First Baptist Church of New Carlisle, Ohio has a rich and unique history in our community. Since 1955 we've been establishing ourselves as a lighthouse for Jesus Christ in our hometown of New Carlisle, Ohio.

We have Bible Study at 9:15 am and Worship Service at 10:30 am every Sunday. Childcare/nursery provided for all services. Wednesdays we have Prayer Meeting at 7:00 pm and Revive Student Ministries for youth at 7:00 pm

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Seed Time & Harvest - by Ken Lawler

With a new Pastor coming I decided to write an article about a topic we have heard little about during the last 37 years.  Rick rarely mentioned giving and transitional Pastor Tim probably felt it wasn't his job to bring it up either.  If you look at the bulletin every week you have noticed our offerings have averaged a thousand dollars or so a week less than the "needed to meet the budget" figure for quite a while.  It's not been a problem because we have not been paying a pastor's salary for 3 years.  Our church has always been a good giving church, and I suppose we've been in one of those "when the cats away the mice will play" modes.  When Pastor Curt arrives and we have a Senior Pastor up front every Sunday I'm betting some of those lackadaisical attenders will return full time and will resume throwing a few shekels in the plate.

How many shekels are you supposed to throw in?  In the Old
Testament the mandate was the tithe--10%.  They tithed on everything--wages; farm crops; olive oil; cattle, sheep and goats; wine; you name it.  I suppose a Hebrew woman with a few chickens gave the priest 10% of the eggs.  It is news to most Christians that tithing is not taught in the New Testament.  The words tithe and tithes are only used 8 times in the New Testament and each time the context is referring back to the Old Testament.

What then are we expected to give?  My Dad always told his church members that the New Testament plan was "seed time and harvest."  He had been raised on grain farms in Illinois and he knew how to raise a grain crop.  He was the first farmer in Fayette County Illinois to harvest 100 bushels of corn per acre.  Today if you don't hit up around 200
bushel you're not much of a farmer.  You have to put a lot of seed in the ground (and have very fertile soil) to raise 200 bushel corn.

We've all heard the old saying "you can't
out give God."  When you look at the sacrifice God made for us on Calvary, how can we Christians not be sacrificial givers?  That's where the blessings are---sacrificial giving.  If 10% was the standard under The Law, how can those of us under Grace give less than that?

When I got saved and Dolly and I got married I was making $2.00/hour for a 40-hour week.  That's $80.00/week,
less union dues, taxes, FICA, etc.  I don't remember what my check actually was.  I do remember putting $5.00 in the plate at the Arm Prairie Christian Church every Sunday.  When I got hired at WPAFB I was paid $5,000.00/year.  I think I kept up the $5.00/week for a while.  When Dad reminded me of the seed time and harvest thing I did some calculations and found out that the Old Testament system would have required closer to $10.00/week.

If you're a "
tither," it's not 10% of what's left over after Uncle Sam and everyone else has their way with your paycheck, it's 10% of the gross before any deductions.  Even though we're not under The Law, 10% is a good place to start.  Believe it or not, God will make the 90% go farther than you could get the 100% to go.  LeTourneau supposedly gave God 90%, and became a multi-millionaire living on the 10%.  You can't out give God.

Dolly & I have been fortunate in our married life, both of us having had good jobs.  We put God first in our budget and have consistently bumped up the 10% every time we financially could.  I can't guarantee what He will do with your
check book, but the more we give the more we seem to have.

When Pastor Curt arrives I hope we see more of those occasions when we see people looking for a seat.  I want to challenge those who have been coming and those who will be coming to be generous toward God and I assure you He will be generous to you.

Kitchen Korner: NFNF Potatoes (No-fuss, No-fail) - By Dolly Lawler

Here's a recipe you'll want to use over and over again.  These potatoes are always great, whether you're grilling them at the lake for your family or serving them to guests at your home dining room table.  Sometimes "simple" is better and more appealing than peeling, chopping, mixing, not to mention clean up time spent in the kitchen for a meal.

If I'm fixing this recipe for Ken and me, I adjust it to using just one potato which we split between the two of us.  (I'm trying to watch our intake of food these days.)  This recipe may be prepared ahead then put on the grill or in the oven an hour or so before your meal.

NFNF POTATOES 
(No-Fuss, No-Fail) 

4 baking potatoes, quartered
4 Tbs. butter
1 large onion, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

If preparing these potatoes at home in the oven for a meal at the table, place the above recipe in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil.  Wrap tightly and place on a cookie sheet (in case there is some leakage), then roast in a 425° oven for about an hour.  Dip up into a serving dish to set on the table for your meal.

If preparing these potatoes to be grilled outside for a lawn party, divide the potato quarters, butter, onion, and garlic equally and place in the center of four pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Wrap tightly and grill for about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.

Optional:  If desired, you may want to add red or green bell pepper slices to the vegetable mix prior to grilling or roasting.  Also at serving time, you may want to sprinkle top with a little Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy,

Dolly Lawler

 
Please submit a favorite recipe to: lawlers@windstream.net

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Letter from the Pastor - By Pastor Curt Sharbaugh

Dear Church Family,
 
I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve you as senior pastor. Throughout the process, God has granted me clarity and peace and gave me a strong desire to serve you in this way. It was extremely encouraging to hear about the affirmation you gave last Sunday with the positive vote.
 
We are so excited to be joining you soon. A great deal has been going on for us to make that happen. We already have a contract on a house in New Carlisle. We are both working hard to prepare our house to sell, and it should be on the market this week.
 
God has been so good. We really appreciated the warm welcome you gave us and how much you served us the Sunday we were with you. It was so easy to talk with you and get to know you. You made our whole family feel welcomed, including our children. As we prepared for that week, Laura prayed that our hearts would already begin to be knit with yours, and as we were leaving, we both talked about how it would be sad if we never got to see you again. We’re so glad we do get to see you again, and Lord willing for many years in the future.
 
I have been listening to your services online as another way to get to know what goes on at FBCNC, and I heartily agree with Mitch. Now is not the time to stop praying. Prayer is all the more vital for this transition. I am praying for you. Please continue to pray for us. Pray for God to continue to provide all that’s necessary for us to get to you as soon as possible. Pray for wisdom for us to discern what’s best in order to accomplish that. Pray that God would expand our love for him and for each other as we prepare to begin our service together.

Blessings,

Curt
(on behalf of the whole Sharbaugh Family)
May 29, 2016