Pastor's Blog

Good morning from GRACE Mountain.  Thank God for a safe day of traveling yesterday.  I was joined in Atlanta by Spencer Bell, Doug Chappelle, Haley Rae Garnett and Rex Looney.

First, I want to give a belated welcome to Bro. Jacob Hall as he began his ministry at Friendship yesterday.  Praying for many fruitful years of ministry for him.  We will have an “honest sweet hug” front pew shower for Bro. Jacob, Allyson & Presley this Sunday, 11/2.  Bring diapers, wipes, a cake, pie, cookies, et cetera to bless this family.

Second, I want to congratulate Bro. Abel Garcia on the birth of his grandson this past Friday.  All is well and we give God the glory.

Full day here as we leave the mountain at 5:30AM for the pastors conference, return around 5:30PM, have a revival service at Iglesia JET beginning at 7:00PM.  I look forward to hearing Dr. Rex lead in worship and to hearing Dr. Doug preach the Word.  Pray for God to show up and show out!

Speaking of God showing up and showing out, He did exactly that yesterday as a huge donation was promised to the building of a physical building here on GRACE Mountain.  Wow!  God is faithful!  More details later.

Friendship family, special Refresh offering on Sunday, 11/9.  Pray & give!

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

Happy birthday (belated) to my sister, Melissa.  Her big day was yesterday.  I hope she had a great day.

Happy birthday to my younger brother, Freddie.  I hope that his day will be great!

We were blessed with a good day yesterday.  Yes, the rain did keep a good number of Baptists away but thank God for the rain!  Thank you to each person who attended our Sunday School and worship service.

Our annual Hallelujah Festival was well attended and TJ & Lindsey Vice did a nice job or coordinating it all.  Special thanks to each person who helped in any way.  Thank God for the CAB!

I am traveling to Guatemala today in order to take part in a pastor’s conference featuring Dr. Spencer Bell, Dr. Doug Chappelle, and Dr. Rex Looney.  Pray that God will move among us this week.

Got to board.  Blessings!

The Lord blessed us with a good day in our services yesterday.  Our evening service was especially well attended and the Spirit was great in both services.  Thank you, Jesus.

Bro. Abel will become a grandfather again tomorrow.  He should be heading North at some point today.  Our mini’s soccer has been moved from Friday night to Saturday morning.  Bro. Abel has plans to be back soccer and flag football Saturday morning.

Bro. Jacob Hall will begin his ministry at Friendship on Monday, 10/27.  Pray for him and his family as they make this move and begin this new phase of ministry.  Exciting time for our student ministry.

It appears almost certain that our annual Hallelujah Festival will be held inside the CAB this Sunday, 10/26, from 4:00PM until 6:00PM.  The weather forecast has been consistent for several days calling for Sunday to be a rainy day.  I will hear from TJ Vice today and will post the final decision on Saturday morning.  However, I am almost one hundred percent certain the inside plan will be route we will take for this year’s event.  Stay tuned!

Jimmy Tagert is leading the charge in handling our heating/cooling situation in our auditorium.  I appreciate his time and effort.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning.  Friendship family members, come join us for Sunday School beginning at 9:00AM and the worship service beginning at 10:00AM.

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

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.  Come join us!

The visitation/service for family and Sharon Jardee takes place today at 11:00AM and noon respectively.  Everything at Serenity Funeral Home.

A HUGE thank you goes to each person who came yesterday and helped load the container.  We were a bit short on help but the Lord certainly used those who came to be a blessing.  I appreciate Mike & Wes driving all the way from Knoxville, TN to bring much of the stuff too.  Did we have obstacles?  We did.  Did the Lord allow us to overcome them?  He did.  Praise Him!

We need candy for the Hallelujah Festival and we need folks to host trunks/booths/whatever.  The time will be from 4:00PM until 6:00PM.  What if it rains Sunday?  TJ Vice has a back-up plan.  The man is always prepared.  Can you say Eagle Scout?

Special offering on Sunday, 11/9, for our auditorium refresh project.  Special anniversary fellowship meal on that day beginning at 5:00PM.  More details coming soon!

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

Special thanks to Eddie Albritton & Joey Bosarge for their help last night in getting the final boxes ready to be placed on the container this morning.

Two Yankees (Tennessee), Mike & Wes, arrived around 5:00PM yesterday with a U-Haul truck, two U-Haul trailers and a full size truck loaded with Christmas packs for Guatemala.  Of course they just happened to mention that they love seafood so off to Bozo’s II we went.  Good food and good fellowship with a stop at Lowe’s to finish their packing list.  When they got back to our house they were two tired men.  Today will be another long day for them.

This morning the container is supposed to be on our campus at 9:00AM.  We have two hours to get it loaded and sent away.  Yes, we could use “all hands on deck!”  No heavy lifting just a lot of boxes with mainly the Christmas bags inside.  If available, please come help.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  Praying for a great attendance and a great spirit in those services.

We will have a homecoming meal/fellowship on Sunday afternoon, November 9, in the CAB beginning at 5:00PM.  Pot luck style.  More details to come!  Mark the calendar.

The visitation with the Sharon Jardee family takes place tomorrow morning beginning at 11:00AM.  The service begins at noon.  Everything at Serenity Funeral Home.  Pray for the family.

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

The visitation with Sharon Jardee’s family will take place this Wednesday, 10/22, from 11:00AM until the noon service time.  Visitation and service will both take place from Serenity Funeral Home.  Pray for Sharon’s family during this time.  Sharon was a wonderful lady.

Our Refresh Committee did a nice job yesterday afternoon of presenting the seating options for the auditorium.  There was a nice spirit within the meeting with good information, questions and discussion.  The vote was taken at the close of the evening service and the result was chairs.  So, the Refresh Committee will now get us the best deal possible on chairs.  Thank you to each person who attended the meeting and to those who voted.  A very special “thank you” to the nine members of the ad hoc Refresh Committee for their prayers, time and efforts.  Remember, the special offering will take place on Sunday, 11/9, in both services.  Pray without ceasing and then give sacrifically!

The Friendship family extended a unanimous call last night to Jason Fosmore to serve, on a part time basis, as our Bus Director/Children’s Church Director.  He has already been serving in this role for the past six weeks or so.  The best thing about Jason is his wife, Laura.  I am thankful to have Jason in this position.

Friendship family – help needed!  First, we need bags of wrapped candy brought to one of the services this Wednesday or to the morning service this Sunday, 10/26.  This is for our annual Hallelujah Festival which will take place this Sunday afternoon on the back forty.  We cannot have too much candy!

Second, we need individuals, families, classes, et cetera to host a booth/trunk for this event.  Contact Lindsey Vice for the details or to sign up.

Third, we need help tomorrow morning, 10/21, beginning at 9:00AM to load a container which will be shipped to Guatemala with our “Bags of GRACE” plus other items for Clubhouse Ministries.  The staging will take place here on our campus.  Many hands make light work so guys, please come!  Pass the word and join us at 9:00AM, please!

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

Sharon Lee Gensler Lamb Jardee of Grand Bay AL Born December 19, 1941 has left us to live life everlasting with her Lord and Savior on October 17, 2025.

She was a shining example of strength and perseverance. No matter what life threw at her, she was able to overcome it & beat the odds even if it seemed impossible to achieve. She was a woman of faith, but also a woman of tremendous courage. She may be gone from this world , but her light will shine bright in the presence of the Lord forever.

She is survived by her Daughter Kelly Marie Lamb Fields.

Grandsons: William Joseph Fields, & Troy Michael Fields

Granddaughters Kristen Diane Oswalt Clendennin, Rachel Leigh Oswalt Hatley.

Great Granddaughters: Kirsten Leigh Fields, Ansley Kay Fields, Emma Diane Hatley.

Great Grandsons: Gregory Tyler Clendennin, William Jase Hatley, Tucker Drake Hatley, William Grey Fields.

Great Great Grandson: Jaxon Gregory Clendennin

And many other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by Her Husband Lawrence Reid Jardee, Her Mother Ruth Marie Cunningham Gensler, her Father Joseph Edward Gensler, her Daughter Terrie Diane Lamb Oswalt, her sister Ruby Marie Gensler Gulley, and two brothers, Joseph Clarence Gensler & John Edward Gensler.

Pallbearers: Joseph Fields, Troy Fields, Aaron Barnett, Joey Brakel, Terry Dean Dees, Robert Gulley.

John 13:19
” And Because I Live, You will live. “

Lisa had some oral (dental) surgery yesterday morning.  I did not know it was so serious and that it was going to require me to be her nurse!  Thank God for Daphne (nurse) and Jennifer Davis (food).  Getting Lisa from the car into the house was just like getting Otis into the courthouse except that Otis can actually stumble in himself.  Lisa is much improved this morning but I do have the life insurance policy safely secured.  Just saying!

Friendship family, we need tons of wrapped candy to be given this Sunday, 10/19, for our annual Hallelujah Festival which will take place the following Sunday, 10/26.  You can place the candy in the containers in the foyer of the auditorium or the Preschool Building.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

This Sunday, 10/19, we will hear from our Refresh Committee beginning at 3:45PM for the express purpose of hearing about seating options in the auditorium.  Pews or chairs?  Chairs or pews?  Those will be the only things on the agenda in the meeting and a vote will most likely take place in our evening service.  Again, what we ultimately do overall depends on the offering which will be received on Sunday, November 9.  Pray and then give sacrifically.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.

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

The Lord blessed us with a good day in our services yesterday.  We give Him the glory.

Our Refresh Committee will hold an informational meeting in the auditorium beginning at 3:45PM this Sunday, 10/19.  This will be a time for questions and answers relating the seating in the auditorium (nothing else) going forward.   The plan is for the Friendship family to vote, with no further discussion, during the evening service.

Of course, much of what will ultimately be done with the refresh project depends on the special offering which will be received on Sunday, November 9, 2026.  Folks, pray and then give as the Lord leads.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday, 10/19.  My prayer is that many folks will join us for Bible study and worship.

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

There are several new prayer requests that I have but I do not know if I have permission to share them.  I just ask you to pray as God knows.

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.  Hope to see many of you in attendance.

I am pleased to announce that Jacob Hall is the young man who has accepted the call to be our Minister to Students.  His first day on the job will be Monday, October 27.  Welcome Bro. Jacob, his wife and their daughter.

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