Church Family,

Along with many of you, my heart continues to be burdened over the state of crime within our city. A week does not go by that we do not hear news of someone's life being taken and innocent lives being threatened by gunfire or some other criminal activity. Some of you have either witnessed this fear firsthand or have been victims of it. This is not okay. We live in a fallen world and sadly injustice will continue to be a part of society until Jesus returns. Yet, this does not warrant a lack of action on our part. This is home. We want our children to be able to experience the joy of life without a fear of harm. Even more, God expects us to move to action in the face of injustice. 

I have been in a state of prayer over the last several weeks concerning what steps should be taken to address what seems to be a growing problem of crime within Greenville. This morning as I was spending time in God's Word, God spoke very clearly through 1 Peter 5:6-7: "Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you." God cares about you, your family, and this city. God is not done working, but perhaps God is waiting for his church to rise up and seek him like never before. We can not expect things to change if all we do is sit by and complain while wishing for the glory days to return. 

I believe God is calling the church to lead the way in charging the throne of God and I believe God is calling First Baptist Church to lead as an example of how this looks. God is still in charge and we will see his authority very clearly only when we humble ourselves and seek him rightly. 

I share this to say that starting this Wednesday during our noon prayer meeting we will begin a prayer campaign for our church, our city, and our nation. Our time will be focused solely on prayer. This prayer campaign will be a part of our Sunday morning services on occasion and will last all summer long. Personally, I am asking God to teach us to pray and to give us eyes and ears to see and hear him respond. 

Things change when God's people pray. Join me tomorrow as we kick off this season. May we join our hearts together daily in our individual prayer time that God would move among FBC, Greenville, and to the ends of the Earth. May God find us faithful! 

In Him,

Matt