Quiet Times, February 2025

Thankful is how I feel for the great participation in our 2025 Church Wide Emphasis “Deepening a Heart for Jesus.” Participation has been strong. Two Sunday School classes are participating with two different curriculums. A new group is meeting on Saturdays for their study. Wednesday night HomeBuilders has high participation. And, I am aware of several who are participating independently through the recommended books.

It is not too late to participate. If it has been on your heart, you can still get on board. Both Sunday Schools are at the very beginning and it would be easy to jump in with them. The Wednesday night videos are available on YouTube and so are the videos from Practicing the Way. And, that recommended reading list is just as available as it was in December. So what do you say? Will you take a step into a deeper heart for Jesus?

The purpose of this emphasis is to encourage the development of regular “quiet times.” That is our funny Baptist way to refer to often meeting with Jesus for prayer and a little Scripture reading, some call it devotions. These times with the Lord can be life-giving, sustaining, and deeply moving, but they need to be more than a to-do list to be effective. Like any relationship, our relationship with Jesus is shaped over time and strengthened by times of trial and strain. By creating the “quiet time” habits in our lives, we carve out a little time to deepen our friendship with Jesus each day. Like a call with your kids or parents, or a conversation with your spouse, a conversation with Jesus keeps the relationship alive.

Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a [person] remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) That remaining, abiding, in Jesus is essential to a fruitful and blessed life. I pray you will join with us in pursuing a deeper abiding in Jesus.

Grace and Peace from Our Lord Jesus Christ,

Pastor Dave

Deepening A Heart for Jesus, January 2025

Hello Christian Family,

Thank you for the gifts at Christmas time. I and the others who received them were touched by your kindness and generosity. Thank you.

As we embark on 2025, we want to renew our spiritual focus for the year. Getting it started on the right foot, so-to-speak, with a Church Wide Emphasis – Deepening a Heart for Jesus. Beginning January 8th and running into March, our Wednesday night program for adults, Home-Builders, will become a midweek worship service. Our study will be about taking a deeper dive into our relation- ships with God. This program is flexible and helpful for every person whether you are a new Christian or new to quiet times, or a veteran of abiding in relationship with God. So no matter how much experience or success you have had in prayer you will find this study beneficial.

Deepening A Heart for Jesus will be flexible, personalized, and modular:
Module 1. January – What is God trying to accomplish in us?

Introductions to A Life Abiding in Christ
Emphasis on Prayer, Bible Reading, Quiet Times Personal Choices: Sabbath, Healing from Hurts, Healing from Sin, Spiritual Plans
Module 2. February – A Life Abiding in Christ
Choose a Deeper Experience in: Sabbath, Prayer, or Generosity
Module 3. March – The Fruit of Abiding in Christ
Choose a Deeper Experience in: Sabbath, Prayer, Generosity, Fasting, or Solitude

Before January you may want to get your hands on a book that will complement our church wide emphasis. Here are some recommendations. If you are hurting, doubting, questioning God then The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith would be an option for you. For those who are active, overly busy, or feel a little ADD, or maybe you want something down to earth, I recommend A Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God by Larry Osborne. The Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes would fit for many of the men. If you would like background information and explanations about why prayer and other practices are helpful then Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer is for you. Lastly, if you want a deep Scriptural study from a Baptist seminary professor then Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney is the right choice. Additional options include Celebration of Discipline and Wasting Time With God. I assure you, this is not a waste of time, but an important endeavor and worthy of your participation.

I hope each person will choose to participate in January’s Module and many will choose to continue with Modules 2 and 3. These are modules, so it is easy to participate in one and not another depending on your interests.

In whatever way you choose to participate, I pray your roots are deepened and your abiding refreshed,
Pastor Dave

Happy Advent, December 2024

Happy Advent,

It may seem early to talk about the new year, but I’d like to get us thinking about something important. People often take on new year resolutions and I have one for you to consider. I’d like you to participate in a church wide emphasis to take our relationships with God to a deeper level. God is always calling us to deeper relationships with himself. Jesus calls it abiding. He says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” It is in this place of abid- ing, deep relationship in Jesus that we can find the most joy and peace and fruitfulness for our souls. Heal- ing for our hurts and strength for our days.

Beginning January and running into March, our Wednesday night program for adults, HomeBuilders, will become a midweek worship service. Our study will be about taking a deeper dive into our relationships with God. I want to design this program to be flexible and helpful for every person whether you are a new Christian or new to quiet times, or a veteran of abiding in relationship with God. So no matter how much expe- rience or success you have had in prayer you will find this study beneficial.

More information will be coming out in the next few weeks, but before January you may want to get your hands on a book that will compliment our church wide emphasis. Here are some recommendations. If you are hurting, doubting, questioning God, then The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith would be an option for you. For those who are active, overly busy, or feel a little ADD, or maybe you want something down to earth, I recommend A Contrarian’s Guide to Knowing God by Larry Osborne. The Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes would fit for many of the men. If you would like background information and explanations about why prayer and other practices are helpful then Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer is for you. Lastly, if you want a deep Scriptural study from a Baptist seminary professor then Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney is the right choice. Additional options include Celebration of Discipline and Wasting Time With God.

I assure you, this is not a waste of time, but an important endeavor and worthy of your participation. More information will be available soon. Keep an ear open.

God bless and Merry Christmas,

Pastor Dave

Lazarus and the Rich Man, November 2024

Luke 16 ends with a story from Jesus concerning the intermediate state, the situation between this embodiment on earth and the resurrection. Jesus tells of a rich man and a poor man, Lazarus. The destination of the rich man is Hades (NIV & Greek Text). Lazarus, having died also, is at Abraham’s side. Jesus’ descriptions of these places, separated by a chasm, are consistent with Greek and Hebrew cultural conceptions of death.

Hades is a place of torment and agony: a dry, hot, wasteland. Furthermore, those in Hades are aware of others. The rich man is aware of Lazarus, speaks to Abraham, and knows his brothers have not yet arrived in Hades. He has two requests. The first echoes the self-centered way he lived on earth. He requests a drop of cool water, not even enough to swallow. When his first request is denied, his second request shows some concern for others – even being evangelistic. He asks for a message of warning to his brothers about Hades. Further asking, that someone should rise from the dead to tell them. He insists they would believe that. What prevents the sending of water from Abraham to the rich man is a gigantic chasm, impassable, which separates the two groups of people. But ironically, his second request is in a way granted.

Asserted by Jesus, though in the mouth of Abraham, is that both of them are getting what they deserved or earned. The rich man who ignored the troubles of his neighbor was now receiving troubles. The poor man, presumed to also be a righteous person, was now receiving comfort. The circumstances of their souls is such that the rich man does not want his loved ones to be with him, and their repentance, a change of heart and life, is sought.

Even though the rich man’s second request was not exactly granted and Abraham rebuffs him saying the Scriptures are supremely sufficient, the message of warning is relayed anyway. The message of warning is not directed to his brothers, but generally given again by Jesus in Jerusalem and in the Gospels by Luke. But even more truly, Jesus rose from the dead, as the man requested, and his warning is being preached in every region of the world.

Maybe people you know will be more receptive to a message about their soul’s destination than this man’s brothers.

Pastor Dave