Welcome
to The Fellowship of Joy!
We
are one people, partaking of one Body as we gather around the table of the
Lord. Come, enjoy the journey in a small group that meets your needs.
Baptist Temple Church is the Fellowship of Joy, founded in 1954 and planted on the corner of Fresno St. and Hampton. Originally in the suburbs, BT is now located in the geographical and population center of Fresno with an inner city flair tempered by pockets of suburbia.
It is a strange and wonderful demographic mix.
The Fellowship of Joy is committed to the city and Christ's mission to the city to which He has called us. Our vision is to be host to multiple churches and ministries in one location and to be a congregation with multiple locations in homes, public buildings, apartment complexes, and underserved areas of our metropolitan are and counties.
Where are we in that vision? Progressing - slowly in some ways, rapidly in others. As God opens doors, we walk through.
Tom Sims has been Senior Pastor since April 1, 1996 and is committed to the vision and the people of the Fellowship of Joy, its 4 congregations meeting in its facilities, its multiple ministries, and its future. He can be contacted at 559-647-2203 or by e-mail - tomsims1@compuserve.com.
Amazing Grace
(Matthew 19:25 ) When his
disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be
saved?
John
stared at the blank page before him. How could he express what was in his
heart? His people knew his story. He had told it so many times. He had even
written his epitaph so that they would not forget that while we are great
sinners, he is a great Savior.
But he wanted to say something special in
this hymn, something that would express his gratitude for all that God had
done. He wanted to express how a merciful
God had shown such grace to miserable sinner like himself. If God could do it
for John Newton, he could do the same for any man or woman who was willing to
receive His grace.
One day, Jesus was trying to teach his
disciples that no one can enter the Kingdom because of his or her great power,
wealth, or goodness. He explained God’s
standard of perfection for every man, woman, and child. When they heard these
words, they were amazed and perplexed. How could anyone be saved?
What is impossible for men is possible with
God was the only possible answer.
Amazing grace is the only hope that any
person can have, grace that cannot be explained or quantified, grace that
cannot be earned or deserved – only given freely and
freely received.
John Newton had experienced, received, and
preached such grace and so he started to write,
“Amazing grace,, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like
me.
I once was lost, but now
am found,
Was blind, but now I
see.”
That night, the congregation sang it for
the first time, the first of many hundreds
and hundreds of thousands of times it would be sung.
©
2005 , Thomas B. Sims, All Rights Reserved
Becoming
a believer in Jesus Christ is a matter of faith and commitment and is based upon God's
love and call to us in Christ Jesus to become His disciples. (See John
3:16) God loves you and wants you to be a part of His family forever.
He desires your worship, your service, and your whole life. He believes
in you because He made you and knows you completely. He also knows your
failures, your sins, and your heartaches.
There is no sin and
no person that is beyond His power to forgive, heal, and restore.
Through sin, we have all rejected God's love and His claims upon our
lives. That sin has driven a wedge between God and us and has hindered
us from experiencing completeness and becoming all that we can be. It
has robbed us of joy and peace and has led us to make some bad choices.
(See Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23.)
God
has provided a solution. In sending Jesus, He was giving His very own
Son as a substitution for the punishment of your sin and mine. Jesus
died for us and rose again. By trusting Jesus and committing your life
to Him absolutely as Lord (absolute ruler), you can know complete
forgiveness of sin, the assurance of everlasting life, and real
purpose. He will come into your life and begin to remake you. He will
give you a new life and be with you forever. (See Revelation 3:20 and
Romans 10:9-10.)
Here are the steps:
Recognize the truth about God, His love and holiness, your sin and need, and the message of the good news of Jesus.
Repent
(Turn away from) of your sin by acknowledging that it is real and that
you have turned away from God and need His forgiveness and help and
that you are willing to leave it behind by His strength (not your own)
.
Receive Jesus Christ as the only one who can save, forgive,
restore, and give new life. Trust Him as Savior and confess Him as Lord
of your life. Invite Him to come into your life in a simple prayer of
faith and be willing to acknowledge Him before other people.
Here is a prayer you might pray if it expresses the desire of your heart:
Lord
Jesus, I believe in You. I acknowledge my sin and need and confess you
as the Lord of my life. Come into my life, forgive my sins, and make me
a new person. Thank You for saving me. Amen.
Once you have
opened your heart to Jesus and, through prayer, placed your faith in
Him, you will be a Christian and all your sins will be forgiven. To
help you grow as a Christian, continue with this:
Rejoice in
your new life by thanking Him, professing Him before others including
the church, and following Him in believer's baptism as a symbol of what
He has already done for you. Then, allow Him to lead you, fill you with
his presence and guide you through His Word (the Bible). Walk with Him
daily, speak to Him constantly in prayer, and trust Him with everything
that you have and are. What a wonderful journey you will have begun.
