47th Anniversary Admonitions
By Dr. Bill Rains, Senior Pastor | June 7, 2026
“Father, thank you. Lord, we’ve got so much to be thankful for... May we never take lightly the things that thou hast done for us.”
On June 7, 2026, Dr. Bill Rains preaches 47th Anniversary Admonitions from Deuteronomy 4:1-10. On this milestone day, he calls the church family to look backward with gratitude, inward with passion, and forward with purposeful preparation for the generations to come.
1. We Have a Past to Praise God For
“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life.” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
Moses urged Israel on the threshold of the Promised Land to remember their deliverance from Egypt’s iron furnace, the cost of disobedience, and the day they heard God’s voice at Horeb. Dr. Rains reminded us of Mission Baptist Church’s humble beginnings in 1979 — a young pastor, a handful of believers, a homemade pulpit, snow-covered roads, and door-to-door faithfulness. God has given us many victories and used even losses to keep us humble and dependent on Him. We must never forget what the Lord has done.
2. We Have a Present to Be Passionate About
“Take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently...” (Deuteronomy 4:9)
The command to “take heed” calls for serious, passionate self-examination and wholehearted devotion right now. Dr. Rains challenged us to feel strongly that Christianity is the only true way to God — “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.’” We must be passionate about the lostness of the world without Christ, the need of our own families for salvation, and faithful involvement in the local church. Lack of involvement is a curse; earnest contention for the faith is the call. These are good days, and we must live them with conviction and joy.
3. We Have a Future to Prepare For
“But teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons... that they may teach their children.” (Deuteronomy 4:9-10)
The cause of Christ is transgenerational. Dr. Rains urged the younger generation to receive what has been sacrificially built, to stay and invest rather than leave, and to step into spiritual leadership. Young men must be the heads of their homes and lead their families in faithfulness. The church needs committed participants, not observers. Like the brave soldiers of D-Day, we must stay in the boat and finish the mission God has given us.
God has been faithful for 47 years. Let us praise Him for the past, live passionately in the present, and prepare diligently for the future — teaching our children and our children’s children to fear the Lord.
Dr. Rains closed with a strong challenge to personal commitment and invited anyone needing to get right with God to come forward. May we all respond with thankful hearts and renewed dedication to the Lord and His church.