Pastor's Blog

Sorry for the tardiness of this entry.  There is a reason but I will simply say “sorry” and move on.

Richard Bentley’s surgery went well, he came home and was at the Waffle House earlier this morning.  I not really sure he even had surgery – just saying!  Thanks to Bro. Jacob and Deacon Scott Fontenot for covering that surgery for me.

Richard’s mother-in-law was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon.  Keep praying for her as she recovers at home.

Tim Knighten got the all clear from his stress test that was done yesterday.  So, he is good to go for the December trip to Guatemala.  Praise the Lord!

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday – AM & PM.

Lisa arrived home right around midnight last night.  I am glad to have her home as I am tired of cooking and cleaning.

I left early yesterday morning and drove to Decatur, AL to see Mama.  She had fallen early Tuesday morning and I just wanted to check on her.  In the facility where she lives they had their Thanksgiving dinner yesterday so I got to join her, all three of my siblings and a couple of others around the table.  A blessing.  Thank God for safe travels.

This Sunday night, 11/16, I will make an announcement from our deacons.  Anticipation!

Bro. Jacob and Scott Fontenot did a bunch of work in the youth building yesterday.  Bro. Jacob sent me pictures – nice!

Also, the area where the playground used to be is looking nice.  Will obviously look even nicer once the sod is in place.  Thank you to each person who has helped and will help.

I pray that you will have a great rest of your Friday with Jesus.

Richard Bentley is scheduled to have surgery this morning.  It is outpatient.  Pray that all goes well.

Angie Bentley’s mother had surgery on Monday and may be discharged from the hospital today.  Pray for that situation too.

Our senior saints will be traveling to Laurel, MS today.  The bus leaves at 8:00AM sharp!  Pray for traveling mercies and for a great time of fellowship.

The Lord blessed us with a good day in our services yesterday.  Praise Him.

Sue Wyse is now our church hostess.  I appreciate Sue serving in this capacity and I am thankful for those who will help her.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday – morning and evening.

My parents were married for sixty-four years before dad passed from this life.  Today would mark their sixty-ninth wedding anniversary.  Remembering dad and praying for Mama today.

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

God is good!  Peggy Knighten sent me an update last night on Tim.  He does have some blockage in both carotid arteries but they are not going to do anything at this point but rather watch them for the next year or so.  He has been put on a statin and they will do a stress test before our GRACE Ministries mission trip.  So, Tim & Peggy are very thankful for God’s blessings!  Amen!

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.

We had a good number men and young men come to our campus yesterday and helped with a number of projects.  I appreciate each person who came and each project that was completed.  Special thanks to Bro. Abel & Bro. Jacob for their leadership.

I pray that you will have a good rest of your Wednesday with Jesus.

Veterans – thank you for your service!  We are indebted to each of you!  Thank you to those who are presently serving as well!

Happy fourteenth birthday to our granddaughter, Lizzi.  I pray that today will be a special day for her.  We love Lizzi!  She is now in her second year of being a teenager which means Deidra needs prayers now more than ever!  Happy birthday, Lizzi.  We love you!

Tim Knighten saw his primary doctor yesterday.  He will see a cardiologist today.  They are trying to get him on an expedited track to see what is going on in his body.  Keep praying for Tim & Peggy.

The lady who lives in our kitchen tells me it is twenty-nine degrees outside our house this morning.  The Weather Channel online tells me it is thirty degrees.  Nice either way!

Friendship family, contact me personally if you want to know how to give to the Refresh offering.  Yes, there are options.

I attended a service last night where Evangelist Michael Mason was preaching.  It was nice seeing him and listening to the Lord speak through him.

Bro. Spencer Bell will be preaching at the Alabama State Convention tomorrow morning.  Obviously I will not be in attendance but I did speak to him and assured him of my prayer support.  Join me in praying for Dr. Spencer.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

Tim Knighten will see a local doctor today as they continue to seek counsel on what to do regarding his carotid arteries.  There were scheduling difficulties in getting to a Houston hospital so Tim has chosen to go the local route.  Pray that all goes well and for the doctors to have wisdom in handling Tim’s case.

We were blessed with a really good day in our services yesterday.  Our morning attendance was strong in spite of many members of the Friendship family being out of town and the attendance for our evening fellowship meal as very good.  Praise the Lord!

A very special thank you to Stacey & Gayla Dyess for cooking the meat for last night’s fellowship – delicious!  Likewise, a very special thank you to Sue Wyse for coordinating the meal and for all who helped her (not listing names for fear of missing someone).  How about that spread of food on the table last night!  Wow!  Thank you to each person who brought sides & desserts.  Thank you to each person who helped set up, take down and clean up.  A very good night of fellowship and I was very happy!

The special offering received in our morning service for our Refresh project was good!  Do we need to put out the “stop giving” proclamation?  No, but we did receive probably around half of what we need to make the refreshing of the auditorium take place.  The offering continues so give as the Lord leads!  More details will be in my letter this week to the Friendship family.

Absolutely loving this cooler weather!  The projected high for today in Grand Bay is fifty-three degrees and the low tonight is thirty degrees.  I do not think we will get that low but I would love to be proven wrong!

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus!

As far as I know, all is quiet on the home front and that is good.  Ditto for GRACE Mountain.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday.  Refresh offering and anniversary fellowship/meal.  Lord willing, I will be in the pulpit for the morning service.  Deacons meet at 7:45AM.

Honestly, I am a little concerned about the reduction in flights that is being proposed.  Will it begin tomorrow, Saturday, next week?  How much of an impact will it have on the Atlanta airport?  I do try to not borrow from tomorrow’s troubles.  God knows.

I enjoyed attending the service at Iglesia JET last night.  The best part is that our granddaughters really enjoy the Wednesday night classes.  Good stuff!

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

Regular schedule on our campus today.  Bro. Abel will be teaching in my absence.  This will mark Bro. Jacob’s second Wednesday Bible study with our students.  Pray for our services!

What were the believers thinking when they chose Sunday, November 9, 1947, as the beginning date for Friendship Baptist Church?  It is obvious that they did not take into consideration that Monday, 11/10/2025 would be a virtual day for the MCPSS or that Veteran’s Day would become a Federal Holiday on 11/11/1954.

Let me translate this for our thirteen readers – most all Baptists love a three day weekend and they are super excited over a four day weekend which we have this coming Saturday – Tuesday.  So, they go off to wherever Baptists go to celebrate such weekends.  I have already heard from thousands of the Friendship family who will be out of town this weekend because it is a long weekend.

I planned our special “Refresh offering” to coincide with our seventy-eighth anniversary as a church family.  I had no idea that 11/10 would be a virtual day for the MCPSS.  Yes, that is a day when our students are diligently doing their assignments, extra reading, et cetera at home (do not get me started – LOL!)

Here is the good news for the Friendship family.  In today’s society, one does not have to be present in order to give financially to the Lord through the church.  (Thanks, Al).  This includes giving to the special Refresh offering.  Just saying!

I do pray that we will have a house full this Sunday morning, 11/09, and that the Refresh offering will be amazing!  Likewise, I pray that our homecoming fellowship/meal beginning at 5:00PM in the CAB will be a very special time.  Remember, bring two sides and a dessert, please.

Sandra Wilson left GRACE Mountain yesterday morning and was the last of those who attended the graduations to do so.  The mountain is now empty of guests and our seniors remain on their trip.  Dr. Rex Looney was so excited to get home that he left his luggage in ATL.  (Something like that!).  I am very grateful to each person who took part in the graduation ceremonies.  It was a great Saturday & Sunday – praise the Lord!

In closing, let me say how truly grateful I am for that group of believers who began Friendship Baptist Church on 11/09/1947!

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

Bro. Abel sent word yesterday that Marie Brooks is improving health wise.  Praise the Lord.  Keep praying!

This Saturday, 11/8, will see our flag football season come to a close.  It seems to have been a good season.  Bro. Abel has been stretched thin over the past few weeks but has done a good job of leading this ministry.

Speaking of our sports ministry, we need folks to help with our officiating.  As it presently stands, we have two and one half officials.  Can/will you help?  If so, contact Bro. Abel!

Refresh offering this Sunday, 11/9.  Pray fervently and give sacrifically!

Homecoming fellowship/meal in the CAB this Sunday, 11/9, beginning at 5:00PM.

Obviously, this Sunday is going to be a huge one in the life of Friendship Baptist!  Pray!

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

Good morning from GRACE Mountain.  Lisa tells me that yesterday went well on our campus with a good attendance and a very good front pew shower for Bro. Jacob, Allyson & Presley.  Thank you to each person who attended the services, participated in the front pew shower, prayed, taught, et cetera.  Special thanks to Bro. Abel for preaching the Word.  Praise the Lord!

This coming Sunday, 11/9, will be an important day in the life of the Friendship family as we will receive the special Refresh offering and gather around the table for a time of homecoming fellowship and food.  Lord willing, I will be home and in the pulpit Sunday morning.

The first graduation at Colegio JET went well.  Actually, it was great!  Eddie Turrentine did an outstanding job of delivering the commencement address.  Rex Looney, Daisy & Sabrina did well with the music.  Deidra, the teachers and the North Americans in attendance all did a great job of decorating, hosting the seniors, et cetera.  The seventeen seniors and their families were happy campers. Thanks be to God for His many blessings on that special day.

The seniors and six chaperones left at 3:30AM today for the inaugural senior trip.  They will travel all over Guatemala returning home this Friday.  Pray for their safety and a great time of fun and fellowship.

The first wave of North Americans left Guatemala yesterday afternoon, the second wave leaves today and, last but not least, Sandra Wilson leaves tomorrow.  Again, pray for traveling mercies.

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

On Friday, February 7, 2020, we gathered on GRACE Mountain to dedicate the building which would house our school, Colegio JET.  That first year would see us have grades K5 through the 7th grade.  We added a grade each following year (8th – 2021; 9th – 2022; 10th – 2023; 11th – 2024 and then our final addition was a 12th grade class in January of 2025).  The dedication day was a big day!

Today, Saturday, November 1, 2025, is an even bigger day as we will gather this afternoon beginning at 4:00PM to celebrate as our seventeen seniors will walk across the stage to receive their high school diplomas!  Hallelujah!  To God be the glory!  Several of them are the first one in their respective family to graduate from high school.  Rex Looney will be our guest singer (assisted by Sabrina) and then my brother, Eddie Turrentine, will bring the commencement address to the graduates.  Eddie deserves the honor of being the keynote speaker for this first Colegio JET graduating class as God greatly used him to help bring it into existence.  I am thankful!

Seven of our graduates have been with GRACE Ministries since we began the feeding/tutoring ministry in 2014.  They are Cindy, Erick, Ingrid, Melany, Ronaldo, Sergio & Wilfredo.  Seven other graduates have been in Colegio JET since the beginning in 2020.  They are Amaryllis, Fabian, Henry, Hilda, Jefferson, Jennifer & Kevin.  The three Labriel brothers, Lawrence, Michael & Jules have been students in Colegio JET for four years.  I am equally proud of each of these graduates and this major accomplishment in their lives!  To God be the glory!

I think I am correct in writing that twenty-two folks from four states will be in attendance at the graduation ceremony today.  Thank you to each one who has made the trip to join us for this special time.

Yes, today will be a bittersweet time as the one person who would absolutely love being in attendance is Soy Taylor.  Soy loved these seventeen students and they love him.  He would be super proud of this first graduating class of Colegio JET.  He will not be with us today but his memory and influence will last for many, many years.  Soy will be missed but he lives in our hearts and memories. Thank God for Soy!  Pray for Deidra, Lizzi, Sydney & Audrey today in a special way.

Tomorrow (Sunday, 11/2) will see us celebrate the graduations of our K5, 6th graders and 9th graders.  Congratulations to each of these students!

More good news from GRACE Mountain – this past Monday saw a machine removing dirt making a place for the construction of our new building for Iglesia JET.  As the dirt began to be moved, a couple contacted Deidra to share that they were going to make a large financial donation which makes it possible for the first level of the church to be completed and possibly a good start on the second level.  How about that!  Thank God for obedient people!  God always comes through as He is faithful!

Back on the home front – flag football today beginning at 8:00AM.  Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  Front pew shower in the 10:00AM service for Bro. Jacob, Allyson & Presley Hall.  Diapers (sizes 2 or 3), wipes and/or sweets will be appreciated.  Bro. Abel will be preaching in both services tomorrow.  Friendship family, be faithful to attend.

Two of the four heating/cooling units in our auditorium were replaced this week.  Thank you to each person who helped in any way.

Special offering for our Refresh project next Sunday, 11/9.  Homecoming meal on that day in the CAB beginning at 5:00PM.

I pray that you will have a great Saturday with Jesus.