One of the reasons I love the study of Scripture and taking time to deeply pore over God's Word is that there is always more to learn and more to ponder. The most familiar passages may feature an angle we had never considered, and very often a new experience in life or new thought might bring fresh application out of an "old" text. Consider Matthew 28:19, a text very familiar to us all.
Keep ReadingAfter a brief break over the summer, the church planting team is meeting again and considering where the church plant might be located. Please join them in prayer, specifically for discernment on where we are being called to plant.
Keep ReadingI regularly reflect on Hebrews 10:19-25. You can read the passage on your own, but it essentially calls us to cling to God, cling to truth, and cling to each other because of Christ's work in bringing us to God through His death. Right now, I'd like to encourage you with the call of verse 25, that we not neglect to meet together, but that we encourage one another, and all the more as "the day" draws near.
Keep ReadingScripture repeatedly calls us to openly and willingly speak of God's goodness and His faithfulness. You can look to Psalm 34:3; Psalm 71:8; Psalm 145:7; Luke 8:39; 1 Peter 3:15; or 1 Chronicles 16:8, for example. We can simply look at Psalm 107:2; "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble..." With this biblical witness, I'd like to encourage us all to be ever and increasingly willing to speak of what God has done in our lives, to those both outside and inside the church.
Keep ReadingI think it's safe to say that there is no one more patient than the Lord Himself. Therefore, when we see Jesus display a moment of seeming exasperation, we ought to take notice. One of those moments comes in Mark 9, where Jesus says in verse 19; “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?" What causes such a reaction in Jesus?
Keep ReadingLast Sunday I should have remembered to say thank you for allowing me the privilege to travel to our USMB national gathering and represent CBC. There were a number of highlights, including the chance to recall God's faithfulness in and through our family of churches. We will have a chance to celebrate God's faithfulness on Sunday as well, as we celebrate our 60th anniversary as Community Bible Church.
Keep ReadingSep 18
2025
We are now settling into some of our fall routines at the church, so it's a good opportunity to put some events out there in advance so you can get them on your calendars! Take a look at a few exciting things coming around the corner, a few of which are new for us!
Sep 11
2025
If you are a member or regular attender of CBC, you should soon receive an email about being placed on one of our elders' "Pastoral Care Rosters." If you are newer you might ask, what is a “Pastoral Care Roster,” and how did I get placed on one? Allow me to explain!
Sep 4
2025
We're trying a couple new things on Sunday! First, we will have nametags for everyone. We've actually been kicking around this idea for a while and feel now is the right time to try it.
Aug 28
2025
The elders last met on August 21, 2025. As always, a portion of our time was spent in discussion and prayer around the needs of our members and the needs of our church. Part of our discussion included 242 groups, which are forming now.
Aug 21
2025
We are going to try something new in the worship service starting Sunday, September 7th. (We may actually try a couple new things, but I'll just mention this one now.) Starting that Sunday, before dismissing the little kids for children's church, each week I will take a brief few minutes to walk the church through a weekly catechism question.
Aug 14
2025
Psalm 100, as many psalms do, calls us to worship and glorify the Lord above all else. Isaiah 43:7 affirms we were created for God's glory. It is clear and obvious that our purpose is to bring honor and praise to God and not to ourselves.
Aug 7
2025
I recently became aware of a fascinating little animal called the fahaka pufferfish (also called the Nile puffer). There have been videos floating around of how this pufferfish eats - and more interestingly what it eats. You can find a lot of videos of people feeding their puffers all kinds of things - including mostly crayfish and little crabs. One video showed a pufferfish even eating a scorpion and a snake. That particular video reminded me of the importance of your environment.
Jul 31
2025
I hope you'll consider joining us for the "Praying the Bible" workshop with Donald Whitney (Sunday, August 17 at 6:30pm). Glen Averill initiated this and got us in contact with Dr. Whitney, and I'm thankful for it. Whitney has written and taught extensively on the spiritual life of the Christian and the church, and we will be blessed and benefited to have his expertise and experience at our disposal.
Jul 24
2025
As much as I try to be prepared for Sunday mornings, I am often reminded of how much I miss or don't know about a passage of Scripture. On Sunday, I made the note that the text doesn't explicitly say that Paul shared the gospel with the people of Malta. However, Luke has a pattern of not including all the details of what Paul did and said in each context when he has already demonstrated what Paul did and said in other places.
Jul 17
2025
I'm getting back into the groove this week and still basking in the glow of a newly remodeled kitchen. I could say more about that here, but may save that for another time because I want to take a moment to look ahead to Saturday's Summer Shindig! Here are a few updates and tidbits of information for you all as we look to gather this weekend!