Pastor's Blog

Building Family Ties

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I recently ran across a little book by Dave Stone. It is called Building Family Ties with Faith, Love, & Laughter. In one of the first chapters Stone describes the increasing number of endangered species. In fact, he points out that there are currently 10,000 animals and 9,000 plants that are in danger of becoming extinct. He then draws home a strong comment that one species inadvertently got left off the list: the joyful Christian family. Consider what Dave Stone writes: “Is it just me, or do you see the distractions and diversions of this world sucking the life out of families? In a world of electronic devices, hectic schedules, and temptation at every turn, the family is suffering. As someone has said, ‘If Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll just keep you busy. –and he has.’”

What a great reminder of why we are in our series called Modern Family: God’s Plan. This week as we started our new series we came to celebrate with our Moms on Mother’s Day, and also to encourage these special, blessed women of God, to look at and develop our vision for Christian Motherhood. This week we will continue to see the contrast between a world system that has sought to lead women in our culture down a path somewhat different than God’s Word declares. I hope you will be a part of our series, and join me in praying for God to grow and teach all of us as we go to His Word together.

Also, don’t forget this Sunday evening is our quarterly church conference. It will be a great time of coming together as a church family to discuss, and conduct the necessary business items. At the center of this meeting will be our annual budget for the fiscal year 2013-2014, which begins July 1, 2013. For the last couple of months our Finance Team has worked with staff to develop, then share and listen to feedback. This Sunday evening will be the presentation and discussion of the new budget as a part of our conference. I also plan to share, as part of the closing of our time together Sunday evening, more detail concerning the journey that Beth and I have been on over the last several months. We are so grateful for the love, support, and prayer we have felt from you, our First Baptist Family.

With all the exciting things going on this coming week at First Baptist Charlotte, you don’t want to miss out! I look so forward to sharing together this coming Lord’s Day.

In His Love,

Mark

Equations, Families and Decisions

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Well, The Equation is complete!! Connect + Serve + Grow + Worship = Impact! I was so blessed to hear the live testimonies from Mead, Rosemary, and Stan and Pam, as they related how a particular piece of The Equation had truly made a difference in their lives. If you listened to them, then you recognize that this strategy to help people live a life that matters does work. If you are not currently in a Bible Study class on Sunday morning at FBC, I urge you to take that step. You will find teachers prepared to share God’s Truth from the Bible, people who will be thrilled to welcome you in, and folks that genuinely care for you and will pray and walk alongside you through any situation that may develop in your life. They will, as Mead explained, help you become more and more “salty” as you face the world each day.

This coming Lord’s Day will be an exciting one you will not want to miss! Not only is it Mother’s Day 2013, but we will also be sharing in Parent/Child Dedication in our morning service. It will be a perfect morning as I introduce the new sermon series we will be in for the next six weeks: Modern Family.....God’s Plan! Over the next six weeks we will be looking at the family, which in our generation has come under open and unapologetic attack. The family has always had its share of attacks and difficulties to overcome. However, never before have we seen such blatant attacks, with the clear and open agenda of redefining family and responsibility in the culture. God has always had His plan for family from the creation of Adam and Eve. His plan has been consistent. His plan has not changed. His plan has been successful in every way! So what is it? This is exactly what we will examine beginning this Sunday at 10:30 am. I encourage all of us to invite our family members, our co-workers, and our friends that may very well be struggling with issues in their families today. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I know Someone who does. As we study His Plan and His Word together, I hope we will discover truths that will impact all of our homes!

I want to share as I often do in this space just how grateful Beth and I are for your love and encouragement and the confidence and trust you have placed in me as your pastor. This was never more evident than the response we received Sunday morning as I shared with you what had developed in our lives in recent weeks and months. I wanted you to hear directly from me before you heard what was going on from outside sources. After the Charlotte Observer broke the story Monday afternoon online, I was so thankful to have had the opportunity to share with you this past Sunday. For those who were not present Sunday, I shared with the congregation that I had been approached in early April by two men, asking permission to form a “Draft Mark Harris for US Senate Committee.” They believed that there was an enormous amount of support across NC for a candidate that shared the same values and concerns that I do, and were looking to call out a person of character, consistency, and courage. Without the details of the journey which I will share in total someday soon, after much prayer Beth and I felt God leading us to allow the door open, and would trust Him to lead us to the answer. Last Tuesday, 70 people from 20 some counties across NC came to a meeting at a Charlotte hotel, called by these men, to see if the interest was there to begin a grass roots effort to “draft Mark” to become a candidate. I was asked to attend as well and was honored, flattered, and frankly a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing. The group that day has begun gathering names of people across the state who would lend their name and support to such a draft movement. Then, in the future, these folks would come to Beth and me, sharing if indeed there was a groundswell of support, and then leaving the decision in our hands, as to whether or not I would become a candidate for the US Senate seat from NC.

As I close, it is most important that you understand here what I have reiterated to anyone with which I have spoken. There are two things everyone needs to understand: (1) I am currently NOT a candidate for the US Senate. While I have been asked to be the focus of this movement, I am not involved in the movement. This is a grassroots movement of people and citizens across NC that have had enough of professional politicians and want to see real change brought to Washington. (2) I have only obligated myself to two things in the weeks and months ahead: First, to LISTEN to people, their thoughts about this, and hear their feedback on where we are as a nation and our future. Second, and most importantly to me, to PRAY for God’s direction and leadership in mine and Beth’s lives, and the lives of our children! This is where I asked my church family to join me in this prayer circle. Anyone who really knows and understands me, I believe, knows that I only want to be the best finely tuned-instrument in the Hand of God, fulfilling His plans and purposes for my life. Thank you for being an incredible family of God!!

See you this coming Lord’s Day!!

Mark

Prayer and Declaration

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I was recently in a Prayer Conference where I was asked to speak in a break out session. The subject I was assigned was this: A Midweek Service: Prayer Meeting or Bible Study. Well. My mind immediately went to the fact that for years Baptist churches have called Wednesday evening Prayer Meeting. But the fact is that for all the years I remember growing up, and right up to today, that midweek time has been about one fourth prayer and three fourths Bible Study. So, why have we called it prayer meeting if the focus is Bible study? And is there something wrong with this picture?

Well, the fact is there is always more need for prayer in the church. And we do need more and more opportunities for people to come together and really seek God in prayer. I was so blessed this past Sunday morning as people all over the sanctuary stood in worship and prayed, thanking God for so many ways He has worked! But, upon deeper study in preparing for the conference in which I would lead, I found the answer to the question: Prayer Meeting or Bible Study? The answer is not either/or, but both/and.

You see, our effectiveness in prayer will depend largely on the time we spend in God’s Word! In fact, prayer draws us to The Word, and two ignite to create a spark, even a flame, for the Lord Jesus! The Word and prayer, if we apply them to all our circumstances of our lives, will change, transform, motivate, and even move us to make decisions and take some deliberate steps, as we live and walk in the Spirit!

This week is a special week. For one, Americans will once again have opportunity to cry out to God on Thursday, as one voice, on the National Day of Prayer. Second, this week is unique, for Governor Pat McCrory has issued a declaration that not only is Thursday, May 2, the National Day of Prayer, but the week of April 28-May 5, he has declared a “Week of Prayer for North Carolina.” I hope you will go to the Governor’s website, and you’ll find the declaration in its entirety. I am grateful that we are seeing leaders who recognize that our founding fathers understood something we seem to have forgotten: when we seek His face, humbled, with a truly repentant heart, turning from our wicked ways, God will hear from heaven, forgiving our sins and healing our land.

Please take time this Thursday, even perhaps getting a few people together where you work, and just spend a few minutes praying. In fact, if small, informal gatherings took place all over this country, it may prove more effective than the “big event” we often seek.

I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day, as we complete our series, The Equation! Come and see what happens when you put Connect + Serve + Grow + Worship together, as they will Equal something! May God bless you and keep you as we walk together in Him!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Serving, Glory and Impact

Dr. Mark Harris — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In Exodus 33:18, Moses calls out to God as he says, “Please, show me Your glory.” You see, Moses knew what many in the church today have forgotten. He knew that the most important activity of God’s people is the worship of God! While Moses had received the assurance of God’s presence with His people, for Moses that was not enough; he wanted a new vision of the glory of God. I am convinced that Moses loved to worship. This coming Sunday, we will gather to see the fourth piece of The Equation. Thus far we have looked at Connect + Serve + Grow +. We have one this one more piece to add, and then we will see what all of these pieces equal. I hope you have enjoyed this series as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you. I have been especially blessed to watch and see so many of our folks responding from connecting to a Life Group, to serving in so many different ways during our ServeCharlotte experience on April 20, planning on being in a Grow (BFM, Sunday School) Class this coming Sunday morning. I am so thankful to be a part of a church full of people who are living a life that matters!

Let me again take a moment to thank so many of you for serving this past Saturday. This week people are going into ministry facilities that are perhaps cleaner, more organized, more beautifully landscaped, and in general more blessed by the work God accomplished through you. You just never know the difference you make. The team I was blessed to be a part of was preparing and serving dinner to about 40 residents at Dove’s Nest. A young woman came up to me and shared that she had been a guest of Room in the Inn ministry as she was transitioning to get into the program at Dove’s Nest. She just wanted to thank me for what First Baptist had meant to her, as she still recalled the night she stayed there. She was struggling with an addiction to alcohol, and just felt desperate that night for a drink. As she struggled that evening, she shared that the ladies there at First Baptist simply held her and prayed her through that excruciating period of time. As I listened to her express her story and her thanks, I could see the joy that Christ is bringing to her life today. Few things bring more blessing and joy to my heart than seeing the power of Jesus on display in the life of another person. We must always remember that He seeks to use us in so many ways, and we are to simply be available.

I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day as we celebrate Jesus together. Bring a friend. Invite someone to join with you. We just never know who is waiting for someone to simply ask!!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

Serious Questions from Tragedy

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Once again, as I write this article, America finds itself suffering the shock, the sadness, and the serious questions which result from yet another national tragedy. Once again, another beautiful day, a special day called Patriot’s Day in the great city of Boston, marked by the running of the historical Boston marathon, ends with tragedy at the hands of what is being called an act of terrorism. At midnight Monday night, police still remain stationed throughout the downtown Boston area as investigators looked for clues and evidence as to who the sick cowards might be who would commit such an act. We pray for the victims and their families! We thank God for the first responders, who cared for the more than 144 injured, many losing limbs, and whose lives will never be the same. We pray especially for the families whose loved ones died, including the parents whose 8 year old son had his life taken in this evil action. I have no doubt that over the course of this week more stories will emerge about these innocent victims who had simply planned for, trained for, and came to downtown Boston for this special day to make a special memory. Tragically, life changed so rapidly, and our hearts grieve with them and for them!

My heart is indeed heavy as several things run through my mind. First, we continue to see evil running rampant in our culture and our world. There is no other explanation for the actions we have witnessed. Second, we desperately need spiritual awakening in our land, and I mean we need it now!! We need more and more prayer warriors, interceding for the protective Hand of God, to provide His covering of our nation. Third, we need to recognize that the further we allow the drifting of our nation away from God and His Word, the more vulnerable we find ourselves. Just this week I became aware that even our own US Army, in listing extremist groups which threaten our nation and our freedom, now list Evangelical Christians and Catholics along with Al Queida and Hamas. I was absolutely speechless when I was made aware of this. We must, as believers, who still hold that God has guided this country through her founding and throughout her history, recognize that we have historically always played a critical role. This role includes praying fervently. This role includes speaking truth with clarity, boldness and love. This role includes standing with other believers on God’s Word, arm in arm, and shoulder to shoulder, working together to influence the culture. You see, in Genesis 50, as Joseph addresses his brothers, giving them reassurance, he says “...you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” While I’m convinced God weeps with those that are hurting the most, He still maintains His power to take tragedy and out of it bring triumph. You will likely hear many of those triumphs in the days, weeks, and even years to come. We must trust Him!

Many of us will be serving throughout the city this Saturday, April 20, as our First Baptist Charlotte Family all pull together to ServeCharlotte. Then, on Sunday morning we will gather to see The Equation continue to take shape. So far we have this equation: Connect + Serve + ____? ____ = _______? I really hope you are enjoying our current series. More importantly, I hope you are leaving more informed and more inspired, as we are discovering how to apply God’s strategy that leads to us living a life that matters. I look so forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day, and celebrating our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ! Please continue to keep in mind our church budget as we seek to catch up, and meet the ministry need to which we have committed. Let’s keep “proving the tithe” week by week, as we trust and obey Him. See you Sunday morning!!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

Connecting, Serving and Finances

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I was so excited this past Monday morning as I heard report after report from Life Groups this past Sunday evening. Many of you connected in homes across the Charlotte region, and I have heard that many blessings were found in that time together. Thank you so much for responding to the new series The Equation: applying God’s strategy to our lives.

This coming Sunday we will actually see the equation begin to develop as we move to the next part of our strategy to live a life that matters. It will be a perfect time of preparation for the huge event on Saturday, April 20. This is the day of our ServeCharlotte 2013. What a tremendous day this is shaping up to be as hundreds of believers from First Baptist Charlotte come together on a “one-day mission trip” to our very own community. Our vision is simply to model Jesus as we serve our community. If you have not yet signed up for one of the many projects that will be going on that day, it is not too late. This Sunday, in the foyer, we will continue to have project needs, and sign-up sheets available. The times of the projects vary, and some have limited space for our volunteers. But, if you will let us know in the church office or simply stop by the table Sunday, you will be taken care of for this great day.

Please do not forget to pick up a copy of the 2013-2014 budget proposal, which became available this past Sunday. Over the next few weeks, copies can be picked up at the Welcome Desk or in the Church Office reception area. I have written a cover letter that goes with the budget, and I strongly encourage you to read it. The Finance Team has once again done a tremendous job of wrestling with the realities around us, and at the same time, seeking to trust the Lord to lead in the hearts of His people. Also, the Finance Team will be available in the Church Parlor on Wednesday evening from 5:00 - 6:30 pm, April 17, for anyone who may have questions or thoughts which they would like to share. Then, on Sunday evening, May 19, the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year will be presented during our quarterly conference. Finally, the vote on the budget will occur on Sunday morning, June 3, at the conclusion of the morning worship service.

Again, I am very grateful for the hard work, thoughtful consideration, and intense prayer which was exhibited by everyone involved in the preparation of the proposed budget. I pray that we will truly seek God’s face and be obedient to His Spirit as we move forward in His glory! I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day!

In His Love

Pastor Mark

Powerful Questions & Consistent Answers

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I recently received a copy of a book, Ignite Your Passion For God, by Tom Phillips of the Billy Graham Library. As I was perusing its pages, I came across a series of questions with very interesting answers:
How do you become a person who knows the Bible? You memorize it one verse at a time.

How do you become a person with many friends? You build your relationships one person at a time.

How do you live life? You live one day at a time.

How do you build depth with Jesus? You get to know Him, spending one minute at a time with Him.

How does revival begin? It begins with one changed heart at a time.

These powerful questions, and their consistent answers, brought me to thinking about my life and yours as part of the First Baptist Charlotte Family and a question we need to ask. So, how do you and I live a life that matters? For a year and a half now we’ve been hearing, learning, and growing into this focused mission for every member of First Baptist Charlotte. We’ve looked at the core values we share, which draw us together as family to live a life that matters. We’ve spent time looking at some Life Markers, asking ourselves the five key questions that help keep us grounded and focused. But what about a strategy? Is there a way to help me build, one day at a time, a life that really makes a difference, a life that matters? Well, the great news is yes! Also, there is great news in the fact that this is the next series of messages that is set to begin this coming Sunday, April 7!

The series is called...The Equation....and I am so excited to get started. In this series we will be studying God’s Word together, discovering how a biblical strategy really does guide us in living a life that matters! All over the church, inside and out, you have been seeing the new signs with our logo and strategy icons. Over the month of April and the first week of May, I will be bringing messages to help unpack each step of the strategy...Worship, Grow, Connect, Serve, and Impact. The first one we will see this coming Sunday is “Connect.” Living a life that matters, according to the Bible, requires some serious connections. Please make plans to be with us as we join our hearts together. Invite a family, a neighbor, or a friend, to be a part of this new series. The fact still remains that 80 percent of people who ever visit a church the first time were personally invited by someone.

I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day. Remember, the best way to come to worship Him, is with your Bible in your hand, a friend by your side, and your tithe to offer unto The Lord! May God richly bless you as you walk with Him this week!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Good Friday, Easter Sunday and the words of Jesus

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is John 14. You may recall the setting, as Jesus is trying to prepare His disciples for what is about to happen. He’s letting them know that the time is quickly approaching when He will not be with them the way He has been for nearly three years. His words, upon breaking the news to them, were phenomenal. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)

This week, as we come towards Good Friday and then Easter Sunday, I have thought about these words of Jesus. There seems to be very little peace in the world. Every generation, here at home and abroad, is facing conflict. And yet, everyone says they desire peace. The truth is, Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and offers to us a different kind of peace.

Some of you find yourself in a storm or in a furnace right now. Some of you are troubled within yourself, searching frantically for real peace. Some of you are confused and facing waves of turbulence, and though you’ve searched you’ve not found real peace. My prayer is that this week you will stop and look to a Cross and an empty tomb. Sometimes, it’s the turbulence and the storms that come into our lives that force us to look to Him! Please, hear Him say, “Let not your heart be troubled…”

This weekend will be an exciting time to be together. Please join us on Friday night for the Good Friday Service and on Resurrection Sunday as we gather for worship and celebration! May God richly bless you and keep you!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

Hands, Heart and Prayer

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The last days of Jesus’ ministry on this earth leaves us with a vision I pray we will never forget. As we have seen thus far, we can look at His eyes as He views the city of Jerusalem. And in those eyes, we see His tears. As we come to The Passover Feast, celebrated with His disciples, we find things in His hands which speak volumes. We find in those hands a basin used to serve as He washed the feet of His disciples. You find also, unleavened bread and a cup, symbols He would use to institute a memorial so that you and I would never forget His body broken and His blood shed for the sins of the world. What incredible hands!

This week, we come to look at the heart of Jesus, and what was in His heart that night He was betrayed. I truly hope you will join us this Palm Sunday of 2013 as we come to see Jesus once again in those last hours of His earthly ministry.

The week ahead has been called Holy Week throughout our nation for generations. It marks the week of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His trials, His crucifixion, His death, and leading to that Resurrection Sunday. Interestingly enough, this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, our nation’s highest court will be hearing oral arguments on whether marriage, created by God, male and female,will be redefined. As Christians celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and the Truth He came to share, may we be distinctly aware that there is a ceaseless assault on marriage and faith in our nation. May we be aware that the news media, the entertainment industry, the advertising industry- all seem united in battering down faith, family, and marriage.

I want to call on you, my family of faith, to genuinely invest yourselves in prayer for what will take place within the hearts of those nine US Supreme Court Justices. Pray for the attorneys who will present the foundation which marriage has played in our history and in the fabric of our society. These Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God are written on our hearts. This is why we must intercede and call out to heaven that our Supreme Court will not attempt to overturn marriage or strip the people of their right to protect marriage. True marriage must be preserved. Our children’s lives and our country’s future depend on it.

I ask for your prayers as I travel to and from Washington on Tuesday to be a part of a momentous prayer event on the steps of the Supreme Court building. If you would be interested in making the journey, please call my office and Marti can fill you in. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday morning as we join our hearts together in prayer, praise, and worship.

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Whatever a man sows, he will also reap.

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In those last days of Jesus walking on this earth, what did we find when we looked into His eyes? Tears. The doctor, Luke, records it in Luke 19:41 where we began our journey of walking with the One born to die, the sacrifice for the sins of humanity. If you were with us in our first message this past Sunday, you will recall those eyes of Jesus bursting with tears as He wept over the city of Jerusalem. This coming Sunday morning, we look into His hands and see what took place in that Upper Room the last night of instruction for the followers gathered around Him. In fact, we will share The Lord’s Supper as part of our journey this Sunday. I pray you will come with hearts prepared, and inviting someone to experience our First Baptist family worshipping together.

Some of you have asked for a copy of the poem that I shared this past Sunday morning, which was part of Darrell Scott’s testimony before Congress on May 27, 1999, just a month after the tragic massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO. Darrell Scott was the father of two children who were at the school that day. His daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, was killed. His son, Craig, watched two of his friends murdered before his very eyes. While sharing his concerns with the US House Judiciary Committee, he quoted a poem that he had written to express his feelings.

The poem went like this:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.

Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question, “Why?”

You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

As Jesus indeed looked back at Jerusalem…within, around, and ahead…we know that He wept. May God grant us the wisdom to learn from history and to learn from His Word in Galatians 6:7 that “God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, he will also reap.” It is my prayer as we press toward Easter Sunday in just a few short weeks, and continue in our sermon series that all of us will remember the eyes of Jesus, and what they saw in Jerusalem. I look forward to being with you this coming Lord’s Day!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

Encouragement, Concern and Opportunity

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Coming out of a weekend like this past weekend at First Baptist Church leaves one with both encouragement and concern. Without question, the Awaken Conference caused all of us to become more acutely aware of the war that we face in 2013 America. Jason Jimenez did a phenomenal job of laying out for all the participants the War on our Faith, the War on our Families, and the War on our Nation. These are battles that are indeed real, and should give us a cause for great concern in our day. However, to listen to Jason make the case, and to hear the call to arm ourselves with God’s Word, while also being men and women of action, was truly encouraging to my heart. The attendance was great with more than 200 adults, and more than 200 students, children and preschoolers. There really seemed to be an awareness that was taking shape throughout the weekend, and I’m convinced many will move to more action based on the conversations and comments I heard following the meetings. Kevin Qualls did a great job of putting the weekend together, and I am enormously grateful for the army of volunteers who served from child care to parking to greeting, and many other roles. You all helped make it happen! Kevin did a wonderful job of wrapping it up Sunday morning, taking us to Acts 6 and 7, and exhorting us to be like Stephen, a man of conviction and courage!

If you were part of the weekend, then you remember I shared about another great opportunity coming to FBC Charlotte on Tuesday, March 12. If you happened to miss the incredible weekend we just experienced, then you have another opportunity for some of the greatest equipping for believers in such a time as this. In connection with North Greenville University, we are hosting a “Spiritual Town Hall Meeting,” featuring one of the most noted Apologists of our generation, Dr. Alex McFarland and Dr. Ken Hemphill, former President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Both of these men come with powerful experiences as well as phenomenal scholarship. But more than this, I see a passion which they both possess for awakening this generation of believers in America to stand up and be counted. We will be blessed with music from the noted “Joyful Sounds” of North Greenville University, and the evening will be streamed live across the nation from FBC Charlotte, much like the event with the Family Research Council last September. I really hope you will set aside this Tuesday evening, March 12, at 7:00 pm to join us in the sanctuary for this timely event. Many of you have friends, neighbors, and even coworkers with whom you “commiserate” about the current situation and direction of our country. I promise you will not be disappointed if you bring them with you for a night of exhortation and challenge. As in a “town hall” setting, there will be opportunity for you to ask questions and receive feedback from these Christian leaders. So, please try and make this Tuesday, March 12, a top priority.

Now, let me get to some exciting news. Many of you must have received the message of Prove the Tithe Sunday, which I declared in my message from Mark 16, as we considered the Great Commission on Sunday, February 24. This past Sunday, we had a budget offering of over $120,400, which is by far the highest Sunday morning budget offering (excluding December) in more than a year. I had asked what could happen if everyone at First Baptist Charlotte were to decide to give their 10% tithe on the same Sunday. Well, you many of you must have tried it, and God used all of us to set the bar high, and encourage us in what happens when we all simply obey His will. I pray that His blessings will truly encourage you, and that your faithfulness will continue as we trust Him, not just on one Sunday, but when we surrender our whole selves, and walk in faith and obedience everyday and every week of our lives! However, as your pastor, my heart is certainly lifted by the faith and the excitement I see in the lives of you, my church family.

This coming Sunday morning I will begin the series entitled “Dead Man Walking,” which will look closely at Jesus of Nazareth, and His last days on this earth. The only One ever born with the purpose of dying, we will follow Jesus to several of the most defining moments of His last few days leading to the Cross. We will see what was in His Eyes, in His Hands, and on His Heart, as we worship the next three Sunday mornings. Our series will reach a climax as we come to Good Friday and then Easter Sunday! I am so grateful for you! I look forward to seeing you this coming Sunday morning as we kick off our new series. Invite someone to come with you, and experience our First Baptist family, as we all seek to live a life that matters!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Parenting, Priorities and Proof

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

This week is the week we have been praying for, planning for, and, I hope, prioritizing our schedules for Awaken: The Battle for Your Family. I continue to sense in my own prayer time, and from comments that I am hearing around the church, that there is great anticipation for what God is going to do. I believe we will see folks learning and being equipped, challenged, inspired, and moved by God’s Spirit and changed forever. If those things do occur, God will have shown up and shown out His marvelous power. The weekend will be amazing, concluding with our Sunday morning worship experience. Please know it’s not too late to register as a walk-up and certainly even to bring your friends Sunday morning for the conclusion.

Speaking of Sunday morning, God placed on my heart yesterday that this is a great time and a crucial time for a challenge to our church family. We concluded our series through the Gospel of Mark this past Sunday, seeing the wonderful gifts of the 16th chapter. Those gifts, which only Jesus can give to you when no one else can, include a gift of special power, a gift of special purpose, and a gift of special promise. I want to encourage you to either get a copy of the message or go online and listen this week. For in the midst of this special purpose, we heard Jesus give the mission, the new responsibility to proclaim the gospel to the whole world. We have with that the responsibility of the commitment to tithe, to fulfill God’s economy. I asked, “What would be the tithe amount if everybody who is a part of First Baptist Charlotte were to bring their tithe for a week, or the month, on the same Sunday? What could that number be if faithful believers all stepped up on the same Sunday? Well, in the midst of the service, I felt led to declare next Sunday, March 3rd, Prove the Tithe Sunday! I want to encourage you to join me in bringing our tithe into the storehouse, and just see what resources God has entrusted to this church family. I believe we could be amazed. Would you commit to join us in this? It’s simple, whether you get paid weekly, monthly, or however, just bring 10%, the tithe, into the budget of First Baptist Charlotte this Sunday morning. I am truly convinced that such an action of commitment on all of our parts would put our church in one of the most phenomenal positions ever. Please help and let us all see what God will do.

Finally, let me close by asking for your prayers. As a pastor, I realize that I am often sharing prayer requests from others, and lifting up those needs as well. I am also actually aware that I am so blessed by a covering of prayers that comes from many of you and others outside our church who pray for me. But, sometimes, all of us face some decisions and some things in life that cause you to yearn for incredible clarity. Clarity to know what God’s leading you to do is always a desire we have in our hearts. Courage to do His will is also a major aspect of working with Him. Over the next few weeks, I would just ask you to pray for your pastor. Ask God, as I will, to provide true clarity of His plan and purpose. Then, ask God to provide courage, and a willingness to not only hear what God says, but do what God says to do.

I love you, my First Baptist Family, and I consider it such an honor and a privilege to work and lead in this journey of faith He has placed us on. Thank you for all your passion for the Gospel, which encourages my heart week to week. I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

White as Snow

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

The snow that swept into Charlotte this past Saturday was as beautiful a snowfall as I have ever seen. The big beautiful flakes sticking to the trees, and then the powerful sunshine hitting them on Sunday morning, brought to our city a beautiful and glistening winter wonderland. It really, once again, reminded me of the way our Savior, the Lord Jesus, covers our lives, covers our sin with His own blood. It is a picture of how He purifies us, and as the words remind us, washes us white as snow.

This coming Sunday we will complete our journey through the Gospel of Mark. Just as we studied this past Sunday the important burial of Jesus, we come this week to the final chapter. In just a couple of weeks we will begin a short series entitled, “Dead Man Walking,” as we move towards the celebration of Easter Sunday on March 31. Can you believe we are only a month away from Easter? During this series, which will kick-off March 10, we will see Jesus, the only One truly ever born with a clear purpose to die. He would come to be the sacrifice for the sins of humanity. We will follow His steps all the way to Good Friday, and then to the Resurrection morning. I hope you will make each and every Sunday, as well as Good Friday, a top priority for you and your family to join with us and experience this powerful time together.

Let me ask you, in closing, to pray about how God may lead you to help in meeting the budget needs of our church. While we are not at a crisis moment, and we are certainly not failing to pay the bills, we are running behind in meeting the budget that we all agreed to in May 2012. This past Sunday, as you know, the “black ice threat” following Saturday’s snow kept many folks home. In fact, many churches in the Charlotte area, I noticed on the newscast, cancelled their services. And, though we pressed forward, holding BFM and worship, our attendance was greatly affected, and thus our giving suffers. This is why I am asking for your help. First, if you were out this past Sunday, please know that we depend on tithes and offering weekly to maintain the ministry of our church. If you can double up this Sunday it would be greatly appreciated. Secondly, if you would simply ask God to lead you in how you can help boost our giving, and help us catch up to meet our budget, that would be awesome. I realize we are still in challenging economic times but I also know that perhaps each of us could set aside a special “budget gift” to help us avoid reducing the ministry opportunities that we have budgeted to do, and believe God wants us to do. Please, just make it a matter of prayer, and simply be obedient to God’s Spirit as He prompts your heart.

I truly thank God each day for the blessing that you, the First Baptist Charlotte Family, are to me, and to this city. You have committed to not look for convenience, but rather to be a part of a church, planted in the center of a great city. You’ve committed to making an impact to all areas around this city, and to stand with the Cross, staked high on top of the tower, bringing God’s Truth and hope to all who see it. May God continue to use all of us serving together to bring glory to His Name.

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

The Power of The Cross and a Personal Relationship with God

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

What a phenomenal sense of God’s presence was felt this past Sunday! I continue to be blessed beyond measure by the number of people that continue to pray for God’s Spirit to be poured out upon His Church. Each week, it seems I talk with a dozen folks who the Lord has placed upon their hearts to pray for revival across our land. In fact, for most of them, they share how God has burdened them with the vision to see an awakening of the hearts and minds of people in our culture. As we finished up this past Sunday morning seeing Jesus, as recorded by John Mark, dying on The Cross, I continue to be overwhelmed by the love demonstrated for you and for me. I just pray, that every time we see a Cross, we never fail to understand what really took place there – not murder, not martyrdom, but a true sacrifice to bring us into a powerful and personal relationship with our God.

Over the past few days, I have been reminded again and again of just how powerful and how valuable that relationship really is as I’ve seen people facing all kinds of life’s challenges. Some of you know what it is to lose a husband or a wife, Mom or Dad, or someone that you dearly loved. It is that relationship that holds you up when you turn to Him for comfort. Some of you have gotten news of a serious health issue, which may even be life-threatening. It is that relationship that carries you when you turn to Him for answers and direction. There are many other examples of the ways He ministers to you in the midst of life’s storms, but it all comes back to that price which was paid by our Lord Jesus on The Cross, that even enables us to approach the throne of our Living God. Aren’t you glad He loved you with The Cross!

Over the next two weeks we will be finishing our journey through the Gospel of Mark. I truly hope you will join us for these final two messages. Then, of course as we’ve been sharing for weeks now, we will turn our attention to the Awaken Conference which is just around the corner, the first weekend of March. The Lord just keeps bringing more and more reservations, and I am excited to see all that He has in store for that weekend. Kevin Qualls has done a great job of planning and bringing together all the pieces, and I hope you have already marked it on your calendar.

I will look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day! And by the way, don’t forget to express your love to your Valentine on Thursday of this week! May God richly bless you and keep you!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

The Cross of Jesus

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

They mocked Him as Prophet. They mocked Him as Savior. They mocked Him as King. Those were three statements that I made in this past Sunday’s message as we traveled to the cross of Golgatha. The Gospel of Mark has been a fascinating study for me, if for no one else. But coming to Chapter 15, as we have watched the trials and the crucifixion of Jesus take place, I have found my own heart overwhelmed at times. Following the time-markers that are given by the Gospel writer, we begin looking at the third hour, the sixth hour, and the ninth hour. But we opened and closed without getting past that third hour, as Jesus faced such intense mockery from humanity all around Him. You know, it really is true that The Cross of Jesus demonstrates the love and graciousness of our God, while at the same time exposing the wickedness of the human heart. No wonder that the Cross still stands as a dividing point in history. This coming Sunday we will hopefully see the sixth and ninth hour as John Mark has recorded for us. I truly hope you can join us this coming Lord’s Day!

Let me encourage you again, as I wrap up my article, to make plans to attend our March 1-2 Awaken Conference for families. While in many ways it has been billed as a parenting conference, it is really a conference for all of us to awaken, and rise to the challenge of leading our families towards a biblical worldview. If you were with us this past Sunday, you got to meet and hear Jason Jimenez, who is our conference speaker. His book, The Raging War of Ideas, is certainly a very strong and timely word for our generation. He calls us back to the biblical foundations that are so critical. Mentored by great leaders such as Dr. Norman Geisler and noted apologist Ravi Zacharias, Jason is one of the brightest young leaders of our time, helping to turn the tide in our country. Registration continues this week, and I hope you and your whole family will participate, as well as invite some of your friends and neighbors to join us!

I pray that you will have a tremendous rest of the week, and that you will truly seek to live a life that matters! I’ll see you on Sunday!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Powerful Prayer

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

As we learned last Wednesday night in our Bible study, as we journey through Colossians, Paul was passionate about prayer! And he was particularly passionate, as we find in the opening verses, about praying for all the people of God. He recognized the need for praying for anyone who was part of the family of God! He says, even in verse 3 of chapter 1, "we give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you."n He specifically wants to remind them that he is proclaiming the one true God to whom he prays. Many in Colossae were beginning to be caught up in cults, and he wanted them to understand to whom he prayed, and this was none other than “God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” But Paul was obviously burdened to be constantly thinking about and praying for other believers.

I hope you and I carry that same passion. I hope that we see the need to really keep others on our heart for which we need to be praying. And as we have perhaps our prayer list of some family, and a few friends for whom we pray, I want to urge you to let it expand to people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. Some you may not even know, but are at this very hour, facing imprisonment or other forms of persecution for their faith! Let us be mindful to pray for them. Just Sunday we learned of the Christian pastor being held in Iran, and placed on trial, due to a network of house churches, which proclaimed Jesus. Just this past Sunday, word has now come he has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for his crime. Separated from his wife and children in an Iranian prison for 8 years for simply reaching people with the gospel of Christ! We must pray for this man and his family!

I want to thank you for being a people of prayer! We continue to see God work each week in our midst. I praise the Lord for bringing us over our goal for Lottie Moon, where we have hit $101,800. I praise Him for the seven wonderful folks He brought into our church family this past Sunday! I praise Him for the eleven folks that just completed the Membership Matters Class with me. God is continuing to bless us in so many ways, including bringing some of the sharpest folks into our fellowship! I praise Him for the awesome kickoff to Life Groups we are seeing, and the study of Not a Fan, upon which we are about to begin. The opening introductory video Sunday night was gripping, and if you missed it, I hope you will get a chance to see it soon!

In closing, I also praise God for leaders that God is using in His Kingdom work. For eleven years now, God has been using Sandra Montague among the children at FBC. She has been a joy to work with, and a blessing to see, as she has brought her care, warmth, and genuine passion for children to know Christ, into our church day after day. As you know a couple of weeks ago, Sandra shared that God has led her to accept a new assignment, and she is wrapping up her work here at First Baptist Charlotte, as February 10th will be her final Sunday with us. I want you to have opportunity to share a few minutes with Sandra, thanking her for the impact she has made perhaps on you, your children, and most likely your whole family. So, immediately following the morning service on the 10th, we will have a drop by reception in the Fellowship Hall for her. There will be a basket there in the hall, where you can drop off cards, notes, etc. But I do hope you’ll plan to take a few moments to thank her for what God has done through her to make a difference in your life.

This coming Sunday, I will begin to close out our series through the Gospel of Mark. We find ourselves at the Cross and the Burial in this 15th chapter. I hope you will join me in these closing messages of this great gospel record!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Protection of the Unborn

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Our journey over the last three Sundays through Mark 14 have brought us to see examples of people who answered the question “What Do You Really Believe about Jesus? –Actions Are Louder Than Words!” We watched as one professed that she loved and adored. Her name was Mary. Through an incredible action of anointing Him with an extremely expensive perfume, this woman taught us several things about what it means if you really adore Jesus.

Then, we came to the issue of betrayal, reveling much about someone who could be so physically close to Jesus, and yet so far away spiritually. We saw Judas as he, along with the other eleven disciples, gathered for the Passover meal. It was there Jesus announced the shocking truth that one of them, one of His own disciples, would actually betray Him. Again, we saw actions in Judas that spoke much louder than his words.

This past Sunday, we discussed that even those closest to Jesus, who truly love Him, can allow themselves to be overconfident in themselves and fail to let their confidence and trust be solely in Jesus and ultimately forsake Him. All of us need spiritual strength and, without it, we are doomed to spiritual tragedy.

As we celebrated Sanctity of Life Sunday this past week, it was pretty easy to connect the dots of the modern church, who became so confident in ourselves rather that Him, fell asleep as our nation moved away from biblical principle, even to the point of legalizing death to unborn children. Sure enough, as the church slept, the temptations came, the culture walked into them, and tragedy after tragedy, including nearly 57 million babies in the womb losing their lives over the past 40 years.

It really is true that our actions are so much more impactful than our words. We desperately need to continue to pray, asking God to turn our nation toward truth and righteousness once again. We desperately need to find ways to get involved. Whether you get involved in the ministry aspect by volunteering at the Pregnancy Resource Center our church supports, or the 40 Days for Life event in which we participate twice a year, or even more frequently being a prayerful presence at the abortion clinic in Charlotte, you are needed. Maybe you need to be more involved in the citizen response of voting, calling and writing legislature, even looking at running for office yourself. We need leadership in our nation like never before in my lifetime. Pray for God to place a call on the hearts of men and women He wants in those places of decision-making.

This coming Sunday we will be looking at yet another person whose actions were not only louder, but struggling with the conflict of what they expressed many times about their beliefs about Jesus. I truly hope you will join us, and know we look forward to and exciting morning of worship, praise, and the study of God’s Word together. I look forward to seeing you there. One note, in closing, is to please keep in mind the importance of being faithful, week in and week out, with your tithes and offerings. Often, because we have a good December, we tend to see a slight drop in giving in January and February. I would love for this year to be different. So, please, just be faithful and remember, the ministry of this church depends on the faithful giving of its people, as they respond to God’s faithfulness in their lives!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

Awakening to the Value of Human Life

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Forty years seems like a long time. One generation seems like a great period has passed. Fifty-seven million seems like a huge number, especially if it is people. Yet, the tragedy of January 1973 to January 2013 is very real, as one generation of innocent babies have had their hearts stopped by the travesty called abortion on demand. Some fifty-seven million in that forty years met death before they were given the chance to live. But in the midst of the tragedy, there are signs of an awakening to the sanctity of human life. Our own Pregnancy Resource Center right here in Charlotte has seen some of the signs first-hand. While in 2011, 413 baby’s lives were saved, in 2012 that number jumped to 582. The number of phone calls they received from abortion-minded girls increased by 25%. And some of those became the very folks who were a part of the 782 with whom counselors shared the gospel message. And praise God, 95 of those prayed to receive Christ.

There is a huge need in our nation today for an overall awakening to the value of human life. Genesis informs us all that God created human life, male and female, to know Him intimately and to walk with Him. Writing off any human life as having no value is an affront to God Himself. One of our greatest needs in this generation is to once again see God as the God of Creation, Lord and Authority over all. This coming Sunday you will receive an extraordinary blessing in our morning worship service. I recently met Jim and Lisa Wright, along with their beautiful daughter, Abbey. They shared their testimony at the most recent NC Baptist Pastor’s Conference in Greensboro, back in November. I was so touched by the power of God’s grace, by the determination and strength of this family, by the high value they place in God’s creation of life, and by the amazing trust they have in Him, that I wanted you, my First Baptist Family, to meet them. I promise you that you will experience something special as they share their story as part of our service. In fact, this would be a great Sunday to invite a friend or family member to join you at First Baptist Charlotte.

Let me remind you also of our services we are continuing on Sunday mornings: “What Do You Really Believe about Jesus? Actions are Louder than Words.” From the adoration of Mary to the betrayal of Jesus, we come this week to the next incredible example of what one believes affects how one behaves! I look so forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day. May God richly bless you and keep you!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Adoration, the Passover and Challenges

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

It really is true. What we really believe about Jesus does show forth far more in our actions than just our words. This truth is at the heart of the series I just began as we are moving through to finish the Gospel of Mark. God, in this 14th chapter of Mark, presents some powerful lives that prove our actions demonstrate more of what we really believe than do our words. This past Sunday we dealt with what it means to truly adore Jesus. Lots of people would say they adore Him, but a look at a woman named Mary really allows us to understand what adoration really means.

This coming Sunday, we will continue on our series with a close look at the Passover Meal, where Jesus instituted The Lord’s Supper. In the passage we study, we find a man named Judas. His actions spoke louder than his words. Jesus, in those last few days of his earthly life, prior to the Cross, went from being adored to being betrayed. I really hope you will join us this coming Sunday as we share in the Lord’s Supper and take a look as a critical warning for every one of us who claims to walk with Jesus.

Let me take a moment in closing to thank you for your faithfulness. In particular, I want to say thanks for your support of the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. We are truly within sight of our $100,000 goal to support our international mission force. This is such a critical need, in standing with the nearly 5,000 men, women, and children who have left behind the comforts and, in many cases, the freedoms we enjoy, to carry out the Gospel to foreign lands. They are sharing with many who have never heard. I did the math the other day, and if 600 of us in our church family gave an extra $20 beyond what we’ve given, we will meet and surpass our goal. May I challenge and encourage you to do this. I know we must tithe to our budget, and I know we are all fulfilling our Foundation for the Future commitment. I also know many of you, like me, have already given a sacrificial gift to this special offering. But, would you be one of the 600 who will give that extra $20 bill this week, so we can get the goal achieved, get the check sent in, and have our missionary force know that First Baptist Charlotte stands with them in a mighty way!

This week ahead will be an exciting week as we gather in His Name. I look so forward to being with you as we worship together this coming Lord’s Day!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

2012: The Year in Review

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

As I take a few moments to write this Life Matters article this morning, it is the last day of 2012. We find ourselves hearing the term “fiscal cliff” all too often this morning, as we watch some of the most unbelievable demonstrations of NO LEADERSHIP that our nation has ever known in its history. It is unfortunately a reminder of just how uncertain life is, and how misguided people can become when people lose the vision for the greater good of a nation, in exchange for what their most self-indulgent desires seek. We must pray for our leaders, and we must ask God to change their hearts or change the leaders! Oh well, by the time you read this, one thing is for sure: we will be over the cliff or not!

The end of a year always causes me to stop and reflect on all God has shown and taught me throughout the past twelve months. This year has been a major roller-coaster of emotion for me and for my family. It has been an extremely busy, but successful year on many fronts. Beginning my first term as President of the NC Baptist State Convention was an exciting time, but quickly brought with it a serious responsibility. Only as the time for my election drew near did it become apparent that NC would face an opportunity to place a Marriage Amendment in our state’s constitution. Many leaders began to share that if NC Baptists did not lead the way, then the Marriage Amendment could very well fall short, creating a setback for biblical marriage that would affect one of the most basic principle of our civilization: that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. So, with this reality staring me in the face, I went into 2012 knowing that God was calling all of us as believers, and particularly NC Baptists to step up and do whatever we needed to do to get this message out, and this amendment approved. I am so thankful for God’s faithful leadership as He drew together a coalition of strong believers, and over the the first part of 2012, we saw God shock the nation with over 61% of the voters in May supporting the amendment, and it becoming a part of North Carolina’s state constitution. The prayers, the support, the hard work, the travel, the encouragement, and the hope that never ceased, all worked together as you and I shared in a historical movement in our state to preserve traditional, biblical marriage.

While the emotions ran high, and it was a time of thanksgiving and joy, my year of excitement was just building steam. You may recall, that May also brought the graduation of our son John from UNC Chapel Hill, and his engagement to be married in May of 2013. It also marked his decision to begin Law School at UNC Law in the fall, and sure enough he has just finished the first semester. So, the excitement of that part of 2012 feeds over now, as we look toward this coming May and his marriage to Kerry Anne Williams of New Bern, NC.

So while the early part and middle part of 2012 brought lots of things that brought me joy in my family, the fall would bring me into a period for which I was not prepared. I thought I was prepared, but as many of you may have discovered, some things you just cannot prepare. Over the period of one week on early October, I watched my precious Mother slip away, and make her move from earth to heaven. And suddenly, I felt the hurt, disappointment, and the grief, that as a pastor, I had helped others walk through. But now, it was different, and I’ve had to find my way through. As a church family, you were a huge part of my journey through this period. I cannot, and will not, ever be able to express what you meant to me through this time.

Since that period of time, the days have been full. We have come through the days of the Baptist State Convention, and I have just begun my second and final year of serving in the role of President of the NCBSC. We have come through Thanksgiving and Christmas, and even travelled to Serbia in between as part of our FBC International Mission Partnership. Now, as I write on the eve of a brand new year, 2013, I find myself full of hope, full of thanksgiving, full of excitement, and full of desire to see God’s Hand moving and sweeping across our land! The greatest days of the church found in the New Testament were most often the days of greatest persecution, challenge, and difficulty. Whatever 2013 holds, I am most grateful that you and I know WHO holds 2013!! And the One who holds the future days and weeks of this new year is the One I love the most, and call MY Savior! May we all call upon Him as we call His Name: JESUS!

I look forward to seeing you this first Sunday of the new year as we start a four week series on JESUS: What Have You Done With Him? May God bless you and keep you always!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

Emotion, Prayer and the impact of Christmas

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 06:00:00 GMT

This past weekend of 2012 will go down in my life as truly emotional roller-coaster of a weekend. Our whole nation was captivated by a scene of horror and pain, frankly not felt since September 11, 2001. We watched as reports from Newtown, Connecticut grew more and more grim. The story unfolded of 20 children, ages 6 and 7, six women, administrators, and teachers, in an elementary school, and a 20 year-old man, who would kill in cold blood and then take his own life. And as the incredible law-enforcement official began putting all the pieces together, the feelings and emotions that gripped my heart were without words. As I shared Saturday night and then again on Sunday morning, the perspective God was placing on my heart, I continue to encourage all of us to bathe these families and the Newtown community in our prayers.

From following the events of Friday and Saturday, I found myself not really in the “Christmas spirit” as time came for our First Baptist Christmas event with our Worship Arts Team and special guest, Charles Billingsley. But, oh my, how God’s presence and true worship of Him can lift a heavy heart. It really was a phenomenal night of hope, challenge, and remembering the true message of Christmas. Thank you to all of our musicians for making Christmas come alive in a lot of hearts Saturday night. Then, of course, Sunday night we were blessed by the sweet sounds of the children’s choirs as they, with their bright eyes and cheerful smiles, sang of the Christ child who has come to bring light and life! It was a prefect way to cap off a very unusual weekend!

This coming Sunday, the Sunday before Christmas will be marked by a very special guest. We have been blessed to have some unique visitors the Sunday morning before Christmas, who have shared with us, “The Christmas I Remember.” It’s a wonderful time for families to worship together and hear again what a huge impact a simple birth could have on a life. Then, on Monday evening, Christmas Eve, at 5pm, I hope that all of you who are still in town will take the opportunity to join us for a memorable night of Communion, Candlelight, and Carols! What a wonderful way to welcome in the exciting day of Christmas!!

I hope you and your family will all have a blessed and Merry Christmas. May God richly bless you as we join our hearts together this coming Lord’s Day!

In His Love,

Pastor Mark

Christmas Worship and Great Burdens

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 06:00:00 GMT

I hope you have enjoyed as much as I have these Sundays in December as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, The Messiah Jesus! One lady visiting here from New Jersey asked me after service on Sunday, “Is it always this special?” Well, I hope so! As we gather to worship our Savior, everything about Him is truly special. This Saturday evening at 6:30 pm is an opportunity to share this special something with folks from all over Charlotte, with our own First Baptist Charlotte Worship Arts Team alongside one of Christian music’s favorites of this generation, Charles Billingsley. This will be a night to remember. Please take this evening and use it as a great time to invite some friends, loved ones, neighbors, or coworkers you believe would enjoy and truly benefit from a glorious evening of Christmas worship!

As I write to you this morning, I also want to highlight three great burdens which I am carrying, and with which I truly need your help. They are three areas of financial need which I am praying about daily.

First, I am carrying a great burden over our budget giving. After getting off to a great start in the first quarter of the fiscal year, July-September, we have taken a dip in October and November that has concerned me. While being slightly ahead in our giving to the budget by the end of September, we now find ourselves just over $150,000 behind our budget requirements for the first five months of the fiscal year. Please know that the tithes and offerings that you give to our budget are the lifeline that enables us as a church to function day to day, carry out the ministries God has placed before us, and to support missions locally and throughout the world through Cooperative Program. I am praying that as you consider all the ways God has blessed you this year, that you will always remain faithful to give your tithe to the Lord, “bringing it into the storehouse,” as Malachi describes, so that the work of First Baptist Charlotte will grow and continue to impact our culture as we live lives that matter.

Second, I am burdened for the support of our IMB missionaries, and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for our world missions. I know there is great economic uncertainty in these days. However, several things are certain: God is still on the throne. Men and women, along with their families, have left everything here to go and serve on foreign fields, and they are depending on us to support them. First Baptist Charlotte is one of the top 200 churches out of 42,000 SBC churches who support these folks. We cannot falter in being a leader. I need your serious prayers and to join me in making a sacrificial gift to help us reach our goal of $100,000. We are almost halfway there, but everyone needs to step up and help put us over the top.

Lastly, I am burdened for our Foundation for the Future giving. I mentioned last week that we are now into our final year of fulfilling our pledges and commitments. We have approved as a church family the last setoff projects which will finish out the nearly $2.8 million worth of projects that have greatly enhanced our facility. In fact, this year of giving will fund the new carpet, sound, lighting, and other items associated with the sanctuary. Please help us continue on the path of completing our Foundation for the Future campaign in a strong way. First Baptist family members are known for integrity and honor in fulfilling the commitments they have made. I hope you can join me in finishing well with this exciting experience of Foundation for the Future.

Thank you for taking the time to read this Life Matters article. Thank you for allowing me to communicate with you the burdens I have on my heart. Thank you in advance for the faithful way you always respond! May God richly bless you and keep you. I’ll see you on Sunday morning!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Missions and Leadership

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 06:00:00 GMT

These past several weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind. From the Baptist State Convention, to Feeding of the 5000, to Thanksgiving, and then a mission trip to Serbia as part of our FBC International Partnership, these weeks have been filled with opportunities to see God do amazing things. Then, yesterday, as we closed out our worship service, we were blessed again with a presentation from our RA's and GA's, with a Bike for Change total, which goes to our NC Baptist Children’s Home, of a new record: over $26,400!! What an amazing way our God works! In fact, in the 10 years now that our children of FBC have been doing Bike for Change, they have given to the NC Baptist Children’s Home more than $220,000 cumulatively. I am so thankful to see how God is using us as a church family to minister to the needs of these children, by loving and caring for them, in some of the most challenging times of their lives!

The time in Serbia was also amazing. Hopefully you have heard about the FBC Charlotte Facebook page and have visited there before. This became a great tool for communicating back to you the progression of the trip. There are a number postings and pictures that were shared throughout our time. We had great opportunity to spend some real critical time with the leaders that God has raised up among this partnership. We were able to have a dedication service for a room that will be used for the Bible Study, which has been started in our target village. We were able to do some great interviews, and get video footage that is now being used to produce several key video tools that will help us promote our partnership work there among the Roma people. We were able to spend time with our own Karen Blackburn, now serving with the IMB there, as well as a new family which just arrived on the scene about six weeks ago. Plans have been put in place for the 2013 Children’s Camp which FBC did last year for the first time with the children of the Roma village in Vajska. The dates are leaving Charlotte on Friday, June 21, and returning on Sunday, June 30. It's now time to begin praying if God may lead you to be a part of this incredible mission experience.

Speaking of missions, we are now in that important time of year as we receive the special Lottie Moon Christmas offering for International Missions. This offering is vital to the support of our nearly 5000 missionaries serving in nations around the world. Our church has been and must continue to be a leader among the entire Southern Baptist Convention, when it comes to this offering. Our goal is once again $100,000, and I would love to see us even exceed that amount. If even 100 folks stepped up and gave $1000, or 200 folks gave $500, or even 400 gave $250, we would meet the goal. and quickly begin to exceed it. The key is for everyone to give in a sacrificial way, listening to the leadership of the Holy Spirit as you do!

This weekend will be a very important weekend for our church, and especially for our High School students and their families. As you know, we have been involved in praying and searching for a High School pastor for many months. Kevin Qualls has worked diligently, along with the personnel committee, to seek and find God’s man for this important role. In recent weeks, we believe God has brought us to this man. His name is Danny Meetze, and he is serving currently in the Charleston, SC area. He and his wife Becky have three girls, age 8, age 6, and age 3. This weekend this great family will be here, meeting staff, gathering with high school students and their parents, and also sharing a testimony in our Sunday morning service. At the conclusion of the service, we will enter into a brief conference, as a church, to take action on the recommendation from the personnel committee that Danny be called as our High School Pastor. Please be praying for the Meetze family as they prepare for this special and important weekend. As with the other things I’ve mentioned in this article, I am extremely excited at the way God is working and bringing so many key pieces together for what He is about to do in our midst.

I look forward to seeing you this coming Lord’s Day, as we join our hearts together to worship Him! May He continue to grow each of as we seek to live a life that matters!!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Greetings from Serbia!

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Well, its hard to believe, but from yesterday (Sunday) when I was fellowshiping and worshiping with you, I now find myself in a room, typing this article to you from Backi Petrovick, in the nation of Serbia. It is currently Monday evening here, and we arrived this afternoon to the capitol city of Belgrade. I am very soon headed into our first meeting with our First Baptist Charlotte partners on the ground here in our work to reach the Roma people in this part of the world. Since I arrived a few hours ago, I am already learning of some amazing things God is doing to use our partnership. I am so grateful for your faithfulness to be the church that is willing to do whatever it takes to see that people who do not know Jesus have at least one opportunity to hear His Gospel, and come to experience His amazing love. I thought about that even Sunday, following the message. God’s Son, in taking the questions and answering them so powerfully at the end of Mark chapter 11 and chapter 12, dealt with some heavy duty stuff, but brought it all back to the priority of love! Only Jesus could truly do that so effectively as to leave a young scribe changed in His midst! If you missed this past Sunday, let me encourage to get a CD or go online and listen, so that you will be prepared for the conclusion this coming Sunday morning. Jesus took the questions His critics raised, answered them in such a unique way, but now is about to ask them a question that would rock the world! Please join us this Sunday, and see what God will do!

Also, this coming Sunday evening is a very, very important time for our church family. It will be our final church conference for the year 2012. You will be blessed to hear a testimony of God moving on the heart of a fellow FBC Charlotte member, who has been led over the last two years to begin a ministry, directly involved in the huge problem of sexual human trafficking. You will hear how he heard God’s call, and how he has responded. But following this brief testimony and the usual reports, there will be a major presentation made of a recommendation from the House Committee concerning the final project list for Foundation for the Future. They will present, you will have an opportunity to discuss, and then vote on the approval of their recommendation. It is this final phase of projects which includes the renovations to the current worship center. Such things as carpet, complete sound system renovation, complete lighting system, and complete overhaul of the current IMAG system, which will make the quality of the picture in the worship center much more effective. In fact, we have a specialist from Audio Ethics, who installed our current system, and has been consulting with our House Committee as they have sought out more detailed information on all the projects. The recommendation will include the plans, costs, means of making the changes, etc. I really want to encourage you to make plans to be here so you can be informed, and know we are executing Foundation for the Future, step by step, as we approved this venture over two years ago now. The Quarterly Church Conference will begin at 5:30 pm Sunday evening, and I hope you will plan to be there.

Finally, let me again offer my thanks to you my church family for the love you have shown me and my family during my Mom’s passing. This week, as we returned to Winston-Salem for Thanksgiving, it was the first time our whole family had been back together since that week of Mom’s service. So many people in Winston-Salem, continue to comment on the incredible love that was shown for us by our First Baptist Church family. It really warms my heart each time I hear them comment about the choir traveling up there to sing, or the incredible number who traveled up for visitation, or the amazing number that came up the day of the service to show love and support! I could go on and on in the ways you ministered, but I just want you know, you definitely were used of God to impact me, and also many others in that time! Thank you for being this special body in my life and the life of my family. I love you and thank God for you! I’ll look forward to seeing you this Sunday morning. Lord willing, I’ll return from Serbia at 4 pm Saturday, excited to worship with you on Sunday!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Incredible Blessing and Thanksgiving

Dr. Mark Harris — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 06:00:00 GMT

This morning I read Psalm 123. It’s only four verses, but I strongly encourage you to read it. I needed it this morning…in a big way! You see, I needed to be reminded that just as the servant is to keep his eyes rested on the Master, our eyes should be completely focused on God. I needed to be reminded this morning that I get my eyes focused on some other people and their attitudes and actions, my spiritual strength will be drained because I’ve stopped looking at Him, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

Feeding of the 5000 yesterday was an incredible blessing. If you missed it, I am deeply sorry. The number of folks that volunteered, the number of folks that were blessed by the experience of worship, and the number of people we saw respond to the simple Gospel of Jesus was truly overwhelming. It far outnumbered the complaints, the critics, and the coldness of heart found in some. You see, this is why I needed Psalm 123 this morning. If my eyes drift to the negative spirits, then the spiritual drain in my own life will quickly come. And in serving God, when anything like that begins to come between me and God, distracting my focus on what He has done and is doing, then I have to change it or remove it at once. There are so many ways we can become distracted from our disciplined focus, and they are the very things that produce a wrongful attitude in my soul. But I refuse to be swamped by those things, and refuse to be distracted away from God’s glory and grace.

This week I hope you will truly find so much for which you are thankful. I pray you will have a special and meaningful Thanksgiving Day with family and special friends. As you begin to look ahead over the next several busy weeks, please begin to mark your calendar now for the amazing services coming our way in December. Don’t forget to mark Saturday evening, December 15, as Charlotte welcomes Charles Billingsley with the First Baptist Church Worship Arts Team. Being that it is a Saturday evening, our hope is you will invite family and friends from all over the area to come and experience a night of worship at Christmastime. Then, on Sunday evening, December 16, we will gather again to hear our First Baptist Children’s Choirs present their special Christmas program which you will not want to miss! Finally, you’ll want to remember Sunday morning, December 23rd, as we hear a special guest share the message “The Christmas I Remember…” And on Christmas Eve, it will be a special Communion and Candlelight on Christmas Eve Service here with the First Baptist Family.

This coming Sunday afternoon following our worship service, I will be heading to Serbia with several of our folks for a follow-up and evaluation of our current International Mission Partnership. I covet your prayer for this special time of being with our team on the ground in Serbia, seeking to reach the Roma people. It will be a quick trip, leaving Sunday afternoon and returning on Saturday, December 1st. Lord willing, I look forward to being back without missing a Sunday morning, and being in the pulpit on December 2nd.

Thank you, First Baptist Family, for your continued faithfulness in getting the gospel to the nations. May God richly bless you and keep you!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Feeding of the 5000 is this Sunday!

Dr. Mark Harris — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:00:00 GMT

As I write this, I am just returning from a busy few days at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention in Greensboro. I am honored to have been given the opportunity at the meeting to continue my presidency of the state convention for a second year. God blessed the meeting and our time there in so very many ways, but I am afraid I have fallen behind in one of my weekly duties here at the church...an article for Life Matters!

I mainly want to take this opportunity to remind you of the event taking place here at the church this coming Sunday in the Feeding of the 5000. We are so excited to be holding this event on a Sunday morning this year, and just want to ask you to be faithful in your prayers, your support, and your patience as we invite these hundreds of visitors onto campus and into the service this Sunday to hear the Word of the Lord and to offer not only a bag of food, but love, encouragement, and acceptance here in the House of the Lord. Thank you so much for taking part in this event that has become so special to our congregation and our community! As a reminder, it will be a normal Sunday morning schedule-wise for our folks, Sunday School at 9:00 am followed by worship at 10:30 am. We look so forward to seeing you here!

May God richly bless you and keep you! See you this Sunday!

Pastor Mark

Where to from here?

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 06:00:00 GMT

This week has been a huge week for our nation. In fact, even as I pen this, we are awaiting results of who will lead our nation over the next four years. Whatever the outcome may be, I have been greatly encouraged by the prayer movements that have been associated with this season in the life of our nation. Even as Franklin Graham, speaking in a CNN interview election morning, said “this may be the last call of an election in America before Christ returns.” How true this is, and we continue to pray, asking God to move on the hearts of His people.

This Sunday I will be sharing a message of “where to from here.” We have much to be done, and God is calling us to be faithful until He comes. Not only is Feeding of the 5000 around the corner, next week will also be the 182nd meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. This year has been a privilege that you and over 4,300 NC Baptist churches have afforded me the opportunity to serve as President of the BSCNC. As our convention gathers in Greensboro this week, I truly covet your prayers for the work that will be accomplished and most of all for the way Jesus will be exalted.

I want to leave you with the welcome letter I have written to all the messengers who will attend next week. Hopefully it will give you a snapshot into what will happen as we come together. Also pray for First Baptist Charlotte Worship Ministry as they lead in several sessions. I am so grateful for them and proud of them.

May God richly bless you and keep you! I look forward to seeing you this Sunday!

In His Power,
Pastor Mark

Dear North Carolina Baptist Family,
It was brought to my attention just the other day that this year’s Baptist State Convention of North Carolina will be the 182nd meeting of this group of believers. While I obviously was not around for a vast number of those meetings, I do believe this: I doubt any of those 181 meetings were filled with any more anticipation and excitement than I sense about this gathering we are beginning here in Greensboro on November 12, 2012. There may have been meetings with more anticipated controversy or even concern over division and direction. However, I cannot imagine a meeting filled with more expectation to see the Spirit of God speak and move into the hearts of the men and women who will gather for this meeting.

It was in the earlier part of 2012 when your Committee on Convention Meetings met for the first time. Our chairman, Dr. Craig Hamlin of Apex, led in devotion from Romans 13:11-14. There is so much I could share about that morning that space will not allow. However, let me just say, the theme “Awaken” was birthed that day, and the burden and call to North Carolina Baptists began to take shape. Since that day, my year serving as your president took on a direction and a passion, and we have seen God do some amazing things in North Carolina in 2012. We saw North Carolina Baptists leading the way in standing for traditional marriage as our state approved, by a 61% to 39% victory, a Marriage Amendment to our state constitution. We have witnessed churches experiencing serious movements of God, bringing amazing transformation. We have seen associational meetings turned and focused primarily on repentance and coming broken and yielded before God. We have seen a community where a few Baptists pastors, along with their associational missionary, picked up this burden and have recently seen more than 800 people, from all denominations, coming together to repent and seek God’s face. In my own community of Charlotte, we saw a vision God gave twin brothers, laymen in their church, to call the churches in Charlotte to “Charlotte 714,” a night of repentance before God based on 2 Chronicles 7:14. The newspaper headline the next day: More Than 5000 Believers Gather at Verizon Amphitheater for Repentance and Prayer.

All of this has been in preparation for what is before us at the 182nd meeting of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. My heart is so encouraged as I see Him moving among us as we partner together. May these days in Greensboro in 2012 be marked as days we came, we humbled ourselves, we exalted Christ, we responded to His call, and we were never the same again.

Dr. Mark E. Harris
BSCNC President

Citizenship and Responsibility

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

It was more than a century ago, when our nation was faced with a Civil War threatening to destroy her. At that time President Abraham Lincoln spoke these words:

"We’ve grown in numbers and wealth and power as no nation has grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. We’ve vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our sins and to pray for redemption and forgiveness."

As we come to the final five days before this 2012 election, the words of this great former President ring so clear. Do you agree that as a nation we have forgotten God? When we look at the way we have ushered Him out of our educational system, governmental system, and really any public display of affection for Him, most definitely we have forgotten Him. Do you agree that we have been overtaken by our own human pride, somehow thinking we have, with our own ingenuity, defeated enemies such as Hitler, Communism, and even turned back terrorists such as Al Qaeda? Without question we have offered lots of praise in the last century for lots of human achievement, while failing to praise the One from whom all blessings flow.

This coming Sunday, November 4th, as we gather for worship, it will be a special day. We will come together celebrating Citizenship Sunday, understanding we hold a dual citizenship as followers of Christ. We are citizens of heaven, and we are citizens of the United States of America. And with those citizenship blessings come great, great responsibility. We will be sharing in the Lord’s Supper as part of our worship this week. So please, plan to join us for what will be an extremely special and meaningful time as we pray and prepare for what some have deemed the most important election of our lifetime.

I will look so forward to worshipping with you this coming Lord’s Day! May God richly bless you and keep you!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

P.S. – Please do not forget, only 2 more Sundays to get your green beans, yams, rice, and $8 ham contribution in as we celebrate Feeding of the 5000, 2012!

Finding Joy in Pain

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

I wanted to take my weekly Life Matters article this week to simply say thank you! Over the past two weeks, God has so reminded me of what a difference a church family makes when anyone walks through the hurts and disappointments that come with this life. The cards that I have received, the folks that even traveled to Winston-Salem, the hugs, the encouragement, and the words of hope, all have worked together to keep my eyes centered upon where they need to be! For this I am truly grateful.

I was reminded last week also of the words in Philippians 4:4-7, where I was admonished to choose JOY! In fact, there are five things about JOY I could not escape:

JOY is a choice.
JOY is gracious.
JOY comes from the awareness of the brevity of life.
JOY comes from prayer.
JOY leads to peace.

I would be less than honest to say I have recovered the JOY I held prior to my Mom’s departure, but I can truly testify that He is bringing me along one day at a time!

This coming Sunday, believe it or not, completes our six week series called Life Matters Charlotte! We will focus on the sixth and final Life Marker, which is one of the greatest of them all. Please make plans to be with us, and remain faithful as we wrap up this important time in our church family. Also, let me remind you that this Sunday marks the beginning of the final year of Foundation for the Future. Many of you who have made commitments are gearing up for this final push, giving weekly, monthly, quarterly, or a final annual gift, fulfilling your pledge. Thank you for honoring the Lord, and your pledge to Him.

Even as we give our special gift to FFF, we must never fall short of bringing our tithe to the Lord regularly. Our budget, which started strong in July, has started to slip, and we are falling slightly behind. Please remember the ongoing ministry of FBC depends upon you, even when you are away. I am counting on you to help us keep pace so that the ministries planned for this year can be fulfilled!

As I started this article, I shared with you that God continues to remind me of what a special gift we have in a church family!! I am so grateful you are mine! See you Sunday!!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark

Priceless moments in the midst of hurt

Dr. Mark Harris — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

4In many ways, the week I just finished is not one I would choose to repeat. Yet, in the midst of all the hurt, disappointment, challenges, the lessons learned, and the things God reveals in those moments are priceless. For many years in ministry I have sought to encourage, empathize, counsel, and even grieve with others as they grieve in giving up their loved one. I have shared with those whose Mom has just passed away that while they know she is better off, and they know she is in heaven, still the hurt is real because you only have one Mom! But then, all the words you have sought to share in encouragement are truly put to the test....because now it's not someone else’s Mom......it is yours!

I do want to thank my First Baptist Church Family! You truly are family! The cards, calls, emails, texts, all of which have reminded me of your love and how you are praying for me and my family have been God using you to “carry me” in this time. As I told you Sunday morning, looking at Life Marker #4....Am I a 2 am friend?? I am so grateful that our church is full of the caring, compassionate, sacrificial people that truly are 2 am friends. If you missed the third Life Marker in the series, let me encourage you to get a copy, and allow God to use that question to help you discern living a life that matters.

As I travel through these next few days of this week, I am feeling your prayer support. I am praying for God to use the service of celebrating my Mom’s life to truly glorify His Name, and to point people to His plan! Thank you again for what you mean to me!

This coming Sunday we will be at our next to last Life Marker in the series. Please don’t miss it! Also, remember, early voting begins this Thursday, October 18, and we need to be reaching out and encouraging and even taking family and friends to the polls over these two and a half weeks before November 6.

Please continue in your praying for the nation and the serious decisions of those who will lead in the next four years for our nation, our state, and our community.

May God richly bless you and keep you! I look forward to seeing you Sunday morning!!

In His Love,
Pastor Mark