). I sang as loud as my lungs and heart would allow - I think others were doing the same.

The preaching (Mike Barnes and Bob White) was both challenging and delivered with an intensity that was Christ-honoring. The program went smoothly (thanks to Ken Norton and Brian Carroll) and I am thankful that all the motions were well received. I think we hit every goal we set, except one....attendance. I'm still trying to figure out why we more didn't come. We are going to stay at it. Please let me know what you think we can do to make the annual meetings even better and raise attendance.

But all in all, it was a great night. I can't wait for the Spring Meeting, April 19, 2010 at Living Proof Southern Baptist Church in Tyrone, Ga.

Amen.

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne

UPCOMING in the WBAssociation...

Nov. 16 (Monday) NEW TAX LAWS for Ministers (w/ Q&A) 11:00 AM with Tony Neal (GBC)! This will be the program for the meeting!

Nov. 16 (Monday) "How to keep your Church and Church Financial Secretary/Treasurer out of trouble!" 6:30 PM with Tony Neal (GBC). All church clerks and finanical folks are encourage to attend. WBA building.

Dec. 10 WBA Ministers & Wives Christmas Banquet at Royal BC 6:30 PM. A delicious steak dinner with all the fixin's will cost: $15.00 for individual / $25.00 per couple. We want to play a new game called "Musical Gifts" (kind of like musical chairs), so please bring a gift ($10 or less) and we'll have a great time. Please RSVP to the WBA office by Dec. 4 !

Jesus Christ is King AND He is coming soon!

When was the last time...you prayed or heard someone pray in a worship service or prayer meeting: "Come, Lord Jesus!" ?
That's what John prayed at the end of our Bible - Revelation 22:20.
He wanted Jesus to come back soon!
He was expecting Jesus to come back soon!
He needed Jesus to come back soon.

Do we?

We talk, preach and write a lot about His return...but do we pray for it?

"Thy Kingdom come! Thy will be done!" Wow. If that happened, we wouldn't have to worry about restructuring the SBC and GBC, or figure out where the money needs to go, huh?

If Jesus came back, we wouldn't have to worry about being too calvinistic or too armenian, or worry what's going to happen with national healthcare, or the Muslims taking over, or have to worry about our schools and society going to the dogs, or the economy tanking, or Meth and marijuana robbing teenagers and adults of their brains & lives, or Hollywood constantly spewing all its vile and sodomy into our living rooms, or the growing problem with pornography on the Internet, or worry about all the churches that have stopped growing...(When the church cemetery is growing faster than the church...that's a problem!)

If Jesus would come back, and would take over and reign...
well, that would be okay with me!

Do we want Jesus to come back today, right now?
John did.
Do we need Jesus to come back? as King? as Lord? as Master?
John did.
Maybe the reason why Jesus is delaying His return, is because so few are praying for His return.
John did.

I pray that we will tell everyone (1) why Jesus came in the first place and (2) that Jesus is coming back.

It is a biblical prayer: "Come, Lord Jesus!"

What if He came today?

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne

Upcoming Events in the WBA...

MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST, Sat. Oct 17 at Orchard Hills BC with DAVID BARTON, who appeared recently on "HUCKABEE" (FOX) and is an expert on the faith of the founding fathers of the USA! You DO NOT want to miss this. Begins at 8:00 AM!!

Check out the link below to watch the interview on HUCKABEE...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfvEe1PZ1kk


ANNUAL FALL MEETING, Tuesday, Oct 20 at Southcrest BC (Walt Sanders Blvd. off Hwy)meeting begins at 6:00 PM. Great music! Special speakers are Dr. J. Robert White (GBC) and Rev. Mike Barnes (Rehoboth BC). Each WBA church is encouraged to send their full slate of messengers!

WBA Executive Committee will meet Monday night, October 19 at 7:00 PM at the WBA building.




SCHOOL of EVANGELISM, Saturday, Oct 24, at FBC Villa Rica, Ga. 9:00 AM - 12:30 AM.

GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION, Nov. 8-10, FBC Woodstock. LoveLoud. Light it UP missions experience.

Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

I spent a good part of today talking with different members of the GBC Evangelism team. They are really "fired up" about all the plans for reaching out to the lost of Georgia -- especially all the collective efforts planned for 2010!

That's where we come in!

We have the challenge of engaging each person of our area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be meeting soon with the Evangelism Committee and sharing with them several ideas for how we can achieve this goal in the Western Baptist Association. Please make this a matter of prayer. Pray that we will be ready to "do whatever it takes" to reach the lost.

Our Lord said to His disciples many years ago, "Look, the fields are white unto harvest!" (John 4:35) If we could hear the Lord speaking to us today, I believe He would say the exact same thing to us. People are looking for spiritual answers, they are looking for relief from the load of guilt under which they suffer each day, they are looking for stability, they are looking for significance, they really are looking for hope, they are looking for...Jesus!!

Jesus is the answer. We want to share Him with them!
When we do, we will really be...

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne

Upcoming Events in the WBA...

(URGENT!!) MONDAY, OCTOBER 5... Markus Merritt, the new man on the GBC Evangelism team will speak to our Monday morning Minsters' Meeting at 11:00 AM about the "School of Evangelism that will take place on Saturday, Oct 24 at FBC Villa Rica. I hope you can come! Markus is from Alabama, but we won't hold that against him.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 12... Stuart Lang from the GBC will speak to our Monday morning Minsters' Meeting at 11:00 AM about the "LIGHT it UP" Missions Experience that will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10 during the GBC Annual Meeting at FBC Woodstock. Please come and bring your questions! Stuart will also be available to answer any questions about Disaster Relief!!

MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST, Sat. Oct 17 at Orchard Hills BC with DAVID BARTON, who appeared recently on "HUCKABEE" (FOX) and is an expert on the faith of the founding fathers of the USA! You DO NOT want to miss this. Begins at 8:00 AM!!


Check out the link below to watch the interview on HUCKABEE...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfvEe1PZ1kk

ANNUAL FALL MEETING, Tuesday, Oct 20 at Southcrest BC (Walt Sanders Blvd. off Hwy)meeting begins at 6:00 PM. Great music! Special speakers are Dr. J. Robert White (GBC) and Rev. Mike Barnes (Rehoboth BC). Each WBA church is encouraged to send their full slate of messengers!

WBA Executive Committee will meet Monday night, October 19 at 7:00 PM at the WBA building.

SCHOOL of EVANGELISM, Saturday, Oct 24, at FBC Villa Rica, Ga. 9:00 AM - 12:30 AM.

GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION, Nov. 8-10, FBC Woodstock. LoveLoud. Light it UP missions experience.

Jesus is Lord and alive!

I shared this morning (Monday, Sept 28) "The Univeral Disciple" (Thomas Wolf) in Minsters' Meeting. It was encouraging to see such a good group present. I love the spirit of the meetings...a big thanks goes to Bro. Jimmy Evans (Bethlehem BC) and Bro. Chuck Novak (Arnco BC) for always setting a positive, light-hearted and inviting tone.

This morning our WBA Budget and Finance committee met and came up with the proposed budget for 2010 for the association. The committee moved some funds around, and decided to present basically the same total budget amount as last year.

THANK YOU to all the churches that faithfully support this cooperative effort each month...especially during these challenging economic times. God bless you.

Last Saturday, Sept 26 at the WBA building Marilynn Blackaby, (2nd from right) wife of Christian author, Henry Blackaby, spoke to a lively group of ladies about "Life as the wife of a minister". Several of the ministers' wives remarked, "I'm so glad I came! This was awesome!" I want to thank my wife, Pam Jenkins, for all the beautiful decorations, refreshments and planning this event for the ministers' wives of our WBA. I pray that our new Ministers' Wives Fellowship will continue...

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne

Upcoming Events in the WBA...

(change!!) MONDAY, OCTOBER 12... Stuart Lang from the GBC will speak to our Monday morning Minsters' Meeting at 11:00 AM about the "LIGHT it UP" Missions Experience that will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10 during the GBC Annual Meeting at FBC Woodstock. Please come and bring your questions! Stuart will also be available to answer any questions about Disaster Relief!!

MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST, Sat. Oct 17 at Orchard Hills BC with DAVID BARTON, who appeared recently on "HUCKABEE" (FOX) and is an expert on the faith of the founding fathers of the USA! You DO NOT want to miss this. Begins at 8:00 AM!!


Check out the link below to watch the interview on HUCKABEE...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfvEe1PZ1kk

ANNUAL FALL MEETING, Tuesday, Oct 20 at Southcrest BC (Walt Sanders Blvd. off Hyw 34 in Newnan). Begins at 4:45 PM with a great meal (catered by Golden's on the Square). The meeting begins at 6:00 PM. Great music! Special speakers are Dr. J. Robert White (GBC) and Rev. Mike Barnes (Rehoboth BC). Each WBA church is encouraged to send their full slate of messengers!

WBA Executive Committee will meet Monday night, October 19 at 7:00 PM at the WBA building.

SCHOOL of EVANGELISM, Saturday, Oct 24, at FBC Villa Rica, Ga. 9:00 AM - 12:30 AM.

GEORGIA BAPTIST CONVENTION, Nov. 8-10, FBC Woodstock. LoveLoud. Light it UP missions experience.

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Just this morning (Monday, Sept 21) I shared at our Monday morning ministers' meeting, that we would be discussing next Monday (Sept 28) Thomas Wolf's concept of "The Univeral Disciple". I presented his basic outline as a "commercial" today. I hope you can join us next Monday morning at 11:00 AM, here at the WBA building.

Jesus commanded us to "make disciples" (Matthew 28,19).

We must assume that:
1) Jesus really wants us to set "making disciples" as a top priority!
and
2) that there is a right way, an effective way of making disciples.
It must be possible! This ought to give us hope!

I am convinced that effective, intentional, bible-based disciple making is the solution to everything that ails our churches today. The reason we don't have church members, who consistently and intentionally pray, study God's Word, witness, give, go and serve, is because we have not been serious about making effective disciples out of new believers.

Too many churches are struggling or are dying out today, because they spent the past years focused on a plethora of "good things", but have neglected or ignored making men and women, boys and girls into willing, effective disciples of our Lord Jesus.

We have been serious about building buildings, holding worship services, having a Sunday School program, and every other kind of program, increasing church staff, taking our youth on really neat trips and discussing favorite music/worship styles. We do a pretty good job of promoting revivals, but a not-so-good job of follow-up (usually). Follow-up is hard. Follow-up takes time. Follow-up is where disciple-making begins.

If our past, official church methods of disciple-making have not produced effective disciples, then we must change our methods...NOW! The good news is that we can change our methods of disciple-making!!!

Here is an idea! Why not "assign" new believers to "seasoned, trained, effective" disciples, who will regularly (i.e. daily), intentionally walk with them in the first days, weeks and months of their new life? And then report back to the church discipleship team on the progress being made? The goal is to make the new believer into a disciple, who will be able to walk with and train other new believers. (2 Timothy 2:2) Only effective disciples should be allowed to train new believers. You wouldn't let just anyone take care of your new-born child, would you?

If your church doesn't have any "seasoned, trained, effective" disciples, then get busy making disciples now! As Louisi always hollers ("Snuffy Smith" cartoon), "time's a wastin'!"

We can't go back and change the past! And griping or making excuses doesn't do any good, either. We can only determine to follow the command of our Lord Jesus, make disciples and continue...

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne

Upcoming Events in the WBA...


Minister's Wives Fellowship with special guest speaker Marilyn Blackaby. Saturday, Sept. 26, 1:00 - 3:00 PM At WBA building. "An afternoon of spiritual refreshment without the kids!"

We have 17 minister's wives registered to come and have space for 3 more. Call us (770-253-2118) by Wednesday at 12:00 noon if you plan to come...last chance!




MONDAY, OCTOBER 5... Stuart Lang from the GBC will speak to our Monday morning Minsters' Meeting at 11:00 AM about the "LIGHT it UP" Missions Experience that will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10 during the GBC Annual Meeting at FBC Woodstock. Please come and bring your questions! Stuart will also be available to answer any questions about Disaster Relief!!

MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST, Sat. Oct 17 at Orchard Hills BC with DAVID BARTON, who appeared recently on "HUCKABEE" (FOX) and is an expert on the faith of the founding fathers of the USA! You DO NOT want to miss this. Begins at 8:00 AM!!


Check out the link below to watch the interview on HUCKABEE...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfvEe1PZ1kk

ANNUAL FALL MEETING, Tuesday, Oct 20 at Southcrest BC (Walt Sanders Blvd. off Hyw 34 in Newnan). Begins at 4:45 PM with a great meal (catered by Golden's on the Square). The meeting begins at 6:00 PM. Great music! Special speakers are Dr. J. Robert White (GBC) and Rev. Mike Barnes (Rehoboth BC). Each WBA church is encouraged to send their full slate of messengers!

WBA Executive Committee will meet Monday night, October 19 at 7:00 PM at the WBA building.

Jesus is Lord!

"Where there is no revelation..." (Prov. 29:18)

Well, we know what comes next, don't we? One popular Bible version states that the people "cast off restraint". I grew up hearing the word "perish!" That's ALWAYS what happens when people cast off restraint...they perish. Hmmm. I think that pretty much describes the current situation in the lives of of a lot of individuals, families, communities and even our country.

We don't need to go looking for or expecting some "new" revelation from God...the One we already have - JESUS - is the only One we need and the only One on whom God wants us to focus. He is alive and right here with us!

Think about Jesus.
Talk to Jesus.
Talk about Jesus.
Walk with Jesus.
Read about Jesus.
Sing songs about Jesus out loud!
Walk like Jesus did.
Care, love, give, act like Jesus did.
Smile, 'cause you know Jesus.
Get excited about Jesus.
Tell this lost, dying and, yes, perishing world about Jesus!
DO, what Jesus would do...
And do it today!

We don't need some new revelation...we just need more of the biblical Jesus revelation in our daily lives, in our families, in our communities, in our churches (and church plans) and yes, in our country!

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne

Here are some things coming up in the WBA...

- LAST NIGHT tonight! REVIVAL at Rehoboth BC, Sept. 6-10. Dr. Joe Bufford (Jackson, Ga.) preaching.

- Monday NIGHT Ministers Meeting at Camp ROCKRIDGE, Monday, Sept 14.
Come ride the bus from Royal BC (leaves at 6:00 PM). Dinner ($6.00) is at 7:00 PM. Special speaker is Rev. Scott Hannah (FBC Franklin). This night meeting is planned so our Bi-vocational ministers also have a chance to attend. We have about 15 signed up for the meal! Amen!

- Minister's Wives Fellowship with special guest speaker Marilyn Blackaby. Saturday, Sept. 26, 1:00 - 3:00 PM At WBA building. "An afternoon of spiritual refreshment without the kids!" Ladies, PLEASE call and let us know (770-253-2118) if you can attend.





- BERWIN HYATT HOUSE repair/clean-up project in Arnco village - we will need a lot of manual labor / construction type help on this. Please watch for more information on this upcoming project for our WBA churches.

- MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST, Sat. Oct 17 at Orchard Hills BC with DAVID BARTON, who appeared recently on "HUCKABEE" (FOX) and is an expert on the faith of the founding fathers of the USA! You DO NOT want to miss this. Begins at 8:00 AM!!

- Annual Fall Meeting, Tuesday, Oct 20 at Southcrest BC in Newnan. Begins at 4:45 with a great meal (catered by Golden's on the Square). Great music! Special speakers are Dr. J. Robert White (GBC) and Rev. Mike Barnes (Rehoboth BC). Each WBA church is encouraged to send their full slate of messengers!
* Remember that the Executive Committee will meet Monday night, October 19 at 7:00 PM at the WBA building.

Hopefully this blog will help us stay informed, share ideas & connect, so that we can continue...

Growing Together for His Glory!
Bro. Wayne