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 ReadingJul 10
2025
As this note hits your inbox, I am on vacation. So, this note was written several weeks ago while I was still in the office, and I am speaking to you from the past. Assuming the Lord hasn't yet returned, and assuming our world hasn't devolved into apocalyptic chaos, I encourage you to participate with us in the weekend ahead.
Jul 3
2025
This month, the elder meeting of June 19 was focused on primarily three things; discussions regarding our people, the budget, and the church plant.
Jun 26
2025
A Psalm I often return to is Psalm 46. It is the basis of one of my favorite hymns, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." It is a Psalm of encouragement when facing personal turmoil. And it is also a great Psalm to keep in mind when the world itself seems chaotic. As we look to what is transpiring between Israel and Iran, we can see the chaos before us.
Jun 19
2025
Several weeks ago, I first heard about a scholar by the name of Wes Huff. His name was making the rounds for a while before that. He is an evangelical scholar with expertise in ancient documents and works for Apologetics Canada. He gained recent notoriety, particularly on YouTube, because of a "debate" with an influencer by the name of Billy Carson.
Jun 12
2025
1 Peter 3:15 encourages; "in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you..." One of my prayers over the next few weeks is that we will all be a little better equipped to share our testimonies, and why we have hope in Christ.
Jun 5
2025
Last Sunday I talked about the Graduate Studies in Ministry program at Tabor College. I've been personally invested in this project and am excited for it. I know I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but allow me to touch on a couple points and answer a few potential questions about it!
May 29
2025
The elders met May 22 for the regular monthly meeting. Our agenda always considers concerns, praises and care regarding our church family as well as administrative items. As respects care, we have had ongoing discussions regarding those who would identify themselves as members of our church body, but who participate very infrequently in corporate worship, discipleship, or other ways with this body.
May 22
2025
I would encourage you all to listen to the podcast below - at least the first half of it. Dr. Bryan Chapell is a pastor/writer/professor that I have greatly appreciated, and I was intrigued that I saw that he was tackling this topic in this podcast and in a recent book (which I plan to read). He speaks to something I have been thinking a great deal about, which is the cultural and generational shift we see in the church and in our world.
May 15
2025
"The prayer meeting is an institution which ought to be very precious to us and to be cherished very much by us as a church, for to it we owe everything. When our comparatively little chapel was all but empty, was it not a well-known fact that the prayer meeting was always full? And when the church increased, and the place was scarcely large enough, it was the prayer meeting that did it all."
May 8
2025
I want to take the opportunity in this space to thank the church for affording me time and space to travel and engage in several important endeavors over the last two weeks. Last week I traveled to Washington state for board meetings with Multiply, our denomination's missions board.