​Providence Baptist Church
"A Place of Grace"

 
Providence Baptist Church - Chattahoochee Hills, GA
Services and activities at Providence will be suspended until further notice.
This is due to the Coronavirus. During this time, Dr. Tyre is writing daily messages 
and Nancy is sharing songs. Our prayer is that you will be blessed by these daily devotionals.
May God bless you and your family during this challenging time around the world.

Connecting While Social Distancing - Sunday, March 29, 2020
Providence Baptist Church, Rico - Morning Worship Service

     As we begin our worship service today, please join me in singing the Doxology. As Christians,
we can blend our hearts and voices together from our individual homes. I am sure you miss hearing the
music from our choir, instrumentalists and the congregation. As you sing, picture all of us singing together at Providence.

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
 
Welcome - Dr. Gene Tyre, Pastor
    Welcome to worship as we connect with one another while practicing social distancing. We all know that we
have not been prepared for such a time as this. Yet, we also know that we are assured that God is with us,  and nothing
can separate us from His love. I am asking each of you to share this worship experience with family or a friend.
I am so grateful that you are entering into this time of giving me the privilege of connecting with you in worship.

Announcements
1. Please pray for our sick. 
    Jerry Creel will have a pain block this week. Please keep Jerry, Brenda and the Creel family in your prayers.
An email or words of encouragement on Facebook would be encouraging. 

    Keep Patsy Teal in your prayers. Patsy is strong in her faith. She has had a lung condition for some time,
yet she continues to inspire all of us through her strong faith in Jesus Christ.
Patsy would also be blessed by a word of encouragement. 

    Pray for Ginny Jarrard. Ginny had a fall in her home last week. She broke a bone in her shoulder and has been in pain.
Ginny really misses church, and I would encourage you to send her words of encouragement by email or Facebook. 

    Pray for Harry Dodson, step-father of Tammy Bruce.  He has a heart condition.
 
    David Goode’s brother, Allen, went home to be with the Lord last week. Our prayers are with David, Bonnie and
their family during these difficult days. A word of encouragement on email or Facebook would be encouraging to David. 

    Cindy Hayes' Mom went home to be with the Lord in recent days. Please keep Cindy in your prayers.
An expression of sympathy to Cindy would be comforting.

    Please join me in praying daily for these members of our Providence family. I know many of you have already
made contact with these wonderful people. 

*Please note: Today's Prayer List is attached to this email. If you have a prayer request or update for
the list, please email Nancy - tuneinmyheart@yahoo.com.

2. We have no idea when we will once again assemble ourselves together. We are in
constant contact with our local leaders concerning this matter. Let us remember that
the church is not brick and mortar. The church is God’s people redeemed through
Jesus Christ and on mission in His name. Each day I receive word of how Providence is ministering to others.
Nancy sends out our daily devotionals and messages by email to over 120 people.
Also, a great big Thanks to Bridgette Holmes who is now giving a summary of
each day’s message on Facebook and Zoom.

3. Please keep Health Care personnel in your prayers. These very special people need
our prayers and encouragement as they are God’s instruments for providing healing.

4. Pray for our national, state, our public servants, first responders. Pray they will have wisdom,
protection and encouragement during these difficult times.

5. Pray for Providence and our church staff.

Call To Worship
“O God, our Help in ages past,
Our Hope for years to come.
Our shelter from the stormy blast
And our eternal home.”
Isaac Watts - based on Psalm 90

Time of Praise - Read the following with a grateful heart.
“Praise God in HIs sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him for the acts of His power.
Praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet.
Praise Him with the harp and lyre.
Praise Him with the tambourine and dancing.
Praise Him with the clash of cymbals.
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
PRAISE THE LORD. Amen.

Children's Message - Pray for Charis Bettis, our children’s minister. 
   Miss Charis and children: I really miss seeing the joy on your faces each Sunday. I love you very much.
My prayers are with you and your family. I know you are praying for your church and community. Today, I ask
you to please do your homework, obey your parents, pray for our community and church.
You are special to me. With great love, Doc

Offertory Hymn 
Please join me in singing the chorus of Great is Thy Faithfulness. 

Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness.
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto Thee.

Offertory Prayer 
     I miss the prayers of our ushers. Join me now as we thank God for our blessings: Our Father, We give you praise
for the blessings you share with Providence. Help us to remember you bless us in order that we might be able to
bless others. Bless the offering that we give today. We trust you O Lord, to meet the needs of our church family.
We pray for those less fortunate. Great is your faithfulness, O God our Father.

Offertory 
    Let each of us resolve to give an offering to the Lord. Remember it is not equal gifts, it is equal sacrifice.
The gifts for the last three weeks have been rather limited. If you have not yet given your offering, please consider
doing so. Send your offering to Mrs. Elaine Bryant - 7645 Campbellton-Redwine Rd. Palmetto, Ga 30268. 
We must be faithful in giving.

Scripture Reading 
    Pray for Bridgette Holmes, Youth Minister. Bridgette is our scripture reader.

    Today's Scripture: Jeremiah 8:21-22 and Galatians 6:2 
Special Music
    Pray for Nancy Whittenburger, Music Minister.

    When we experience the touch of our Master's hand, we are no longer the same.
His touch brings healing to our body and soul. He makes us whole. I invite you to sing or read
the beautiful song, He Touched Me.

Shackled by a heavy burden, 'Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the hand of Jesus touched me, And now I am no longer the same.
He touched me, O, He touched me. And O, the joy that floods my soul.
Something happened, and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.

Prayer Song - In preparation for Doc's sermon, sing or read this song.
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the Living God, fall fresh on me.

Our Father, “May the words I write, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”

Today's Sermon: "Wounded Healers"
     Dr. Granger Westberg was the founder of the medical practice of treating the whole person. He asked this
question to a group of nurses and doctors, “What is the healthiest hour of the week?” If he were to visit Providence
and ask that question, how would you answer? I would give this answer: “The healthiest hour of the week is 11:00 AM
on Sunday morning at Providence Baptist Church, Rico.” Now I am the first to recognize that sometimes churches are
filled with thoughts of being legalistic and judgmental. I have come to really believe that Providence is a healing place.

    This morning I want to encourage us to be about the ministry of bringing healing to
one another. Many years ago the weeping prophet Jeremiah cried out, “For the hurt of the daughter of my
people I am hurt. I am mourning; astonishment has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no
physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of my people?”

    Paul, in his Galatians correspondence wrote, “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Through my years of ministry, I have been blessed by reading many books. One of my favorites is a Dutch
theologian, Henri Nouwen’s classic book, “The Wounded Healer.” Following the death of his Mother, Henri was
asked by a reporter why he worked so hard to hide his pain. Dr. Nouwen responded, “I always try to turn my
personal struggle into something helpful to others.” Today, I challenge Providence to continue to be a community of healing.

1. RIGHT NOW WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF WOUNDED PEOPLE.

    This world is now waging a war with the Coronavirus. All of us are suffering from the wounds of fear, anxiety,
uncertainty, grief and many other expressions of pain. There are lonely people. Think of the many people
living by themselves in isolation.     We do not have to look very far to see someone who is in pain.
We have them in our own fellowship. There are those going through physical, emotional and
spiritual pain as we read these words. Possibly you are one of those persons.

II. I WOULD HASTEN TO ADD THAT OUR EXPERIENCES OF BEING WOUNDED CAN BE USED TO MINISTER TO OTHERS.

    Our own pain can be a source of comfort and hope to others. In recent days, we have heard stories of those
who survived the Coronavirus. Out of their own pain they bring encouragement and hope to others.
We are called in Christ to be “wounded healers” who have a heart to be involved in bringing help, hope and healing to others. 

    Amazing how as we use our wounds to help others heal, we continue to experience healing. In his novel,
Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway shared a very profound truth. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward
we become strong in the broken places."  As we live our days, we can’t always avoid pain. It has a way of
finding each of us. We can use our pain to bring help, hope and healing to others.

III. THE BLESSING COMES IN KNOWING WE PARTICIPATE WITH JESUS IN HIS HEALING MINISTRY.
     He is the Great Physician. We are His helpers. We must come to understand that when we have walked where
the wounded have walked, we are walking in the steps of the One who was “wounded for our transgressions.”
Mother Theresa was on mission for Christ in Calcutta, India. When she heard how people were dying in the
street, she was told that due to the religious culture, they were untouchable. Her response was, “not as long as
I live and can help.” She went to Calcutta and gave her life taking care of suffering humanity. She was once asked,
“Why did you do such a thing?” Her response is one we must remember, “”What you do for them, you do for Him.”
Let us remember that we are God’s wounded healers on mission to use our wounds to heal the wounds of others. Amen.

Invitation - For our Invitation, join me as we prayerfully sing, I Surrender All.

All to Jesus, I Surrender, All to Him I freely give.
I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.
I surrender all. I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

Closing Thoughts 
1. Commit to pray for those who are sick.

2. Resolve that Providence will continue to be a healing place.
3. May God grant us the courage to be wounded healers, ministering to others out of
our wounds.
4. Surrender to the Lordship of Christ, following Him in word and deed.

Benediction
A prayer prayed by the great preacher, Charles Spurgeon:

"O Father, Bring me I pray You, now to Yourself.

Let me bathe myself in communion with my God.
Blessed be the love which chose me before the world began.
I can never sufficiently adore You for your sovereignty,
the sovereignty of love which saw us in the ruins of the Fall, yet loved us anyway.
And now to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be glory forever and ever. Amen."
















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