Dear Church Family,

      The year is 600 BC.  Jerusalem is under siege by the Babylonians.  Time and time again, the Lord had given the people the opportunity to repent and return to Him.  And time after time, the people had refused to turn to the Lord.  During the siege, their own prophets lied saying everything was good and that help was coming to deliver them.   But after many months no help came.  Unlike the false prophets, Jeremiah warned the people that no deliverer was coming.  Their sin had sealed their fate.  Now the hour was late.  The words of Jeremiah had come to past.  Harvest is past, summer is ended and we are not saved.  Such a sad word for a sad time. 

      Fast forward 2600 years to the summer of 2025.  For us at First Baptist, summer is nearing its end.  But unlike so many who chose to rebel against the Lord in Jeremiah’s day, I have good news!  Today you might say, harvest is past, summer is ended, and many have been saved.  Thank the Lord for Youth Camp, Vacation Bible School and Breakthrough Preteen Camp.  Through these summer harvest opportunities many of our young people have come to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.   

      To bring in a harvest takes lots of effort on many fronts.  Someone has to prepare the ground.  Another must plant the seed.  Still another must cultivate the soil and pull the weeds.  Then there is the fertilizer and pesticide and the irrigation.  Finally, after a lot of hard work and the favor of God, the plants are ready to harvest.  So it is with harvesting souls.  All year long the Gospel message is proclaimed.  The seed of the Gospel is planted in the good soil of a tender heart.  The Lord takes that seed and gives the hearer understanding and conviction. Then, when the time is ripe, He brings forth the harvest.  What a wonderful privilege it is to be part of that process. 

      For all the workers in Sunday School, our Wednesday night programs, God’s Kids, Children’s Church, and not to mention all other church ministries, without you, the harvest might not come.  The Scripture tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  How can they hear without someone teaching and telling and showing the way?  That is where you come in.  That is your part of the process of this wonderful harvest.  Each of us plays a vital role in the process in the lives of those who come to faith in Christ.  From the one who says a kind word, to the one who invites them to church.  Even the one who teaches the Word.  Each has equal reward in the investment in a soul for Christ.  Thank you for all you do!  Thank you for your faithfulness and the giving of your time so unselfishly.  You are truly heroes of the faith! 

Blessings to you all!

                                                       Pastor Ricky