The Bridge
March 2014
Monthly Newsletter of
First Baptist Church
Franklinton
Be the Church Week
March
24th - 28th
Phone: (985) 839-3427
Fax: (985) 839-3572
Email:
fbc.natasha@gmail.com
950 Self Street Franklinton, LA 70438
Sunday
Morning
8:15 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
Evening 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Evening
5:00 p.m. Meal
6:00 p.m. Activities
www.fbc.franklinton.org

Trust and Obey
Paul Watts, Pastor
fbc.paulwatts@gmail.com
Discipleship 101 Schedule
Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m.
March 2:
The Bible: How do I study the Bible
for life? Basics of Bible Study
March 9:
Quiet Time: Making time to be still
March 16:
Prayer: Theology and Practice
March 23:
Prayer: The Power of Intercession
Making and Maintaining your
Prayerlist - Bro Rick Elder
March 30:
The Triune God
A Cup with
Pastor Paul
http://acupwiththepastor.blogspot.com
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to
trust and obey. I am very appreciative of hymn writers like John
Sammis, writer of the hymn, Trust and Obey. They have a way of
putting the most vital disciplines of the faith in words that are so
simple and a melody that resonates in our hearts. This past month
the Lord has used the words of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD
with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right
paths” (HCSB), and Hebrews 11:6: Now without faith it is impossible
to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that
He exists and rewards those who seek Him,” to gently remind me
He is in control and I simply need to trust Him and walk by faith. I
doubt there is a single reader of this article that is without worry or
uncertainty over some issue in their life or family. No matter the
situation, the Christian is to do two things: trust and obey. Trust is
resting in the knowledge that our God and Father is in control. He is
the maker and sustainer of the universe. He has a plan, and part of
that plan was to reach out to you and draw you into a saving relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus. If you have trusted in
Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God’s word states we are to live for
the one who died for us. This means it is God’s will for us to
overcome sin and to give glory to God through our service and
obedience. We can trust God the Father has a plan, our Lord
Jesus is interceding for us, and the Holy Spirit will fill us for service
and lead us into all truth. Our part is to trust and obey. When we
maintain this simple discipline we are told we will experience peace
that passes all understanding. I think all true believers long for the
relationship described in the last verse of Trust and Obey: Then in
fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, or we’ll walk by His side in the
way; what He says we will do, where He sends we will go; never fear,
only trust and obey.”
Sunday Night Discipleship
I have had the best time preparing and delivering our Sunday night
discipleship messages this past month. It is my prayer that we have
all been challenged to study our Bibles with confidence and
assurance of their reliability and power to change our lives. Our
continued format as we move through different foundations of
Christian discipleship will be scriptural foundations followed by
application. We will finish our instruction on the basics of Bible
study on March 2, but our application of the lessons we have learned
should continue for the rest of our lives (they will at least continue
for the rest of this study.) On March 2, we will learn a simple way to
outline scripture that will help us identify context, the meaning in its
original context and its application for today. As we move on to other
subjects in our study you will be given scripture to outline each week
that will help you prepare for the next week’s lesson. This will also
help you hone your skills for personal Bible study and leading group
discussion. Remind them of these things, charging them before God
not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the
ruin of the hearers.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t
need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:14-15

I used to teasingly call my
mother-in-law’s house in Gretna
“Granny Central.” It seemed like
anything that was going on in the
family, whether someone was
traveling, someone was sick or
hurting, there was a need of some
kind, or whatever, it all passed
through her and her house and she
kept the rest of the family informed.
And here’s something else, anyone
who came to her house as a stranger
didn’t stay a stranger for very long.
All were welcome, and she usually
had something cooking on the stove
and would gladly share whatever it
was with whoever happened to be
there at the time.
During the holidays there
was a craziness that she relished that
came from packing a large family into
a small home. There were kids running in and out, food and gifts being
passed around, lots of noise, and lots
of laughter.
But underlying all of this was
a feeling of love and care that
emanated from her that filled her
house. And no matter what major
event was going on in a particular life,
there was a comfort in knowing that
someone really loved them and really
cared for them.
Why am I telling you all of
this? I’m sure you have your own
family memories. But I’ve been
noticing some things lately here at
FBC Franklinton that remind me of
my mother-in-law and her home, and
I’d like to share them with you.
Within our congregation
there are families and individuals
who are at the forefront of our prayer
lists because of a major event in their
lives. Some have lost a parent, a
spouse, or a family member this past
year. Some are dealing with disease.
Some are dealing with marital issues,
financial issues, and any number of
other crises.
But there are also some who
are rejoicing because of positive
changes in their lives. Babies are being
born. God has worked miracles in the
lives of others. Couples are getting
engaged and married. People are
finding jobs and advancing in their
careers. And best of all, people are
coming to faith in Christ and
becoming part of our church family.
On the surface there’s a lot
going on in people’s lives. And to the
uninitiated it may seem that each one
is alone in the midst of whatever is
going on in their particular situation.
Honduras Mission Trip
Trip dates
June 30th - July 6th
Contact Brother Dale if you are
interested in participating in this
Mission Trip.
Meeting, March 2nd at 5:00 p.m.
in the Fireside Room
But underneath there’s this
network of people, this large family
called First Baptist Church, who make
phone calls and pray for and with one
another. People who cook for and care
for folks in times of need. People who
are willing to stop or postpone their
plans to go and fix a leaky pipe for
someone who can’t afford a plumber.
People who invite a newcomer in like
they were family just returning from
a long trip. Sadly there’s not enough
room to name all that goes on here,
and who is doing what. We don’t
always get it right, and sometimes
things slip through the cracks. But
that only causes us to try harder, and
work harder.
You see, just like at my
mother-in-law’s house, there is an
undercurrent of love here that draws
people into our church and into the
kingdom of God. Jesus once said,
“They (the world) will know that
you are My disciples, if you love one
another.” What I see every day is a
group of people who do just that; they
love God and love the people that
God loves.
What a blessing it is to be a
small part of what God is doing here
at FBC Franklinton.
God bless,
Brother Dale
Senior Adult Revival
planning meeting
March 11th at 10:30 a.m.
at the Association Office
Senior Adult Day
at Camp Living Waters
April 8th
Dale Parker,
Minister to Senior Adults
& Discipleship Training
fbc.daleparker@gmail.com

Cody Thomas,
Student Pastor
fbc.codythomas@gmail.com
Student Ministry Events
Sunday, March 2nd Lock -In After Church
Sunday, March 9th Youth Committee and
Parent Meeting
Saturday, March 22nd
“God’s Not Dead” Movie Outing
World Changers is in Chattanooga,
Tennessee the week of July 21st – 26th.
In order to secure your spot,
a deposit of $75 is due.
“God’s Law for Life”
Over the past couple of months, the Student Ministry has been studying the
book of Ephesians on Wednesday nights. This month we are shifting gears and we will
begin a new study on the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments can be hard
to handle at times, in that we might understand them, but applying them is difficult.
What we fail to realize is that as adopted children of God, we come under His
commandments, and these commandments are in place for our good. God’s
commandments are often referred to as God’s moral standards. God’s moral standard
reflects His character, guides all relationships and reveals our need for grace.
Exodus 20:1-2, “Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.” D.A. Carson
notes that, “(God) is still being presented as a talking God, not only with the kind of
speech that calls the universe into existence (Gen 1-2) and with the kind of speech that
interacts with his image-bearers (Gen 3) … but with the kind of speech that commands
them.” God does not simply leave us to decide on our own what is right and wrong, but
rather He has a righteous standard for us to live by that flows directly from His very
character. God’s perfect law reflects His perfect character. God’s moral standard also
guides all relationships.
When someone asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is, Jesus
responded, “love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus is summing up all Ten Commandments with two
sentences. We can even take Jesus’ words and sum them up to: Love God Love People,
that’s the Ten Commandments. The first four of the Ten Commandments talk about our
relationship with God. The other six of the Ten Commandments talk about our
relationship with other people. God’s moral standard guides our relationships and
brings about freedom in our lives.
God’s moral standard is a high expectation for us to live by. I’ve often defined
sin as missing the mark. God’s moral standard is the “mark” He places for us. If we are
honest with ourselves, we realize that we probably miss the mark more times than we
actually hit the mark. Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of
God.” We miss the mark! Where God’s moral standard places a high expectation for us,
it also reveals our need for God’s grace. God’s grace is God giving us something we do
not deserve – Salvation. God’s purpose for the law was always to lead us to Christ.
Galatians 2:16, “No one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.”
The only way for us to experience God’s grace is by confessing Jesus as our Lord and
Savior.
God’s moral standard reflects His character, guides all relationships and reveals
our need for grace. Dive into the moral standard of God and let it show you His
character, guide you in your walk with Christ and your relationships with others, let
it also show you your desperate need for His grace daily. Join me in praying for our
students as we embark on this study of the Ten Commandments. Please refer to the left
side of this page for this month’s student ministry events.
REACHING
In &
REACHING
Out
FUEGO camp in
Eunice, Louisiana at
Acadian Baptist Center.
June 23rd – 27th (Monday – Friday)
In order to secure your spot,
a deposit of $65 is due.

Butch Reviere,
Minister of Music
fbc.butch@gmail.com
Last year there arose out of a desire among a
group of folks in and around Bogalusa to organize a
Gospel music festival, a unique way to share Christ
with the community. They invited several Christian
musical groups, representing a variety of styles, to
come together in Cassidy Park for a day of singing,
fellowshipping, and generally “passing a good time”,
as they say a little further south in Louisiana. This
year the second edition of the Bogalusa Gospel
Music Festival will unfold on Saturday, April 5th
with the groups that you see on this page. There
will be “Southern Gospel”, “Black Gospel”, and
“Contemporary Christian Music”…something for
everyone. You may come for the afternoon, the
evening, or take in the whole event. There were (and I
assume will be) churches and other groups providing
food as a way to raise money for their various
Note
ministries. Brother Greg Whaley, pastor of First Baptist
Church in Bogalusa, is chairman of the steering
committee. Let’s pray with them for a successful event
which exalts Christ and promotes the spiritual health
of our communities.
from Brother Butch

Children’s
Ministry
Mallory and I have an 85 lb German Shepherd dog that’s a little over a
year old. Our dog’s name is Carter Shubuta Thomas. We love Carter. We want
Carter to be the best dog he can be, so we are trying to train Carter. The first couple
of tricks we taught Carter was to sit, stay, lie down, shake, you know ,the typical
dog tricks. He picked up on those tricks fairly easily.
Recently, though, we have been leash training Carter; with the leash
training we have b,een reinforcing the sit, stay, and lie down commands. After
about a month of leash training, I told Carter to sit, and then I gave him a
command he has not heard in a long time, shake. When I told him to shake, he
looked at me like I was stupid. He has forgotten how to shake! Even though I
taught him how to shake at a young age, he forgot. The reason for his forgetfulness
was that I did not reinforce his training. We were not consistently going over the
command of shake, so he forgot. How true is this in our lives?
If we do not consistently work on the commands of scripture, we might
forget them. If we do not have the discipline to carry out the disciplines, then we
may totally disregard the disciplines of the Christian walk, i.e. prayer, Bible study,
fasting, meditation, quiet time, and others. If it is difficult for adults to stay
consistent in the disciplines, how hard is it for children?
Scripture tells us in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should
go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” In order to “train up” your child
in the “way he should go”, you must be consistently teaching them the commands
and truths of scripture. My encouragement for you is to consistently “train” your
child in the ways of the Lord. Show your children how to follow Christ through
your example. Teach your children how to follow Christ through the Word of God.
Remind them of the commands and truths of scripture often.
This month in the Children’s Wednesday Night “Living Inside Out”
program they will be learning about the grace of God. The grace of God is an
excellent truth to consistently teach your children. To help you in your effort to
consistently teach the Lord’s commands and truths, here is the schedule for the
Children’s Wednesday Night Bible study:
- March 5th – Moses Prays for the Israelites – Numbers 14:1-25
- The Point – God forgives us even though we don’t deserve it.
- March 12th – God Spares Nineveh – Jonah 3
- The Point – God forgives us when we turn away from sin.
- March 19th – Jesus forgives the Woman Caught in Sin – John 8:1-11
- The Point – God forgives our sins through Jesus.
- March 26th – The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:21-35
- The Point – God wants us to show forgiveness to others.
Upcoming Events
Centri-Kid Camp
July 28th—August 1st
$65 deposit due
to reserve your spot.
Contact Brother Cody for more
information.
Children’s Committee Meeting
Sunday, April 6th at 5:00pm
Centri-Kid
Bake Auction
Sunday, April 13th
Outside Family Movie Night
Saturday, May 17th

PlaySchool
News
As you can see with our photos, we have Whether you can donate any of
had a busy month at PlaySchool! We have
learned about Mardi Gras, chased a gingerbread man and celebrated Valentines day! This month
the items on the list or not, please
we have also learned to write our name and how to draw our self portrait.
continue to pray for PlaySchool...
Please continue to pray for us daily as we share God’s love with these &
our teachers, our students precious children.
We are also still in search of someone to sew our baby dolls some clothes if you know of anyone.
all of their families.

WINGS Ministry
Starting March 12, 2014
Rooted in Christ Ladies
Wednesday Evening Bible Study at 6:00 p.m.
Senior Adult Center Book Cost is $12
Priscilla Shirer Live - April 5, 2014
in New Orleans, LA from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at
Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
The cost of the conference is $49. The tickets must
be purchased online at http://www.lifeway.com/n/
Women-&-Beth-Moore?type=events or by calling
1.800.254.2022
High Tea for India
March 8th, 2014
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Get your ticket today!
$59 Early bird before February 27th.
Friday from 7:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. &
Saturday 8:30 a.m.- 12:15 p.m.
Leslie Westmoreland
WINGS Coordinator
lwestmoreland.ees@wpsb.org

Month of
March
Lacy Burris &
Brittany Sherlin
for ages 3
to
Kindergarten
Nursery
3/2
Whitney Crowe &
Sandy Morgan
3/23
Christina Watts &
Kelly McElveen
3/9
Carolyn Knight &
Kathy McElveen
3/30
JoAnn Luizza &
Gayle Rester
3/16
Hallene Magee &
Lou Fussell
Sunday Night
Supper
Deacon
Schedule
3/2
McVea, Phelps, Knight, Stokes,
Knight, Brown & Gill
3/2
Stephen McElveen &
Hunter Knight
3/9
Waskom, Thomas,
Stringfield, Taber, Burris,
Driskill & Kennedy
3/9
Jeff Driskill &
David Sylvest
3/16
Cruce, Cowart, Westmoreland,
McDaniel, Varnado, Barber &
Thomas
3/23
Fifth Sunday
Potluck
Sunday Evening
March 30th
Bring a covered dish
and enjoy a time of
fellowship after the
evening service.
3/16
Rusty Knight &
Robby Stringfield
3/23
Jimmy Stafford &
B. Burris
3/30
Stuart Varnado &
Warren Cooke, Jr.
Wednesday Night
Supper
3/5
Group D - Country Fried Steak
3/12
Men’s Group - Chicken
3/19
Group E - Pork Loin
3/26
Group A - Pulled Pork
Volunteers for March
Children’s Church

Annie Armstrong
Easter Offering
Our Church Goal
is $8,000
Long Range Planning Committee Update:
Please pray for our Long Range Planning
Committee as we begin the discovery process by
evaluating the needs of the mission fields before us, take
stock of the resources (i.e. time, talents, finances) the Lord
has blessed us with and as we seek the Lords direction as how
He would have us prioritize and allocate these resources to
fulfill the mission for which he has called us. Gods mission
for FBC as a whole will be fulfilled by the collective calling of
individuals so begin to pray for yourself as well so the
Lord would reveal His will to you. Pray that the Lord would
give us vision because “where there is no vision the people
perish”.
The committee will be surveying various groups
and organizations throughout the church during this discovery period. We plan to keep you involved and informed
periodically throughout the process.
Bible Study to Begin:
Many people want to know:
“Is the end of time near?
When will Jesus return?
How will Jesus return?
What will happen to believers
in the end times?
What does the book of Revelation
have to say about all of this?”
Come and find out on Wednesday
nights starting March 5th at 6:00 p.m.
in the A. W. Robins classroom.
We are looking forward to this journey together.
Remember to
pray for India
and the
missionaries
there.
Just for your
information,
here are so
Hindi words:
Scholarship Funds
Available
With high school graduation fast
approaching, FBC would like to remind
seniors of the scholarship opportunity
available through the church. FBC is the
English /Hindi
More/Peacock
Plate/Thali
Cup/Piyalla
Table/Meje
Water/Pani
Wall/Diwar
Milk/Dud
Sugar/Chni
financial manager, and distributor of the
Charles and Jan Montgomery Memorial
Scholarship. This scholarship has been in
existence since 1985 and has helped
numerous students over the years with their
college expenses. Applications and
guidelines for eligibility can be obtained
through the church office, or through the
schools.
Announcements
Tea/Cha
Rice/Chawal
Color/Rang
Red/Lal
Yellow/Pila
Green/Hara
Blue/Nila
Purple/Bangni
If you are looking for a meaningful
honorarium or memorial gift, please keep
in mind a donation to the scholarship fund.
You will not only be helping
perpetuate the scholarship but, also,
helping a worthy student with their
college expenses.

Welcome Our New Members
Save the Date Austin and Nate Lebo
Melissa, Jimmy,
Scotlyn Whitten
Be the Church Week
March 24th
Save the Date:
March 28th
Honduras Mission Trip
Trip dates June 30th - July
6th
Contact Brother Dale if
Shandle and Hollie Waskom
you are
interested in participating in
this
Mission Trip.
Biblical Parenting
Seminar:
May 3rd
Conducted by Kevin Boles
Youth Strategiest at LBC.
Charlie Rose Casanova
Born: December 27, 2013
Weight: 7 lbs. 9 oz. Inches: 20.25
Proud Parents: Casey and Brandi Casanova
Big Brother: Cooper Casanova
Maternal Grandparents: Chip and Brenda Burris
Great Grandmother: Margaret Burch
Paternal Grandparents: Karl and Diana Casanova
Owen Paul Parent
Born: February 4, 2014
Weight: 8 lbs. 11oz. Inches: 21
Proud Parents: Paul and Brittany Parent
Maternal Grandparents: Nathan and Roxanne Dewitt
Paternal Grandparents: Perry and the late Pauline Parent

March 20142014
March
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
Annie Armstrong Week of Prayer
2
7 a.m.
Men’s Prayer
Breakfast
5 p.m
Honduras Meeting
Youth Lock-in
9
5 p.m.
Youth Committee
Meeting
3
8:30 a.m.
Senior Singers
4
5
5:30 p.m.
Outreach
11
12
5 p.m. Wednesday
Night Supper
Senior Singers
6 p.m. Evening
Services
7:00 p.m. AA
16
17 Senior Singers 18 10 a.m.
A.W. Robbins 19
Outing
8:30 a.m.
8
13 7 p.m. AA
14
15
24 8:30 a.m.
Senior Singers
7:00 p.m. AA
25
5 p.m.
Wednesday
Night Supper
207 p.m. AA
21
22
2710 a.m.
28
Merry Hearts
29
6 p.m.
Evening
Services
6:30 p.m.
Hymn Sing at
Heritage Manor
7:00 p.m. AA
30
7
7 p.m. Personnel
Committee Meeting
5:30 p.m.
Outreach
23
6 7 p.m. AA
6 p.m.
Evening
Services
7:00 p.m. AA
10 8:30 a.m.
5 p.m.
Wednesday
Night Supper
26
5 p.m.
Wednesday
Night Supper
6 p.m.
Evening
Services
Youth
Movie
Outing
7 p.m. AA
31
Youth Sunday
4 p.m
Deacon’s Meeting
Sign-up for
Camp Sunday
950 Self Street
Franklinton, LA 70438
www.fbc.franklinton.org
PRSRT STD
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
US POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 27