​From Our Worship Pastor, John Talley:

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is
to be on God's side, for God is always right.
-Abraham Lincoln
Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for
your country.
-John F Kennedy
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
-Ronald Reagan
Those are just a few quotes from former presidents that can easily be
found in an internet search. For my childhood, July 4th meant rising early to pick blackberries, grilling later that day, homemade ice cream, fireworks, and a big family
gathering! It was more about family than country. And while that is certainly not wrong, our ability to do all of the above was because of freedom and our individual choices. It didn’t hit me until way later that people spent much of their lives, or even gave their lives, for our
ability to choose our own way of celebrating. And still today, lives are placed on the line to keep us safe. Our country is great because of the military and first responders who are willing to give it all. It’s also great because we choose to serve, contribute and cooperate in our churches, schools, neighborhoods, communities and cities.
I’m looking forward to this Sunday, July 4th, as we celebrate our freedoms, honor those who have and continue to serve us, and most importantly thank God for the ultimate freedom we have through the blood of Jesus Christ! The choir and band have been preparing, and our guest brass group is looking forward to contributing to the
celebration at FBCTC. I hope you’ll be here and invite some friends and family to attend – after the early morning blackberry picking and before the afternoon grilling and evening fireworks…
As we think to our country and why it is what it is, those same principles apply to our church! Our church is great and will remain great because we serve! First and foremost, we serve God through worship and every area that honors and promotes Him. We can also serve each other through the various ministries here! If you are serving here, thank you!
If you are not currently, it’s time to step up! Ronald Reagan’s quote applies to us, too!
May God Bless America and America, may we Bless God!