Mission Statement
The mission of Gospel Tabernacle United Holy Church, Fremont is to exalt Jesus Christ, equip believers for ministry by empowering them with the Word of God to the world as Jesus Christ commissioned in Matthew 28:19 - 20 (NKJV)
"19 Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
It is further our mission to provide educational, social and developmental forums to specifically enhance the spiritual growth and maturity of our children, teens, and youth adults.
Pastor Elder Richard R. Darden
Our Pastor
Elder Richard R. Darden
Elder Richard R. Darden is married to the Elder Geraldine Darden; from this union they have two children and five grandchildren. He is assigned two churches; Gospel Tabernacle United Holy Church Fremont NC in September 2005 and Bryan Tabernacle United Holy Church, Snow Hill NC in 2008.
The Shepherd's Shepherd
Our pastor is an awesome man of God. A man that is serious about his walk with God and Kingdom Building. He is a family man. Elder Darden is concerned and very supportive of his flock and others. He is not only Our Pastor; he is Our Friend that leads by example.
The Flock
God's Grace and Mercy
If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sins, and heal the land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
About Us
The Church
Gospel Tabernacle was organized in 1935. During that time the members where having worship services in each other homes. Between 1935 to 1938 the saints were under the Leadership of the Reverend Jesse Artis. In 1939 Gospel Tabernacle United Holy Church was founded and built where it presently stands.
The Shepherd's
Past and Present
Reverend Jesse Artis
Reverend James Collins
Reverend Cleveland Ellis
Reverend F.C. Barnes
Reverend Chester Ashford
Reverend Thurman McCuller
Reverend Robbie Millard
Elder Richard R. Darden
Founders 1935 - 1938
Reverend Gracie Dickerson
Reverend Perrizine Lewis
Deacon Ed & Hattie Green
Deacon Bo & Nettie Ward
Mother Sadie Williams
Mother Lou Ella Jones
Mother Annie Bell Yelverton
Committed
Committed
Committed
Committed
Committed
Committed
Committed
About Us
First Lady Elder Geraldine Darden
* Married to Pastor Elder Richard Darden
* Associate Degree in Christian Education at United Christian College Greenville NC
* Preached Initial Sermon June 1989
Minister Jesse Lofton
* Married to Brother Johnny M. Lofton
* Received training under Elder Robbie Millard & the Board of Presbyterian
* Preached Initial Sermon May 2002
Minister Carson Sutton
* Married to Sister Beverly Sutton
* Attended United Christian College Goldsboro, NC
* Preached Initial Sermon August 2010
About Us
Minister Carolyn Howell
* Married to Deacon Robert Howell
* Student at United Holy Christian College
* Masters in Theology - Studied and Trained under Dr. William J. Barber II
* Preached Initial Sermon 2002
Genuine Sure
Anointed Justified
Digging Deeper Into The Word Of God
Bible Study
Taught by Elder Richard R. Darden
Topic: Wisdom: The Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs is the twentieth book of the Bible
The son of King David, the third king of Israel, the wisest man in the Bible is accredited for writing most of The Book of Proverbs. SOLOMON
What is a Proverb?
Some may say ancient sayings. Wise Advice, easy-to-learn saying that calls a person to action. THE WISDOM OF GOD
Proverbs Chapter 1 King James Version
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:
12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:
14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:
15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:
16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.
18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.
Proverbs Chapter 1 The Message Bible
Wise Sayings of Solomon / A Manual for Living
1 1-6 These are the wise sayings of Solomon,
David’s son, Israel’s king—
Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,
to understand what life means and where it’s going;
A manual for living,
for learning what’s right and just and fair;
To teach the inexperienced the ropes
and give our young people a grasp on reality.
There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,
still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—
Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,
the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.
Start with God
7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
8-19 Pay close attention, friend, to what your father tells you;
never forget what you learned at your mother’s knee.
Wear their counsel like a winning crown,
like rings on your fingers.
Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you,
don’t go along with them.
If they say—“Let’s go out and raise some hell.
Let’s beat up some old man, mug some old woman.
Let’s pick them clean
and get them ready for their funerals.
We’ll load up on top-quality loot.
We’ll haul it home by the truckload.
Join us for the time of your life!
With us, it’s share and share alike!”—
Oh, friend, don’t give them a second look;
don’t listen to them for a minute.
They’re racing to a very bad end,
hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.
Nobody robs a bank
with everyone watching,
Yet that’s what these people are doing—
they’re doing themselves in.
When you grab all you can get, that’s what happens:
the more you get, the less you are.
Proverbs Chapter 1 New Living Translation
The Purpose of Proverbs
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.
5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
A Father’s Exhortation: Acquire Wisdom
8 My child,[a] listen when your father corrects you.
Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace
and be a chain of honor around your neck.
10 My child, if sinners entice you,
turn your back on them!
11 They may say, “Come and join us.
Let’s hide and kill someone!
Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent!
12 Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave[b];
let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.
13 Think of the great things we’ll get!
We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.
14 Come, throw in your lot with us;
we’ll all share the loot.”
15 My child, don’t go along with them!
Stay far away from their paths.
16 They rush to commit evil deeds.
They hurry to commit murder.
17 If a bird sees a trap being set,
it knows to stay away.
18 But these people set an ambush for themselves;
they are trying to get themselves killed.
19 Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money;
it robs them of life
Commentary King James Version
Proverbs Chapter 1 1-9
1:1 What the book of Psalms is to devotional life, the book of Proverbs is to everyday life. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. This book is not just a collection of homey saying; it contains deep spiritual insights drawn from experience. A proverb is a short, wise, easy-to-learn saying that calls a person to action. it doesn't argue about basic spiritual and moral beliefs; its assumes we already hold them. The book of Proverbs focuses on God - his character, works, and blessings - and it tells how we can live in close relationship to him.
1:1 Solomon, the third king of Israel, son of the great King David, reigned during Israel's Golden Age. When God said he would give him whatever he wanted, he asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-14). God was pleased with this request, and he not only made, Solomon wise but also gave him great riches and power and an era of peace. Solomon built the glorious Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6) and wrote most of the book of Proverbs. His profile is found in 1 Kings 2.
1:7-9 In this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. it is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of life. The first step to wisdom is to "fear the LORD, " to honor and respect God, to live in awe of his power. Faith in God should be the foundation for your understanding of the world, your attitudes, and your actions. Trust in God and he will make you truly wise.
1:7 One of the most annoying types of people is a know-it-all, a person who has a dogmatic opinion about everything and who is closed to anything new. Solomon calls this kind of person a fool. Don't be a know-it-all. Instead, be open to the advice of others, especially those who know you well and can give valuable insight and counsel. Learn how to learn from others. Remember, only God knows it all.
Commentary King James Version
Proverbs Chapter 1 10-19
Sin is attractive because it offers a quick route to prosperity and make us feel like "one of the crowd." When we go along with others and refuse to listen to the truth, our own appetites become our masters, and we'll do anything to satisfy them. But sin, even when a ttractive, is deadly. We must learn to make choices, not on the basis of flashly appeal or short-range pleasure, but in view of the long-range effects. Sometimes this means steering clear of people who want to draw us into activities that we know are wrong. We can't be friendly with sin and expect our lives to remain unaffected. Turn and run -- this is not cowardly, it is extremely brave. 1:19 Being "greedy of gain is one of Satan's surest traps. it begins when he plants the suggestions that we can't live without some possession or more money. Then that desire fans its own fire until it becomes an all-consuming obsession. Ask God for wisdom to recognize any greedy trap that Satan places in your way. God's Spirit will help you overcome it (1:23).
Continuation Proverbs Chapter 1:20-33
Proverbs Chapter 1: 20-33 King James Version
20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Proverbs Chapter 1:20-33 The Message Bible
Lady Wisdom
20-21 Lady Wisdom goes out in the street and shouts.
At the town center she makes her speech.
In the middle of the traffic she takes her stand.
At the busiest corner she calls out:
22-24 “Simpletons! How long will you wallow in ignorance?
Cynics! How long will you feed your cynicism?
Idiots! How long will you refuse to learn?
About face! I can revise your life.
Look, I’m ready to pour out my spirit on you;
I’m ready to tell you all I know.
As it is, I’ve called, but you’ve turned a deaf ear;
I’ve reached out to you, but you’ve ignored me.
25-28 “Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
How can I take you seriously?
I’ll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there’s nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
You’ll need me then. You’ll call for me, but don’t expect an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won’t find me.
29-33 “Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-God,
Because you wouldn’t take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
Well, you’ve made your bed—now lie in it;
you wanted your own way—now, how do you like it?
Don’t you see what happens, you simpletons, you idiots?
Carelessness kills; complacency is murder.
First pay attention to me, and then relax.
Now you can take it easy—you’re in good hands.”
Proverbs Chapter 1:20-33 New Living Translation
Wisdom Shouts in the Streets
20 Wisdom shouts in the streets.
She cries out in the public square.
21 She calls to the crowds along the main street,
to those gathered in front of the city gate:
22 “How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
23 Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
and make you wise.
24 “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come.
I reached out to you, but you paid no attention.
25 You ignored my advice
and rejected the correction I offered.
26 So I will laugh when you are in trouble!
I will mock you when disaster overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,
and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
28 “When they cry for help, I will not answer.
Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.
29 For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.
30 They rejected my advice
and paid no attention when I corrected them.
31 Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
32 For simpletons turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.
33 But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”
Commentary King James Version
Chapter 1:20-33
1:20 The picture of wisdom shouting out in the streets is a personification - a literary device to make wisdom come alive for us. Wisdom is not a separate being; it is the mind of God revealed. By reading in the Gospel narratives about Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, we can see wisdom in action. in order to understand how to become wise, we can listen to wisdom calling and instructing us in the book of Proverbs (see the chart in chapter 14). For a New Testament call to wisdom, see James 1:5.
1:22 In the book of Proverbs, a fool is not someone with a mental deficiency (such as rebellion, laziness, or anger). The fool is not dumb or stupid, but is unable to tell right from wrong or good from bad.
1:23-28 God is more than willing to pour out his wisdom to us. To receive his advice, we must be willing to listen, refusing to let pride stand in our way. Pride is thinking more highly of our now wisdom and desires than God's. If we think we know better than God or feel we have no need of God's direction, we have fallen into foolish pride.
1:31,32 Many proverbs point out that the "fruit of their own way" will be the consequences people will experience in this life. Faced with either choosing God's wisdom or persisting in rebellious independence, many decide to go it alone. The problems such people create for themselves will destroy them.
Summary
Purpose of Proverbs 1:1-7
Proverbs to the Youth 1:8 9;18
Fear of the Lord 1:7`
Obey your Parents 1:8
Keep away from Bad Company 1:10
Seek God's Wisdom 1:20
God Bless you, you, and you
Stay Safe
Bible Study Test
Proverbs Chapter 1
Taught by: Elder Richard R. Darden
1. Who is mentioned as being responsible for the writing of these proverbs? Verse 1
o Whoever listens to me
o Solomon the son of David, king of Israel
o Hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord
2. What is the first given purpose of the proverbs? Verse 2
o Instruction
o To know wisdom
o Wisdom calls aloud
3. What is the third purpose? Verse 2
o To perceive the words of understanding
o To receive the instructions of wisdom
o Greedy for gain
4. The second purpose then would be to know what? Verse 2
o Birds came and ate
o For their feet run to evil
o Instruction
5. What is the fourth purpose of these writings? Verse 3
o To receive the instructions of wisdom
o On stony soil
o The word of the kingdom
6. What is the fifth? Verse 3
o Justice
o Immediately springing up
o To see what they saw and to hear what they heard
7. What is the sixth?
o To give prudence to the simple
o Misunderstanding and turning
o Judgment
8. What is the seventh? Verse 3
o Scorching them
o A graceful ornament on your head
o Equity
9. What is the eighth purpose? Verse 4
o To give prudence to the simple
o Among thorns
o Seed yielding a crop
10. And the tenth purpose of the proverbs: to give what to the young man? Verse 4
o Producing such
o Discretion
o The mysteries of the Keys
11. What is the ninth then? Verse 4
o Seed yielding crops
o Knowledge
o Standing on the shore
12. What will a wise person do with these proverbs? Verse 5
o The mysteries of the keys
o Great multitudes gathering
o Will hear and increase learning
13. What will a man of understanding do with them? Verse 5
o Great multitudes gathering
o Will attain wise counsel
o The word of the kingdom
14. What is listed as the beginning of knowledge? Verse 7
o The fear of the Lord
o Dull the hearing
o Justice
15. What is a person not to forsake? Verse 8
o Kingdom of heaven
o Judgment
o The law of your mother
16. What is following the father’s instruction and the law of the mother compared to (for the head)? Verse 9
o The mysteries of the keys
o A graceful ornament on your head
o Hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord
17. If sinners try to get you to do something, what are your to do? Verse 10
o Whoever listens to me
o Do not consent
o Great multitudes gathering
18. What seems to be a general enticement for following them? Verse 13
o To know wisdom
o To see what they saw and to hear what they heard
o All kinds of precious possessions
19. In reality whose life is in danger with the sinner? Verse 18
o Solomon the son of David, king of Israel
o They lurk secretly for their own lives
o Sowing seeds
20. What is the goal of a sinner’s feet? Verse 16
o Speaking in parables
o To know wisdom
o For their feet to run to evil
21. What are these sinners greedy for? Verse 19
o Greedy for gain
o Solomon the son of David, king of Israel
o Misunderstanding and turning
22. Who (personified) calls “Turn at my rebuke”? Verse 20
o For their feet runs to evil
o Dull of hearing
o Wisdom calls aloud
23. What will wisdom do to the foolish when calamity comes upon him? Verse 26
o Standing on the shore
o I also will laugh at your calamity
o The mysteries of the keys
24. What will the foolish eat? Verse 31
o Speaking in parables
o Following in such leadership
o They shall eat the fruit of their own way
25. Why will the foolish not find wisdom when terror comes? Verse 29
o Hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord
o Solomon the son of David, king of Israel
o Great multitudes gathering
Be Blessed