Giving Thanks

Dear Church Family,

I want to share these words by Chuck Swindoll. I pray that you will look up throughout the Thanksgiving season!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Lane

Giving Thanks All Around

by Pastor Chuck Swindoll Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

IT'S ALMOST THANKSGIVING . . . MY FAVORITE. When it comes to holidays, this one tops 'em all, in my opinion. I prefer it because it is so healthy, so encouraging, so valuable . . . and so understated. I prefer it because there are no jingles to sing, commercials to endure, gifts to buy, places to go, or meetings to attend—just be thankful. Just look up, look around, look within, and say, "Thank you, Lord."

So let's start early with our Thanksgiving this year. Maybe these few thoughts will stimulate you to give God your thanks in greater abundance.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18

Looking up . . . thank You, Lord: for Your sovereign control over our circumstances, for Your gentle compassion in our sorrows, for Your consistent faithfulness through our highs and lows, for Your grace that removes our guilt, for Your love that holds us close.

Thank You, Lord, for all You are, all You do, all You say. If we were unable to look up into Your face, Thanksgiving would be just another day.

Looking around . . . thank You, Lord: for our close family ties, so affirming, so enjoyable; for our marvelous church, so many gifted and loving servants; for our strong heritage, so wholesome, so wise; for the joy of seeing our children grow and learn; for an occupation that enables us to make a living; for the embrace of a friend who really cares.

Thank You, Lord, for all You provide in such variety and incredible abundance. By just looking around, we are made aware of how rich we are this Thanksgiving.

Looking within . . . thank You, Lord: for eyes that see the beauty of Your creation, for ears that receive the world of sounds surrounding us, for the special stimulation of taste and touch, for hands to work with and legs to walk with, for a sense of humor that brought healing and hope, for the sheer delight of knowing and walking with You!

Thanksgiving is my favorite. Now you see why.

The Giving Crisis by Andrew McNair

Dear Church Family,

I recently confessed to you that I had not done a good job of discipling the church in the area of finances. I’d like to change that, and for more reasons than what is probably coming to your mind right now.

As I was reading a book in my office on the subject of generosity, I came across this excerpt. I thought it was worth sharing. It came from Andrew McNair’s The Giving Crisis. I pray it speaks to your heart…

Some Christians hold the mistaken belief that the Bible is silent on giving. Nothing could be further from the truth. One count tallies 2,350 versus about money. One-fifth of Jesus’ parables involve money. According to Forbes, money and material possessions is the second most referenced topic in the Bible, appearing more than 800 times. Money - collecting it, giving it, paying the government, and the dangers of money - is quite present in the Bible.

What about tithing, specifically?

Some dismiss tithing as an outdated Levitical law - but is that the case? It’s amazing how many people become overnight biblical researchers when defending their current spending habits.

Tithing has a broader foundation than Levitical code. We can trace tithing all the way back to the first book of the Bible: Genesis. In Genesis we encounter the story of Abraham, called by God as the Father of many nations. Abraham’s story is the beginning of the story of the people of God, the Jews. Chapter 14 describes his quest to rescue his nephew, Lot, from his captors. When he returns successfully, he gives 10 percent of his spoils to the priest-king Melchizedek. The author of Hebrews, a book in the New Testament, affirms Abraham’s tithe.

Later in Genesis, Jacob, grandson of Abraham, vows to give 10% of everything to God.

You might be asking, “What about grace” It’s true. We must remember that because of the New Covenant, we Christians are now covered with a layer of grace that wasn’t known in the Old Testament. Grace never lowers the bar for living Godly lives.

In fact, we learn from the Sermon on the Mount that grace raises the bar. The law was only the beginning. It was a starting point. It set the standard for us to follow. The Law reveals to us our own reluctance to give; it reveals our selfishness. As New Testament Christians, we are challenged to give even more. As we grow in spiritual maturity, the tithe becomes something we feel eager to give, not a check we feel obligated to write. The 10% required by Law becomes a baseline for our giving - not the maximum amount.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Lane

Clay Jars

Dear church family,

One year at Thanksgiving several people had dinner with missionaries in Thailand. In the center of the dinner table was a large, beautiful orchid. That prize flower was the topic of conversation throughout the meal. Shortly after leaving the house, a missionary asked the rest of the group what kind of vase the hostess had used for the centerpiece. Not one of his traveling companions could even remember seeing it. All they remembered was that beautiful orchid. The man made his point, “If we are the kind of earthen vessels or containers we ought to be, nobody will even notice us. They will only see Jesus.”

The apostle Paul wrote, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT).

In this world of self-centeredness, it is easy to fall into the trap of drawing attention to ourselves. We as Christians, though, should constantly seek to draw attention to Jesus Christ and to Him alone.

Brian Sternberg was a sophomore at the University of Washington when he won the national championship on the trampoline with a flawless triple somersault. He also won the pole vault championship and set a world record. Sternberg had one fatal flaw – pride. He was self-centered and independent; he wanted help from no one. Practicing by himself at the university gym one night, he attempted his triple somersault. Sternberg landed on the edge of the trampoline and almost severed his spinal cord at the base of his neck. Instantly he became a quadriplegic.

Sternburg went from 190 pounds of muscle to a mere 87 pounds of skin, bone, and cartilage. As the weeks lapsed into months, he became bitter. While he was in the hospital, a young lady visited him every day and shared about the love of Christ. After years of putting himself in the center of his life, he accepted Christ as his Lord and proclaimed, “Although I’m crippled, I feel like a winner for the first time in my life.”

And sharing his testimony at an international conference, Sternberg closed with, “Oh, I pray to God that what has happened to me will never happen to one of you. I pray that you’ll never know the humiliation, the shame, of not being able to perform one human act. Oh, I pray to God you will never know the pain that I live with daily. It is my hope and my prayer that what has happened to me would never happen to one of you – unless, my friends, that’s what it takes for you to put God in the center of your life.”

So my friends, don’t focus attention on yourself nor seek the attention of others. Instead, focus on Jesus, and live your life in such a way that others must do the same.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Lane

Focus on Jesus

Sermon clip from August 20, 2023

Don't Give In

Below is a clip from the sermon on 8/13/23. If you would like to watch the full sermon you can go here! 

You are NOT defined by your mistakes!

This is a sermon clip from August 6th! If you would like to see the full sermon click here!

Dear Church Family,

I enjoy reading and wanted to share with you an excerpt from a book I enjoyed:

Whatever happened to the core truth of the Protestant Reformation, namely, that we do not earn our way with God but rather receive his grace by faith? Like the Galatians, we have walked away from something vital. No wonder the apostle Paul sent them a stern letter that said, "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3).
True Christianity is, rather, to know Jesus and trust in him, to rely on him, to admit that all of our strength comes from him. That kind of faith is not only what pleases God, but is also the only channel through which the power of God flows into our lives so we can live victoriously for him. It is what Paul meant when he wrote, "I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).

My coauthor, Dean Merrill, was at a wedding recently in which the bride and groom's responses to the vows were not just the traditional "I do" but rather "I will, with the help of God." The minister who wrote the ceremony knew that human effort alone might not carry the young couple in today's world "until death do you part." He therefore called on them to implore the help of God in building their marriage.

This declaration was very much in keeping with what Solomon said at the dedication of the Temple: "May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers" (1 Kings 8: 57-58). In that sentence Solomon showed great insight into the fact that God himself must turn our hearts toward him, or else we will stray.

When most people break down in their Christian life they simply "try harder," Lots of luck! Try harder with what? I've looked inside of me and stopped looking. There's nothing in there that's good or usable. On the other hand, if I turn the other way and begin "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2 KJV), I find everything I need.

Written by: Jim Cymbala in "Fresh Faith"

See you Sunday!
Pastor Lane

Dear Church Family,

It’s time for …

Mid-Summer Random Thoughts by Pastor Lane

He who is slow to anger has great understanding. Proverbs 14:29

We had triple digits in Sunday School this past Sunday – in the middle of July! I can’t help but believe God is up to something!

The Braves are the best team in baseball right now! Which, as odd as it sounds, actually concerns me a little bit come postseason.

If a man says something in the middle of the forest, and his wife is not there to hear him, is he still wrong?

A saint is a person whose life makes it easier to believe in God. Who do you know like that?

Why is forgiveness so difficult? What are people afraid of if they actually forgive?

I used to have a handle on life, but then it broke.

I wonder if Savannah is the weed capitol of the world. Yard weeds, I mean. Not marij….. nevermind.

Now to God our Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Philippians 4:20

Beverly Purcell is a real workhorse for IBC. I’m thankful for her.

If you can buy a person’s friendship, it’s not worth it.

I miss my dad. If you have a dad, call him today.

When we worry, we believe more in our problems than in God’s promises.

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather….. not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.

What did Jonah think about those 3 days?

Want to send a panic wave through your pastor? Start a sentence off with, “Hey preacher, I have a Bible question for you …”

We in the church sure have watered down what it means to be an “active” church member, if we believe at all in God’s Word (Hebrews 10:25).

I was wondering why the frisbee kept getting bigger and bigger, and then it hit me….

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him. Proverbs 26:4

See you Sunday!
Pastor Lane

Dear Church Family,

Charles Spurgeon is a great theologian. I wanted to share a few of his famous quotes. He has many more!

Charles Spurgeon Quotes On Prayer

1. If you could pray the best prayer in the world without the Holy Spirit, God would have nothing to do with it. But if your prayer be broken and lame and limping, if the Spirit made it, God will look upon it and say, as he did upon the works of creation, “It is very good."

2. If any of you should ask me for an epitome of the Christian religion, I should say it is in that one word—prayer.

3. All our perils are nothing, so long as we have prayer.

4. My own soul’s conviction is that prayer is the grandest power in the entire universe, that it has a more omnipotent force than electricity, attraction, gravitation, or any other of those other secret forces which men have called by name, but which they do not understand.

5. There is no secret of my heart which I would not pour into [the Lord’s] ear. There is no wish that might be deemed foolish or ambitious by others, which I would not communicate to him.

6. If there be anything I know, anything that I am quite assured of beyond all question, it is that praying breath is never spent in vain.

7. The more we pray, the more we shall want to pray. The more we pray, the more we can pray. The more we pray, the more we shall pray.

Charles Spurgeon Quotes On Praise

8. I feel like that good old saint, who said that if she got to heaven, Jesus Christ should never hear the last of it. Truly he never shall!

9. Praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song. By grace we learn to sing, and in glory we continue to sing.

10. It is well to praise the Lord for his mercy when you are in health, but make sure that you do it when you are sick, for then your praise is more likely to be genuine.

11. If I did not praise and bless Christ my Lord, I should deserve to have my tongue torn out by its roots from my mouth. If I did not bless and magnify his name, I should deserve that every stone I tread on in the streets should rise up to curse my ingratitude, for I am a drowned debtor to the mercy of God—over head and ears—to infinite love and boundless compassion I am a debtor.

Dear Church Family,

I really do like doing yard work. I love the end product. And yet, as I type that, I ask myself if I’ve ever really even seen an end product. I guess I have not – I’ve found that a yard is always a work in progress. I’ve lived in my current house for 2 ½ years, and it’s just now starting to look like I want it to. And there’s a long way left to go!

But it’s taken a lot of work to get here. I’ve done a lot of watering and fertilizing and planting and creating and … well, you get the idea. It’s taken a lot of sweat and scrapes and sore muscles. But when spring hits and the new growth comes out, with all of the bright greens and flower blooms, you know it’s all worth it!

But I’ve come to realize in recent years that there is another major factor in a beautiful yard. In fact, it’s probably THE major factor … death. You read that right. As I sit here, I’m trying to think of a more necessary component in formulating a beautiful yard and I cannot think of one. It’s death. If you want an eye-popping landscape, you have to do a lot of killing. A LOT!

I think through the last couple of years, and I’ve done a lot of killing in my yard. I have killed weeds. A LOT of them … or at least I attempted to (😬). I have dug up creepers and bad root balls in my flower beds. I have cut down several unappealing trees (Remember my eye injury?) and bushes that previous owners obviously loved. I have killed off areas of my yard so I could plant new flower beds. Even cutting the grass and edging and shaping up bushes is producing dead stuff. Let’s just say that the city has hauled off many piles of dead yard trash from my front yard the last 2 years!

Yes, you definitely have to kill a lot of stuff in order to have a yard that looks alive and attractive!

Jesus took that same concept and applied it to an ongoing spiritual reality in our lives. He said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit” John 15:1-2.

You see, there are times where God takes certain things away from us. Or at the very least, He allows them to exit our lives. We may not like it or understand it. It may be painful. It might feel a lot like something inside of us has died. And in times like that, we have the tendency to wonder what we did wrong for God to punish us so. Or it could be that we begin to question God’s goodness or sovereignty or the list could go on. And all the while, all God is doing is making us more beautiful. More productive. More holy. More like His Son.

My grandparents were long-time residents of Jesup. They had a beautiful yard that my grandfather had obviously invested a lot of time in. And a big part of the beauty of the yard were all of the azaleas. Their love for azaleas was passed to my mom and now to me. But every year my Granddaddy would make my Granny so mad! After they bloomed he would cut them back so far … almost to nubs. And she would fuss and fuss. But guess what – every year they grew back more and more beautiful. He knew what he was doing.

So look, when God allows something to be removed from your life, I realize it might hurt – maybe even feel like death. But entrust it to God and His sovereignty. He knows what He’s doing. Because when you do, He will bring you back more beautiful than ever before!

See you Sunday!
Pastor Lane

Dear Church Family,

If we’re being honest, the Christian life seems to be backwards sometimes, does it not? Like when Jesus says that if we will humble ourselves, we will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). Or what about the last being first and the first being last (Matthew 20:16)? Then there is the example of the Macedonians who were over-the-top generous in the midst of their extreme poverty (II Corinthians 8:1-5). And the ultimate is Jesus’s declaration that “he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25). In each of these cases, there are 2 things that simply don’t go together – and yet they do … at least in Christ they do.

There’s another one. It’s hard to fathom. And even harder to reconcile. Some people – some Christians – live several decades and never attain to it. In fact, I struggle with it too. Constantly.

Come prayer time in most church circles, whether it’s Sunday School, prayer meetings, whatever, we have a familiar playbook. We take prayer requests, and if we’re feeling especially spiritual, we add on praise reports. Both of these categories have their own distinctives, right?

Prayer requests usually cover physical problems that people are having. The sickness or disease, the accident, the treatments, etc. Throw in those who are in sorrow over the loss of a loved one. Sadly, it’s much more rare for us to really open up about our loneliness, doubts, struggles, relationships, finances, and temptations, but when we’re in a group that affords such openness, it’s a real blessing. But the point is, our prayer requests are a list of the bad things happening to us and others at the time.

The praise reports are a welcomed break from the struggles list. During this (often too brief) time we talk about all the things that God has given us, all the blessings, all the good things that are going on. Things that we’re thankful for. Things that make us smile.

But what if the lines between prayer requests and praise reports were blurred? What if they weren’t distinct at all? Well guess what – in Christ, our prayer requests become praise reports. And I don’t mean after God answers the prayer requests. I mean WHILE they’re still prayer requests.

Hear the words of Habakkuk 3:17-18:

Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

No mention of future blessing or deliverance. No naming and claiming God’s abundance. Nope. Just transferring prayer requests into the praise report column. Backwards. And James captured the same backward idea when he said, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (1:2). Trials ---- & Joy. See? Backwards.

And yet, that’s as characteristic of the Christian life as living even when we die. And really, the source is the same too: faith that Christ is enough. Even if we don’t get all we want, even if God does not answer our prayers the way we would like, even if we continue to go without. God is still enough. And that’s reason enough to praise Him at all times.

See you Sunday!
Pastor Lane

Dear Church Family,

I came across this article late last year and thought I would pass it on to you. It might help explain why we make some of the decisions that we make. It also challenges each one of us to do what we can to make this a place that guests would want to come back to.

Top Ten Post-Pandemic Reasons Guests Do Not Return to Your Church

By Thom S. Rainer
Founder & CEO

In a recent conversation with a pastor I admire greatly, he commented, "We love seeing first-time guests, but we really love seeing second-time guests. We know those folks are serious about connecting with our church."

The conversation leads to an obvious question. How do we get first-time guests to return? Have the answers to this question changed since the COVID pandemic? In our conversations with people visiting churches, the reasons guests don't return remain the same. Here are the top ten reasons from guests before the pandemic. While a lot has changed, some things stay the same.

• "I will not return to a church that has a stand-and-greet time." We heard from over 1.000 guests, and 90 percent of them gave us this response. If you are thinking about bringing back this activity to your worship service, think again.
• "The people are unfriendly." Most church members think their church is friendly because the members are friendly to each other. Many guests felt like they were treated like unwanted outsiders.
• "I could not leave my child in the children's area. It was filthy and unsafe." This concern has grown since the pandemic.
• "I could not find any information on the church." Even though most of these guests visited the website, they were still looking for an information center or persons to give them more information.
• "The church website was terrible (or did not exist)." This issue is more of a first-time guest issue than a second-time guest issue, especially in the post-pandemic world. For most guests, if you have an inadequate website, your church does not exist.
• "The signage was terrible." The primary complaints were about inadequate parking signage and direction to the entry of the church.
• "I heard a lot of insider language in the worship service." Please avoid acronyms.
• "The service was boring, and I did not understand what was happening." Guests have choices. They will not choose a boring church. The first-time guest will not become the second-time guest.
• "Someone told me I was in their seat." Yes, it still happens.
• "The church facilities were messy and dirty." A lack of attention to the facilities communicated loudly that the church does not care.

Though the rankings of the reasons may have changed slightly since the pandemic, the reasons have 

not. And any church should be able to find ways to overcome these challenges.

As you can probably tell, some of these we have addressed well; others we still have work to do. Let’s work together to make IBC a place that guests want to return to.

See you Sunday!
Pastor Lane

Dear Church Family,

Charles Spurgeon, known as “The Prince of Preachers,” pastored one of the largest churches of his day. From every vantage point, he was a successful pastor leading a successful church. Yet, when visitors came to his church in London, he would take them to a room in the basement where people were constantly interceding for the church. Spurgeon called it “the powerhouse of this church.”

Chad Bailey, pastor of The Rock Presbyterian Church, shared some Biblical insights on the practice of corporate prayer in the early church: “When we consider the pattern of the early church in the book of Acts, we find that emphasis on corporate congregational prayer clearly affirmed. In Acts 1:14, when the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles at Pentecost, it was while they were gathered in the Upper Room “devoting themselves to prayer.” The Spirit came during a prayer meeting. In Acts 2:42, as Luke summarizes the habitual practice of the post-Pentecostal church, he notes that they devoted “themselves to…the prayers.” In Acts 4, after Peter and John are released from prison for preaching Christ, they return to the church. Upon hearing the reports of the persecution, they all lifted their voices together in prayer. Likewise, when Peter was arrested in Acts 12, “earnest prayer was made for him by the church” (vs. 5), and when he was released, he found the church gathered and praying for him (vs. 12). The response of the church to crisis was a prayer meeting. In Acts 13, when Saul and Barnabas are sent as missionaries of the church in Antioch after a season of corporate prayer where they were set apart for the work. In Acts 14:23 when the elders are ordained in the churches of Lystra and Derbe, a season of prayer and fasting was held. Looking at Acts alone, it is clear that almost every major event in the book was accompanied by corporate prayer. The Spirit came upon the church as the people prayed. They faced down persecution at the prayer meeting. The Lord identified men for leadership at the prayer meeting.”

We have a lot of solid, important ministries here at IBC. I believe each one is necessary and effective for what they were created to accomplish for the Kingdom. That’s why we’re reaching new people in most areas. But none of these would go anywhere if it wasn’t for prayer. Prayer is the engine that moves the vehicles of ministry.

So I’m asking you to consider 2 opportunities where our Prayer Ministry is concerned:

Worship Prayer Warriors

This team rotates Sunday mornings to pray during the worship service. Pray for the service and the sermon. Pray for the lost who are present or watching. Pray for known needs. Anything. And how often they serve in the capacity depends on how many people are signed up to help.

Prayer Partners

This is a new emphasis of the Prayer Ministry that will begin Easter Sunday. It’s simple. It also works on a rotation basis, and volunteers will stand off to the side of the front of the sanctuary. At the end of each service, I will make attenders aware that these volunteers are available to pray with whoever would like on that day. And the prayer partners pray with whoever asks for it. That’s it. No counseling. No leading Bible study. Just praying with someone who needs it and asks for it. Could it get anymore Biblical and early church than that?

If you would like to get involved or are even interested and would like more information on these 2 prayer emphases or any others, contact the church office at 912-354-0548 or our Prayer Ministry coordinator, Patsy Parker, at 912-414-6131.

I hope you’ll seriously consider your involvement in IBC’s Prayer Ministry. The health and success of our church and every ministry of our church depends on it!

See you Sunday!

Pastor Lane

Dear Church Family,

Take some time to reflect on these powerful words from Ronnie Floyd:

I am convinced that we are making the Christian life a lot harder than God ever intended for it to be. Our enemy, Satan, has confused our intention, our direction, and our goal. We know that we ought to be winning in the Christian life, yet we are losing much of the time because we are making too hard.

I believe that the most important action you can take in the Christian life is to have a meaningful time with God daily. This action must be the heart of all that we do. It is the most basic of the basics. It is the one key fundamental that even the greatest Christian had better not fumble, or else defeat is inevitable.

Our enemy’s strategy is deliberate and deceiving. Satan wants to destroy us. He wants to get us out of God’s game plan. He wants us to think that living the Christian life is virtually impossible. He has gotten us involved in knowing more about Christianity instead of doing what we know. He has the church of Jesus Christ in disarray over pointless issues and many times in the weeds so much that no positive outcome for the advancement of God’s kingdom throughout the world occurs.

It is time to stop dumbing down to the devil’s level by saying that the Christian life is too hard. This wise and crafty schemer’s strategy is extremely focused. He wants to get followers of Christ involved in so many things that they will not make the time to have a meaningful time with God daily. Some of the things might even be good, but they are not essential.

The issue is not that the Christian life is too hard. The issue is that we are making to too hard. We have to understand that the only way to experience spiritual power, direction, and purpose is to have a meaningful time with God daily. The only way we are going to defeat the schemes of Satan is to have a meaningful time with God daily. The only way our families and our churches will function properly is for us to have a meaningful time with God daily.

How to Pray, p.35-36

See you Sunday!
Pastor Lane