NEW to First Baptist Clarksville? WELCOME! We’re so glad you’re worshiping with us! We’d love for you to fill out an online Connect Card so that we can learn more about you and help get you connected! Visit fbct.org/connectcard and someone will contact you shortly!

ONLINE CONNECT CARD

May 5, 2024 IN-PERSON SERMON

Dr. Ronny Raines, Senior Pastor

I AM: The True Vine

John 15:1-11

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Three Questions Related to John 15:

Can a Believer Lose His or Her Salvation?
Does God Discipline His Children?
Is God Pleased with Spiritual Slackers?

I. Expect to be Pruned
1. Why Does God Prune?
2. How Does God Prune?

II. Desire to be Fruitful
1. Biblical Fellowship
2. Increased Participation
3. Spiritual Decisions
4. Genuine Revival
5. Church Support

III. Abide to be Intimate
1. God's Word
2. Wholehearted Obedience
3. Biblical Community
4. Much Fruit

MAY 5, 2024 STUDY GUIDE

I AM: The True VineJohn 15:1-11

Did you ever hear or tell a secret growing up? Secrets are shared on playgrounds like butter on popcorn. It happens all the time.

Many people ask, "What's the secret to good BBQ sauce, a healthy marriage, a united family, financial independence, or a devoted walk with Jesus? A book that God has used to help believers and servants is entitled, "They Found the Secret." How many believers try to produce fruit on their own? What's the secret to living a Christian life?

How would you answer this question: Do you love ministry more than you love Jesus? Take a few moments to read and discuss Revelation 2:1-7. What happened to the Church in Ephesus? What causes churches and believers today to abandon their First Love, Jesus Christ? Many of the Ivy League universities started as gospel training centers. Have those universities forsaken their original charter and mission? If so, what happened?

Jesus said, "I am the the vine." His revelation indicates that a false vine must exist, too. How do you determine what's true from what's false?

What biblical principles surface from John 15?

1. Expect to be Pruned. In John 15, Jesus taught a four-fold emphasis on fruit. Can you identify the four aspects of fruit? Why do you prune trees or shrubs? Why does God prune His followers? How does He prune them? In your Bible study group, take time now to discuss a time when God pruned you. Why do you believe He did so? How did He do it? What did you learn from the pruning?

2, Desire to be Fruitful. What's your favorite fruit to eat? Do you desire for God to use you? Pause for a moment and read Psalm 37:4. What did David mean by this verse? How do you seek to live this verse in your life? As you think about your church, what do you desire for God to do in your fellowship? How can you and your church family bear fruit? What would the fruit look like?

3. Abide to be Intimate. What does the word "abide" mean? Jesus was a servant leader (John 13). He washed His disciples' feet. Jesus loved spending time with His followers. Are you living close to Jesus? What can help you abide, increasing your intimacy with Jesus? Take a piece of paper and list your answers. What needs to change in your life to abide and be intimate with the Lord?

Jesus said He was the vine, and His Father was the vinedresser. That means you're the branch. What do you think all of this means?

As John 15 reveals, apart from Jesus, you can do nothing. But, with Him, you can do all things.

As you finish this study guide, take time now and pray for one another in your group. God moves when His people pray.

Thank you for participating in this sermon series. We'd love to hear how the Lord has used His Word to change and deepen your walk with Him.

We're excited to worship with you this weekend.

View all of the "I AM" Sermon Series Study Guides at fbct.org/IAM.

At First Baptist, an important part of how we function is by connecting with each other as well as creating an atmosphere that is conducive to growing in our relationship with God and with others. One way in which we make strides to achieve that goal is through Connect Groups. Even during this time, we have online Connect Group opportunities as well as in-person Connect Groups that meet at 9:00am! Learn more about connecting opportunities by visiting fbct.org/connectgroups.

SUNDAY NIGHT D-CONNECT GROUPS:

GriefShare, Room 2208, 5:00pm, Led by Lyle and Pam Carlson January 14
GriefShare is a support group to help you move through the grief process. It is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief.

MONDAY NIGHT D-CONNECT GROUPS:

Monday Ladies, Room 2208, 6:30pm, Led by Melanie Boisseau
This is a group of 20-30 ladies that are from different churches across Clarksville. The class reaches ladies of all ages. They will be studying Kristi McLellend "Jesus & Women".

TUESDAY MORNING D-CONNECT GROUPS:

Men’s Prayer Group, Chick-Fil-A, 6:30am, Led by Ron Pendergrass
Currently they are going through the minor prophets.

TUESDAY NIGHT D-CONNECT GROUPS:

MomLife, Steeple Landing, 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from 6:00-8:00pm, 3rd Floor Steeple Landing Grace Building, September- May, Led by Tabitha Dowdy, fbct.org/momlife
MomLife exists to see groups of moms in all ages and stages grow in their faith and spiritual friendships. Beautiful Mess:Seeking Jesus, Finding Beauty. Join us this year as we grow more deeply rooted in our faith through seeking Jesus in the beautiful mess. We’re going to spend the next 9 months seeking Jesus to find beautiful faith, beautiful purpose, beautiful wisdom, and beautiful connection.

WEDNESDAY MORNING D-CONNECT GROUPS:

Explorers, 3rd Floor Hope Building, 11:30am, August-May, Led by Becky Bourne, fbct.org/explorers
This semester they are studying Joshua and Ruth.

Wednesday Night D-CONNECT GROUPS (6:00pm):

Hispanic Bible Study | Room 2120 | Led by Nestor Martinez
In View of God’s Mercies-The Gift of the Gospel in Romans | Room FH2230 | Led by Mikka Doyle | 9 week Bible study for ladies.
Romans is a passionate letter written by Paul, a man completely captured by the beauty, mercy, and majesty of God and His glorious salvation. Paul wanted his readers, then and now, to know how amazing and all-encompassing this salvation actually is—that it’s powerful, planned, eternal, free, and leads to a transformed life.
In this 9-session study, walk through the book of Romans to discover that salvation doesn’t just change your eternal future; it changes your present reality. Because of God’s salvation, hope, peace, life, faith, trust, and endurance are yours.
Learn that after God saves you, He invites you to join Him on His two-fold mission— to sanctify and transform you into the image of Jesus and to send you out into the world to share the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Pastor’s Study, Grace Worship Center, Led by Dr. Ronny Raines
Pastor Ronny is going through an overview of the Bible where a different book of the Bible is taught each Wednesday night.
Dream Small: The Secret Power of the Ordinary Christian Life by Seth Lewis, Led by Debbie Farrell, Room 2327
We are all looking for significance and meaning in our lives. The world tells us that this comes from dreaming big, achieving personal success, and making a big impact. But the Bible says that self-worth is found in knowing our Creator, and contentment is found in discovering his purpose for our lives. This book reminds us that when we know Jesus, we are free from the world’s definition of success. We can listen to God’s word and direct our dreams towards the things that he says matter most, even if they are small and unimpressive in the world’s eyes.
Character Still Counts by Dr. James Meritt, Room 2234, Led by Mike Madewell
Character still counts, and it always will. If you are ready to invest in the content of your character, join James Merit as he looks at the 12 role models who reveal the traits that are essential to Godly character.

Connect Groups

Thank you for your faithful giving to First Baptist Clarksville. Your financial support and investment in our church has a direct impact on our ministry. God is at work in our church and because you give, we are able to see lives touched, changed and redirected to honor Him. Learn more about different ways to give at fbct.org/giving or give instantly at fbct.org/give.

Give

Our Pastor has called us to make every Friday a Day of Prayer. We invite you to join us. No need to sign up, just pray. We ask you to set aside 15 minutes during the day to stop and pray. A new prayer guide will be posted at fbct.org/pray each Thursday to help direct your prayer time.

Of course, every day is a day for us to pray. We are reminded to continually be in a spirit of prayer.

2 Chronicles 7:14 ”And my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

Pray

We’d love for you to like and follow us on social media! It’s a great way to stay up-to-date and connected with our First Family! When you visit us for in-church worship, we’d love for you to check-in! This is a great way to invite others to join you! Or if you’re at home or in-person, take a photo of what worship looks like where you’re at and who you’re with and tag us, and be sure to share the online worship so others can worship with us!

SAVE THE DATES:

May 5 - 12-2pm: First Steps Class | fbct.org/firststeps
May 8 - 6pm: Special Call Business Conference | Laida Fellowship Hall
May 15 - 5-7pm: Music Camp Auditions | fbct.org/musiccamp
May 19 - 10:30am: Grad Recognition Sunday | movementstudents.org/gradsunday
May 19 - 3-5pm: VBS Training | Kids Worship Room
May 22 - 6-7:15pm: End of School Church-Wide Dinner, Fellowship, and Games
June 3-8: Students FUGE Camp | movementstudents.org/fuge
June 17-21 - 9am-noon: VBS | fbct.org/vbs
July 8-12 - 9am-noon: Music Camp | fbct.org/musiccamp
July 13 - 5pm: Music Camp Presentation | fbct.org/musiccamp
October 6-9, 2024: Legacy Trip to the Cove | fbct.org/legacytrip
October 11-22, 2025: Journeys of Paul Tour | fbct.org/journeysofpaul

2024 BIBLE READING PLAN

Follow along with us as we read the Bible through in 2024! There are three versions you can choose from to follow along with, Through the Bible, Chronological, and New Testament.

THROUGH THE BIBLE

CHRONOLOGICAL

NEW TESTAMENT

FIRST STEPS CLASS

UPCOMING CLASS: MAY 5, 2024, 12-2 pm

LOCATION: Fellowship Hall, Hope Building

Our First Steps class is designed for new members and guests. We invite you to join our Senior Pastor, Dr. Ronny Raines, and our ministry team for our next membership class. We'll treat you to a delicious lunch and then help you discover how God wants to use you at First Baptist Church. As you attend the class, we'll cover the following subjects:

A personal relationship with Jesus Christ
Meaning of church membership
Biblical baptism
The Lord's Supper
The church's beliefs and vision
Opportunities to give
Ways to serve in the church
Ministries at First Baptist Church
Meet our ministry team
Time for Q&A
Tour our church facilities

We hope you'll join us for our next First Steps class. You can register by filling out the online form or contacting Dana in the pastor's office at 931.245.0000 or dana.abee@fbct.org. Learn more and register at fbct.org/firststeps.

STUDENTS - FUGE CAMP

June 3-8 | Ridgecrest, NC

Many times throughout history, we have seen the people of God rise up and turn back to Him with passion and fervor for their faith in times of great revival. What is revival? It isn’t goosebumps or an emotional high. Revival is the spiritual awakening of God’s people to their true nature and purpose. Revival is mainly for God’s people, but those who do not know Christ also benefit because Christians actually get serious about their faith. Has the time come for another great revival? Will your generation lead the way? Join us for FUGE Camps 2024 as we look at four stories in the Bible of great change and revival that resulted in generational impact and be challenged to make a difference for generations to come.

Your student must have completed a Code of Conduct and Medical Release form to participate in this event.

The cost is $350.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

SAVE THE DATE: June 17-21 l 9:00am-12noon

WHO: Entering Kindergarten to Completed 5th Grade

WHAT: A 5-day intensive Biblical learning experience for kids that is also FUN for kids & teachers alike! Our kids kick-off the day with Worship Rally, then rotate through Bible study, Rec., Missions, Snacks, Crafts & MORE!

WHEN: June 17-21 | 9am-12noon

COST: FREE

Get Involved: Interested in joining the team as a leader or volunteer?

Email vbs@fbct.org for more information.

Volunteer Early to reserve your VBS shirt.

Preschool VBS is available for Volunteer children who are PreK and younger.

ALL VBS Adult Volunteers will be required to pass a background check and Ministry Safe Training.

Click HERE to Register to Volunteer.

Learn more

KIDS MUSIC CAMP 2024

DANNY & THE SHACKS

For children in completed K through completed 5th Grade

Auditions: May 15th | 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
(for acting parts and/or singing solos)
Music Camp: July 8th -12th | 9:00 am-noon
Musical Presentation: Saturday, July 13th at 5:00 pm

Learn more

FIRST BAPTIST MUSIC

Check out all of the First Baptist Worship Team videos from our online worship services at fbct.org/music.

music

THE VOICE - MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

Stay up to date with all that is going with our monthly newsletter, the Voice! Visit fbct.org/voice!

Voice

MEMBERSHIP AND GIVING TOOLS

Fellowship, Worship and Discipleship are fundamental to an obedient life in Christ. First Baptist Church maintains several tools to help us stay connected, share and offer the sacrifice of praise, and grow together. Scroll to the bottom of the home page at fbct.org and click on "app" to see options for adding these tools to your phone or other device. You can use these tools to stay connected to your discipleship group, contact the church, watch past worship services and sermons, as well as support the FBC financially as the Lord directs for you and your family. There are even instructions for how to access these tools using your web browser.

Using these apps, updating your profile information to share with the church is easy. When changes occur in your family life such as a move to a new home, change in email address, etc. you can update your information to be sure that our communication with you is efficient. You can even add a picture to make it easier for your church family to put a name with a face!

Information about any groups that might be of interest to you, such as Connect Groups, teams, committees, etc will be available as well. Group Leaders can use the tools to take attendance online and access other features. You can contact the church through the app, read messages from group members/leaders and browse the church directory.

Check out fbct.org/app for instructions on how to get the app and reach the membership and giving website.

LOVE the time of worship through song today? You can follow us on Spotify and listen to our playlist each week! Follow us on Spotify “First Clarksville” and sing along!

Check out these Staff Picks for Books and Resources for all ages!

Many of these materials are available in the church library, room 2326, on the third floor.

You may locate them by searching the online catalog at fbct.org/library.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

PRESCHOOL MINISTRY

9 am Connect Group Hour

Greeter/Attendance
Babies Connect Group Assistant Leader
Three year Olds Connect Group Leader

10:30 Worship Hour

Greeter/Attendance
Worship Hour Smiles Team Member

Wednesday 6 pm

Wednesday PM Babies Helper
Wednesday PM Pre-K TeamKID Leader & Assistant Leader

Email Cheryl McCrary, Preschool Minister, at preschool@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.

KIDS MINISTRY

Teachers for elementary-age kids for Connect Groups

Email Tabitha Dowdy, Kids Ministry Director, at tabitha.dowdy@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.

STUDENT MINISTRY

(1) Middle School Boys Group Co-Leader

Email Cole McCartney, Next Generation Pastor, at cole.mccartney@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.

COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY

Photographers (capture Sunday mornings and events)
In-Person Worship Camera Operators for Online Service
Online Worship Service Hosts (Facebook)

Email Beverly Ross, Director of Communications, at beverly.ross@fbct.org for more information.

TECH MINISTRY

Audio, Video, and Lighting

Email Jonathan Anderson, Tech Director, at jonathan.anderson@fbct.org for more information.

MILITARY MINISTRY

Military Appreciation Team
Event Coordination Team
Mentor Group
Research Assistance Team
Resource Management Team

Email Richard Davis, Military Ministry, at richard.davis@fbct.org or visit https://fbct.org/military-serving-opportunities for more information on each opportunity.

WORSHIP MINISTRY

Adult Choir, Worship Team, Musicians

Email John Mark Cox, Worship Leader/Creative Director, at john.cox@fbct.org for more information.

FIRST EVENTS MINISTRY

Kitchen helpers needed - making coffee, serving food, and setting up and cleaning up after events.

Email Angela Knowles, First Events Coordinator, at angela.knowles@fbct.org for more information.

Legacy Ministry

Loving Touch Care for the Homebound and Nursing Homes

Email Tony Lewis, Discipleship Pastor, at tony.lewis@fbct.org for more information or to sign up for one of these openings.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS Ministry

Sunday Morning First Impressions Greeters and Connectors