Romans 1:18-20 says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."  

Notice that phrase, "...the creation of the world..."  then go look at verse 25, "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more then the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."  Once you read past this verse, we get a list of sins.  But remember, the list starts with, "For this cause..."  What cause?  The cause of it is that they changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped the creature more than the Creator. 

This morning at Five Points Christian Church I am starting a new sermon series: "The Hand Of God In History" and today the topic is "God The Creator".  In our present time, do we see the creature being worshipped more than the Creator?  I think the answer is very obvious.  From what I observe, it can happen anywhere in any area of life.  We see it in sports, entertainment, and yes - even in churches.  

Sometimes we sing a song called, "The Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman.  I don't know him, but I sure do like his song.  If you are not familiar with it, I encourage you to listen to it on YouTube.  He talks about how he is sorry for the things he made worship when it is supposed to be all about you.  Again, I don't know him, but he gets it.  

Have a great day!
Brother Barry
John 15:11-12

I am sitting in my classroom at ELHS on this Saturday morning very, very early.  I could not sleep hardly at all last night.  Yesterday evening my phone starting "blowing up" with messages of the news that Mady Kelsoe had passed away after battling cancer for years.  On May 15th her mother posted on FB that Mady's sweet 16 birthday was coming up on June 5th.  She passed just a few days shy of that special day.

I truly wish I could remember the exact day, but several years ago I met this family as they visited the church I was pastoring at the time - Harmony Baptist.  Not much longer after that I had the honor of baptizing Mady;  there was a big crowd that morning celebrating with her.  I don't mind telling you, I had a hard time "keeping it together" that day (and this morning is no different.)  I must be honest and say that I do not remember every baptism in my years of ministry (sadly), but that is a day I think and hope I will never forget.  I am so happy that they are still going to Harmony where the staff and people there have ministered to them and so many others with love and compassion and support.  

I was sitting in my recliner when the messages came last night.  As I sat there, I looked at the wedding portraits of my 2 daughters on the wall next to me.  They had a few health issues along the way like most kids, but nothing even remotely close to what Mady went through.  I thought to myself, why Mady and not one of my daughters?  Like the title of this post says, "So Many Questions..."

I am a pastor.  I am supposed to have all the answers to all of the tough questions.  I spent HOURS last night all over the internet looking for other opinions on, "Why does God allow innocent children to suffer and die?"  Oddly, the most intriguing site I found was by a guy in California who describes himself as in his 40's, a former Pentecostal Christian and current skeptic who is searching for evidence that will support his "failing faith in God and Christianity."  I am kind of fascinated by this guy and sad and curious at the same time.  

Let me propose this scenario / thought process that I am borrowing from this man in California... An 8 year old boy was walking home from school when he was abducted by (I should probably not give the name).  That man raped and tortured the innocent boy for 10 hours, stabbed him 70 times before slitting his throat and dumping him by a river.  The writer (skeptic from California) asks, what was God doing during those 10 hours?  Did God welcome him to heaven after being dumped by the river lifeless?  If so, did the boy ask why the last 10 hours were allowed to happen??  Could God have prevented those 10 hours?  If so, why didn't He?  I have not had time to verify whether this tragedy actually happened or not, but the guy does give specific names to the boy and killer and time frame.  At this point, I will assume this is a true story.  But these are the kind of questions that come naturally to our human minds.  Again, I am "supposed" to have all the answers.  

Like I said, I spent a lot of time reading a wide variety of answers to why God allows innocent children to suffer and die.  I saw all the "usual" answers - and no, I do not mean that sarcastically - they are good, biblical  answers.  It is just that I have heard them over and over so many times and I wonder if we kind of get "numb" to them.  Kind of like when we say something like, "You are in our thoughts and prayers."  Is that just something that we as Christians have been "programmed" to say?  We say it, then we move on with our lives as if it never happened??  Interestingly, just yesterday I was sitting at my desk at school and it was in between classes.  A girl quietly walked up to my desk with her head down.  When she looked up at me I noticed immediately she had been crying.  I asked her what was wrong.  She proceeded to tell me of something that was going on at home.  I asked her how old she was - she is 16 - about the same age as Mady.  I told her that I was sorry that she was having to go through this situation.  Being a male teacher and her being a 16 year old female student, I am obviously and rightfully limited in how I can help her (can't text her, hug her or anything like that) but I felt bad for her.  Then I went home and admired the new liner just installed in my in-ground pool and started making plans for getting the chemicals, new patio furniture, enjoying our pool, etc.  I am ashamed to admit that I did not give that 16 year old girl another thought until this morning sitting right here at the same desk she approached with tears less than  24 hours ago.  I am a pastor, I am supposed to have all the answers.  I am a teacher in a public high school, my students know I am a pastor - I am supposed to have all the answers.  I don't.  My pride wants to have all the answers so people will be impressed with my spirituality and intellect.  The fact is, I struggle too.  All preachers do and they know it deep down.  But hey, I've got a new pool liner and it looks amazing.

I also get a text yesterday afternoon from a friend my age.  She started out the text saying that I am no longer her pastor but I am still her friend and asked me to pray for her husband who is struggling with a health issue.  I told her I would.  I will.  It is Saturday morning right now, still fairly early.  I am not their pastor anymore, haven't been for a while now.  Their tithe does not help pay my salary anymore and my current church does not pay me to go visit people who are not a part of our church.  But I told Amy I was going to drive to Huntsville to visit an old friend in the hospital.  Am I bragging?  No, I am changing.  Believe me, I have nothing to brag about.  The pool can wait.  

So... I don't have all the answers.  But I made a little list here of some of the things that I do know and believe  with the strongest of convictions.

> God created us - all of us - in His image.
> God loves us - then and now.
> Man sinned, not God - He still loved us.
> Man tried to cover his sin by logical methods such as fig leaves - God was not pleased or impressed.
> God loved us enough to provide a means of atonement / forgiveness for our sin - shedding of innocent blood.
> God gave the law for our good - man broke it, repeatedly .
> God still loved us - even while we were yet sinners (see Romans 5).
> God became a man in the name of form of  His Son - Jesus of Nazareth - via the virgin birth.
> God let His Son die, taking man's sin upon Him and exchanging it for His righteousness when we call on Him to save us from our sin (See II Corinthians 5).
> Jesus came out of the grave on the 3rd by the power of God.
> Jesus will come again for His bride in His perfect timing.
> Between now and then, we are to be progressively growing in our Christian walk through the process of sanctification by the Holy Spirit of God.
> God can do anything, His ability and power is not bound by anything.
> During this walk, there will be trials and tribulations (see Upper Room discourse, see epistle of James, etc.).
> I may not understand the trials and tribulations and I may have questions; but I answer to God, not the other way around (see book of Job).
> If I very seriously contemplate Romans 12:1-2 - especially that part about the renewing of the mind - it will help me in this walk.

Please - no comments here or on Facebook.  I am not "fishing" for comments or anything like that.

God Bless,
Brother Barry
Romans 14: 16-19

On May 6, 1992 I walked across the stage at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC and received by degree.  I remember Dr. Jones, III handing it to me with one hand and giving me a handshake with the other.  I walked back to my seat and stood while the others in my academic department walked the stage.  It took about 3 or 4 minutes for everyone to be in place and then we all sat down and moved on with the ceremony.  During those 3 or 4 minutes, I distinctly remember thinking, "I am done reading."  It was a silly thought, but at that time I had so much required reading in my classes that I would have been ok with never seeing another book for the rest of my life - except the Bible.  

Well, things change and there is no way I could count the number of books I have read since that day.  In 2000 I earned my M.S. in Educational Leadership and I do not remember how many books were involved in that endeavor.   I actually wish I had some of the money back that I spent on books over the years.  What I did not fully know at that time was that my learning was really just beginning.  I now know that it is a life long process that involves a combination of learning through books, experience, and observing others, etc.  Now I am back in school and sitting on my desk right now is a book entitled, "Moral Choices:  An Introduction To Ethics."  I will start this online class in a few days and will be required to read this book (and it is a big one) over the course of 8 weeks.  And then I will read another, and another, and another and so on.

My approach is different this time around; I want to learn for my ministry / career - not just to get a passing grade and be done with it (although that thinking does creep in from time to time.)  One of my students at East Lawrence High recently told me that she sees my truck at the school almost every Saturday morning as she goes to work, then she asked me why.  I told her that is when I have my room completely to myself - no bells or schedules to keep or anything like that - and I read commentaries or biographical books.  Sometimes it is just for a little while and sometimes it is several hours, I just like reading.  In II Timothy 2:15 we read where Paul the Apostle is writing a letter to a young preacher named Timothy.  He says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  If you let that sink in, you see the extreme seriousness of that directive.  

Always learning, it never ends and that is a good thing!

God Bless,
Brother Barry
II Corinthians 5:21

There's nothing better than an old fashioned Gospel singing!  That is exactly what we have planned this coming Sunday morning (April 30) at Five Points Christian Church and we would love to have you join us.

Psalm 150 says:
"Praise ye the LORD.  Praise God in his sanctuary:   praise him in the firmament of his power.  Praise him for his mighty acts:  praise him according to his excellent greatness.  Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:  praise him with the psaltery and harp.  Praise him with the timbrel and dance:  praise him with stringed instruments and organs.  Praise him upon the loud cymbals.  Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD.

As far as I know, we will not have a trumpet player in attendance - but we will have talented musicians on the piano, guitars, bass, and drums!  

So come on out and join us as we start at 9:30 and finish up around 11:30 and then we will all go to the fellowship hall for a pot-luck dinner together.  It's going to be great!

God Bless,
Brother Barry
​II Corinthians 5:21

Hello, and welcome!  My name is Barry Cater and I am very excited to be the new pastor of Five Points Christian Church as of April 2, 2023.  I also teach Personal Finance and Computer Lab at East Lawrence High School just a few miles from our church.  My wife is named Amy and she is a Chemistry and Physics teacher at Priceville High School.  We are blessed to have 2 daughters who are happily married and they are both English teachers in local schools.  We are the proud grandparents of a 2 year old girl, a newborn baby boy, and one on the way due to arrive in June.  My family moved to Alabama from South Carolina in August of 2007.  At that time, both of our girls were in middle school.  Time has most definitely flown by faster than I ever imagined it would!

After several years of pastoring full time, God laid it on my heart to switch to bi-vocational ministry a few years ago.  There is no doubt in my mind that God directed me to FPCC.  God has shown me and taught me more in these last few years than I could ever properly put down in just a blog post.  Suffice it to say, "I have learned my lessons."  The things that motivate me have changed for the better and I feel more excitement, anticipation, and energizing than I have in a good while.  

I would be so honored to get a chance to get to know you.  We meet for Sunday School at 9:30 followed by our worship service at 10:30.  Then we get together again on Wednesdays for prayer and Bible study at 6:30.  I personally like that FPCC recognizes the importance and need for quality family time by not having a Sunday night service.  It is not that we feel we do not "need" to have church on Sunday nights, it is just that in this day and age families have precious little time to spend time together and we desire to give that opportunity on Sunday evenings.  We very much maximize our time together on Sunday mornings!

If you would like, feel free to contact me at barry.cater@gmail.com - I will do my very best to respond quickly and help you as much as possible.  

Come on over and see us!

God Bless,
Brother Barry
​II Corinthians 5:21