for Reba Brock Bernard

with DeWayne Cason

When the Son of Man Calls

Today, we are continuing our series from the Gospel of Luke, “Jesus, the Son of Man”. We will take a look at the 5th chapter which provides some remarkable accounts of the Son of Man’s early Galilean ministry. Its stories reveal Jesus bringing hope to the oppressed and challenging those in power. Come find out what happens in today’s message which is entitled “When the Son of Man Calls”.

The Points:

1. A Call to Follow – Luke 5:1-11
2. A Call for Healing – Luke 5:12-16
3. A Call for Forgiveness – Luke 5:17-26
4. A Call for Repentance – Luke 5:27-32
5. A Call to Change – Luke 5:33-39

Pulpit Points Archives is a collection of messages from the pulpit preaching ministry of New Berean Baptist Church.

Reba Bernard

Blessings and honor to the Lord our God for the person, life and legacy of Reba Bernard. Today, Sister Bernard (as she was fondly called) was called home into eternity to be with the Lord. Originally from New Bern NC, she was one of the three charter families of New Berean Baptist Church back in 1989. She and her predeceased husband Howard, joined along with Leroy E. Ricks Sr, his family and Harold Jackson (and family) to establish, serve in and support this new local New Testament ministry.

Reba served as one of the original ministry Trustees. Her sweet spirit and quiet personality made her attractive and a “fan favorite” church mother. She was blessing to the many people who met her. Her faithfulness and love for the Lord was always an encouragement.

She leaves to cherish her memories and legacy: son Howard Lee Bernard and daughter Beverly Bernard-Cruz and grandson, Julien. She was preceded in death by husband Howard, Sr. and two sons Darryl Trenton and Timothy Kelly Bernard

The arrangements for the memorial service of Mother Reba Bernard are being finalized. Here is the most recent update for her New Berean family:

• Woodlawn Memorial Page for Reba E Brock Bernard
• Memorial Service – Monday May 23, 2022, viewing 10 am at New Berean Baptist Church
  • NOTE: Due to safe and health concerns, our “Safe Fellow Protocol” will be in effect which includes:
    • Face Mask/Coverings are expected to be worn at all times while inside the facility
    • Body temperatures of our guests will be taken prior to entry. Anyone with body temperature > 100 degrees will be asked not to enter for the consideration of our other guests.
    • and safe distancing practices will be encouraged
• Interment will be conducted at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens, Norfolk, VA
• A repast will be held in the reception room at Woodlawn immediately following the interment

The New Berean Kitchen ministry will be serving the repast and are asking Church members to help participate with following items by this Sunday May 22:

• Bottled water
• Flavored packets for the bottled water
• Bags of chips, individual bags
• Fruit cups

Additional information will be shared as it is given.

On behalf of the Bernard family, please respect their privacy and desires as they process through this challenging time. Thank you again for your prayers for Beverly, Howard Lee and the rest of the family.

MGM Word of the Week – Commitment & Surrender

In our weekly Half-Hour Power of Prayer time, the men openly shared what it takes to live a life of victory.
The first thing shared is commitment. We as men of God are called to a special calling of holiness (I Peter 1:16). In order to be holy as we are called, we have to make a personal “commitment” to holy living. Holy living is simply faithfully obeying God’s holy word, in all areas of our life (I Peter 1:15). We must commit our personal, private and professional life to the Lord. Let him help us manage what we say, where we go and what we do when we get there. The task of doing this has not been left up to us alone. We have been given a helper, the Holy Spirit of God, to empower us, encourage and elevate us to achieve God’s plan of victory in our life.

The second thing shared, was that of surrender. Giving the right of way or yielding to another. We as men are wired or designed by God to lead and guide. Our role before God comes with great responsibility. And sometimes it can be overwhelming. To surrender our role is not an option but to surrender the mindset that we have all the answers, all the resources or all the tools is a must. God wants us to surrender our lives to his will that he may be glorified (I Corinthians 10:31) and those around us will be blessed. The process surrendering to Him brings about victory in our private life, personal life and professional life. It will be an ongoing process lived out by faith on a daily basis.
Commit and surrender to Him today.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

New Berean Baptist Church is seeking a Senior Pastor who will be responsible for the church, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, to teach biblical doctrine, and to provide administrative leadership. The Senior Pastor’s responsibilities will include the following five functions of the New Testament church: evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship, and worship. The Senior Pastor will also be a service-oriented individual who genuinely care for the wellbeing of the congregation.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Leadership
  • The Senior Pastor shall be the primary teacher of the word of God and oversee the spiritual ministry of the church.   
• Administration  
  • The Senior Pastor should provide direction and oversight of each and every board and counsel each committee of the church.
• Ministering
  •  The Senior Pastor shall prepare and deliver sermons, train and lead the deacons in ministry,  oversee worship services, and lead in observance of ordinances such as communion and baptism.
• Communication
  • The Senior Pastor shall preach and teach the Bible with strong speaking and presentation skills, divinely handling the word of God as truth to communicate the vision of ministry that God gives to him to the congregation.
• Expectations
  • The Senior Pastor is expected to serve with a servant’s heart, to live an exemplary life as stated in the scripture of Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-13 .
• Counseling
  • The Senior Pastor may be requested to conduct Biblical counseling services. This role will require the following skills: problem-solving, conflict resolution, and active listening.

Job Type: Full Time or Part Time (Salary to be negotiated)

To Apply:

For immediate consideration, please email your resume to nbbcministry1@gmail.com or leave a message for a representative at (757) 483-4821.

About New Berean Baptist Church:

New Berean Baptist Church has celebrated 31 years of Gospel Ministry! We are a church that continues the vision and Commission of Christ to preach to the lost, baptize those who believe and disciple those who chose to follow. Learn more about the church at https://www.nbbcministry.com/

Virginia Department of Health (VDH) provides us with recommended guidelines we can use to help protect ourselves, others and minimize the spread of the Coronavirus and other transmitted diseases. When trying to decide whether to attend or host gatherings or events, it’s important to consider several factors, including your vaccination status, the level of COVID-19 in your community, and whether you or someone in your household is at high risk of developing severe illness.

The following guidelines are given to consider when either attending or hosting a gathering:

• Vaccination status: The best way to protect yourself and others at a gathering is to get up to date on COVID-19 vaccines. If you are gathering with people you know, encourage them to be up to date as well. 
• Level of COVID-19 spread in the community: COVID-19 Community Levels are classified as low, medium, or high. The Levels are determined  by the number of new COVID-19 cases in the community in addition to data on COVID-19 cases in local hospitals. Check the COVID-19 Community Level in your area. 
• Your own health status, such as whether you have a weakened immune system or have a medical condition that places you at high risk of having severe illness. Consider also if you live with or will be having social contact with someone who is at high risk of having severe illness. Consider self-testing to detect infection before any contact with them, especially when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high. 
• The number of people at the gathering: The risk of COVID-19 spread also increases if there are more people at the event or if they come from many different places. If you are gathering with a group of people from multiple households and potentially from different parts of the country, consider additional precautions (e.g., avoiding crowded indoor spaces before travel, taking a test) in advance of gathering to further reduce risk.
• Ventilation: Outdoor gatherings are safer than indoor gatherings. Gatherings in large, well-ventilated spaces are safer than gatherings in smaller spaces that are not well-ventilated. 
• Behavior of people at the gathering: Practicing safer behaviors during the event, like wearing well-fitting masks, especially when the COVID-19 Community Level is high, can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the event. See the tabs below for more COVID-19 prevention strategies for hosting or attending events.

• Please, wear your mask or facial coverings at all times while inside the facility
• Clean or wash your hands frequently or as needed.
• Fellowship at a safe distance inside and outside the facility, considering your health risks and the risks of others.
• Monitor your own health and take the necessary precautions that suited for you.
• If you haven’t yet, consider getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
• If you feel ill or “different” than normal and suspect you may have symptoms or have been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive, isolate yourself and seek medical attention.
• Everything we can do to manage the one body God has given us is our biblical responsibility (I Cor. 6:19-20).

Most importantly, let us keeps in close contact with one another, our Deacons and Ministry Leaders. Let us care for one another and minister to each other in prayer that no one who has a need may go lacking. Paul shared these words with the believers at Rome in 12:12-13, “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, distributing to the necessity of the saints and given to hospitality“.

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New Berean’s “Ordinary People”

A collection of messages from the pulpit preaching ministry of New Berean Baptist Church. Started as radio ministry by Founder Leroy E. Ricks, Sr. “Ordinary People” expands the teaching and preaching of God’s Holy Word as an opportunity to profit us in doctrine, in reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness, that the child of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. Psalm 14:26

We build confidence through knowledge. Knowledge that has come through training/learning and is supported by experience. Like this, our knowledge of the Word of God supplies the seed of faith (confidence) in our minds, and our experiences build our faith, strengthening our confidence, that God has all things in control. 

Our confidence through knowledge is based on 3 blessings:

1. God’s Continual Presence (Exodus 13:20-22, Exodus 14:19-20, Numbers 9:15-23, Exodus 40:34-38)
2. The Bible’s Precious Promises (Psalm 27:1, Deuteronomy 31:7-8, Psalm 46:1, Lamentations 3:22-23, John 14:27, Psalm 55:22)
3. Past Experiences in Depending on God. (He’s taken us through various circumstances 2 Tim. 3:11) 

Men of Grace ministry is sponsored by the New Berean Baptist Church Ministry

Health & Safety Considerations

Along with other organizations and ministries, New Berean Baptist Church developed it “Safe Fellowship Protocol”. The plan developed is to provide all guests and visitors of our facility with the confidence and assurance needed to safely fellowship, gather and serve in the ministry. There will always be a risk with the COVID virus and any other communicable disease. But in light of the health challenges we are faced with, we are working to provide you with the information and tools that will help you know what options are available to you when it comes to your Church family.

The below graphics were derived from the VDH Dashboard regarding activities and the associated risks.

VDH Guidelines for Social Gatherings

Until the statistical trends improve, we are using this “Safe Fellowship Protocol” plan for our ministry:

• Masks or facial coverings are to be worn at all indoor, in-person gatherings, Masks are not required for small (3-4 people), non-sustained gatherings that are outside
• We ask our guests and visitors to maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet from others of different households for extended periods of time
• We will continue to provide a facility, periodically cleaned and safely sanitized. We will continue to take body temperatures upon initial entries. Hand sanitizers, masks and gloves if needed.
• We ask you to monitor your own health and if there are concerns, consider other options (i.e. virtual or audio transmittal service). If need be, talk with your medical specialist

Again, with any health and safety concerns, it is imperative for us to communicate with one another. If you have any special concerns for us, please share them with your Trustees or Deacons. The Believers in Peter’s first letter were scattered (I Peter 1:1-2) for different reason but were still encouraged to be about the Lord’s business. We encourage you our “beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (I Cor. 15:58). We thank you for your cooperation, input and patience during these and ask you continue to pray and be grateful to the Lord for how He has sustained this ministry as he has.

A SAD EXCUSE TO MISS A GREAT BANQUET

While at a dinner table, Jesus responds to a self-righteous Jew who spoke as though they were blessed or entitled to eat bread in the Kingdom of God. In the Parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus responds to his statement with a story comparing the Kingdom of Heaven with a great banquet, in which the guests gave excuses to reject the host’s gracious invitation. Selected passage Luke 14:15-24

The Great Banquet – Luke 14:15-17, Isaiah 1:18, 2 Cor 6:2

The Great Excuses – Lk 18-20, John 6:37, Heb 7:25

The Great Invitation – Lk.14: 21-24

The Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20

Excuses, excuses. God is inviting both Jews and Gentiles to come to Christ and taste of His eternal grace and the goodness of the Kingdom of God. Those who offer excuses and reject God’s invitation to believe on His Son will never taste of God’s offer of eternal salvation but will remain under the wrath of God forever. So, what will you do with your invitation?

Previous Pulpit Points messages: Ordinary People (audio archive)

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