One busy year!

It is amazing how fast a year goes by! Since this time last year I have graduated with my Master's degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, I moved my family back to Florida from Texas, moved into an amazing old home, had a new baby boy Kaden and started a new church with the help of some dear friends. Can't wait to see what God has in store for us in the new year, one thing I do know is that He always wants what is for our good and His glory, so no matter what you may be facing, trust in Him. I hope you have a Merry Christmas, remembering our Savior, His sacrifice and our responsibility.

Blessings to all,

Skip

WHAT IS FAMILY-INTEGRATED CHURCH? 

New church meets in former coffee shop in downtown Plant City 

(This post is taken from a recent Magazine article about our church)

Plant City has a new church!  Pastors Skip Athey 

and Ronnie Oxner, founders of Grace & Truth 

Family Baptist Church, began several months ago 

with a vision God gave them that has grown from 

their biblical convictions and the crisis of the family 

in our culture. GTFBC exists for the glory of God, 

the proclamation of 

His word, to reach 

the lost with the 

message of hope 

and to exemplify 

the biblical 

principles of the 

family. 

 

 “We are different 

from many other 

churches in that 

we do not have 

age segregated 

ministries, instead we are focused on building 

strong faithful families as a testimony to the world 

that God’s plan for the family works,” said Athey. 

Their passion is to equip men to be the spiritual 

leaders in their homes, to encourage women to 

fulfill their biblical roles and to teach parents to 

disciple their children in God’s word at home. When 

you visit this church you will notice something 

different from the start. Children, that’s right, 

children are welcome in the worship services.  The 

church is located at 101 E. Arden Mays Blvd. in 

downtown Plant City, right 

behind the Whistle Stop 

Café. 

The leaders at Grace & 

Truth Family Baptist Church 

want to create a simplistic 

model of church based on 

the New Testament church, 

where worshipping God, 

instruction in God’s Word, 

fellowship with one another, 

compassionate giving and 

sacrificial service to others, 

all are natural outcomes of a 

true, loving relationship with Jesus Christ. 

SATURDAY NIGHT BREW is a time for 

people to stop by, get a free cup of coffee, listen 

to some good music and here a thought provoking 

discussion on a variety of topics.  It is a place where 

those who may feel uncomfortable in a traditional 

church setting can come and get some answers 

to some of life’s most important questions.  We 

encourage you to stop by and welcome this new 

church to our community. 

“We are different from many other 

churches in that we do not have 

age segregated ministries, instead 

we are focused on building strong 

faithful families as a testimony to 

the world that God’s plan for the 

family works,” 

www.gtfbc.com 

Sunday Service: 

Worship Service 11:00 am 

Fellowship meal following 

Bible Study 2:00 pm 

“Saturday Night Brew” 

6 pm –8 pm 

2nd & 4th Saturdays 

live music, 

topical discussions 

Dating vs. Courtship

Courtship?  Isn't that like what they did on the old black and white TV shows like, "Leave it to Beaver" or "My Three Sons"?  Unfortunately that's the only vague connection our generation has with the idea of Courtship.  Our parents began using the term "Dating", my generation used the term "Going out", today the most popular term being used is, "Hooking up" and the definition has changed.  In my lifetime "Going together" meant you had a boyfriend or girlfriend (of the opposite sex) and you promised to see each other exclusively.  Today the term "Hooking up", most often refers to a having a sexual encounter with a person with no commitment required.  

This is not a new social trend.  In Greek and Roman civilizations, the most modern of their day, this practice was rampant.  As a Christian I am not surprised at the conduct of the Pagan, non-believing world.  They do not have the capacity to behave any differently.  They are merely following their basic instinct to satisfy self at all costs.  They are eager to use another to temporarily gratify themselves by using the other person like a man samples the food in a buffet line, then discards what he doesn't find appealing and goes back for what really satisfies him.  This is the modern practice of dating, or hooking up, BUT it should not be so in the Church!   

Christian parents do not fall into the trap of believing that two young people can be alone together on a regular basis and not become emotionally and sexually involved.  Parents, not believe the lie that your young adult child needs his or her independence without accountability.  This is never a good thing, no where in Scripture does God encourage young adults to seek independence or privacy from their parents until they are married.  As a parent it is my responsibility to make sure my young adult child does not give him or herself away to just anyone who shows interest.  We have all heard it, (and perhaps have said it ourselves), "I just love, so and so...) ( I just can't live without, so and so...) There is an initial emotional reaction to receiving attention from the opposite sex, this makes a person "feel good" about themselves, and they in turn give the other person the same feelings about themselves.  This continues for a time until the "fun and newness" wares off.  In our recreation and entertainment driven culture this does not take long, and someone else comes along and produces these same feelings all over again.  This leads to break-up after break-up, which is ultimately preparing the two young adults for a series of divorces and re-marriages throughout their lives.  WE have ALL seen this played out time and time again, and yet, we continue to allow this practice in our own children even in the Church, WHY?

Because the Church is ignorant, for the most part, of the Biblical model for moving our young adult children into a meaningful, respectful, nurturing relationship that has marriage as the end goal.  Instead of allowing your young adult child to, "hook up" or "go out" alone with a person of the opposite sex, you as their parents should invite the person they are interested in over to spend time with the whole family, including siblings.  Both sets of parents should meet and agree upon times and places that the families can interact together.  This is a safe place where the two young adults can be themselves in the safety of family and observe how the other behaves toward their father, mother, brothers and sisters.  What better way to gain insight into what kind of husband or wife they would make.  The time that the couple spends should involve the families, not be isolated from them.  This provides safety and protection to both parties and eliminates the pressure of crossing physical boundaries.  

This approach honors God and respects both the young woman and the young man.  

The alternative brings devastating results and consequences that we are all living with in family after family, after family, after family.....

God's Hand in History

It has been said, “If we don’t learn from history, we are bound to repeat it’s mistakes.”

History is important, it tells us where we have come from, how we got here and gives us indications as to where we are going as an individual, family, church or nation.  It helps us gain perspective and understand that we are not alone, our families, our churches, and our nation are products of God's work in the lives of those who came before us, who in turn, looked to others before them and sought to learn from their mistakes and yet we forget so quickly. 

Throughout the OT Scripture we find the admonition to; Remember... (Deut. 8:18-19, 1 Chron. 16:12, Eccles. 21:1) 

The same holds true for us today. (Luke 22:19, 1 Cor. 11:24)

History is all about God’s hand of providence working in, through and even against man, to bring glory to His great Name. Like the Jews in Egypt, our babies, (unborn) are being murdered, and we do nothing to defend them, it has become an acceptable part of our culture because a generation has now grown up with it.  In the same way we are slowly accepting Socialism over our Republic, as this new President and Congress create laws to limit our freedoms every day. Like the Jews in Egypt who's freedom was taken away under the new Pharaoh. (Exodus 1:8-10) Over time when people become dependent on government they will slowly give up their freedom in exchange for handouts and security.  Even after being freed from their affliction, the Jews longed to go back to known horrors in Egypt, rather than face the unknowns of faith in God and personal responsibility.  Our Founding Fathers warned us that this day would come if we allowed government to intrude into every aspect of our lives.  People who are dependent on government will be controlled by it.  Today there are thousands of government agencies that intrude into our lives and the number continues to grow.  Christians be aware, difficult days are coming, it is our duty to remain loyal to our Savior and His cause, the Gospel message, not get swept up in our own.  Pray for Revival in America! 

Grace & Truth Family Baptist Church

We are a church that wants to bring glory to God in all we do.  We are a church that is intentional about supporting the family unit, because we believe a biblically functioning family is the greatest testimony to God's plan of redemption we have.  It is a picture of Christ's relationship to His church.  As a man leads his home spiritually, providing for his family, caring for and nurturing his wife and children and as the wife respects her husband, cares for the home and raises the children, the family is displaying to the world God's plan for marriage, family and the home.  

We encourage parents to keep children with them during the worship service so that they can watch and learn what it means to worship God at church, which is reenforced when they worship together as a family at home.  Too often evangelical churches do just the opposite.  As soon as the family walks through the doors of the church they are segregated by age into various areas of the church.

Our approach is to bring families together, the family is already separated enough through the week.  Often children are in school all day, both parents are working, then when everyone gets home they are running to soccer, dance or some other activity. 

We want to create a simplistic model of church based on the New Testament church where worshipping God, instruction in God's word, fellowship with one another, compassionate giving and sacrificial service to others, all are natural outcomes of a true, loving relationship with Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we don't try to orchestrate, design or manufacture programs, instead we are always looking to meet the needs of others, and if we are doing that, we find there is plenty of opportunities to serve.

The primary goal of us as elders is to encourage men, as fathers and husbands, to order their families according to the word of God.  To encourage family worship times during the week at home where the father gathers his family, reads a passage of scripture, prays with his family and maybe leads them in a song, so that he, not the “professional minister” is seen by his wife and children as the spiritual leader of the home.

When families spend time worshipping together at home, it is very natural for them to worship corporately on Sunday.  

Kaden comes early!

Our family was blessed on Friday August 7th with, Kaden Palmer Athey, 7lbs 1 ounce and 18 1/2 inches long.  He was almost four weeks early, surprise!, but he is healthy and doing well.  Tammy is doing really good and we are all getting acquainted with our new family member.  We realize what a great responsibility God has given us in raising Kaden and our other two boys.

Psalm 78:4 says, "...tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might and the wonders that He has done."

That's what we intend to do, to tell our children the wonderful things God has done and teach them what God has said in His word, the Bible.

At least this, we as parents have power over, we may not be able to control what happens in our government, what is taught in the public schools or what war our nations fights, but we do control what happens in our own homes, and as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

Plato and You

Most people don't realize the effect philosophers such as Plato and Socrates have on there lives.

In Plato's work, The Republic, he proposes that nations dispense with the traditional model of family for a more socialistic model where the state would educate the children, free women from their "domestic bondage" as caretakers of the home, lift restrictions on divorce and place infants in custodial care of state financed institutions, thus placing individuals rights as priority over the parent's authority.

This is America!  Plato's vision of a Republic has come to fruition, but is this how the Bible instructs Christians to order their homes?  Most Christians do not ever question the way they live their lives or why they do it.  Deuteronomy 6:6-8, Psalm 78:4-8, Ephesians 5:22-33, this is how God's people are to order their homes and families, not according to the traditions of men.