March 2018

Happy Monday, March 26, 2018 church!

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! Yesterday as we “marched toward the cross” we thought about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. As Jesus entered that city, He made a statement claiming to be Israel’s Messiah and King. Jesus deliberately planned this event as a kind of visual sermon. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem shook that city to its very core with His claims. Jesus then claimed superiority and authority over the most sacred place in Israel, the temple in Jerusalem, when He drove the merchants and moneychangers out of the temple. In all these things Jesus did He was claiming to be Messiah and King. That claim on that day to those observing was also a claim on us to this very day. Jesus wanted those people then and us today to submit to Him as King and Lord of our lives. Jesus wants us to live for Him and for the Kingdom of God and not for ourselves. You may try to ignore His claims over your life, but sooner or later you either decide to submit to His rule over you or reject His rule over you. My prayer for everyone who reads this is that you would submit to Jesus as King and Lord of your lives. I pray you would submit to the One who in love died for you and rose again and loves you more than anyone else could.

We will have a joint Good Friday service this Friday, March 30, 2018 with Sovereign Joy Church at their location, the YWAM building, 4802 Dakota Drive, Madison 53704 at 7:00 PM. We will have our annual Easter Breakfast that replaces the Bible study hour on Easter Sunday, April 1 and our Easter Resurrection Sunday worship at 10:30 AM. There are still invitations and “The Case For Easter “ books here at the church building if you need them this week to give to family and friends.

Looking forward to celebrating the greatest day in history with you this Easter Sunday! Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, March 26, 2018 church! Read More »

Happy Monday, March 19, 2018 church!

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! I hope your day is going well. Yesterday as we worshipped we thought about true versus false faith. We looked at two memorable people in the gospels, Mary of Bethany and Judas Iscariot. They were memorable for very different reasons. Mary was memorable for her lavish show of love and worship of Jesus as she poured out her most expensive possession on Jesus to honor Him. Her faith in Jesus and her love were evident in an act that Jesus called “beautiful.” Judas Iscariot was memorable also. His false faith and lack of love came out in his criticism of Mary’s act of worship and his betrayal of Jesus. Judas Iscariot considered the beautiful act of Mary to honor Jesus a “waste.” This revealed Judas Iscariot’s opinion not only of Mary but of Jesus and Jesus’ worth. Judas Iscariot considered Mary’s act a waste and thus considered Jesus unworthy of such an honor. In John 17:12, Jesus called Judas the “son of perdition” which implies Judas Iscariot’s whole life was a life of waste. These two memorable persons from the New Testament help us see that life lived believing in and loving Jesus is never wasted, while life rejecting him is the ultimate waste of life.

Remember our Easter Schedule. We will have a joint Good Friday service with Sovereign Joy Church at their location, the YWAM building, 4802 Dakota Drive, Madison 53704 on March 30th at 7:00 PM. We will have our Easter Breakfast that replaces the Bible study hour on Easter Sunday, April 1. There are invitations and “The Case For Easter “ books here at the church building if you would to like to pick them up to give to family and friends.

We do not have anyone signed up for childcare for worship this Sunday, March 25. If you can help this Sunday, let me know.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, March 19, 2018 church! Read More »

Happy Monday, March 12, 2018 church!

Sisters and brothers,

Happy Monday to all! I hope your day is going well and you are adjusting to the time change. I have to admit I was in a very deep sleep when my alarm went off this morning.

It was wonderful to see everyone yesterday and worship with our East Madison family. We are partakers of the lavishly generous grace of God. Those who believe are not treated as our sin deserves. Christ Jesus Himself was treated as our sin deserves. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) reminds us: “God made Him (Christ Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” God treats those who believe with His lavish grace. God searches for us, saves us, and calls us to be on mission with Him in bringing the good news of the gospel to the world. Though sometimes there is toil and hard work involved, it is always a great privilege to be on mission with God.

However, we often compare ourselves with others and think they are being blessed more or their lives are more free of hardships than our lives. Comparing our hardships with others or our blessings with the blessings of others robs us of the joy and contentment that God wants to give all of us. There is great danger in this! We need to remember God’s blessing toward all of us are lavish! God’s plan for each of us in unique and it is always results in good for us and glory to God, even though it might not seem like it at the present time. Don’t let the enemy rob you of the joy God wants you to experience by dangerously comparing your hardships or blessings with others.

We will have a Pot Luck luncheon following our morning worship this Sunday, March 18. Bring enough food for your family and some guests we will have in our worship service.

Remember to take advantage of the Easter season to invite people to worship and share Jesus with other. I will continue to preach on the theme, “Marching to the Cross” as we approach the Easter celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Again this year we will have a joint Good Friday service with Sovereign Joy Church at their location, the YWAM building, 4802 Dakota Drive, Madison 53704 on March 30th at 7:00 PM. We will have our Easter Breakfast that replaces the Bible study hour on Easter Sunday, April 1. Also, we will have some invitation cards with our Easter holiday schedule and some booklets for you to share with family and friends as you invite them.

Love being your pastor!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, March 12, 2018 church! Read More »

Happy Monday, March 5, 2018 church!

Brothers and sisters,

Happy Monday to all! I missed you yesterday but I would not have traded places with you! Enjoying our newest granddaughter was a special time. Ivory Estelle Bittmann was born March 1 at 3:17 AM. Carla was actually in the room when Jessica delivered Ivory and was elated to convey the news that we had a girl. (No, grandpa did not want that experience!) Thank you for allowing us to be part of these first few days of Ivory’s life. Would you join Carla and me in praying for her and our other granddaughters that they would come to know, love, and serve Jesus and live life for Him? We commit to you that we pray the same for your children and grandchildren. David Platt reminds us, “Your primary responsibility as a parent (and I would also add grandparent) is not to teach your children to be athletic, get good grades, gain titles and success, learn an instrument, go to college . . .It is to teach them to know and love God.”

I want to thank Jason Donaldson for stepping in and preaching for me yesterday. I know he faithfully shared God’s Word with you. I am so thankful to be able to entrust this high task to someone who will faithfully carry it out. Even in this busy time of transition for the Donaldson’s, Jason without hesitation stepped in to serve. Also, thank you again to our worship band who faithfully serve week by week. We should never take them for granted.

We will be observing the Lord’s Supper this Sunday, March 11 during our morning worship service. Also, don’t forget that Daylight Saving time starts this Sunday. Set your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed on Saturday evening, or you’ll be late for worship on Sunday!

Also, the following week on March 18 we will have a pot luck luncheon after worship.

I wanted to remind you that Easter is quickly approaching. I will continue to preach on the theme, “Marching to the Cross” as we approach the Easter celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. We will again this year have a joint Good Friday service with Sovereign Joy Church at their location, the YWAM building, 4802 Dakota Drive, Madison 53704 on March 30th. (We will announce the time for that later.) We will have our Easter Breakfast that replaces the Bible study hour on Easter Sunday, April 1. Also, we have purchased some booklets for you to share with family and friends called “The Case for Easter,” by Lee Strobel that will be available beginning this Sunday, March 11th. Take advantage of the openness of people to Easter and the truths of God during this season to share your faith in Jesus.

Love being your pastor and, I may add, a grandpa!

Bob Ray, Pastor, East Madison Baptist Church

Happy Monday, March 5, 2018 church! Read More »