In today’s Pastor’s Corner I wanted to take a moment to think about thinking. It seems that every time a new year rolls around we tend do a little more “thinking” than we do at other times of the year. And when I say “thinking” I’m thinking about reflecting, evaluating, planning, setting of goals, etc. That’s a lot of writing of “thinking.” Perhaps I’m thinking too much about it, or overthinking it? Just a thought.

All kidding aside, though, what about those thoughts that cross our minds during this particular season of the year, especially over the next few days as we finish off one year and begin another? For some, this past year was difficult for one reason or another. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one, or you or someone you care about has faced some major health issues. Perhaps there have been financial issues, the loss of a job, or maybe there’s something really difficult within your family for one reason or another. When you stop to reflect upon those things, you just feel a huge weight and heaviness.

For others, this past year brought things that have been encouraging, with great memories or milestones. Perhaps there were graduations, weddings, anniversaries, vacations, or family get-togethers that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Maybe you got a promotion, your family is doing well, and you’re simply enjoying what one might consider the “good things” in life. When you stop to think about those things, you feel like you’re truly blessed of the Lord.

But does the presence of difficult and trying things indicate God’s displeasure? Do the “good things” in life mean that I’m receiving God’s favor more than another person? The answer to both questions is a resounding “NO.” The experiences we go through in life will always be mixed, but their purpose is always the same, to cause us to be more like Christ. So as you reflect upon and evaluate the events of this past year, remember that God is working in you and through your circumstances to make you more like Jesus.

What about the planning and setting of goals? Those are things we often set our minds to during this season, and I’m a full proponent of that. It’s good for us to make plans and set forth goals that will bring honor to the Lord and be good for the relationships that God has put into our lives. So what kind of goals do you have, and what plans are you making? If you don’t have any goals that you’re specifically striving toward right now, why not? The old saying goes, “Aim at nothing and you’ll hit it every time.” But again, that shouldn’t be our goal.

So may I propose a three-fold course of action—three new goals or newly evaluated goals for this coming year. First, make a goal for your relationship with the Lord. Maybe you want to set out on a specific Bible reading plan, or you want to get involved in a LifeGroup or discipleship class, or you want to commit to attending each of our monthly Prayer Nights, or you want to commit to men’s ministry or women’s ministry, or serving with children, or with the praise team, or perhaps our tech ministry, or any other number of areas that will help you to grow in Christ and to grow to be more like Christ.

Second, set a family goal. If you’re married, maybe you need to make date night a priority, or you need to pray together more or start praying together, or perhaps you need to simply prioritize spending time with your spouse. Maybe you need to start reading the Bible or a devotional or marriage enrichment book together. Then, if you’re not married, set a goal for your family relationships, spending more quality time with siblings, visiting grandparents or great-grandparents more often, investing time with your family instead of wasting it.  

Then thirdly, set a goal for your own health. It’s far too easy to not stay healthy. So maybe you need to start eating healthier foods. Maybe portion control is what you need. Exercise? I figure most of us should do more of that. Perhaps you have habits that need to be stopped—smoking, drinking, gluttony? If you’re able to identify areas in your health that you know could and should be better, do something about it. Make a plan, stick to it, find accountability, and honor God with the body He gave you. God has only given us one life to live, so let’s live it intentionally to the fullest for Him in 2025. It’s going to be a great year.

This past week as I was working through different aspects of our Christmas worship service I remembered a blog post from several years ago that had really caused me to think and reflect upon some of the things that happen during the Christmas season. I finally found what I was looking for, and wanted to share a little bit of that with you, as well as some of my own thoughts. The title of the entry was “Everyone Worships at Christmas.” The blog started out, “Everyone worships at Christmas. There are no exceptions to this. Christians worship. Atheists worship. Skeptics worship. Republicans worship. Democrats worship. Independents worship. Everyone worships at Christmas, but not everyone worships God at Christmas.”

As the blog continued on, it talked about things other than God that people often choose to worship - material things, themselves, their families, as well as other things. The question is then asked, “What does it mean to worship?” Our modern word worship comes from the old English word worthship. This helps to clarify that worship should be directed to that which is worthy of our worship. A god of our own making isn’t worthy of our worship. We ourselves aren’t worthy of our worship because of our own sinfulness. Other people also aren’t worthy of our worship because of the same reason.

But think about the Lord Jesus Christ for just a moment. Jesus doesn’t fall into any of the same “problematic” categories that we have in determining who or what is worthy of worship. Jesus isn’t that which we created. He is rather the creator. Jesus isn’t tainted by sin. He never sinned. In fact, the whole reason that Jesus came to this earth was because of our sin. He was born, He died, and He rose from the dead so that you and I could be forgiven of sin, but it was only possible because of His sinlessness.

So as we reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas, which is the incarnation of Jesus Christ, God coming down to man, Emmanuel, God with us; and as we think about our appropriate response to the incarnation, let us be reminded that Jesus is worthy of our worship. Let us also be reminded that our greatest act of worship is our obedience to Him. And this is something that shouldn’t just be thought about or done during the Christmas season. This is a way we can and should worship the Lord every day of the year. May our hearts be inclined to do exactly that as we live for Christ. Merry Christmas everyone!

In today’s Pastor’s Corner I decided to write about a topic that I could probably write about every Sunday, the topic of the church. Toward the beginning of next year I plan on taking several weeks to look at various things the church is called to do, and the extremely important role that it plays, or at least should play, in the life of those who make up the church. But that’s still a few weeks off. Today, however, I want to look at the church from the perspective of a gift, which it is.

The local New Testament church, ekklesia in Greek, meaning a called out assembly, is meant to be the central component for the process of spiritual growth in the life of the Christian. If we take just an overview look at the Bible, and specifically the New Testament, we see that two-thirds of the New Testament is written to local churches, local gatherings of those whose faith and trust is in the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. But those letters we have in the Bible that were written to local churches were also intended to be distributed and/or copied so that other churches would have the same instruction and directives as well. This brought a unity of purpose and a unity of structure to the ever-expanding gatherings of followers of Jesus.

Fast forward to today. Churches continue to have the same instructions and directives, but now in a completed form, the Bible. And it’s through the Bible that we see so many amazing gifts that God has given to those who follow after Him, including the Bible itself. It’s the Bible that tells us of Jesus, who He was and is, and what He did for humanity. Then, when we place faith and trust in Jesus, we become recipients of all the other great gifts of God—the Holy Spirit, the gift of prayer, the assurance of eternal life, and on this side of eternity, the church.

When we think of the church, the most commonly used description of it in the New Testament is that of a body, and specifically the body of Christ. Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:18 explicitly speak of Christ as being the head of the church, and passages like Romans 12 or 1 Corinthians 12 give us descriptions of how we, the church, comprise the rest of the body. But without the head, there would be no body. It’s the head, Christ, that brings us together and calls us to live together, to worship together, to serve together, to grow together, and so much more, together. It’s not by coincidence that the New Testament has 100 usages of the term “one another” in 94 different verses. The church is called to do life together, always considering one another.

It’s this body, the body of Christ, a body that is also referenced as a family, that is such a huge gift of God, and it’s God Himself who calls us His children. What an amazing gift. When we’re facing the hard times of life, when tragedy strikes, when we’re uncertain of what to do next, it’s our brothers and sisters in Christ, our family, that we can depend on. When we’re experiencing the many blessings that flow forth from the Father, it’s our family, the church, that rejoices with us. When we need help, when we’re looking for advice or direction, we first turn to God’s Word, but soon thereafter, God’s Word tells us to turn to one another, as we are the church.

How should the church then function? What is it called to do? How do all of those “one another” passages work together? That’s another discussion for another day, but for today, let me encourage you to rejoice in the gift of the church. Be thankful to God the Father for the gift of His Son who is the head of the church, and for the Spirit that brings a unity and oneness that is without comparison. What an amazing gift, this gift of the church.

Last Sunday we had a bulletin insert that answered three questions about a once-a-year special offering we take up called the Manger Offering—What is it? Why should I consider giving to it? How can I do so? Hopefully that insert was helpful.

Today, however, I want to talk not just about this special offering, but the place that giving in general should have in the life of the Christian. When it comes to financial giving, that’s not a topic that I often speak about. In fact, I primarily just address giving when it shows up in the biblical text that we’re studying. If anything, I probably error on the side of speaking too little about giving rather than too much. Perhaps that comes from hearing pastors seemingly “scold” the people in their church over this area of giving. Maybe it’s because I know it can be a sensitive issue. Maybe it’s because I don’t want people to think that the church is “just about money.” Let’s just say I’ve heard that more than once from non-Christians who have said that’s the reason they don’t go to church.

Whatever the reason, giving has always been something I carefully address. But when I stopped to think about all of the reasons why, I began to question my own approach to this important subject. After all, out of the 39 parables of Jesus recorded for us in the gospels, 11 of them deal with the area of finances or material things. Jesus obviously knew that money had an allure, power, and potential for both good and evil. Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils…” But it’s not the money that’s evil, but the love of money. The book of Proverbs speaks quite a lot about money and how one should or should not acquire it. For example, Proverbs 13:11 says, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”

Money though, in and of itself, really isn’t the issue. The issue is how it’s acquired and the attitude we have toward its acquisition. But then, if the acquisition and the attitude are right, comes what we do with it. That’s where the conversation about giving begins. The Apostle Paul writes to the church of Corinth, “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”(2 Cor. 9:6-7) It seems as if the question of giving is already decided—Christians are to give.

What Paul was addressing wasn’t whether or not giving was right, but rather the manner and attitude in which they were giving. That sounds very familiar, and it is, because the giving of our money back to the Lord parallels our attitude toward money to begin with. Do I give generously or stingily? Do I give cheerfully or begrudgingly? If I’m stingy with that which I give back to the Lord, I can’t expect much in return because I didn’t sow much. But if I’m generous in my giving, a bountiful giver, God’s Word says I can expect to reap bountifully. What we have to remember, however, is that giving to the Lord isn’t a financial investment to turn a monetary profit. The reaping, the harvest, isn’t usually in the form of a return of material things or more money. The harvest is a return of spiritual things, and things of eternal significance. That’s why the church exists, to sow spiritual seed with the intent of reaping a spiritual harvest for the Lord.

Then secondly, as I give, whether cheerfully or begrudgingly, that too reveals my heart and is an indicator of my relationship with the Lord. Paul said that “God loves a cheerful giver.” Cheerfully giving back to the Lord is honoring to the Lord and pleasing to Him. The opposite would then also be true; giving only out of necessity is that which God does not love. It’s displeasing to Him and dishonoring. So my main take away, which 100% starts with me, is that I need to examine why and how I give. Am I truly being generous, sowing bountifully? Then, do I give cheerfully as an act of true and sincere worship? It’s all a matter of the heart.

Have you ever thought about the role that holidays play in our lives? This past week, Americans all over the world gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving. For most, it’s a time with family and friends and lots of food. After Thanksgiving, however, our eyes are set on Christmas, and again this is often a time with family and friends, lots of food and presents to top it all off. As we get ready turn the calendar year we celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and start asking the question of, “When does Easter fall this year?” Oh yeah, I forgot about Valentine’s Day. That’s just a commercial holiday anyway, or so I say to myself (but definitely not to my wife).

It seems as if we’re always looking ahead and thinking about the next holiday, but there’s still a question that begs to be asked—What is the actual value of a holiday? Are all holidays of equal value, a time off of work and school and an opportunity to gather with those we know and love? That’s often the case, but is that where we find value in holidays? Shouldn’t there be something more? My answer to that last question is yes; there should be something more, while at the same time, it’s definitely not less.

Holidays whether “religious” holidays or secular holidays do serve as opportunities to draw families together outside of the normal routine. That in and of itself is a good thing. With each passing generation it seems as if families drift farther and farther apart. For most families, a family reunion is something that grandma and grandpa “used to do,” but not anymore. Families are now often scattered all over the place, often from coast to coast, as children pursue their dreams. Cousins, who are they? Have we met them? It’s a gradual drift that doesn’t seem to be so gradual anymore. So if your holiday observances serve to draw you and your family back closer together, that’s a good thing. Plus, it’s nice to have that day off work and school.

What about that something more, though? The word holiday itself comes from the old English “holy day,” or day that is set apart. Traditionally, holidays revolved around religious observances and/or practices. They were days set apart for worship and reflection. For the Christian, those days were set apart for the worship of the one for whom we are named, Christ.

So when we celebrate holidays, whether overtly religious or not, holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, we should ask a question, are our thoughts upon the significance of the celebration (that which God has done), or are they more upon who’s there, not there, or what we’re doing on that particular day? If we allow holidays to be times that focus our attention upon Christ, where our traditions draw us closer together and closer to the Lord, holidays can be a great thing. But if holidays are spent just celebrating a day off of work or school and enjoying a special meal and perhaps gifts, maybe we should rethink our celebrations.

The Bible doesn’t list for us specific holidays that we should remember and celebrate, and it certainly doesn’t prescribe how we should do so. In fact, the Bible is clear that there is great liberty in how and even whether one chooses to celebrate holidays or not, as we are clearly instructed not to judge others concerning observance or non-observance of such things. So perhaps the most important question concerning holidays just might be this, “Is what I am doing drawing me closer to Jesus?” If so, continue that tradition, because it’s drawing closer to Jesus Christ that is of the greatest value of all.

This past week I walked through the auditorium at the church and as I looked at all of the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) boxes, it caused me to stop and pray, but not for the boxes, at least not yet, but for all those who have helped with OCC over the entire last year. I’m thankful for people who care about others. I’m thankful for people who care about the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m thankful for people who give of their time as well as money to help others know the greatest gift of all, the gift of salvation found in Christ. For all of you who have bought items throughout the year for the boxes, packed your own boxes, packed boxes here at the church, given toward shipping, prayed for the ministry, or did multiple of these things, THANK YOU! It was you who caused me to stop to pray.

As I further reflected upon OCC, I saw that this was our tenth year to participate as a church. But maybe you’re new to the church, or maybe you’ve not participated in the ministry before and ask, what is it? Well, first and foremost, I would say that OCC is a worthwhile cause. It’s a wonderful opportunity for churches to get involved in a project impacting the lives of children and families all around the world. But this event is so much more than just a project to put smiles on the faces of children. OCC is an initiative with eternity in view as they seek to share the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ with children.

A survey conducted by the International Bible Society revealed that 83% of those who place their faith in Jesus Christ do so before the age of 14. This information is also consistent with studies done by the Barna Group, Child Evangelism Fellowship, as well as other statistic gathering groups. All of the statistics point to the fact that when it comes to making a lifelong decision to follow Christ, it usually happens with children.

In Matthew 19:13-15 we read these important words, “¹³ Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.”

Jesus cared about impacting children, and He did. We too should care about impacting children. As a church, we have the opportunity to be a part of giving children all around the world an opportunity to know who Jesus is, so that they can place their faith in Him. And with OCC, It can all start with a simple shoebox with a few small toys. Today we will be praying over the boxes that will go out from this place, and tomorrow we’ll deliver them to their drop off point here in Bolivar. But there’s still time and an opportunity for you to be involved. If you’d like to give to help pay for the cost of shipping the boxes, that would be a huge blessing to this worthwhile ministry. Be sure to mark “OCC shipping” on the white giving envelopes or the memo line for online giving.

One might also ask, is OCC the only thing we should be doing concerning missions? Absolutely not. We must be supporting missionaries who are starting churches, practicing evangelism and discipleship, and raising up and training others to become pastors, missionaries, and simply faithful followers of the Lord. We must be praying for missions, for more laborers, and for the lost around the world. We must be willing to give financially toward this end as well. And perhaps most importantly, we need to be willing to go if and when God calls. But OCC is one way that we can be a part of the bigger picture. So let’s jump in during this time of year, and support this important outreach ministry, and then pray for many to come to Christ as a result.

In our study of Mark’s gospel on Sunday mornings I’m just now diving into Mark chapter 13. This is the chapter that records Jesus’ words concerning prophetic future events, and is often termed the Olivet Discourse because Jesus speaks those words on the Mount of Olives there in Jerusalem. The thing with Mark chapter 13, though, as is the case with any prophecies of the Bible not yet fulfilled, it’s not always easy to understand and interpret. In fact, there are some things that Jesus said that are just downright difficult to fully grasp.

As I thought about that fact, and kept praying for insight into the passage that I’ll be preaching through over the next several weeks, I stopped to think about words themselves. There’s great power in words. Why? Because words convey meaning, and that’s the ultimate purpose in our interactions with other people, to convey and receive meaning.

It’s not by coincidence that Jesus Himself is described in John chapter one as the Word, the logos. It is Jesus who holds all power as the agent of creation, and the one who also conveyed to mankind the greatest meaning of all, that in Him is life, life eternal. All of the other things that the Word, Jesus, would speak as well as do would serve to accentuate why He had come to this earth in the first place, to provide the way for eternal life for anyone who will turn from sin and place their faith and trust in Him. What an important truth for the Son of God to communicate.

As I further thought about Jesus’ communication to us through His own spoken words, I thought about just how seriously we must take everything that Jesus said, seeking to first understand what was said, and then to internalize what was said so that we can then make proper application for how we are to live. So as I read Jesus’ words about things that were as well as things that are still to come, I realize that I must become the active listener. I must be the one who is the receiver, the one that tunes my ear to the words of Jesus. I can’t be looking to conform Jesus’ words to my own preconceived notions, or my own ideas of how my life should go, or what I want Him to be saying. I must rather listen to what He really does say.

So as I continue my studies deeper and deeper into Jesus’ words, I want the power of those words to have their full effect on me. I want Jesus’ words to change the way I live as well as the way I think. I want Jesus’ words to dictate my course in life. I want Jesus’ words to be the most important words that I ever hear, because they are the most important words I’ll ever hear. And on top of that, as I communicate Jesus’ words to others, to you, I want for you, the one listening to my communication, to my words, to also hear Jesus loud and clear, desiring for His words to change you as well. May we all be transformed by the power of Jesus’ words, the one who is the Word who took upon flesh and dwelt among us.  

The past several months have been months of a lot of activity for me, and I know I’m not alone. It seems like the majority of people I talk to find themselves running here and there with too many activities, not enough time, and running low on energy. Perhaps it’s just a sign of the culture in which we live, perhaps it’s not managing our priorities well, or perhaps we have the tendency to lose focus on that which helps us most during these seasons of busyness.

For each person the reasons will obviously vary, but personally, the Lord has been convicting me that I far too often lose focus on that which should be giving me strength, which is God Himself. And you know, as a Pastor, that’s not easy to admit. I know all the verses about working as unto the Lord, doing all things for the glory of God, seeking first the kingdom of God, and on and on. My problem is more of tunnel vision. When I’m in the middle of busyness, I plan my day, go from one thing to the next, mark things off my to do list, and too often I’m failing to stop and refocus on God Himself, even when many of the things I’m doing revolve around the things of God.

Well, with all of that being said, the Lord really got my attention when I was studying this past week for this Sunday’s sermon. I was reading through several different texts and came to a cross reference referring back to a portion of Psalm 46. So I turned to that Psalm and here’s what I read, “ ⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth. ⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. ¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! ¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah” (Psalm 46:8-11).

Two things from that Psalm really struck me. First was the power of God seen in this psalm. The psalmist clearly understood the power and might of God, and he invites, us, the reader to consider the greatness of God who has power over the mightiest of armies, the power to stop wars and violence, to bring to a halt all hostility. That led me to think—If God has that kind of power and control over men, does He not have power over me, just one man?

The second thing that I noticed, though, is what I found most helpful concerning this busyness and constant activity. Yes, God is powerful and mighty and in control, but there’s still something necessary on my part, an action step found in Psalm 46. But what God is calling me to do is to step back and not “do,” but rather “know.” “Be Still, and know that I am God.” It’s in the busyness of life that I need to always be reminded to stop and be still, to take a moment to look to the Lord, knowing that He is God. And whenever this happens, whether it’s on a nationwide scale like is the immediate context of Psalm 46, or it’s within the heart of one individual, God is exalted in all the earth. When the world around us seems to be spinning out of control, may we be reminded to take a break, be still, and know that God is still in control.

For this Pastor’s Corner I’m tackling a question that some might view as divisive or at least something that a pastor shouldn’t be addressing. Divisiveness, though, is not my intent in any way, shape, or form, and I do think pastors need to be addressing this topic. The topic—voting. My intent is to get us, as Christians, to think about the political system and process we have within the United States and realize that voting is important. The question, however, is this. Is voting a privilege or a responsibility?

I ask this question in this form partly because of a conversation that I had with a man that I teach English to online who lives in Brazil. He works in the security industry for an oil company and he was asking questions about our political processes here in the United States, as he knew that we were facing a presidential election very soon. I answered his question, and in response to what I had said, he told me about their electoral process and how that in Brazil voting was a responsibility. In fact, voting was considered such a responsibility that if one didn’t vote, they were fined for not doing so.

That really caused me to later stop and reflect upon how seriously we as American citizens take voting, and then, especially, how seriously we as Christians take voting. Sadly, I don’t think we take it as seriously as we should. Statistics tell us that in an average presidential election between 50-60% of registered voters will cast a vote. The 2020 election was actually a record high for voter turnout with nearly 66% of registered voters casting their vote, which is hopefully a positive sign for the future. The presidential election vote, however, is by far the greatest turnout of voters. Most votes that take place during the year for city or state matters have voter turnouts of less than 20%, often in the single digit percentages.

All of that tells me something. In general, American citizens place higher priority on voting when it involves the most important political office in our nation, and lesser priority on voting for those offices or policies that pertain to our individual state or city. When we actually stop to think about it, though, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. The political offices of our state and local cities, and the policies of our state and cities actually have a greater impact on our daily lives than policies enacted on a federal level. If anything, we should be most concerned with what’s happening in our own backyards. That’s a different conversation, however.

So back to the question with another question, what’s the difference between a privilege and a responsibility? A privilege is defined by Merriam Webster as “A right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor.” A responsibility is defined as a “Moral, legal, or mental accountability.” With a privilege, you have something that not everyone has. But with that, you also are not obligated to take advantage of your privilege. It’s just there and available to you. If you have a responsibility, however, you are given a privilege and then the moral prerogative to do something with that privilege. And this is where the Christian worldview becomes very important.

With a Christian worldview we believe that God has revealed truth about all matters of life and death, that which is, which was, and that which is to come. Now there may be some things that we’re uncertain about and would like more detail on, but nevertheless, the Bible is our foundation for truth and the foundation that we must always lean upon when looking at electing people to a political office or in casting a vote for or against a law or policy. I also believe that God uses Christians to help preserve societies. That’s not to say that the society itself would or should ever be entirely Christian, but biblically and historically Christians have been light to a dark world and salt to a world in need of preservation.

For that reason, I view voting (according to Biblical principles) not as a privilege for Christians, but as a responsibility. We owe it to our cities, states, and nation to stand up for truth. We owe it to other people to cast a vote that will be best for them according to God’s way of measuring what is best, even if they may disagree with what we believe. If we honestly believe that God has the answers, and that God’s way is the way in which people should live, all Christians should get out and vote. The purpose isn’t to create a Christian nation. The purpose is to preserve and point people to truth in a world that is so readily and easily denying it.

This afternoon, from 4:00 till 6:00 p.m., we’re inviting everyone from our community to come onto the church grounds and into the church building for Trunk-or-Treat. Hundreds will come, and for many, if not most of them, this will simply be a time for their children to get candy, play some games, have some snacks, and have a good time in a safe environment. That in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s a good thing. It’s good for kids to be able to play and interact with other children and the adults, all of the church, helping to put this together.

However, there’s something much more important than the candy, fun, and games that children and their parents will experience today, and that’s the opportunity to connect with followers of Jesus in a way that perhaps they never have before. My prayer is that each of you, as the church, would look for opportunities to talk with all of the guests who will be here, connect with the parents and children, invite them to church, and even share our own stories of the difference that Christ has made in our lives. If we’re intentional about sharing Jesus, showing another way to live, and showing the change it brings to our lives, God can use that to point others to His Son. Then, as these families receive the book of Mark, and other information from our church containing the message of the gospel, they can see what God has personally done for them as well.

With these thoughts in mind, let me ask two things. First, when you go home this afternoon, pray specifically for those who will be coming here who don’t know Christ. Pray that they would be receptive to the generosity and kindness shown to them, and that they would be open to receiving the most important message of all, the message that Christ died for them. Then, secondly pray that God would use you, and use each member of our church who will be helping in one way or another with Trunk-or-Treat, to be very intentional about sharing Jesus with those who don’t know Him. You never know what God has been doing or might currently be doing in the heart and life of someone else, whether that be a child, teenager, or adult. So Let’s take this opportunity to redeem a part of our culture that isn’t something that honors the Lord, the celebration of Halloween, and rather use this season for the glory of God.

Again, while for so many this is simply what they think of as a fun event, God can start working or continue working in the hearts and lives of those who are willing to consider the claims of God’s Word if they are presented with truth. So today, I want to encourage each of you to be a light to our community right here on our very church property. Then, let’s continue with that same heart and mindset tomorrow, the next day, the next day, and the next. God is still in the business of bringing people to salvation, and we have the privilege of being a part of it. Let’s take joy in that, and serve the Lord faithfully.

T-minus 2 days! NASA first utilized this terminology of “T-minus” to signal how long it would be until their next rocket or shuttle launch. The countdown would be updated periodically until it finally came down to T-minus ten seconds, and then it would simply be a numerical countdown from 10 to 1 followed by “liftoff.” Well, we’re not launching any rockets, but we are launching a missions team to Colombia, South America—in 2 days! To me, that’s even more exciting than waiting for a space shuttle launch, especially since this is the first time for so many of the mission team members to leave the United States.

In two days we’ll be taking 21 people, 15 from our church and 6 from a couple of other churches, to see, be a part of, assist with, and coordinate many different ministries in and around the area of Bogota, Colombia. Bible clubs for children, youth events, a women’s event, seeing the discipleship and training school, helping with projects there, being present for a special Sunday morning worship service, and making home visits are all part of our itinerary. It’s going to be a lot to take in, a tiring six days, but I’m anticipating an amazing 6 days.

I’m not writing this Pastor’s Corner, however, for my own sake of anticipating a great trip, but rather to ask for help and support. The help and support I’m asking for isn’t financial. You as a church have already helped this whole team financially in such an amazing way. What I’m asking for is of even greater significance than that. I’m asking for the help and support of your prayers. You see, this mission team doesn’t just consist of 21 people. It consists of our entire church family. You are the key to a successful mission trip to Colombia.

In 1792 William Carey spoke a now well-known phrase connected to foreign mission work, “I will go down into the pit, if you will hold the ropes.” He spoke those words to his good friend Andrew Fuller prior to going to India. What Carey meant by that was that he was willing to go to a foreign place and a foreign people for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ, knowing that God was calling him there. But he also knew that he could not go alone. He needed the prayer support and encouragement of others—people to hold the rope as he went down into the pit.

Now I’m not about to equate what our mission team is going to be doing in Colombia to the calling and work of William Carey in India. However, the work that we will be doing does carry with it somewhat the same weight of the mission work of William Carey because it involves people. All people are created in the image of God, and are worthy of respect, dignity, and care from others to share with them the good news of Jesus Christ. So in a way, perhaps none of us are all that unlike William Carey. All Christians are called to share Jesus with others. But like Carey, we all also need the prayer support of others, especially as we “go down into the pit.”

So here’s my request. Hold the ropes for us while we’re gone. If you would commit to praying for each of our team members by name, each and every day of the trip, that would be a huge blessing. Also, pray for the people we will meet. Many of the people we will come in contact with will already be believers, as many of the contexts we’ll be in are people associated with local churches there. However, other people we will meet are not associated with churches, but are contacts that have already been made by other evangelistic and outreach efforts. And then, there will also be people that we meet that we will be their first contact to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for each of these groups of people, that we can be a blessing to believers, a help to those that God is already drawing unto Himself, and a light to those still in darkness. I can’t wait to get back and have our team report to the church of the goodness of God. But between now and then, please commit to faithful, daily prayer for us.

One of the things that our church staff does together is read books. We try to tackle one book every two to three months that each of us reads on our own, and with each week’s staff meeting we discuss the assigned chapters. What we’re looking for as we read are insights into God’s Word, insight into ourselves, or insight into our different ministry contexts. We’re looking for encouragement, helps for leadership, or simply ideas for how we can be more faithful to what the Lord has called us to. It’s actually one of my favorite things we do together as a staff, and I’m writing about this here in the Pastor’s Corner this week because we just finished another book this past Tuesday. It’s a book that I’ve read before, but it’s actually one of my top ten books I’ve ever read, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.

The book Mere Christianity is a book that has literally sold millions of copies worldwide, but it didn’t originally start out as a book. The content of what we read today was actually a series of multiple ten to fifteen minute radio broadcasts from England that C.S. Lewis conducted from 1942 to 1944, the heart of World War II. For this particular series of radio broadcasts Lewis wanted to, in his words, “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” Let me just say, he did a phenomenal job in both his defense and explanation. In fact, Lewis’ apologetic approach to Christianity is one that can and should still be used by any serious Christian.

Scattered all throughout Mere Christianity are extremely compelling examples and illustrations of biblical truths. Lewis simply has a way with logic and reasoning that is very helpful in our own attempts at understanding the truths of Scripture. He also gives us ways that we can then clearly and succinctly share those truths of Scripture with others.

While written over 80 years ago, the tone of the book feels very contemporary. Lewis was British, however, so there are some words that may be unfamiliar upon first read. Context usually helps to figure those words out without too much difficulty, and in the end, it broadens your vocabulary.

I say all of these things about Mere Christianity because I would like to encourage and challenge each of you to read this book for yourself.  Once the church library is put back into place (after the baseboards are installed from remodeling) you can borrow it from there. You can also borrow it from the Polk County library, or purchase copies online or likely at any bookstore. Then, if you do happen to read the book, which again, I really hope you would choose to do so, let me know your thoughts. I’d love to talk about this important book and how you can use it in your conversations with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the end of the day, Lewis took his faith in Jesus Christ and sharing his faith very seriously, but he was never heavy-handed. May we follow after his example as we strive to point others to Jesus as well. Let me also encourage you to develop a habit of reading good books. Read books that sharpen your mind and help you see truth more clearly. Read books that will help you be more bold in sharing your faith. Read books that deepen your faith. Doing so will be of benefit to you, as well as all who know you.

As I write this week’s Pastor’s Corner we’re just a few days away from what has come to be termed “938 Sunday,” and when you’re reading this, you are likely reading it on 938 Sunday. So, what is 938 Sunday? Why is it important? That’s what I want to address here.

First of all, 938 Sunday is an initiative started by the Baptist Bible Fellowship International four years ago. The initiative rose out of a burden and visible need for more Christians to surrender their lives to serve the Lord on foreign mission fields. The numbers “938” are representative of Matthew 9:38 that says, “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” It’s upon this verse that this Sunday’s Worship service revolves.

When we look at Matthew 9:38 we easily see that it was Jesus’ desire and plea for people to go and tell others about Him, to enter into the harvest field. And, for 2,000 years, followers of Jesus have been doing exactly that. However, as our world population continues to grow to numbers never before seen, and fewer and fewer Christians are surrendering their lives to go and tell others about Jesus, we’re facing what I can only refer to as a crisis. Ask any missionary, pastor, or individual who has connections to evangelism and missions about the need for Christian laborers, and they will all tell you the same thing—we desperately need more people to go and tell others about Christ.

938 Sunday is all about getting serious about Jesus’ call to go out into the harvest field. The songs we sing in worship, the Scripture that we read and reflect upon, the documentary that we watch, even the prayers that will be lifted to the Father will have a definite purposefulness to them. I have been praying fervently for this Sunday for the last couple of months, praying specifically that the hearts of God’s people will be moved, and that Christians within our local church will see that God wants to use them in the harvest.

With those thoughts in mind, what would I then encourage you, the one who’s reading this Pastor’s Corner, to do? First, I encourage you to simply and honestly pray. Each and every one of us can do that. That’s my first challenge to each of us. Pray for more people to surrender their lives to both vocational missionary ministry as well as lay ministry so that more people can have a clear presentation of what Jesus has done for them. After all, this is at the heart of Matthew 9:38, “Pray the Lord of the harvest…”

Secondly, I encourage you to ask God what role He might specifically be calling you to fulfill in the work of the spiritual harvest. Honestly and sincerely pray to the Lord, asking Him if you should be the one to say, “Yes, I will go.” If God is clearly answering no to the question of going, then ask how you can support those who are going, and those who will go.

Then, thirdly, understand that missions work is simply the work of evangelism. Each and every Christian is called to evangelism, but what is evangelism in its most simple form? It’s the sharing of the good news of Jesus and telling people how their life can be changed through Him. If you’re a Christian, you have already received the good news, the gospel, of Jesus Christ. Now go and share it with someone else. That’s what’s at the heart of 938 Sunday, people surrendering themselves to tell others about Jesus.

This past Monday and Tuesday I had the opportunity, along with several others from the church, to attend a conference up at Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City. The conference was entitled “For the Church,” and the reason for the title was quite clear in that what they were doing was for the benefit of local churches. But what are local churches? They are gatherings of people in a given geographical location who are following after Christ. So really, the conference was “for the people who make up the church,” but that’s rather redundant as the word “church” (ekklesia) means a called out, or a gathered assembly of people. Anyway, the conference was intended to strengthen and encourage local churches by encouraging pastors and church ministers to even more faithfully follow after Christ.

So, was I encouraged? Yes I was! For one, it was very encouraging to be in a room of like-minded individuals who want to honor Christ in their lives and churches. There’s just something about commonality and unity around the gospel of Jesus Christ that is always uplifting. Also, there’s something special about singing together with a thousand other believes in worship and praise to our almighty, loving, gracious, and kind Lord. He really is good. Through the good times and the bad, or at least what we might consider the good and the bad, God is always good, even when our own perceptions of goodness aren’t as clear as they should be.

So what were my takeaways from the conference? Why was I so encouraged? Well, my first takeaway is that the work and effort of the Christian life is always worth it. In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul spoke of what it meant to be a new creature, a new creation in Christ, speaking to the role of the Christian as an ambassador. It’s the job of every follower of Jesus to represent Him to all those who aren’t followers of Jesus. That’s not an easy job. But in our work, there’s one thing that should motivate us, and that’s the love of Christ. In fact, in 2 Cor. 5:14 Paul writes that “the love of Christ compels us.” How could we not make the Lord Jesus Christ our priority, serving Him with our life, if we have been so well loved by Him?

Secondly, this conference really helped me to put into perspective how faithfulness should permeate all areas of our life, and that the pursuit of faithfulness to the right things is blessed as well as empowered by God. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, in chapter 4, verses 1 and 2 we read, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” Faithfulness should be part and parcel of the Christian life. Anything worthy that we are to partake in requires dedication to seeing things through to completion. If the Bible says do something, we must do it to the best of our ability; seeking to honor God because it’s the right things to do. When we approach the things of God this way, we are then empowered to do what God has called us to do.

And then, thirdly, this conference helped me to see the bigger picture. Yes, what we’re doing here in our local church right here in Bolivar, MO, is important, but it’s just a piece of the much, much bigger picture. The big picture is the entirety of the kingdom of God, which exists for the glory of God. I never want to get to the point where I only see the church that God has called me to pastor. I want to always be looking toward, and aware of, how God has allowed us to be a part of what He’s doing all over the world. That type of encouragement is truly powerful.  
 

If you play any kind of sport, sooner or later you’re going to incur an injury. Obviously some injuries are more serious than others, with much longer healing and recuperation times, while other injuries are far less serious, and in a week or two you’re good to go. Unfortunately, I’ve had both types, and I’m not even all that great of an athlete. The point of this Pastor’s Corner, though, isn’t to talk about my athletic prowess; that definitely wouldn’t be much of an article, but rather to talk about injuries themselves. What are they? How do they affect us?

Let’s start with that first question, “What are injuries?” The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines an injury as hurt, damage, or loss sustained. That’s actually a pretty good definition, but I’d also add that injuries are that which are unplanned and unwanted. We may injure ourselves, but never would we do so intentionally. Not unless there’s something mentally not right in our own head. My own personal example from this past week was a basketball injury, a sprained ankle. By the way, almost all of my injuries have come from playing basketball. Some would say I should probably stop playing basketball, but that’s probably not going to happen.

Anyway, this past week when I injured myself, it was most certainly unplanned and unwanted and caused damage to my foot that most definitely hurt. It checked all the boxes for the definition of an injury. On top of that there was and is an obvious loss of mobility, and loss of opportunities to do certain activities requiring walking, running, or even just getting from one place to another. So the affect of an injury can often be quite extensive. In fact, injuries really disrupt life, the normal rhythm of the day to day. But what I’ve noticed over the last couple of days is that in those disruptions I was much more aware of all that I would normally do, but never think about. It also really caused me to stop and appreciate what life is like when I’m “healthy,” and to better sympathize and empathize with those with life debilitating injuries, illnesses, disabilities, or diseases.

Never did God guarantee “good health” to anyone, a pain-free life, nor a life with no physical struggles. I get that. But when that’s our normal for the most part, living without those types of things, we may not often put ourselves in the shoes of those whose “normal” is living with a disability, illness, or disease every day of their life. I will never know what it’s like to live my entire life out of a wheelchair. For all my life I’ve been able to walk, run, and go places as I chose. How often have I taken that for granted? I’ve never faced any major diseases, but how often do I earnestly, sincerely, and fervently pray for those who are currently battling for their life with a disease like cancer. I’ve never experienced chronic pain, dealing with a body that hurts day in and day out. How often do I just go through my days, day in and day out, without thinking of others, their struggles and pains; without even thinking about how to love them well and minister to them?

This temporary injury of mine has caused me to really reflect upon the thoughts and actions of my own life. It’s producing greater humility in me, knowing that I’m not immune from any of the things that I haven’t yet faced. I’d like to also think it’s making me more compassionate, and causing me to think more about the struggles, pains and difficulties of others more than I have in the past. It’s also my prayer that this will compel me to look for ways to serve others better, especially those who endure physical struggles. So, in a way, I guess this ankle sprain really is a good thing. I just wish I would have been able to learn these lessons without the experience of pain. Nevertheless, God knew what I needed, and I praise Him for it.

As I sat down to write the Pastor’s Corner for this week I knew the topic that I would be addressing. It was clear. I was living it. What I didn’t know, however, is what direction it would take once I got into the actual writing. So what you’re reading here are really just some ramblings and thoughts and reflections on my own amazement with a sovereign God and how God’s sovereignty intersects with really every aspect of our lives.

Now when it comes to the topic of God’s sovereignty, this isn’t the first time that I’ve written about it, nor will it likely be the last. However, what I experienced this last weekend caused me to just take a few steps backward and say, “God, truly you are in control of everything.” Hopefully you’ll be able to see why I can say that with such great confidence and faith once you’re done reading. So what follows is the gist of what happened.
 
Many of you know that my wife and I just took a trip to Iowa to see my uncle who was in the hospital. There was talk that he was going on hospice, and that he wasn’t doing well at all. He had taken on about 40 pounds of fluid. All three of the valves of his heart were leaking. His kidneys weren’t functioning properly, and on top of that his liver had damage as well. He really wasn’t doing well.

The doctors and nurses were all working with the various specialists, the cardiologist, nephrologist, and the hepatologist; all doing the best that they could. But at every corner one treatment was endangering other treatments and my uncle Roger’s body was simply wearing out. Several treatments were attempted to remove the fluid that continued to build up that was putting more and more pressure on the heart and lungs, but nothing was working. The last resort was dialysis to do what the kidneys were not able to do, but the cardiologist advised that that should only be the last resort, as he didn’t feel his heart was strong enough for a dialysis treatment.

Well, this is where God’s sovereignty begins to shine through. Under close watch and care Roger began his first dialysis treatment. It was rough on his body in all ways, but he made it through. Amber and I were there in the hospital waiting to see him along with my aunt, and when they wheeled him back to the room, I honestly didn’t think he would make it through the night. He was very sick, and it showed. However, the dialysis treatment was able to remove 4 liters of fluid, nearly 9 pounds. Roger was then able to eat a little bit, but so exhausted the only thing he could do was sleep, which was in and of itself difficult.

The next day we came back to the hospital and they had scheduled another dialysis treatment. Roger again came through the procedure, eliminating another 4 liters of fluid. This was repeated again the next day with the same result—12 liters of fluid now removed, with a loss of nearly 30 pounds, and the doctors and nurses, the cardiologist and the nephrologist all said they hadn’t seen anything like it before. Roger had regained color to his skin. He was talking with clarity and strength. He was even beginning to laugh. It was truly something to behold.

In fact, just to give you one example of the disparity that was going on, on the first day that Roger had entered the hospital one of the nurses had read my uncle’s chart before seeing him and said she had expected to see an elderly man. Roger is 85, so I guess that term would apply. But what see expected to see was an elderly man simply lying in a bed in a basically comatose state waiting to die. On paper there was no hope for him. This nurse, though, was shocked to see that what was on paper was nothing near what she was seeing with her eyes. By the way, Roger had a great conversation with that same nurse just a few days later about faith in God. That story brought tears to my eyes as my uncle told me about how he was telling her of his own faith and ways he had sought to serve the Lord, and how that God had always been faithful to him. That was just one of many storylines that God was writing and using for His glory.

Anyway, my uncle was defying the odds. He was doing what the doctors had said he wouldn’t be able to do. His strength was returning. He was moving forward. The words ‘hospice care’ were no longer in the conversation, and instead of the end of life conversations, doctors were figuring out next steps for rehabilitation. In fact, as I was in the middle of writing this, my aunt messaged me these words, “Roger is being released to skilled care after dialysis this morning. Will be at Rotary Ann [this is a nursing and rehab center] in Eagle Grove for a week or two before coming home.”  

This shouldn’t be happening, but it is. Will Roger be able to return home? It sure seems like it. But the best part of it all was what my uncle said right before Amber and I left last Sunday afternoon. “Whatever happens next, God will be glorified. That’s what we want, and that’s how we’re moving forward.” My aunt then responded with a statement to the effect that either through death or continued life, they wanted to honor God because He is the whole reason they’ve been able to live the life that they had to this point.

You see, my aunt and uncle get it. They understand that God is in control, that He is sovereign, and that they have been given the privilege to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of others. It was a great lesson for me to see, faith in action, and true trusting in the Lord no matter what comes. Even if Roger were to die today, we still will rejoice in the Lord and know that God is good, and that He is in control. All that God asks is that we trust Him, and then follow how He leads. May we all learn a lesson in God’s sovereignty as we watch the faith of others, and as we exercise faith ourselves to the glory of God the Father.

Theology is the study of God. But, I have heard it said that there is good theology and bad theology. Upon hearing this idea, I thought of two questions. First, is it my responsibility to participate in theology? And if so, how do I know that my theology is good or bad? In this pastor’s corner, I will attempt to answer both questions. 

Now the first question which I asked at the beginning has an obvious answer to me: Yes, I am responsible to participate in theology. However, to the average Christian, the word ‘theology’ has become unapproachable. It has become too lofty and impractical in the minds of believers. But the reality is that theology is for everyone. What I mean to say is that theology is something which everyone participates in whether they are a Christian or not. Every single person on this planet has thoughts about who God is and what He is like. There are no exceptions to this rule. Every single person in our world is a theologian. Do not be scared by the word theologian. I have heard many people say, “I am not a theologian. I don’t think that way.” But this reality couldn’t be further from the truth. We all participate in theology every single day of our lives. The creation of the public occupation of theologians has unknowingly affected our faith. It has created the idea in the minds of believers that they are not smart enough to understand theology and even if they could, they do not have the right credentials to share that theology. I am not saying that we have to get rid of the office of theologian, but what I am saying is that we are just as responsible for our theology as the theologian. If our theology is small, our god will be small. He will not be big enough to handle our lives. He will be a weak and pathetic god. He will be a god of our own design, rather than the God who made all things. We must be responsible to participate in theology. The deeper our theology, the deeper our faith.

This leads me to my second question. “How can I know if my theology is good or bad?” The answer to this question is very important. There are so many ideas about who God is and what He is like. How do we know which are true or false? Our conception of who God is, our theology, must be solely based upon the Bible. If it isn’t, our theology is actually based upon a lie we have believed from the world. Our bad theology stems from incorrect ideas about who God is and what He is like. Bad theology produces a weak God which leads to incorrect ideas of faith and practice. God gave us all that we need to know about Him in His revealed Word. Everything we could ever need for faith and practice is found within the pages of Scripture. Our theology can only be as good as our adherence to the written word of God. Any other source of our theology must be cut away. What this means practically for us is that we must think about how we think about God. Ultimately we are responsible for what we think about God, but we will not do so perfectly. There is not a single person who has a perfect conception of who God is. What we can do is  make sure that our theology is as close to the Scriptures as possible. That is good theology. This is not an easy task. It will come with many ups and downs. But it is absolutely worth it.

Your intern,
Michael Martinez

For this week’s Pastor’s Corner I’m writing about something that a lot of people might not know about, a women’s book club. Did you know that we host a monthly book club here at the church? Well, WE DO! It’s called Chapter Chat and it has actually been going since the fall of 2017, aside from the COVID 19 shutdown.

Chapter Chat is a women’s book club that’s focused on fun and fellowship, but it also helps to nurture a more robust Christian worldview. The primary genre of literature being read and discussed is Christian fiction, but exposure to various literary tastes is also a goal of the club to help us better see and understand the world in which we live. That’s actually been a hallmark of Christianity through the ages.

Historically, Christians have been on the forefront of literacy, encouraging an engagement with literature and learning. Why? Because Christianity believes that everything has its foundation in God. Yes, sin has corrupted all aspects of the world, but as we explore the world in which we live, through literature, we can better understand the God who created all things. For that reason, Christians have established colleges and universities, and supported literacy programs all over the world. Many may not realize it, but almost all of the Ivy League Schools, some of the most prestigious universities in the entire world, started as centers for Christian education, Christian colleges. Just look into the history of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Oxford, among others. True Christianity values learning, and learning happens through reading.

It’s that learning that Chapter Chat is invested in. Chapter Chat simply encourages women to engage more deeply in the practice of reading. Sadly, the most recent statistics on reading report that 65% of Americans did not read a single book in 2023. To me, that speaks volumes (slight pun intended—volumes, books, ah, never mind). It definitely is a cause for concern, though. So many people in our nation, and subsequently in our churches, are not tapping into the vast resources available to them in the form of good literature. The growth of our minds is being stunted, and instead of being challenged to think for ourselves, and think critically about what we see in the world, our culture does our thinking for us. It tells us what to believe and what to think about everything from religion to politics, to societal trends, to moral values. But if we’re only taking our cues from the culture, and not being challenged to actually think through the engaging of our minds in reading, we will be lead to believe anything and everything, including that which is truly antithetical to the truth that God has revealed through His Word, the Bible.

In John 8:32 Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” But what if people don’t know the truth because they aren’t reading to be able to see and discern the truth? That’s one of the big problems we’re facing in our nation today. So Chapter Chat is just one small way that we’re helping to combat that, at least amongst some of the ladies in our church and community. By the way, to attend Chapter Chat, you don’t have to be a member of the church. You just have to show up.

So, ladies, perhaps this short little blog posting has peaked your curiosity for this women’s book club. If so, show up for the next meeting of Chapter Chat which will take place on Thursday, September 26th, at 6:30 p.m. Maybe even bring someone with you. For that meeting, the discussion will be over Kim Vogel Sawyer’s book, “A Hopeful Heart.” And by the way, book selections for a given month are determined by the participants, so jump in and suggest a book or two that you think would be good to read and discuss.

This past week I had a conversation with a friend who has been going through some rather difficult times recently. He’s not despondent or angry at God, but He’s definitely feeling the weight of several difficult life circumstances. I could relate. I’ve been there. I think we all have. In fact, I know we all have, because difficulties are common to all men because we live in a fallen world.

Ever since Genesis 3, the world that we inhabit has been touched and vastly affected by sin. The ground has been cursed, our intellect and reasoning became faulty, and our hearts are inclined to sin because that’s the nature we received at the moment of our conception. And yet, God still shines as a light in the darkness pointing us to the way things should be, and the way things can be, in Him. There’s great hope in that. But the question still remains, what do we do with the struggles in the here and now, the trials, difficulties and even testing of this life?

I would wager to say that none of us like the trials, difficulties, or testing. But if we’re honest with ourselves and with God, we quickly see that it’s through the tests of life that we grow. Tests are never wasted. In fact, God allows the tests that comes into our lives, and restrains those that He knows we can’t handle or shouldn’t handle. The Bible is actually very clear to this point. In 1 Cor. 10:13 we read that “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 
 
But not only will God make sure that our trials and temptations are never too much, but He will also use them for our benefit. In James 1:2-4 James, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God writes, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” God never says, "Oops, I made a mistake on that one.” No. God knows our weaknesses, our level of maturity, and He knows what we need to become complete, lacking nothing. Therefore, He allows certain difficulties to come into our lives to mold us and make us into who He would have us to be.

Because of sin though, difficulties and trials will never go away. But God, in His sovereignty, will always be in control, even over the effects of sin, and He will in turn use those things for our good. It’s truly amazing when we stop to think about it. It's as if the Lord places our name on specific trials as He allows our faith to be tested as James writes. Through those trials, yes, we may struggle. We may hurt. We may even question or doubt. But if through those trials we pray and seek the Lord, we will grow and we will learn and we will mature in Christ.

Through it all, the struggles of this life are intended to help us to depend upon God, and when that happens, our faith grows. We see more clearly that it really is God who is leading us. He is guiding us. And God wants for us to get to the point in our lives where we are trusting more in Him than we are in ourselves. Proverbs 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?” Even in the midst of a trial, God knows, and God is in control.

Confession, for some it’s a scary word. For others it’s possibly a misunderstood concept or something that’s quite rarely practiced, if at all. But confession isn’t something that we should shy away from as Christians. In fact, confession is something that we should run to. And when I say confession, I want to be clear that I’m not talking about something that takes place in a small box between someone and a priest wearing a white collar.

So what then am I talking about? What is biblical confession? Pastor and author Dr. Erwin Lutzer writes, “Confession means that we agree with God. We agree that we have sinned. We agree that we are responsible for our sins. And we agree that God has the right to punish sin.” But the amazing thing about true confession, is that it results not in condemnation or being cast away from the presence of God because we have sinned, but we are rather brought into close relationship with God because we have confessed our sin. It’s the active step of repentance.

As we become ever more aware of the fact that God is holy and that we are sinful, we also become more aware of the barrier that exists between us and God when we do sin. So what should we do? For the one who has never fully placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to transform their life and forgive them of their sin, confession accompanied with faith is that which leads to salvation. Romans 10:9-10 says, “… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
That seems pretty clear. Confession plus faith leads to salvation. That’s essentially what Jesus was proclaiming as well when He told the people in Mark 1:15 to repent and believe in the gospel. In others words, confess your sin, and place faith in the gospel. If you do that, Paul said, “You will be saved.”

But what about the one who has already confessed their sin to God, turned away from it, and has placed faith in Jesus Christ? Pastor and author Frederick Buechner writes, “To confess your sins to God is not to tell God anything God doesn’t already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you and Him. When you confess them, they then become the bridge.” For the Christian, the only thing keeping us from a close, active, and vibrant relationship with God is unconfessed sin. It’s that which keeps us frustrated, and stagnant in our Christian life, and the roadblock to our sanctification. However, once confession does take place, we are brought back into closeness with our Father through His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This cleansing of our sin through Jesus is that which will bring freedom from the burden, guilt, and shame of sin. Why would the Christian want to hold onto his sin, when it sin that keeps us in bondage? It is our sin that Christ died for. And it is our sin that destroys us as well as others. Confess your sin to Christ. Turn back to a living and loving relationship with your Father, and you’ll never regret it.

For some reason, this past week, the Lord kept bringing to my mind my own neediness, and specifically my neediness for Him. And it’s a little bit strange because this past week I didn’t go through anything traumatic, anything extraordinarily worrisome, or any experience of great lack. I simply felt “needy,” and I don’t know how else to explain it.

As I dug deeper into this feeling, and maybe more accurately stated, dug deeper into the understanding of my own neediness, I thought of the song “I Need Thee Every Hour.” I’ve sung that song many times in worship services. I’ve sung it as a challenge and encouragement to my soul. I’ve sung it as a prayer to God. And each time I’ve sung it, I think I meant it, but going back to reread the lyrics and to think upon the truths therein, the Lord really moved in my heart.

Let me just quote a few lines—“I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby. Temptations lose their power when Thou art night.” As I thought about that second verse from the song, it once again really hit home. I’m needy because by myself I’m weak, prone to succumb to temptation to sin. However, when I’m walking closely with the Lord, temptation is really nothing more than a minor, short distraction. It lacks the pull that’s enforced by my own selfishness or pride.

I then looked further down to the next verse, “I need Thee every hour in joy or pain. Come quickly and abide or life is vain.” That verse too just resonated in my heart in mind. I’m not just needy because of what I’m going through in the moment, I’m needy all the time. I’m needy whether I’m experiencing joy in the Lord and I’m needy when I’m going through life’s difficulties and experiencing heartache and pain. I need the Lord in all seasons.

Then there’s the second part of that verse, a call unto the Lord to help make sense of this life. In John 15:5 Jesus plainly stated, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” I don’t know for sure, but it seems that the author of this great hymn perhaps had this exact verse in mind. We must abide in Christ, and He in us. And if that’s not happening, then life truly is vain. Jesus’ phrasing was that without Him, we can do nothing. That’s pretty vain.

Just those two verses alone really gave me pause into my own neediness, and in that time of reflection, it caused a great thankfulness to rise up within me. It caused me to be thankful for Jesus. It caused me to be thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit that leads me to search the Scriptures and leads me to search my own heart. It caused me to be thankful for the grace and mercy that was extended to me by the Father. It caused me to be thankful for the gift of God’s Word and the gift of the local church that helps me to see clearly and live rightly. And by the time I was done reflecting upon this feeling of thankfulness, I realized what God had just done. He had brought me full circle from an understanding of my own insufficiency to a worshipful spirit unto God’s all sufficiency. It’s through Christ that I am complete, satisfied, and life makes sense. But it’s apart from Christ that life seems cruel and hard. May I forever recognize my own neediness, while at the same time allow it to lead me into true thankfulness, because it’s there where I truly see how great God is.

Committee Meeting—when you hear that term you probably don’t think of fun and excitement. Honestly, neither do I. However, in this week’s Pastor’s Corner I am writing about a recent committee meeting that I was a part of that actually was fun and exciting. “Pastor Derrick, come on now. How can that be?” you might ask. Well, let me tell you.

This past week, prior to our semi-annual Member’s Meeting (which, believe it or not, was also very exciting) we had a missions committee meeting. The missions committee usually only meets two or three times a year to look at the health and status of our church missions ministry, and to decide upon what changes might need to be made. Usually things are pretty cut and dried. This meeting, however, was different.

For the last six months to a year our missions giving had really gone up and stayed consistent. In fact, our missions giving had gotten to the point of where, as a church, we were taking in more than $1,000 more monthly than was going out. That was like red meat to a dog for our missions committee. What can we do with an extra $1,000 a month? Well, we raised missionary support levels, significantly.

Just two month ago we had already raised missionary monthly support levels by an increase of $10. Now, however, we were in a position to do even more. We ran numbers for missionary support increases, totaled everything up, and realized that we still had considerably more to allocate. So, we did it again with a new set of numbers and criteria. We still had more to allocate, so we ran numbers a third time and came up with some exciting results. We are raising monthly support levels another $35 for missionaries we support and another $60 for missionaries sent from our church, along with support raises for each of the organizations and ministries our church supports as well. That brought our missionaries supported by our church to $125 monthly and missionaries sent out from our church to $200. The only thing I could think of at that time was, "That's fantastic!"

As a church, we currently support 27 missionary families and 4 organizations/missions ministries. For a church of just over 100 people, that’s something that I am very encouraged by, and something that is an integral part of who we are, a church with a global vision. So while most committee meetings are boring, when God’s people are being faithful to support the Great Commission, and God is blessing those efforts, it truly is a cause to be excited about. So, celebrate with me, continue to give to the missionary endeavors of the church, and let’s strive to do even more for missions for the remainder of 2024.

Let’s heed the words of Jesus from Matthew 28:19-20, “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of 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 to the end of the age.”
 

In today’s Pastor’s Corner I’m writing about a subject that I’m incredibly excited about, and that’s our upcoming member’s meeting. This coming Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. we’re having our semi annual member’s meeting, that which has been formerly called a business meeting. So why change the name? That’s actually why I’m writing this Pastor’s Corner, as this is much more than a name change.

For the last ten years, twice a year we’ve conducted a business meeting that was quite heavily focused on the budget and finances of the church. We’d talk briefly about other matters of business for the church and ministry, but most of the time was taken pouring over numbers and line items, comparing projected to actual expenses, and explaining anything that didn’t hit projections, whether that be high or low. That, in and of itself isn’t wrong, and isn’t unimportant, but there’s much more to a church than the financial budget. That was one of the first realizations that prompted a change to this semi annual meeting of the church.

A second reason to shift this meeting from a “business” meeting to a “member’s” meeting is to more accurately line up with Scripture. The church isn’t a business. Hopefully that’s self-evident. The church is people, specifically those people who have been born again, called out of the world for the glory of God, then baptized as a showing of obedience to the Lord’s command. Those who follow Christ and are then baptized are part of the church. They’re members. So this is a meeting of the church for the church.

Another reason for the changing of the name is that the designation of member’s meeting will better reflect what we’re going to be doing. Yes, we’ll still look at mid-year financial numbers, but spend a lot less time doing so. What we’ll spend more time doing is hearing from ministry leaders, rejoicing and celebrating together, praying together, and then having a time of food and fellowship after the meeting. This is a meeting that members will actually “want” to attend, rather than feel obligated to attend. And if for nothing else, I’m extremely excited for that shift.

So let me encourage you, if you’re a member, make it a priority to attend this meeting on July 31st. If you’ve got children, bring them. It would be good for them to hear about the good things that God is doing in His church. If you have little children, they’re welcome to be in there with us as well. After all, they’re part of the family too. The whole point that we’re getting at is that the church is a family, and as a family, we have times throughout the year that we get together to talk about things. This is that time.

As I write this Pastor’s Corner, I’m just a couple of days away from heading out on vacation. And yes, it does feel good to write those words, as we are currently in a very hectic season of our lives. It seems like that has been an ongoing theme for the last… as long as I can remember. Perhaps that says more about me than life in general, but nevertheless, I am welcoming this little time away.

This vacation, however, is a little different than some of the getaways we’ve been able to take in the past, as this year our family (defined for this purpose as my wife and our daughter still living at home) is actually killing the proverbial two birds with one stone. This vacation is also doubling as our daughter’s high school graduation gift. We did that with our two boys as well, actually taking one trip between their two high school graduations. But needless to say if it’s done once, there’s the expectation that the same will be done for all. No problem with that. That’s just the way it is.

So now we start the process of washing the clothes, cleaning the house, making a list of what plants and flowers and animals need to be taken care of, mowing the lawn, making our checklist of what we need to take, and then finally packing. Once we’re done with that, let the vacation and the rest begin! Oh wait, there’s the drive, and then the flight, and then more driving, and…

The real question actually becomes, does rest actually happen? Sadly, so often the answer is no. In the culture in which we live in, true rest can sometimes be hard to find, if not nearly impossible to achieve. We’re always connected, always available, always doing something, getting ready to do something, or just finishing doing something to where we’re a perpetual kind of tired. But didn’t God say something about rest being part of HIS design?

From the beginning of creation God spent six days of ultimate work, creating that which we can now see, smell, touch, taste, and hear, or at least creating everything that would reproduce after their kind into what we now take in with our senses. Then, after six days of work, the Bible says that God rested. That was the beginning of His example for mankind, the crowning achievement of His creation. From that time forward, throughout the rest of Scripture, rest is an incredibly important theme. It’s so important, in fact, that God chose for a designated period of rest (the Sabbath) to be a weekly part of life, and He even included it in His “Top Ten List” that we call the Ten Commandments.

But what is the real meaning of rest? Is it some form of relaxation? Is it going on a vacation? Is it taking time off work? Is it just doing nothing? I don’t think real rest is actually any of those things. In the 4th century Augustine wrote, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” I think Augustine was right. I believe that true rest is found when we draw ever closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 11:28 Jesus Himself said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

So with those thoughts in mind, as vacation is ever so close, I’m going to strive to really use this next week to focus in on Christ, to be still, to seek to know Him better, and allow Him to supply my needed rest. And then, when we return from vacation, it’s my desire to honestly and sincerely rest in Him, even when the busyness returns. Perhaps Matthew 11:28 needs to be my focal point verse for a while. Perhaps it needs to be yours as well.

Over the last several years I have really come to love, appreciate, and listen to many different podcasts, most of which are ministry or pastoral podcasts. There’s honestly such a wealth of information, encouragement, biblical truth, and practicality that’s available now, for free, that I just find it foolish for me as a pastor not to take advantage of the resources at my fingertips. So whenever I’m doing chores around the house, working out in the yard, driving in to the church or somewhere else to visit with someone, I’m usually listening to podcasts.

By the way, there are also tons of great Christian podcasts available for those who aren’t in vocational ministry and/or aren’t pastors. So if you’re interested in getting ahold of some great material, for free, just let me know that you’d like some podcast recommendations, and I’m sure I have some things and could find some things that would be beneficial for you. However, this Pastor’s Corner isn’t really about podcasts, although they are what got me into the main subject matter I’d like to address, which is actually music.

So why did podcasts get me thinking about music? Good question. Well, during the summer, most of the podcasts that I listen to take a short summer break from new episodes. Usually they’re on hiatus for a month or two, leaving me with time to not just listen to people speaking, but to people singing as well. And this past week, I went back to listen to some old playlists and songs, many of which I hadn’t listened to in years, and was really encouraged and uplifted by the music that was exalting Christ, encouraging me in my walk with Christ, and ultimately just challenging me to be more focused upon on Christ. That’s what good, Christian music does.

Then, that got me thinking about the importance of music with regard to spiritual growth. Have you ever stopped to think about the role that music can play in your own relationship with the Lord? English writer and poet Walter Savage Landor writes that, “Music is God’s gift to man, the only art of heaven given to earth, and the only art of earth we take to heaven.” That quote really gave me pause, and a new perspective on how to view music.

If we go to the Scriptures, the book of Revelation shows us that in heaven, God is surrounded by song, while here on earth our worship of the Lord is closely tied to our expressions to Him through music. No one can deny that repeatedly in both the Old and New Testament we are told to worship with music. The Psalmist instructs us with these words in Psalm 95:1, “O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” In the New Testament we are told, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” - Colossians 3:16

God intends for music to be an important part of both our worship as well as our daily life, which should be characterized by worship as well. Are you surrounding yourself with encouraging and God-honoring music? Are you allowing music to help you refocus your attention upon the Lord throughout the day? As we come together as a unified church, are you singing to the Lord from the heart? Take time this week to focus your thoughts upon the importance of music to your own spiritual life and I think you will be pleased with the results.

Last week while preaching I mentioned a passage of Scripture, pretty much in passing, that I encouraged people to read. The passage was 2 Cor. 5:14-21, and dealt with the concept of the Christian being an ambassador for Christ. The text reads:

14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

This is a portion of Scripture that over the last couple of years God has brought to the forefront of my mind on many occasions, both for my own benefit, as well as the benefit of others. It’s multifaceted, but really clarifies what we are called to do as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what’s especially interesting to me is that while it does tell us what we are to do, it’s not so much us doing the work as it is Christ working within us, “For the love of Christ compels us.”

That thought continues throughout the passage, and ultimately finds its culmination in the task that the Christian is called to, which is a task of representation and reconciliation. But first, something has to have changed within the individual. John and Peter describe it as being born again. Mark and Luke, among others, describe it as being saved. Here, Paul describes it as becoming a new creation—something changes within us because of what Christ has done for us. And then, because of what Jesus has done, the one whose faith and trust is in Him has been reconciled to God the Father, and has become that new creation.

But that’s not the end of what God does in the life of this individual, any individual who will repent of sin, and by faith trust in Jesus and Him alone for salvation. In fact, that moment of salvation, being born again, becoming a new creation, that’s just the beginning. Next is the process of sanctification and then that work of representation and reconciliation. The one whose faith is in Jesus is now considered, and truly is, an ambassador. That’s where the representation comes in. The Christian represents Christ to the world. He or she is Christ’s voice in a foreign land. And together with other voices, other ambassadors, the message grows louder and all the more clear.

What is that message? It’s the message of reconciliation. Paul says that it’s like God is pleading through us, through those who are truly Christians. And God’s greatest desire, that which He is pleading for, is that more people would be reconciled to Him. What an amazing task. What an amazing privilege. What an amazing responsibility. What an amazing God. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

We are ambassadors of the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. Let’s together, as the church, go out and represent Christ to the world. There’s no greater calling.

Hebrews 4:12 describes the word of God, the Bible this way, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Have you ever stopped to meditate (think upon) what that one verse of Scripture is saying about the entire body of God’s Word? In essence, it’s saying that the Bible is transformative. It’s not a dead book of ancient writings that’s detached from reality. It’s alive. And when I say it’s alive, it’s alive in the sense that it is always applicable for all people for all ages for all purposes.

But not only is the Bible alive, it’s also able to change the heart and life of any man, woman, or child. It’s described as being powerful and sharp, sharper than a sword razor-honed on both sides. With that sharpness, the Bible shows truth from error, it discerns sinfulness from righteousness, and it exposes our true motives. Why is that so important? Two reasons—first, living according to God’s will and God’s way makes for the absolute best life we could ever live. Then, secondly, living in this manner glorifies (honors) God, which is the whole reason why we exist.

For the true Christian, reading the Bible regularly, meditating upon it, studying it, and always looking to put it into practical application is the most important thing that one can do. It prepares you for life, for today, for tomorrow. It shows you how to best share your faith with others. It gives you what you need to share with others. It simply shows you the pathway of real, abundant life.

Some will try to discredit the Bible, to find fault or error with it, but none have ever succeeded and none ever will. The Bible is inerrant, and has been preserved by God Himself to guide the life and conduct of man. However, that’s not the ultimate purpose of God giving us His Word. The ultimate purpose for the Bible is found in the fact that it reveals God to us and tells us how we can know Him and make Him known. I hope this is your desire and purpose in life. If not, the answer as to how that can change is found in opening the Bible, reading it, studying it sincerely, and digging into real truth.

Why do I write all of this for this week’s Pastor’s Corner? I do so because the Lord placed this topic upon my heart. Why this topic at this time? I think the answer is because this timing coincides with the beginning of a new Bible reading plan. This particular plan is one that I introduced the entirety of our church to at the beginning of the year, but actually consists of twelve quarters, a total of three years. This is the beginning of the third quarter.

If you were to follow this plan, reading God’s Word daily, you will read through the Bible in three years, at a pace that you can really think through and study God’s Word. If you didn’t start the reading plan at the beginning of the year, that’s ok, start here. Join in the conversation as iron sharpens iron. Also, If you want to get caught up, I can send you links to the previous reading plans where you can “double up” or more for a few months, and still finish the whole Bible in three years. It’s a most doable and worthy goal, and I challenge you to embark on this journey with a few dozen others. Click on this link to join in: https://bible.com/p/67440024/8dc857a252605b3e8a3df85e94343e2a. If you’re in our morning worship service, you will also be able to scan a QR code that takes you to the same location.

I’m excited about how God is shaping us as a church, and He’s doing so not through programming, or entertainment, but through His Word. May we be faithful to conform ourselves to it. To God be the glory, great things He has done.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Youth Sunday is one of my favorite Sundays of the year. There’s just something about the energy and enthusiasm of young people with a whole world of opportunities in front of them being willing to serve and minister to others within the context of the local church. It’s often said that young people are the future of the church, but in reality, they are the church of today.

Our young people are the ones who have been learning, watching, sitting under the teaching of Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, and pastors for years. They may not have all the answers, but they have definitely learned to ask so many of the important questions of life, and that’s what the church needs. The church needs people who are real, and honest, and who are ready to engage others on subjects of truth, and life. That’s what you find in Christian young people today, and I love it. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy Youth Sunday so much.

When I think of the youth of our church, my mind can’t help but go back to the words of the Apostle Paul that he wrote to his young co-laborer in the ministry, Timothy. In 1 Timothy 4:12 Paul wrote, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” So what Paul was telling Timothy was that he shouldn’t be embarrassed for being a young person, and that also he shouldn’t feel bad if anyone “looked down” on him. If anything, Paul encouraged Timothy to be an example in all ways of life to other believers. And that’s what our young people are doing with us today, showing an example of service and ministry in some of the ways that God has gifted them.

So for all of us who are now past the age of “youth,” it’s our opportunity to see our young people for who they are, servants of Christ. It’s also our opportunity as a church to say, “we love you,” as we help to send them to camp through our donations. And on top of that, we get tacos. Maybe that’s why I like Youth Sunday so much. Hmmm, I’ll have to think about that more.

But as I’m thinking about tacos, there is one more reason that this year’s Youth Sunday is special, at least for me and my wife, as our youngest child participates in their last Youth Sunday. Over the past couple of months, there have been quite a few “lasts” in our family, and several more to come in the coming months—the last of the senior trips, the last awards banquet, the last last day of high school, the last graduation, the last Youth Sunday, the last youth camp, the last first day of college, the last… I think you get the picture.

What looms ahead for me and my wife is “the empty nest,” and on some levels that causes feelings of sadness and longing for the way things were, and on other levels, it causes feelings of pride, good pride, pride in the accomplishments of our children and pride in seeing them walk their own path of faith and faithfulness to the Lord. So yea, this Youth Sunday is a little different. It’s great, but it’s also kind of an emotional time. So if you see some tears in our eyes, know that we’ve been doing a lot of woodworking right before church and that sawdust is really irritating. No, it’s ok to cry, but also know that those tears are also tears of happiness and proud parents.

So for each of you who are parents and have already gone through this. Well done, you made it through such a huge part of life. I look to you for how to handle the next stage. For those of you who are there with my wife and I in this similar stage of transition, let’s encourage one another and walk this new road together, taking our example from those who have already walked a few more miles. And for those of you still with little ones in the home, in the blink of an eye, you’ll be where we are. May we be godly examples to you as soon you look to us for help in walking the road of the unknown.

Wow, it seems like I need to snap out of it. Youth Sunday can cause quite the roller coaster of emotions and thoughts. Hopefully most of them have been poured out here on the page. But if many more are yet to come, and I’m sure they are, I guess I should be ready for the ride. So should you.  

In today’s Pastor’s Corner I wanted to write about something that I am personally very excited about for our church—the upcoming missions trip to Colombia. It’s been 28 years since our church went on a missions trip. When I first heard that a couple of nights ago, I was shocked because global missions is a huge part of Berean’s identity. Training up missionaries, sending out missionaries, supporting missionaries, praying for missionaries, that’s who we are, that’s what we do, as called and commissioned by God Himself. But it’s been nearly three decades since our church last went to a mission field.

Now over the years, including recent years, many individuals have gone on various missions trips to many parts of the world. That’s been great, exciting, and life changing for those who went. As a church we’re glad to support those that God is calling to leave their comfort zones and see the need for the gospel in places outside our own country. It’s through exposure to the various parts of the world that God burdens our hearts for the various peoples of the world. And through that burden, many times God says, “Go.” So by all means, we want to support individuals who feel led to go to the nations.

However, there’s something different about missions when the local church goes together. That’s what I’m so excited about. Last Sunday for the informational meeting, we had 20 people in attendance expressing interest in going to Colombia. THAT WAS AWESOME!!! Then, after talking with people, it seems like a large number of that 20 are set on going. THAT TOO IS AWESOME!!! It’s great to see God working in hearts, showing His church the need for missions, and seeing people ready and willing to respond.

Through short-term missions trips like the one we will be taking with the church to Colombia, God so often redirects lives. It may be in the form of saying “I want you to go,” like I wrote earlier. It may be in the form of much greater involvement in giving to missions, praying for missionaries, and connecting with missionary families on the field. It may be in the form of promoting missions and helping others to see the need for more laborers to go forth into the harvest fields. But whatever God does in the hearts and lives of those who go, it is never in vain.

What about those who don’t go? I’m glad you asked. (I’m assuming you were wondering about those who don’t go.) Anyway, to answer the question, since this is a church missions trip, it’s my desire to see the whole church involved. Even if you’re not going, you can still pray for those who are. If you’re not going, you can also help by giving to those who will go, and in all actuality, this is a big part of how this is a whole-church missions trip.

We are in the process of organizing a couple of fundraising projects to help those that God is calling to go, but who still need a little help financially to get there. One project is an after church Colombian themed luncheon. Those going on the trip will help prepare and serve this donation-based meal, and 100% of the proceeds will go to help cover the expenses of the trip divided out amongst those going. For those who don’t need additional financial support, they can decline their portion, with their portion then being divided amongst those who do need the financial support to be able to go. We’re also looking at a fundraising project that is sponsored through MANNA Worldwide, and that fundraising opportunity will be a person-by-person fundraiser where each trip participant will raise their own money for those looking to raise additional funds.

In addition to those two fundraisers, I would also ask that our church family be willing to simply give to the Colombian missions trip. I set up a new category in the online giving portion of our church app, or on our website. It’s quite aptly named “Colombia Missions Trip.” You can also give by designating money under the “special” category of the white giving envelopes and marking it “Colombia Missions Trip.” Again, 100% of that money will be divided between those going who need the extra financial help in getting there.

So Whether you’re going, or whether you’re staying here in Bolivar come October 22nd, either way you can have a big role in what I am convinced will be a hugely impactful trip for our whole church. Commit to praying for those going, for those that we will meet and connect with, and for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be front and center. Also, I also encourage you to commit to financially supporting the trip as you are able. It is more than a worthy cause, it’s a calling and commission to all of us who are followers of Christ. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…”

As I worked outside this past week the sun was shinning. It wasn’t too hot or too cold. A slight breeze was blowing. The weather was beautiful, and because of all of the rain we had recently, the grass and flowers were bright and full. I stopped for a moment to just listen, and I heard birds singing, and in the distance a dog had started barking. All of this just reminded me of the goodness of God in giving us His creation. And if you’re like me, sometimes I simply fail to acknowledge these great gifts of God. So this past week, for me at least, this was a special reminder of how good our God really is.

When I stopped to think about what the Bible says about God’s creation, and His magnificent gifts to us, I thought of passages like Genesis 1, and John 1, as well as some of the Psalms declaring the majesty of God, like Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” But then, the Lord brought to my mind some of the words of Job. I couldn’t remember them exactly, and I didn't remember what chapter they were in, but after a quick search I found what I was looking for.

Listen to these words from Job 12:7-10…


Everywhere we look, we can see the handiwork of God. He is the creator, the sustainer, and the one to whom all worship is due. And as I look out at the magnificence of God’s created order, it makes me smile, and it makes me thankful for the goodness of God. Maybe you, like me, need to just take a moment to look around and appreciate who God is and what He’s done. Take a walk, go for a hike, sit on your porch and listen to the birds. It might be exactly what you need. It sure was for me.

For today’s Pastor’s Corner I wanted to give everyone an update on how the ministry to the Hispanic Community in and around Bolivar is progressing. Since September 15th, the date of the Block Party to try and establish connections with the Spanish speakers in our area, there has been an ongoing Spanish Bible study on Monday nights. This group has been meeting in the Rose Building of First Baptist Church here in town and is now averaging 20-25 each week. They have developed a good core group, some of which are from the Springfield area, but many from right here in our area.  

With such great consistency and progress, plans are now developing to begin a Hispanic Worship Service in the near future. When and where that will be taking place is still not decided, but something that I would ask for you to be praying about. There is one individual who will be spearheading this effort by the name of Hebel Gutierrez, and many who are backing him. Hebel has been leading many of the Bible studies and is in the process of completing training to officially be a NAMB (North American Mission Board of the Souther Baptist Convention) Church Planter. This will take about six months.  

The following information comes from John Rhodes, our Midlakes Baptist Association Associational Missions Strategist. “This church planter will be working around 20 hours per week to help build the worship services and to reach out to the Hispanic community. He also will still be leading the Bible Study. During this time, we as an association of churches and individuals will have the opportunity to invest in his ministry. For this to happen, we must get involved. Because he and his wife currently live in Springfield, he will be driving two days a week for the Bible study and worship service, but he will also be here a lot of other days. Because of this he will have expenses. For the first six months we need to help provide $500 a month for fuel and $200 a month for other expenses. He will be under the oversight of Pastor Rodriguez, and we will also be appointing a committee to work with Pastor Rodriguez.”
 
John continues, “After six months as coordinator, and the completion of his NAMB training, Hebel will be evaluated and if he feels this is where God wants him to serve, and if the committee recommends it, along with Pastor Rodriguez, then Hebel will be promoted to church planter. At this point NAMB will kick in some funds, (possibly up to $1,000), but we would need to kick in some more to make his being on the field full time possible. The goal is to help the church grow so it can become self-sufficient. The goal is for the church plant to become self sufficient as soon as possible. Anytime within the first five years.”  

So now the question, for us as a church, becomes this—How would God use us to help such an important ministry, the ministry of planting a new church right here in our own backyard? I think the first and easiest answer is to pray for this potential church plant. Pray for more people to hear about the opportunity for a Spanish speaking church right here in Bolivar. Pray for those who are Spanish speakers to hear about the church, and most importantly hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Secondly, we can pray for the logistics of the plant, for the right time and place for worship services to begin. We can pray for those who are planning and organizing, that their efforts would be clearly led by God’s Spirit, and that this potential church plant would become more than a potential plant, but a reality. Third, we can pray about how we can be involved as a church helping in the starting of another church. I think we can most definitely help financially. But how much for how long becomes another question. Perhaps we can help, especially those who speak Spanish, with the organization of the worship services, and/or attending the ongoing Bible study. The possibilities really are endless.  

I write all of this to say that I am excited. I am excited about the start of a new church. I’m excited because we have the opportunity and privilege to be a part of this. I’m excited because this is what God has called Christians to do, to go and make disciples of all nations. Those disciples then become part of existing churches, or in this case, they start a new church that is in their native language. In fact, there are already individuals involved in the Spanish Bible study who are believers, but have not yet been baptized, but would like to be. They need a church to be baptized into. How wonderful to be a part of seeing this happen. Also, if you think the Lord would have you to play a specific role in this, please speak with me as soon as possible. To God be the glory for what He is doing right here in Bolivar amongst our Spanish speaking neighbors.  

In today’s Pastor’s Corner I’m going to start with 2 definitions. The first is “appreciation,” and it’s defined as recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something. The second definition is actually a phrase, “to appreciate someone,” and this is defined as understanding the worth or importance of something or someone. If you haven’t guessed, I’m thinking about the idea of appreciation today, because that’s what I and so many currently in our church, and so many who have been a part of our church for a season, feel for a very special couple—Dave and Karri Perry.

Today is the Perry’s last day leading Berean’s college and career ministry. Sixteen years in college ministry is a long time. It’s a long time in any ministry, but especially when ministering to such a fluid and rapidly changing group. For that, I appreciate them both so very much. But it’s not only their dedication to such a challenging ministry for which I appreciate Dave and Karri, but also their hearts of service for the Lord.
When I first met Dave he was on the pastoral search committee, and when I accepted the Lord’s call on my life to Pastor Berean, and the church’s call to confirm the Lord’s call to come to Berean, I will never forget what Dave told me. He told me that he and Karri were the college and career directors at the church, but he didn’t have any need to be the number two man, or the number three, or any number whatsoever. He just told me that he wanted to be faithful to the Lord, serve the church, and help me as the incoming pastor however he could.

Now at that point I didn’t know Dave well enough to know if those words were just empty platitudes and false humility, or if there was weight and truth behind them. Well, fast-forward a decade. After ten years of working with Dave and Karri, I can say with 100% honesty, and with more appreciation than anyone can ever know, that he meant every one of those words. Both Dave and Karri’s humility and heart of service are a thing of beauty to the Lord, and something that has been such a huge blessing to the church. They are truly humble servants of God, and I, along with our whole church, appreciate them so very much.
What’s next for Dave and Karri? Well, they’ll continue to lead us in worship. For that, I am extremely thankful. They’ll also continue to serve the Lord and continue to love others however God leads. It will just be in a different context, and time will show what that context is.

But for now, let me encourage you to say “thank you” to the Perrys for their many years of ministering to young adults. Let them know you love them, that you’re praying for their family, and that you appreciate them. I know I sure do. We love you guys!

Congratulations! That’s always a word associated with something good, whether it be the wedding of friends or someone in your family, the announcement of a new baby, receiving a promotion at work, the accomplishment of a long-time pursued goal, or in the case of my wife and I, the graduation of our youngest child from High School. This afternoon Emilia will become a high school graduate, and undoubtedly there will be many congratulations directed her way, as it should be. Mom and I are obviously very proud of our daughter and all that she has accomplished and excited for all that the Lord has in store for her as well.

But as I was thinking about Emilia’s graduation, and thinking about accomplishments, I really started to think about the things in life that go unnoticed. How many things do we, or someone we care about, do that are significant, but don’t received the recognition, the congratulations. For a high school or college student, how about when they are tempted to cheat, to plagiarize, or to in some other way “cut corners,” but instead they decide that they should work hard, be honest, and be a person of integrity—congratulations, that will make a big difference in your life. Those decisions might even be more meaningful than the diploma they will eventually hold in their hand.

What about the couple who’s trying to save money for their retirement or for the purchase or renovation of a home, or to purchase a “new to them” car, and they have some choices to make. They can fudge just a little bit on their taxes, they can give less to the Lord, they can manipulate their time cards to get some “extra overtime.” Or, they can be honest, faithful, and generous with “their money.” Is it really theirs to begin with? That’s another discussion for another day. But if the couple decides on the latter, displaying integrity, congratulations, the Lord will honor what is right, always.

What about the husband and wife who have had their ups and downs and their times of disagreement, but they always came back to the fact that it was God who instituted marriage, and they truly believe that “till death do us part” really meant, till death do us part. Divorce never became an option. It simply wasn’t on the table, because they were being led by a greater authority, and they were willing to yield themselves to that authority, even when it was hard. That’s integrity.

At the end of the day, there are so many examples that we could give that deserve a huge congratulations, but will never get them. That’s just the way it is. So don’t get discouraged when you don’t get that pat on the back, that well done, or that congratulations. God sees it all. He knows. And one day, it should be our goal to hear those words, “well done, my good and faithful servant,” even if it means never hearing those types of words from anyone else. After all, as C.S. Lewis wrote, “integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” The one thing we do know is that God is watching. So step up, do the next right thing, and live a life of integrity as you follow Christ. If you make that your goal of how to live, you’ll never be disappointed.  

This past week weathermen were warning us that storms were coming! On Tuesday night I watched the local news and that particular weatherman sharing what was then tomorrow’s forecast, made the statement that the atmospheric conditions were “better” for majorly severe storms than he had seen in the last decade. Honestly, that was a little bit scary, as he would then go on to describe what he meant by majorly severe storms—baseball to softball sized hail and very strong tornadoes. Yeah, not exactly what I wanted to hear from my trusted weather forecaster, but it’s what I needed to hear.

Now, did we end up with massive sized hail and very strong tornadoes? Thankfully, no. But I’m at least glad that the weatherman told me the truth of what could happen, even if the prognosis was bad. What good would a weatherperson be if everyday they just said that tomorrow would be beautiful, a great day, and problem free, meteorologically speaking, even if they knew that would not be the case? They don’t want to ruin anyone’s day. They don’t want to rain on your parade, pun intended. They don’t want to give you news that might cause you anxiety, stress, or worry. That wouldn’t be a very good weatherman, would it? I would say “no.” It’s the job of the weatherman to be honest and truthful, even when it means giving “bad news.” That bad news, however, might save someone’s life.

As I thought about the honesty with which weather forecasters approach the weather, my mind then went to the doctor. If I go to the doctor, I expect him or her to tell me the truth about my condition. If the test shows cancer, I want to know about it. I want to know how far along it is. I want to know how it’s affecting my body. I want to know if, in their opinion, it’s treatable. I even want them to tell me it’s terminal, if it indeed is. At least I would know the truth. I wouldn’t consider them a very good doctor if the tests and scans all showed cancer and they turned around and gave me a clean bill of health because they didn’t want me to worry or didn’t want to hurt my feelings. It’s the job of the doctor to be honest and truthful, even when it means giving “bad news.” That bad news, however, might save someone’s life.

My next line of progression then came to the Christian. Our world today says that if you’re going to be a Christian you must be nice, kind to everyone, and only speak things that are nice and kind, with “nice” and “kind” being defined as never saying anything against anyone else. Now I’m not touting being mean-spirited, hateful, and unkind. In no way, shape or form is that authentic Christianity. In fact, Christians are called to humility, kindness, compassion, and mercy. We are also called to honesty and truth. This is the tightrope that a true Christian must walk.

If we believe that we hold the words of life in our hands, which is the Bible, and the Bible reveals to us the only way for eternal life and forgiveness of sin, is it not the kindest thing that we can ever do to tell others the truth of God’s Word? I would say, yes. In fact, not telling others the truth of what God has said is the equivalent of the weatherman saying that every day is a perfect sunny day or the doctor always giving a clean bill of health to the patient. That’s not good at all, but rather evil.

So Christian, let me encourage you. Speak truth. Do so in love as Ephesians 4:15 instructs, but speak the truth. Speak the truth about God, that He is the one who created everything, including man. Speak the truth about man, that we have sinned, broken God’s holy and righteous law, and that we are deserving of death. Speak the truth of Jesus, that Jesus has made a way so that we could live and be forgiven of the sin that we commit. And then speak the truth that all men must give an account to God one day for the decision we make concerning Jesus.

These truths actually comprise the message that all Christians are called to share. We sometimes summarize it in the four words that must be fleshed out as we share Christ with others—God, man, Christ, response. Be honest, be truthful, and the whole time, be loving, kind and compassionate because we are all sinners in need of a Savior. The only difference between the Christian and the one who is not, is that we have already accepted God’s greatest gift, the gift of salvation. Shouldn’t that gift be extended to others through you? I think the answer is yes.

CHANGE! It’s a scary word. It’s a word that we’re uncomfortable with. It’s a word we try to avoid. And yet, it’s a word that’s inevitable. It’s also a word that can actually be good, at times, when not forced, and when purposeful, and, and, and… 

In case you didn’t notice, this week, our church bulletin underwent some major changes. Now I know that changing the layout and format of the church bulletin isn’t an earth-shaking change. No one’s life or death rests on the presentation of the bulletin. Hopefully we won’t split the church over changes made to a piece of paper.  However, something so small as tweaking this hallmark of Baptist church tradition, the bulletin, can reveal a tendency toward resisting that which might be good and necessary in our lives, change. 

John D. Rockefeller once said, “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” George Bernard Shaw said, “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” And leadership guru, John Maxwell stated, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”

Each one of those quotes is quite poignant in their own right. Rockefeller focused on the heart of good change, going from something good to something better or something great. Shaw focused on the necessity of mental preparedness and mental toughness to see that change is often necessary. Lewis focused on the desired outcome of change, that we, and I think he had in mind especially the follower of Christ, are always looking forward to that which is far better than what we currently are experiencing—heaven anyone? Then Maxwell helps us to see that there are really only two possible options or outcomes resulting from change, either growth or stagnation. 

Change, when done correctly, makes an improvement to the status quo. And as a church, and as individual Christians, we, of all people, should be proponents of change. After all, the status quo is that the same people are doing the same things, in the same place, the same way. That goes against everything that God has called us to do. God has called us to go, to tell, and to make disciples. He has called us to teach all things that Jesus has commanded. He has called us to shake up the status quo so that people will clearly see the love of Christ, repent of their sin, and trust in Him and Him alone for salvation. If people remain where they are, doing the same things they’ve always done, and they don’t ever come to a place of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, they will die and forever be separated from God in a very real place called hell.

So when I really think about the church in general, and our church in particular, I’m willing to make the statement that there are things that all of us must change. I’m willing to also make the statement that there are things that must change within our church, to better align with biblical truths and principles.  Do I know what all of those things are? No. But as God points out those things that must change even within our own church body, we must be ready, willing, and able to not only accept change, but to embrace change, if that means being a part of what God’s doing to advance His kingdom. 

Is that scary? Yes. And for me as your pastor, it’s really scary because by nature we are simply resistant to change, even when it’s good and God-ordained. And when the church is doing well, as is the case right now, you don’t want to overturn the apple cart. The tendency is to just keep doing what we’ve been doing, the status quo. But God doesn’t want any church to simply maintain the status quo. So let me challenge and encourage you. Look to change as a good thing. Be willing to walk with me and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ through any changes that God might show to us. And remember the words from Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”