Yesterday afternoon, a neighboring church celebrated the baptisms of eight people, each of whom has experienced salvation in Jesus and is dedicating his or her life to following him. Together with seven other people who were baptized in September, the Midland Missionary Church has now seen fifteen people go through the waters of baptism in the past few months. Praise the Lord for how he is moving in that congregation! Continue reading
The Bible – Year in Review
Several of us committed to read the Bible all the way through in 2015. If you are in that group, did you make it? If you are not in that group, is there someone you know who participated? We used the “Chronological Bible,” a reorganization of every verse of scripture according to the order of biblical events. It has been a fascinating journey through scripture, and now that it’s complete, I’d like to offer a couple of reflections on the process. Continue reading
Coming Into the Light
Light shines into the darkness: the Wise Men. Isaiah 60:1-6. Ephesians 3:1-12. How has God shined his light into our lives? And what should our response be? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on this Epiphany Sunday.
Give Thanks to God
While in their old age, Simeon and Anna had meaningful encounters with the infant Jesus, and this gave them hope for the future. What does this ancient story say to us today? Listen to Pastor David’s message on Luke 2:22-40 here.
The Pattern of the World
A couple of weeks ago, on November 1, I preached on Romans 12:1-2. The sermon, part of our series on evangelism, was a call for us to experience deep transformation in Jesus Christ and then to live into the perfect will of God. The sermon led directly into sharing the Lord’s Supper together, an experience of deep transformation in which we encounter the crucified and living Christ in a mysterious, powerful way.
In the sermon’s conclusion, I spoke these two sentences:
The world’s way of living is to ignore the mercy of God and to live for our own comfort and preservation. When we separate ourselves from those who are not like us, we are simply accommodating to the pattern of the world.
I would like to expand on those thoughts with you now. Especially now, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris. Continue reading
Drawing Near to Jesus
The woman reaches out to touch Jesus’s cloak. Jesus stops in his busy day to look around and see the needs around him. How is the healing story in Mark 5:25-34 related to our work of evangelism? Listen to Pastor David’s sermon, the last in our series on evangelism.
Breaking Free From Spiritual Inertia
Are you busy, or are you a busybody? Are you spiritually active or spiritually inert? What roles do you play in your church? Listen to Pastor David’s message on 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15.
Avoiding Cultural Accommodation
Mercy: receiving a gift of something good when you deserve something bad. Evangelism is all about diving deep into God’s mercy and allowing his love to overflow into the lives of those around you. Listen to Pastor David’s sermon on Romans 12:1-2.
Letting Scripture Breathe
What are you reading in the Bible these days? What is your routine? Do you read a lot, or a little? We can get tied up in a lot of questions like these when we think about our spiritual lives.
Here’s a different sort of question to ask yourself: Where does scripture breathe into your life? Continue reading
Doctor of Ministry: I’m Not Going Anywhere
Recently, I have heard a few people at church express their concern that my Doctor of Ministry work is leading to one inevitable outcome: my “moving on” to another pastoral position at some other church. If those few people had the courage to share their feelings with me directly, I can only imagine that others of you may be feeling the same thing privately.
Let me clear some things up for you: I have no intention of leaving Mt. Haley any time soon. I am not doing this Doctor of Ministry degree as a “career advancement” move. I’m doing these studies because I believe in this ministry, the Mt. Haley Church of God, and I want to enhance both my skills as a pastor and our ministry together as a congregation. Continue reading